Friday, July 24, 2026

The Morning Call--The most fundamental macro risk is back

 

The Morning Call

 

7/24/26

 

The Market

         

    Technical

 

            Thursday in the charts.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/hypershrinkers-hormuz-hell-oil-soars-tech-wrecks-rate-hike-odds-rip?gift=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJuaWQiOiIxMTE5MDg5Iiwic2VuZGVyVWlkIjoiUUhnc3BaZVVFS2E3RHhXM216eFlKbjhaWEFoMiIsImlhdCI6MTc4NDgzODQyNSwiZXhwIjoxNzg3NDMwNDI1LCJhdWQiOiJ6aC1naWZ0In0.e3WFxKBpuilcI3slBCfvRN2QX5sXErJX579nINhII4c

 

            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

 

Friday morning setup: US equity futures are seeing a modest rebound after posting their biggest drop this month, as Brent crude dropped back under $100 a barrel, and bond yields and rate hike odds - which track the price of oil one to one - halted their ascent. As of 6:00am ET,  S&P 500 futures rose 0.3%, with the index still on track for its first back-to-back weekly loss since the early stages of the Iran war. Tech stocks remained under pressure as South Korea’s memory and Japanese chip giants were pummeled. Treasury yields hovered just below their highest levels this year, while Brent fell more than 3% toward $97 a barrel. Traders are moving cautiously after a week in which stocks and bonds were rattled by the intensifying war in Iran, soaring oil prices and fresh concerns over whether massive investments in AI will pay off. Investors are now bracing for a weekend that could bring further escalation in the Middle East, ahead of a stack of earnings from AI hyperscalers next week.

Michael Hewson, analyst at iForex, said he was surprised by how well markets are holding up despite the sharp increase in oil prices. As for earnings, “next week is a really big week and it could be make-or-break in terms of where markets go next,” he said. “There’s an awful lot more nervousness now about capex, particularly when you’re talking about AI and where’s the return on investment coming.” To be sure, investors are contending with a growing wall of worry over AI spending, rising competition from Chinese frontier models, and increasingly crowded positioning. Amid soaring Chinese competition with open models which some accuse of being offered at dumping prices, the cost of tokens has tumbled and erased the entire recent "agentic" surge;  not surprisingly, stock prices of hyperscalers have followed suit.

 

    Fundamental

 

       Headlines

 

              The Economy

 

                        US

 

                          June building permits fell 2.1% versus consensus of -3.0%.

 

The July Kansas City Fed manufacturing index was reported at 17 versus projections of 11.

 

                        International

 

June Japanese CPI was up 0.3% versus estimates of +0.2%; the July flash manufacturing PMI was 54.7 versus 54.5; the flash services PMI was 51.9 versus 53.0; the flash composite PMI was 53.1 versus 52.8.

 

June UK retail sales were up 1.0% versus expectations of -0.3%: ex fuel, they were up 1.1% versus -0.4%; the July consumer confidence index was -17 versus -21: the July flash manufacturing PMI was 52.8 versus 52.0; the flash services PMI was 51.8 versus 49.4; the flash composite PMI was 52.1 versus 49.7.

 

The July EU flash consumer confidence index was -15.9 versus -16.8; the July flash manufacturing PMI was 52.0 versus 51.5; the flash services PMI was 51.6 versus 49.8; the flash composite PMI was 51.9 versus 50.3.

 

The July flash German manufacturing PMI was 52.2 versus forecasts of 50.5; the flash services PMI was 49.6 versus 49.0; the flash composite PMI was 51.2 versus 49.8.

 

                        Other

 

                          How useful is the University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey?

                          https://politicalcalculations.blogspot.com/2026/07/less-than-useful-data-michigan-consumer.html

 

                          Mortgage rates are the highest in a year.

                          https://wolfstreet.com/2026/07/22/mortgage-rates-rise-to-6-77-highest-in-a-year-driven-by-bond-market-fears-of-inflation-the-ballooning-debt/

                       

                          Yesterday’s jobless claims number was near historic lows.

                                  https://bonddad.blogspot.com/2026/07/the-no-fire-economy-sets-new-55-year.html

 

            Iran

 

              Overnight news.

              https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/trump-losing-patience-revenge-mode-after-13th-consecutive-night-us-strikes-iran

 

              The chokepoint risk.

              https://www.apollo.com/wealth/insights-news/insights/daily-spark/The-Chokepoint-Risk

 

            Fiscal Policy

 

              Questions to ask your senate candidate.

              https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/07/17/social-security-crisis-is-coming-do-senate-candidates-have-plan/

 

              Whatever we do, don’t let congress reform social security.

              https://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2026/07/23/whatever_we_do_we_must_not_let_congress_reform_social_security_1195898.html

 

Lessons that we can learn from the UK. (there is a little too much politics in this piece, in my opinion.  But there is also some good points)

             https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/the-uk-is-a-cautionary-tale-for-the

 

     Investing

 

            How instructive is the equity risk premium?

            https://www.morningstar.com/financial-advisors/is-equity-risk-premium-dead

 

            Space is the next internet.

            https://issuesinsights.com/2026/07/22/space-isnt-the-next-tulip-mania-its-the-next-internet/

 

            Update in valuations.

            https://www.advisorperspectives.com/dshort/updates/2026/07/22/market-valuation-is-the-market-still-overvalued

 

            A shift in market leadership.

            https://www.advisorperspectives.com/commentaries/2026/07/23/shift-stock-market-leadership

 

            Has bitcoin finally bottomed?

            https://talkmarkets.com/article/bitcoin-finally-bottomed-as-its-under-the-radar-rebound-gains-momentum-1784804574

 

            Costly mistakes.

            https://ritholtz.com/2026/07/vanguard-costliest-mistakes/

 

            The most fundamental macro risk is back.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/most-fundamental-macro-risk-back?gift=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJuaWQiOiIxMTE5MDUwIiwic2VuZGVyVWlkIjoiUUhnc3BaZVVFS2E3RHhXM216eFlKbjhaWEFoMiIsImlhdCI6MTc4NDgyMTU1OCwiZXhwIjoxNzg3NDEzNTU4LCJhdWQiOiJ6aC1naWZ0In0.zA9EUcQr05YU-WILYMqStvjx5ltRvwO1XVYexCug6Zs

 

            Thoughts from a bear.

            https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/closing-time-ai-bubble-sooner-most-think-ed-dowd-warns-iran-war-brings-global-recession

 

 

    News on Stocks in Our Portfolios

 

 

 

What I am reading today

 

           

 

 

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