Friday, August 31, 2018

Risk-On Sentiment Rules Amid Tentative Progress on Trade Issues

TradeTheNews.com Weekly Market Update: Risk-On Sentiment Rules Amid Tentative Progress on Trade Issues
Fri, 31 Aug 2018 16:09 PM EST

The S&P opened the week at record levels while the Nasdaq topped 8,000 and the Dow rose above 26,000 for the first time since February, as positive sentiment over strong corporate earnings was augmented by some apparent progress on trade. News of a trade agreement between the US and Mexico buoyed optimism about a trilateral deal being reached, but Canada was not convinced by Friday afternoon, leaving the US to press ahead with a Mexico deal with more US/Canada talks next week. Amazon pushed closer to a $1 trillion market cap and Apple surged again to new all-time highs as large cap tech led the way higher yet again. Sentiment waned into the back half of week as emerging market volatility and potential contagion fears resurfaced around fresh plunges in the Argentine peso and Turkish Lira along with notable weakness in other EM exchange rates forced central banks to respond. That consternation remained prevalent in bond trading too as Treasury yields moved lower after rising earlier in the week. The composition of the curve continued to flash warning signals to many observers including to some within the Federal Reserve. The 2-10 yield spread tested below 20 basis points several times after last week’s Jackson Hole commentary. The S&P500 ended the week up 0.9%, while the DJIA gained 0.7%, and the Nasdaq surged 2.1%.

In corporate news this week, Salesforce shares slipped on conservative Q3 guidance and a miss on billings revenue. Under Armour dropped after Dick’s Sporting Goods noted it saw “continued significant declines in Under Armour sales” due to their decision to expand distribution. Best Buy lost some ground after its Q3 outlook disappointed. Lululemon surged after another beat and guidance raise. Electronic Arts shares fell after it cut its bookings outlook and announced a delayed launch for ‘Battlefield V’. Coca Cola acquired UK coffeehouse chain Costa Ltd for £3.9B in a move to compete with Starbucks and other coffee brands in Europe.


MONDAY 8/27
(DE) GERMANY AUG IFO BUSINESS CLIMATE: 103.8 V 101.8E; CURRENT ASSESSMENT: 106.4 V 105.3E
(US) AUG DALLAS FED MANUFACTURING ACTIVITY: 30.9 V 30.0E
(US) US and Mexico reach trade deal to replace NAFTA - press
(US) President Trump: There will be US-Mexico trade agreement; will call this US-Mexico trade agreement, dropping NAFTA name

TUESDAY 8/28
3988.HK Reports H1 (CNY) Net 109.1B v 103.7B y/y, Op Income 251.5B v 248.4B y/y
TIF Reports Q2 $1.17 v $1.00e, Rev $1.08B v $1.04Be
BBY Reports Q2 $0.91 v $0.83e, Enterprise Rev $9.38B v $9.25Be

WEDNESDAY 8/29
(IT) Italy govt reportedly seen reaching out to ECB for a new round of QE - press
(FR) FRANCE Q2 PRELIMINARY GDP Q/Q: 0.2% V 0.2%E; Y/Y: 1.7% V 1.7%E
(US) Q2 PRELIMINARY GDP ANNUALIZED (2ND READING) Q/Q: 4.2% V 4.0%E (highest since 2014); PERSONAL CONSUMPTION: 3.8% V 3.9%E
(UK) EU Chief Brexit Negotiator Barnier: We're prepared to offer Britain a partnership unlike with any other country
(US) JULY PENDING HOME SALES M/M: -0.7% V 0.3%E; Y/Y: -0.5% V -2.5%E
(US) DOE CRUDE: -2.6M V -1ME; GASOLINE: -1.6M V 0ME; DISTILLATE: -0.8M V +2ME
(RU) Sec of State Pompeo reportedly asks for meeting with Russia Foreign Min Lavrov to ease tensions ahead of new planned sanctions - Wash Post
(DE) Germany Foreign Ministry: there will be no special rules for a post-Brexit UK
CRM Reports Q2 $0.71 v $0.47e, Rev $3.28B v $3.23Be; raises FY19 outlook

THURSDAY 8/30
(DE) GERMANY AUG UNEMPLOYMENT CHANGE: -8K V -8KE; UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS RATE: 5.2% V 5.2%E
(HK) Macau July Hotel Occupancy Rate: 89.9%, -0.9ppts y/y
*(EU) EURO ZONE AUG BUSINESS CLIMATE INDICATOR: 1.22 V 1.26E; CONSUMER CONFIDENCE (FINAL): -1.9 V -1.9E
(EU) EU said would agree with zero tariffs on industrial goods (including cars) if US agree - financial press
(CN) China Cabinet reportedly adopting new measures to support the real economy; to improve national medicines system - press
(AR) Argentina Central Bank said to be meeting before local market open on Thursday - financial press
*(DE) GERMANY JULY PRELIMINARY CPI M/M: 0.1% V 0.1%E; Y/Y: 2.0% V 2.0%E
*(CA) CANADA JUN GDP M/M: 0.0% V 0.1%E; Y/Y: 2.4% V 2.3%E
(AR) Argentina Central Bank (BCRA) raises LELIQ Rate by 1500bps to 60.00% (from 45.00%) (intra-policy decision)
(US) Atlanta Fed cuts Q3 GDP forecast to 4.1% from 4.6% prior
(CN) President Trump reportedly tells aides he is ready to implement the proposed $200B in new China tariffs as soon as next week, though final decision is still pending - press
(US) President Trump: will withdraw from WTO if it doesn't 'shape up'; don't regret naming Powell as Fed Chair - press interview
(KR) BANK OF KOREA (BOK) LEAVES 7-DAY REPO RATE UNCHANGED AT 1.50%; AS EXPECTED
*(CN) CHINA AUG OFFICIAL GOVT MANUFACTURING PMI: 51.3 V 51.0E
USD/IDR Rupiah (IDR) currency extends decline, trades at lowest level since 1998; Indonesia 10-year bond yield trades above 8.02% (highest since Dec 2016)

FRIDAY 8/31
WTB.UK To divest Costa Ltd to Coca-Cola for £3.9B
(DE) GERMANY JULY RETAIL SALES M/M: -0.4% V -0.2%E; Y/Y: 0.8% V 1.3%E
(DE) GERMANY JULY RETAIL SALES M/M: -0.4% V -0.2%E; Y/Y: 0.8% V 1.3%E
(CA) Canada govt officials said to doubt having a NAFTA deal by today (Friday, Aug 31st) – press
*(US) CANADA-US NAFTA TALKS END WITH NO AGREEMENT; TRUMP TO NOTIFY CONGRESS OF PLANS TO PROCEED WITH MEXICO-ONLY DEAL TO REPLACE NAFTA
(CA) USTR Lighthizer confirms US/Canada talks will resume on Wed (Sept 5); plan to sign a trade deal with Mexico, and with Canada if they are willing


Saturday, August 25, 2018

Barron’s weekend summary

Barron’s weekend summary: Cover story on the cloud in video gaming, positive for EA and ATVI 
Cover story: “The cloud is the future of videogaming, and it could arrive sooner than many players expect, with important implications for investors”; Companies such as EA and ATVI will benefit, while NVDA, MSFT, and SNE may face challenges because of the trend. 

Features: 1) Steve Perlman—whose OnLive streaming game service offering a flat-fee subscription model came online more than a decade ago—explains why the cloud gaming revolution has taken so long; 2) The Value Investors Club “is the rare medium where partners at hedge funds will anonymously discuss stocks with investors they know nothing about,” and where members with good ideas can make a name for themselves. 

Tech Trader: Cautious on NFLX: Investors should pay close attention to the stock as rivals DIS and T rush to emulate its Internet video business, especially because Netflix earnings are largely a creation of accounting practices. 

Trader: Doug Ramsey of Leuthold Group “points to the number of stocks making new lows in recent weeks as one worrisome trend,” though it shouldn’t make investors grow too bearish; The healthcare sector has faced problems, but is regaining its strength, and the rally may just be getting started—though there are still risks. 

Interview: Dan Chung, chief executive and chief investment officer at Fred Alger Management, argues that the forces that have lifted the market are far from spent (picks: MSFT, ROP, TNDM, Puma). 

Profile: Martin Schulz of the PNC International Equity fund and his team cover specific regions and let macroeconomic outlooks guide their initial investment decisions (top 10 holdings: Wirecard, Tencent Holdings, SNE, BABA, ASML, Ping An Insurance Group, HDB, Nidec, AIA Group, AEM). 

Follow-Up: 1) Positive on GSK: Shares of the pharma company are rebounding after years of poor performance, and investors believe it can replace one blockbuster asthma drug with another, while other drug studies show potential; 2) Cautious on LB: Barron’s suggests that the company can’t be fixed despite some positive steps—Victoria’s Secret discounts are failing to entice shoppers while Pink’s sales could drop by half. 

European Trader: Positive on Carlsberg: The Danish brewing giant “could fit the bill for long-term investors thirsting for an undervalued, but promising, consumer stock,” and it appears to be on track for better profitability. 

Emerging Markets: Positive on Tencent Holdings: Chinese online colossus has become the largest stock in emerging markets, and its recent drop presents a buying opportunity—the company should resume its winning ways. 

Commodities: “Sugar prices have fallen to their lowest levels in a decade and are likely to drop further as record worldwide production collides with healthier eating.” 

Streetwise: Senator Elizabeth Warren’s introduction of legislation that would require large U.S. companies to create a “material positive impact on society” is misguided, and would fail to solve the problem of growing inequality.

Political and Trade Troubles in Washington Discounted by Bullish Markets

TradeTheNews.com Weekly Market Update: Political and Trade Troubles in Washington Discounted by Bullish Markets
Fri, 24 Aug 2018 16:06 PM EST

US stock indices made a run at historic highs this week. Hopes for movement in the NAFTA and China trade negotiations, abatement of the recent US dollar strength, a continued benign interest rate environment as well as a thin summer trading were most often cited for the melt up. The view on the US consumer remained vibrant, getting support from historically strong earnings reports from several high profile US retailers. Target’s CEO declared the consumer environment was the best of his career. The momentum waned somewhat mid-week after President Trump’s former campaign Manager was found guilty on various counts, and his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen took a plea while his lawyer insinuated he has further information related to the Russia election hacking investigation.

The US went ahead and slapped tariffs on another $16B in Chinese goods amid low expectations for progress as trade negotiations resumed in Washington. Meanwhile US/Mexico trade talks fell short of an agreement, but will continue next week. Both the Fed and ECB released minutes from their most recent meetings and the commentary did little to lift Treasury yields from the lows of the month. The US curve flattened further with the 2-10 yield spread narrowing toward 20 basis points for the first time this cycle. On Friday Fed Chairman Powell reiterated the case for gradual rate hikes, and hinted that tightening may slow when the ‘neutral’ rate is reached even if the economy is still strong because there is no sign of inflation accelerating. Stocks pushed aside the political and trade troubles and ended higher: the S&P500 gained 0.9% on the week to set a new record high, while the DJIA added 0.5% and the Nasdaq surged 1.7%.

In corporate news this week, a swath of retailers released earnings, with mixed results. Target posted its best quarterly comps figure in 13 years. Lowe's cut its outlook after announcing plans to close every one of its 99 Orchard Supply stores. Gap investors took profits after the clothier affirmed its FY outlook. Williams Sonoma jumped on an earnings beat, but L Brands slipped to its lowest level in seven years on disappointing guidance. Footlocker slid on a comp sales miss, and Hibbett Sports reported a surprise loss and cut guidance. Online brokers took a hit after JPMorgan announced an investing app with free or discounted trades and no-fee access to stock research. There were reports that Saudi Arabia had abandoned its Saudi Aramco IPO, but the Saudis responded that the government remains committed to the plan but will do so at a time of its own choosing. PepsiCo announced it would acquire carbonated beverage machine maker Sodastream for $144/share in cash in a deal valued at $3.2B. And mobile game developer Zynga got a boost from an agreement with Disney to produce free-to-play Star Wars videogames.

MONDAY 8/20
SODA To be acquired by PepsiCo for $144/shr in cash valued at $3.2B
(US) President Trump: not thrilled with what Fed Chief Powell is doing so far, should be more accommodating - press interview
(US) President Trump: does not anticipate much coming out of meeting with Chinese delegation regarding trade talks this week - press interview
(TR) President Trump: will give no concessions to Turkey over detained US pastor; not concerned about any economic fallout for Europe over Turkey sanctions - press interview
BHP.AU Reports FY18 Underlying Net $9.6B (continuing ops) v $9.2Be, Underlying EBITDA $24.1B (includes Onshore US business) v $24.3Be, Rev $45.8B v $45.5Be

TUESDAY 8/21
JPM To unveil new investing app with free or discounted trades, portfolio building tool, and no-fee access to stock research - CNBC
(US) Former Trump lawyer Cohen enters guilty plea at court hearing; says he violated campaign law at direction of the 'candidate', sought to influence the election
(US) Former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort found guilty on eight counts including tax fraud, bank fraud charges - press
(VE) 7.3 magnitude earthquake reported off northern coast of Venezuela
(MX) US said to announce 'handshake' NAFTA deal related to Mexico on Thursday (Aug 23rd), says Politico; Mexico said to deny the existence of a deal related to NAFTA, according to a separate report

WEDNESDAY 8/22
LOW Reports Q2 $2.07 v $2.02e, Rev $20.9B v $20.8Be; adjusts outlook, strategic reassessment is ongoing to exit Orchard Supply Hardware
TGT Reports Q2 $1.47 v $1.40e, Rev $17.8B v $17.3Be
(US) USTR: no deal yet on NAFTA, there are still major outstanding issues
*(US) JULY EXISTING HOME SALES: 5.34M V 5.40ME (slowest pace in over two years)
*(US) DOE CRUDE: -5.8M V -2ME; GASOLINE: +1.2M V -1ME; DISTILLATE: +1.8M V +1.5ME
ARAMCO.IPO Saudi Arabia reportedly abandons Aramco IPO and has dismissed advisers - press
*(US) FOMC MINUTES FROM AUG 1ST MEETING: MANY OFFICIALS SAID ANOTHER RATE INCREASE WOULD LIKELY SOON BE APPROPRIATE; OFFICIALS NOTE RATES MOVING CLOSER TO ESTIMATES OF NEUTRAL

THURSDAY 8/23
*(FR) FRANCE AUG BUSINESS CONFIDENCE: 105 V 107E; MANUFACTURING CONFIDENCE: 110 V 108E
(FR) FRANCE AUG PRELIMINARY MANUFACTURING PMI: 53.7 V 53.5E (23rd month of expansion)
*(DE) GERMANY PRELIMINARY MANUFACTURING PMI: 56.1 V 56.5E (44th month of expansion)
*(EU) EURO AUG PRELIMINARY MANUFACTURING PMI: 54.6 V 55.2E (61st month of expansion)
(US) National Hurricane Center (NHC): Hurricane Lane (Category 4) is the biggest weather threat to Hawaii in decades (1959 and 1992 last time hurricanes made landfall)
BABA Reports Q2 $1.22* v $1.29e, Rev $12.2B v $12.3Be
*(US) AUG PRELIMINARY MARKIT MANUFACTURING PMI: 54.5 V 55.0E (9-month low)
*(US) JULY NEW HOME SALES: 627K V 645KE
GPS Reports Q2 $0.76 v $0.72e, Rev $4.09B v $3.98Be
*(CN) CHINA PBOC CONDUCTS CNY149B 1-YEAR MEDIUM-TERM LENDING FACILITY (MLF) V CNY383B PRIOR AT 3.30% V 3.30% PRIOR (2nd MLF operation this month)
(AU) Australia PM Turnbull reiterates stance that said will not stand for PM and resigns as the leader of the Liberal party; Ruling Liberal Party voted 45 to 40 to hold leadership ballot for the party
(AU): Australia Treasurer Morrison to replace Turnbull as PM after winning party leadership vote - Australia Media

FRIDAY 8/24
(DE) GERMANY Q2 FINAL GDP Q/Q: 0.5% V 0.5%E; Y/Y: 2.0% V 2.0%E
(CN) China PBoC said to resume counter-cyclical factor in Yuan mid-point fixing mechanism - financial press
*(US) JULY PRELIMINARY DURABLE GOODS ORDERS: -1.7% V -1.0%E; DURABLES EX-TRANSPORTATION: 0.2% V 0.5%E
*(US) Fed Chair Powell: Gradual hikes are likely appropriate if growth stays strong; US economy is strong; does not seem to be elevated risk of overheating - Jackson Hole symposium speech
(MX) Mexico Pres-elect Lopez Obrador reportedly holds position on oil policy that is hindering new NAFTA agreement - press
(KR) Pres Trump asks Sec of State Pompeo to cancel North Korea trip at this time due to lack of denuclearization progress; says China is not helping with denuclearization process 'as they once were'


Saturday, August 18, 2018

Barrons weekend summary

Barrons weekend summary: positive feature on STT and on fertilizer makers (CF MOS NTR.CA) 

- Cover story explores investing in blockchain's future winner as estimates for blockchain related revenue ramps from about $5B this year to over $3.1T by 2030 (Gartner estimate). IBM and MSFT are investing in the tech but don't break out their related revenue. Logistics related firms like A.P. Moller-Maersk and Walmart are also working on putting the food supply chain on to blockchain tech.

Positive feature on State Street (STT) says the bank stock has underperformed this year mainly on concerns about its acquisition o analytics firm Charles River Development. STT paid a hefty price for ht acquisition but investors should come back to STT as it digests Charles River and resume share buybacks in 2019.

Positive feature on fertilizer names (CF MOS NTR.CA) says there could be 25% upside in the companies as a supply glut has not materialized and demand is steadily increasing.

Friday, August 17, 2018

Markets Shake Off Trade and Contagion Concerns Again

TradeTheNews.com Weekly Market Update: Markets Shake Off Trade and Contagion Concerns Again
Fri, 17 Aug 2018 16:24 PM EST

Global markets were forced to contend with elevated bouts of volatility this week, but ultimately US stock indices stayed within reach of the all-time highs hit earlier this year. Emerging market FX swings precipitated a spike in risk off sentiment through mid-week. A plunging Turkish Lira brought about worries regarding European bank exposure, and contagion fears were exacerbated by another move lower in the Yuan which approached levels not seen in nearly a decade. China growth concerns emerged after another string of disappointing economic data came alongside weak corporate reports by several Chinese tech darlings. US stock markets continued to outperform the rest of the globe and the Dollar index surged above 96. Treasury prices also benefited modestly from risk-off flows keeping yields subdued and flattening the US 2-10 year spread back below 25 basis points. Late in the week equities surged on news the US and China would restart trade negotiations in Washington next week ahead of a multilateral summit in November. For the week the S&P and DJIA each gained 0.1%, while the Nasdaq slipped less than 0.1%.

In corporate news this week, Walmart posted its biggest rise in US sales in over 10 years amid improved e-commerce growth and strong fresh food sales. Macy’s shares fell despite reporting an earnings beat and raising guidance as investors saw slipping market share against its online and lower cost rivals. Nvidia shares tumbled after reporting lower than expected revenue guidance and seeing no contribution from crypto-specific products going forward. Applied Materials also fell on guidance and pointed to near-term softness in customer spending. Constellation Brands made a $4B bet on the emerging cannabis industry, taking a 38% stake in Canopy Growth and hinted it may begin selling a drinkable product in Canada by next year. VFC announced a plan to split off its denim business into a separate company. Tesla shares on Friday saw their worst day since late March after a New York Times interview with CEO Musk in which he described a difficult year leading the company.


MONDAY 8/13
VFC Announces Intention to Create Two Independent, Publicly Traded Companies
(TR) Speculation that Turkey could release the US pastor Brunson held under house arrest by Aug 15th - twitter

TUESDAY 8/14
(DE) GERMANY Q2 PRELIMINARY GDP Q/Q: 0.5% V 0.4%E; Y/Y: 2.0% V 2.1%E
(UK) JUN AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS 3M/Y: 2.4% V 2.5%E; WEEKLY EARNINGS (EX BONUS) 3M/Y: 2.7% V 2.7%E
(UK) JULY JOBLESS CLAIMS CHANGE: +6.2K V +9.0K PRIOR; CLAIMANT COUNT RATE: 2.5% V 2.5% PRIOR
*(EU) EURO ZONE Q2 PRELIMINARY GDP Q/Q: 0.4% V 0.3%E; Y/Y: 2.2% V 2.1%E
*(DE) GERMANY AUG ZEW CURRENT SITUATION: 72.6 V 72.1E; EXPECTATIONS SURVEY:-13.7 V -21.3E
HD Reports Q2 $3.05 v $2.84e, Rev $30.5B v $30.0Be
(CN) China govt launches WTO dispute settlement procedure over US photovoltaic subsidies
GOOGL Reportedly plans to invest $375M in Oscar Health - press
EGN To be acquired by Diamondback for 0.6442 shares/shr, valuing it at $9.2B

WEDNESDAY 8/15
(ID) INDONESIA CENTRAL BANK (BI) RAISES 7-DAY REVERSE REPO BY 25BPS TO 5.50%; NOT EXPECTED
*(UK) JULY CPI M/M: 0.0% V 0.0%E; Y/Y: 2.5% V 2.5%E
700.HK Reports Q2 (CNY) Net 17.9B v 19.3Be, Rev 73.7B v 77.7Be
WEED.CA Constellation Brands to acquire 38% stake for C$48.60/shr valued at C$5B in strategic partnership
M Reports Q2 $0.59 (ex asset sale gain) v $0.49e, Rev $5.57B v $5.59Be
*(US) AUG EMPIRE MANUFACTURING: 25.6 V 20.0E
*(US) Q2 PRELIMINARY NONFARM PRODUCTIVITY: 2.9% V 2.4%E; UNIT LABOR COSTS: -0.9% V 0.0%E
(US) JULY INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION M/M: 0.1% V 0.3%E; CAPACITY UTILIZATION: 78.1% V 78.2%E
*(US) DOE CRUDE: +6.8M V -2.5ME; GASOLINE: -0.7M V -0.5ME; DISTILLATE: +3.6M V +1ME
(TR) Qatar has pledged to invest $15B in Turkey economy - Turkish press
CSCO Reports Q4 $0.70 v $0.69e, Rev $12.8B v $12.8Be
(CN) China Commerce Ministry (MOFCOM): China Vice Commerce Min to visit the US for trade talks in late Aug, to meet with US Treasury Undersecretary Malpass

THURSDAY 8/16
CARLB.DK Reports H1 (DKK) Adj Net 2.51B v 2.29B y/y, Adj EBITDA 6.48B v 6.63B y/y, Rev 31.0B v 30.6Be
*(UK) JULY RETAIL SALES (EX-AUTO/FUEL) M/M: 0.9% V 0.0%E; Y/Y: 3.7% V 2.8%E
WMT Reports Q2 $1.29 v $1.21e, Rev $128.0B v $125.6Be
(US) JULY HOUSING STARTS: 1.17M V 1.26ME; BUILDING PERMITS: 1.31M V 1.31ME
(US) AUG PHILADELPHIA FED BUSINESS OUTLOOK: 11.9 V 22.0E (lowest level since Nov 2016)
NVDA Reports Q2 $1.94 v $1.83e, Rev $3.12B v $3.11Be

FRIDAY 8/17
(US) President Trump has reportedly asked SEC to consider allowing US companies to report corporate results on 6-month basis – press
(CN) US and China reportedly plot roadmap to resolve trade dispute before Pres Trump-Pres Xi meeting in Nov - press

Sunday, August 12, 2018

Strong Dollar and Risk-On Sentiment Persist

TradeTheNews.com Weekly Market Update: Strong Dollar and Risk-On Sentiment Persist
Fri, 10 Aug 2018 16:07 PM EST

US stock momentum built for much of this week as investors looked past the US China trade spat to push indices within striking distance of the all-time highs made earlier this year. The NASADAQ led with that index posting a string of 8 straight daily rises before Friday. Oil began the week bid as traders looked to handicap the most recent round of Iran sanctions that took effect at midnight on Monday. Rates drifted sideways most of the week despite a record amount of issuance from the US Treasury helped by relatively benign US inflation readings. The Greenback strengthened against a broad array of currencies. Trade worries held back the Yuan, Italian budget negotiations caused some consternation around the Euro, emerging market currencies were dogged by geopolitics (Lira, Ruble), and the Pound remained beholden to Brexit concerns. By Friday, the plunge in the Turkish Lira had accelerated leading some in Europe worry about potential contagion risks for the European banks. That narrative resulted in a flight from risk including global stocks while buoying bond prices. For the week the S&P500 slipped 0.3% and the DJIA fell 0.6%, while the Nasdaq rose 0.3%.

As earnings season began to wind down this week, Snap shares took a hit after it reported a miss on its daily active user count, though a Saudi prince’s investment in the company helped later bolster the stock. On Tuesday it was revealed that Saudi money also flowed in to Tesla, whose CEO pushed shares even higher with a tweet that created an uproar as Musk pondered a going private transaction. Dropbox slipped after announcing the departure of its COO, and Pepsi shares fell after its long-time CEO Indra Nooyi announced she would be retiring in October. Elsewhere, some commodity intensive firms shared concerns about tariff impacts, notably Ford which said steel and aluminum duties have become a significant headwind. On the M&A front, uncertainty rose regarding Linde and Praxair’s merger as US regulators made potentially overly burdensome divestment demands. Rite Aid and Albertsons agreed to call off their merger after pushback from investors. Tribune terminated its $3.9B merger deal with Sinclair due to FCC opposition. Australia’s Amcor announced it would acquire American rival Bemis in a move to create a global leader in packaging.

SUN 8/5
LIN.DE Linde: increased requirements for the merger clearances are likely to exceed a threshold for merger clearances previously agreed between Linde and Praxair

MON 8/6
*(EU) EURO ZONE AUG SENTIX INVESTOR CONFIDENCE: 14.7 V 13.4E
FAST Reports July Net Sales $411.6M, +17.6% y/y
PEP CEO Indra Nooyi to step down effective Oct 3rd; 22yr veteran Ramon Laguarta (54) named new CEO
BMS To be acquired by Amcor for $57.75/shr in all-stock deal valued at $6.8B; combined company to list on NYSE, ASX
(IR) Trump administration official: first batch of US sanctions against Iran will go into force at midnight Tuesday

TUES 8/7
DPW.DE Reports Q2 Net €516M v €602M y/y, EBIT €747M v €841M y/y, Rev €15.0B v €15.0Be
(US) White House officials sought to reassure tech industry representatives at a private meeting last week that the Trump administration's pugnacious trade policies will ultimately aid their businesses - Axios
TSLA Saudi Arabia sovereign wealth fund reportedly has built a $2B stake - FT
TSLA *CEO Musk tweets: Considering taking Tesla private at $420/shr; funding secured
*(US) JUN CONSUMER CREDIT: $10.2B V $15.0BE
DIS Reports Q3 $1.87 v $1.97e, Rev $15.2B v $15.5Be
(CN) US Trade Rep Lighthizer: Trump administration has finalized the second tranche of $16B tariffs on Chinese products (in addition to the initial $34B in tariffs implements last month on July 6th) - press
SNAP Reports Q2 -$0.14 v -$0.17e, Rev $262.3M v $248Me; Daily active users (DAUs) 188M, -2% q/q; Prince Alwaleed tweets that he has invested $250M to take a 2.3% stake
(CN) China State Planner (NDRC): To use monetary policy including targeted RRR cuts to support debt to equity swaps
*(CN) CHINA JULY TRADE BALANCE (CNY): 176.9B V 227.1BE
(CN) CHINA JULY TRADE BALANCE:$28.1B V $38.9BE

WED 8/8
005930.KR Announces investment plan worth KRW180T over 3-years that includes CAPEX and R&D
(IT) Italy PM Conte: Budget will be serious, rigorous and courageous, will contain a package of 'realistic' reforms
(CN) China Commerce Ministry confirms retaliatory tariff on $16B of US goods to take effect on Aug 23rd, reiterates stance that it was forced to retaliate
NYT Reports Q2 $0.17 v $0.18 y/y, Rev $414.6M v $407.1M y/y
*(US) DOE CRUDE: -1.4M V -2.5ME; GASOLINE: +2.9M V -1.5ME; DISTILLATE: +1.2M V 0ME
Ford Exec: steel & aluminum tariffs have become a significant headwind, but Ford will not pass on the higher commodity costs to customers - press
RAD Agrees to terminate $24B merger with Albertsons

THURS 8/9
941.HK Reports H1 (CNY) Net 65.6B v 63.4Be; EBITDA 145.9B v 146Be; Rev 391.8B v 385Be
TKA.DE Reports Q3 Net -€131M v -€251M y/y, adj EBIT €332M v €438Me, Rev €11.12B v €10.9Be
DTE.DE Reports Q2 adj Net €1.24B v €1.37Be, adj EBITDA €5.93B v €5.84Be, Rev €18.4B v €18.6Be
US Postal Office reports Q3 net loss $1.5B, Rev $17.1B, +2.4% y/y
(US) JULY PPI FINAL DEMAND M/M: 0.0% V 0.2%E; Y/Y: 3.3% V 3.4%E
(US) Atlanta Fed cuts Q3 GDP forecast to 4.3% from 4.4% prior
TRCO Confirms to terminate merger agreement with Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.; files lawsuit for breach of contract
(JP) JAPAN Q2 PRELIMINARY GDP Q/Q: 0.5% V 0.3%E; ANNUALIZED Q/Q: 1.9% V 1.4%E

FRI 8/10
(EU) ECB Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM) said to be concerned about the exposures that Unicredit, BNP Paribas, and BBVA have to Turkey - FT
(RU) Russia PM Medvedev: Moscow would consider it "economic war" if US imposes ban on banks or use of particular currency
*(UK) Q2 PRELIMINARY GDP Q/Q: 0.4% V 0.4%E; Y/Y: 1.3% V 1.3%E (annual pace moves off recent 5-year lows)
*(UK) JUN INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION M/M: 0.4% V 0.3%E; Y/Y: 1.1% V 1.0%E
(TR) Turkey President Erdogan: Converting FX to TRY currency (Lira) would be the nation's best response in economic war; the USD dollar and other things cannot block our path
*(US) JULY CPI M/M: 0.2% V 0.2%E; CPI EX FOOD AND ENERGY M/M: 0.2% V 0.2%E
*(CA) CANADA JULY NET CHANGE IN EMPLOYMENT: +54.1K V +17.0KE; UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: 5.8% V 5.9%E
(TR) Pres Trump tweets: have authorized doubling steel & aluminum tariffs against Turkey to 50% and 20%


Sunday, August 5, 2018

Barrons weekend summary

Barrons weekend summary: positive featured on FB, FCAU 
Cover story: Barron’s partnered with Backend Benchmarking to publish the first ranking of major robo-advisor firms that uses both performance data and qualitative metrics like ease of use and financial-planning capabilities; The top ten firms are Vanguard, Betterment, SigFig, E*Trade, Schwab, Wealthfront, WiseBanyan, Personal Capital, FutureAdvisor, and Acorns. 

Features: 1) The container-leasing business is in the second year of a four-to-five year cycle, with growth coming from replacement containers and increased global shipping volume, says Cowen’s Helane Becker; 2) Positive on FB: Shares of the social site would seem to be a bargain after last week’s drop, especially because the company is a rarity: a megacap with a reasonable valuation whose revenues have 25% upside next year; 3) Positive on FCAU: Despite the death of CEO Sergio Marchionne and mixed quarterly results, analysts expect the automaker to grow earnings faster than U.S. rivals, and shares are 75% cheaper than the broad S&P 500 index; 4) Few companies say they have seen positive effects from Donald Trump’s tariffs, while many cite none, or describe only modest negatives—though it’s ultimately too early to tell what the overall results will be. 

Tech Trader: Most tech companies that remain in their specialized niches will have a hard time adapting to the changing landscape—rather than bending the world according to their vision, as AMZN has done, they remain focused simply on avoiding problems. 

Trader: “Tariffs remain a central concern and an important driver of economic and market action, and they probably affected Q2 GDP by causing exporters to speed up deliveries, particularly of farm products, ahead of the new duties”; A majority of active fund managers beat their benchmarks last year, allowing them to reverse the cash outflows they’ve suffered amid the growth in passive investing; Cautious on LLY: The key question for investors is whether the pharma company’s superior growth is baked into the stock price. 

Interview: Sarat Sethi and Ned Dewees, managing partners at Douglas C. Lane & Associates, are positive on the U.S. economy and consumer, and the potential of big data; Their portfolios don’t include AMZN or NFLX (holdings: ILMN, IAC, MSFT, ORCL, FRC, XPO). Profile: Will Muggia, manager of the Touchstone Mid Cap Growth fund, uses a model based on analyst track records that closely monitors each analyst’s contribution to portfolio risk relative to the benchmark (top 10 holdings: WP, PXD, FIS, FLT, JBHT, TRU, TIF, COO, TDY, AME). 

European Trader: Positive on Charter Court Financial Services Group, OneSavings Bank: Firms are the top choices for investors in the British challenger bank sector, says Goodbody analyst John Cronin. 

Emerging Markets: Trade wars and a strong dollar aren’t hitting all emerging markets: Latin America is on a tear, with ETFs covering Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina up during the past month. 

Commodities: Investors shouldn’t expect gold prices to rebound anytime soon “because the strength of the U.S. dollar will keep a lid on any rally and at the very least could push prices for the metal down further.” 

Streetwise: The ongoing closure of newspapers will affect investors because without reporters there will be less information available upon which to base decisions.

Saturday, August 4, 2018

US Data and Corporate Earnings Outshine Trade and Monetary Policy Concerns

TradeTheNews.com Weekly Market Update: US Data and Corporate Earnings Outshine Trade and Monetary Policy Concerns

Markets worked through a heavy news weak in relatively decent form. The push and pull of peak earnings season came against a backdrop of key central banks meetings and the escalating trade dispute between the US and China. US corporations continued to generally beat Q2 expectations by a significant margin, but managements remained reticent to offer overly aggressive outlooks due to rising cost inputs, the stronger US dollar and ongoing uncertainty surrounding trade. For the week the S&P500 gained 0.8%, the DJIA edged up less than 0.1%, and the Nasdaq rose nearly 1%.

On Tuesday the BOJ offered up its first ever forward guidance which resulted in volatility in the JGB market, and eventually higher interest rates globally. Wednesday’s FOMC statement left the door wide open for two more rate hikes this year, while the BOE raised rates for just the second time this decade. By midweek, expectations were growing that the Trump administration was set to make an announcement to put further pressure on China by ratcheting up tariffs on another $200B in Chinese goods. The Yuan dropped to new lows and the Chinese stock market came under renewed pressure. The Greenback was also helped by another string of solid US economic data resulting in the Atlanta Fed taking up its US Q3 GDP forecast to as high as 5%(later trimmed to 4.4% on Friday), while most major European PMIs missed expectations. Friday’s July jobs growth came in below forecast but June numbers were revised higher. The report did little to change market expectations surrounding tepid wage growth and was somewhat overshadowed by China's announcement of plans to retaliate against the Trump administration’s latest tariff threats.

In terms of corporate news this week, the focus remained on earnings. Apple reached the $1T market cap level on the back of a strong profit beat in a quarter which saw its average selling price for iPhones jump. Tesla rallied after promising a profitable second half, and shares were further boosted when a contrite CEO Musk apologized for past behavior during the earnings call. Wynn and MGM fell on continued softness in casino earnings reports, while Caesars management said to expect weakness in Las Vegas programming in July and August. Chipotle lost some of last week’s gains on the latest report regarding food-related illnesses at a store in Ohio. CBS opened marginally lower on Friday after an earnings conference call that steered clear of addressing sexual misconduct claims against CEO Les Moonves.


MON 7/30
HEIA.NL Reports H1 Net €1.08B v €1.04B y/y, Op €1.75B v €1.81B y/y, Rev €10.8B v €10.3B y/y
(JP) BOJ AGAIN CONDUCTS FIXED-RATE JGB PURCHASE OPERATION FOR an unlimited amount of 5-10-YR JGBs at 0.10% (3rd operation within the past week)
(EU) EURO ZONE JULY BUSINESS CLIMATE INDICATOR: 1.29 V 1.35E; CONSUMER CONFIDENCE (FINAL): -0.6 V -0.6E
*(IT) ITALY DEBT AGENCY (TESORO) SELLS TOTAL €6.0B VS. €4.50-6.0B INDICATED RANGE IN 5-YEAR AND 10-YEAR BTP BONDS
CAT Reports Q2 $2.97 v $2.66e, Rev $14.0B v $13.8Be; To raise prices
(DE) GERMANY JULY CPI M/M: 0.3% V 0.4%E; Y/Y: 2.0% V 2.1%E
*(US) JUN PENDING HOME SALES M/M: 0.9% V 0.2%E; Y/Y: -4.0% V -2.8% PRIOR (6th straight month of y/y declines)
*(US) JULY DALLAS FED MANUFACTURING ACTIVITY: 32.3 V 30.0E
CAT Feel good about business, taking orders for delivery well into 2019 - earnings call
(KR) South Korea Jun Industrial Production M/M: -0.6% v -0.9%e; M/My: -0.4% v 0.7%e
(KR) North Korea said to have built new missiles after summit with Trump - press
*(JP) JAPAN JUN JOBLESS RATE: 2.4% V 2.3%E; (first rise since Feb)
005930.KR Reports final Q2 (KRW) Net 11.0T v 11.1Te, Op 14.9T v 14.8T prelim, Rev 58.5T v 58.0T prelim
*(CN) CHINA JULY OFFICIAL GOVT MANUFACTURING PMI: 51.2 V 51.3E (lowest since Feb)

TUES 7/31
STAN.UK Reports H1 Pretax $2.35B v $2.30Be, Adj Op Rev $7.65B v $7.69Be
CSGN.CH Reports Q2 (CHF) Net 647M v 694M y/y, adj Pretax 1.05B v 1.06Be, Rev 5.60B v 5.35Be
SAN.FR Reports Q2 Business EPS €1.25 v €1.20e, Business Net €1.56B v €1.70B y/y, Rev €8.18B v €8.38Be
BP.UK Reports Q2 Adj Net (underlying RC profit) $2.82B v $2.66Be, Total Rev $76.9B v $57.4B y/y
(JP) BOJ Gov Kuroda: Introduced forward guidance to increase commitment on price target; stronger framework aimed at hitting the 2% price target asap - post rate decision press conference
*(DE) GERMANY JULY NET UNEMPLOYMENT CHANGE: -6K V -10KE; UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS RATE: 5.2% V 5.2%E
*(EU) EURO ZONE Q2 ADVANCE GDP Q/Q: 0.3% V 0.4%E; Y/Y: 2.1% V 2.2%E
*(CN) US AND CHINA REPORTEDLY TO MEET TO RESTART TALKS REGARDING TRADE - press
FB (US) Facebook has identified a coordinated political influence campaign on its platform, using fake accounts and pages seeking to influence the 2018 US election - NYT
(US) Nevada reports Jun casino gaming Rev $933.0M, +4.2% y/y; Las Vegas strip Rev $523.9M, +5.4% y/y
(US) Atlanta Fed forecasts initial Q3 GDP growth at 4.7%
AAPL Reports Q3 $2.34 v $2.17e, Rev $53B v $52.4Be
BIDU Reports Q2 $3.18 v $2.63e, Rev $3.93B v $4.01Be

WEDS 8/1
(HK) Macau July Gaming Rev MOP25.3B v MOP22.5B prior, Y/Y: 10.3% v 11.5%e (3rd consecutive miss on estimates)
MT.NL Reports Q2 $1.84 v $1.30 y/y, EBITDA $3.07B v $2.85Be, Rev $20.0B v $19.9Be
BA.UK Reports H1 Underlying EPS 14.8p v 17.9p y/y, EBITA £874M v £848Me, Rev £8.82B v £8.83Be
RIO.AU Reports H1 Underlying Net $4.42B v $4.6Be; underlying EBITDA $9.2B v $9.6Be; Rev $19.9B v $21.1Be; Adds $1.0B to share buyback program
VOW3.DE Reports Q2 adj Net €3.31B v €3.10B y/y, Op €5.58B v €4.97Be, Rev €61.1B v €62.1Be
*(IN) INDIA CENTRAL BANK (RBI) RAISES REPURCHASE RATE BY 25BPS TO 6.50%; AS EXPECTED
CG To purchase 19.9% of reinsurer DSA from AIG and enter into a strategic asset management relationship with DSA Re
(US) JULY ADP EMPLOYMENT CHANGE: +219K V +186KE; Zandi sees no tariff impact "yet"
(US) Conference Board July Total online job ads 4.65M v 4.48M m/m v 4.61M y/y; New ads 1.89M v 1.90M m/m v 1.90M y/y
*(US) DOE CRUDE: +3.8M V -2ME; GASOLINE: -2.5M V -2ME; DISTILLATE: +3.0M V +0.5ME
Fidelity announces plans to reduce mutual fund fees
(TR) US reportedly readying list of economic sanctions against Turkey over detained US pastor - press
(US) Atlanta Fed raises Q3 GDP forecast to 5.0% from 4.7% prior
(US) Reportedly Trump administration will confirm taking $200B China tariffs rate up to 25% later today - press
ESRX Icahn reportedly has sizable Cigna stake and is likely to urge shareholders to vote against proposed Express Scripts takeover - press
TSLA Reports Q2 -$3.06 v -$2.76e, Rev $4.0B v $3.79Be
*(BR) BRAZIL CENTRAL BANK (BCB) LEAVES SELIC TARGET RATE UNCHANGED AT 6.50%; AS EXPECTED

THUR 8/2
GLE.FR Reports Q2 adj Net €1.16B v €1.0Be, Op €1.88B v €1.29B y/y, Rev €6.45B v €6.16Be
SIE.DE Reports Q3 Net €1.21B v €1.41B y/y, Industrial Business profit €2.21B v €2.27Be, Rev €20.5B v €20.8Be; affirms FY outlook
GAM.CH Fund boards suspend dealing in unconstrained/absolute return bond funds; notes high level of redemptions
*(UK) BOE RAISES INTEREST RATES BY 25BPS TO 0.75%; AS EXPECTED (2nd hike over the past decade)
(UK) BANK OF ENGLAND (BOE) QUARTERLY INFLATION REPORT (QIR)
(UK) BOE Gov Carney:Need a modest tightening of monetary policy; reiterates that limited and gradual hike will be needed - post rate decision press conference
AAPL Tests $207.04, becomes first publicly listed US company valued at $1 trillion

FRI 8/3
ACA.FR Reports Q2 Net €1.44B v €1.02Be; Rev €8.40B v €7.94B y/y
RBS.UK Reports Q2 Net £96M v £792M y/y, adj Op £613M v £1.24B y/y, Rev £3.40B v £3.30B y/y
*(UK) JULY SERVICES PMI: 53.5 V 54.7E (24th month of expansion)
(CN) China PBoC adjusts the Reserve Requirement on FX Forwards trading from 0% (nil) to 20%
*(CN) CHINA COMMERCE MINISTRY (MOFCOM) RELEASES PROPOSED RETALIATION TO US TARIFF THREAT; to levy differentiated tariffs (import tax) on ~$60B in US goods
*(US) JULY CHANGE IN NONFARM PAYROLLS: +157K V +193KE
(CN) White House Econ Adviser Kudlow: tariff response from China today is not tit-for-tat; China should not underestimate Pres Trump on trade policy
*(US) JULY FINAL MARKIT SERVICES PMI: 56.0 V 56.2E
*(US) JULY ISM NON-MANUFACTURING COMPOSITE: 55.7 V 58.6E
(CN) China to propose 25% tariff on US LNG - press
(CN) China proposed 25% tariff list includes US copper ore and concentrate, lithium carbonate
(US) Atlanta Fed cuts Q3 GDP forecast to 4.4% from 5.0% prior


Saturday, July 28, 2018

Barrons weekend summary

Barrons weekend summary: positive featured on FB, FCAU 
Cover story: Barron’s partnered with Backend Benchmarking to publish the first ranking of major robo-advisor firms that uses both performance data and qualitative metrics like ease of use and financial-planning capabilities; The top ten firms are Vanguard, Betterment, SigFig, E*Trade, Schwab, Wealthfront, WiseBanyan, Personal Capital, FutureAdvisor, and Acorns. 

Features: 1) The container-leasing business is in the second year of a four-to-five year cycle, with growth coming from replacement containers and increased global shipping volume, says Cowen’s Helane Becker; 2) Positive on FB: Shares of the social site would seem to be a bargain after last week’s drop, especially because the company is a rarity: a megacap with a reasonable valuation whose revenues have 25% upside next year; 3) Positive on FCAU: Despite the death of CEO Sergio Marchionne and mixed quarterly results, analysts expect the automaker to grow earnings faster than U.S. rivals, and shares are 75% cheaper than the broad S&P 500 index; 4) Few companies say they have seen positive effects from Donald Trump’s tariffs, while many cite none, or describe only modest negatives—though it’s ultimately too early to tell what the overall results will be. 

Tech Trader: Most tech companies that remain in their specialized niches will have a hard time adapting to the changing landscape—rather than bending the world according to their vision, as AMZN has done, they remain focused simply on avoiding problems. 

Trader: “Tariffs remain a central concern and an important driver of economic and market action, and they probably affected Q2 GDP by causing exporters to speed up deliveries, particularly of farm products, ahead of the new duties”; A majority of active fund managers beat their benchmarks last year, allowing them to reverse the cash outflows they’ve suffered amid the growth in passive investing; Cautious on LLY: The key question for investors is whether the pharma company’s superior growth is baked into the stock price. 

Interview: Sarat Sethi and Ned Dewees, managing partners at Douglas C. Lane & Associates, are positive on the U.S. economy and consumer, and the potential of big data; Their portfolios don’t include AMZN or NFLX (holdings: ILMN, IAC, MSFT, ORCL, FRC, XPO). Profile: Will Muggia, manager of the Touchstone Mid Cap Growth fund, uses a model based on analyst track records that closely monitors each analyst’s contribution to portfolio risk relative to the benchmark (top 10 holdings: WP, PXD, FIS, FLT, JBHT, TRU, TIF, COO, TDY, AME). 

European Trader: Positive on Charter Court Financial Services Group, OneSavings Bank: Firms are the top choices for investors in the British challenger bank sector, says Goodbody analyst John Cronin. 

Emerging Markets: Trade wars and a strong dollar aren’t hitting all emerging markets: Latin America is on a tear, with ETFs covering Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina up during the past month. 

Commodities: Investors shouldn’t expect gold prices to rebound anytime soon “because the strength of the U.S. dollar will keep a lid on any rally and at the very least could push prices for the metal down further.” 

Streetwise: The ongoing closure of newspapers will affect investors because without reporters there will be less information available upon which to base decisions.

FANG's Flounder, Trump and Tusk Signal Détente; US Economic Engine Purrs

TradeTheNews.com Weekly Market Update: FANG's Flounder, Trump and Tusk Signal Détente; US Economic Engine Purrs
Fri, 27 Jul 2018 16:05 PM EST

US stocks spent the better part of the week moving higher, but investors looked away from the NASDAQ and high beta names in particular for leadership. As the Q2 earnings season ramped up, there were some notable disappointments among key tech firms, leading to some market rotation. Despite generally better than expected results, many managements outside of tech also noted that rising raw material costs and stiffening FX headwinds have resulted in a challenging environment and conservative guidance. For the week the S&P500 gained 0.6%, the DJIA added 1.6%, while the Nasdaq lost 1.1%.

The economic data largely surpassed expectations, with the exception of perhaps Friday’s first look at Q2 GDP. Nevertheless, the US economy saw growth that surpassed 4% in Q2 which the Administration was quick to tout as a direct result of the President’s policies. The July Richmond Fed index beat expectations suggesting the growth momentum has continued in to Q3, while European data showed some improving trends as well. Trade remained a key topic with the Chinese Yuan plumbing fresh lows early on, leading to another salvo of tough rhetoric on both sides. Wednesday saw President Trump and the EU President Juncker announce concessions had been reached to ease trade tensions – including Europe expressing a willingness to lower certain industrial tariffs – while formal negotiations continue in good faith.

Corporate news this week was mostly dominated by the aforementioned avalanche of earnings, notably in the FANG space. Alphabet rallied on a bottom-line beat and Amazon lifted after surpassing profit expectations, but Twitter slid on a drop in monthly active users and Facebook took a record hit to its market cap after disclosing its total revenue growth rate is expected to decelerate in the second half as expenses continue to mount. Many companies said they saw effects from rising input prices and shipping costs this quarter, including Whirlpool, Kimberly Clark, GM, Fiat, Coca-Cola, Packaging Corp, and USG. Qualcomm rose and NXP fell after Chinese regulators scuttled their merger agreement, as largely anticipated. Intel tumbled on concerns about its slow rollout of next-gen chips. McDonald’s shares spilled after it missed same-store sales expectations, Chipotle rallied on better than expected results, and the board at Papa John’s launched a “poison pill” effort to block former CEO John Schnatter from gaining control of the company. A report of Friday alleged sexual misconduct by Les Moonves, putting the future of the CBS CEO in question as he continues to battle with Shari Redstone over the fate of the company.


SUN JULY 22
(CN) CHINA PBOC CONDUCTS CNY502B IN 1-YEAR MEDIUM-TERM LENDING FACILITY (MLF) V CNY188.5B PRIOR AT 3.30% V 3.30% PRIOR (2nd MLF operation in July)

MON JULY 23
CWK Files to sell 45M IPO shares between $16.00 and $18.00 on the NYSE - filing
ITW Reports Q2 $1.97 v $1.98e, Rev $3.83B v $3.85Be
AMZN Pres Trump again criticizes Washington Post and Amazon's deal shipping deal with USPS; speculates that antitrust case should be brought against Amazon
GOOGL Reports Q2 $11.75** (Ex fines) v $8.90 y/y, Rev $26.2B (ex $6.4B TAC) v $25.6Be
WHR Reports Q2 $3.20 v $3.63e, Rev $5.14B v $5.22Be

TUES JULY 24
UBSG.CH Reports Q2 (CHF) Net 1.28B v 1.09Be, adj Pretax 1.81B v 1.72Be, Rev 7.55B v 7.27B y/y
(FR) FRANCE JULY BUSINESS CONFIDENCE: 106 V 107E
(FR) FRANCE JULY PRELIMINARY MANUFACTURING PMI: 53.1 V 52.5E (22nd month of expansion)
*(EU) EURO ZONE JULY PRELIMINARY MANUFACTURING PMI: 55.1 V 54.7E (60th month of expansion)
(TR) TURKEY CENTRAL BANK (CBRT) LEAVES ONE-WEEK REPO RATE UNCHANGED AT 17.75%; NOT EXPECTED
LMT Reports Q2 $4.05 v $3.89e, Rev $13.4B v $12.7Be
KMB Reports Q2 $1.59 adj v $1.60e, Rev $4.60B v $4.63Be
(UK) UK Brexit Department Document (White Paper details): Will be necessary to ensure EU laws continue to apply to Britain during Post-Brexit transition period; new Brexit laws will modify parts of the act to reflect the departure of the UK
(UK) PM May: I will take personal control of the Brexit negotiations
*(US) JULY PRELIMINARY MARKIT MANUFACTURING PMI: 55.5 V 55.1E
*(US) JULY RICHMOND FED MANUFACTURING INDEX: 20 V 18E
TXN Reports Q2 $1.40 v $1.33e, Rev $4.0B v $3.95Be

WEDS JULY 25
DBK.DE Reports Q2 Net €401M v €400M prelim, Pretax €700M v €700M prelim, Rev €6.6B v €6.6B prelim
VOD.UK Reports Q1 group Rev €10.9B* v €11.5B y/y
(DE) GERMANY JULY IFO BUSINESS CLIMATE: 101.7 V 101.5E; CURRENT ASSESSMENT: 105.3 V 104.9E
UPS Reports Q2 $1.94 v $1.92e, Rev $17.5B v $17.2Be
BA Reports Q2 $3.33 v $3.24e, Rev $24.3B v $24.0Be
FCX Reports Q2 $0.58 v $0.54e, Rev $5.17B v $4.82Be
(US) JUN NEW HOME SALES: 631K V 668KE
*(US) DOE CRUDE: -6.2M V -1ME; GASOLINE: -2.3M V +0.5ME; DISTILLATE: -0.1M V +1ME
(US) Association of American Railroads weekly rail traffic report for week ending July 21st: 553K, +4.9% y/y
(US) President Trump reportedly has received concessions from Europe to avert trade war; Europe agrees to lower industrial tariffs - press
FB Reports Q2 $1.74 v $1.75e, Rev $13.2B v $13.4Be
V Reports Q3 $1.20 v $1.09e, Rev $5.20B v $5.08Be
F Reports Q2 $0.27 v $0.34e, Rev $38.9B v $35.5Be
(US) President Trump: US and EU will be winners, have agreed to work together toward zero tariffs on non-auto industrial goods - press conf with EU's Juncker
(KR) Sec of State Pompeo: North Korea is continuing to produce nuclear material; we want denuclearization to occur by end of 2020 - Senate testimony
FB Total revenue growth rate expected to continue to decelerate in H2 2018, down in high single digits during Q3 and Q4 - earnings call comments
000660.KR Reports Q2 (KRW) Net 4.33T v 3.4Te; Op 5.57T v 5.3Te; Rev 10.37T v 10.2Te

THURS JULY 26
AIR.FR Reports H1 Net €496M v €1.1B y/y, adj EBIT €1.16B v €988Me, Rev €25.0B v €25.2B y/y
ROG.CH Reports H1 (CHF) Core EPS 9.84 v 8.23 y/y, Core operating 11.2B v 10.1B y/y, Rev 28.1B v 27.5Be
NOKIA.FI Reports Q2 adj €0.03 v €0.08 y/y, adj Op €334M v €574M y/y, Rev €5.31B v €5.6B y/y
ABI.BE Reports Q2 $1.10 v $1.05e, Adj EBITDA $5.57B v $5.49Be, Rev $14.0B v $13.9Be
ORA.FR Reports Q2 EBITDA €3.38B v €3.28B y/y, Rev €10.2B v €10.0B y/y
RDSA.NL Reports Q2 basic CCS EPS $0.56 v $0.71e, adj Net $6.02B v $1.55B y/y, Rev $96.7B v $72.1B y/y
AZN.UK Reports Q2 Core EPS $0.69 v $0.71e, Rev $5.16B v $4.99Be
DGE.UK Reports FY18 EPS 118.6p v 108.5p y/y, EBIT £3.82B v £3.77Be, Rev £12.2B v £12.1B y/y; approves buyback program up to £2.0B (~2% of market cap)
066570.KR Reports final Q2 (KRW) Net 327B v 403Be; Op 771B v 771B prelim; Rev 15.0T v 15.02T prelim
(EU) ECB LEAVES 7-DAY MAIN REFINANCING RATE UNCHANGED AT 0.00%; AS EXPECTED
*(US) JUN PRELIMINARY DURABLE GOODS ORDERS: 1.0% V 3.0%E; DURABLES EX TRANSPORTATION: 0.4% V 0.5%E
(UK) EU Chief Brexit Negotiator Barnier: EU will not delegate the application of its customs policy to a non-member (rules out allowing the UK to collect customs duties on its behalf); rejects UK white paper proposal on customs - press conf comments
CA.FR Reports Q2 Rev €20.8B v €21.8B y/y
(US) White House Econ Adviser Kudlow: Number on US GDP growth due on Friday 'will be big'
AMZN Reports Q2 $5.07 v $2.49e, Rev $52.9B v $53.4Be
CMG Reports Q2 $2.87 v $2.78e, Rev $1.30B v $1.26Be
SEC rejects Winklevoss Bitcoin ETF proposal, says it does not met regulatory standards - CNBC
BHP.AU Announces sale of US onshore (shale) assets to unit of BP for base consideration of $10.8B in cash; expected to close by the end of Oct 2018

FRI JULY 27
BAS.DE Reports Q2 Adj Net €1.48B v €1.50B y/y, EBIT €2.36B v €2.42Be, Rev €16.8B v €16.6Be
(FR) FRANCE Q2 ADVANCE GDP Q/Q: 0.2% V 0.3%E; Y/Y: 1.7% V 1.9%
MRK Reports Q2 $1.06 v $1.03e, Rev $10.5B v $10.3Be
(US) Q2 ADVANCE GDP PRICE INDEX: 3.0% V 2.3%E; CORE PCE Q/Q: 2.0% V 2.2%E
(US) Q2 ADVANCE GDP ANNUALIZED Q/Q: 4.1% V 4.2%E (fastest pace since 2014); PERSONAL CONSUMPTION: 4.0% V 3.0%E
CBS CEO Les Moonves said to be accused of sexual misconduct in upcoming New Yorker piece by reporter Ronan Farrow - press


Saturday, July 21, 2018

Markets don’t see any reason why they would(n’t) rally

TradeTheNews.com  Weekly Market Update: Markets don’t see any reason why they would(n’t) rally
Fri, 20 Jul 2018 16:04 PM EST

US stocks and the dollar rose in tandem for much of the first half of the week. President Trump’s widely criticized performance at a press conference with President Putin on Monday and the subsequent walk back of comments by the White House on Tuesday had little apparent effect on market psychology. The S&P 500 pushed back above the 2,800 level, clearing a resistance level that has been in place since trade war rhetoric fired up in February. The Dollar index pressed up against one year highs. US economic data continued to outperform that of Europe and elsewhere leading some to place bets predicated on ‘divergent’ central bank policies and the relative outperformance in the States. The US yield curve remained pinned at the flattest levels in more than a decade as the 2-10 year spread dipped below 25 basis points. Trade concerns persisted with the US administration ratcheting up rhetoric directed at Chinese President Xi in particular, and European trading partners in general. Copper dropped below a key technical level and the Chinese Yuan and stock market weakness persisted in the wake of the ongoing trade rift. Crude prices dropped early on before leveling off after weekly EIA inventory data revealed US crude production crossed the 11M bpd threshold for the first time ever.

President Trump’s remarks on the Federal Reserve, rates and the dollar opened the door for a trend reversal on Thursday. The greenback came off recent highs when Trump indicated he wasn’t a fan of the Fed path of rate rises, in particular how it pushed the dollar higher offsetting some the fiscal and structural measures his administration has championed to enhance economic growth. By Friday, rates lifted and the US yield curve steepened while the greenback continued to soften. US indices continued to edge higher looking past the blustery trade talk and lingering geopolitical concerns in Europe. Equity markets lost steam by mid-week and ended flat: the S&P was unchanged, the DJIA gained 0.2%, and the Nasdaq slipped 0.1%. Dow Theorists took heart that the Transports surged nearly 2% this week.

Second quarter earnings have been solid so far, but among the marquee names this week, results were decidedly mixed. Netflix started the week off on a sour note, with subpar subscriber numbers and weak guidance, but the market shook it off as company-specific. Microsoft kept its share price rising by notching a strong quarter, highlighting double digit growth in its Azure and Intelligent Cloud business lines. After last Friday’s banking sector reports were not well received, Goldman Sachs and Bank of America put a better foot forward this week, beating estimates on the top and bottom line, and Goldman also solidified its succession plan. In Europe, Deutsche Bank also put up good quarterly numbers, quieting some critics for the time being. Shares of Alcoa fell more than 10% after it drastically cut its FY18 EBITDA forecast. Alphabet shares lingered near all-time highs ahead of next week’s earnings despite the EU issuing a record $5B fine against Google for abuse of its dominance in the Android OS.

MON 7/16
DBK.DE Reports Q2 prelim Net €400M v €159Me, IBIT €700M v €321Me, Rev €6.6B v €6.4Be
BAC Reports Q2 $0.63 v $0.57e, Rev $22.6B v $22.5Be
(RU) Russia President Putin: Time has come for substantive bilateral talks - Helsinki Trump-Putin Summit
*(US) JULY EMPIRE MANUFACTURING: 22.6 V 20.0E
*IMF updates its World Economic Outlook (WEO): maintains global 2018, 2019 growth estimate at 3.9%; cuts EU and Latin America forecasts
(US) Atlanta Fed raises Q2 GDP forecast to 4.5% from 3.9% prior
NFLX Reports Q2 $0.85 v $0.79e, Rev $3.91B v $3.94Be; misses net adds forecast

TUES 7/17
*(UK) MAY AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS 3M/Y: 2.5% V 2.5%E; WEEKLY EARNINGS (EX BONUS) 3M/Y: 2.7% V 2.7%E
*(UK) JUN JOBLESS CLAIMS CHANGE: +7.8K V -7.7K PRIOR; CLAIMANT COUNT RATE: 2.5% V 2.5% PRIOR
BTC/USD Coinbase reportedly receives approval from SEC and FINRA to list digital coins considered to be securities – press
GS Reports Q2 $5.98 v $4.67e, Rev $9.40B v $8.71Be; Confirms David Solomon as the new CEO & Chairman on Oct 1st
*(US) JUN INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION M/M: 0.6% V 0.5%E CAPACITY UTILIZATION: 78.0% V 78.3%E
(US) Fed Chair Powell Congressional testimony: aware of risks of raising rates too fast or too slow
(EU) European Union reportedly exploring talks with President Trump on reducing car tariffs – press
CSX Reports Q2 $1.01 (GAAP) v $0.86e, Rev $3.10B v $2.99Be
SAH Reports preliminary Q2 $0.37-0.41 v $0.48e; Cuts FY18 outlook on margin pressure in key brands expected to last into Q3
BRK.A Amends Share Repurchase Program: Under the amendment repurchases can be made at any time that Buffett and Vice Chairman Munger believe that the repurchase price is below the intrinsic value of the company
BHP.AU Reports Q4 Waio iron ore production 72.0Mt v 70.0Mt y/y; attributable iron ore production 63.6Mt v 60.3Mte v 60.0Mt y/y

WED 7/18
*(UK) JUN CPI M/M: 0.0% V 0.2%E; Y/Y: 2.4% V 2.6%E; CPI CORE Y/Y: 1.9% V 2.1%E
GOOGL EU confirms €4.34B fine on unfair dominance of Android OS
*(US) JUN HOUSING STARTS: 1.173M V 1.320ME; BUILDING PERMITS: 1.273M V 1.330ME
*(US) DOE CRUDE: +5.8M V -3.5ME; GASOLINE: -3.2M V -0.5ME; DISTILLATE: -0.3M V +1ME; US production reaches 11M bpd for first time in history
CP Reports Q2 C$3.16 adj v C$3.18e, Rev C$1.75B v C$1.76Be
IBM Reports Q2 $3.08 v $3.03e, Rev $20.0B v $19.6Be
AA Reports Q2 $1.52 v $1.33e, Rev $3.58B v $3.56Be
*(AU) AUSTRALIA JUN EMPLOYMENT CHANGE: +50.9K V +16.5KE

THRS 7/19
SAP.DE Reports Q2 Non-IFRS Net €1.17B v €1.12B y/y, non-IFRS Op €1.64B v €1.63Be, Rev €6.01B v €5.9Be
UNA.NL Reports H1 Net €3.24B v €3.32B y/y, Rev €26.4B v €26.6Be
(US) EU to consider tariffs on coal, pharmaceuticals, chemistry goods if US implements plans for levies on cars - financial press
*(UK) JUN RETAIL SALES (EX AUTO/FUEL) M/M: -0.6% V +0.1%E; Y/Y: 3.0% V 3.7%E
*(US) JULY PHILADELPHIA FED BUSINESS OUTLOOK: 25.7 V 21.5E
FOXA Comcast confirms will not pursure FOX assets, and will focus on Sky offer
*(US) Pres Trump: Not happy about interest rates going up at the Fed; Strong dollar puts the US at a disadvantage
MSFT Reports Q4 $1.13 adj v $1.07e, Rev $30.1B v $29.2Be
*(JP) JAPAN JUN NATIONAL CPI Y/Y: 0.7% V 0.8%E; CPI EX FRESH FOOD (CORE): 0.8% V 0.8%E (first rise since Feb)
USD/CNY *(CN) CHINA PBOC SET YUAN REFERENCE RATE AT 6.7671 V 6.7066 PRIOR (7th straight weaker yuan fix, weakest fix since July 14, 2017)

FRI 7/20
(US) President Trump: Repeats we are being taken advantage of on trade; remain ready to put tariffs on $500B of Chinese imports
GE Reports Q2 $0.19 v $0.18e, Rev $30.1B v $29.8Be
(US) White House official: President Trump worries that the Fed will raise rates two more times this year - CNBC

Barrons weekend update

Barrons weekend update: positive features on APTV, VNE, and asset management firms 
Cover story: Direct lending has become the hottest frontier in alternative asset management, in which funds lend to companies either too small or too risky to be bank clients; “The direct loans carry floating rates, so enthusiasm grows with each anticipated uptick in interest rates.” 

Features: 1) Barron’s list of the top 50 annuities, split into groups: immediate action annuities, deferred income annuities, buffer annuities, fixed-indexed annuity income guarantees, and variable annuity income guarantees; 2) Positive on APTV, VNE: Makers of electronic components give investors a way to buy targeted exposure to the autonomous, all-electric future of driving, but for now returns could be higher for companies focused on gas-powered vehicles; 3) Positive on AB, BLK, BEN, IVZ, TROW: Shares of many traditional asset-management firms have lost favor on Wall Street because of the growth of passive-investment vehicles, but they now look like bargains for value investors; 4) The mutual fund industry has hundreds of funds that have been around for at least five years but have less than $50M in assets, raising the question of why firms don’t terminate them. 

Tech Trader: Cautious on AMZN, NFLX, TSLA: Since the recession, the companies have leveraged ultralow borrowing rates to build their businesses, raising the question of whether these “kings of debt” can continue to outperform peers as the Fed raises rates. 

Trader: Donald Trump is one of three political novices to lead the U.S. since the beginning of the 20th century, and that means mistakes will be made because of his inexperience, says Tom Lee of Fundstrat Global Advisors; The S&P 500’s telecom sector has long benefited investors seeking income, but will be less attractive on that front when it is reorganized in September, becoming larger, growth-oriented, and volatile; Trade worries have dented industrial stocks, attracting bargain hunters, but with further escalation of trade wars a possibility, the sector might not be bargain. 

Profile: Gary Greenberg, manager of the Calvert Emerging Markets Equity fund, believes it’s possible to invest responsibly and successfully using an ESG approach (top 10 holdings: Tencent, TSM, Samsung Electronics, BABA, Techtronic, China Construction Bank, AIA Group, Independent and Community Bank of China, KB Financial, Samsonite International). 

Interview: Charles de Vaulx, manager of IVA Worldwide, owns common stocks, corporate bonds, gold, and a lot of cash, and sees opportunities to buy amid macroeconomic change (picks: XEC, Royal Boskalis Westminster, AIB Group). 

European Trader: Cautious on Air France-KLM: Shares have risen in a tough year, but bears say the carrier’s recent problems—including costs, management, and more—will continue to persist, and that it needs a new business plan. 

Commodities: “Oil prices have lost more than 7% this month, but some experts say that a roughly 40% spike from last week’s levels to more than $100 is possible this year.” 

Streetwise: In Russia, “Economic reality will catch up with political showmanship eventually,” says Craig Mellow, at which point Russia “may get dangerous for investors.”

Saturday, July 14, 2018

Barrons weekend summary

Barrons weekend summary: Cover story on headwinds for corporate profits; article suggests XLNX and ADI would make better M&A targets for AVGO 
Cover story: With rising interest rates, a growing federal deficit, and trade and tariff battles, corporate profit growth could take a hit in the coming months, limiting investors’ gains; Barron’s 2018 Roundtable participants offer picks to help counter the trends. 

Features: 1) Hedge fund titan Bill Ackman has had a tough time for the past few years, but his Pershing Square Holdings could be set to make a comeback, now that it has closed out positions in VRX and HLF; 2) Critics are wary of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, whom they say is hostile to investor protections and eager to rein in the SEC, while supporters say he merely takes a skeptical view of the “administrative state.” 

Tech Trader: AVGO is no longer about chip innovation— it’s a deal-making machine, but continuing M&A will be difficult given the dwindling number of chip targets, though there are more appropriate candidates than CA, such as XLNX or ADI. 

Trader: Investors aren’t ignoring the trade war, but they’ve stopped “trading the market,” avoiding the risk-on/risk-off trading that has been dominant since the financial crisis. 

Profile: Ryan Kohan, Rick Richert, and Stephen Ketchum of the American Beacon Sound Point Floating Rate Income fund, which has delivered a 5.7% annualized return, versus its average peer’s 3.3%. 

Barron’s Roundtable: 1) Meryl Witmer says Great Britain will move on easily after the Brexit, and that in the U.S., the S&P 500 and the Dow have 5-10% upside (picks: KMX, OEC, Dart Group, Howden Joinery Group, PKG, Indivior, Tessenderlo Group); 2) Jeffrey Gundlach says a recession is on the horizon, explains why he likes commodities, and says Republicans are likely to hold onto both houses of Congress (picks: XLE, NTG, BKLN, EWZ, DXJ); 3) Mario Gabelli discusses tariffs, Treasuries, taxes, and technology (picks: MSG, BATRA, MGM, Davide Campari-Milano, ZBH, CNHI, GCP, PCAR, TXT, ENR, SNE, MIICF, NPO); 4) Oscar Schafer says the U.S. economy is doing better than Europe’s, and that unless trade talks prove disruptive, it will continue on its course (picks: CNK, ORLY, COMM, EVTC, ANIP, Whitbread); 5) Donald Trump is the dominant theme for investors, says Scott Black, and if the U.S. becomes overzealous with tariffs, it could throw the world into recession (picks: LRCX, HCLP, GTN, ARCC, HOFT, NBL, ARW, 6-month Treasury Bill); 6) Abby Joseph Cohen says the economy is at a point of inflection, and that a trade war would damage economies around the world (picks: OXY, Samsung Electronics, ABBV, China Railway & Signal Communications, MDLZ, AZO, Kingfisher, BUD, Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group, Midea Group, IYG); 7) Henry Ellenbogen believes Democrats will take the House in November, ramping up political tensions and preventing anything from getting through Congress (picks: EFX, MTN, BFAM, SERV, SHOP, GRUB, TRU, BWXT, RDFN); 8) William Priest says the outlook for earnings and dividends is excellent this year, and that the market faces two big issues: the budget deficit and the trade backdrop (picks: OLED, AMAT, SBUX, MLM, MET, KR, PSX); 9) It’s pretty routine now for companies to trade for eight to 14 times revenue, says Paul Wick, a sign there isn’t much price discipline among investors (long on MU, WDC, MRVL, ORCL, AVGO, IDTI; short on SNAP, XON, CGC, SHOP). 

Follow-Up: Trucking companies across the U.S. are struggling to find drivers, particularly for long-haul routes, forcing wages and rates higher, with costs rising nearly 8% in June. 

Emerging Markets: “Nothing Donald Trump can do will derail China’s continuing economic growth and diversification, with all of the financial opportunity that entails.” 

Commodities: “Record U.S. supplies of cheese have contributed to a drop in prices this year, and traders predict more of the same for the rest of 2018,” but trade wars could pose long-term problems that may cause some dairy farms to close. 

Streetwise: It’s going to take a long time for the online sports betting industry to scale, says Kip Levin of Paddy Power Betfair, and it will come down to how quickly states allow the legal regulated market to compete with the illegal market.

Trump Heads to Europe, Stocks Head Higher

TradeTheNews.com Weekly Market Update: Trump Heads to Europe, Stocks Head Higher
Fri, 13 Jul 2018 16:04 PM EST

Stocks rose this week despite another brief midweek reversal predicated on resurfacing trade concerns. President Trump was again at the epicenter of a host of geopolitical headlines that stock markets largely looked past. Before heading off Europe to meet with NATO and UK Prime Minister May it was reported his administration would announcement an additional $200B in tariffs on Chinese goods, resulting in swift rhetorical pushback from China, but no immediate threat of more counter-tariffs. Despite the trade jitters, by week’s end the S&P was testing key resistance at 2,800 once again as traders anticipate a solid earnings season. Treasury yields continued to drift sideways-to-lower on both sides of the Atlantic amid the uncertain geopolitics resulting in persistent handwringing about flattening yield curves. Mixed inflation data out of Europe along with rising US June CPI figures facilitated continued strength in the Greenback. The Yen touched a fresh 6-month low against the dollar. Copper prices held a key technical level just below $2.75 while WTI oil prices lost significant ground, backing of towards the $70 mark. For the week, the S&P500 gained 1.5%, the DJIA added 2.3%, and the Nasdaq rose 1.8%.

As earning season begins anew, some banks announced mixed results, with JPMorgan and Citi beating estimates, while Wells Fargo disappointed as it continues to struggle to bounce back from its regulatory issues. Pfizer delayed previously announced price hikes by six months following a discussion with President Trump prompted by his tweet that drugmakers “should be ashamed” about raising prices. Broadcom shares plunged as its $18.9B all-cash acquisition announcement of software developer CA Inc puzzled investors and analysts. Delta announced a beat on both its top and bottom line, but cut its full year outlook on expectations that higher prices for fuel will eat into profits. Papa John’s distanced itself from its titular chairman ‘Papa John’ Schnatter after reports that he used a racist slur on a conference call, and the company announced it would be removing his image from further marketing material.

MON 7/9
*(EU) EURO ZONE JUL SENTIX INVESTOR CONFIDENCE: 12.1 V 9.0E
(UK) Prime Min May accepts resignation of Foreign Sec Boris Johnson - press
*(US) MAY CONSUMER CREDIT: $24.6B V $12.0BE

TUES 7/10
*(DE) GERMANY JULY ZEW CURRENT SITUATION: 72.4 V 78.1E; EXPECTATIONS SURVEY: -24.7 V -18.9E
BZH Reports Q3 prelim Homebuilding Rev $507M, new home orders 1.45K; guides initial FY19 EPS >$2.50 v $2.25e
(CN) US reportedly preparing list of $200B in additional tariffs on Chinese goods; an announcement may come as early as Tuesday night- press
(CN) US Senior Administration Official: Confirms 10% tariff on additional $200B in China goods; will try to avoid impacting consumer goods, new list of China tariffs will include products that China identified in its 2025 report; US will not implement tariffs on new list for 2-months
PFE Confirms to delay prices increases, will defer the drug price increases that were effective on July 1st; deferring the price increases until President Trump's drug price plan is effective or the end of the year, whichever is sooner

WEDS 7/11
(EU) ECB policymakers split of first rate hike, meaning of through summer; see rate hike only in Autumn 2019 - press
*(US) JUNE PPI FINAL DEMAND M/M: 0.3% V 0.2%E; Y/Y: 3.4% V 3.1% PRIOR
(CN) China reportedly considering non-trade measures to retaliate against U.S. tariffs; could delay merger approvals as one such tactic - press
*(CA) BANK OF CANADA (BOC) RAISES INTEREST RATE BY 25BPS TO 1.50%; AS EXPECTED
*(US) DOE CRUDE: -12.6M V -3.5ME; GASOLINE: -0.7M V -1ME; DISTILLATE: +4.1M V +1ME (largest crude draw since Sept 2016)
(US) Atlanta Fed raises Q2 GDP forecast to 3.9% from 3.8% prior
(US) Association of American Railroads weekly rail traffic report for week ending July 7th: 485.2K, +8.6% y/y
CA Broadcom confirms to acquire co. for $18.9B in cash or $44.50/share; Broadcom sees the deal as immediately accretive to non-GAAP EPS , closing expected in fourth calendar quarter of 2018

THURS 7/12
*(IT) ITALY DEBT AGENCY (TESORO) SELLS TOTAL €6.5B VS. €4.5-6.5B IN 2021, 2025, 2033 AND 2038 BTP BONDS
DAL Reports Q2 $1.77 v $1.73e, Rev $11.8B v $11.7Be; Raises Quarterly dividend 14.8% to $0.35 from $0.305 (indicated yield 2.81%)
*(EU) ECB ACCOUNT OF JUN POLICY MEETING (MINUTES): Again leave QE extension on the table; policymakers were unanimous of policy proposals put forward by Praet
*(UK) UK Government publishes Brexit Whitepaper; Seeks Association Agreement, would ensure the new settlement is sustainable – working for the citizens of the UK and the EU now and in the future
*(US) JUNE CPI M/M: 0.1% V 0.2%E; CPI EX FOOD AND ENERGY M/M: 0.2% V 0.2%E; CPI NSA: 251.989 V 252.092E
(UK) Pres Trump reportedly warned PM May that soft Brexit would 'probably kill' potential for future trade deal with US - UK press
*(SG) SINGAPORE Q2 ADVANCE GDP Q/Q: 1.0% V 1.3%E; Y/Y: 3.8% V 4.1%E
*(CN) CHINA PBOC CONDUCTS CNY188.5B 1-YEAR MEDIUM-TERM LENDING FACILITY (MLF) V CNY200B PRIOR AT 3.30% V 3.30% PRIOR; Confirms it has skipped daily open market operation (OMO)
(CN) China H1 Trade Balance (CNY): +901.3B, -26.7% y/y
(CN) CHINA JUNE TRADE BALANCE (CNY): +261.9B V +187.0BE
(CN) CHINA JUNE TRADE BALANCE: $41.6B V $27.7BE

FRI 7/13
JPM Reports Q2 $2.29 v $2.22e, Managed Rev $27.8B v $27.6Be
C Reports Q2 $1.63 v $1.54e, Rev $18.5B v $18.4Be
(US) Pres Trump: whatever the UK does on Brexit is OK with me - press conf with PM May
(US) July Preliminary University of Michigan Confidence: 97.1 v 98.0e
(US) DOJ set to announce new indictment in Mueller probe; indictments relate to 12 Russian intelligence officers with hacking into DNC and Clinton campaign and disseminating info in 2016
(US) Weekly Baker Hughes US Rig Count: 1,054 v 1,052 w/w (+0.2%) (second straight weekly rise)
(US) Trump Administration reportedly considering releasing oil from Strategic Petroleum Reserve to curb gasoline prices ahead of fall elections - press