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What the BOC Rate Hike Means for U.S. Interest Rates

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • What the BOC Rate Hike Means for U.S. Interest Rates

Futures are little changed despite more economic stimulus from China.

The Chinese government cut bank deposit rates and encouraged lending to boost auto sales in the latest effort to stimulate the economy, although the moves were already expected so this isn’t a new, positive surprise.

Economic data was sparse overnight with Japanese and EU GDPs the only notable releases, and neither number moved markets.

Today the only notable economic report is Jobless Claims (E: 235K) and markets will want to see stability in the data (so no sudden jump higher), but more broadly markets remain in a temporary “holding pattern” with the CPI report and Fed decision now both looming less than a week away.

Market Multiple Levels: S&P 500 Chart

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Market Multiple Levels: S&P 500 Chart (Unbranded PDF Available)
  • Why Did Small Caps Surge?

Stock futures are little changed in premarket trade indicating this week’s digestive churn sideways could continue today following mixed economic data overnight.

Chinese exports dropped -7.5% vs. (E) +1.0% year-over-year in May adding to worries about the health of the recovery in the world’s second largest economy.

Conversely, in Europe, German Industrial Production jumped 1.8% vs. (E) 1.4% y/y helping ease some worries about the health of the EU economy.

Looking into today’s session, the list of potential catalysts remains light as there are just two economic reports to watch: International Trade in Goods and Services (E: -$76.0B) and Consumer Credit (E: $21.0B) while there are no Fed officials scheduled to speak.

That will leave focus on market internals and whether or not the early June money flows into cyclicals and small cap stocks can continue. If so, the improving breadth in the market with the S&P 500 sitting just under YTD highs will add to the case that the 2023 rally is sustainable.

Market Multiple Table: June Update

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Market Multiple Table – June Update
  • ISM Services PMI Takeaways

There is a modest risk-off tone in global markets this morning as a favorable drop in inflation expectations in Europe is helping offset an unexpected rate hike by the RBA.

The Reserve Bank of Australia surprised markets for the second month in a row as policy makers raised rates 25 bp to 4.10% as still elevated inflation levels remains a concern.

Meanwhile, in Europe, the ECB’s 1-Yr Consumer Inflation Expectations dropped to 4.1% in April from 5.0% in March which supports the case that the disinflation trend in Europe and the U.S. has resumed which is helping bonds rally this morning.

Looking into today’s session, it is lining up to be a quiet day as there are no economic reports and no Fed officials are scheduled to speak.

Tom Essaye Quoted in Yahoo Finance on May 31st, 2023

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Stock Rally Loses Steam After AI-Fueled Euphoria: Markets Wrap

Yes, AI does have great potential and it does appear to be the ‘next big thing’. But I don’t see how that promise can offset the reality of higher interest rates and more pressure on the economy, at least not for a sustainable period…wrote Tom Essaye, a former Merrill Lynch trader who founded The Sevens Report newsletter. Click here to read the full article.

Sevens Report Analyst Quoted in MarketWatch on May 31st, 2023

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U.S. oil futures settle at lowest since March

The potential fallout from the U.S. debt-ceiling debacle and rising odds of a June interest-rate hike both “weighed on oil as the former influence would be a broader riskoff market event, while the latter would further reduce already waning optimism for a soft economic landing this year,” analysts at Sevens Report Research wrote in Wednesday’s newsletter. Click here to read the full article.

 

Tom Essaye Quoted in Barron’s on May 31st, 2023

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Stocks Open Lower as Traders Fret About China Manufacturing, Debt Bill

“Republican Representatives have said this morning that they have the votes to pass it. If that comes to fruition, that should remove a headwind from risk assets and open the door to a continued move higher in equity markets,” writes Tom Essaye, the founder of Sevens Report Research. Click here to read the full article.

What Is Immaculate Disinflation, and Why Did It Cause Last Week’s Rally?

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • What Is Immaculate Disinflation, and Why Did It Cause Last Week’s Rally?
  • Weekly Market Preview:  Does Economic Data Stay Resilient?
  • Weekly Economic Cheat Sheet:  Service Sector in Focus This Week

Futures are little changed as markets digest the Thursday/Friday rally amidst a mostly quiet weekend of news.

Oil prices are solidly higher (Brent crude up 1.7%) after Saudi Arabia announced a voluntary 1M bpd production cut for the next month, although that’s not seen as a sustainable bullish catalyst.

Economically, global service PMIs were mixed as the Euro Zone Service PMI missed expectations (55.1 vs. (E) 55.9) while the UK and Chinese service PMIs were in-line.

Today focus will be on the ISM Services Index (E: 52.0.) and specifically the price index in this report.  Last week, a sharp drop in the ISM Manufacturing PMI Prices Paid Index ignited the rally, and if we see a similar drop in the services price index, it’ll help extend the rally as markets will get more confident disinflation is accelerating.

Tom Essaye Quoted in Swissinfo.ch on May 30th, 2023

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“Yes, AI does have great potential and it does appear to be the ‘next big thing’,” wrote Tom Essaye, a former Merrill Lynch trader who founded The Sevens Report newsletter. “But I don’t see how that promise can offset the reality of higher interest rates and more pressure on the economy, at least not for a sustainable period.” Click here to read the full article.

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Sevens Report Analysts Quoted in MarketWatch on May 25th, 2023

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Gold and silver settle at their lowest prices in about 9 weeks

“The debt ceiling drama is getting most of the attention, but a hawkish shift in tone by a list of [U.S. Federal Reserve] officials recently has holstered the dollar and sent policy-sensitive rates (beyond those durations reacting to the debt negotiations) higher,” analysts at Sevens Report Research wrote on Thursday’s newsletter. Click here to read the full article.

Jobs Report Preview

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Jobs Report Preview

Futures are modestly higher after the House of Representatives passed the debt ceiling extension.

The House passed the debt ceiling extension 314-117, effectively ending this drama (passage in the Senate is all but guaranteed).

Economically, EU Core HICP (their core CPI) rose 5.3% vs. (E) 5.5%, hinting at the re-start of disinflation.

Today focus will be on economic data and there are numerous potentially important reports, starting with the ISM Manufacturing PMI (E: 47.0), where markets will want to see stability in the data (so not dramatically above or below the expectation).  On employment, we get two important reports via the ADP Employment Report (E: 160K) and Jobless Claims (E: 235K), and moderation in both reports (so a drop in ADP and rise in claims) will be welcomed by markets.  Finally, on inflation, Unit Labor Costs (E: 6.3%) will give us the latest insight into wages (the lower this number, the better).  Finally, there is also one Fed speaker: Harker (1:00 p.m. ET).