Wednesday, June 17, 2026

The Morning Call---Houston, we think that we know the deal, maybe

 

The Morning Call

 

6/17/26

 

The Market

         

    Technical

 

            Tuesday in the charts.

            https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/big-tech-bond-yields-black-gold-dump-ahead-warshs-big-day

 

Summary: The 'broadening out' trade thesis continues to build, with the S&P outperforming as tech was dumped (only The Dow closed green). Semis were slammed on MSFT cxling an ORCL cloud deal. Oil's continued relief-rout dragged down bond yields (and an ugly housing starts print) and the dollar with gold managing small gains. Bitcoin tracked tech lower as SPCX took off. We wanted to note that it appears pricing out a Middle East war looks like the easy part for equities, which must still confront: i) a potentially hawkish new Fed chair, ii) Washington’s disruptive intervention in the AI trade, and iii) the biggest wave of stock supply in market history. With liquidity thin and volumes below trend, the price action carries less signal, but the key takeaway is a controlled rotation out of crowded growth into defensives, rate sensitives, and balance sheet quality, rather than a broad-based risk unwind.

 

            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

 

            Calm before volatility.

            https://www.zerohedge.com/the-market-ear/calm-volatility

 

Summary: The market keeps delivering huge moves, yet ends up in the same place. NASDAQ is back at major resistance, technology volatility is screaming for attention, and VIX is approaching levels that have historically offered attractive hedge entry points. Direction remains elusive, but owning some volatility is becoming easier to justify. Seasonality may soon become another tailwind for volatility. Historically, VIX tends to enter its second-strongest seasonal period around this time of year.Seasonality is never enough on its own, but it becomes more interesting when volatility is already trading near historical floor levels.

 

            Strategist sees semi momentum waning.

                https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/eventually-everything-comes-back-earth-btig-sees-semis-momentum-waning

 

Summary:  semis made a new high yesterday, and they are up ~92% YTD. However, momentum is making lower highs on each subsequent push to new highs. Today is the fifth down day for the SOX in the last nine days. If nothing else volatility is starting to become more two-sided. even if this isn't a final top, the index remains 20% above its 50 DMA which outside the last two months, would be the widest spread since 2002. A near-term shakeout back to the 50 DMA remains a high risk, in our view. The run has been historic, but eventually everything comes back to earth.

 

Wednesday morning setup: US futures are attempting to bounce back from yesterday’s losses on Wall Street led by Tech. As of 8:00am ET, Nasdaq 100 futures lead the charge, with gains of 0.5% versus 0.1% for the S&P 500 future, although both are off session highs. SpaceX’s post-IPO surge continues, with shares adding another 3% in the pre-market while Mag 7 are mixed: NVDA is up 0.4%, while GOOGL is down 0.5%. The Stoxx 600 is up 0.2%, while the MSCI APAC Index gained 0.5% in mixed trade for regional bourses. Overnight, headlines were largely muted: US retail sales print and earnings from Jabil and CarMax come before the open, but the real action comes later, with attention focused on the Fed and Kevin Warsh's first FOMC meeting as governor. Bond markets have mirrored some of this choppiness with the exception of gilts, which have been boosted by soft UK CPI metrics. US yields are down 1bp across the curve ahead of Kevin Warsh’s debut as FOMC Chair. The dollar is mixed versus peers. The krona is a touch weaker after the Riksbank held rates as expected. Bitcoin is down 1.3%. Commodities are mostly flat to modestly lower: oil prices have been choppy as investors await the formal signing of the US-Iran peace accord on Friday and financial details of the agreement emerge. WTI crude futures are little changed around $76/bbl.

 

    Fundamental

 

       Headlines

 

              The Economy

 

                        US

 

Weekly mortgage applications fell 3.8% while purchase   applications were down 3.4%.

 

Month to date retail chain store sales were up 9.4% versus up 9.1% in the prior week.

 

May retail sales rose 0.9% versus forecasts of +0.5%; ex autos, they were up 0.8% versus +0.5%.

                           https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/despite-slumping-sentiment-us-retail-sales-see-strongest-annual-rise-jan-2023

 

                        International

 

April Japanese machinery orders were up 8.7% versus predictions of +0.9%; the May trade balance was -Y378.7 billion versus -Y514.6 billion.

 

May UK CPI was up 0.2% versus estimates of +0.4%; core CPI was up 0.3% versus +0.4%.

 

May EU CPI was up 0.1%, in line.

 

                        Other

 

                          Update on business cycle indicators.

                          https://econbrowser.com/archives/2026/06/industrial-manufacturing-production-and-business-cycle-indicators

 

                          A deep dive into yesterday’s housing numbers.

                          https://bonddad.blogspot.com/2026/06/housing-continues-in-doldrums-but-its.html

 

            Iran

 

              Finally, the memorandum of understanding.

              https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/read-14-point-us-iran-draft-deal-set-friday-signing

 

Or not: An informed source told Tasnim that Bloomberg's alleged text about the US-Iran MoU is not accurate, adding that the text of the memorandum, based on the agreement of the parties, will not be published after it is signed on Friday. However, this was later corrected, stating that the text will be released after the signing on Friday.

 

And: US officials told a CNN reporter that Iran's Supreme Leader has given his tacit approval of the MOU, and that there are internal discussions over whether he could issue a statement ahead of Friday's formal signing ceremony in Switzerland. It was separately reported that US officials downplayed the Iran agreement texts and said that the text omits key back-channel commitments, according to CNN.

 

                           Hardline Israeli politicians livid over Iran deal.

             https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/hardline-israeli-politicians-livid-over-iran-deal-want-netanyahu-out-so-they-can-do

 

                       

                          The Iran war has permanently altered the global economy.

              https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/16/business/economy/iran-war-oil-trade.html?unlocked_article_code=1.qlA.a_tL.tEWg0dULTgZq&smid=url-share

 

                        Monetary Policy

 

              Warsh’s first test.

              https://www.capitalspectator.com/warshs-first-test-steering-the-fed-through-a-geopolitical-fog/

 

              Nearly all monetary rules say that the Fed should raise rates.

              (4) Nearly All Monetary Rules Say The Fed Should Raise Rates

 

              Bank of Japan raises rates to highest in 31 years.

              https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/16/business/japan-interest-rates-war.html?unlocked_article_code=1.qlA.GITL.85Eq1k1sHp5y&smid=url-share

 

            Fiscal Policy

           

              America’s most boring nightmare.

              https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/06/07/america-is-ignoring-debt-like-maxed-out-credit-card/

 

              A more optimistic view of the potential for deficit reduction.

  https://www.aei.org/op-eds/sooner-or-later-america-is-going-to-have-to-reckon-with-the-debt/?utm_campaign=21086878-DIGITAL_NLR%20AEI%20Today&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=423931781&utm_content=423931781&utm_source=hs_email

 

 

            AI

 

              A dangerous turn in AI regulation.

              https://www.thefp.com/p/tyler-cowen-a-dangerous-turn-in-ai?hide_intro_popup=true

 

              AI bosses warn of threat to legal and accounting firms.

              https://giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/actions/redeem/2625ca47-9687-444d-b134-00ad09251e7d

 

              The AI debt boom continues to ramp up.

              https://www.axios.com/2026/06/16/ai-nvidia-bonds-debt

 

            Tariffs

 

              EU lawmakers approve US trade deal.

                          https://www.wsj.com/economy/trade/eu-gives-final-approval-to-u-s-trade-deal-5b1aa450?st=Y1Q59L&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

 

     Investing

 

            Market unknowns.

            https://alhambrapartners.com/weekly-market-pulse-questions-5/?src=news

 

            Commodity price outlook.

            https://www.apollo.com/wealth/the-daily-spark/Commodity-Price-Outlook

 

            Update on the outlook for S&P dividend growth.

            https://politicalcalculations.blogspot.com/2026/06/the-outlook-for-s-500-dividends-in-june.html

 

            Q2 earnings guidance reveals growing split between tech and the rest of the Market.

            https://talkmarkets.com/article/q2-guidance-reveals-a-growing-divide-between-tech-and-the-rest-of-the-market-1781623639

 

            Can supply and demand predict the stock market?

            https://ofdollarsanddata.com/can-supply-and-demand-predict-the-stock-market/

           

    News on Stocks in Our Portfolios

 

 

 

What I am reading today

 

            I was obsessed with money---then I found philosophy.

            https://dariusforoux.com/i-was-obsessed-with-money-then-i-found-philosophy/

 

 

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