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Technical Update: Key Levels to Watch

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Technical Update:  Key Levels to Watch
  • Value vs. Growth – What Do the Charts Say?

Futures are modestly higher as a soft EU inflation reading is helping to extend Thursday’s rally.

Euro Zone PPI came in much lower than expectations (15% vs. (E) 17.7% y/y) and that’s helping to slightly offset the hot inflation data from earlier in the week.

Economically, Euro Zone and UK Composite PMIs were generally in-line with expectations.

Today the key report will be the ISM Services PMI (E: 54.5).  For stocks and bonds, the best case for this report is that the headline is stable (not much above expectations) while the price indices decline.  If that happens, stocks can extend the rally.

We also get several Fed speakers today including Logan (11:00 a.m. ET), Bostic (11:45 a.m. ET), Bowman (3:00 p.m. ET) and Barkin (4:15 p.m. ET).  If they echo Bostic’s comments from yesterday about the Fed being done with hikes by mid to late summer, that will be a tailwind on stocks.

Why Did Stocks Drop Again?

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What’s in Today’s Report:

  • Why Did Stocks Drop Again?
  • Technical Analysis Follow Up to Sector Valuations
  • EIA Analysis and Oil Market Update

Futures are modestly lower but that’s not that bad considering Thursday’s ugly close and the soft NFLX earnings overnight.

Earnings were generally underwhelming, highlighted by the soft NFLX guidance which sent the stock down 20% after hours.  But, PPG and CSX also cited higher costs as impacting profitability, furthering margin concerns.

UK Retail Sales was the only notable economic number, and it missed estimates (-0.9% vs. (E) 3.4%).

Today there are no economic reports and just two notable earnings announcements, SLB ($ $0.39) and ALLY ($2.01), but they shouldn’t move markets.  Instead, it’s all about tech.  If tech can stabilize today, then markets can bounce (possibly into the Fed meeting next week).