Thursday, February 2, 2023

The Morning Call---Powell gives the Market a wet dream

 

The Morning Call

 

2/2/23

 

The Market

         

    Technical

 

                Wednesday in the charts.

                https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/powells-dovish-presser-sparks-bid-bonds-big-tech-bitcoin-bullion

 

Note: Powell’s dovish rhetoric (see below) sent investors tip toeing through the tulips.  The S&P traded up.  If it closes above the upper boundary of its short-term downtrend today, it will reset to a trading range.  As important, the index marked a higher high which keeps the uptrend off its October low intact.  It appears likely that it will challenge the 23.6% Fibonacci level (~4200).

 

                Bond volatility matters.

                https://www.zerohedge.com/the-market-ear/power-move

 

    Fundamental

 

       Headlines

 

              The Economy

 

                        US

 

Weekly initial jobless claims totaled 183,000 versus projections of 200,000.

 

Q4 nonfarm productivity rose 3.0% versus expectations of 2.4%; unit labor costs were up 1.1% versus +1.5%.

 

The December job openings report (JOLTS) showed 11.0 million available jobs versus estimates of 10.25 million.

https://www.advisorperspectives.com/dshort/updates/2023/02/01/december-job-openings-labor-turnover

 

December construction spending fell 0.4% versus predictions of being flat.

https://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2023/02/construction-spending-decreased-04-in.html

 

The January manufacturing PMI was 46.9 versus forecasts of 46.8.

https://www.advisorperspectives.com/dshort/updates/2023/02/01/january-s-p-global-us-manufacturing-pmitm-declining-further

 

The January ISM manufacturing index was 47.4 versus consensus 48.0.

                          https://www.advisorperspectives.com/dshort/updates/2023/02/01/ism-manufacturing-index-continues-contraction-in-january

 

                        International

 

The December German trade balance was E9.7 billion versus projections of E5.1 billion.

 

                        Other

 

                          December median household income.

                          https://politicalcalculations.blogspot.com/2023/02/median-household-income-in-december-2022.html#.Y9qtBHbMKUk

 

            The Fed

 

The FOMC wrapped up its meeting yesterday.  As expected, it raised the Fed Funds rate 25 basis points.  In its concluding statement, the committee noted ongoing rate increases were appropriate (hawkish) and that it expected to maintain rates at a sufficiently restrictive level (hawkish)---in short, a higher for longer message.  But then in Powell’s press conference, he acknowledged that progress was being made in combatting inflation (dovish) and chose not to argue with the notion that the Market was correct in discounting an end to rate hikes in the near future (dovish).   So again a ‘on the one hand/on the other hand’ narrative typical of the Fed.  But the bottom line is that the Market thinks that it is right in assuming that the ‘higher for longer’ scenario is a low probability.

 

Sticking a ‘soft’ landing.

              https://alhambrapartners.com/2023/01/31/this-is-the-soft-landing-what-now/

 

              This analyst agrees.

              https://alephblog.com/2023/02/01/understanding-the-fomc-through-the-eyes-of-a-child/

 

              Counterpoint.

              https://www.ft.com/content/d5204b8f-0aea-414b-999b-0984a8cb166e

 

              Don’t believe a word he says.

              https://thereformedbroker.com/2023/02/01/now-listen-up-and-listen-good/

 

The Bank of England hiked official rates by 50 basis points but hinted that it may be the last.

              https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/pound-tumbles-after-boe-hikes-50bps-7-2-vote-signals-pause-lower-rate-4

 

            Fiscal Policy

 

              Senate considering raising corporate taxes.

              https://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2023/02/01/senate_democrats_push_tax_increases_in_the_face_of_a_recession_878895.html

 

            Inflation

 

              Rents continue to decline.

              https://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2023/02/rents-continue-to-decline-apartment.html

 

            Recession

 

              A look at different recession predictors for different time horizons.

              https://econbrowser.com/archives/2023/01/different-predictors-at-different-horizons

 

    Bottom line

 

            Lessons from 2008.

            https://investmenttalk.substack.com/p/the-forgotten-lessons-of-2008-seth

 

    News on Stocks in Our Portfolios

 

Illinois Tool Works press release (NYSE:ITW): Q4 Non-GAAP EPS of $2.34 misses by $0.19.

Revenue of $3.97B (+7.3% Y/Y) beats by $70M.

 

FactSet Research Systems (NYSE:FDS) declares $0.89/share quarterly dividend, in line with previous.

 

What I am reading today

 

  Everything that you can’t have.

  https://collabfund.com/blog/everything-you-cant-have/

 

 

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