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Pace Matters

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • The Fed Rate Hike Rhetoric Needs to Calm Down

Futures are slightly higher as markets bounce following Thursday’s declines after a generally quiet night of news.

Economic data was better than expected overnight as UK Industrial Production (1.0% vs. (E) 0.3%) and monthly GDP (0.9% vs. (E) 0.3%) both beat estimates.

Today focus will be on earnings, some economic data and more Fed speak.  Economically, the key releases today are Retail Sales (E: 0.0%), Industrial Production (E: 0.3%) and Consumer Sentiment (E: 70.4). From the Fed, we have Harker (10:00 a.m. ET) and Williams (11:00 a.m. ET).  The bottom line is that to help markets stabilize, the data and Fed speak need to give the “March rate hike” mantra a rest, so that means in-line economic data and a slightly more relaxed tone from Fed officials.

Finally, today marks the start of earnings season and there are multiple key reports to watch today:  JPM ($ 2.98), WFC ($1.09), BLK ($10.23) and C ($1.89).  Put simply, earnings need to be solid given the recent volatility, otherwise we can expect the declines to accelerate over the coming weeks.

Why the 7% CPI Print Wasn’t Incrementally Hawkish

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • What the 7% CPI Print Wasn’t Incrementally Hawkish
  • EIA Analysis and Energy Market Update

Futures are little changed following a generally quiet night of news.

Vice-Chair Brainard’s prepared remarks for today’s testimony were released after the close and she said fighting inflation was the Fed’s “most important task” largely echoing Powell’s commentary from Tuesday.

Senator Manchin called the 7% CPI print “very troubling,” further reducing the chances of Build Back Better passing.

Today focus will be on Brainard’s testimony, but as long as she doesn’t imply sooner than expected balance sheet reduction, the market shouldn’t take her comments too hawkishly.  Other potential market events today include, in order of importance:  PPI (E: 0.4%, 9.8%), Jobless Claims (E: 205K) and three Fed speakers:  Harker (8:00 a.m. ET), Barkin (12:00 p.m. ET) and Evans (1:00 p.m. ET).

With stocks not too far from recent highs, they will again be sensitive to more hawkish rhetoric, so if Brainard and her Fed officials are hawkish, and we get a stronger than expected PPI report, don’t be surprised if that puts a mild headwind on stocks today.

Tom Essaye Quoted in The Moguldom Nation on January 10, 2022

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Inflation And Rate Hikes Hurt High-Growth And Low-Profit Tech Companies The Most: Here’s Why

Prospects of aggressive Fed tightening “are most negative for high-growth/high-PE names…said Tom Essaye of the Sevens Report in a note on Monday to clients, CNBC reported. Click here to read the full article.

Powell’s Testimony Takeaways

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Powell’s Testimony Takeaways
  • NFIB Small Business Survey Signals Cautious Outlook

Markets are trading with a risk-on tone this morning as U.S. equity futures track global shares higher after Powell’s testimony helped stabilize bond markets yesterday while investors look ahead to today’s CPI report.

Chinese inflation data was cooler than feared o/n with CPI dipping to 1.5% vs. (E) 1.8% and PPI falling to 10.3% vs. (E) 11.3% Y/Y which is helping ease inflation concerns today.

Looking into today’s session, the December CPI report (E: 0.4%, 7.1%) will be the main focus of markets early with the annual figures expected to hit a fresh multi-decade high. But as long as the headline and core figures are not materially “hotter” than feared, this week’s relief rally, led by tech shares, should be able to continue amid further stabilization in bond markets.

Outside of the early inflation data, there is one Fed speaker to watch: Kashkari (1:00 p.m. ET) as well as a 10-Year Treasury Note auction at 1:00 p.m. ET. And as long as Kashkari does not contradict any of Powell’s comments from yesterday regarding the balance sheet runoff coming “later in the year,” and the auction doesn’t spark a new move higher in yields, then risk-on money flows should be able to continue.

Where Is the Fed Put?

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Bottom Line: Powell Renomination Hearings and the Fed Put
  • Chart: S&P 500 “Current Situation” Support Holds

Stock futures are extending yesterday’s afternoon rally in pre-market trade this morning as investors look ahead to Powell’s renomination hearings.

Overseas, Asian markets declined as new lockdown measures were imposed in parts of China due to rising Omicron cases while EU shares stabilized in sympathy with yesterday’s afternoon rally in U.S. markets.

Economically, the NFIB Small Business Optimism Index edged up to 98.9 vs. (E) 98.8 last month but the release is not materially impacting markets this morning.

There are no additional economic reports today but Esther George is scheduled to speak at 9:30 a.m. ET before Powell’s renomination hearings begin (10:00 a.m. ET). The market will be keenly focused on anything to do with balance sheet reduction plans and if the topic is “downplayed,” expect a further relief rally in equity markets.

Finally, there is a 3-Yr Treasury Note auction at 1:00 p.m. ET and if the results are weak, sending shorter duration yields to new multi-year highs, that could become a headwind for high valuation tech names and weigh on the broader stock market again.

How Should We React to Fed Hawkishness?

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • How Should We React to Fed Hawkishness?
  • Weekly Market Preview:  All About the Fed (Powell testifies Tuesday, Brainard testifies on Thursday).
  • Weekly Economic Cheat Sheet:  All About Inflation (CPI Wednesday is the Key Report).

Futures are slightly lower following a generally quiet weekend as investors digest last week’s hawkish surprises ahead of Powell’s testimony tomorrow and CPI on Wednesday.

Economically, the only notable number was Eurozone Unemployment, which met expectations at 7.2%.

Chances of Build Back Better passing fell further over the weekend as according to the Washington Post, Manchin remains against the current framework for the plan.

Today there are no economic reports and just one Fed speaker, Bostic (12:00 p.m. ET), so we’d not be surprised to see markets churn ahead the three major catalysts coming later this week:  Powell’s testimony on Tuesday, Wednesday’s CPI Report, and Brainard’s testimony on Thursday.  Those three events will determine whether stocks rally of decline this week and any additional hawkish surprises will pressure stocks.

 

Sevens Report Co-Editor Tyler Richey Quoted in Market Watch on January 4, 2022

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Gold recoups half of its Monday loss on disappointing U.S. data, omicron uncertainty

A sharp rise in Treasury yields which begins to drive real interest rates higher is a “major risk to the gold market…analysts at Sevens Report Research wrote. Click here to read the full article.

Market Multiple Table: January Update

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Market Multiple Table: January Update
  • OPEC+ Meeting Takeaways (Not So Bullish)

Stock futures are down modestly this morning, but off the overnight lows in sympathy with rising European shares while Asian markets declined on Chinese regulatory concerns and fresh COVID lockdowns in Hong Kong.

Final December Composite PMI’s were slightly disappointing but investors are already looking ahead to 2022.

Today, there are three economic reports to watch: Motor Vehicle Sales (E: 13.2M), ADP Employment Report (E: 414K), PMI Composite Final (E: 56.9). It will be important for the latter two to point to continued growth but not at a pace that would cause an additional hawkish shift by the Fed as that would likely send rates sharply higher and act as a headwind on broader equity markets.

There are no Fed speakers today but the minutes from the December FOMC meeting will be released at 2:00 p.m. ET.

Tom Essaye Quoted in Bloomberg Quint on January 4, 2022

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U.S. Stocks Start 2022 at Record; Treasuries Fall: Markets Wrap

Bottom line, the outlook is positive for stocks, but the removal of stimulus…wrote Tom Essaye, a former Merrill Lynch trader who founded “The Sevens Report” newsletter. Click here to read the full article.

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Why Did Treasury Yields Surge Yesterday?

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Why Did Treasury Yields Surge Yesterday?
  • Oil Update – OPEC+ Meeting Preview

Stock futures are trading at record highs as investors shrug off surging COVID cases and digest upbeat economic data.

New COVID cases topped 1 million in the U.S. Monday, nearly doubling the previous record, however, hospitalizations and deaths remain low, keeping economic lockdown odds minimal as the Omicron outbreak is increasingly expected to burn itself out in the coming weeks.

China’s Manufacturing PMI rose to 50.9 vs. (E) 50.0 in December further easing global growth concerns.

Today, there are two economic reports to watch: ISM Manufacturing Index (E: 60.5) and JOLTS (E: 11.060M). Investors will be looking for more good data, but not so good that rate hike expectations are brought forward.

There are no Fed speakers today. The January OPEC+ policy meeting will be underway soon (E: +400K b/d production hike in February) and if the group of oil producers disappoint the market, expect a potential spike in volatility that could spill over into both equity and bond markets.