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Why Did Stocks and Bonds Drop to Start 2024?

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Why Did Stocks and Bonds Drop to Start 2024? Start a free trial of The Sevens Report.

What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Why Did Stocks and Bonds Drop to Start 2024?
  • Weekly Market Preview:  Can Data Meet Market Expectations For Growth and Rate Cuts?
  • Weekly Economic Cheat Sheet:  Inflation In Focus (CPI on Thursday)

Futures are slightly lower following some disappointing EU economic data and on hawkish Fed commentary.

Economically, German Manufacturers’ Orders and Euro Zone retail sales both missed estimates, reminding investors of recession risks in Europe.

This weekend, Dallas Fed President Logan warned that financial conditions have eased materially recently and that may prevent the Fed from cutting rates anytime soon.

Today there are two notable market events including the NY Fed Inflation Expectations (E: 3.4%) and comments by Atlanta Fed President Bostic (12:00 p.m. ET).  If either event pushes back on the idea of imminent rate cuts (via inflation expectations being higher than estimates or Bostic sounding hawkish) expect more modest pressure on stocks and bonds.

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2024 Technical Outlook: Key Levels to Watch in Q1

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2024 Technical Outlook: Start a free trial of The Sevens Report.

What’s in Today’s Report:

  • 2024 Technical Outlook:  Key Levels to Watch in 2024
  • Jobs Day

Futures are modestly lower following more evidence of a bounce back in inflation in the EU and ahead of today’s jobs report.

The EU December HICP (their CPI) rose less than expected (2.9% vs. 3.0% y/y) but still increased from the 2.4% Nov. reading and that’s further reducing ECB rate cut expectations and weighing on global markets.

Today focus will be on economic data and there are two potentially market moving reports:  The jobs report and the ISM Services PMI.

Regarding the jobs report, expectations are as follows:  Job Adds: 158K, UE Rate: 3.8%,  Avg Hourly Earnings: 0.3% m/m, 3.9% y/y.  The key here is moderation in the data and a job adds number above 200k or Avg. Hourly Earnings much above 4.0% will further push back on rate cut expectations and likely weigh on stocks.

Looking at the ISM Services PMI (E: 52.7), the key here is that the number stays solidly above 50 (which it should).  A drop below 50 will increase slowdown worries (and weigh on stocks).  Finally, there is one Fed speaker today, Barkin at 1:30 p.m. ET, but he shouldn’t move markets.

Sevens Report Quarterly Letter 

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Sevens Report Analysts Quoted in Investing.com

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Very Lofty Valuations: Sevens Report Analysts Quoted in Investing.com

These five market assumptions are ‘aggressively optimistic’ – Sevens Report

Sevens Research said the S&P 500 is starting 2024 trading at “a very lofty” 19.5X valuation. While they don’t believe the valuation is unjustified, they do believe it makes several key, positive assumptions about critical market influences in the coming year.

Sevens argues that while the market assumptions “aren’t necessarily wrong,” the “assumptions are aggressively optimistic, and it is how events unfold versus these expectations and not on an absolute scale that will determine how stocks and bonds trade to start the year.”

Also, click here to view the full Investing.com article published on January 2nd, 2023. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

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.

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

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Tom Essaye Interviewed on BNN Bloomberg

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Investors Hope For Rate Cuts: Tom Essaye Interviewed on BNN Bloomberg

S&P 500 rally flashes signs of fatigue near record

Tom Essaye, president of Sevens Report Research, joins BNN Bloomberg to discuss the markets as investors hope for rate cuts from the Fed as early as march.

Also, click here to view the full BNN Bloomberg interview published on December 26th, 2023. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

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

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The Fed Pivot Has Already Occurred

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The Fed Pivot Has Already Occurred: Tom Essaye Quoted in MarketWatch

Here’s when falling bond yields might become a problem for stock-market bulls in 2024

Heading into 2024, the path of least resistance for Treasurys is for higher prices and lower yields (prices and yields move opposite each other), “although the decline in yields won’t be the boost for stocks in 2024 as it was in 2023, because if it keeps going and we see the 10-year yield break through support at 3.75% and keep dropping towards 3.00%, investors will interpret that as an economic warning sign now that the Fed pivot has already occurred,” said Tom Essaye, founder of Sevens Report Research, in a Friday note.

Also, click here to view the full MarketWatch article published on December 29th, 2023. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

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

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The Timing Of Rate Cuts Is A Big One

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Markets Have Priced In The Dovish Pivot: Tom Essaye Quoted in Yahoo Finance

3 important things pros say you should watch out for in the stock market for 2024

Tom Essaye, founder of Sevens Report Research: “I agree the timing of rate cuts is a big one that people are focused on, but there are two others I think are equally as important.

First is earnings. Reports recently haven’t been good, and if disinflation turns into a headwind for corporate profits, that could be a surprise in early 2024 because markets have priced in solid earnings growth in 2024.

Second, what if the slowdown is worse than feared? For anyone who has been through previous Fed rate cut cycles, they usually don’t end well for stocks. Yes, it’s possible that this time is different and I agree there are unique circumstances coming from the pandemic, but the complacency towards a gradual slowdown is something that we need to watch early in the New Year.”

Also, click here to view the full Yahoo Finance article published on December 29th, 2023. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up 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.

Jobs Report Preview

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Jobs Report Preview: Start a free trial of The Sevens Report.

What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Jobs Report Preview

Futures are rebounding very slightly following better than expected global service PMIs.

The December Chinese Service PMI handily beat estimates (52.9 vs. (E) 51.6) offering an encouraging signal on Chinese growth while the EU and UK services PMIs also slightly best estimates.

On inflation, data was more mixed as French CPI met estimates at 3.7% but rose slightly from last month challenging the disinflation narrative.

Today focus will be on economic data and specifically the labor market via Jobless Claims (E: 218K) and the ADP Employment Report (E: 115K) and the key here remains Goldilocks data that isn’t so strong it reduces rate cut expectations nor so bad it stirs worries about the economy.  Also, we get the December PMI Composite Index (E: 51.0) but barring a major surprise that shouldn’t move markets.

Jobs Report

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All Of Us In The Markets Are In A Proverbial Canoe

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All Of Us In The Markets Are In A Proverbial Canoe: Tom Essaye Quoted in Courthouse News Service

Markets roar in 2023 as inflation ticks down and Fed eases rate hikes

Tom Essaye of the Sevens Report likened the market in 2023 to rough sailing. “I can’t help but feel as though all of us in the markets are in a proverbial canoe and the investing public is violently leaning to one side of the canoe and then the other, causing it to nearly tip each time,” he wrote in an investor’s note.

Essaye wrote that many believe the Fed will slash interest rates about six times next year, believing inflation will soon “go into some sort of freefall” and the S&P 500 may hit 5,000 points. “But I’ve been in this industry long enough to know that when everyone seems to be leaning on one side of the proverbial canoe, it pays to move to the middle,” he wrote.

Also, click here to view the full Courthouse News Service article published on December 29th, 2023. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

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

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The Market Is “Sitting On Big Gains”

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The Market Is “Sitting On Big Gains”: Tom Essaye Quoted on BNN Bloomberg

Markets today: AI mania driving Nasdaq 100’s best run since 1999

The market is “sitting on big gains” and most participants just want the year to end to register those gains, according to Tom Essaye, a former Merrill Lynch trader who founded The Sevens Report newsletter.

“But I’ve been in this industry long enough to know that when everyone seems to be leaning on one side of the proverbial canoe, it pays to move to the middle.”

Warnings about a market that’s flashing overbought signals have been raising concern about a pullback, with some market observers saying that traders have gone too far, too fast in pricing in a dovish Fed pivot.

Also, click here to view the full BNN Bloomberg article published on December 27th, 2023. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up 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.

Two Differences In 2024 That Could Be Negative For Equity Markets

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2 Differences In 2024: Sevens Report Analysts Quoted in Investing.com

Sevens Research sees 2 differences in 2024 that could be negative for equity markets

In its latest daily note, Sevens Report Research said there are two important differences for investors to consider in 2024.

“The market has priced in six Fed rate cuts and year-end 2024 fed funds below 4%,” analysts said.

“If we see the 10-year Treasury yield continue to fall to the low 3% or sub 3% range, that’s not going to be a major tailwind for stocks. Because that won’t be forecasting a dovish Fed, it’ll be forecasting slowing growth,” analysts explained. “And those falling yields will then become a harbinger of a potential economic slowdown and not the welcomed signal of a Fed that’s finally turning dovish.”

The second difference is that earnings results won’t have low expectations to excuse poor performance.

“Consensus S&P 500 earnings growth is nearly 10% year over year. Well above the longer-term averages of around 5%-ish annual growth. And keep in mind, at 4,800 the S&P 500 is trading over 19.5X that $245 earnings estimate, which means there’s little room for disappointment from a valuation perspective,” analysts explained. “Bottom line, ‘ok’ earnings won’t be good enough and we got a preview of that in the Q3 numbers.”

Also, click here to view the full Investing.com article published on December 27th, 2023. However, to see the Sevens Report’s full comments on the current market environment sign up here.

 

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.

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.