Friday, April 10, 2026

The Morning Call--- Iranian ceasefire won’t undo damage done to oil infrastructure.

 

The Morning Call

 

4/10/26

 

The Market

         

    Technical

 

            Thursday in the charts.

            https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/hormuz-hope-sparks-stocks-longest-win-streak-6-months-bonds-bullion-bitcoin-bid

 

Summary: A gentle drift higher in oil (lower in stocks) overnight (amid ongoing uncertainty on SoH transit) gave way to a pop in crude futures into the US equity open (on UAE Oil Chief's comments on SoH not being open). Mid-morning saw hopeful tones from Israel & Lebanon (and Trump), sending oil lower and stocks higher (longest win streak in six months) with bonds, gold, and bitcoin all bid as the dollar slipped as CB expectations shifted dovishly.

 

Note: the S&P continued its rally, resetting its 50 DMA to support and pushing above its 100 DMA (if it remains there through the close on Monday, it will revert to support). I continue to believe that that huge gap open is too big a matzo ball to ignore. I await a consolidation that will find a low before committing any funds.

 

            Thursday in the technical stats.

            https://www.barchart.com/stocks/momentum

            https://www.barchart.com/stocks/market-performance

            https://www.barchart.com/stocks/sectors/rankings

            https://www.barchart.com/stocks/signals/new-recommendations

 

            The latest from Goldman.

                        https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/ignore-stocks-rates-are-north-star-goldmans-delta-one-desk-warns-riskreward-here-feels-poor

 

Summary: Over the next couple of days, talks continue into the 10th. Unless they break down before they start, the market may stay relatively range-bound. If anything, the risk is the reverse of what we’ve seen… markets pricing a hope of a negotiated outcome into the weekend and waking up to disappointment on Monday. I know enough to know I don’t know here… it’s still a very tricky setup.Net… there is a tidal wave of technical demand supporting equities, but I don’t like the level and I don’t like the outlook into the back half.

If vol compression extends far enough, I’ll be looking to express downside via structures.

 

Friday morning setup: US equity futures are flat, recovering from an earlier drop, and set to extend a seven-day rally, the longest since October, as investors looked to talks between the US and Iran for signs a fragile truce can hold while bracing for a big jump in today's CPI report (full preview here). As of 8:00am ET, S&P futures were up 0.1%,on track for their biggest weekly advance in almost a year. Nasdaq futures rose 0.2%, its winning streak is the longest since September,  led once again memory stocks while Mag 7 were mixed (NVDA -0.5% and MSFT +0.5%). Europe’s Stoxx 600 gained 0.8% as Ukraine’s top negotiator with Russia expressed optimism about peace talks. Overnight, headlines were mostly quiet as investors continue assessing the negotiation progress between the US and Iran. Hormuz and Lebanon remains the two key focuses. Meanwhile, a BBG headline this morning saying that Ukraine may be near a deal with Putin drove futs modestly higher; gold trades flat around $4,765. Bond yields are unchanged to 1-2bp lower, the 10Y TSY trading at 4.29%; oil is 1% higher to $98.6; base metals are mostly lower. Brent crude was steady at near $96 a barrel but on pace for its steepest weekly loss in nine months. On today's calendar, we have March CPI due at 8:30 a.m. ET, followed by factory orders for February and final readings for February durable/cap goods at 10 a.m. University of Michigan Sentiment also due at 10 a.m.

 

    Fundamental

 

       Headlines

 

              The Economy

 

                        US

 

March CPI rose 0.9%, in line; core CPI was up 0.2% versus forecasts of +0.3%.

 

                        International

 

March Chinese CPI fell 0.7% versus expectations of -0.2%; March Japanese PPI was up 0.8% versus 0.9%; March German CPI was up 1.2%, in line.                      

 

                        Other

 

                          War is depression.

                          https://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2026/04/09/no_matter_your_opinion_on_iran_war_is_depression_1174774.html

 

                          Update on big four recession indicators.

                          https://www.advisorperspectives.com/dshort/updates/2026/04/09/the-big-four-recession-indicators

 

                          Q4 GDP per capita.

                          https://www.advisorperspectives.com/dshort/updates/2026/04/09/gdp-per-capita-q4-2025-third-estimate

 

                          Update on Q1 GDP nowcast.

                          https://www.capitalspectator.com/q1-gdp-poised-for-rebound-as-fragile-ceasefire-clouds-outlook/

 

                          Very low jobless claims continue.

                          https://bonddad.blogspot.com/2026/04/very-low-jobless-claims-continue.html

           

            Overnight News

 

President Trump on Thursday demanded Iran stop charging tolls for tankers to cross the   Strait of Hormuz, as Iran's supreme leader promised the country would control the crucial waterway.

 

The truce remained shaky, as Kuwait reported overnight drone attacks. Israel is preparing for talks with Lebanon but said it’ll continue strikes on Hezbollah, with Trump’s push for an exit straining relations.

 

Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s top negotiator with Russia said he sees Ukraine nearing a peace deal with Vladimir Putin. “They all understand the war needs to end,” Kyrylo Budanov said in an April 4 interview with Bloomberg. B

 

            Iran

 

              Iranian ceasefire won’t undo damage done to oil infrastructure.

              https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/iran-war-cease-fire-cant-undo-the-middle-easts-energy-hangover-4819b144?mod=business_lead_pos4

           

 Summary: The cease-fire agreed to between President Trump and Iran may silence the guns, but the wreckage at key regional energy hubs is   set to leave lasting economic damage. Iranian missile and drone strikes have hit dozens of refineries, oil fields and natural gas export terminals across the region, ensuring a prolonged squeeze on global oil-and-gas markets even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens.

 

                            Shipping stalled as Iran dictates transit terms in Strait of Hormuz.

              https://www.ft.com/content/0ce6a1a0-08b0-4b2b-9634-e5c03c4fbbcd?syn-25a6b1a6=1   

 

Summary: A ceasefire meant to reopen one of the world’s busiest waterways has instead left shipowners waiting on the sidelines, with fewer   vessels passing the Strait of Hormuz than during the fiercest days of fighting.

 

              Iran war exposed the weakness of the dollar.

              https://www.ft.com/content/ace89a7d-39f1-4901-ab32-fdb8ab2b86aa

 

Summary: targeted sanctions on individuals appear to have been more effective than general sanctions on countries. “Bad actors” shunned from the dollar banking system still have to turn to inferior alternatives such as crypto payments technologies. But far from being a geopolitical weapon for the US, global finance is arguably a force multiplier for its enemies. As Kynaston’s central bankers knew, it is much better to threaten dire consequences than to put yourself in a situation where you have to actually use the big stick. It may break.

 

                          Two weeks---yeh, right.

              Two Weeks to Stop the Spread of War - by Quoth the Raven

 

                        Monetary Policy

 

              Why Fed rate cut prospects have dimmed.

              https://www.wsj.com/economy/central-banking/fed-minutes-march-interest-rate-cuts-e4c8928d?mod=economy_lead_pos2

 

Summary:  The cease-fire between the U.S. and Iran offers a chance to defuse the latest serious threat to the global economy. But for the Federal Reserve, it may have replaced one problem with another: an energy shock that lingers just enough to keep inflation elevated without being severe enough to destroy demand, leading to an extended interest-rate pause.

 

                        Fiscal Policy

 

              Congress must significantly reduce the deficit.

              If Congress Uses Reconciliation Again, It Must Significantly Reduce the Deficit

 

            Inflation

 

              New inflationary pressures in the pipeline.

              https://wolfstreet.com/2026/04/09/six-month-core-pce-inflation-still-before-iran-war-jumps-by-most-since-june-2024-the-fed-needs-to-pay-attention/

             

   How transitory is inflation?

              How Transitory Is The Inflation Problem Ahead?

 

Summary: The bottom line is that there is a risk that inflation will turn out to be more persistent than widely expected, including by Fed officials, once again. If so, then beware of an adverse reaction from the Bond Vigilantes once they wake up from their siesta. We are still using a 4.25%-4.75% range for the 10-year Treasury yield this year. We are at the bottom of that range now, but thinking that the next move might be to the top end.

 

 

            The Financial System

 

              The private credit boom is not 2008.

              https://larryswedroe.substack.com/p/why-the-private-credit-boom-isnt

 

              Another weak spot in the financial system.

              https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/shocking-levels-distress-cmbs-delinquencies-unexpectedly-soar-covid-highs

 

     Investing

 

            A positive stock/bond correlation is a terrible reason to add more equity risk.

            https://www.aqr.com/Insights/Perspectives/A-Positive-Stock-Bond-Correlation-Is-a-Terrible-Reason-to-Add-More-Equity-Risk-to-Your-Portfolio

 

            Earnings optimism.

            https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-09/earnings-optimism-enhances-stocks-allure-as-iran-worries-ease?srnd=homepage-americas&sref=loFkkPMQ

 

Summary:  Investors who reduced stock exposure may have a fresh reason to put money back to work due to the upcoming earnings season. Analysts have been boosting their estimates of Corporate America’s profitability, with expectations of a 12.5% profit growth in the three months through March. The S&P 500’s forward price-to-earnings ratio fell to its lowest level since last April, and some investors are taking advantage of the lower stock valuations to reestablish equity positions.

 

    News on Stocks in Our Portfolios

 

 

 

What I am reading today

 

           

 

 

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