The True Indicator of Banking Stress

What’s in Today’s Report:

  • The True Indicator of Banking Stress
  • Case Shiller Home Price Index and Consumer Confidence: Charts

Stock futures are trading solidly higher with overseas markets following some positive bank headlines out of Europe and strong price action in Asian tech shares.

BABA announced a corporate restructuring plan that sent shares higher by 14% overnight, boosting sentiment across Asian equity markets and buoying U.S. equity futures with tech leading the way higher.

In Europe, it was reported that UBS has brought back former CEO Sergio Ermotti to oversee the CS takeover which is further easing some of the angst surrounding the recent turmoil in the banking sector.

Looking into today’s session, there is one more housing data release to watch: Pending Home Sales (E: 1.0%) before Fed Vice Chair Barr continues with his Congressional testimony regarding recent bank failures at 10:00 a.m. ET. There is also a 7-Yr Treasury Note auction at 1:00 p.m. ET.

Bottom line, equity markets appear to be stabilizing but the tape does remain thin and tentative with the “pain trade” to the upside. One materially negative headline out of the banking sector or regarding Fed policy, however, could reignite the volatility of recent weeks.