InvestMacro

By JustMarkets

At Thursday’s close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (US30) decreased by 0.10%, while the S&P 500 Index (US500) was down 0.21%. The NASDAQ Technology Index (US100) closed negative 0.26%. Stock indices initially set new record highs on speculation that the Federal Reserve could cut interest rates this year. But by the end of the trading day, stock indices gave up early gains. They closed lower as comments from Fed President Cleveland Mester and Richmond Fed President Barkin pushed bond yields higher when they said interest rates should remain at higher levels for a long time. In addition, signs of continued price pressures pressured stocks after the Import Price Index, excluding oil for April, rose the most in 16 months.

Cisco Systems (CSCO) closed down more than 2%, topping the Dow Jones Industrials’ list of losers, after the company projected fourth-quarter revenue of $13.40–13.60 billion, below the average consensus estimate of $13.54 billion. Meta Platforms (META) closed down more than 1% after the European Union announced an audit of the company over concerns that its algorithms illegally exploit the weakness of children to addict them to Facebook and Instagram. Walmart (WMT) closed higher by nearly 7% after reporting a 3.90% increase in US comparable sales for the first quarter, beating the consensus prognosis of 3.42%. Shares of 3M Co (MMM) closed higher by more than 3% after Vertical Research upgraded the stock to a “buy” from a “hold” rating with a $140 price target.

Overall, positive first-quarter earnings results are supporting the stock. First-quarter earnings are expected to grow 7.1% YoY, well above the pre-reporting season guidance of 3.8%.

Equity markets in Europe mostly fell on Thursday. Germany’s DAX (DE40) lost 0.82%, France’s CAC 40 (FR40) closed down 0.63%, Spain’s IBEX 35 (ES35) fell by 0.56%, and the UK’s FTSE 100 (UK100) closed negative 0.09%.

WTI crude oil prices rose above $79 per barrel on Friday, helped by a recent decline in US crude inventories and growing optimism that the US Federal Reserve will cut interest rates this year. EIA data showed that US crude inventories fell by 2.508 million barrels last week, declining in the second week and beating estimates for a 1.362 million barrel decline. The April data also pointed to a slowdown in the US consumer inflation, reinforcing expectations of a Fed rate cut that could support economic growth and energy demand.

The US natural gas futures rose more than 3% to $2.5/MMBtu, the highest in four months after the EIA reported a smaller-than-expected increase in storage inventories. The US utilities added 70 billion cubic feet of gas to storage last week, below market expectations of a 76 billion cubic feet increase. However, the report also showed that the US gas inventories are 30.8% above the 5-year average. Weather prognoses point to a shift to warmer-than-normal temperatures through May 31, which will increase gas consumption by power generators to meet electricity demand for air conditioning.

Asian markets were mostly up yesterday. Japan’s Nikkei 225 (JP225) rose by 1.39%, China’s FTSE China A50 (CHA50) gained 0.77% for the day, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) added 1.59% and Australia’s ASX 200 (AU200) was positive 1.65%.

The offshore yuan slid to around 7.23 per dollar as traders reacted to mixed economic data from China. The latest data showed that industrial production rose more than expected in April, while retail sales rose less. While government incentives aimed at boosting production have shown to be effective, initiatives aimed at consumer spending, such as trade-in programs and tax cuts, have lagged behind. Further worrying is that data shows a further decline in real estate investment between January and April, raising concerns about the effectiveness of China’s real estate bailout plan. Meanwhile, China’s finance ministry auctioned its first batch of special treasury bonds on Friday, marking the start of a long-awaited economic stimulus program.

Malaysia’s economy grew by 4.2% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2024, compared to initial and market estimates of 3.9%, and accelerated from the downwardly revised growth of 2.9% in the previous three-month period. This was the fastest economic growth in exactly one year, mainly due to positive contributions from almost all sectors.

S&P 500 (US500) 5,297.10 −11.05 (−0.21%)

Dow Jones (US30) 39,869.38 −38.62 (−0.10%)

DAX (DE40) 18,738.81 −130.55 (−0.69%)

FTSE 100 (UK100) 8,438.65 −7.15 (−0.09%)

USD Index 104.51 +0.16 (+0.16%)

• – New Zealand Producer Price Index (m/m) at 01:45 (GMT+3);
• – China Retail Sales (m/m) at 05:00 (GMT+3);
• – China Industrial Production (m/m) at 05:00 (GMT+3);
• – China Unemployment Rate (m/m) at 05:00 (GMT+3);
• – Japan Industrial Production (m/m) at 07:30 (GMT+3);
• – Eurozone Consumer Price Index (m/m) at 12:00 (GMT+3).

By JustMarkets

This article reflects a personal opinion and should not be interpreted as an investment advice, and/or offer, and/or a persistent request for carrying out financial transactions, and/or a guarantee, and/or a forecast of future events.

By JustMarkets

At Wednesday’s close, the Dow Jones (US30) Index increased by 0.88%, while the S&P 500 (US500) Index was up 1.17%. The NASDAQ Technology Index (US100) closed positive 1.41%. All three indices hit all-time highs yesterday. Stocks rose on lower bond yields after US consumer prices declined as expected. In addition, reports on the US retail sales, the Empire Manufacturing Index, and the NAHB Housing Index were weaker than expected, raising the possibility that the Fed will cut interest rates this year.

The US Consumer Price Index for April declined to 3.4% y/y from 3.5% y/y in March, which was in line with expectations. The Consumer Price Index excluding food and energy (core) for April declined to 3.6% y/y from 3.8% y/y in March, matching expectations and the lowest in 3 years. The US retail sales for April were unchanged m/m, weaker than expectations of 0.4% m/m. However, retail sales excluding autos rose by 0.2% m/m in April, which was in line with expectations. The Empire’s Index of overall business conditions in the US manufacturing sector for May unexpectedly declined by 1.3 to 15.6, which was weaker than expectations for a rise to 10.0.

Markets estimate the odds of a 25 bps rate cut at 10% at the June 11–12 FOMC meeting and 38% at the next meeting on July 30–31.

Equity markets in Europe were mostly up on Wednesday. Germany’s DAX (DE40) rose by 0.82%, France’s CAC 40 (FR40) closed up 0.17%, Spain’s IBEX 35 (ES35) added 1.10%, and the UK’s FTSE 100 (UK100) closed positive 0.21%.

Yesterday’s bullish factor for the European indices was the dovish comments of ECB Governing Council representative Villeroy de Galhau, who said that Eurozone inflation data for April gives the ECB confidence that it will start cutting interest rates in June. The Eurozone industrial production for March rose by 0.6% m/m, stronger than expectations of 0.4% m/m. The European Commission predicts the Eurozone GDP growth of 0.8% in 2024, unchanged from the February estimate, and downgrades the Eurozone inflation projection for 2024 to 2.5% from the February prognosis of 2.7%.

WTI crude oil prices rose above $79 a barrel on Thursday, extending gains from the previous session, as a larger-than-expected decline in weekly US crude inventories supported oil prices. EIA data showed that US crude oil inventories fell by 2.508 million barrels last week, declining for the second week and beating prognoses for a decline of 1.362 million barrels. In addition, weak US inflation data for April bolstered bets that the Federal Reserve will begin cutting interest rates in September, boosting the demand outlook. Meanwhile, the International Energy Agency cut its prognosis for global demand growth this year by 140,000 barrels daily to 1.1 million.

Asian markets were mostly down yesterday. Japan’s Nikkei 225 (JP225) was up 0.08%, China’s FTSE China A50 (CHA50) decreased by 0.56%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) was not trading, while Australia’s ASX 200 (AU200) was positive 0.35%.

The flash data showed that Japan’s GDP contracted by 0.5% QoQ in Q1 2024, compared with market estimates of a 0.4% drop following a downwardly revised stagnation in the previous quarter. Private consumption, which accounts for more than half of the economy, contracted for the fourth consecutive quarter (-0.7% vs. -0.4% in Q4), worse than prognoses for a 0.2% decline and the sharpest drop in three quarters, as consumers continue to cut back amid high cost of living and low wages and in the aftermath of the Noto Peninsula earthquake earlier this year.

Australia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 4.1% in April 2024, compared to market prognoses and an upwardly revised 3.9% in the previous month. New data that the country’s wage growth unexpectedly slowed in the first quarter supported the RBA’s dovish outlook.

S&P 500 (US500) 5,308.15 +61.47 (+1.17%)

Dow Jones (US30) 39,908.00 +349.89 (+0.88%)

DAX (DE40) 18,869.36 +152.94 (+0.82%)

FTSE 100 (UK100) 8,445.80 +17.67 (+0.21%)

USD Index 104.32 −0.69 (−0.66%)

• – Japan GDP (q/q) at 02:50 (GMT+3);
• – Australia Unemployment Rate (m/m) at 04:30 (GMT+3);
• – US Building Permits (m/m) at 15:30 (GMT+3);
• – US Initial Jobless Claims (w/w) at 15:30 (GMT+3);
• – US Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index (m/m) at 15:30 (GMT+3);
• – US Industrial Production (m/m) at 16:15 (GMT+3);
• – US Natural Gas Storage (w/w) at 17:30 (GMT+3);
• – US FOMC Member Mester Speaks at 18:30 (GMT+3);
• – US FOMC Member Bostic Speaks at 22:50 (GMT+3).

By JustMarkets

This article reflects a personal opinion and should not be interpreted as an investment advice, and/or offer, and/or a persistent request for carrying out financial transactions, and/or a guarantee, and/or a forecast of future events.

By ForexTime 

Article by ForexTime

ForexTime Ltd (FXTM) is an award winning international online forex broker regulated by CySEC 185/12 www.forextime.com

By JustMarkets

At the end of Tuesday, the Dow Jones Index (US30) rose by 0.32%, while the Samp;P 500 Index (US500) gained 0.48%. The NASDAQ Technology Index (US100) closed positive 0.75%. The S&P 500 (US500) hit a 5-week high and the NASDAQ (US100) hit a 1-month high. Stocks rose on lower bond yields due to dovish comments from Fed Chair Powell, who said he did not think it was likely that the Fed’s next move would be a rate hike but likely the rate would be at current levels for longer.

US producer prices rose by 0.5% m/m in April 2024 after a downwardly revised 0.1% decline in March and well above estimates of 0.3%. Services prices rose by 0.6%, the highest since July, after a downwardly revised 0.1% drop in March.

The US will release its April inflation report today. Economists expect consumer inflation to increase by 0.4% monthly, while on an annualized basis, it is expected to decline slightly from 3.5% to 3.4%. Investors will assess the inflation report that price pressures are finally easing after months of sustained inflation. In addition, the year-over-year increase in oil prices has stalled, reinforcing the likelihood of a critical rate cut. Typically, rising oil prices can lead to a new bout of rising inflation; these indicators are directly correlated. Thus, if the data shows that the latest consumer price momentum was temporary and inflation has started to fall again, this could harm Treasury yields and the US dollar, giving risk assets (euro, pound, stock indices) room to rise. But any surprise in the form of increasing inflationary pressures or even higher-than-forecast figures could trigger a rise in the US dollar, hurting indices and precious metals.

Equity markets in Europe were mostly up on Tuesday. Germany’s DAX (DE40) fell by 0.14%, France’s CAC 40 (FR40) closed up 0.20%, Spain’s IBEX 35 (ES35) rose 0.78%, and the UK’s FTSE 100 (UK100) closed positive 0.16%.

Wunsch, an ECB Governing Council member, said the ECB should not be in a hurry to cut interest rates further after a likely first cut in June as “wage pressures persist, keeping service sector inflation at high levels.”

Sweden’s annual inflation rate in April 2024 fell to 3.9% from 4.1% in the previous month, below market predictions of 4.0%. This is the lowest rate since January 2022.

WTI crude prices rose to $79 a barrel on Wednesday, recovering some of the previous session’s losses as wildfires in Canada threatened the country’s oil sands industry, capable of producing 3.3 million barrels daily. Oil prices were also supported by industry data that showed US crude inventories fell by 3.104 million barrels last week, beating prognoses for a 1.35 million barrel decline. Official data from the US EIA will be released later today. Meanwhile, the latest OPEC report showed that OPEC+ members exceeded the agreed limit, pumping 568,000 barrels per day last month. Despite this, OPEC remains optimistic about global oil demand, predicting growth of 2.25 million barrels per day in 2024 and 1.85 million in 2025.

Asian markets were predominantly down yesterday. Japan’s Nikkei 225 (JP225) was up 0.46%, China’s FTSE China A50 (CHA50) was down 0.32% for the day, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) was 0.22% cheaper, and Australia’s ASX 200 (AU200) was negative 0.30%.

The offshore yuan rose to 7.22 per dollar, rebounding from two-week lows. As expected, the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) kept its one-year medium-term lending rate at 2.5% during its May meeting. The move is part of the Central Bank’s ongoing efforts to stabilize the yuan.

The Australian dollar rose to $0.664, hitting its highest level in two months, as the dollar weakened ahead of the release of crucial US inflation data and markets bet on the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates this year. At the same time, investors reacted to data showing an unexpected slowdown in Australian wage growth in the first quarter, which supported a dovish view of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s monetary policy. Elsewhere, the annual budget was released this week, with the Australian government aiming to reduce core inflation and ease cost-of-living pressures by spending billions to cut energy bills and rents and reducing income taxes.

S&P 500 (US500) 5,246.68 +25.26 (+0.48%)

Dow Jones (US30) 39,558.11 +126.60 (+0.32%)

DAX (DE40) 18,716.42 −25.80 (−0.14%)

FTSE 100 (UK100) 8,428.13 +13.14 (+0.16%)

USD Index 105.01 −0.20 (-0.19%)

• – Australia Wage Price Index (q/q) at 04:30 (GMT+3);
• – Eurozone GDP (q/q) at 12:00 (GMT+3);
• – Eurozone Industrial Production (m/m) at 12:00 (GMT+3);
• – US Consumer Price Index (m/m) at 15:30 (GMT+3);
• – US NY Empire State Manufacturing Index (m/m) at 15:30 (GMT+3);
• – US Retail Sales (m/m) at 15:30 (GMT+3);
• – US Crude Oil Reserves (w/w) at 17:30 (GMT+3);
• – US FOMC Member Bowman Speaks at 22:20 (GMT+3).

By JustMarkets

This article reflects a personal opinion and should not be interpreted as an investment advice, and/or offer, and/or a persistent request for carrying out financial transactions, and/or a guarantee, and/or a forecast of future events.

By JustMarkets

At the end of Monday, the Dow Jones Index (US30) decreased by 0.21%, while the S&P 500 Index (US500) fell by 0.02%. The NASDAQ Technology Index (US100) closed positive 0.29%. Rising inflation expectations weighed on stocks after the New York Fed’s 1-year inflation expectation rose by 26 bps to a 5-month high of 3.26% from 3.00% in March. Stocks were also impacted by hawkish comments from Fed Vice Chairman Jefferson when he said it was appropriate for the Fed to keep interest rates in a restrictive range.

Apple (AAPL) closed higher by more than 2% after it was reported that the company is close to an agreement to use OpenAI technology in Apple’s upcoming iOS 18 mobile operating system.

Intel (INTC) shares rose more than 2% and led the Dow Jones Industrials Index after the Wall Street Journal reported that the company is negotiating a deal that would see Apollo Global Management provide more than $11 billion to build a chip factory in Ireland.

Equity markets in Europe mostly fell on Monday. Germany’s DAX (DE40) fell by 0.16%, France’s CAC 40 (FR40) closed down 0.12%, Spain’s IBEX 35 (ES35) Index rose by 0.42%, and the UK’s FTSE 100 (UK100) closed negative 0.22%.

The CAC 40 Index (FR40) closed at 8,209 on Monday, breaking its 6-day winning streak and retreating from a record high of 8,219. On the corporate front, Airbus saw the biggest drop in shares, with its stock down 1.4%.

WTI crude oil prices held above $79 a barrel on Tuesday after rising more than 1% in the previous session, helped by concerns over possible supply disruptions in Canada. Markets feared that Canada’s wildfire season could affect the country’s 3.3 million barrels per day production capacity. In the Middle East, Iraq’s oil minister said over the weekend that the country would abide by OPEC+ policy on production cuts due at the upcoming June 1 meeting, reversing his previous statement that Iraq would not agree to any new production cuts.

Asian markets experienced both ups and downs yesterday. Japan’s Nikkei 225 (JP225) was down 0.13%, China’s FTSE China A50 (CHA50) lost 0.42%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) was up 0.80%, and Australia’s ASX 200 (AU200) was positive 0.01%.

Australia will release its budget today. The government is expected to announce another annual budget surplus thanks to strong employment figures. At the same time, traders will focus on the details of the planned cost of living cuts that are said to reduce consumer inflation temporarily. Treasurer Jim Chalmers said he expects the current core inflation rate of 3.6% to return to the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) target of 2–3% by the end of the year. If this scenario works out, the Central Bank will likely cut interest rates sooner than markets expect.

Ahead of the PBOC’s upcoming medium-term interest rate decision, the offshore yuan exchange rate is holding at 7.24 per dollar, the lowest in two weeks. Expectations are leaning towards the PBOC keeping the medium-term interest rate unchanged at 2.5% at tomorrow’s meeting — the rate has been unchanged since August 2023, when 15 basis points cut it.

S&P 500 (US500) 5,221.42 −1.26 (−0.024%)

Dow Jones (US30) 39,431.51 −81.33 (−0.21%)

DAX (DE40) 18,742.22 −30.63 (−0.16%)

FTSE 100 (UK100) 8,414.99 −18.77 (−0.22%)

USD Index 105.22 −0.09 (-0.09%)

• – UK Average Earnings Index (m/m) at 09:00 (GMT+3);
• – UK Claimant Count Change (m/m) at 09:00 (GMT+3);
• – UK Unemployment Rate (m/m) at 09:00 (GMT+3);
• – German Consumer Price Index (m/m) at 09:00 (GMT+3);
• – Switzerland Producer Price Index (m/m) at 09:30 (GMT+3);
• – German ZEW Economic Sentiment (m/m) at 12:00 (GMT+3);
• – Eurozone ZEW Economic Sentiment (m/m) at 12:00 (GMT+3);
• – US Producer Price Index (m/m) at 15:30 (GMT+3);
• – US Fed Chair Powell Speaks at 17:00 (GMT+3).

By JustMarkets

This article reflects a personal opinion and should not be interpreted as an investment advice, and/or offer, and/or a persistent request for carrying out financial transactions, and/or a guarantee, and/or a forecast of future events.