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Is the Fed’s Bark Worse than Its Bite?

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • What the FOMC Decision Means for Markets (Is the Fed’s Bark Worse than Its Bite?)
  • EIA Analysis and Oil Outlook Update

Futures are moderately lower as markets digest Wednesday’s big post-Fed rally following a night of underwhelming economic data.

The April Chinese services PMI plunged to 36.2 vs. (E) 41.1, reflecting the economic damage from lockdowns.  In Europe, data was mixed as German Manufacturers’ Orders missed estimates while UK Services PMI beat expectations.

There are multiple Fed speakers today on financial media outlets (there are no official speeches scheduled) and don’t be surprised if they sound hawkish and push back on the post FOMC rally yesterday (this is especially true for Bullard, whose doing interviews today).

Today’s focus will be on the aforementioned Fed speakers, and again don’t be shocked if they sound “hawkish” and that causes some giveback from yesterday’s rally (but a hawkish tone won’t undo the positives from Powell’s press conference, either).

Economically, there is a BOE Rate decision and they are expected to hike 25 bps.  Domestically, the key report today is Unit Labor Costs (E: 6.8%) as that will give us a good look at total wage inflation (and if it’s higher than estimates that will be a negative).  We also get Jobless Claims (E: 178K) but that shouldn’t move markets.

Earnings In Focus

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Bottom Line – Earnings In Focus
  • Natural Gas Update

Stock futures are trading lower after another quiet night of news as bond yields hit new multi-year highs overnight while investors look ahead to a fresh set of earnings reports today.

The 10-year Treasury Note yield notably tested 2.90% overnight following hawkish commentary from the Fed’s Bullard, who mentioned the possibility of a 75 basis point hike late yesterday.

Looking into today’s session, there is just one economic report to watch: Housing Starts and Permits (E: 1.75M, 1.83M) but it is not likely to move markets. Then there is one Fed speaker mid-day: Evans (12:05 p.m. ET).

Finally, earnings season continues to pick up today with JNJ ($0.34), LMT ($6.22), TRV ($3.70), and CFG ($0.96) reporting before the open and NFLX ($2.92) and IBM ($1.34) due to report after the closing bell.

An Important Earnings Season (It Really Starts This Week)

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • An Important Earnings Season (It Starts This Week)
  • Weekly Market Preview:  Can Solid Earnings Spark a Rally?
  • Weekly Economic Cheat Sheet:  If Housing Finally Starting to Cool?

Futures are modestly lower following a generally quiet weekend of news.

Chinese economic data was better than expected as Q1 GDP rose 4.8% vs. (E) 4.2%, but concerns remain about future economic growth given continued lockdowns (concerns about future Chinese growth is a headwind on global stocks right now).

Geopolitically there was no change in the Russia/Ukraine war as fighting ranges in eastern Ukraine and there is no reason to expect a cease fire anytime soon.

Today the key report is the Housing Market Index (E: 78) and we’ll be looking for any signs that mortgage rates at 10+ year highs are starting to slow the housing market.    We also get one Fed speaker, Bullard (4:00 p.m. ET), and we can expect him to be hawkish (but the market already knows that).

Finally, this is a big week for earnings and some important reports today include: BAC ($0.76), SCHW ($0.85), JBHT ($1.91).

Tom Essaye Quoted in CNBC on March 31, 2022

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Dow drops to snap four-day winning streak, Nasdaq falls more than 1%

Above 4,600 in the S&P 500, markets have now traded through most fundamental bounds of valuation, and for this rally to continue, we’ll need to see real, actual positive events (not just events that aren’t as bad as feared)…Tom Essaye of The Sevens Report said in a note to clients Wednesday. Click here to read the full article.

Can the Rally Keep Going?

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Weekly Market Preview:  Can the Rally Keep Going?
  • Weekly Economic Cheat Sheet:  Flash PMIs Are the Key Number This Week

Futures are slightly lower following a generally quiet weekend as investors digest last week’s gains.

The Russia/Ukraine war continued with no notable progress towards a cease-fire over the weekend and hope for a near-term peace is fading.

Economically, the only notable report was German PPI, which encouragingly missed expectations, rising 1.4% m/m vs. (E) 1.7% m/m.

Today there are no economic reports and just one Fed speaker, Bostic at 8:00 a.m. ET, and he shouldn’t move markets.  So, focus will remain on Russia/Ukraine, and any hints of progress towards a ceasefire will help extend the rally, while any additional escalation will be a headwind on stocks.

Why We Could See a Short Term Rally (But We Wouldn’t Chase It)

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Why We Could See a Short-Term Rally
  • What the FOMC Minutes Meant for Markets (Not as Hawkish as Feared, But Not Dovish, Either)
  • EIA and Oil Market Update

Futures are modestly weaker as negative headlines on Russia/Ukraine weighed on sentiment.

Russia accused Ukraine of attacking Russian-back separatists in the Dontesk region of Ukraine, and analysts fear this could be the pretext for a larger military conflict if Russia moves to annex Dontesk, (this would be a replay of what happened with Crimea in 2014).

Russia/Ukraine headlines are driving short term trading and that will remain the case today, with any headlines implying diplomacy causing a rally, and any headlines implying conflict causing a sell off.

Beyond geopolitics, however, we get several pieces of economic data, including Jobless Claims (E: 224K), Housing Starts (E: 1.708M) and the Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index (E: 19.7) and as has been the case the market will be looking for stability in the data.

Finally, we also get two Fed speakers, Bullard (again) at 11:00 a.m. ET and Mester at 5:00 p.m. ET.

Omicron Optimism

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Why Omicron Optimism is Helping Stocks Rally

Futures are marginally higher as studies and articles continue to be released that confirm that the Omicron variant results in much fewer severe COVID cases.

Over the past 48 hours, studies from South Africa, Denmark, and England and numerous articles (Washington Post, Bloomberg, WSJ) have all generated the same conclusion, that Omicron results in substantially fewer severe

COVID cases and that confirmation is easing COVID anxiety.

Today there is a lot of economic data but the most important report is the Core PCE Price Index (E: 0.4% m/m, 4.5% y/y).  As long as it’s not materially worse than feared, it likely won’t hit markets.  And, if the data comes in better than expected, that will add to the idea that inflation pressures have peaked, and we could easily see an extension of this week’s rally.

Other data today includes Durable Goods (E: 1.5%), Jobless Claims (E: 205k),  New Home Sales (E: 770k), and Consumer Sentiment (E: 70.4), but barring a major surprise those numbers shouldn’t move markets.

Are Central Banks Tightening into a Slowdown?

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Bottom Line: Are Central Banks Tightening into a Slowdown?
  • Weekly Economic Cheat Sheet: Is the Economy Losing Momentum?
  • Weekly Market Preview: Santa Claus Rally Still Possible but Volatility is on the Rise

U.S. equity futures are sharply lower with global shares amid negative COVID headlines and surprise political drama in D.C.

Democratic Senator Joe Manchin unexpectedly rejected President Biden’s Build Back Better plan over the weekend, greatly reducing the odds of its passage which saw GS revise their Q1 growth outlook from 3% to 2%.

Meanwhile, in Europe, lockdown risks are on the rise as the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 accelerates.

Looking into today’s session, it appears we are going to open deep in the red amid the combination of a deteriorating political landscape and surging Omicron fears.

There are no economic reports or Fed speakers on the calendar today however there is a 6-Month Treasury Bill auction at 11:30 a.m. ET, which is not something we typically monitor, but if we see a weak outcome, then short duration yields could spike higher, compounding last week’s fears of rate hikes beginning sooner than later which would weigh on stocks, potentially in a big way. Outside of that auction, markets will be focused on the Build Back Better headlines and the new prospects of tighter COVID restrictions, particularly in Europe as that would further weigh on the outlook for economic growth.

What the Fed Decision Means for Markets

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • What the Fed Decision Means for Markets
  • EIA and Oil Market Update

Futures are sharply higher mostly on momentum from yesterday’s strong close and despite soft economic data.

EU and UK flash PMIs missed estimates thanks to drops in the service sector and that implies Omicron is a headwind on global growth in Europe.

But, for now that concern isn’t enough to stop a year-end Santa rally as the Fed was hawkish, but not too hawkish.

Looking forward, today will be a busy day.  First, we get two important central bank decisions (Bank of England at 7:00 a.m. and ECB at 7:45 a.m), and while neither are expected to change policy if they are hawkish in a tone that could partially offset the current Fed rally.

Meanwhile, we also get a lot of economic data including, in order of importance: December Composite Flash PMI (E: 58.4), Philly Fed (E: 28.8), Jobless Claims (E: 200K), Housing Starts (E: 1.563M) and Industrial Production (E: 0.7%).  Bottom line, the market will want to see stability in the data especially given the looming rate hikes in 2022, and the last thing the market will want to see is a material weakness in the data given the Fed’s new hawkishness.

Tom Essaye Quoted in Nasdaq.com on December 10, 2021

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History Proves That Rate Hikes Don’t Have to Dent Stocks

While the market will likely remain volatile near term, there’s no reason yet to think that stocks can’t….says Essaye of the Sevens Report. Click here to read the full article.