Wednesday, May 6, 2026

The Morning Call---Investing or gambling?

 

The Morning Call

 

5/6/26

 

The Market

         

    Technical

 

            Tuesday in the charts.

            https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/oil-yields-down-stocks-crypto-iran-truce-holds

 

Summary: A lack of escalation overnight combined with Hegseth's comments that "the ceasefire is not over," pushed oil prices down and left investors free to return to buying (tech) stocks with both hands and feet. Gold gained as the dollar dipped; bitcoin continued to rally amid ETF inflows. Memory stocks big gainers while some financials suffered as Anthropic release financial services templates. at the index level, sharply narrowing market breadth signals draw down risk, and elevated current positioning exacerbates that risk.

 

 

Tuesday 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

 

            Bitcoin hits this technician’s target.

            https://talkmarkets.com/article/bitcoin-hits-my-target-why-im-pivoting-to-these-altcoins-for-50-gains-1778001956

 

Wednesday morning setup: US equity futures are up big this morning and making fresh all-time highs, led by tech companies, while oil prices and bond yields fell sharply on optimism that the US and Iran are nearing a peace deal. As of 8:00am Nasdaq 100 futures jumped 1.7% while those for the S&P 500 gained 1%, with both gauges set to build on record highs. Iran is evaluating a new proposal from the US to end their near 10-week war, according to an Axios report. If Tehran accepts the terms, it will lead to a gradual reopening of Hormuz and lifting of the American blockade on Iranian ports. Brent tanked 11% to below $98 a barrel. That comes as US gasoline prices topped $4.50 a gallon for the first time since July 2022. The yield on 10-year Treasuries dropped eight basis points to 4.35%. In the UK, the rate on two-year UK gilts tumbled 17 basis points. The dollar hit the lowest level since February, while gold topped $4,700 an ounce. Bitcoin rose for a seventh straight day. US economic data calendar slate includes April ADP employment change at 8:15am. Fed speaker slate includes Musalem (9:30am) and Goolsbee (1pm)

 

    Fundamental

 

       Headlines

 

              The Economy

 

                        US

 

Weekly mortgage applications declined 4.4% while purchase applications were down 3.7%.

 

Month to date retail chain store sales grew 7.8% versus +7.7% in the prior week.

 

                          March new home sales were up 8.9% versus estimates of +3.9%.

                          https://www.advisorperspectives.com/dshort/updates/2026/05/05/new-home-sales-rise-as-median-price-hits-near-5-year-low

 

March new job openings (JOLTS) totaled 6.86 million versus projections of 6.83 million.

https://www.advisorperspectives.com/dshort/updates/2026/05/05/jolts-report-job-openings-march-2026

 

The April services PMI came in at 51.0 versus consensus of 51.3; the April composite PMI was up 51.7 versus 52.0.

https://www.advisorperspectives.com/dshort/updates/2026/05/05/sp-global-services-pmi-april-2026

 

The April ISM services index was 53.6 versus expectations of 53.7.

https://bonddad.blogspot.com/2026/05/economically-weighted-ism-services.html

 

The April ADP employment report showed job gains of 109,000 versus estimates of 99,000.

 

The May economic optimism index was 42.6 versus forecasts of 42.0.

 

                        International

 

The April Chinese final services PMI was 56.2 versus predictions of 52.0; the April final composite PMI was 53.1 versus 51.8; the April German final services PMI was 46.9, in line; the April final composite PMI was 48.4 versus 48.3; the April EU final services PMI was 47.6 versus 47.4; the April final composite PMI was 48.8 versus 48.6; the April UK final services PMI was 52.7 versus 52.0; the April final composite PMI was 52.6 versus 52.0.

 

                        Other

 

                          Economic charts of the week.

  https://www.carsongroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/ChartsoftheWeekApr27-May1.pdf

           

              The manufacturing sector is losing jobs.

              https://mishtalk.com/economics/manufacturing-is-the-biggest-net-loser-in-jobs-5-quarters-total/

 

              Oil reserves plunging at record pace.

              https://giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/actions/redeem/094041ef-da83-4429-afdc-60983b672fa4

           

              Farm bankruptcies jump 46% in 2025.

              https://investigatemidwest.org/2026/02/25/farm-bankruptcies-jumped-46-in-2025-as-debt-loads-and-costs-rise/

 

Overnight News

 

The White House believes it's getting close to an agreement with Iran on a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war and set a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations.

 

Trump posts: If Iran agrees to deal, the blockade of the Hormuz Strait will be lifted. "If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before. "

 

Donald Trump earlier said he would pause US efforts to move ships through the Strait of Hormuz as he seeks an agreement with Iran, citing “great progress.” The blockade on Iranian ports remains.

 

China Is Still Supplying Drone Factories in Iran, Russia Despite U.S. Sanctions. Obscure Chinese companies are openly shipping dual-use goods such as engines and batteries, defying American controls.

 

The US will implement its 25% tariffs on cars and trucks from the EU “relatively soon” if the bloc doesn’t swiftly ratify a long-delayed trade deal, the American ambassador to the bloc Andrew Puzder said.

 

Inflation

 

  This week’s flare up in the Middle East doesn’t help with inflation worries.

  https://www.capitalspectator.com/latest-middle-east-turmoil-revives-inflation-worries/

 

AI

 

  Banks are choking on AI debt.

  https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/banks-are-choking-ai-debt-bubble-has-started-burst

 

Summary: The cracks are increasingly visible just below the surface as investors are demanding more protection and more favorable pricing. On Thursday, an issuer tied to SoftBank Group had to raise the yield on its offering after struggling to attract demand. More ominously, issuers - especially in the junk-bond market - are getting so-called backstops from Alphabet’s Google, a covenant guaranteeing that a data center lease will be paid even if a tenant defaults. There are also provisions that place a ceiling on building costs. As Bloomberg notes, these latest developments all suggest an "undercurrent of anxiety" around a market that has held up well so far - but is still relatively new and untested. And with estimates that the AI buildout could cost up to $5 trillion, including over $1 trillion in spending by the government itself... . the size of the borrowings is guaranteed to balloon from here. “At the end of the day, these companies are selling a lot of debt and they’re going to have to pay up to borrow,” said Robert Tipp, head of global bonds at PGIM Fixed Income. “The market, after a spectacular narrowing in corporate spreads to historical tights, is seeing a wall of worry piled up before it.”

 

            The Dollar

 

              The dollar bear market is just getting started.

              https://themarket.ch/english/the-dollar-bear-market-is-just-getting-started-ld.16111

 

     Investing

 

            There is gambling going on here.

            https://alhambrapartners.com/weekly-market-pulse-theres-gambling-going-on-in-here/?src=news

 

            What are markets discounting?

            https://mrzepczynski.blogspot.com/2026/05/what-are-equity-markets-discounting-it.html

 

            The Wall Street trap.

            https://humbledollar.com/2026/05/wall-street-trap/

 

            How not to invest in times of uncertainty.

            https://behaviouralinvestment.com/2026/05/05/how-not-to-invest-during-times-of-uncertainty/

 

            The best performing AI stocks.

            https://www.riskhedge.com/outplacement/the-3-best-performing-ai-stocks-are

 

            Berkshire’s cash at $397 billion.

            https://talkmarkets.com/article/berkshires-cash-at-397-billion-and-nowhere-to-go-1777929292

 

            The bond market is on edge.

            https://wolfstreet.com/2026/05/04/bond-market-on-edge-treasury-yields-spike-30-year-to-5-03-mortgage-rates-to-6-52-as-gulf-war-reheats/

 

 

    News on Stocks in Our Portfolios

 

 

What I am reading today

 

            Remembering and rebuking the covid regime.

            https://www.civitasoutlook.com/research/remembering-and-rebuking-the-covid-regime-a9528e4d-6ab9-48ba-b8c1-bf0bb9e3cac8

 

 

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