The Ukraine Counteroffensive and Markets
What’s in Today’s Report:
- What the Ukraine Counteroffensive Means for Markets
Stock futures are extending recent gains this morning while the dollar continues to fall ahead of today’s CPI report.
In Europe, German CPI for August was unchanged at 7.9% y/y which met expectations and is being well-received by investors ahead of today’s U.S. inflation data.
Domestically, the NFIB Small Business Optimism Index came in at 91.8 vs. (E) 90.5, underscoring the resilience of the U.S. economy in the face of Fed policy tightening so far.
Today, the main event will be the release of the August CPI data (E: -0.1% m/m, 8.1% y/y) ahead of the open. If the data is inline or below estimates, specifically the core figure, then stocks should be able to extend the recent rally as expectations for the “terminal rate” will likely fade lower however a hot print could send yields and the dollar sharply higher and cause a potentially sharp reversal of the recent gains.
The only other potential catalyst today is a 30-Yr Treasury Bond auction at 1:00 p.m. ET. Yesterday’s 3-Yr and 10-Yr auctions did notably move Treasury markets as yields jumped but stocks shrugged off the soft auction outcomes with focus on today’s CPI. If the 30-Yr auction is weak and yields move higher with the CPI data already released as of this morning, that could act as a strengthening headwind on equities in the afternoon.
