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Barron’s Senior Managing Editor and Deputy Editor speak with Tom Essaye

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Semiconductor stocks have cycle-leading characteristics: Sevens Report Editor, Tom Essaye, interviewed on Barron’s Live

Talking Markets with Sevens’ Report Tom Essaye

Barron’s Senior Managing Editor Lauren R. Rublin and Deputy Editor Ben Levisohn speak with Tom Essaye, Founder and President of Sevens Report about the outlook for financial markets, industry sectors, and individual stocks.

Tom Essaye: Absolutely. So the number one message we’re trying to convey in the Sevens Report is for investors to really stay focused on economic growth. And the reason I say that is because if growth can’t hold up, then we have to talk about this rally potentially ending in a very uncomfortable way. And for those of us who have been in the markets for a long time, at least at the start of this century, we’ve seen that happen a few times and it’s very painful. And if you think about investing, those are really the types of markets we want to avoid. So with the Fed cutting rates, we now know that if growth rolls over, they will not be able to cut fast enough to prevent any sort of a slowdown. So to use the analogy, the die has been cast to a point. Now the Fed is cutting and we must see if growth holds up. Everything that’s going on around growth, so how many cuts are they going to have in 2024? What’s going to happen with the election? Is the Chinese stimulus going to be enough? All of those are ancillary issues, but the main issue is growth. Because if growth rolls over, now we have to talk about that being a rally-killing event and those are the big events we want everyone to be able to avoid.

Also, click here to view the full Barron’s interview published on MarketWatch on October 21st, 2024. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

It’ll be Very Hard for This Market to RallyIf you want research that comes with no long term commitment, yet provides independent, value added, plain English analysis of complex macro topics, then begin your Sevens Report subscription today by clicking here.

To strengthen your market knowledge take a free trial of The Sevens Report.

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How Bullish Are Investors? (The Answer May Surprise You)

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How Bullish Are Investors? (The Answer May Surprise You): Start a free trial of The Sevens Report.

What’s in Today’s Report:

  • How Bullish Are Investors?  (The Answer May Surprise You)

Futures are modestly higher following a night of solid earnings and mixed economic data.

TSLA is rallying 11% pre-market after posting stronger than expected earnings and that’s helping futures rally.

Economically, EU and UK flash PMIs were mixed but, on balance, Goldilocks enough to support a bounce in stocks.

Today focus will shift from earnings to economic data and the important reports today are:  Jobless Claims (E: 247K), Oct. Flash Manufacturing PMI (E: 47.6) and the Oct. Flash Services PMI (E: 55.0).  Goldilocks data that’s in-line with expectations (so not too good or too bad) is the best outcome for a continued rebound in stocks and bonds today.

We also have one Fed speaker today, Hammack at 8:45 a.m. ET, and some notable earnings including UPS ($1.65), AAL ($0.13) and COF ($3.70).  But, barring any major surprises they shouldn’t move markets.

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Why Yields Are Suddenly Surging

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Why Yields Are Suddenly Surging: Start a free trial of The Sevens Report.

What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Rising Yields: Is it Growth, the Fed, or Fiscal Worries?
  • Chart: Market Based Inflation Expectations Hit 4-Month Highs

Futures are under pressure again this morning as the 10-Yr yield continues to edge further beyond 4.20%, the highest readings since July, while traders await more important earnings releases today and into the weekend.

Economically, Taiwan’s Industrial Production index, which includes the nation’s critical semiconductor output, slowed to 11.22% in September from a lower revised 12.54% rise in August signaling a potential slowdown in high-tech, AI-focused chips in H2’24.

Today, there is one economic report due out: Existing Home Sales (E: 3.90 million) but unless it is meaningfully “hot” it should not have a major impact on markets (although a cool report that influences less hawkish money flows would be well received by equity markets).

Additionally, there are two Fed speakers to watch: Bowman (9:00 a.m. ET) and Barkin (12:00 p.m. ET) from which markets will look for a less-hawkish, more accommodative tone than the recent “higher-for-longer” policy rate chatter.

Finally, earnings season continues with several notable companies reporting quarterly results including BA ($-10.34), KO ($0.74), and T ($0.59) before the open, and TSLA ($0.58), IBM ($2.27), and TMUS ($2.34) after the close.

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Why Are Utilities the Best-Performing Sector YTD?

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Why Are Utilities the Best-Performing Sector YTD?: Start a free trial of The Sevens Report.

What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Why Are Utilities the Best Performing Sector YTD?
  • Chart: 10-Yr Yields Test 3-Month Highs – A Renewed Headwind for Stocks

U.S. stock futures are extending yesterday’s losses in premarket trade this morning, led lower by small-caps as Treasury yields continue to test multi-month highs amid a higher-for-longer Fed policy outlook.

Economically, the only notable release overnight was Hong Kong’s CPI which picked up modestly in September, rising to 0.1% from 0.0% in August (2.2% y/y), but that is not moving markets today.

There are no notable economic reports today and just one Fed speaker on the calendar: Harker (10:00 a.m. ET).

The light economic calendar will leave trader focus on earnings with: VZ ($1.18), MMM ($1.93), GM ($2.50), GE ($1.13), LMT ($6.47), and FCX ($0.40) all reporting quarterly results before the bell while STX ($1.50) and TXN ($1.36), both of which are tech-proxies, will report after the closing bell.

Beyond earnings, Treasury yields will also be in focus today as the sharp, double-digit rise in the 10-Yr yield presented a significant headwind on broader equity markets yesterday. If yields continue higher, expect stocks to have a hard time stabilizing today.

Join thousands of advisors from huge brokerage firms like Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo Advisors, Raymond James, and more! To start your quarterly subscription and see how The Sevens Report can help you grow your business, click here.

Why Didn’t Stocks Rally More Last Week?

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Why Didn’t Stocks Rally More Last Week?: Start a free trial of The Sevens Report.

What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Why Didn’t Stocks Rally More Last Week?
  • Weekly Market Preview: Earnings Are the Key This Week
  • Weekly Economic Cheat Sheet: The First Major October Datapoint

Futures are slightly lower to start the week despite more Chinese stimulus and better than expected EU inflation data.

The PBOC announced another larger than expected rate cut, continuing to add stimulus to the Chinese economy.

Economically, German PPI declined more than expected (-1.4% vs. (E) -1.2%), increasing ECB rate cut expectations.

Today there is only one notable economic report, Leading Indicators (E: -0.3%) but there are several Fed speakers: Logan (8:55 a.m. ET), Kashkari (1:00 p.m. ET), Schmid (5:05 p.m. ET).  If the data is in-line and the Fed speakers reinforce two remaining rate cuts in 2024, that should support markets (it’s the Goldilocks set up).

Join thousands of advisors from huge brokerage firms like Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo Advisors, Raymond James, and more! To start your quarterly subscription and see how The Sevens Report can help you grow your business, click here.

A market that remains firmly anchored by two key beliefs

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A market that remains firmly anchored by two key beliefs: Sevens Report Analysts Quoted in Investing.com

Why don’t stocks drop on bad news?

As per analysts at Sevens Report, this resilience reflects a market that remains firmly anchored by two key beliefs: economic growth will remain stable, and the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates—conditions that continue to support bullish sentiment despite growing risks.

Additionally, jobless claims surged to summer highs, suggesting some softening in the labor market. “However, that number was inflated by the Boeing strike and by unemployment related to the damage from Hurricane Helene in Florida and North Carolina,” the analysts said.

Sevens Report argues that part of the reason stocks haven’t wavered is that the risks, while real, haven’t yet materialized in ways that challenge the underlying narrative of a soft landing.

“The ‘burden of proof’ remained squarely on the bears,” the analysts said, no single negative development has been powerful enough to shift market sentiment away from expectations for stable growth and falling rates.

Also, click here to view the full article featured on Investing.com published on October 19th, 2024. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

If you want research that comes with no long term commitment, yet provides independent, value added, plain English analysis of complex macro topics, then begin your Sevens Report subscription today by clicking here.

To strengthen your market knowledge take a free trial of The Sevens Report.

Join hundreds of advisors from huge brokerage firms like Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo Advisors, Raymond James, and more! To start your quarterly subscription and see how The Sevens Report can help you grow your business, click here.

A soft landing remains, by far, the most likely outcome for the economy

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A soft landing remains, by far, the most likely outcome for the economy: Sevens Report Analysts Quoted in Courthousenews.com

Dow Jones, S&P hit fresh highs in wake of good retail data

“A soft landing remains, by far, the most likely outcome for the economy as important economic data strengthened across multiple fronts over the past month,” Tom Essaye of the Sevens Report wrote in an investor’s note on Friday morning.

“Now, to be clear, this doesn’t mean that a hard landing can’t happen (or won’t happen), but it is not happening right now and there are few conclusive signals that it’s going to happen, at least at this point,” he continued.

Also, click here to view the full article on Courthousenews.com published on October 18th, 2024. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

If you want research that comes with no long term commitment, yet provides independent, value added, plain English analysis of complex macro topics, then begin your Sevens Report subscription today by clicking here.

To strengthen your market knowledge take a free trial of The Sevens Report.

Join hundreds of advisors from huge brokerage firms like Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo Advisors, Raymond James, and more! To start your quarterly subscription and see how The Sevens Report can help you grow your business, click here.

Semiconductor stocks have cycle-leading characteristics

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Semiconductor stocks have cycle-leading characteristics: Sevens Report Editor, Tom Essaye, Quoted in Barron’s

Tech’s Moment of Truth Has Arrived

As Sevens Report President Tom Essaye notes, “semiconductor stocks have cycle-leading characteristics,” given their volatility and risky balance sheets, meaning they “begin to roll over before most of the rest of the market as traders rotate away to lower-beta, more value-oriented names during times of uncertainty, including economic downturns (but admittedly also “growth scares” such as 2022). So, as we continue to navigate an uncertain market landscape in the second half, the SOX are offering us a ‘canary in the market coal mine’ right now that could, and likely will, offer fair warning before a more meaningful decline in the broader market indexes, such as the S&P 500 , eventually begins to take shape.

Also, click here to view the full Barron’s article published on October 18th, 2024. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

It’ll be Very Hard for This Market to RallyIf you want research that comes with no long term commitment, yet provides independent, value added, plain English analysis of complex macro topics, then begin your Sevens Report subscription today by clicking here.

To strengthen your market knowledge take a free trial of The Sevens Report.

Join hundreds of advisors from huge brokerage firms like Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo Advisors, Raymond James, and more! To start your quarterly subscription and see how The Sevens Report can help you grow your business, click here.

Where SOX Go, Stocks Go: A Cyclical Canary to Watch in the Market Coal Mine

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Where SOX Go, Stocks Go: Start a free trial of The Sevens Report.

What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Where SOX Go, Stocks Go: A Cyclical Canary to Watch in the Market Coal Mine

Futures are modestly higher thanks to solid earnings and ahead of important central bank decisions and economic data later today.

Taiwan Semiconductor (TSM) beat earnings and is rallying 8% pre-market and that’s boosting tech and futures.

Today will be a busy day on the economic and earnings front, starting with the ECB rate decision, where the ECB is expected to cut rates 25 bps and signal an openness (but not a guarantee) of another rate cut in December.

Economically, there are several potentially important reports today including, in order of importance, Retail Sales (E: 0.3%), Jobless Claims (E: 260K), Philly Fed (E: 3.0) and Industrial Production (E: -0.1%).  With all of today’s data, Goldilocks readings around expectations are the best case for markets.

Finally, earnings season continues to roll along and NFLX (E: $5.09) after the close is the big report today.

Join thousands of advisors from huge brokerage firms like Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo Advisors, Raymond James, and more! To start your quarterly subscription and see how The Sevens Report can help you grow your business, click here.

Earnings Offer Mixed Economic Signals

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Earnings Offer Mixed Economic Signals: Start a free trial of The Sevens Report.

What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Earnings Giving a More Mixed Economic View (Although It’s Still Early)
  • Empire State Manufacturing Index Takeaways
  • Insight from Oil’s Early Week Collapse

U.S. futures are steady as yesterday’s pullback is digested while overseas markets were mostly lower overnight after ASML’s downbeat guidance weighed on global tech shares and LVMH earnings rekindled concerns about consumers.

Economically, UK Core CPI favorably fell 0.4% to 3.2% vs. (E) 3.5% in September, bolstering BoE rate cut bets.

Today, there is one second-tiered inflation report to watch: Import & Export Prices (E: -0.3%, -0.4%), but barring a big surprise one way or another it is not likely to move markets.

Additionally, there is a 4-Month Treasury Bill auction at 11:30 a.m. ET. A strong auction would be received as dovish and help stocks and other risk assets stabilize in the midst of increasingly hawkish Fed policy expectations in recent weeks.

There are no Fed officials scheduled to speak today but earnings season continues to pick up with results being released by several big financials: MS ($1.57), CFG ($0.79), SYF ($1.77), DFS ($3.29) and a few more economically-sensitive companies PPG ($2.15), CSX ($0.48).

Join thousands of advisors from huge brokerage firms like Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo Advisors, Raymond James, and more! To start your quarterly subscription and see how The Sevens Report can help you grow your business, click here.