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Is Disinflation Still Good for Markets? (The Answer May Surprise You)

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Is Disinflation Still Good for Markets? Start a free trial of The Sevens Report.

What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Is Disinflation Still Good for Markets? (The Answer May Surprise You)
  • Weekly Market Preview:  Are Hard Landing Chances Rising?
  • Weekly Economic Cheat Sheet:  A holiday-shortened week, but still one with important growth updates.

Futures are slightly lower on mixed Chinese economic data and following a quiet summer weekend of news.

Chinese Fixed Asset Investment (4.0% vs. (E) 4.2%) and Industrial Production (5.6% vs. (E) 6.2%) both missed estimates while Retail Sales beat (3.7% vs. (E) 3.0%) leaving the outlook for Chinese growth still mixed (at best).

There were no notable political or geo-political updates over the weekend.

The focus of the data this week will be on economic growth and today we get the first look as June activity via the June Empire Manufacturing Index (E: -12.50).  Given recent worries about growth, the stronger this number, the better for the broader markets.

We also have three Fed speakers today, Williams (12:00 p.m. ET), Harker (1:0 p.m. ET) and Cook (11:00 p.m. ET) but again, given last week’s Fed meeting, they shouldn’t move markets.

Finally, markets are closed on Wednesday for observance of Juneteenth (this is a recently new Federal holiday so I just want to make sure everyone was aware of the closure).

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Evidence That Investors Are Starting to Worry About Growth

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Evidence That Investors Are Starting to Worry About Growth: Start a free trial of The Sevens Report.

What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Evidence That Investors Are Starting to Worry About Growth

Futures are moderately lower despite a slightly dovish Bank of Japan decision and more strong tech earnings (ADBE), as growing political anxiety in Europe weighed on markets.

French stocks dropped another 1% (down 5% on the week) on growing political uncertainty and that’s weighing on European markets and U.S. futures.

Today focus will remain on economic data and the notable report is the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index (E: 73.0).  But, more important than the consumer sentiment reading will be the inflation data in that report (1-Year Inflation Expectations E: 3.2%, Five-Year Inflation Expectations E: 3.0%) and markets will want to see stable consumer sentiment and better than expected inflation readings to rally.

We also have two Fed speakers today, Goolsbee (2:00 p.m. ET) and Cook (7:00 p.m. ET)., but they shouldn’t move markets.

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FOMC Preview (All About the Dots)

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FOMC Preview (All About the Dots): Start a free trial of The Sevens Report.

What’s in Today’s Report:

  • FOMC Preview (All About the Dots)

Futures are slightly higher following more solid tech earnings and despite some stagflationary economic data.

ORCL earnings beat estimates and the stock is up 9% pre-market, helping to support stock futures.

Economically, Chinese inflation ran slightly hot while UK Industrial Production badly missed estimates.

Today brings the two key events of the week via CPI and the Fed Decision.  For CPI, estimates are:  E: 0.1% m/m, 3.4% y/y, Core CPI (0.3% m/m, 3.5% y/y).  The key here is that core CPI is flat or declines from last month.  If we see a bounce back above 3.6% that will likely be a material surprise negative.

For the Fed, there is no change expected to rates and focus at 2:00 will be on the dots (and how much they changed since March).  Anything from the Fed (dots or Powell commentary) that makes a September rate cut more likely will help stocks, while anything that makes it less likely will be a headwind.

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The fall in gasoline supplied last week suggests a near-term peak in demand

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The fall in gasoline supplied last week suggests a near-term peak in demand: Sevens Report Research Analysts, Quoted in Morningstar

Oil prices post back-to-back gains as worries about economic outlook fade

The fall in gasoline supplied last week below the four-week average suggests a near-term peak in demand, analysts at Sevens Report Research said in a note.

Encouragingly, the four-week average did rise by 37,000 barrels a day to 9.07 million barrels a day, so there’s hope that demand could still be a source of fundamental support, they said, though last week wasn’t a step in that direction, based on the data.

Oil rose Wednesday not so much because of the EIA data, but rather because economic data eased worries about recession, added to expectations the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in the fall and boosted hopes for a soft economic landing in the U.S., they wrote.

“The stabilization in oil should be considered fragile, however, as the oil market does not like sources of uncertainty like OPEC+ delivered with last weekend’s production policy decision,” the analysts said.

Also, click here to view the full MarketWatch article published on Morningstar on June 6th, 2024. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

Oil Inventories

Lastly, 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.

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What’s in Today’s Report: When Does Bad Economic Data Become Bad for Stocks?

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Jobs Day Technical Preview & Wildcards to Watch: Start a free trial of The Sevens Report.

What’s in Today’s Report:

  • When Does Bad Economic Data Become Bad for Stocks?
  • Weekly Market Preview:  An Important Week:  Fed Decision (Including the Dots), CPI and AI Updates.
  • Weekly Economic Cheat Sheet:  Do We See Real Movement in Rate Cut Expectations?

Futures are modestly lower as global bond yields rise following surprise political news over the weekend.

Far right political parties outperformed expectations in EU elections while French President Macron called for surprise snap elections.  The results are pushing French and German bond yields higher, which are pulling Treasury yields up in sympathy and weighing slightly on futures.

Outside of the political results, it was a mostly quiet weekend of news as investors look ahead to an important week of AI catalysts, the FOMC decision and the latest CPI report.

This is a busy and important week for markets as it will either confirm current (positive) expectations on Fed rate cuts and inflation or challenge them and increase volatility.  That said, the week starts quietly as there are no notable economic reports today and the key event is likely to be AAPL’s Worldwide Developer Conference keynote announcement, which is focused on AI.  If it’s underwhelming, tech could lag and slightly weigh on markets.

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The data is starting to show a potential soft landing

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The data is starting to show a potential soft landing: Sevens Report Editor, Tom Essaye, Quoted in Barron’s

Only Two S&P 500 Sectors Are Rising

Sevens Report Research’s Tom Essaye told Barron’s the data is starting to show a potential soft landing, though where it goes from here is anyone’s guess.

“A soft landing was always a slowing of growth that sort of didn’t get too bad,” Essaye says. “So it appears we are kind of arriving at that point. Now, the issue is that every hard landing started with a soft landing. You don’t just jump from growth to contraction.”

Also, click here to view the full Barron’s article published on June 5th, 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.

My biggest concern for this market remains that we get an unexpected economic slowdown

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My biggest concern for this market remains that we get an unexpected economic slowdown: Sevens Report Editor, Tom Essaye, Quoted in Barron’s

The Stock Market Needs a Strong Economy to Keep Rising. The Data Are Getting Worse.

“My biggest concern for this market remains that we get an unexpected economic slowdown because that’s one of the few events that can legitimately cause a material correction in stocks,” writes Sevens Report founder Tom Essaye, noting that his worry ticked up last week due to corporate earnings.

However, Essaye warns, it doesn’t always work so neatly. “Twice in my career I have seen investors cheer a slowdown, and both times the Fed was not able to cut rates at the right time to prevent the slowing from becoming a broader economic contraction,” he wrote. “That doesn’t mean they can’t do it this time, but catching a falling knife doesn’t work in real life, it doesn’t work in stock trading, and I’ve never seen it work in monetary policy.”

Also, click here to view the full Barron’s article published on June 4th, 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.

A Concerning Divergence in Bond Markets

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • What Is the Smart Market Telling Us? (Part II)
  • JOLTS Data Takeaways – Normalizing or Rolling Over?
  • Chart: JOLTS Fall Below Pre-Pandemic Trend Path

Futures are tracking European markets higher this morning on the back of “goldilocks” growth and inflation data overnight ahead of more key domestic economic data today.

Economically, China’s May Composite PMI handily beat estimates at 54.1 vs. (E) 52.7 which was a welcomed print as Chinese data has been underwhelming recently.

In Europe, the Eurozone Composite PMI rose to 52.2 vs. (E) 52.3 while April PPI fell -1.0% m/m vs. (E) -0.5%. Stabilizing growth numbers and evidence of further disinflation are exactly what the ECB want to see ahead of their first rate cut as it helps shore up the soft-landing argument.

Looking into today’s session, there are no Fed officials scheduled to speak but two important economic reports on the calendar. First, the May ADP Employment Report (E: 173K) will be released pre-market and second, the ISM Services Index (E: 50.7) is due out a half hour after the opening bell.

Investors will want to see a labor market print that is close to estimates. A number too strong will push back on the recent dovish money flows while a weak number will add to recession worries. With the ISM, a steady number above 50 with cooling price indices would be the best case scenario for risk assets leading into the jobs report Friday.

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What Is the “Smart Market” Telling Us? (Part I)

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What Is the “Smart Market” Telling Us? (Part I) : Start a free trial of The Sevens Report.

What’s in Today’s Report:

  • What Is the Smart Market Telling Us? (Part I)
  • May ISM Manufacturing Index Takeaways
  • OPEC+ Decision Takeaways – Focus Shifts to Demand

Markets are trading with a risk-off tone globally as U.S. stock futures are tracking overseas equities lower while Treasuries maintain a strong safe-haven bid amid worries about global growth ahead of more key economic data today.

Overnight, Korean CPI fell to 2.7% vs. (E) 2.8% and Swiss CPI was unchanged at 1.4% vs. (E) 1.6%. German Unemployment was also steady at 5.9%, meeting estimates. The lack of positive response to the easing inflation data underscores increasing growth concerns.

Looking into today’s session focus will be on economic data early with JOLTS (E: 8.4 million), Factory Orders (E: 0.7%), and Motor Vehicle Sales (E: 15.8 million) all due to be released.

There are no Fed speakers or major Treasury auctions today, leaving the economic data releases the main potential market catalysts. If the data disappoints, growth worries could see the early risk-off money flows accelerate, however, “goldilocks” data could help stocks continue to stabilize after last week’s spike in volatility.

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Growing Economic Concerns

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Why I am Getting More Concerned About an Economic Slowdown
  • Weekly Economic Preview – A Critical Week of Data

Futures are higher on momentum from Friday’s late-day rally while news wires were mostly quiet this weekend.

Economically, the Eurozone Manufacturing PMI rose from 45.7 to 47.3 vs. (E) 47.4 in May while the UK’s Manufacturing PMI headline rose from 49.1 to 51.2 vs. (E) 51.3. The as-expected data is having a limited impact on markets, leaving stocks to extend Friday’s rally.

Today, focus will be on the ISM Manufacturing Index (E: 49.8) early with a report on Construction Spending (E: 0.2%) also due out after the open. There are no Fed officials scheduled to speak today which leaves the ISM data the key catalysts of the session. A report that is “too hot” or “too cold” could see volatility pick up while a “Goldilocks” number would likely allow Friday’s relief rally to continue.

Finally, the Treasury will hold 3-Month and 6-Month Bill auctions at 11:30 a.m. ET, and while these auctions don’t typically move markets, we are within 6-months of the first expected rate cuts from the Fed so any surprises could impact yields and in-turn move equities.

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