apple tech stocks

Summary:  Equities came back from the brink yesterday, as US stocks rallied late in the session after the major indices had broken below the 200-day moving average earlier in the day. Still, considerable tension afoot here as the 10-year US Treasury yield rose above 4.00% on further signs of a tight jobs market and ahead of today’s February ISM Services survey. European stocks have been choppy of late, but are generally resilient despite the jump in ECB rate tightening expectations this week on hot February inflation data.


The Current War Between China And The United States Over Semiconductor Chips Is Gaining Momentum

Apple Will No Longer Seek To Increase Production

InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 29.09.2022 08:37
The American stock market continues to be in a fever. If traders are trying to buy out cheaper assets on the premarket, one could observe another market sale of risky assets during the regular session recently. In a situation where the fragile balance of the Federal Reserve System between restraining demand sufficiently to slow inflation is a rather laborious process, many economists continue to predict a recession for the economy, discouraging the desire to buy risky assets. Statements by representatives of the US Federal Reserve System also do not betray optimism. Today, the president of the San Francisco Federal Reserve, Mary Daly, said: "To keep inflation low and stable, we must balance our mandate with full employment." "The attempt to cope with reducing inflation without harming the labor market has failed. While we are trying to do everything as gently as possible so as not to provoke an economic downturn, if this is not necessary, we are ready to act with full determination — this is a struggle." Daly's comments about the Fed's desire to reduce inflation echo the comments of some of her colleagues who spoke earlier. The head of the St. Louis Fed, James Bullard, warned that inflation is a "serious problem" and that confidence in the central bank is under threat. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said policymakers would not give up on fighting inflation, despite the pain it could cause the US economy. Premarket Apple's rejection of plans to increase production of its new iPhone 14 line led to a sharp collapse in shares in the premarket. The company made this decision after the expected surge in purchases of the new iPhone did not happen. Apple shares fell 3.7% in premarket trading. According to the report, Apple will no longer seek to increase production by 6 million units in the year's second half as planned. Instead, the company will aim to produce 90 million units, roughly in line with Apple's forecast and production volume for last year. The report also affected Apple's shipments and manufacturers. Shares of key chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing fell about 2.3% before the market opened. Shares of Hon Hai, also known as Foxconn, sank about 2.9%. Biogen shares rose 45.6% in premarket trading after the company announced that its experimental drug for Alzheimer's disease dramatically slowed the progression of the disease, reducing cognitive and functional impairments by 27%. Lyft has said it will suspend hiring until the end of this year. This follows the company's previous statement that it would "significantly" slow down hiring as it seeks to cut costs. Lyft shares fell 2.5% in premarket trading. Ocugen securities rose 8.2% in the premarket after the drugmaker announced a licensing agreement with Washington University in St. Louis for developing, commercializing, and producing its intranasal vaccine against Covid-19. BlackBerry reported smaller-than-expected quarterly losses and earnings that beat analysts' forecasts, but the cybersecurity communications software company's revenue fell amid weak customer spending. As for the technical picture of the S&P500, after yesterday's regular sell-off, traders managed to regain control of the $3,643 level today and have already set their sights on $3,677, which leaves hope for an upward correction. To build it up in an attempt to find the bottom, the bulls need to return to the level of not only $ 3,677 but also $3,704. Only after that will it be possible to count on a breakthrough in the area of $3,744. The breakdown of this range will support a new upward momentum, already aimed at the resistance of $3,773. The furthest target will be the area of $3,801. In the case of a downward movement, a breakdown of $3,643 will quickly push the trading instrument to $3,608 and open up an opportunity to update the support of $3,579. Below this range, you can bet on a larger sell-off of the index to a minimum of 3,544, where the pressure may ease a little.   Relevance up to 15:00 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/322944
Why India Leads the Way in Economic Growth Amid Global Slowdown

Bank Of England Intervention Boosts Risk Appetite And The Possible End Of The iPhone Era

Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 29.09.2022 10:39
The Bank of England (BoE) jumped in the UK’s shattered sovereign market to buy long-term UK bonds yesterday, because apparently, they have been warned that collateral calls on Wednesday afternoon could force investors to further dump their UK sovereign holdings. And the UK could no longer afford another heavy selloff wave on its sovereigns. Will the enthusiasm last?  The British 10-year yield fell 10% yesterday, and the pound jumped past the 1.08 mark against the US dollar and consolidated below 0.90 against the euro. The FTSE recovered early losses and closed the session 0.30% higher, gold recovered to $1662 an ounce, American crude rallied past the $80 per barrel, also boosted by the Hurricane Ian’s negative impact on supply. Around 11% of the Gulf of Mexico production was halted due to the storm.The S&P500 gained almost 2% yesterday to above 3700 level, while Nasdaq jumped more than 2%. Will the enthusiasm last? Not so sure. Yesterday’s price action was a sugar rush, triggered by the BoE intervention. Enthusiasm will likely fall as the level of blood sugar falls across the financial markets. Amazon is on the rise Amazon jumped 3% as investors liked the new devices at Wednesday’s annual device event, and Apple slipped on announcement that it will, finally, not produce more iPhones compared to last years.In Europe, all eyes are on Porsche that starts flying with its own wings today! Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:27 BoE finally jumps in 3:24 BoE intervention boosts risk appetite, but for how long? 5:30 Amazon convinces, Apple disappoints 8:54 Porsche is now up for grab! Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #BoE #intervention #UK #gilt #GBP #Hurricane #Ian #crude #oil #energy #crisis #XAU #FTSE #sovereign #bonds #rally #Apple #Amazon #Porsche #IPO #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary ___ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr ___ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 ___ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
RBA Governor Announces Major Changes at RBA Board as US Inflation Expected to Decline

It Is Clear That The Apple Is Not Immune To The Cost-Of-Living Crisis

Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 29.09.2022 13:58
Summary:  We see 20% probability of earnings hitting current estimates, 10% exceeding estimates (with potential error coming from health care, energy surprise, and consumer staples sectors), and 70% for a significant miss to the downside followed up by gloomy outlook on margins. It seems to us that analysts are way behind factoring in developments that we are seeing financial markets. Let’s start with Apple and then move on to S&P 500. Apple That Apple is downgrading was partly priced in due to that report recently that their first three-day sales of iPhone 14 was trailing previous product introductions which we also wrote about in our QuickTake and said on our podcast earlier this week. The signals from Micron Technology, reporting today, have long indicated that a rapidly deteriorating environment for memory chips which are used in smartphones and other electronic devices. Apple FY22 Q4 (ending 30 September) earnings estimates are down 20% from the peak in March and that is before adjustments from Apple’s own warning. Apple EPS is expected at $1.26 up 1.4% y/y, but factoring in Apple’s warning it could be a decline of 5-10%. Revenue is expected at $88.5bn up 6.1% y/y compared to 1.9% y/y revenue growth in the previous quarter. It is quite likely that revenue could slip into negative growth for the quarter. Apple is the largest consumer company in the world with a vast supply chain and it is clear that the company is not immune to the cost-of-living crisis from the energy shock hurting consumers. It will have a big impact on the indices but also sentiment. Apple and Tesla are the two stocks that have held up well despite all the headwinds, and if these two stocks are finally coming down then the market may flip into severe negative. The company is valued at 5% free cash flow yield and forward P/E of 24x. Given where the US 10-year yield is headed and the cost-of-living crisis this company should probably be valued closer to 20x forward earnings, and thus there is a 15% downside potential, but if earnings are suddenly in decline then it could be closer to 20-25%. S&P 500 earnings Earnings estimates for Q3 are already down 7% from 1 July and that’s before Apple is factored in. Analysts are way off in their estimates for Q3. They expect a small decline in revenue despite high inflation! If you take the estimates for revenue and earnings then consensus is expecting the profit margin to expand to 13% - the highest recorded level in many decades. EPS estimate is $55.52 up from $54.54 in Q2. A more conservative view is more like revenue is up another 2.5% q/q and profit margin is down from 12.7% to 11.7% due to margin pressure in all sectors and even in energy and mining due to lower prices on energy and metals in Q3. If you square those two numbers then an average estimate is $51.70 or 7% lower than current consensus.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/q3-earnings-amid-apple-warning-29092022
Saxo Bank Podcast: The Risk Of An Escalation In The US-China Confrontation, The Risk Of An Escalation In The US-China Confrontation And More

Market Focus Will Likely Be On Putin’s Warnings To The West, Nike (NKE) Reported Slightly Better Revenues And More

Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 30.09.2022 08:37
Summary:  Fresh lows return in US equities with more hawkish Fed comments and fear of earnings downgrades picking up as the Q3 earnings season draws closer. Cable extended its rally despite UK PM’s commitment to fiscal plan and weakening BOE hike expectations, while the EUR gained strength on the back of hot German CPI and uptick in ECB rate hike expectations. Talks of OPEC+ production cuts are gaining momentum, and focus today will be on China PMIs. Also watch for Eurozone CPI, US PCE data as well as Putin’s speech in the day ahead. What is happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) fall to 22-month lows US stocks sank to their lowest levels since November 2020 after another round of Fed speakers continued with hawkish remarks, while oil maintained gains on expectations of OPEC+ cuts. Nasdaq 100 was down almost 4% at one point, but trimmed the losses before closing 2.9% lower, while the broader S&P500 met a similar fate nearing 3,600 before ending 2.1% down. All 11 sectors of the S&P 500 dropped, with Utilities falling the most and followed by Consumer Discretionary. Retail favorites Tesla (TSLA) and Apple  (AAPL)  led the declines falling 6.8% and 4.9% while chip makers followed with AMD (AMD) down 6.2% with PC demand falling away. On the upside, oil stocks like Devon Energy (DVN), and Diamondback Energy (FANG) and Occidental (OXY) moved higher. Separately the European Commission announced an eight package of sanctions that would include a price cap on Russia’s oil exports. U.S. treasury yields (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) climbed again After plunging sharply the day before on the Bank of England move, yields of U.S. treasury securities rose, with the 10-year note yields rising 6bps to 3.79% on Thursday.  Yields initially crept higher on bounces of U.K. Gilt yields and higher German regional CPI data, but paring their rise in the afternoon.  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and mainland equity markets opened higher on Thursday and pared the gain through the day and settled moderately lower, with the Hang Seng Index down by 0.5%, and CSI300 little changed. The news of the imposition of a 3-day mandatory PCR test in the financial district, Lujiazui in Shanghai due to one new Covid-19 case triggered some fears among investors. In spite of PBoC’s supportive statement coming out from its quarterly monetary meeting saying that the central bank will expand its special lending program to ensure the delivery of delayed housing projects, Chinese developers declined, with Country Garden (02007:xhkg) plunging 11.6%, Longfor (00960:xhkg) down by 7.5%, and CIFI (00884:xhkg) tumbling 16.3%.  Chinese EV maker, Zhejian Leapmotor (09863:xhkg), tumbled 33.5% in its first day of trading after an IPO priced at the bottom of a guided range.  XPeng (09868:xhkg) dropped 5.3%.  Trading in the China Internet space was mixed with Alibaba outperforming (+2.9%). Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) likely to follow Wall Street lower: futures suggest a 0.3% fall today, aluminum stocks to be bright spark As above, on the ASX today, it’s worth keeping an eye on aluminum related stocks on the ASX including Rio Tinto (RIO) and Alumina (AWC). Meanwhile, diversified miners including the major retail favorites, like BHP (BHP) are worth watching after the Iron Ore (SCOA) price remains supported with China ramping up housing support. This morning the iron ore price (SCOA, SCOV2) pushed up ~1.1% to US$96.50. In NY BHP closed 0.6% higher, implying the ASX primary listing of BHP will likely move up, especially after the aluminum and iron ore prices rose. Cable stays bid and Euro follows The US 10-year yields as well as the dollar could not catch a strong bid on Thursday, which helped other G10 currencies gain some ground. Sterling was the strongest on the G10 board, with GBPUSD now testing 1.12 in early Asian hours. BOE’s emergency bond-buying measures however hints at a push lower in gilt yields, and GBP will likely come back under pressure if the surge in global yield resumes. This will need a focus shift back on Fed tightening as we think there is still some room for upward repricing of terminal rate Fed expectations and higher-for-longer rates. Meanwhile, expectations for an ultra-aggressive BOE hike in November cooled slightly. EURUSD also surged above 0.98 with ECB rate hike expectations for October meeting picking up after the hot German inflation, and with the ECB downplaying the chance of an emergency move to prop up Italian bonds. EURGBP was however lower from 0.8950 to 0.88. Aluminum and aluminum stocks on watch It’s worth watching aluminium related shares across the Asian-Pacific region today after the record jump in Aluminum price on the LME after Bloomberg reported plans to discuss a potential ban on new Russian metal supplies. The metal jumped 8.5% (its biggest intraday jump in record) before paring back. Crude oil (CLU2 & LCOV2) prices maintain gains Crude oil prices maintained the momentum with OPEC+ production cuts becoming a key factor going into the next week’s meeting. OPEC+ commenced discussions around an output cut with one saying it a cut is “likely”, according to Reuters sources. This comes after previous reports that Russia will likely propose OPEC+ reduces output by around 1mln BPD. Demand conditions are likely to weaken as global tightening race heats up, and this has prompted expectations for a supply cut as well. Brent futures touched $90/barrel mark but reversed slightly later, while WTI futures rose to $83/barrel before some decline later in the session.   What to consider? German inflation sparks EZ inflation fears German inflation touched double digits, as it came above consensus at 10.9% YoY for September from 8.8% YoY previously. Germany is also preparing to borrow an additional €200 billion to finance a plan to limit the impact of soaring energy costs, which could keep consumption high even as shortages loom. Up today will be the September eurozone inflation print. Expect a new record which will increase the pressure on the European Central Bank to hike interest rates by at least 75 basis points in October. The economist consensus expects that the headline harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP) will reach 9.7% YoY against 9.1% in August. The core rate is expected to climb to 5.6% YoY against 5.5% previously. The spread between the headline and the core inflation figures is mostly explained by a decrease in oil and natural gas prices in recent months. However, this is clear that inflation is becoming broad-based, including in the services sector. This means that inflation is here to stay for long. The HICP is likely to continue increasing in the coming months. A peak in inflation in the eurozone is possible in the first quarter of 2023, in our view. This is much later than in the United States. Fed speakers push for more hikes Loretta Mester remains more hawkish than the Fed’s median dot plot, and said that rate are not in restrictive territory yet and more rate hikes will be needed. No signs of concern on economy or dollar strength were noted, while inflation remained the key point of concern for her. James Bullard also made some key comments on ‘bad idea to mess’ with the inflation target while the labor market conditions remain tight and recession is only a risk. Mary Daly was more cautious, saying officials should work to avoid "inducing a deep recession." However, she still raised the bar on expectations on the Fed funds rate saying that she is comfortable with median Fed rate path projection of 4%-4.5% by year end, 4.5%-5% in 2023 (pointing to upside risks as the dot plot suggested 4.6%, or 4.5-4.75% if we talk in ranges). US initial claims come in strong again Initial claims came in lower than expected at 193k with last week’s also revised lower to 209k from 213k. Continued claims cooled to 1.347mln from 1.376mln despite the expected rise to 1.388mln. The data shows how tight the labour market is in the US and Fed's Bullard labelled today's claims metric as "super low". Meanwhile, the third estimate of Q2 GDP was confirmed to decline 0.6%, notably with consumer spending revised higher to 2% from 1.5% previously. Australian inflation rose 7% in the year to July, based on new monthly CPI At this rate it doesn’t appear CPI will peak at just shy of the 8% the RBA forecasts, given price pressures have resumed this month from the largest inflation contributors. Based on the ABS’s new monthly CPI print, some of the largest price jumps year-on-year to July were in fuel (+29.2%) and fruit & vegetables (+14.5%). The concern is that, with La Nina set to hit Australia and population growth continuing, food and housing (rent) prices will continue to rise apace. In September alone, contributors to food prices have risen markedly, as the global supply outlook has weakened amid poor crop conditions. This could tilt the RBA back toward a more hawkish stance. Australian rents to drive higher, adding to inflation woes Australia’s population growth resumed after borders reopened and business employment remains strong for the time being, at 50-year highs. New office and residential supply is expected be subdued in 2023 as interest rates rise; which supports the notion of falling vacancy rates. According to Colliers and the ABS, Sydney CBD rents rose 3.6% to $5.22 per square foot in the June quarter, driven by competition for top-quality office space. China’s manufacturing PMIs are expected to stay in the contractionary territory China’s September official NBS Manufacturing PMI and Non-manufacturing PMI as well as the Caixin China Manufacturing PMI are scheduled to release today. The median forecast of, economists surveyed by Bloomberg for the NBS Manufacturing PMI is 49.7 for September, a modest improvement from August’s 49.4 but remains in contraction territory.  Economists cite the lockdown of Chengdu and restrictive measures in some other cities during most part of the month and the weak EPMI released earlier as reasons for expecting the NBS Manufacturing PMI to stay below 50.  The Caixin Manufacturing PMI, which has a larger weight in coastal cities in the eastern region, is expected to remain at 49.5 as export-related manufacturing activities and container throughput were weak.  The consensus estimate for the NBS Non-manufacturing PMI is 52.4, staying in the expansionary territory, supported by infrastructure construction but slowing slightly in September from August’s 52.6 due to weakness in the housing sector.  On the other hand, steel production and demand data in September suggest the PMIs may potentially surprise the upside. Buying activity up in food and Agricultural instruments, stocks and ETFs Food prices are supported higher as the global crop outlook dampens for 4 reasons; concern lingers over Ukraine’s exports being cut off, South America has been hit by rains and frosts, the US has been plagued by drought and dry conditions and as Hurricane Ian made landfall in the, US conditions are likely to go from bad to worse. And lastly - La Nina is expected to hit Australia for the third year in a row. So we are seeing clients buy into Wheat and Corn. Both prices are up 20% off their lows. Secondly, buying has been picking up in agricultural stocks like General Mills (GIS) and GrainCorp (GNC). And lastly, clients are biting into agricultural ETFs like Invesco DB Agriculture Fund (DBA) and iShares MSCI Agricultural Producers ETF (VEGI). Fed preferred inflation measure, US PCE, on the radar today The Fed’s preferred inflation measure, the PCE is due today, and it will likely echo the same message as given by the last strong CPI number which has made the Fed even more hawkish in the last few weeks since the Jackson Hole. Headline numbers may be lower due to the decline in gasoline prices, but the price pressure on services side will likely broaden further. Last week, the Fed also raised its forecasts for inflation, with the central bank now seeing core PCE at 4.5% by the end of this year (it previously projected 4.3%), moderating to 3.1% next year and at 2.1% at the end of its forecast horizon in 2025, but thinks that headline PCE prices will be at its 2% target by then. Putin's speech due today after Russia annexed parts of Ukraine Vladimir Putin will address legislators after Russia signs treaties today to absorb four occupied regions, with Ukrainian forces threatening to encircle a pocket of the Donbas region. There is also growing resistance to Putin’s decision to call up 300,000 reservists. Market focus will likely be on Putin’s warnings to the West about any potential threats of using nuclear weapons, which may mean risk aversion getting another leg up. Nike sank on concerns about inventory build-up and margins Nike (NKE) reported slightly better than expected revenues and inline earnings but below expectation gross margins and a 65% surge in inventories for the North American market.  In the earnings call, the company’s CFO pledged to take “decisive action to clear excess inventory” and such efforts will have “a transitory impact on gross margins this fiscal year”.  Investors took note of the implication on demand and profitability and sold stock to more than 9% lower in the extended hour trading. Apple fell on analyst downgrade After being sold on the company’s announcement to back off plans to increase iPhone production this year on the day before, Apple’s shares fell another 4.9% yesterday after an analyst downgrade from a U.S. investment bank.  In this Market Daily Insights piece yesterday, we mentioned the warnings from Peter Garnry, Saxo’s Head of Equity Strategy, about the likelihood that Apple’s revenue could slip into negative growth for the current quarter ending Sep 30 and you can find more details of his analysis from here. In his note, Peter also warns that analysts may be way off in their estimates for the S&P 500 for Q3 and it is highly probable that there will be significant misses to the downside followed by gloomy comments from company management about the outlook on margins.     For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-30-sept-30092022
Philippines Central Bank's Hawkish Pause: Key Developments and Policy Stance

A Peak In Inflation In The Eurozone Is Possible| H&M’s Challenging Position And Micron's Shocking Forecast

Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 30.09.2022 09:44
Summary:  After celebrating the injection of liquidity from the Bank of England on Wednesday, global markets swooned again yesterday, taking the major US indices. Elsewhere, sterling has recovered most of the lost ground since the announcement of last week’s tax cuts on the stabilization of the gilt market, with other major sovereign yields also easing lower. The drop in yields and a consolidation in the US dollar have supported gold, which is poking higher toward important resistance.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities traded lower yesterday after hawkish remarks from Mester and Bullard that policy rates will stay higher for longer than what the market is expecting (pricing in). In addition, the market is increasingly at edge with the expectation that Russia will annex four regions of Ukrainian territory because the fear is that it could escalate the war to new levels. Nasdaq 100 futures are most sensitive to the hawkish Fed messages and tumbling growth outlook, so watch this index going into the weekend. Nasdaq 100 futures are trading around the 11,265 level this morning and 11,000 is naturally the big next level on the downside in case selling resumes into the weekend. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and mainland China markets were treading water ahead of the week-long National Day golden week holiday. Chinese developers rallied to recoup some of the recent losses following PBoC’s supportive statement coming out of its quarterly monetary meeting saying that the central bank will expand its special lending program to ensure the delivery of delayed housing projects. Country Garden (02007:xhkg) rebounded 10% after plunging 11% yesterday. Chinese EV maker, Zhejian Leapmotor (09863:xhkg), tumbled another 11% after having tumbled 33.5% yesterday on its first day of trading. Other Chinese EV names traded in the Hong Kong bourses plunged from 2% to 9%. Strong USD fades as bond yields punched lower The weak US dollar suggests that the market was more focused on rising US treasury yields during the recent upswing than the accompanying risk sentiment deterioration: yesterday, the USD weakened sharply as yields were flat to lower while risk sentiment was in the dumps. Hard to tell if some end-of-month/quarter rebalancing through today might be in play as well. A proper reversal of the recent USD bull move would require far more weakness, for example: EURUSD back above the 0.9900-0.9950 area and AUDUSD above perhaps 0.6700 (more on GBPUSD below). Next week features a full line-up of key US macro data and should bring a test of the USD’s status. Was that the climax for sterling bear market? Too early to draw conclusions here, as sterling has not yet recovered sufficient ground in the most important EURGBP and GBPUSD pairs to suggest that we have seen a climax reversal, although overnight, GBPUSD did reverse the entire plunge sparked by the announcement of the special budget last Friday by Chancellor Kwarteng, which started around 1.1200. Arguably, a close above 1.1200-1.1250 suggests a chance over reversal, though really 1.1500 was a more significant starting point for the recent slide. For EURGBP, the key support/pivot zone is 0.8750-0.8700. While there was nothing specifically supportive about the Bank of England’s emergency QE, if the logic is that the BoE saved the system from a financial crisis and that the exercise demonstrated that quantitative tightening will prove impossible elsewhere eventually (and therefore the BoE is only the first of many), sterling’s situation looks less bad if other central banks eventually follow suit. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold continues to rebound from key support at $1615 with the focus now being the critical resistance zone into 1,680-1,700 that is the departure point for this latest bear market move. While global bond yields and the USD will continue to lead the way as coincident indicators, the market has held up relatively well with geopolitical concerns (Putin’s N threat) and investors increasingly worried the FOMC with its hawkish actions may break the currency and bond market. Some signs of that were seen this week with some extreme moves in local bond and currency markets. Speculators hold a rare net short in COMEX gold futures and any further strength will trigger short covering, while total holdings in ETFs backed by bullion have declined to a 30-month low. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOX2) Crude oil is heading for its first albeit small weekly gain in five and the first quarterly drop since 2020. The market remains troubled by forces pulling prices in opposite direction, and while the strong dollar, surging yields, and continued lockdowns in China have raised demand worries, the risk to supply continues to be a supporting theme. That focus returned on Thursday when OPEC+ said a production cut would be discussed at next week's meeting with Russia proposing a 1 mln barrels per day cut, a reduction towards which they are unlikely to contribute much as they are already producing below their quota. In addition, the combination of Russian sanctions and embargo and the US pausing its sales from strategic reserves will continue to dampen the downside risks. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields remained calm yesterday as we can infer that the recent wild ride in UK gilts had triggered contagion into US treasury yields, likely aggravating the recent rise toward 4.00% for the 10-year treasury benchmark before the BoE’s emergency efforts took major sovereign yields back lower. US macro data next week, including the ISM surveys and the September jobs report next Friday, will be key for the direction in US yields, with the major 3.50% level, the June high, the key downside pivot point. What is going on? Apple shares (AAPL:xnas) crater after the company announced it will skip production increase and on analyst downgrade Apple shares ended the day nearly 5% lower, helping to drag the broader market lower as it is world’s largest company by market capitalization. A Bank of America analyst cut the rating on the company to “neutral” from “buy”. Apple’s demand is hurt by the cost-of-living crisis and the earnings outlook last night from the chip manufacturer Micron Technology is indicating that demand is coming down fast. Fed speakers push for more hikes Cleveland Fed president Loretta Mester (voter this year) remains more hawkish than the Fed’s median dot plot and said that rates are not in restrictive territory yet and more rate hikes will be needed. No signs of concern on economy or dollar strength were noted, while inflation remained the key point of concern for her. St. Louis Fed president James Bullard, likewise a voter this year, said it was a ‘bad idea to mess’ with the inflation target while labor market conditions remain tight and recession is only a risk. San Francisco Fed president Mary Daly (voter in 2024) was more cautious, saying officials should work to avoid "inducing a deep recession." However, she still raised the bar on expectations on the Fed funds rate saying that she is comfortable with median Fed rate path projection of 4%-4.5% by year end, 4.5%-5% in 2023 (pointing to upside risks as the dot plot suggested 4.6%, or 4.5-4.75% if we talk in ranges). Eurozone inflation is set to hit a new record in September The September eurozone inflation will be released today. Expect a new record which will increase the pressure on the European Central Bank to hike interest rates by at least 75 basis points in October. The economist consensus expects that the headline harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP) will reach 9.7 % year-over-year against 9.1 % in August. The core rate is expected to climb to 5.6 % year-over-year against 5.5 % previously. The spread between the headline and the core inflation figures is mostly explained by a decrease in oil and natural gas prices in recent months. However, this is clear that inflation is becoming broad-based, including in the services sector. This means that inflation is here to stay for long. The HICP is likely to continue increasing in the coming months. A peak in inflation in the eurozone is possible in the first quarter of 2023, in our view. This is much later than in the United States.  Earnings recap (H&M, Nike, and Micron) H&M delivered a big miss yesterday on operating profit as input costs surprised to the upside. H&M is starting charging for online returns to save costs and the demand in China is still weak due to H&M’s challenging position in the country. Nike surprised positively on revenue but missed on earnings against estimates as margin compression has begun, and the company’s inventory is building up fast creating a potential headache going forward as consumer demand is expected to decline in the coming quarters. Micron delivered a shocking outlook for the current quarter with revenue expected at €4-4.5bn vs est. €6bn. CEE currencies under strain, likely on geopolitical unease CEE currencies are under significant pressure since the news of the pipeline explosions this week – this was likely triggered by the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines to Germany, which could be a prelude to the cutting off of other pipelines from Russia. EURHUF has pulled above 420 for the first time ever, EURPLN yesterday spiked to the highest level since the timeframe just after the breakout of war in Ukraine.  Hungary continues to not support new sanction efforts against Russian energy imports. In Prague, protests have broken out against the country’s energy policy, while EURCZK remains sedated by heavy Czech central bank intervention. US initial claims come in strong again Initial claims came in lower than expected at 193k with last week’s also revised lower to 209k from 213k. Continued claims cooled to 1.347mln from 1.376mln despite the expected rise to 1.388mln. The data shows how tight the labour market is in the US and Fed's Bullard labelled today's claims metric as "super low". Meanwhile, the third estimate of Q2 GDP was confirmed to decline 0.6%, notably with consumer spending revised higher to 2% from 1.5% previously. Aluminium prices bolt higher; fuelling a rally in major mining companies Aluminum prices on the London Metal Exchange briefly jumped by a record 8.5% on Thursday before retracing lower. The sudden burst which to a minor extent was replicated in zinc and nickel was driven by a Bloomberg report saying that the LME as an option is looking into whether and under what circumstances they might place a ban on Russian metal being cleared via the exchange. Any such move by the LME to block Russian supplies could have significant ramifications for the global metal markets given their importance as a supplier of the mentioned metals, which to a smaller extend also includes copper. What are we watching next? Change of course from UK government after recent events? UK Prime Minister Liz Truss and Chancellor Kwarteng will meet with the Office of Budget Responsibility today for emergency talks before they receive the first draft of fiscal forecasts from the OBR next week. The recent crisis in the UK gilt market and downward spiral in sterling could elicit a response and possible backtracking on some portion of the recent policy announcement, although Truss said as recently as yesterday that she will stay the course. The most recent YouGov political poll release yesterday shows the Conservatives trailing Labour by a whopping 33 points, the largest gap since the 1990’s. Election in Brazil at the weekendBrazilian voters go to the polls on Sunday, with left-leaning former president Lula leading strongly in the polls over the incumbent right-populist Bolsonaro, but with many fearing the risk of disorder and violence as Bolsonaro has already made claims of election fraud and has hinted at not wanting to leave office. A run-off election between the two candidates will be held on October 30 if neither gets more than half the popular vote this weekend. The Brazilian real is at the weak end of the recent range versus the US dollar. Fed preferred inflation measure, US PCE, on the radar today The data point is for August and comes nearly three weeks after the BLS CPI data for the month. It will likely echo the same message as given by the last strong CPI number which has made the Fed even more hawkish in the last few weeks since the Jackson Hole. Headline numbers may be lower due to the decline in gasoline prices, but the price pressure on services side will likely broaden further. At last week’s FOMC meeting, the Fed also raised its forecasts for inflation, with the central bank now seeing core PCE at 4.5% by the end of this year (it previously projected 4.3%), moderating to 3.1% next year and at 2.1% at the end of its forecast horizon in 2025, but thinks that headline PCE prices will be at its 2% target by then. Earnings calendar this week Today’s earnings release to watch is from Carnival which is expected to deliver strong results but there are significant downside risks to the outlook from fuel costs, staffing costs and the cost-of-living crisis hurting disposable income. Today: Carnival (postponed from last week), Nitori Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0755 – Germany Sep. Unemployment Change/Rate 0800 – Poland Sep. Flash CPI 0800 – Norway Daily FX Purchases 0830 – UK Aug. Mortgage Approvals 0900 – Eurozone Sep. Flash CPI 1230 – US Aug. PCE Deflator/Core Deflator 1300 – US Fed Vice Chair Brainard to speak at Fed conference on Financial Stability. 1345 – US Sep. Chicago PMI 1400 – US Final University of Michigan Sentiment Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-sep-30-2022-30092022
India's RBI Keeps Repo Rate Unchanged Amid Tomato-Driven Inflation Surge

The Cost Of Living Crisis Is Dampening Demand And Threatens Big Companies Like Apple

Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 30.09.2022 14:01
Yesterday's earnings releases from H&M, Nike, and Micron added more evidence to our hypothesis that the market is underestimating the margin squeeze that is unfolding at rapid speed. The cost-of-living crisis suppressing demand and rising wages impacting input costs are a dangerous cocktail for many companies including Apple that is lowering its production of iPhones to align with the lower demand. Meta also announced a hiring freeze and potential restructurings highlighting the deteriorating environment. The Q3 earnings season will most likely be a nasty surprise for many investors and analysts, and will likely trigger downgrades and lower price targets adding the next negative dynamic to the equity market. Warnings signs from H&M, Nike, and Micron If investors were hoping for good earnings news yesterday ahead of the Q3 earnings season that starts in two weeks they were left disappointed, or maybe even terrified. H&M and Nike both delivered operating margins below estimates as input costs are soaring, and H&M is going as far now as introducing charging for online returns suggesting the Swedish fashion retailer is under pressure. Nike delivered a small positive surprise on revenue but missed on gross margin by 1.1%-points filtering all the way through to FY23 Q1 EPS of $0.93 vs $1.16 a year ago. But two things in Nike’s results must have terrified investors. The company’s inventory levels continued to rise sharply suggesting terrible supply chain management and the company said that it would aggressively begin to reduce inventory in the current quarter. The US sports retailer expect gross margin to decline by 3.5-4%-points in their Q2 as a result of reducing inventory at an accelerated pace. The weak results from H&M and Nike was not a big surprise to us as we have highlighted many times on our Saxo Market Call podcast and in equity notes that the energy shock is causing a cost-of-living crisis that is severely impacting consumption. But the outlook from Micron Technology was the big shocker as the memory chip manufacturer is guidance FY23 Q1 revenue of $4-4.5bn vs est. $6bn and adjusted gross margin in their Q1 of 24-28% vs est. 33.6%. We knew about the impact from the cost-of-living crisis and the signals from memory chip manufacturers have increasingly been bad, but this slowdown is dramatic and pointing towards rapidly deteriorating demand for consumer electronics. That is also why we warned about Apple’s earnings in our equity note yesterday, and that it is likely to impact the entire market sentiment and overall Q3 earnings season. Finally, Meta announced yesterday that it is implementing a complete hiring freeze and that restructurings are under way. The technology company is under pressure in its advertising business from the data privacy update in iOS and slowing marketing demand as companies are cutting costs. On top of that, Meta is spending $10-12bn annualized on its Metaverse which is likely insanely expensive in the current energy shock with high electricity prices and venturing into a new platform might also not be the first priority of most companies these days. Analysts are living in an alternative earnings universe Consensus estimates for Q3 EPS in S&P 500 are still pointing toward q/q growth and as we wrote in yesterday’s note this equates to new record profit margin when we factor in consensus estimates for revenue which is set to decline. To us things are not adding up any longer and we expect revenue to continue increasing or being flat while EPS will take a big hit reducing the net profit margin in the S&P 500 by around 1%-point to 11.7%. Rising input costs now coming from wages which is the biggest operational expense item will drastically reduce margins in the upcoming earnings season and guidance will be uncertainty and weak from many companies. This will likely lead to a lot of downgrades and as we said many times recently trigger the next negative dynamic in the equity market leading to further declines. Next week’s earnings The list below highlights the most important earnings releases next week. Our focus will be on earnings from Biogen and Tesco. With the excellent news three days ago from Biogen and its Japanese partner Eisai that it has a treatment that slows Alzheimer’s in a large phase 3 trial, we expect Biogen to more about the potential for this drug if it is approved in the future. The news about this Alzheimer’s treatment is generally a great news for biotechnology investors that have suffered this year, but it also underscores why biotechnology should be part of long-term investors’ portfolios. Tesco is not usually a very interesting company but its FY23 1H result (ending 31 August) good be worth watching as Tesco has a large exposure to the UK consumer and as a grocery retailer can give insights into whether inflationary pressures are beginning to ease or not. Tuesday: Biogen Wednesday: Keurig Dr Pepper, Aeon, Lamb Weston, Tesco, RPM International Thursday: Seven & I, Conagra Brands, Constellation Brands, McCormick & Co Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/earnings-watch-margin-squeeze-hiring-freeze-and-cost-of-living-crisis-30092022
CEE: Busy Week Ahead Drives FX Strength

The Financial Meltdown Continues At Full Speed

Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 30.09.2022 14:41
It was a terribly ugly day across the equity and bond markets yesterday. Despite the financial calamity, Porsche had a successful IPO and secured the valuation it was looking for, but the S&P500 plunged another 2% yesterday and wiped out the summer gains entirely. The same is true for Nasdaq. Nothing is left from the summer rally in the US stocks. Job cuts Apple dived more than 6% and closed the session almost 5% lower yesterday, after Bank of America downgraded the stock on worries of weaker consumer demand. Facebook’s Meta joined the others in announcing job cuts. But *unfortunately* for the Federal Reserve (Fed), the US jobless claims came below 200’000 last week. There are not enough people losing their jobs to stop the financial bleeding in the world. One interesting thing about yesterday’s price action was that... the US dollar sharply eased despite the hawkish messages thrown to our faces by the pitiless Fed members. The British pound recovered above the 1.11 mark against the US dollar yesterday. Could the pound rebound sustainably, or is this just a fake alert? Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:32 Porsche IPO went well, but… 4:20 Apple nosedived amid BoFA downgrade 6:47 Why did the US dollar ease? 8:42 Could sterling recover sustainably? Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #BoE #intervention #UK #gilt #GBP #EUR #USD #Fed #Apple #Meta #Porsche #IPO #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary ___ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr ___ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 ___ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH    
The Social Phenomenon Elon Musk Has Kept The Narrative Around Tesla’s Growth Intact

Tesla Is Facing Growing Downside Risks And Very Optimistic Analysts' Expectations

Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 04.10.2022 13:54
Summary:  Tesla has been one of the strongest consumer discretionary stocks since May but yesterday's negative price action amid a strong rebound in US equities is sending a signal that investors are getting nervous. One thing is the Q3 deliveries miss against estimates but elevated lithium prices are hurting on input costs and the cost-of-living crisis is beginning to lower demand significantly across many consumer discretionary categories including cars. Tesla is facing growing downside risks against a very rosy outlook priced into the stock with analysts expecting 42% revenue growth in 2023. Tesla shares down 9% in a strong equity session is a strong sign of nervousness Yesterday’s strong US equity session was sending some odd signals as we would typically expect high beta and growth pockets to rally more than the market, but it was instead theme baskets such as defence and commodities that rallied. Adding to this interesting session, Tesla shares were down 8.6% being the only mega cap stock (the 40 largest stocks in S&P 500) that was down more than 1%. A big part of the move in Tesla was of course due to Q3 deliveries missing estimates (343,830 vs 357,938) which Tesla said is due to logistical issues, but the pressure is on Tesla now as the EV-maker has to produce 450,000 cars in the last quarter to meet its 50% annually target that it has set. This seems to be a quite steep target to reach. One thing is the logistical issues in the global car supply chain, but there are two other growing risk sources for Tesla. So far, Tesla has been immune to the cost-of-living crisis caused by the galloping energy crisis which has led Tesla to significantly outperform the global consumer discretionary sector (see chart below). However, with elevated electricity prices and high inflation due to high energy and food prices, the demand is coming down sharply for many consumer companies hitting Apple, Nike, and H&M recently. This is probably the biggest risk to Tesla’s outlook which is still very optimistic with analysts expecting 42% revenue growth in 2023, something we find hard to be achievable given the development in electricity prices and disposable income. In addition there are two hard physical constraints on Tesla’s growth trajectory. The first one is the price of lithium which remains elevated at very high levels putting pressure on battery prices and thus the price on electric vehicles. Given the adoption curve expected on EVs this market could remain very tight for years. Another constraint is the physical electricity grid which needs a massive upgrade to handle all the new EVs and air-to-water heat pumps. Both of these physical constraints are out of Tesla’s control and if they are not solved quickly the 50% annualized growth target may quickly turn out to be lofty vision with no connection to the real world. Are financial conditions too tight already? The US bond yields continued significantly lower yesterday and the 10-year yield is touching 3.57% ahead of the US trading session. This is a sharp reversal from the 4% level reached on 28 September. US equities responded yesterday to the falling yield bouncing back. Positions were stretched across many markets and we are likely witnessing short covering on a big scale. Several leading economists have also been out warning that maybe the Fed is getting to aggressive on its rate policy. If we look at the US financial conditions (see chart below) then financial conditions are back above zero meaning that they are tighter than the average since 1971 relative to the strength of the economy. In theory the current level of financial conditions should begin to have an impact on inflation going forward. The key risk is that inflation has become engrained in the most sticky parts of the services economy and that rising wages could create a wages-inflation feedback loop that will require even tighter financial conditions to get inflation under control. This wage-inflation dynamic is the key topic to watch in 2023.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/is-tesla-driving-into-physical-limits-in-the-economy-04102022
Are There Any Chances That Amazon Will Find Itself Under Another Downward Pressure?

Apple’s New Products | Goldman Sachs’ Results | In Amazon Rejected A Unionization

Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 19.10.2022 11:35
Tweets provide a lot of information. Goldman Sachs shares information on financial results. Morgan Stanley promotes social justice, and CBNC reports problems at Amazon Labor Union. In this article: Recession and investor decisions Forecasts for the World Economic Outlook Results for 3Q 2022 Social justice Financial sector and technology Amazon Labor Union New products A safe haven for investors Morningstar, Inc. tweets about recession and investor decisions.   As recession worries rattle markets, stock investors may be looking for companies that can withstand an economic slowdown.The stocks of these 3 wide-moat, recession-resistant companies are undervalued today. Learn more: https://t.co/3r3DzswKWS pic.twitter.com/np8uOlZY4x — Morningstar, Inc. (@MorningstarInc) October 19, 2022 Recession is becoming more and more likely. Investors remain anxious. Economies, markets and their participants are looking for the safest havens possible. In the tweet, the author points to companies that can withstand an economic slowdown. Such information can help many market participants. How much can slow down? The IMF tweets about its forecasts for the World Economic Outlook.   The IMF forecasts global growth to slow from 6.0% in 2021 to 3.2% in 2022 and 2.7% in 2023. This is the weakest growth since 2001, except for the global financial crisis and the acute phase of the pandemic. https://t.co/P0SXP8LkHd #WEO pic.twitter.com/uMMPdQOxGT — IMF (@IMFNews) October 18, 2022 Time is hard on the economies. Everyone feels it on their own skin when shopping. The current economic downturn is the worst since 2001 except for the global financial crisis and the acute phase of the pandemic. Knowing the forecasts will allow every average person to prepare, plan their budget and limit the risk. It is also a signal for investors to help them orientate their actions. How Goldman Sachs looked like in Q3 Goldman Sachs in its tweet announces 3Q 2022 net revenues and earnings per share.   $GS announces 3Q 2022 net revenues and earnings per share. View the full results and accompanying presentation, and learn more on our 9:30AM ET conference call: https://t.co/vP2fPRz3hX pic.twitter.com/FNBJ5drZat — Goldman Sachs (@GoldmanSachs) October 18, 2022 With the end of one quarter and the beginning of the next, the financial results of the companies emerge. The last quarter has been difficult for many companies, rising inflation is a problem for everyone. Goldman Schas is another company that presents its result. How it fell in the third quarter may give a picture of her situation. There will also be a conference call to discuss the company's financial results. Promoting social justice Morgan Stanley tweets about his commitment to social justice   As part of our commitment to an integrated and transparent diversity, equity and inclusion strategy, we are supporting @_centritech, a national nonprofit based in Washington, D.C, in launching the first Social Justice Innovation Awards. Read more: https://t.co/TkPl1fH9TW — Morgan Stanley (@MorganStanley) October 18, 2022 In America, social justice is treated in a special way. Striving for them is of utmost importance and a lot of non-profit organizations are being created for this purpose. One of them is supported by the author of the tweet Centri Tech Foundation. A friendly work environment and the company's reputation are supported by its efforts to promote social justice. New technology JP Morgan promotes its activities in the development of technology that they offer to partners.   With billions invested in new technology, we’re working to deliver our partners the tools they need to thrive in a dynamic digital world. — J.P. Morgan (@jpmorgan) October 18, 2022 Currently, technology is the basis for the development of banking and financial business. Offering cutting-edge solutions can attract new customers or partners. As a leading company in its industry, JP Morgan tries to work on its development, for the benefit of its customers and employees. Informing about modern solutions has a positive effect on the company's image. They voted against CNBC Now in its post informs about the opposition of Amazon employees in Albany.   Amazon workers in Albany vote against unionization https://t.co/NBePGDAGOj — CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) October 18, 2022 Amazon is one of the largest e-commerce platforms in the world that operates in the field of online commerce. Amazon employees in the US decided to form a trade union in that country. It was the first time in the history of an e-commerce giant. A trade union is an organization of workers who organize themselves to build a force that can improve living conditions. Workers who organize themselves can jointly negotiate higher wages, better treatment, or favorable collective bargaining. But employees at an Amazon warehouse near Albany overwhelmingly rejected a unionization effort on Tuesday, delivering a blow to an upstart labor union Apple’s new consumer electronics In AppleTrack tweets belonging to Apple we learn about new products.   Apple has RELEASED a new iPad Pro with the M2 chip inside ‼️🤯 pic.twitter.com/FxNzmCLMvb — AppleTrack (@appltrack) October 18, 2022   Here’s the new Apple TV 4K with the A15 chip and HDR10+ 📺🍎 pic.twitter.com/O0Dh05eN7c — AppleTrack (@appltrack) October 18, 2022 NEW $449 iPad released in fresh colors and all-new design ‼️✏️ pic.twitter.com/c3Cp82APmd — AppleTrack (@appltrack) October 18, 2022 A company famous for the production of smartphones, it also produces other consumer electronics. For fans of this company, such information can encourage them to buy and even help the company using word of mouth marketing.
Epic Games and Lego Group are collaborating to build a metaverse. Ubisoft is partnering with Reality Labs to create a NFT collection

Horse Racing At The NFT-DeRace | OpenSea Sales Were Positive, GameFi Saw An Increase

Crypto.com Accelerate the... Crypto.com Accelerate the... 28.10.2022 09:28
Key Takeaways Crypto.com signed an MOU with gaming software development studio ACT Games. The Cronos blockchain will soon be powering ACT Games’s NFT trading card game “Zoids Wild NFT Arena”. Crypto.com will issue an NFT collection based on A Story produced Korean drama “Extraordinary Attorney Woo”. Four whale artworks produced by top Korean illustrator Chul-min Lee were also showcased at Blockchain Week in Busan. Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT holders have access to a new merchandise drop. The BAYC x McBess x The Dudes drop contains apparel, accessories, and artwork. Amongst the items are t-shirts, jackets, prints, and stickers with monochromatic designs. Reddit brought half a million or more newcomers to the world of NFTs, using a jargon-free approach to presenting digital collectibles. Around three million wallets have been created to acquire Reddit’s Collectible Avatars, and sales volumes have exceeded US$6.7 million. X2Y2 recorded a -19% decrease in sales and a -15% decrease in transactions. Meanwhile, OpenSea‘s sales were positive at +21% and its transaction count also increased +9%. The total market cap for GameFi tokens now stands at $7.83 billion, up +9% from last week. Crypto.com NFT in the Spotlight The “Visa Masters of Movement” NFT collection is a fusion of football, art, and technology. To celebrate FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Visa has taken some of football’s most iconic moves from five legendary players and transformed them into digital art. Proceeds from the sales of this collection will also benefit the charity Street Child United. DeRace is an NFT horse racing metaverse based on blockchain technology and it allows players to race, equip, breed, and rent NFT horses. Each “DeRace Mystery Box” contains one wearable NFT for your virtual horse, including saddles, horseshoes, and stirrups.These can be used to unlock the performance of the NFT horses or traded on NFT marketplaces. NFT Highlights NFT marketplace LooksRare switches to optional royalties OpenSea revises OpenRarity Protocol to reflect market dynamics Twitter will allow users to buy and sell NFTs through tweets Over $1M worth of ETH and NFTs stolen in phishing attack Apple to allow in-app purchase of NFTs, subject to 30% tax rate Swiss Seba Bank launches NFT custody despite market decline GameFi Highlights Gaming and NFTs will drive Web3 growth: Crypto.com COO Blockchain game Alien Worlds launches in-game DAOs Nissan to launch game NFTs Axie Infinity drops 22% over the week amid fears of token unlock GameFi-focused network Oasys Blockchain launches mainnet with support of Sega, Ubisoft, and Bandai Namco NFT Transaction Benchmark The following chart shows select top NFTs and their historical floor prices: Top Collections The following table shows select top creators (by sales volume on each platform) and a sample of their art: PlatformCollectionSales Volume (USD)Sample Crypto.com NFT Loaded Lions $234,000 Minted Cronos Cruisers $291,000 Magic Eden y00ts: mint t00bs $1,711,000 OpenSea CryptoPunks $6,566,000 Platform Crypto.com NFT Collection Loaded Lions Sales Volume (USD) $234,000 Sample Platform Minted Collection Cronos Cruisers Sales Volume (USD) $291,000 Sample Platform Magic Eden Collection y00ts: mint t00bs Sales Volume (USD) $1,711,000 Sample Platform OpenSea Collection CryptoPunks Sales Volume (USD) $6,566,000 Sample GameFi Top Gainers & Losers Top Games Metrics Daily Gamers by Blockchain Disclaimer The information in this report is provided as general market commentary by Crypto.com and its affiliates, and does not constitute any financial, investment, legal, tax, or any other advice. This report is not intended to offer or recommend any access to products and/or services. While we endeavour to publish and maintain accurate information, we do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information in this report nor do we adopt nor endorse, nor are we responsible for, the accuracy or reliability of any information submitted by other parties. This report is not directed or intended for distribution to, or use by, any person or entity who is a citizen or resident of, or located in a jurisdiction, where such distribution or use would be contrary to applicable law or that would subject Crypto.com and/or its affiliates to any registration or licensing requirement. The brands and the logos appearing in this report are registered trademarks of their respective owners. Nothing in this report is intended to suggest that NFTs are investment products, nor securities, nor anything similar or “financial” of any description. NFTs are to be reserved for fun only and NOT with any expectation of “value”, “profit”, “yield” or “investment”. You are also aware that NFTs are not a store of value, are not a generally accepted medium of exchange, and are considered very illiquid and volatile.  
Upcoming Corporate Earnings Reports: Ashtead, GameStop, and DocuSign - September 5-7, 2023

Recent Decisions On Interest Rates (ECB,BoJ) | Big Oil Earnings

Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 28.10.2022 12:32
An ugly week of Big Tech earnings is coming to an end, having wipe out hopes of seeing earnings boost gains across the stock markets. Yesterday, Meta plunged more than 24%; Nasdaq 100 lost almost 2%. And today won’t be any better, as Apple and Amazon also lost in the afterhours trading. Amazon lost up to 20%! US Big Tech US Big Tech rather killed joy this week, so all eyes are on Big Oil to reverse mood. Exxon Mobil and Chevron will be reporting earnings this Friday and are expected to announce stunning earnings. US GDP data On the data front, investors didn’t know what to do with the mixed US GDP data yesterday. The latest GDP update showed that the US economy grew 2.6% in the Q3, exports boosted the headline figure, while imports fell - meaning that the domestic demand from the US weakened despite a significant appreciation of the US dollar. The central banks On the central banks front, the European Central Bank (ECB) hiked the interest rates by 75bp at yesterday’s meeting, as the stubborn Bank of Japan (BoJ) maintained its interest rate unchanged at -0.10% at today’s meeting, while revising the 2022 inflation forecast significantly higher from 2.3% to 2.9%. What ahead Today, investors will be watching one last thing on the macro front before the weekly closing bell – and that’s the September PCE index, along with the personal income and spending data. Any weakness could further weigh on the dollar before we close the week, and before next week’s FOMC meeting. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:41 Big Tech selloff continues as Amazon & Apple fail to convince 2:23 Watch Big Oil earnings: Exxon & Chevron are due to report today. 4:17 US GDP data was mixed! 6:16 ECB hiked 75bp, but euro slipped 7:46 BoJ stood pat, while revising inflation forecast! 8:35 Watch US PCE index, personal income & spending Ipek Ozkardeskaya  Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Apple #Amazon #Meta #Google #Microsoft #ExxonMobil #Chevron #earnings #USD #GDP #ECB #BoJ #rate #decision #EUR #JPY #crudeoil #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary ___ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr ___ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 ___ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
Hungary's Budget Deficit Grows, Raising Concerns Over Fiscal Targets

Amazon Is Still Under Pressure | Apple Has A Price Power

Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 28.10.2022 13:04
Summary:  Amazon issued its weakest Q4 revenue growth outlook in the company's history and missed significantly on its operating income forecast relative to estimates suggesting Amazon is still under pressure on input costs and weakening demand with a negative surprise on its AWS revenue in Q3. Apple on the other turned out to be the bright spot this week among many disappointing earnings releases from technology companies. Next week, the earnings season will be less busy but there are still plenty of important earnings that can move equities. Amazon plunges 14% on gloomy outlook Just like Meta has seen an epic decline in free cash flow generation, Amazon is losing money on an unprecedented scale with 12-month trailing free cash flow declining to $-28.5bn from $-8.8bn from a year ago. Amazon overspent during the pandemic expanding its capacity to a level that is now far above its current demand from customers. Amazon’s Q3 revenue was $127.1bn vs est. $127.6bn up 15% y/y driven by third-party seller services, AWS, and advertising. The two biggest surprises in Q3 were the operating income at $2.5bn vs est. $3.1bn and AWS revenue of $20.5bn vs est. $21bn. However, the biggest shock for investors was the Q4 revenue outlook at $140-148bn vs est. $155.5bn indicating a growth rate of just 5% y/y and thus the weakest Q4 growth in the company’s history. The Q4 outlook for operating income was $0-4bn vs est. $4.7bn indicating severe issues with short-term profitability. While sentiment is short-term negative for Amazon things could improve in 2023 as costs are reined in and logistics costs are coming down due to lower container freight rates. Amazon shares are trading around $97 in pre-market trading taking the stock back to levels not seen since the pandemic lows in early 2020. Apple’s performance the past year with a cost-of-living crisis, supply chain constraints, and soaring input costs has been phenomenal and last night’s result confirms that Apple is a fortress that can withstand the volatile environment. Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett did the right assessment on Apple’s moat characteristics choosing Apple for its technology exposure over other technology companies. Apple has pricing power on both its hardware and software (recently they have announced that they will raise prices on their subscriptions). In it FY22 Q4 earnings report the company reported revenue of $90.1bn up 8% y/y with solid revenue growth across all segments except for the iPad that saw double digit decline. All geographies showed growth except for Japan. Growth is miniscule now in its Greater China segment while Europe was surprisingly strong. While the numbers look good there is a considerable margin squeeze on Apple with the EBITDA margin hitting 30.8% down from 32.1% a year ago which also one of the reasons why the company is raising its subscription prices. Shares are up 1% in pre-market trading. Key earnings next week The Q3 earnings season is leaving a busy week with key US technology earnings that have seen disappointments from Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta and Amazon. Next week is less busy, but there are still plenty of important names. Toyota and Sony are key Japanese earnings to watch on Tuesday, and on the same day in the US, we will watch AMD and Airbnb earnings. On Wednesday, European equities will watch earnings from Novo Nordisk, Maersk, and Vestas. Novo Nordisk will be judged on its obesity drug adoption rate, Maersk will have to manage a weakening outlook for container shipping, and Vestas is struggling with profitability and its order intake. On Wednesday, the US earnings focus will be on Booking as an indicator of travel demand and Fortinet in the cyber security industry. Thursday is the big day with key earnings from Orsted, BNP Paribas, BMW, ConocoPhillips, PayPal, Starbucks, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and MercadoLibre. Friday ends with key European banking earnings from Societe Generale and Intesa Sanpaolo. Monday: COSCO, Daiichi Sankyo, Stryker, NXP Semiconductors, Global Payments Tuesday: Toyota Motor, Sony, BP, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, AMD, Mondelez, Airbnb, Uber, Wednesday: Suncor Energy, Nutrien, Novo Nordisk, Maersk, Vestas Wind Systems, GSK, Electronic Arts, Qualcomm, CVS Health, Estee Lauder, Booking, Fortinet, Ferrari, Albemarle Thursday: Verbund, Barrick Gold, Orsted, Novozymes, BNP Paribas, BMW, Enel, ING Groep, DBS Group, ConocoPhillips, Amgen, PayPal, Starbucks, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, EOG Resources, Moderna, MercadoLibre, Block, Cloudflare, Coinbase Friday: Enbridge, Societe Generale, Intesa Sanpaolo, SoftBank, Amadeus IT Group, Duke Energy Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/earnings-watch-apple-is-a-fortress-and-amazon-predicts-weak-q4-28102022
Apple May Surprise Investors. Analysts Advise Caution

China's Covid Situation Negatively Affects The Iphone Market| Record Results Of India's SBI

Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 07.11.2022 11:57
Although the problem with the coronavirus pandemic has become a significant concern in global markets, it is still a problem for the Chinese economy. Inflation, although it is the main problem of economies around the world, has not had a significant impact on some companies. One such company turns out to be the Indian SBI lender. In this article: China And Covid Apple warns Twitter is the topic India's SBI What Chinese Goverments Will Do? Jim Cramer asked the question about Chinese covid situation. We have no idea what China is going to do with Covid so why do so many keep pretending they do? — Jim Cramer (@jimcramer) November 7, 2022 The situation in China is still serious. The media is flooding with information on how the government is fighting the virus. Recently, there has been information about covid camps where thousands of people stayed. Everyone wonders what action the Chinese government will take, many are sure, but are they sure? And paying attention to this situation may turn out to be instinctive for a global situation. Covid restrictions in China and their impact on Apple CNBC Now also touches upon the covid situation in China, but highlights its impact. BREAKING: Apple warns Covid restrictions in China are hurting iPhone production, and the company now expects “lower iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max shipments than we previously anticipated” https://t.co/4q6RqhwHQd pic.twitter.com/fEsIurFTEN — CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) November 6, 2022 China as the second largest economy in the world is watched by market participants. The current situation in China not only affects the financial markets but also the manufacturing markets of companies such as Apple. As can be seen from the available information, Apple may have a problem satisfying the needs. Production of the iPhone 14 has been temporarily reduced due to Covid-19 restrictions at the main iPhone factory. So far, there have been warnings, but the possible deterioration of the situation in China may make the smartphone manufacturer's circuits real. Twitter and idea of monthly fees *Walter Bloomberg tweets about conclusion about twitter in The New York Times TWITTER SAID TO DELAY CHANGES TO CHECK MARK BADGES UNTIL AFTER MIDTERM ELECTION - NYT — *Walter Bloomberg (@DeItaone) November 6, 2022 After Elon Musk took control over Twitter and dismissed key directors, it seems that the discussions around the platform are endless. There is information that Musk wants monthly fees of $8 for using the site. This resulted in a lot of comments, including even Stephen King. Of course, there are two sides of the idea's supporters and opponents. But the information posted in The New York Times and then quoted in the post *Walter Bloomberg suggests that this idea was postponed for later discussions. Could this turn out to be a tactical action or a reaction to the current situation? The answers to these questions can only be known when discussions are resumed. Positive results of India's SBI Reuters Business tweets about the very positive results of India's SBI. Indian lender SBI's stock hits record high on "best-in-class" results https://t.co/HIWDsC2WYj pic.twitter.com/R01paWCJMG — Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) November 7, 2022 Inflation causes that nowadays credit products are not readily used. Banks around the world are trying to cope with this difficult situation where the main source is crisis. The largest banks may be in a better position. One bank in India said they are doing pretty well. SBI announced a "best-in-class" quarter with higher-than-industry credit growth. Positive information from banks may also affect its image and share price, in other words, improve its situation on the market.
Hungary's Budget Deficit Grows, Raising Concerns Over Fiscal Targets

Apple Shares Rose | As Trump Still Enjoys Personal Popularity

Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 16.11.2022 09:08
Summary:  Equity markets were in for a wild ride yesterday as the melt-up continued in early trading, only to violently reverse on an apparently errant missile killing two in a Polish town bordering Ukraine. The price action has since stabilized, with risk sentiment still strong in Asia on hopes for incoming stimulus from China. Important incoming US data up today includes the October Retail Sales data.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Big rejection in S&P 500 futures yesterday with the index futures coming off 1.3% from the intraday highs to close below the 4,000 level. Yesterday’s upside driver was a lower than estimated US PPI print and then later the downside move was triggered by news that a rumoured Russian missile had hit Polish territory killing two persons. This morning S&P 500 futures are attempting to push above the 4,000 level again, but we want to emphasize cautiousness here as geopolitical risks remain high and markets that seem fragile and trading on thin liquidity across many markets. Today’s key earnings event in the US is Nvidia reporting after the market close. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and China stocks consolidated and took a pause on the strong rally since last Friday, with Hang Seng Index losing 1% and CSI 300 Index sliding 0.7%. Chinese property names retraced. Leading private enterprise developer Country Garden (02007:xhkg) plunged 14% following the placement of new shares. Chinese EV makers underperformed, with leading names dropping by 2% to 6%. New Covid cases in mainland China went above 20,000 for the first time since April. FX: USD volatile on risk sentiment swings yesterday The US dollar was pummelled yesterday as the risk sentiment melt-up initially continued yesterday in early trading in the US before a missile hitting a Polish town (more below) sharply reversed sentiment. The situation has since stabilized, but the reversal of the spike put a considerable dent in tactical USD downside momentum. GBPUSD traded the most wildly ahead of today’s CPI and tomorrow’s Autumn Budget Statement, squeezing from 1.1750 early yesterday to all the way north of 1.2000 briefly before trading back to 1.1800 and closing the day south of 1.1900. The USD volatility was less pronounced elsewhere, particularly against Asian currencies. The incoming US data and risk sentiment swings around that data (or as we saw yesterday from other sources) will likely drive the next USD move. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) Crude oil ended lower on Tuesday following a volatile trading session that briefly saw prices spike on news a Polish border town had been hit by a Russian-made but probably Ukrainian fired missile (see below). Overall, the crude oil market remains rangebound with demand worries currently weighing a touch harder than supply concerns driven by OPEC+ production cuts and from next month, EU sanctions against Russian oil, a development that according to the IEA may drive a 15% reduction in Russian output early next year. In China the number of virus cases have surged to near 20,000 thereby testing local authorities' appetite for maintaining the covid-zero restrictions. Focus on EIA’s weekly stock report after the API reported a 5.8m barrel drop in crude and smaller increases in fuel stocks. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold touched resistance at $1788 on Tuesday as the dollar hit a fresh cycle low after US PPI showed the smallest increase since mid-2021. Later in the day, a brief safe haven bid quickly fizzled out after Biden said the rocket that hit Poland was unlikely to have been fired from Russia. Demand from ETF investors – net sellers for months – remain elusive with total holdings falling to a fresh 31-month low and with that in mind expect continued consolidation and potentially a recheck of support at $1735. Resistance at $1788, the 38.2% retracement of the 2022 correction and $1804, the 200-day moving average. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasuries punched to new local lows yesterday, with the 10-year treasury benchmark dipping below 3.80% after a likely errant missile hit a Polish town bordering Ukraine and on slightly softer than expected PPI data. But yields have rebounded today and are back to slightly below the close from last Thursday after that day’s surprisingly soft October US CPI release. Key levels are 3.50% to the downside, the pivot high around the June FOMC meeting when the Fed hiked 75 basis points for the first time for this cycle, while 4.00-4.10% is perhaps the upside swing area. What is going on? UK October CPI was out at 11.1% YoY, a new cycle high This was vs. 10.7% expected and 10.1% in September. Core CPI matched the cycle high from September at 6.5% YoY, versus 6.4% expected. Sterling trades a bit weaker after the initial reaction to the data point, as higher inflation will likely require more fiscal and monetary tightening that will make the coming UK recession deeper, a sterling negative. Missile comes down in Poland town bordering Ukraine, killing two The source of the missiles is a mystery, with US President Biden saying after an emergency meeting with other leaders that the missile was “unlikely” to have been launched in Russia, while Poland claimed that the missile was “Russian made” and convened an emergency security meeting yesterday afternoon. Markets reacted strongly to the development initially, as Poland is a member of NATO. Russian officials said that claims of an intentional missile firing are a “deliberate provocation with the goal of escalating the situation.” Donald Trump declares third bid for the White House in 2024 Trump was widely seen as the chief liability in a very poor Republican showing in the mid-term elections last week, with candidates strongly denying the results of the 2020 election losing badly in almost every case. The Democrats are set to gain a slightly larger majority in the Senate and the Republicans will only eke out the narrowest of majorities in the House of Representatives. As Trump still enjoys an unmatched “base” of personal popularity, it will be difficult for any Republican profile to rise up to challenge Trump, just as it is likely impossible that Trump can win independent voters and those that are not his base. It’s ideal ground for the formation of a new party. Apple set to shift to US-based chip production Apple shares rose over 2.1%, moving to their highest level since early November after the Apple CEO unveiled the company will be using US-made Chips from Arizona in 2024, as part of reducing its reliance on Asian chip manufacturers and shifting to producing its own. CEO Tim Cook also told staff Apple plans to expand its chip supply into European markets. The moves underscore the necessity for technology companies to reshoring semiconductors from Asia to reduce supply chain risks. These types of moves will add to inflationary pressures in the future. US earnings recap: Walmart, Home Depot, and Sea Ltd Yesterday’s earnings releases from these three consumer retailing companies were all better than expected with Walmart lifting guidance and beating on revenue growth. Home Depot had the most downbeat reaction from investors as the home improvement retailer’s revenue growth beat was only due to inflation and not higher volume. The biggest positive reaction was in Sea Ltd shares as the Southeast Asia gaming and e-commerce company posted a narrower operating loss and beat on revenue growth; however, the company took down guidance in its gaming division. Read more details in our earnings review note from yesterday. US producer prices cool more than expected, clocking smallest gain in a year Investors got another piece of evidence inflationary pressures are easing, with US producer price growth rising 8% Y/Y in October (below the 8.3% Bloomberg consensus expected and down from the 8.5% Y/Y in September). Excluding volatile food, energy, core PPI rose 6.7% Y/Y in October- when the market prices to rise 7.2%. After peaking in March at 11.7%, producer price growth has moderated from improving supply chains, softer demand, and weakening commodities prices. The Fed has therefore garnered more catalysts to slow its pace of hikes, which also provides further support to the equity market and bond markets. However, the next important data sets the Fed will be watching are due early next month; US jobs, and November CPI, which are ahead of the Fed’s next meeting (in the third week of December). Arabica coffee (KCc1) dropped 4.4% on Tuesday … thereby extending a rout that has seen the price retrace almost 61.8% of the 2019 to 2022 surge to a multi-year high above $2.50 per pound. Fast forward nine months and the global economic slowdown has led to a reduction in away-from-home consumption at a time where the production outlook from South America has improved. Stocks at ICE monitored warehouses have risen for the past seven days from a 20-year low and could more than double soon with more than half a million bags awaiting assessment. A new LNG exporter is born Mozambique is now officially a new LNG exporter after the first shipment on Monday left the Coral South floating liquefaction unit, which has a 4.4 bcm annual export capacity. This is positive news for Europe who is desperately looking for new energy suppliers since the Ukraine war has started. It was a long-decade process for Mozambique to get its first LNG supply out of the country. Based on official estimates, this is one of the largest LNG offshore fields in Africa. What are we watching next? Fed hawk Christopher Waller to speak on Economic Outlook tonight Waller is an FOMC voter as he sits on the Board of Governors and is widely considered one of the most hawkish Fed members and may unleash a blast of hawkish rhetoric, although it seems the market is more likely to listen only to Fed Chair Powell himself and more importantly, at incoming data. US October Retail Sales data today An interesting data release is up today, the US Retail Sales for October. This data series suggests rather sluggish US growth and is reported in nominal month-on-month terms, not real- or inflation-adjusted terms. The last three months of the headline data have averaged almost exactly 0.0%, while the “ex Food and Energy” series has averaged +0.36%. Today’s headline number is expected at +1.0% MoM and +0.2% for core sales. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is Nvidia which is expected to deliver a 18% decline in revenue y/y to $5.8bn and EPS of $0.70 down 31% y/y as the market for GPUs is cooling down as crypto mining is becoming less profitable from lower prices on cryptocurrencies. Tencent is expected to report earnings today following a new round of layoffs announced yesterday as revenue growth is expected to be down 1% y/y in Q3. Today: Siemens Energy, Tencent, Experian, SSE, Nibe Industrier, Nvidia, Cisco, Lowe’s, TJX, Target Thursday: Siemens, Alibaba, Applied Materials, Palo Alto Networks, NetEase Friday: JD.com Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – ECB Financial Stability Review 1300 – Poland Oct. CPI 1315 – Canada Oct. Housing Starts 1330 – US Oct. Retail Sales 1330 – Canada Oct. CPI 1330 – US Oct. Import & Export Prices 1415 – US Oct. Industrial Production 1450 – US Fed’s Williams (Voter) to speak 1500 – US Nov. NAHB Housing Market Index 1500 – US Fed’s Barr (Voter) to testify before House Panel 1530 – EIA's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 1935 – US Fed’s Waller (Voter) to speak 0030 – Australia Oct. Employment Change / Unemployment Rate Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source:https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-nov-16-2022-16112022
BOC Rate Hike Odds Rise to 28.8% as Canada's Economy Shows Resilience

Employees Of Amazon Are Planning Protests On Friday

InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 28.11.2022 08:00
There are no statistical releases scheduled for Friday. In this case, the session will be shortened and will end at 21:00 GMT+2. In this regard, trading activity is likely to be lower than usual on the holiday-thinned market. On Thursday, the exchanges did not work because of the public holiday, Thanksgiving Day. Meanwhile, a number of important indicators will be published in the near future, including revised data on US GDP for the third quarter as well as data on the labor market for November. In addition, the country begins the season of active shopping before the holidays. Dow Jones Industrial Average by 18:02 GMT+2 increased by 0.4% and reached 34,333.97 points. Among the components of the index, the top gainers were Home Depot Inc, up 1.8%, UnitedHealth Group up 1.4% and 3M Co. - by 1.2%. The value of the Standard & Poor's 500 by this time increased by 0.06% - up to 4029.69 points. At the same time, the Nasdaq Composite index fell by 0.39% since the market opened and amounted to 11,241.63 points. Stock quotes for retailers Walmart Inc. and Target Corp. decrease respectively by 0.2% and 0.8% at the beginning of trading. Amazon.com Inc. price fell 1.1% on reports that employees at the online retailer's warehouses around the world, including the US, Germany and France, are planning protests on Friday demanding higher wages. Shares of Ford Motor dropped 0.3% on news that the company is recalling more than 634,000 SUVs worldwide due to malfunctions. Tesla's value is 1.2% down. The company announced that it is recalling about 80,000 electric vehicles in China due to problems with software and seat belts. In addition, Apple Inc. papers are trading lower, having decreased - by 1.6%, Nike Inc. - by 0.6%, Intel Corp. - by 0.5%. At the same time, the share price of Chevron Corp. has grown by 0.3%. According to media reports, the United States is preparing to grant this company a license to produce oil in Venezuela. Chevron will regain partial control of oil production in Venezuelan fields, in which the company has retained stakes through joint ventures with state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela SA.     search   g_translate     Relevance up to 03:00 2022-11-29 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/302664
Commodities Outlook 2023: Stainless Steel Is Still Key For Nickel Semand

Iron Ore Shipments Could Continue To Fall And Hurt Earnings And Shares

Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 28.11.2022 09:06
Summary:  Dramatic scenes of widespread protests in China against Covid policies there have pulled sentiment lower, with US yields dipping to new local lows and crude oil prices pushing on cycle lows even after Friday’s drop. The USD has firmed against most currencies, but the Japanese yen is stronger still as the fall in yields and energy prices support the currency. This is a sudden powerful new distraction for markets when this week was supposed to be about incoming US data.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures failed to touch the 200-day moving average in Friday’s trading retreating slightly into the weekend. This morning the index futures are continuing lower bouncing around just above the 4,000 level. The US 10-year yield declining to 3.65% with the 3.5% level being the likely downside level the market is eyeing is naturally offering some tailwind for equities in the short-term. However, the key dynamic to get right now in the medium term is the potential earnings recession caused by margin compression as the economy slows down and wage pressures remain high. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Mainland China and Hong Kong stock markets retreated as investors were wary about the surge in daily new Covid cases across China and the outburst of anti-strict-control protests in several mega cities, including Beijing and Shanghai. The cut in reserve requirement ratio by the central bank on Friday evening did not give the market much of a boost. Hang Seng Index and CSI 300 plunged more than 2% each. The China internet space fell 2%-5%. Macao casino stocks bucked the trend and rallied following the Macao SAR Government’s announcement to renew casino licenses with all incumbent operators. Wynn Macau (01128:xhkg) jumped nearly 16%. The three leading Chinese catering chains listed in Hong Kong gained 4% to 6%. USD and JPY firm overnight as Chinese Covid protests drag on risk sentiment The US dollar was higher overnight against most currencies even as US treasury yields hit new cycle lows as widespread protests in China against the Covid policies there are weighing heavily on risk sentiment. Hardest hit among G10 currencies has been the Aussie, with AUDUSD trading back below 0.6700 after pulling above 0.6780 at one point on Friday. USDCNH jumped above the important 7.200 level. The hit to yields and perhaps lower crude oil prices are driving a strong revival in the Japanese yen, which traded higher even against the US dollar overnight, taking USDJPY back toward the recent lows overnight. This is a sudden new distraction for FX traders, when this week was supposed to be all about the incoming US economic data, including the October PCE inflation data up on Thursday and the November jobs data on Friday. Crude oil plunges as China unrest rattles markets A weak sentiment spread across commodities as markets opened in Asia with crude oil, copper and iron ore all trading sharply lower following a weekend that saw waves of unrest in China, the world's biggest consumer of raw materials. Protest and boiled up frustration against President Xi’s increasingly unpopular anti-virus curbs erupted over the weekend, raising the threat of a government crackdown. While the short-term demand outlook may take a hit and add further downside pressure to prices, the eventual reopening is likely to be supported by massive amounts of stimulus. The market is also watching ongoing EU price cap discussions, next week’s OPEC+ meeting and rollout of an embargo on seaborne Russian crude and Chevron receiving a license to resume oil production in Venezuela. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold trades unchanged with safe haven bids in bonds and the dollar offsetting each other, while silver (XAGUSD), due to its industrial metal link, trades down more than 2% following a weekend of covid restriction protests across China. After finding support in the $1735 area last week, a break above $1765 may signal a return to key resistance at $1788, but lack of ETF buying still makes it hard to confirm a major change in direction. Aside from China, the market will be watching incoming US data for any signs of a slowdown in the pace of future rate hikes (see below) US treasuries find safe haven appeal, driving new local lows in yields. (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) The risk-off mood overnight is driving strong safe haven flows into US treasuries, as the 10-year benchmark traded to new local lows below 3.65%, with little room left to the pivotal 3.50% level. The 2-10 yield slope hit a new cycle extreme of –80 basis points overnight, a deepening indication of an oncoming recession. The 3-month treasury bills vs 10-year treasury notes spread went to minus-64bps, a level usually seen within 12 months preceding the onset of a recession. For a detailed discussion of our take on the outlook of bonds, please refer to this note we published last Friday. This week, interesting to see how the market balances the implications of what is unfolding in China versus incoming data in the US, especially the November jobs report on Friday. What is going on? Protests against Covid lockdowns in several Chinese cities Anger over suspected delays to rescue from a deadly fire burst into anti-lockdown protests in Xinjiang. After a fire at a locked-down apartment killed 10 people, hundreds of angry residents in Urumqi, Xinjiang took to the street to protest against the Covid lockdown imposed more than three months ago. Meanwhile, daily new cases shot up to a record high of 40,052, with Beijing, Guangzhou, Chongqing, and Shanghai significantly tightening movement restrictions. Video footage and photos on social media showed that protests against Covid restrictions sprang up in several other cities over the weekend, including Wuhan, Nanjing, Beijing, and Shanghai. China’s PBOC cut the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) by 25bps The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) announced a reduction of 25bps for all banks except for some small which had already had their RRR cut to 5% earlier. The weighted average of RRR across all banks falls to 7.8% from 8.1% after the latest move. The PBOC projects that the reduction in RRR will make available to banks an additional RMB400 billion. The 25bps cut this time, the same as the cut in April this year, was small by historical standards when 50bp or 100bp cuts seemed to be the norm. It helps improve banks’ funding costs, but it may do little to boost the economy as the demand for loans is subdued. The U.S. bans telecommunications equipment from China’s Huawei, ZTE and more The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said on Friday that the U.S. had decided to ban the import and sale of telecommunication equipment from China’s Huawei Technologies, ZTE, Hytera Communications, and surveillance equipment makers Dahua Technology and Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology. The U.S. regulator said these Chinese telecommunication equipment makers pose “an unacceptable risk” to U.S. communication networks and national security. RBA’s Lowe still sees a strong demand; but retail sales turned negative The Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Lowe appeared before the Australian parliament's Senate Economics Legislation Committee and said that demand is still too strong relative to supply. He said he is unsure about labor market, and wage growth is consistent with inflation returning to target. He was worried about housing supply and expects to see rental pressure over the next year. Australia’s October retail sales, however, dipped into negative territory for the first time this year, coming in at -0.2% MoM vs. expectations of +0.5%. Chevron gets US license to pump in Venezuela Chevron had been banned from pumping due to US sanctions against the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. But WSJ reported that on Saturday, the US said it will allow Chevron to resume pumping oil from its Venezuelan oil fields. The shift may open the door to other oil companies that had operated previously in Venezuela, despite the near-term headwinds and the massive investments that may be needed. Bullard and Powell speak – pushback against easing financial conditions? While the economic data continues to slow, and markets continue to cheer on that, it will key for Fed members to bring the focus back to easing of financial conditions and consider what that means for inflation. Chicago Fed national financial conditions index eased further in the week of November 18, bringing financial conditions to their easiest levels since May. Most of the Fed members that have spoken since that soft CPI release for October have pushed back against pivot expectations, but it hasn’t been enough. Further pushback is still needed if the Fed is serious about bringing inflation under control, and only the most hawkish members of the committee Bullard and Powell may be able to deliver that. Both will be on the wires this week. Bullard speaks on Monday while Powell discusses the economic outlook and labor market on Wednesday. Other Fed members like Williams, Bowman, Cook, Logan and Evans will also be on the wires. Commodity companies exposed to China are vulnerable for further pull backs This week focus is on companies exposed to China, given forward earnings are likely to be downgraded following further China lockdowns and protests. Be cautious that investors could be looking to take profits or write options for downside protection in commodity exposed equites. Also note, on Friday fresh data showed that the major iron ore companies, BHP, Rio, Fortescue, are likely to be shipping almost 6% less than last year, in the final quarter of this year, and if lockdowns worsen, iron ore shipments could continue to fall and hurt iron ore majors' forward earnings and shares. On Monday in Asia, the iron ore (SCOA) fell 1.6% dragging down shares of ASX listed BHP, and Rio Tinto, who both lost about 1%+. What are we watching next? Weighing the sudden new intrusion of the Chinese protests story versus incoming US data The recent narrative has been that markets have room to celebrate the downward shift in Fed tightening expectations and hopes that an eventual opening up of China’s economy will help boost global growth. The widespread protests at the weekend have changed the plot, driving new uncertainty on how things will develop and possibly outweighing a considerable portion of the implications of the next important data macro data points out of the US, especially the Friday November jobs report. As well, we’ll have a look at the ISM Manufacturing survey for the month on Thursday. The situation in China aside (which it won’t be), the question for the run-up into the December 14 FOMC meeting and in the month or so beyond is how long the market can continue to celebrate the Fed easing off the accelerator, when the reason it is doing so is that economic slowing and an eventual recession threaten. Normally, a recession is associated with poor market performance as profits fall and credit risks mount. Apple production risk is on the rise. The protests in China and the unrest around Apple’s largest manufacturing hub for its iPhone could lead to a production shortfall of close to 6mn iPhone Pro which was a Morgan Stanley estimate and was published before the intensified issues at the Apple manufacturing site. Earnings to watch 98% of the S&P 500 companies have reported Q3 earnings reducing the earnings release impact from US equities. But European and Chinese companies are still reporting although the volume of earnings releases is also getting lower. Key earnings release to watch today is Pinduoduo which is expected to grow revenue by 44% y/y with EBITDA margin expanding to 21.2% as their online marketing revenue and uptake remain strong despite the slowing Chinese economy. Monday: Pinduoduo, Capitaland, H World Group Tuesday: Li Auto, DiDi Global, Bank of Nova Scotia, Intuit, Workday, Crowdstrike, HP Enterprise, NetApp, Shaw Communication Wednesday: Royal Bank of Canada, National Bank of Canada, Salesforce, Synopsys, Snowflake, Splunk, Hormel Foods, KE Holdings Thursday: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Bank of Montreal, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Marvell Technology, Veeva Systems, Ulta Beauty, Zscaler, Dollar General, Kroger Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1400 – ECB President Lagarde to speak 1530 – US Nov. Dallas Fed Manufacturing 1700 – US Fed’s Williams (voter) to speak 1700 – Us Fed’s Bullard (voter 2022) to speak 2330 – Japan Oct. Jobless Rate/Retail Sales Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-nov-28-2022-28112022
Crude Oil Sees Its Biggest Weekly Pull Back Since April

Chinese Protests Send Crude Oil Lower | Bitcoin Under Pressure

Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 28.11.2022 10:05
Massive anti-Covid protests in the biggest Chinese cities marked the weekend. So, the week kicked off on a bad mood in the Asian markets. Australian and Chinese stock markets were painted in red. The Hang Seng index dived more than 2% in Hong Kong, and crude oil has already lost more than 3% at the time of shooting. Black Firday In the US, the record Black Day sales could hammer the joy around a potential Federal Reserve (Fed) pivot on softening US economy. The US shoppers spent more than $9 billion in online sales on Friday, and Cyber Monday is also expected to be a record-breaking one, with more than $11 billion to be spent. This is not exactly what you expect to hear when you think that the US will enter a consumer-led recession in couple of weeks from now… FX And S&P 500 The US dollar kicked off the week on a bullish note. The EURUSD slipped below the 200-DMA, near 1.0380. The S&P500 index closed last week at the highest levels since mid-September, and stands a couple of points from the year-to-date descending channel top, which could bring topsellers in, especially if strong data revives the idea that the Fed has no reason to stop hiking its interest rates. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:38 China doesn’t want Covid zero, but it’s not simple… 2:55 Chinese protests send crude oil lower 4:09 Dear Mr. Powell, Black Friday sales hit record this year… 6:32 … what should we expect? 7:03 Watch China EV deliveries, Tesla, Apple on China unrest 8:26 Bitcoin under pressure, again Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #China #Covid #protests #US #Black #Friday #Cyber #Monday #Fed #expectations #USD #EUR #crudeoil #Bitcoin #Tesla #Apple #Xpeng #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
Steady BoE Rate Expectations Amid Empty Event Calendar in the UK

Saxo Bank Podcast: Protests In China, Lower Yields, Lower Crude Oil, Apple Risks A Further Haircut On The Risk And More

Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 28.11.2022 12:24
Summary:  Today we look at how the market is absorbing the news of widespread protests in China against Covid policies there, from lower yields to lower crude oil prices. That combination offers strong support for the Japanese yen, while Apple risks a further haircut on the risk of widening production disruptions. It is worth noting that corn prices in China are diverging from prices elsewhere, also on Covid policy disruptions. Elsewhere, we consider the status of "de-globalization" (or is it re-globalization?), and look at incoming earnings and macro calendar events for the week ahead. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com. Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-nov-28-2022-28112022
The China’s Covid Containment Continued To Negatively Impact The Output At The End Of 2022

China Is Finding It Increasingly More Difficult To Leave Its Strict Covid Zero Policies

Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 28.11.2022 13:40
Summary:  Our Chinese equity baskets were down around 5% last week as China is finding it increasingly more difficult to leave its strict Covid zero policies behind as case figures are surging again and protests are erupting across several locations in the country including the main manufacturing hub for Apple and its iPhone. At the other end of the spectrum the defence basket is continuing its momentum up 3.8% last week. The performance means that the defence basket could get closer to end the year as the best performing theme basket this year. The biggest gainers in the defence basket last week were Rolls-Royce and Leonardo. China continues to be out of sync with the world The biggest outliers last week among our equity theme baskets were our two Chinese equity baskets declining 4.5% and 5% respectively as rising Covid case figures dented the narrative that China can smoothly reopen their economy. Already last week there were increasing protests at different locations in China including Apple’s biggest factory that produces its key product the iPhone. This has led sell-side firms to cut their forecast for iPhone production and investors are increasingly worried Apple’s supply chain risks. The protests against China’s Covid zero policies have not eased over the weekend so this theme will continue to impact markets this week. If we zoom out and take a longer look at Chinese equities it has been miserable period since early 2010 with Chinese equities underperforming MSCI World in total return USD terms by 7.9% annualized. But especially the period since mid-2021 has been brutal with the Chinese economy undergoing severe calibrations amid a troubling real estate sector and now the disruptions from the strict Covid zero policies. We remain underweight Chinese equities long-term as the common prosperity policies will continue cause headwinds for Chinese corporate sector profitability which has been very weak since the pandemic started. MSCI China vs MSCI World (total return USD terms) | Source: Bloomberg Could defence stocks end the year on a high? The defence basket was the best performing basket last week gaining 3.8% as the ongoing geopolitical landscape in Europe around the war in Ukraine will continue to drive military spending higher. With just one month to go and the Chinese reopening narrative shattered to pieces over the past week commodities could be under pressure, so if defence stocks can muster more momentum they might even end the year as the best performing theme basket. The two best performing stocks in the defence basket last week were Rolls-Royce and Leonardo up 7.5% and 6% respectively. Roll-Royce seems to have turned a corner and 10 days ago the company’s credit was lifted to positive outlook by S&P from stable suggesting the underlying cash flow generation is improving. Leonardo is still enjoying the tailwind from its good Q3 results and the Q4 performance will likely be driven by another good quarter in its defence and helicopter segments despite looming inflationary pressures on its input costs.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/weekly-update-saxo-thematic-investing-performance-28112022
The US PCE Data Is Expected To Confirm Another Modest Slowdown

Dallas Fed Manufacturing Index Came In Less Bad Than Expected

Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 29.11.2022 09:06
Summary:  A slew of Fed speakers remained hawkish on Monday, with Bullard saying that markets were under-pricing the risk of a more aggressive Fed This added to the risk-off tone from the protests in China ahead of the focus turning to an array of key US data due in the week. The US Dollar found a fresh bid into the US close, while the yen is being supported by safe haven demand and shifting tone from BOJ officials. Sharp swings in oil prices as well amid demand weakness concerns being reversed by hopes of an OPEC+ production cut, as the cartel meets over the coming weekend. What’s happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) retreated on China Covid protests and hawkish Fedspeak U.S. equities slid on the outbreak of protests against Covid lockdowns across large cities in China and hawkish comments from Fed officials. Nasdaq 100 dropped 1.4% and the S&P500 lost 1.5%. The selloff was board-based as all 11 sectors of the S&P500 declined on Monday. Energy and materials stocks took a hit as oil and other commodity prices retreated. Apple (AAPL:xnas) fell 2.6% as the iPhone maker could fact a production shortfall of as many as 6 million handsets as a result of the labour unrest in the Foxconn factory in Zhengzhou. US treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) pared early gains and finished Monday little changed U.S. treasuries caught a risk-off bid in Asian hours as the Covid protests in China triggered buying in safe-haven assets. The gains were pared when New York came with the St. Louis Fed President Bullard saying that the Fed is “is going to need to keep restrictive policy…to continue through -- as least through – next year.” The 10-year finished unchanged at 3.68%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Mainland China and Hong Kong stock markets retreated as investors were wary about the surge in daily new Covid cases across China and the outburst of anti-strict-control protests in several mega cities, including Beijing and Shanghai. The cut in reserve requirement ratio by the central bank on Friday evening did not give the market much of a boost. Hang Seng Index declined 1.6% and CSI 300 lost 1.1%. The China internet space fell 2%-4% except for Meituan (03690:xhkg) which gained 2% on strong Q3 results reported last Friday. Macao casino stocks bucked the trend and rallied following the Macao SAR Government’s announcement to renew casino licenses with all incumbent operators. Wynn Macau (01128:xhkg) jumped nearly 15%. Stocks of the Chinese catering chains listed in Hong Kong gained some market speculation of earlier exit from the dynamic zero-Covid policy due to the now hard-to-contained outbreaks of inflection across the country. Haidilao (06862:xhkg) surged 6.8%. Buying on Hang Seng Index futures emerged in overnight trading in New Your hours and saw the futures contract jump 1.2% and the Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index rise 2.8%. FX: USDJPY getting a safe haven bid, but there’s more! Choppy moves in the US dollar on Monday amid risk off and volatility in the US yields. But hawkish Fed speak, with Williams and Bullard both hinting at higher rates than the September dot plot, supported a final leg higher in the USD in the late US session. EURUSD touched highs of 1.0500 but reversed all of the day’s gains later with focus on inflation numbers due tomorrow. USDJPY also touched lows of 137.50 before reversing but a clear shift in tone in BOJ officials is being seen in the last few weeks keeping the BOJ pivot narrative alive into early 2023 before Kuroda or just after Kuroda retires. Kuroda referred to wage gains as being supportive of more stable levels of inflation which gave the yen a boost on Monday. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) reversed losses on OPEC cut hopes Crude oil prices made a sharp u-turn on Monday after dipping lower earlier in the session on concerns from protests in China which delayed the hopes of a reopening further and a hawkish commentary from Fed speakers (read below). WTI futures fell to lows of $74/barrel while Brent was down to $81. However, losses were reversed later as OPEC+ delegates said deeper production cuts could be an option when they meet this weekend. OPEC+ is scheduled to meet this Sunday to review its current production plan. At the last meeting it cut output quotas by 2mb/d. Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said that OPEC+ was ready to intervene with further supply reductions if it was required to balance supply and demand. Meanwhile, European talks on a price cap have stalled.   What to consider? Fed speakers press for higher rates James Bullard (2022 voter) said markets are underestimating the chances that the FOMC will need to be more aggressive next year, adding tightening may go into 2024. He also said that rates will need to be kept at a sufficiently high level all through 2023 and into 2024 even if the Fed reaches restrictive territory by Q1 2023. John Williams (voter) said "there's still more work to do" to get inflation down. He also hinted at “modestly higher” path of interest rates than what he voted for in September, sending another signal that December’s dot plot could see an upward revision, while also hinting at rate cuts in 2024. He provided some clear forecasts: unemployment rate rising from 3.7% to 4.5%-5.0% by late 2023; inflation declining to 5.0-5.5% by the end of 2022 and 3.0-3.5% by late 2023; modest economic growth this year and in 2023. The central bank isn't near a pause, Loretta Mester (2022 voter) told the FT. Richmond Fed President Barkin also spoke about higher-for-longer rates, despite moving slower BlockFi – another casualty in the FTX saga BlockFi Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the latest crypto-industry operator to seek court protection in the wake of FTX’s collapse. It sold $239 million of crypto ahead of its filing. ECB’s Lagarde maintains tightening stance ECB President Lagarde repeated her previous comments that the ECB will raise rates further but nothing on how much further, and on how fast they need to go. She said the bank will be data-dependent, adding the ECB may need to move into restrictive territory. She also said that she will be surprised if inflation in the Eurozone (due to be reported on Wednesday 30/11) peaked last month. Even if the November print cools slightly, most likely driven by lower energy costs, there is a possibility that inflation will likely remain high in the coming months as winter months progress and cost of living gets worse. Dallas Fed manufacturing signals job stress is building Dallas Fed manufacturing index came in less bad than expected at -14.4 for November, but the underlying metrics indicated a softening in labor markets. 16% of the factories surveyed indicated net layoffs in November, up from 9% previously, and comments suggested more layoffs may be coming as the backlog and holiday season get over. While it may still be early to see any significant signs of softening in Friday’s jobs report, the jobs data remains key to monitor to see if consumers may be vulnerable to a faster-than-expected pullback in spending. Apple production risk is on the rise Reports suggested that the protests in China and the unrest around Apple’s largest manufacturing hub for its iPhone could lead to a production shortfall of close to 6mn iPhone Pro units this year, roughly about 7% of all iPhones scheduled to be delivered this quarter. Apple shares fell 2.6% on Monday on these reports. Pinduoduo (PDD:xnas) beat expectations, Bilibili up next Pinduoduo, after a strong beat in the prior quarter, surpassed again analyst estimates and delivered a strong Q3 beat. The Chinese eCommerce platform’s revenues grew 65% Y/Y, outperforming its peers, for example, Alibaba”s 3% and JD.COM’s 11% revenue growth in Q3. Adjusted operating margin came in at 34.6% vs 33.5% in Q2. 2022 , and 15.2% in Q3 last year. Adjust EPS of RMB 7.33 was much higher than the RMB4.75 consensus. Bilibili ((09626:xhkg) is scheduled to report today.   For our look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: Hawkish Fedspeak; OPEC+ to consider production cut – 29 November 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
The Current War Between China And The United States Over Semiconductor Chips Is Gaining Momentum

China Protests Hit Apple | BlockFi Files For Bankruptcy

Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 29.11.2022 10:34
The week started with a selloff across global equities. Unrest in China due to protests against the Covid zero policy combined with the Federal Reserve (Fed) members’ hawkish comments led to an early week selloff in both Asian, European and US equities. Crypto Market In cryptocurrencies, it was another day of bankruptcy news. This time, the crypto lender BlockFi, which had strong ties with FTX announced to file for bankruptcy. Bitcoin eased but didn’t damage important support on the news, while Coinbase dived another 4%. Stocks Market Elsewhere, the S&P500 lost 1.54% on Monday, as Nasdaq slid 1.43%. The US dollar traded up and down as US crude fell to $73pb then rebounded to flirt with the $80pb this morning, despite the Chinese slowdown worries. Expectation that OPEC would use the Chinese unrest as excuse to restrict outlook boosted bulls’ appetite. Fed There is still hope that Fed President Jerome Powell talks about slower rate hikes at his speech this week, but again, his words shouldn’t be heard halfway through. The Fed is willing to slow the pace of rate hikes to avoid going too far. But if they slow down, it’s also because they want to go higher than 5%. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:24 China unrest, hawkish Fed comments hit sentiment 1:00 Fed remains haw-kish! 3:34 What does China developments mean for markets? 4:29 Why did crude oil rebound? 6:34 Ghana wants to buy oil with gold 7:00 China protests hit Apple, VW, but Chinese ADRs rebound 8:20 BlockFi files for bankruptcy Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #China #Covid #protests #Apple #Foxconn #VW #Fed #expectations #USD #XAU #crudeoil #Chevron #Venezuela #Bitcoin #BlockFi #FTX #bankruptcy #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH  
Supply Trends Resurface: Analyzing the Impact on Market Dynamics

Austrailan CPI Report Gives The RBA Room To Remain Dovish

Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 30.11.2022 09:39
Summary:  Daily Dose of financial insights for investors and traders; Apple skids 5% in three days what could be next. Australian inflation slows more than expected, what this mean for interest rates and the Aussie dollar. Coal stocks surge to record highs. The major US indices, the Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) continue to retreat   The major US indices closed on the back foot again as investors continue to weigh the deteriorating Covid developments and increased restrictions in China, while also awaiting Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s speech later Wednesday. Powell’s will likely underscore the Fed’s desire to keep interest rates at elevated levels until inflation eases. And it’s fair to say that this double blow, of persistent inflation and rising interest rates is denting sentiment. The latest US consumer confidence reading (released Tuesday) for November showed US consumer confidence fell to a four-month low. The biggest drag on US markets on Tuesday, were technology companies with Apple shares continuing to slide. While some travel companies shares saw some stellar gains, with Carnival Cruise (CCL) shares rose almost 5% after announcing Cyber Monday bookings volumes were 50% higher than Cyber Monday 2019. And Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) shares followed higher on the sentiment boost. Apple (AAPL) shares fell 2.1%, continuing their three day pull back, which totals almost 5% ...on the back of the covid lockdown fallout in China. Apple relies heavily on the key manufacturing hub of Zhengzhou, which is now in lockdown. And as a result Apple’s production shortfall could be close to 6 million iPhone Pro units this year (this is according to people who know about Apple’s assembly operations). These reports are swirling at a time when Apple previously dropped its overall production target to about 87 million units (down from the prior 90 million estimate) on the back of demand slowing. However, Apple and the Foxconn facility are allegedly planning to make up the shortfall in lost output in 2023. However, looking at Apple shares from a technical perspective, its trading 8% lower than its 200 day moving average and the indicators suggest Apple shares could see further downward pressure - as suggested by the weekly and monthly charts. Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) rises 0.3% mid-session, which brings the market closer to its record high, that it's just 4.5% away from  What is supporting the Aussie market rally on Wednesday, is firstly - weaker than expected inflation data was released, which gives the RBA room to remain dovish and only rise rates by 0.25% next week. Secondly, ahead of the northern hemisphere winter, coal shares are trading considerably higher, trading at new record highs, with Whitehaven Coal (WHC) up 7.3% to $9.34 and New Hope Coal (NHC) up almost 6% to $5.88. Trimmed mean CPI (which excludes volatile items), showed consumer prices rose 5.3% year-on-year in October, which means that prices of goods and services in Australia are falling, compared to the prior read (5.4% YoY). This also shows price rises are not as bad as feared (Trimmed CPI was expected to rise 5.7%). Meanwhile, headline inflation also rose less than expected, up 6.9% YoY, which was cooler than prior read (7.3%), and less than the 7.6% expected. Remember, this follows a suite of Australian economic data that supports the RBA remaining more conservative with rate hikes ahead. Earlier in the week, Australian retail trade data unexpectedly fell, showing consumers are feeling the strain of inflation and rising interest rates. So where to from here? We think spending will likely continue to slow into 2023, as the full impact of rate hikes passes through households, with some under financial duress, given debt to income ratios are some of the highest in the world. This means, the RBA could not only potentially stop rising rates sooner than expected, but now the market is thinking the RBA will begin to cut rates in December next year. Australian dollar holds onto monthly gain Despite the weaker than expected Australian inflation data, that would traditionally cause the Australian dollar (AUDUSD) to fall, today the Aussie is steady at 0.669. However, the AUD is up 5.3% this month. I suspect the reason for this is because it's ahead of LNG and coal shipments likely rising, to cater to the northern hemisphere winter. For a weekly look at what to watch in markets - tune into our Spotlight.For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.     Source: Daily Dose of financial insights for investors and traders; Apple skids 5% in three days, Australian inflation slows more than expected | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
Financial World in a Turbulent Dance: Lego, Gold, and Market Mysteries

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Warned Against Apple’s Monopoly Powers

Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 30.11.2022 09:46
Summary:  Markets are in defensive mode ahead of a speech from Fed Chair Powell later today on fears of hawkish pushback against the recent easing of financial conditions and after having priced in significant rate cuts beyond the end of 2023. Economic data releases continue to roll in, with the Eurozone flash November CPI data up this morning after slightly softer inflation releases around Europe this week and US November ADP private payrolls data up today ahead of Friday’s US jobs report.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures are still boxed into a tighter and tighter range between the 100-day moving average at 3,927 and the 200-day moving average at 4,051. The key event today is of course the FOMC rate decision and more importantly the subsequent press conference where all eyes are on Fed Chair Jerome Powell following the latest rally due to the recently lower US inflation print. Financial conditions have eased considerably, and Powell will likely not get away with talking about terminal rates if he wants to tighten conditions again in line with their strategy of easing inflationary pressures. After the US market call, there are key earnings from Salesforce and Snowflake which could impact sentiment in Nasdaq 100 futures. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index climbed 0.8% and The CSI 300 gained 0.2% as optimism returned about an exit from the stringent dynamic zero-Covid policy, if not in name, at least gradually in practice in mainland China. Investors looked beyond the disappointing Manufacturing PMI data, which came at 48, weaker than expectations and further into the contractionary territory. The focus of the investors, however, was on the recent supportive measures to the real estate sector and signs of sticking to or even preparing for more relaxation of China’s stringent pandemic control restrictions even as Covid cases are on the rise. Teleco names outperformed, with China Unicom (00762:xhkg) and China Telecom (00728:xhkg) rising 6-7%. USD edging higher ahead of anticipated hawkishness from Fed Chair Powell Concerns are mounting that Fed Chair Powell is set to administer a hawkish broadside to US markets after a powerful easing of financial conditions in recent weeks and the pricing in of a significant Fed policy easing starting in late 2023 (see more below). But USD bulls have their work cut out for them if they expect to reverse the recent USD sell-off, even if we have seen a solid reversal in places. The key zone for EURUSD stretches from the 1.0223 pivot low and down to perhaps 1.0100, while the similar zone for USDJPY stretches from the 142.25 pivot high all the way to 145.00. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOF3) volatile with large inventory drawdown ahead of OPEC The relief from continued commitment of China officials to ease zero covid restrictions helped crude oil prices gather some momentum early on Tuesday, but the cheer was short-lived as production cut expectations from OPEC+ this Sunday eased as the meeting moved online and economic data from the US and China showed weakening momentum. Focus on speech from Fed Chair Powell given its potential impact on the dollar, and EIA’s weekly report after the API reported a larger than expected crude draw, with inventories down 7.80mm b/d (exp -2.49mm b/d). WTI futures traded around $79/barrel, while Brent trades back below $84 after touching $86/barrel on Tuesday. US treasury yields recovered after dip to local lows. (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) Yields edged up across the yield curve with those in the long end rising the most. The 2-year yield rose 4bps to 4.47% while the 10-year rose 6 bps to 3.74%. Large supply from corporate issuance put some upward pressure on yields. There were about 11 deals with a total amount of about USD18 billion, including USD8.25 billion from Amazon, on Tuesday. Fed Chair Powell to speak later today. (more below) What is going on? Reopening optimism returned in China While the daily new cases continued to surge and anti-restriction protests sprang up across major cities, investors took comfort from the light-touch reactions from the Chinese authorities and hints of preparing to ease the pandemic control measures further. A Party-controlled newspaper in Beijing published a long article reporting the stories of people having recovered from Covid, which seemingly aimed at easing people’s worries about the disease. The National Health Commission issued a memo pledging to increase the vaccination rate of the country’s senior population. In a press conference later in the afternoon, health officers again emphasized increasing the senior population’s vaccination rate as a priority and highlighted the Omicron variants as being less severe than the original virus. Officials and the state-controlled media have taken a light-touch approach to the recent protests and have largely refrained from putting any political stigma on the incidents. Putting these together, investors are taking the development as hints of the Chinese authorities to prepare for further easing in its Covid policy. Apple criticized by possible 2024 presidential hopeful DeSantis, also in the anti-trust spotlight Florida governor Ron DeSantis, a potential rival of Donald Trump for the 2024 presidential nomination, inveighed against Apple for providing “aid and comfort to the CCP” by turning off access in China to the AirDrop app that could be used to organize protests. As well, he warned against Apple’s monopoly powers after Twitter CEO Elon Musk complained that Apple had pulled virtually all advertising from the platform and threatened to remove it from their app store. “Don’t be a vassal of the [Chinese Communist Party] on one hand and then use your corporate power in the United States on the other to suffocate Americans and try to suppress their right to express themselves” DeSantis said. US Senators also weighed in against the company on the issue as anti-trust efforts are afoot in Congress. Crowdstrike beats estimates The US cyber security company reported Q3 revenue of $581mn vs est. $574mn and adj. EPS of $0.40 vs est. $0.31 as the underlying structural growth is still strong in the industry. The Q4 outlook on earnings was much better than expected but the Q4 revenue outlook at $620-628mn vs est. $635mn spooked investors, sending shares down 19%. Management said that the lower guidance was due to increased macroeconomic headwinds. Commodities see November gains on China optimism and Fed Pivot The Bloomberg Commodity Index trades up 2% on the month with strong gains among industrial and precious metals offsetting minor declines in energy and grains. The sector has been supported by a 4% drop in the dollar and sharply lower US bond yields on speculation the FOMC will soon slow its pace of rate hikes. The industrial metal sector trades up 12% on optimism that China may shift away from Covid Zero policies and provide additional stimulus to boost demand in the top metal-consuming economy. Copper, up 8%, is heading for its best month since April 2021 while gold and silver has been supported by the change in direction for the dollar and yields.  Wheat prices in Chicago and Paris scrap the bottom with ample supply, especially from the Black Sea region adding downward pressure. What are we watching next? OPEC+ weekend meeting goes virtual Instead of meeting in Vienna as planned earlier, OPEC+ has now moved its December 4 meeting online which is downplaying expectations of any significant policy change after production cut expectations gathered hopes this week with crude oil prices falling to test key support levels. Some delegates also suggested that the cartel is leaning towards approving the same production levels agreed in October, when a 2mb/d cut in output was announced. Fed Chair Powell to speak today – will he lean hawkish? Fed Chair Powell is scheduled to speak on the economy and labor market at a Brookings Institution event today at 13:30 U.S. eastern time. Market participants are expecting hawkish comments from Powell about higher terminal rates for 2023.  Given the huge shift in market pricing of the Fed policy rate in 2024 (cuts of over 150 basis points from the 2023 rate peak are currently priced by end 2024) the more interesting angle on Powell’s comments are whether he pushes back against the recent strong easing of financial conditions and this anticipation that the Fed will be in full retreat in 2024. The September FOMC “dot plot” projections show a wide dispersion of forecasts, but the median projection is that the policy rate will drop about 100 basis points by end 2024 from end 2023. Earnings to watch Today’s earnings focus is US technology sector earnings from Salesforce and Snowflake. Analysts expect Salesforce FY23 Q3 (ending 31 October) revenue growth to slow down to 14% y/y down from 27% y/y a year ago supporting the growth slowdown in the technology sector. To avoid the negative impact from the earnings release Salesforce must deliver meaningful improvement in profitability or face downward pressure on its share price. Snowflake is expected to see FY23 Q3 (ending 31 October) revenue growth to slow down to 61% y/y down from 110% y/y a year ago. As with Salesforce, Snowflake must deliver significant improvements in profitability to avoid a negative impact from falling revenue growth which current trajectory is worse than estimated just one year a ago. Today:  Royal Bank of Canada, National Bank of Canada, Salesforce, Synopsys, Snowflake, Splunk, Hormel Foods, KE Holdings Thursday: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Bank of Montreal, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Marvell Technology, Veeva Systems, Ulta Beauty, Zscaler, Dollar General, Kroger Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0745 – France Nov. Flash CPI 0830 – UK Bank of England Chief Economist Huw Pill to speak 0855 – Germany Nov. Unemployment Rate / Change 0900 – Poland Nov. Flash CPI 1000 – Eurozone Nov. Flash CPI 1315 – US Nov. ADP Employment Change 1330 – US Fed’s Bowman (Voter) to speak 1445 – US Nov. Chicago PMI 1500 – US Oct. JOLTS Job Openings 1530 – US Weekly DoE Crude Oil and Product Inventories 1735 – US Fed’s Cook (Voter) to speak 1830 – US Fed Chair Powell to discuss Economic and Policy Outlook 1900 – US Fed’s Beige Book 0145 – China Nov. Caixin Manufacturing PMI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – November 30, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
RBA Governor Announces Major Changes at RBA Board as US Inflation Expected to Decline

Limiting The Availability Of Elon Musk's App In The App Store Could Be A Significant Blow For Twitter

Conotoxia Comments Conotoxia Comments 30.11.2022 15:16
Elon Musk wrote on the platform he owns: "Apple has mostly stopped advertising on Twitter. Do they hate free speech in America?" and "Apple has also threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store, but won't tell us why". In response to presenter Liz Wheeler's tweet, he in turn announced: "I certainly hope it doesn't come to that, but yes, if there is no other choice, I will make an alternative phone." What can Tesla afford to do? Elon Musk is famous for accomplishing things that seem impossible. From launching rockets into space that still return to earth on their own, to creating the Starlink internet, to buying Twitter shares for more than $40 billion. Wouldit now actually challenge the iPhone maker? Let's try to come down to earth and compare the capabilities of the billionaire Tesla's biggest company (Tesla) and Apple (Apple). There is no denying the tremendous growth rate of the electric car manufacturer. The company's revenue growth was 55.9% year-on-year and operating profit rose by 84% in the same period. The manufacturer's net margin now stands at 14.95%, with an average of 7.5%. - according to Statista. The company additionally has as much as US$21.1 billion in cash and cash equivalents to spend on research and development. However, it seems that producing another smartphone with its own system (independent of Apple or Google) would not happen overnight. Therefore, even if the decision had already been taken, we would have seen the results, as with electric cars, after a few years. It seems that investors have recently become pessimistic about the future of Tesla's shares, which have fallen by more than 55% since their peaks. Source: Conotoxia MT5, Tesla, Weekly Apple still with no official response The company of the smartphone manufacturer, among others, has not yet issued an official response. However, it seems that the action limiting the availability of Elon Musk's app in the App Store could be due to the company's policy regarding the quality of Twitter's verified content. Excluding the app from access to iPhone users and reducing advertising spend on that platform could be a significant blow. According to ad management firm Pathmatics, Apple was the top advertiser on Twitter in the first quarter of this year, spending around US$48 million on advertising here, which accounted for around 4% of the company's total revenue. Source: Conotoxia MT5, Apple, Weekly Apple is currently the world's highest valued company with a capitalisation of US$2.25 trillion. It also boasts satisfactory results. Revenues are up 8% year-on-year and operating profit is up 4.66%. The company appears to be leveraging its competitive advantage with a high net margin of 25.31%. Meanwhile, according to the Gurufocus platform, the average for the technology sector is 19.6%. An additional advantage for the manufacturer with the bitten apple symbol is USD 48.3 billion in cash and cash equivalents. Looking at the data presented, it seems that creating a new smartphone that enters mass production, maintains standards and gains global popularity may be even more challenging than producing an electric car. Therefore, it seems possible that the conflict would be resolved in the coming weeks. Otherwise, Twitter could be the biggest casualty. Grzegorz Dróżdż, Junior Market Analyst of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75,21% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Apple's overal sales decreased for the second quarter in a row, but iPhone sales turned out to be better than expected

Vodafone Shares Fell By 45%, Apple May Be Moving Production Outside Of China

Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 05.12.2022 14:57
As we all saw in 2022, supply chain issues and soaring inflation hurt many businesses. Many large retailers have reported weaker profits due to the current macroeconomic challenges. This makes it even harder to figure out how to invest your money. The problems listed above are mostly indirect problems for companies such as Vodafone and Apple. After 4 years, Vodafone changes its CEO. Nick Read will hold the role until the end of the year. The situation with Apple in China and what this means for Apple’s stock. Vodafone - The company has already started looking for a new president Vodafone Group plc is a British multinational telecommunications company. The situation of Vodafone (VOD.PL) is not too good. After Read took the position, the company's shares fell almost 50% (45% to be exact). Stocks are at their lowest in two decades, according to data. The company has already started looking for a new president, as the current one will remain in this position only until the end of the year. Vodafone is also considering a merge with Hutchinson Three. Read next: Gas: Volatility still remains high and colder weather over January and February could see the natural gas bulls come back into town says Luke Suddards| FXMAG.COM   Foxconn, the Chinese iPhone supplier, is having production issues Apple makes most of its devices in China. Recently, however, production is affected by many factors. Foxconn, the Chinese iPhone supplier, is having production issues. COVID-19 lockdowns in the area and employee-management dispute are major sources of problems. Analysts predict these production issues could lead to a 5% to 10% drop in production. Apple's situation is unique as the company relies on partner Foxconn Technology Group, a Taiwanese group that manages the facility to ensure that production runs as intended. If violent protests and lockdowns continue, production could be held back even more than expected. According to analysts and people in the Apple supply chain, after a year of events that have weakened China's status as a stable manufacturing hub, the shock means that Apple is no longer comfortable. Read next: The latest dollar selloff is a hint that the US dollar has certainly peaked this year, and next year will be, (...) , a year of softening for the greenback| FXMAG.COM The solution may be to move production to India. Analysts reported that by the end of 2022, Apple will transfer about 5% of the world's production of iPhone 14s there. Apple and China have spent decades bonding in a relationship that has so far been mostly mutually beneficial. Change won't come overnight. However, the transformation is already underway. In recent weeks, Apple Inc. accelerated plans to move some of its production outside of China, and to reduce reliance on Taiwanese assemblers led by Foxconn. With a market capitalization of $2.33 trillion, Apple is still the world's largest publicly traded company. They also have $169 billion of liquidity on their balance sheet, but all of these production issues are causing investors concern. Analysts noted how much Apple relied on iPhone sales, which accounted for 52% of revenue. Experts also point out that if Apple continues to rely heavily on suppliers in China, it could become vulnerable. As it became clear that manufacturing problems in China could pose a serious threat to supply, Apple shares began to fall. On December 2, Apple shares were down 18.79% year-to-date. Source: reuters.com, forbes.com, wsj.com
The Bank Of Canada Paused Rates Hiking, The ADP Employment Report Had A 242K Increase In Jobs

Bank Of Canada: Market Pricing Points Towards A Smaller 25bps Rate Hike

Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 07.12.2022 08:51
Summary:  Heightened fear about a higher-for-longer Fed tightening cycle, recession warnings from top U.S. bankers, and crude oil falling into new lows weighed on U.S. equities and saw bond yields lower. The momentum of China reopening trade seems to have somewhat exhausted despite more signs of easing Covid restrictions coming out from China. What’s happening in markets? S&P 500 (US500.I) pared all its gains since Powell’s Brookings Institution speech   Declining for the fourth day in a row, the S&P500 pared all its gains since Fed Chair Powell delivered a dovish-leaning speech at the Brookings Institution at the end of November. The solid average hourly earnings and the ISM Services Index data released since Powell’s speech have heightened once again concerns about more rate hikes to come. Two consecutive days of sharp falls in the crude oil price to USD74 weighed on energy stocks. Warnings about weakness in the U.S. economy from CEOs of Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, and JPMorgan Chase added fuel to the recession fear. S&P 500 dropped 1.4% and Nasdaq 100 tumbled 2% on Tuesday. All sectors except utilities within the S&P 500 declined, with energy, communication services, and information technology the biggest losers. Meta (META:xnas) tumbled 6.8& after reports saying the EU is targeting the company’s advertising business model. Apple (APPL:xnas) declined 2.5% as the company said it is scaling back its self-driving EV plans. NRG Energy (NRG:xnys) plunged 15.1% after the power plant operator announced to acquire  Vivint Smart Home. Textron (TXT:xnys) gained 5.3% on winning a helicopter contract from the U.S. Army. US treasury yields (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) lower as equities retreated As equities declined on the prospects of a higher-for-longer Fed tightening cycle after the recent strong U.S. data, treasuries were well bid with yields falling 2bps to 4bps across the yield curve on Tuesday. The buying came in particularly strongly on the 10-year and 30-year segments. Large curve flatter trades, mainly selling the 5-year versus buying the 10-year took place in the futures pit. The 2-year yield fell 2bps to 4.37% while the 10-year was 4bps richer at 3.53%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) pulled back on overseas market weakness; China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong stocks pulled back following overnight weakness in the U.S. market and renewed concerns about the Fed’s ability to downshift its pace of hiking interest rates after recent data indicating strength in wage inflation and business activities in the U.S. services sector. The China reopening trade has shown signs of exhaustion as market reactions to the announcement from Beijing to ease PCR test requirements were muted. Hang Seng Index edged down 0.4%. Tech stocks retreated. Hang Seng TECH Index lost 1.8%. Alibaba (09988:xhkg) dropped by 3% and Bilibili (09626:xhkg) plunged by 7%. Ping An Health and Technology pulled back after two days of strong advance, falling 8.9%. Leading EV names dropped by around 2%-6% as profit-taking emerged after recent rallies. Chinese property developers and Macao casino operators were among the top gainers. Logan (03380) soared 32%. In A-shares, CSI 300 gained 0.5%, with the consumer staple, technology, and consumer discretionary sectors outperforming. FX: EURUSD back below 1.05; USDJPY at 137 The US dollar maintained a slight bid tone on Tuesday even as a tech rout spread through equities and recession concerns were highlighted by several bank chiefs. There was little data of note, only October US trade seeing a wider deficit but still better-than-expected. EURUSD fell to sub-1.05 levels as ECB’s Lane said that the bulk of work has been done by the ECB and inflation peak may be near. President Lagarde speaks on Thursday, after which focus turns to the December meeting. Meanwhile USDJPY hovered around 137 with BoJ Governor Kuroda remaining dovish as he said that monetary easing will continue even if wages rise 3%. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) plummets to its lowest levels in 2022 Oil prices dipped to their lowest levels since the start of the year as concerns of weaker economic growth offset ongoing supply side issues. Equity markets are now starting to price in recession concerns, as seen from a negative reaction to last week’s ISM manufacturing. Yesterday, a number of bank chiefs hinted at recession possibilities, and there were also reports of further job cuts from the likes of Morgan Stanley and even consumer brands like PepsiCo. However, China reopening continues to gather pace but it will continue to be a slow exit from Zero Covid. The Energy Information Administration released its latest market outlook, with a contraction in US economic activity in Q2 2022 and Q1 2023 weighing on demand. It also raised its forecast for US supply to 12.34mb/d in 2023. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia also lowered oil prices for its crude into Asia and Europe, suggesting demand weakness concerns. Australia’s iron ore kings roar back to six-month highs; Australian economic growth data ahead The Australian benchmark index, the ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) opened 0.7% lower following Wall Street. However, as the iron ore price advanced, iron ore players are testing six-month highs; Fortescue Metals, Champion Iron, BHP, and RIO shares are all higher, testing new six-month highs. Metal companies such as BlueScope Steel and Sims are also higher. In terms of economic news out today, Australian economic growth is due to be released; expected to show an improvement in the gross domestic product (GPD) in the third quarter of 2022. GPD is expected to show growth rose from 3.6% YoY, to 6.3% YoY. We will be watching the Aussie dollar and how it reacts, which a knee-jerk rally up likely if growth is hotter than expected. Also, remember services are the biggest drivers of GPD in Australia; so watch travel stocks, such as Flight Centre, Corporate Travel Management, Webjet, Auckland International Airport, and Qantas. Also keep an eye on stocks affiliated with dining out such as Endeavour Group, Treasury Wine, and Metcash which owns Celebrations, IGA Liquor, and Bottle-O.   What to consider? Saxo’s Outrageous Predictions 2023 are now out! Saxo's ten Outrageous Predictions for 2023 are now out. The theme revolves around a War Economy, not just in military terms, but in economic, political, and social terms as well. Gone are the days when low interest rates could foster dreams of a harmonious world built on renewable energy, equality, and independent central banks. In 2023, world economies will shift into war economy mode, where sovereign economic gains and self-reliance trump globalisation. Some of the calls include Gold rocketing to $3000, the UK holding an UnBrexit referendum, or even a new reserve currency to replace the dollar. Remember, it’s not about being right. The predictions focus on a series of unlikely but underappreciated events which, if they were to occur, could send shockwaves across financial markets. The APAC strats team, together with our CIO Steen Jakobsen, will be hosting a webinar on December 14 to discuss these predictions. The signup link can be found here. Real wages shrank 2.6% Y/Y in Japan In October, the real cash earnings of Japanese workers declined 2.6% Y/Y (consensus -2.2%; Sep: -1.2% revised), the biggest fall in seven years. Nominal wages slowed to a growth of 1.8% Y/Y (consensus: 2.0%, Sep: 2.1%). Household spending growth slowed to 1.2% Y/Y in October from 2.3% in September. Beijing relaxed PCR test requirements Beijing, joining other cities, announced to lift the requirement for negative PCR test results when entering public venues or taking public transport. Australia’s central bank, the RBA says inflation will continue to cause more pain, validating its hiking path Australia’s central bank, the RBA increased the cash rate by 25bps in the eighth consecutive rate hike, taking the cash rate from 2.85% to 3.1% as expected. However, the RBA toed the line staying on a dovish path, saying the full effects of rates hikes since May have not been felt yet by the economy, while also declaring employment growth had slowed. As such the RBA said its path to achieving a soft landing is narrow, meaning it might be hard to avoid a recession. This also follows news out of Australia today that its current account fell into a deficit for the first time since 2019. The RBA warned it sees inflation increasing over the months ahead, particularly in wages. It conceded inflation is damaging the economy and making life more difficult for people, which traders took as an indication the bank won't pause rate hikes any time soon. China’s Xi is visiting Saudi Arabia from Dec 7 to 9 China President Xi Jinping is expected to fly to Saudi Arabia on Dec 7 to attend a China-Arab summit on Friday. Bank of Canada rate decision due today The Bank of Canada statement is due today and consensus expects another 50bps rate hike taking the overnight rate to 4.25%. However, market pricing points towards a smaller 25bps rate hike. The path of interest rates from here is also very cloudy, with a pause likely coming in early 2023. Therefore, any guidance on rate path will be key to watch for CAD which is lately getting hurt due to the lower oil prices. U.S. leading bank CEOs warned about the possibility of a U.S. recession Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, said in a CNBC interview that he saw the possibility of a “mild to hard recession” in the U.S. next year. Likewise, David Solomon, Chairman/CEO of Goldman Sachs, said there is a “very reasonable possibility” that the U.S. enters a recession in 2023. Bank of America’s CEO Brian Moynihan said consumer spending is slowing and the bank is slowing its hiring. EU is targeting Meta’s advertising business model EU privacy regulators are reportedly ruling that Meta, the owner of Facebook should not require Facebook users to agree to personalized ads based on their online activity. The move restraints Facebook’s ability to present targeted ads to users. Apple is postponing its self-driving EV launch to 2026 Apple is said to scale back its self-driving EV plans and is postponing the target launch date to 2026 due to technological hurdles in a self-driving EV without a steering wheel or pedals. Geely is taking its ride-hailing firm to do an IPO in Hong Kong Chinese auto maker Geely is said to be talking to investment banks for a Hong Kong IPO of its Cao Cao Mobility ride-hailing arm. The US and EU are weighing new tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminium According to Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter, the U.S. and European Union are considering new tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum products to reduce global overcapacity and  carbon emissions.   For our look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: Recession concerns hitting markets, WTI at year-lows – 7 December 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
Australia Is Expected To Produce A Bumper Year Of Crops

Australia Is Expected To Produce A Bumper Year Of Crops

Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 07.12.2022 09:50
Summary:  The US equity market rolled over further, with the S&P 500 index crossing back below the pivotal 4,000 level, completing the rejection of last week’s rally attempt. In Asia overnight, further signs that China will continue to lift Covid restrictions failed to buoy sentiment further, with weak November export data spooking sentiment at the margin. In commodities, the major crude oil grades dropped to new lows for the cycle on demand concerns.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures declined another 1.5% yesterday pushing briefly below the 100-day moving average before bouncing back above that average. In today’s session the 100-day moving average which sits around the 3,937 level is the important level to watch on the downside and if it breaks then the 3,900 is the next major area of gravitation. The US 10-year yield remains close to 3.5% adding no further pressure from the cost of capital side and in general the equity market is slowly transitioning into hibernation. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) After a lackluster morning session, Hong Kong and mainland China stocks rallied in the afternoon after investors took note of the no mention of dynamic zero-Covid and a more balanced tone towards economic growth in the readout of the politburo meeting. However, stocks pared their gains and more, with the Hang Seng Index and CSI300 Index reversing and losing 1% and 0.4% respectively as of writing. The Chinese health authorities announced 10 additional measures to further fine-tune its pandemic control strategy ... and are holding a press conference later in the afternoon. Separately, China’s exports in November declined 8.7% (in USD terms) in November from a year ago, weaker than expectations. Geely (00175:xhkg) rose more than 2% as the Chinese automaker is reportedly talking to investment banks for a Hong Kong IPO of its Cao Cao Mobility ride-hailing arm. USD stays bid on weak risk sentiment, BoJ comments overnight A weak session for risk sentiment yesterday helped support the greenback, with treasury yields trading sideways and therefore marginalized as a factor. One of the bigger movers overnight was USDJPY, which is challenging above the important 137.50 area (prior range low) this morning after BoJ board member Toyoaki Nakamura supported the BoJ’s current easy policy, noting that the elevated inflation in Japan in the recent cycle is not wage-driven. Nakamura expressed concern that policy tightening might prompt the return of deflation. Elsewhere, USDCAD is making a bid at establishing a new up-trend, AUDUSD has posted a bearish reversal, and EURUSD & GBPUSD still need more downside to suggest a similar reversal, while all USD traders are holding their collective breath for next Tuesday’s US November CPI print and the FOMC meeting the following day. Gold (XAUUSD) holds above support at $1765 despite dollar strength and weak risk sentiment Stronger than expected US services data on Monday has renewed pressure on the Fed ahead of next week’s FOMC meeting, and with ETF investors still side-lined, gold remains very dependent on movements in the dollar and yields, both of which have been providing some headwind this week. While lower energy prices may ease inflationary concerns, Friday’s US producer price report may provide the next round of price volatility. Key resistance at $1808 with support below $1765 at $1735. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOG3) suffering a three-day decline of close to 9% Brent closed below $80 on Tuesday for the first time since early January with WTI trading near $74on fading risk appetite as the attention turns to 2023 and increased worries about an economic slowdown hurting demand. The slump comes against a backdrop of low liquidity with Brent open interest falling to a seven-year low, thereby stoking volatility. After five months of cuts the EIA upgraded its 2023 production saying it could average a record 12.34m barrels per day. The API reported another big draw in crude oil stocks while China imported 11.42 million barrels per day last month, up 12% from October and highest since January. Overall, however, the market is undoubtedly going through a soft patch with time spreads softening as the spot price falls faster than prices further out the curve. US treasuries drop again, as safe-haven appeal comes and goes. (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) US treasury yields at the long end of the curve erased much of the previous day’s rise as risk sentiment was broadly weak yesterday, suggesting a safe-haven appeal. The 3.50% area remains the pivotal one for the 10-year benchmark yield. The 2-year US treasury yield was sideways, meaning that the 2-10 yield curve hit new cycle lows around –84 basis points. What is going on? EU to move forward with cases against China on trade policy at the WTO The first case is related to China restricting Lithuanian exports, a move that came after Lithuania allowed Taiwan to open what is arguably an embassy in the country. The other case revolves around Chinese treatment of patent holders. Apple set to postpone the roll-out of its first EV The company will postpone the launch of its first EV to 2026 (thought to be about a year later than originally intended), according to “people familiar” with the situation cited by Bloomberg. The original intention was for the EV to be fully autonomous, but the realization that this is an insurmountable engineering challenge for now has resulted in the redesign, which is now set to include human controls. TSMC plans to more than triple its investment to $40 billion in building plants in Arizona In an equipment installation ceremony at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC) first microchip production plant in the US, which President Biden attended, TSMC Chairman Mark Liu announced that the Taiwan chip foundry is building a second production plant that will make 3-nanometer chips in Arizona. The additional plant will bring TSMC’s previously announced investment of USD12 billion to USD40 billion. TSMC expects the second facility will begin operation by 2026. Also attending the ceremony were CEOs from Apple, Nvidia, AMD, Applied Materials, and Lam Research. The additional investment is a boost to President Biden’s plan to bring the semiconductor supply chain, in particular the capability to fabricate high-end chips, back to the U.S. CBOT Wheat (ZWH3) trades near a 14-month low Despite floods Australia is expected to produce a bumper year of crops including record wheat production in the current financial year, the government said on Tuesday, despite the impact of widespread flooding in the country's eastern region. An announcement that will pose even tougher conditions for US exporters already dealing with reduced competitiveness from the strong dollar and robust supplies from the Black Sea region. On Tuesday, the CBOT bellwether wheat contract dropped as low at $7.23 to the lowest level since October 2021. Focus on Friday’s WASDE report which will publish the US governments latest projections for production and stocks. Sugar prices likely to remain supported as India sees output drop 7% India, the world’s biggest producer and second largest exporter has said its output is likely to fall 7% this year as erratic weather conditions have cut cane fields. A reduction may, despite global economic growth concerns, lift prices and allow rivals Brazil and Thailand to increase their shipments. Sugar (SBH3) traded in New York recently surged higher by 17% before spending the past couple of weeks pairing back some of those strong gains. The biggest short-term risk remains the potential for speculators reducing exposure ahead of yearend. This following a three-week buying spree to November 22 during which time the net long increased four-fold to 202k lots, the strongest three-week period of buying in more than four years. Toll Brothers beat on margin and home sales The high-end US homebuilder delivered strong earnings yesterday with revenue at $3.7bn vs est. $3.2bn and EPS of $5.63 vs est. $3.96. The gross margin outlook for the current quarter came out at 27% vs 27% expected as pressures in building materials are easing. One negative trend for the homebuilder was the backlog which shrunk to 8,098 vs est. 8,814. Australia: Q3 GDP softer than expected, mining majors rally, then retreat Australian economic improved in the third quarter of 2022, but was weaker than expected at +0.6% QoQ and 5.9% YoY (vs. +0.7%/6.3% expected). The Australian market fell on the day, with mining companies Fortescue Metals, Champion Iron, BHP and RIO testing six-month highs before selling off later in the session. In other parts of the market, insurance companies continued to shine, as they traditionally do when interest rates are rising. QBE and IAG rose almost 2% today taking their YTD gains to over 14% each. China’s exports shrank 8.7% Y/Y in November In USD terms, China’s exports declined 8.7% Y/Y in November, much weaker than the -3.9% consensus estimate and -0.3% in October. The fall in exports was broad-based across destinations, U.S.  down 3.8% Y/Y, European Union down 9.3% Y/Y, and Japan down 4.6%. Exports to ASEAN slowed to a 7.7% growth in November from 19.7% in October. Imports, falling by 10.6% Y/Y, also below expectations. What are we watching next? Bank of Canada meeting today – market divided on anticipated hike size The Bank of Canada has shown considerable flexibility in its tightening path, having hiked 100 basis points in one go back in July, followed by a 75-basis point hike in September and 50-basis points hike in October. With that pattern in mind, the market is divided on whether the BoC will hike 50- or 25 basis points today, with market-pricing leaning for the smaller hike, while the majority of surveyed analysts are looking for another 50 basis points, which would take the policy rate to 4.25%. Regardless, the market is pricing that the Bank of Canada is nearing the end of its hiking cycle, projecting a peak rate next year of sub-4.50%. China opening up trade – has it run out of steam? The latest news in China of a further easing of curbs on activity relative to Covid saw equities in Hong Kong and mainland China posting marginal new highs before rolling over badly and then closing near the lows of the session, suggesting that after a torrid 35% rally off the lows, in the case of the Hang Seng Index, the further potential for this story to continue to support a positive outlook may have run out of steam. The highs overnight in the Hang Seng were within a few points of the 200-day moving average. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is Campbell Soup which is an US processed food manufacturer of meals and snacks. The company is expected to deliver 9.5% revenue growth for the quarter that ended in October suggesting substitution effects as middle income families are shifting into lower priced options. Today:  Brown Forman, Campbell Soup, GameStop Thursday: Broadcom, Costco, Lululemon, Chewy Friday: Oracle Corp, Li Auto Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1500 – Canada Bank of Canada meeting 1530 – EIA's Weekly Crude oil and Fuel Stock Report 2000 – US Oct. Consumer Credit 2130 – Brazil Selic Rate Announcement 0001 – UK Nov. RICS House Price Balance 0030 – Australia Oct. Trade Balance Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – December 7, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
Unlocking the Future: Key UK Wage Data and September BoE Rate Hike Prospects

Buying In China Tech And In Airlines Shares Picked Up

Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 09.12.2022 09:05
Summary:  In today’s five minute video we bring you up to speed with what traders and investors in Australia at Saxo, have been doing this week. It reflects the two major drives of markets, higher for longer interest rates in US and a potential recession. On the other side, some clients are somewhat excited about China’s major cities easing restrictions, and dangling the carrot to ease further. We explore if upside is sustainable in metals, such as iron ore and why buying is picking up in the US dollar, with the USD index seeing its strongest gain in 12 weeks.   Investors and traders are bunkering into the theme of higher for longer interest rates in the US, and a potential recession This is the major theme that's driving markets and pushed global equities lowers this week. So we’ve been seeing profit taking, a little more selling and options put on tech companies, including Tesla, Google, and Apple  - more so than the last few weeks. And buying of the US dollar picked up again; with the DXY set for its biggest gain in 12 weeks, ahead of US CPI next week and the final Fed decision for 2022. There is pent up investor demand for investing in China’s reopening theme This is the second major driver of markets of late. It comes as five major cities have eased restrictions and dangled the carrot to ease further. As well as potentially scrapping mask wearing.  Commodities buying picked up on the platform at Saxo, given there are hopes for China to fast track economic growth next year. Buying in lithium stocks;  Pilbara Minerals, Allkem picked up  Buying in Fortescue Metals also picked up. This is because the commodity Fortescue makes 90% of its revenue from, iron ore (SCOA) the key steel making ingredient, rose 3.6% this week, taking its gain from the October low to 44%, with the price of the iron ore hitting $110.20, a new four month high. The price of iron ore has been rallying as China is easing restrictions and today the market heard whispers that Chinese property developers will get more support, which would support demand for iron ore rising. However it looks like buying volume in iron ore slowed for now. So perhaps until we see more concrete announcements or further easing of restrictions, iron ore and iron ore miners could maybe see a bit of profit or buying fade next week, especially as iron ore stocks were this weeks best performers. Once we get more hopes, the iron ore price might be supported higher along with upside in iron ore majors shares; Fortescue Metals, Champion Iron, BHP and Rio. Also, next week, iron ore majors may see share price upgrades from buy and sell side brokers. Buying in China Tech picked up;  given there are favourable interest rates in China, pent up demand, and restriction are easing. As such buying in Alibaba picked up.  In energy markets, buying in coal stocks picked up; with Whitehaven Coal buy orders rising.  And lastly, buying in airlines shares picked up as well. Especially in those air companies that travel in and out of Hong Kong, Such as Cathay Pacific. Qantas also saw increased buys.     For a weekly look at what to watch in markets - tune into our Spotlight.For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Video: What traders and investors have been buying amid recession concerns versus China easing restrictions | Saxo Group (home.saxo)      
US Inflation Slows as Spending Stalls: Glimmers of Hope for Economic Outlook

Headwinds Are Mounting For Tesla As EV Demand Is Coming Down In China | Risk Sentiment Rushed Higher

Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 14.12.2022 08:57
Summary:  Risk sentiment rushed higher on the soft US November CPI data yesterday, although sentiment rapidly turned more cautious as traders recognize the risk that the Fed may be less willing to react as quickly to signs of easing inflation as the market in today’s FOMC meeting, which will refresh the Fed’s latest economic projections and the “dot plot” of projected Fed rates for coming years. Four G10 central bank meetings follow tomorrow, including the BoE and ECB.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) The US November CPI report was exactly what the market was hoping for, sending S&P 500 futures on a rally to the 4,180 level before being sold off declining 3% from the high to the close. This rejection indicates that the market is doubting itself despite the lower US core inflation print. A weak session by Tesla suggests that while inflation fears might be disappearing growth fears will begin to take hold instead posing a new threat to the equity market. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and Chinese stocks edged up higher. The news about a delay in China’s central economic work conference due to a surge in Covid inflections in Beijing. Investors are encouraged by signs that the Chinese authorities are not reversing course despite outbreaks after the easing of restrictions. China will stop reporting infections without symptoms as mandatory testing has been dropped. Hang Seng Index climbed 0.7%, led by technology names. Chinese educational services providers were among the top gainers. In A-shares, CSI 300 gained 0.3%, with tourism, lodging, Chinese liquor, and semiconductor outperforming. FX: USD dumped after another soft CPI print The US dollar sold off on Tuesday on the softer November CPI print in the US taking US treasury yields sharply lower. AUDUSD pared some of the gains in early Asian trade and slid below 0.6840 amid concerns on China’s Covid cases ramping up further which also led to the postponement of the Central Economic Work Conference. USDJPY took a brief look below 135 after the CPI release but some of the move was erased later. EURUSD surged to 1.0673 and remains supported above 1.0620 ahead of the FOMC meeting today and ECB meeting tomorrow. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOG3) pauses ahead of FOMC Crude oil trades softer ahead of FOMC after rallying 6% over the previous two sessions, driven by an improved risk appetite following Tuesday's CPI print and encouraging signs from China where easing restrictions eventually will boost demand. The rally however slowed after the API reported a 7.8 million barrel rise in crude inventories versus expectations for a +3 million barrel draw from EIA later, and OPEC urged caution as it cut its Q1 23 oil demand forecast. The IEA will publish its monthly report later today. Goldman cut its Q1 price forecast by $20 to $90/bbl siting weak demand while saying “The structural oil cycle has taken a pause this year”. Apart from IEA, also focus on a potential Russian response to the price cap and not least today’s FOMC result. Gold (XAUUSD), silver (XAGUSD) and copper (HGH3) all rallied strongly following the lower-than-expected US CPI print Gold closed at its highest level since July above $1808 while silver reached an 8-month high above $24. The recovery in silver has been impressive with the market only requiring 15 weeks to recover half of what it lost during an 82-week period from Feb 2021 to Sept this year. Copper meanwhile briefly traded above its 200-day moving at $3.913/lb before finding stiff resistance ahead of the $4/lb area. All metals finding support from a weaker dollar and lower bond yields on signs that the worst inflation has likely passes, suggesting the Fed could further slow the pace of rate hikes next year. US 10-year treasury benchmark rebounds further (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) Immediately after the release of the soft CPI data which increased the chance of further downshift to a 25bp hike instead of 50bps in February, the whole yield curve shifted down with the 2-year at one point shedding 24bps to 4.13% and the 10-year 20bps richer to as low as 3.41%. The money market curve now prices the terminal rate at around 4.82% in 2023, down from 4.98%. The long-end however did not manage to keep their gains after some large block selling in the 10-year contracts and a weak 30-year auction. The 10-year gave back nearly half of the gain to close the session 11bps richer at 3.50%. The 2-10-year curve steepened to 72bps. The yield on the 30-year long bonds finished the day only down 4bps at 3.53%. What is going on? Another softer US CPI print The November CPI report was cooler-than-expected across the board, highlighted by the headline cooling to 7.1% from 7.7% (exp. 7.3%), with a M/M gain of 0.1%, slowing from the prior 0.4% and beneath the expected 0.3%. Core metrics saw Y/Y print 6.0% vs 6.3% prior and beneath the 6.1% expectation, while the M/M saw a 0.2% gain, lower than the prior and expected 0.3%. The market pricing has shifted towards a 25-bp rate hike from the Fed for February after we are nearly certain to get a 50bp hike today, while the terminal rate forecast has drifted lower to 4.82%. If we dig into the details, the disinflation is clearly driven by goods and energy, while services prices continue to rise further. This means wage pressures will continue and provides room for the Fed to continue to beat the drum on rates being higher-for-longer. Tesla shares down another 4% Headwinds are mounting for Tesla as EV demand is coming down in China and VW CEO said yesterday that EV sales in Europe is slowing down due to high price points and elevated electricity prices. Tesla shares closed just above the $160 level, which is just below the 200-day moving average at $164, the lowest levels since November 2020. High battery materials prices are also weighing on the outlook for EV makers. Finally, CEO Elon Musk’s endeavour at Twitter is potentially pressuring Tesla shares as he might be forced to put up Tesla shares as collateral for refinanced Twitter debt. Inditex Q3 results in line with estimates The European fast fashion retailer has delivered nine-months results (ending in October) with revenue at €23.1bn and EBIT at €4.2bn in line with estimates. Apple to allow alternative App Stores on its devices This move is a response to new European Union requirements under the Digital Markets Act that are set to go in effect in 2024. The move will initially only apply to the European market unless regulators elsewhere make similar moves. This will allow app developers to avoid paying Apple up to 30% of revenues for payments made through Apple’s app store. Several large app makers’ shares, including those for streaming service Spotify and dating services app Match group jumped on the news. New Zealand forecasts a recession starting Q2 2023 New Zealand Treasury Department issued 2022 half-year economic and fiscal update, forecasting three quarters of negative GDP growth from Q2 2023. Overall, the forecast calls for 0.8% contraction in 2023. Still, comments from RBNZ this morning suggested inflation focus will continue to drive more rate hikes, even as spending slows and unemployment levels increase as more people join the workforce over the coming year, partially helped by improving migration levels. Bank of Japan’s Tankan survey shows weakening business sentiment Sentiment among Japan's large manufacturers deteriorated slightly in the three months to December amid concerns over the global economic slowdown. The main index for sentiment among large manufacturers was +7, compared with +8 in Q3, according to the Bank of Japan's quarterly Tankan survey. Non-manufacturers still took a more positive view as the economic reopening gathered momentum, and large non-manufacturer index rose to 19 in Q4 from 17 previously. US places 30 additional Chinese companies on Entity List, a trade blacklist The companies included Yangtze Memory Technologies, China’s top memory chip producer and others and will prevent them from purchasing selected American components. This expands the original Entity List of companies that were blacklisted back in October for their connection with China’s military. What are we watching next? December FOMC and dot plot may have little new to offer, so focus remains on Powell’s press conference The Fed is expected to lift its Federal Funds Rate target by 50bps to 4.25-4.50%, according to the consensus as well as the general commentary from Fed officials signalling a downshift in the pace of rate hikes. The updated economic projections will also be released, as will the latest “dot plot” projections of the Fed policy rate, which are expected to show a median terminal rate that is higher than the September projections (4.6%, with the market currently projecting 4.32%), as has been alluded to by Chair Powell at the November FOMC and in remarks made in December. Easing financial conditions and an anticipated China stimulus could see the Fed Chair Powell remaining in hawkish mode, so Powell’s press conference remains key to watch. There will have to be a lot of focus on pushing back against the market’s anticipation that the Fed will be trimming rates by Q4 of next year, emphasising that the Fed will not ease prematurely if Powell and committee want to avoid further easing of financial conditions. Four more central bank meetings tomorrow The Swiss National Bank, Norway’s Norges Bank, Bank of England and the European Central Bank will all meet tomorrow, with the Norges Bank expected to hike 25 basis points and the three others expected to hike 50 basis points.  Markets will look for the relative degree to which the central banks signal that they are ready to declare at least a pause in the hiking cycle soon. The Norges Bank has hinted that it sees its tightening cycle near an end and the BoE has said that the peak rate will likely prove lower than the market was forecasting around the time of its last meeting. With the late dollar weakness, a dovish shift is more likely. Earnings to watch Inditex has reported its Q3 results in early European hours (see review above) which extends today’s earnings focus to the US session where our focus will be on Lennar, a US homebuilder. Lennar is expected to show 20% revenue growth y/y in its FY22 Q4 period (ending November), which is expected to decline to 5% y/y in FY23 Q1 (ending February). Today: Lennar, Trip.com, Nordson, Inditex Thursday: Adobe Friday: Accenture, Darden Restaurants Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – IEA's Monthly Oil Market Report 1000 – Euro Zone Oct. Industrial Production 1330 – Canada Oct. Manufacturing Sales 1530 – EIA's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 1900 – US FOMC Meeting 1930 – US Fed Chair Powell Press Conference 2145 – New Zealand Q3 GDP 0030 – Australia Nov. Employment Change / Unemployment Rate 0120 – China Rate Decision 0200 – China Nov. Retail Sales 0200 – China Nov. Industrial Production Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – December 14, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
Analysis Of Tesla: A Temporary Corrective Rally Should Not Come As A Surprise

Saxo Bank Podcast: Look At Tesla Posting New Cycle Lows, Equity Market Upside Fading Quickly And More

Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 14.12.2022 13:06
Summary:  Today we look at yesterday's reaction to the softer than expected US November CPI data, with equity market upside fading quickly even as the reaction in US yields and the US dollar was stickier. We also discuss today's upcoming FOMC meeting, with the Fed facing a tough task if it wants to push back against easing market conditions and policy expectations today. We also look at Tesla posting new cycle lows and concerns for the stock and EV market, Apple, Inditex, crude oil, precious metals, and more. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole S Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: Podcast: FOMC will have a hard time moving the needle today | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
The Crude Oil Market Situation Is Stable Despite Russia's Production Cuts

Russia Responded To The Europeans' Price Cap, China Reopening Story Is Not All Rosy!

Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 28.12.2022 10:24
Yesterday, Russia finally responded to the EU’s price cap on its oil exports, saying that they will simply stop exporting their oil to parties that ‘directly or indirectly use the mechanism of setting a price cap’. Crude Oil The latter announcement gave a minor boost to crude oil yesterday, but the barrel of American crude remained offered into the 50-DMA, near $81.60pb, and the price is back below the $80pb this morning. BUT, an eventual decrease in Russian oil supply gives support to the oil bulls’ in the medium run, along with other factors as China reopening and cold winter in America. China reopening news IMPORTANT to note: If the Chinese reopening story is positive for oil and commodity prices - and for the massively battered Chinese stocks, it’s bad news for global inflation. This is why we don’t see the US stocks gain on China reopening news, but we rather see them under a decent pressure, as the surge in Chinese demand will certainly boost inflation through higher energy and commodity prices. Inflation And in response to higher inflation, the central banks will continue hiking rates. As a result, the sovereign bond yields are higher, the stocks are lower, while the US dollar is mixed. Apple And Tesla Apple is down to lowest levels since summer 2021, and Tesla’s deep dive deepens by the day. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:44 Russians won't sell oil to parties involved in price cap 3:32 China reopening story is not all rosy! 6:03 Bitcoin hash rate rings alarm bell 7:30 Tesla races to the bottom Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Russia #oil #ban #China #Covid #reopening #crudeoil #rally #inflation #expectations #USD #EUR #AUD #XAU #Bitcoin #Apple #Amazon #Tesla #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH  
US Inflation Slows as Spending Stalls: Glimmers of Hope for Economic Outlook

Leading Used Tesla Prices Fall Faster Than The Market

Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 28.12.2022 11:31
The electric car market is mainly associated with Tesla, its situation is also observed by investors. The stock markets are still attracting new investors, the current year is coming to an end, so it is worth checking what should be confessed to this market in 2023. In this article: US Treasury yields fell Morningstar look at stocks market Tesla news US Treasury yields fell Investors are bracing themselves for the potential pressures of a recession, persistent inflation and what this could mean for Federal Reserve policy, especially with regard to interest rates, in 2023. They will be scouring the latest economic data releases this year for clues. Many investors are hoping the data will signal an easing of inflationary pressures, as it would suggest the Fed may slow down further or stop rate hikes altogether. These factors affect the market situation of bonds. US Treasury yields fell on Wednesday as investors became concerned about economic growth and the direction of monetary policy for 2023. Treasury yields slip as investors gauge 2023 Fed policy https://t.co/uR6xgrxlPy — CNBC (@CNBC) December 28, 2022 Read next: The Crisis Of The Semiconductor Industry, Chip Inventory Levels Are Well Above Our Target Level| FXMAG.COM Morningstar look at stocks market The new year is getting closer. Everyone prepares as best they can to start it in the best possible way, makes plans. The stock market is under the watch of Morningstar analysts. How it presented itself this year and what it is heading for in 2023 is detailed in the following tweet. Early in the year, Morningstar analysts deemed many of the stocks they cover to be overvalued. But after the broad market has fallen more than 20 percent since the start of the year, analysts believe valuations have moved too far in the opposite direction. Over the last 20 years, Morningstar analysts found that US stocks were undervalued only 10 different times, or about 36% of the time. According to Morningstar, among the most underrated industries today are online content and information, including stocks like Alphabet (GOOGL), Google's parent company, and Meta Platforms (META), Facebook's parent company. Where are stocks looking cheap or expensive as we head into 2023?Here are 7 charts detailing our analysts' latest stock market valuations: https://t.co/UZMK7Ygufy pic.twitter.com/uUsnYGWKZI — Morningstar, Inc. (@MorningstarInc) December 28, 2022 Tesla Tesla is the most popular manufacturer of electric cars. Sales have increased in recent years, but many factors affect car prices. Fuel prices are easing, interest rates are rising, Tesla output is increasing, and EV competition is growing, all of which have implications for the price of used Teslas. Soaring gasoline prices as a result of the war in Ukraine have boosted demand for the Tesla, one of the few long-range electric vehicles on the market. Buyers of some new Teslas took advantage of the booming market to sell their relatively new cars at a profit and then order new ones, fueling the demand for new Tesla cars. Used Tesla prices are falling faster than those of other automakers, and clean energy status symbols languish in dealerships longer, according to the information. WATCH: Fuel prices are easing, interest rates are rising, Tesla output is increasing, and EV competition is growing, leading used Tesla prices to fall faster than the market. It's creating a cascading effect on new Tesla prices https://t.co/jCLZphpcRX pic.twitter.com/ZgXRr3d2Fc — Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) December 28, 2022
The Current War Between China And The United States Over Semiconductor Chips Is Gaining Momentum

Concerns Among Investors About The Demand Outlook For The Products Of Apple

Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 04.01.2023 08:57
Summary:  The share price of Tesla plunged 12% following releasing weak deliveries in December. Apple’s market value fell below US2 trillion for the first time since March 2021 on weakening demand for its MacBooks, the Apple Watch and Airpods. The USD bounced by 1% against EUR and GBP. Crude oil slid by 4% on higher OPEC daily production. On Wednesday, all eyes are on the US ISM Manufacturing Index, JOLTS job openings, and the December Fed minutes. What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) slid with significant weakness in Apple and Tesla U.S. equities started the year weaker on Tuesday. S&P 500 slid 0.4% and Nasdaq 100 lost 0.8%. Energy, plunging 3.6% on a 4% decline in crude oil, was the worst-performing sector within the S&P 500 Index. Communication Services, up 1.4%, advanced the most, with Meta (META:xnas) up 3.7% and Alphabet (GOOGL:xnas) up 1.1%. Nasdaq 100 was dragged down particularly hard by the declines in the share prices of Apple (AAPL:xnas) which accounts for 13% index weighting and Tesla (TSLA:xnas) which accounts for 2.5% index weighting. Tesla fell by 12.3% after releasing weak December delivery data. Apple slid 3.4% on a Nikkei report suggesting potential weak demand for the company’s products, taking the company’s market value down below USD2 trillion, the first time since March 2021. Apple accounted for 13% in Nasdaq 100 weighting. Tesla plunged 12.3% on weak December deliveries Tesla announced Q4 deliveries of 405.3K coming short of the estimate at 420.8K and significantly below the 439.7K units produced in Q4. In this article, Peter Garnry suggests that Telsa is facing problems of elevated battery costs that forced the EV maker to raise prices and excessive electricity costs in Europe that weighs on demand. Some demand in the U.S. in Q4 might have been pushed into Q1 2023 by the EV purchase tax credit in the Inflation Reduction Act. The share price of Tesla plunged 12.3% on Tuesday, its largest decline by percentage since September 2020. Apple fell by 3.4% on reportedly weakening demand for its MacBooks, the Apple Watch and Airpods A Nikkei article reported that “Apple has notified several suppliers to build fewer components for Airpods, the Apple Watch and MacBooks for the first quarter, citing weakening demand”. The article stirred up concerns among investors about the demand outlook for the products of the consumer electronics giant. US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) rallied with yields on the 10-year 14bps richer to 3.74% Bids returned to Treasuries as German Bunds jumped in price following German CPI coming in softer than expectations.  Yields on 10-year German bunds fell by 6bps on Tuesday and by 18 bps since the New Year. On the tape, former Fed Chair Aland Greenspan and former New York Fed President Bill Dudley said a not-too-severe U.S. recession was the most likely outcome. The 10-year segment led the rally, with yields 14bps richer to 3.74%. Yields on the 2-year fell by 6bps to 4.37%. The corporate issuance calendar was busy with 19 investment grade bonds for a total of over 30 billion issued on Tuesday. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) On its first day of trading in 2023, Hang Seng Index opened lower but rallied to post a 1.8% gain. Hang Seng TECH Index (HSTECH.I) climbed 1.9%. Chinese telco, consumer, electricity utilities, pharmaceuticals, autos, and Macao casino operators led the charge higher. It is widely expected that the border between the mainland and Hong Kong will be reopened as soon as January 8, 2023. In addition, a rebound in mobility data in some large Chinese cities, such as Guangzhou, Chongqing, Shanghai, and Beijing helped market sentiment. Investors brushed off the weak December NBS PMI reports released during the holiday and the Caixin PMI on Tuesday and the seemingly inevitable surge and spread of Covid inflections during the initial stage of relaxation of pandemic containment in China to focus on the improved economic outlook in mainland China and Hong Kong for 2023. Southbound flows into Hong Kong amounted to a decent HKD4.25 billion, of which buying in Tencent (00700:xhkg) accounted for HKD1.58 billion. Following the release of strong December sales, BYD rose by 4.7%, Li Auto by 10.5%, and Xpeng by 7.8%.  China’s CSI 300 Index gained 0.4%, with computing, communication, media, and defense names gaining the most. FX: the dollar gained 1% versus EUR and GBP As Saxo’s Head of FX Strategy, John Hardy, put it in his note, USD wakes up with a bang ass US market come back on line. Softer CPI prints from Germany triggered selling in the Euro and saw EURUSD down 1%. The pound sterling also slid 1% versus the dollar. The Yen held on relatively well, after briefly strengthening to 129.52, finished the day little changed at around 131. Crude oil fell nearly 4% on higher OPEC production WTI crude fell 3.9% on Tuesday following production by OPEC countries increased by 150,000 barrels to 29.14 million barrels a day, partly due to higher output from Nigeria. The warmer-than-normal weather in the U.S. and Europe also weighed on the market sentiment. What to consider? German December CPI softer than expectations Germany released headline CPI at 8.6% Y/Y below the street estimate of 9.0%Y/Y and November’s 10.0%. Germany’s EU Harmonized CPI came in at 9.6% Y/Y, falling from the 10.2% expected and 11.3% in November. U.S. ISM Manufacturing Index, JOLTS Job openings, and the December FOMC minutes to focus on Wednesday We have a busy economic calendar in the U.S. on Wednesday. The ISM Manufacturing Index is generally considered by investors as one of the key indicators in the recession question. The Bloomberg consensus estimate is calling for a further decline into the contractionary territory to 48.5 in December from 49.0 in November. JOTLS job openings (consensus 10.05 million; Nov 10.33 million) will also be closely monitored as the data series was highlighted by Fed Chair Powell almost every time in his assessment of the state of the labor market and monetary policies. Finally, at 2pm US EST, we will have the minutes from the Fed’s December FOMC meeting. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: – Apple and Tesla plunged; ISM, JOLTS, and Fed minutes the focus on Wednesday - 4 January 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
OPEC+ Meeting: Saudi Arabia Implements Deeper Voluntary Cuts to Boost Oil Prices

The Oil Market Is Showing A Strong Local Drop In Prices

InstaForex Analysis InstaForex Analysis 04.01.2023 11:32
Problems of tech companies in the US appeared again, causing the local market to fall. Similarly, the European market fell because right after a significant increase, shares of TESLA and APPLE collapsed by more than 14% and 4% respectively, resulting in a negative closing of stock indices. This shattered all hopes of a rise in demand for equities, which had been expected at the start of the new year. The forex market could not stay away from the situation of the stock market either as dollar began to rise before the opening of the US trading session. The driver was the growing expectations of lower inflation in Europe, which was influenced by the CPI data from Germany. This increased the likelihood that other global central banks will follow the Fed in taking a pause in raising interest rates. The oil market also came under pressure, showing a strong local drop in prices. Most likely, the negative sentiment will continue if the minutes of the December Fed meeting, which is due out today, do not hint at a pause in rate hikes in the 1st quarter of the new fiscal year. The labor market data not showing a slowdown in growth will give a similar effect. The turning point could be the upcoming US consumer inflation figures as markets will surely shift from bearish to bullish once the data shows a slowdown. This could be accompanied by a marked weakening of dollar. Many remain optimistic on a global reversal in markets. Forecasts for today: USD/JPY The pair is trading below 131.40. If market sentiment improves today, there will be a local recovery towards 132.50. AUD/USD The pair is trading below 0.6825. Again, if the situation in the markets stabilizes and investor sentiment improves, the pair will rise above 0.6825 and surge to 0.6900 Relevance up to 06:00 2023-01-06 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/331411
The German Purchasing Managers' Index, ZEW Economic Sentiment  And More Ahead

European Investors Got An Energy Boost From Lower Inflation Reads

Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 04.01.2023 12:59
European investors got an energy boost from lower inflation reads, and the falling nat gas futures, but US investors didn’t follow up on the cheery market mood. However, US sovereign bonds gained yesterday as an indication that the latest market moves were backed by recession fears, rather than hawkish Federal Reserve (Fed) expectations… The risk-off investors will likely continue And if the first trading day of the year is any indication, we could see the holy negative correlation between stocks and bonds come back in 2023. This is what many investors think will happen. The risk-off investors will likely continue exiting stocks on profit recession – and not on hawkish Fed expectations, and they could go back to bonds and to gold instead. US economy Due today, the ISM manufacturing index will reveal if and how fast US manufacturing contracted last month. If yesterday’s PMI is any hint, we could see a fastening contraction in ISM manufacturing, which would then boost recession worries, hit the stocks, but not necessarily the bonds and gold. Also, JOLTS data will show if, and by how much the US job openings fell in November. Read next: Exxon And Chevron Abandon The Global Market And Focus On The Americas| FXMAG.COM But regardless of the ISM data, and the US job openings, the FOMC minutes will likely confirm that the Fed remains serious about further tightening policy, even if it slows the pace of interest rate hikes. Remember, if the Fed decided to go slower on its rate hikes, it’s to be able to go higher! And the more resilient the US economy and the US jobs market, the more eager the Fed will be to continue its journey north… Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:35 European stocks rally but… 3:04 US stocks fall, as bonds rise… 4:08 … hinting at the eventual return of negative correlation btw stocks and bonds? 5:51 …from which Gold could also benefit? 6:30 What to watch today? 7:38 Oh Tesla, Apple and Exxon… 9:06 Do you dare going back to Chinese stocks? Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Stock #bond #correlation #USD #EUR #JPY #XAU #economic #data #recession #pricing #Tesla #Apple #Exxon #crude #oil #DAX #CAC #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH
Commodity: The World's Two Biggest Commodity Consuming Nations, Both Delivered Price Softening News

Aluminium, Copper And Iron Ore Rose To New Highs, The EUR/USD Pair Broke Above 1.0760

Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 12.01.2023 09:32
Summary:  US stocks rallied as yields fell ahead of the CPI release later today where a softer reading is widely expected. Key to watch in the inflation release will be the services ex-housing print, and significant volatility can be expected due to large hedging flows. Oil prices higher despite inventory builds. Meanwhile, the metals space continues to run hot amid positive sentiment from China’s reopening and policy stimulus, with Aluminum, Iron Ore and Copper all rising to fresh highs. Gold also held onto its recent gains, but could be ripe for a temporary correction with CPI on the radar.   What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) rallied on lower bond yields, short covering, and optimism of upcoming CPI data potentially soft With relatively quiet corporate headlines, S&P 500 gained 1.3% and Nasdaq 100 advanced 1.8% as bond yields slid. The interest rate-sensitive real estate sector, up 3.6%, was the top winner within the S&P 500 Index, followed by consumer discretionary and information technology. Traders notably covered some of their shorts ahead of today’s CPI as the most-shorted names were among the best performers on Wednesday. The Nasdaq 100 closed above its 50 day moving average. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 (US500.I) rose for the second day and closed at the high of the day. Tesla and Amazon shares trade at key levels; but caution is thick in the air Indeed these were some of the standouts share on Wednesday with Tesla shares up 3.7% after failing to move above a key resistance level. It appears there is some skepticism about the rally as Tesla is selling less EVs than its making and is cutting prices in China. Amazon meanwhile, gained 5.8%, closing near its high of the day and around 15% up from its low last Friday, and moved further above its 50-day moving average. These are positive signs. US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) rallied on dovish ECB comments, strong 10-year auction U.S. Treasuries were well bid through European hours in tandem with German bunds which rallied on dovish remarks from a typically hawkish Holzmann, an ECB Governing Council member. Treasuries held on to their gains and traded sideways for the most part of the New York session before rallying further with yields on the long-end falling further on a strong 10-year note auction. Yields on the 10-year were 8bps richer to 3.54%. Yields on the 2-year were off by 3bps to 4.22, bringing the 2-10-year curve 5bps more inverted to -68. Boston Fed’s Collins (non-voter) said she would “lean at this stage to 25 [basis point hike], but it’s very data-dependent.” Traders’ focus is now on the CPI data scheduled to release today. What to watch in Australia and Asia: Oil rises for 5th day, Iron ore clears $120, copper rises to six month high entering a bull market The Australian share market (ASXSP200.I) rose 1% in early trade, with Hong Kong’s market futures in the positive, as well as Japan’s futures. A major focus will be on resources, with the oil price jumping 3% to $77.41, as well as focus on industrial metal equites, that will likely rally again on optimism of China’s reopening, which has pushed some commodities into bull markets. The Copper price rose to $4.18 on the Comex market, rising 2.5% in New York, taking its rally of its July 2022 low to 29%. With copper at $9000 per tonne for the first time since June, Goldman thinks it could hit $11,500 by year-end. Copper remains Saxo’s preferred metal for its use in electrification and urbanisation (for more click here). Popular copper equities include BHP, Oz Minerals, Rio Tinto. Meanwhile, iron ore (SCOA) cleared $120 for the first time in 6-months, with the iron ore price up 54% from its October low. BHP is trading at its highest level in history. It makes 48.7% of its revenue from iron ore, 26.7% from copper and the remainder from coal. It has a PE of 8 times earnings, and a dividend yield of 13.8%. Rio Tinto also trades near its all-time high and it’s also involved in the key metals mention too; making 58% of its revenue from iron ore, 11% from copper, and the rest from aluminum and others. Rio’s PE is 6.8 times earnings, its dividend yield is 8.6%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) pared gains after making a 6-month high After having taken out the top of trading range resistance and making a six-month new high, Hang Seng Index pared most of the gains to finish the Wednesday session up only 0.5%. Alibaba (09988:xhkg) gained 3.1% on the news report that the eCommerce platform giant entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with the municipal government of Hangzhou and a People’s Daily article sounded complimentary to the Ant Group. Air China (00753:xhkg) dropped by 1.2% and China Southern Airlines (01055:xhkg) shed 1.5% following China suspended issuing visas to visitors from South Korea and Japan. EV names gained even though the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) dismissed the speculation on the relaxation of licensing restrictions in Beijing. EV maker BYD (01211:xhkg) and coal miner China Shenhua Energy (01088:xhkg), each rising around 4.7%, were the two top winners within the Hang Seng Index. Mainland China’s CSI300 was down 0.2%. Stocks in coal mining, oil and gas exploration, and development industries gained. FX: USDJPY drops below 132 on possible BOJ action next week The USD was range-bound on Wednesday as it awaited the key US CPI release, despite a drop in yields taking the 10-year yields closer to 3.50% support once again. Fed member Susan Collins, although a non-voter, she is leaning towards a 25bps hike at the February 1st meeting although the data will help guide her decision, adding further dovish hints in the day. However she still favoured rates above 5% and a pause thereafter throughout 2023. EURUSD broke above 1.0760 and EURCHF rose above parity for the first time since July. ECB’s De Cos said he sees “significant” rate hikes at the upcoming meetings. USDJPY saw a big move lower in the Asian morning to drop below 132 from highs of 132.88 yesterday with expectations of BOJ likely considering further tweaks to its YCC policy (read below). FX watch: Australian trade data surged beyond expectations. US CPI next catalyst for AUDUSD Australia’s trade balance data released today, rose well beyond expectations, with the trade balance surging to $13.2 billion, when consensus expected exports and imports to have fallen considerably in November, with the market expecting the surplus would fall from $12.2 billion to $11.3 billion. This data shows that trade has been improving, well ahead of China’s easing of restrictions – which is a positive sign. The AUD rallied to 69.18 US, which is the level it hit yesterday after Australian inflation and retail data came out hotter than expected. The next resistance level is a psychological one, 0.700 for the AUD vs the USD. However, if core US CPI comes out hotter than expected (5.7% YoY), then a hotter USD may pressure the AUD back down. Our Head of FX Strategy suggests if that happens the AUD could drop back to another support level. However the next few days are pivotal. Click for more on FX. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) prices continue higher on China story Crude oil prices rallied again overnight as signs of improving Chinese demand boosted sentiment. Chinese buyers have become active in the physical market, with Unipec snapping up about 3-4mbbl of US crude for March and April in recent days. This comes following news that China had issued a fresh batch of import quotas as it reopens following years of COVID-19 restrictions. Supply was supported by a huge build in US inventories, but could not dampen the price sentiment as higher inventories was expected. US crude oil stocks jumped 19m barrels last week, the biggest since Feb 2021, driven by a 2m b/d drop in exports to 2.1m b/d. WTI futures rose above $77.50/barrel while Brent got in close sight of $83. No stopping the gains in metals space, yet Industrial metals continued to march higher on positive signals from China on Zero Covid and policy stimulus. An apparent peak in infections follow the sudden dropping of COVID-19 restrictions has raised the prospect of an earlier than expected jump in industrial activity. Pent up consumer demand is likely to add to the clamour for metals. Aluminium, copper and iron ore, all rose to new highs. Iron ore (SCOF3) could be potentially ripe for a reversal, given China’s warning on tightening the supervision on iron ore pricing on Friday to crack down on speculators. Meanwhile, Copper’s gains to $4.16 have also been fast and could see scope for a correction, but the sharply improved technical outlook and limited investor positioning may drive it higher still in the short term. Gold (XAUUSD) sees correction risks ahead of CPI Gold prices are hovering around an 8-month high, but our Head of Commodity Strategy sees risk of correction even if ‘lower-than-expected’ CPI print sends gold higher to test the resistance level around $1900. He sees potential of profit taking emerge. He says, “Gold’s price action during the past week has in my opinion showed us the correct direction for 2023, but while the direction is correct, I believe the timing could be wrong.”  Read next: The EUR/USD Pair Maintains A Steady Upward Trend, The Aussie Pair Keeps Close To 0.69| FXMAG.COM What to consider? US CPI remains the most key data point to watch There is enough reason to believe that we can get some further disinflationary pressures in the coming weeks. Economic momentum has been weakening, as highlighted by the plunge in ISM services last week into contraction territory, particularly with the forward-looking new orders subcomponent. An unusually warm winter has also helped to provide some reprieve from inflation pains. Bloomberg consensus forecasts are pointing to a softening in headline inflation to 6.5% YoY, 0.0% MoM (from 7.1% YoY, 0.1% MoM prev) while core inflation remains firmer at 5.7% YoY, 0.3% MoM (from 6.0% YoY, 0.2% MoM). Still, these inflation prints remain more than three times faster than the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. Fed officials have made it clear they expect goods price inflation to continue to ease, expecting another big drop in used car prices. But officials are seemingly focused on services ex-housing which remains high. So even a softer inflation print is unlikely to provide enough ammunition for the Fed to further slow down its pace of rate hikes. Volatility on watch if US CPI sees a big surprise The last two months have shown that big swings in US CPI can spark significant volatility in the equity markets, given the large amounts of hedging flows and short-term options covering. With a big focus on CPI numbers again this week, similar volatility cannot be ruled out. Volume might be thin still this week as many are still on holidays, so moves in equities could be amplified in either direction. Meanwhile, FX reaction to CPI has been far more muted, but some key levels remain on watch this week. A higher-than-expected CPI print could keep expectations tilted towards a 50bps rate hike again in February, while a miss could mean expectations of further slowdown in Fed’s tightening pace to 25bps in February could pick up which can be yield and dollar negative. Apple plans to use its own displays in mobile devices Apple (AAPL:xnas) aims to its own custom displays in the consumer electronic giant’s mobile devices starting in 2024, as opposed to procuring from Samsung and LG. It is the latest move in a series of initiatives from Apple to reduce reliance on sourcing components from partners, including chips from Broadcom and modems from Qualcomm. China’s CPI expected modestly higher, PPI less negative Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had a median forecast of China’s December CPI at an increase of 1.8% Y/Y, edging up from 1.6% in November, mainly due to base effects, as food prices are likely to be stable and higher outprices in the manufacturing sector might be offset by a fall in services prices. PPI in December is expected to be -0.1% Y/Y, a smaller decline from -1.3% Y/Y in November, benefiting from base effects. The decline in coal prices was likely to be offset by an increase in steel prices. Signs of wage growth in Japan; could we see more action from BOJ next week? The fast-fashion Japanese retailer Uniqlo (owned by Fast Retailing) is set to hike pay for many full-time staff in Japan by as much as 40% and will raise the salary for newly hired graduates by over 17%. Bank of Japan Governor Kuroda has long stated that inflation is only rising sustainably if Japanese wages also begin to rise in line with commodity and other input costs. Meanwhile, Yomuiri reported that BOJ officials will review the side effects of the ultra-easy monetary policy at their policy meeting next week, opening the door for further adjusting the yield curve control policy or the bond-buying as the central bank continues to see 10-year yields testing the new upper limit of 0.5%. Fast Retailing (9983:xtks) reports earnings today and a 10th straight quarter of operating profit growth is seen, although the pace of growth is likely to slow amid China’s lockdowns in the November-ended quarter and fading FX benefits. TSMC (TSM:xnys) reporting Q4 results, 1H23 outlook and overseas expansion plans key to watch Given the industry-wide inventory overhang, investors will be closing monitoring the world’s largest foundry’s 1H2023 revenue outlook when TSMC reports Q4 2022 results today. Investors will also pay much attention to the management’s comments on TSMC’s plans for building manufacturing capacities outside of Taiwan and mainland China which have implications on margins and capex spending. For Q4 results, analysts surveyed by Bloomberg, on average, are forecasting revenues coming at TWD636 billion and adjusted earnings at TWD11.087 per share. For a look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: US CPI day, Bank of Japan policy tweak speculation – 12 January 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)
Czech National Bank Prepares for Possible Rate Cut in November

CPI In China Rose, US CPI Print Are For A Rise For The Year-On-Year At 6.5%

Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 12.01.2023 09:40
Summary:  Markets have charged higher again, seemingly confident that today’s US December CPI data won’t provide any pushback against this rally, which is pulling up into the psychologically important 4,000 area in the US S&P 500 Index. Elsewhere, the USD remains on its back foot on hopes for a soft CPI print, while EURCHF has suddenly pulled above parity for the first time in over six months in a delayed reaction to ECB hawkishness. Oil jumped.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures extended momentum all the way up to the falling 200-day moving average closing at 3,990 and in early trading this morning the index futures are hovering around the 200-day moving average. This average was hit back in mid-December before US equities were weighed down by hawkish central bank comments and sold off into New Year. Today’s US December CPI report is naturally the key report to watch today as the previous three inflation reports have caused significant volatility over the release. If the market gets it lower inflation print then S&P 500 futures might push above 4,000 and even all the way up to 4,050. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) After making a new six-month high this morning, Hang Seng Index reversed and pared gains. Profit-taking weighed on recent policy beneficiaries, such as mainland Chinese property developers, domestic consumption names, mega-cap internet stocks, and Macao casino operators. Shares of EV makers bucked the market trend of retracement to advance, led by BYD (01211:xhkg) up 5.7%. FIT Hong Teng (06088:xhkg), a subsidiary of Foxconn, soared 23% on speculation that the company might replace GoerTek (002241:xsec) to assemble AirPods for Apple. In A-shares, defense, aerospace, auto industrial equipment and wind power outperformed as the domestic consumption space retraced. As of writing, Hang Seng Index and CSI300 edged up around 0.3%. FX: USD still low, JPY resurgent. EURCHF blasts higher The greenback remains on its back foot coming into today’s US December CPI release, with market players likely very unclear around the reaction function (more on that below in What’s Next?) to in-line or even soft data today. EURUSD etched marginal new highs above 1.0760 yesterday, but clearly faces a test over today’s data and may have been driven yesterday by flows in EURCHF, which suddenly bursts out of its range and traded well above parity – likely on the hawkish ECB outlook finally sending the pair over the edge. ECB’s De Cos said he sees “significant” rate hikes at the upcoming meetings, while ECB’s Holzmann soft-pedaled the message on QT, saying he was very cautious on moving too fast.  USDJPY dipped on the news flow overnight as described below, and many other USD pairs are still within recent ranges, if toward important USD support in places, especially AUDUSD. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) remains supported by China recovery story Crude oil prices rallied strongly on Wednesday with the improved outlook for Chinese demand and the softer dollar driving a fifth day of gains. Chinese buyers have become active in the physical market, with Unipec snapping up about 3-4mbbl of US crude for March and April in recent days. This comes following news that China had issued a fresh batch of import quotas as it reopens following years of COVID-19 restrictions. Supply was supported by a huge 19m barrels build in US inventories, the biggest since Feb 2021, but it could not dampen the positive price sentiment as higher inventories was expected after the late December cold blast reduced exports while temporarily shutting down some refineries. Fresh momentum was seen in both WTI and Brent after breaking their 21-day moving averages, now offering support at $76.35 and $81.65 respectively. Gold sees raised correction risk as US CPI looms Gold’s price action and gains during the past week has in our opinion showed us the correct direction for 2023, but while the direction is correct, we believe the timing could be wrong, and with momentum showing signs of slowing ahead of key resistance around $1900, and a potential weaker-than-forecast US CPI print today having been priced in, the risk of correction has risen. Pent-up demand in China ahead of the Lunar New Year may soon fade, while India’s demand may slow as traders adapt to the higher price level. In addition, we have yet to see demand for ETF’s, often used by long-term focused investors, spring back to life with total holdings still hovering around a near two-year low at 2923 tons. The next major hurdle for gold being $1896, the 61.8% retracement of the 2022 correction, with support around $1865 followed by $1826, the 21-day moving average. US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) yields drop, strong 10-year auction supports The US 10-year yield dropped back toward 3.50% support overnight after falling some 7-basis point yesterday, supported in part by a solid US 10-year auction, with bidding metrics sharply improving relative to the prior couple of weak auctions. The 2-10 year yield slope inverted back toward –70 basis points. Treasuries may find additional support if today’s December US CPI report proves softer than expected. Read next: Discussion Of Bank Representatives On Financing The Ecological Transformation | FXMAG.COM What is going on? The Eurozone economy is more resilient than forecasted Economic surprises are improving significantly in the eurozone. The consensus forecasts a drop in GDP of minus 0.1% this year. Based on hard data, this seems excessively conservative. It is bound to be revised up, in our view. The German economy is especially very resilient. While gas consumption has collapsed by double digits, industry output has remained largely flat. This is a remarkable achievement. Based on the latest data on industrial production (for the month of November), it looks like there will be no recession in German industry in Q4. However, the year 2023 will be challenging in the eurozone: credit stress is on the rise (this is the first time in a decade we start the year with European IG credit yield above the 4 % level), and the market will need to absorb about 700bn euros of liquidity due to the ECB quantitative tightening. Metals pause after powering higher on China optimism Industrial metals are pausing ahead of today’s CPI print and after having marched higher on positive signals from China on Zero Covid and policy stimulus. An apparent peak in infections follow the sudden dropping of COVID-19 restrictions has raised the prospect of an earlier than expected jump in industrial activity. Pent up consumer demand is likely to add to the clamour for metals. Aluminium, copper and iron ore, all rose to new highs on Wednesday. Iron ore (SCOF3) could be potentially ripe for a reversal, given China’s warning on tightening the supervision on iron ore pricing on Friday to crack down on speculators. Meanwhile, Copper’s year-to-date gain of 9% to near $4.20 has also been fast and could see scope for a correction, but the sharply improved technical outlook and limited investor positioning may continue to provide some support in the short term. USDJPY drops below 132 on possible BOJ action next week The Bank of Japan meets next Wednesday and may be set to guide for further policy tweaks after a regional Bank of Japan report released overnight . In other news in Japan, the Yomiuri newspaper reported that the BoJ will review the side effects of its policy at next week’s meeting and a quarterly Bank of Japan report raised its assessment of the economy in four of Japan’s nine regions, noting that in “there were many cases where companies were increasing winter bonus payments, or plan to hike wages.” Also JPY-supportive, preliminary data from Japan’s Ministry of Finance suggest that Japan’s life insurers sold a record amount of foreign bonds last month. CPI and PPI inflation remained low in China CPI in China rose to 1.8% y/y in December from 1.6% in November, in line with expectations. The rise was due to a low base and on CPI was unchanged m/m. Excluding food and energy, core CPI came in at 0.7% y/y in December, edging up slightly from 0.6% y/y in November. The change in PPI however rebounded less than expected to -0.7% y/y versus -0.1% expected and -1.3% y/y in November. TSMC Q4 earnings beat estimates The world’s largest foundry of semiconductors beat on net income in Q4 driven by gross margin at 62.2% vs est. 60.1%. TSMC says company to face margin headwinds in 2023 with revenue growth slowing down. CAPEX in 2023 is expected at $32-36bn vs est. $35bn against $36bn in 2022. The company is considering a second manufacturing plant in Japan and a new automotive chips plant in Europe. It has also expanded its 28nm production in China and is planning to mass produce its new 2nm in 2025 in its facilities in Taiwan. Fast Retailing sees big miss in Q1 operating income The parent company behind the Japanese fashion retailer Uniqlo reports Q1 operating income of JPY 117bn vs est. JPY140bn but maintains its outlook for profit and revenue growth amid its commitment from yesterday to raise wages up to 40% for its Japanese retail workers. KB Home outlook hit by interest rates When the price of capital goes up the demand on homes often goes down, and this is exactly what KB Home is experiencing. The US homebuilder reported Q4 EPS of $2.47 vs est. $2.86, but it was the FY23 outlook of revenue between $5bn and $6bn missing the consensus of $6bn in revenue, but with new orders down 80% more profit warnings could come during the year. What are we watching next? WASDE report on tap with grain traders watching stock levels The Bloomberg Grains Index, rangebound for the past six month has opened a new trading year with a loss of 3.5% primarily driven by lower wheat prices on ample supply from the Black Sea region, will receive some fundamental input later today when the US Department of Agriculture releases its monthly supply and demand report. Market estimates point to a trimming of the global corn and soybeans inventories, while wheat is expected to show a small rise. US inventories, meanwhile, is expected to rise across the board driven by weakness in Chinese demand and strong competition from overseas supplies, in part due to the dollar. Also focus on Argentina where an ongoing drought may drive a 6% reduction in the country's soy and corn output. US December CPI up today – what is the reaction function? The latest CPI data out of the US is the next important test for global markets, which seem confident that the Fed will not only halt its policy tightening soon after perhaps 50 basis points of further tightening but will even cut rates cuts by year-end. The US CPI releases have triggered considerable volatility in recent months, and the November CPI release on December 13 ullustrates the potentially treacherous reaction pattern to this data points, as softer than expected inflation levels reported saw risk asset jump aggressively as US treasury yields eased, only for the equity market move to get erased within hours and the US yields to bottom out on the following day. Consensus expectations for today’s CPI print are for a fall in the month-on-month headline data of –0.1% and a rise for the year-on-year at 6.5% versus +7.1% in November. The core, ex Food and Energy number is expected to rise +0.3% MoM and +5.7% YoY vs. +6.0% YoY in November and a peak rate of 6.6% last September. Earnings to watch The Q4 earnings season kicks off tomorrow with banking earnings from Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Citigroup with consensus expecting earnings to continue contracting among US banks before coming back to growth in 2023. The key uncertainty is credit quality in 2023 as it is linked to the degree of a recession or maybe no recession at all in the US economy. With higher interest rates level expectations are that banking revenue will slowly begin to accelerate and if high interest rates persist for an extended period, the longer-term growth for banks could be quite attractive. In addition, US banks have extended credit at the fastest pace in 2022 since the year leading up to the Great Financial Crisis. Overall, the Q4 earnings season is likely going to see an extension of value and tangible companies performing better than intangible-driven companies. Today: Fast Retailing, Seven & I Friday: DiDi Global, Aeon, Bank of New York Mellon, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, UnitedHealth, BlackRock, Delta Air Lines, First Republic Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1330 – US December CPI 1330 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1345 – US Fed’s Harker (voter 2023) to discuss economic outlook 1530 – EIA Natural Gas Storage Change 1630 – US Fed’s Bullard (non-voter) to speak 1700 – UK Bank of England’s Mann to speak 1700 – USDA's World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher
TikTok Bans Are Gathering Momentum In The US

Facebook’s Best Rally In Almost A Decade, BoE’s Tightening Cycle May End Soon

Swissquote Bank Swissquote Bank 03.02.2023 10:19
Yesterday was, again, a fantastic day of trading for equities, as the less hawkish than expected tone from the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of England (BoE) meetings joined the optimistic vibes from the Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell’s ‘disinflationary process’ mention a day before, and all that combined with Facebook’s best rally in almost a decade painted the market in the green. S&P500 The S&P500 gained around 1.50%. Nasdaq 100 jumped more than 3.5% and entered bull market as Meta jumped more than 23%. Earnings But today will probably not be as fantastic as yesterday, as Apple, Amazon and Google announced earnings after the bell yesterday, and they all disappointed. US jobs data Maybe, the again-important US jobs data could temper the earnings-triggered weakness – if of course the NFP number, and more importantly the wages growth are sufficiently soft to keep the Fed doves in charge of the market. Rates Elsewhere, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of England (BoE) raised their rates by 50bp yesterday, but Lagarde sounded much less aggressive than the December meeting. Read next: USD/JPY Pair Is Trading At 128.48 The Aussie Pair Is Above 0.71$| FXMAG.COM Euro The EURUSD sold off. But I believe that the euro’s recovery hasn’t ended just yet, as we see the end of the tunnel for the Fed – as the Fed rates approach the 5% mark, while we don’t yet see the end of the tightening tunnel for the ECB. Watch the full episode to find out more and find the link to our latest blog article : www.swissquote.com/blog 0:00 Intro 0:50 Stocks rally on dovish central bank expectations, and Facebook… 2:10 … but Apple, Amazon and Google dampen the mood. 5:38 What kind of US jobs data could cheer up investors? 6:42 BoE’s tightening cycle may end soon 8:21 ECB’s Lagarde sounded less aggressive than last December, but euro should do fine… Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #US #NFP #wages #jobs #data #ECB #BoE #Fed #FOMC #meeting #Powell #disinflation #Meta #Apple #Google #Amazon #earnings #USD #EUR #GBP #Bailey #Lagarde #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH      
Apple May Surprise Investors. Analysts Advise Caution

Apple Is Facing Multiple Lawsuits And Enforcement Actions

Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 16.02.2023 10:06
The investigation into whether Apple has a monopoly power that it is abusing has intensified in recent months. An investigation The Department of Justice is launching a sweeping antitrust investigation to see if dominant tech companies are unlawfully stifling competition. The review aims to examine the practices of online platforms that dominate online search, social media and retail services.  An investigation into whether Apple has monopoly power. The Department of Justice's investigation is partly about Apple's policies regarding third-party mobile software on its devices, which has been the focus of most criticism of Apple's competing practices. The department is also investigating whether Apple's mobile operating system, iOS, is operating in an anti-competitive manner, favoring its own products over those of third-party developers. The current steps taken by the department would allow the lawsuit to be filed as early as spring, but the process could be delayed or the government may still choose not to pursue legal action. Read next: USD/JPY Is Above 133.30, GBP/USD Droped Form $1.21 to $1.20, The Aussie Pair Is Trading Below $0.69| FXMAG.COM Objective of criticism Apple's rules on its App Store have been the target of critics and government regulators around the world, who have scrutinized whether its power over pricing and distribution of third-party software on mobile devices hurts competition. The Justice Department's investigation, however, is broader than the App Store and is looking into whether Apple used its operating system to favor its own products, including hardware, said people familiar with the investigation. By blocking access to iOS, Apple makes the iPhone stickier and discourages users from switching to Android phones. In the iOS update introduced in 2019, Apple updated its Find My tracking app, which made the company more competitive with Tile. As part of the update, Apple has started asking users if they want to allow Tile devices to track them. Apple's Find My app comes pre-installed on iPhones and doesn't constantly ask for permission to track users. Apple said there are privacy differences between its Find My service and its Tile service. A number of Apple products are integrated with the operating system in a way that competitors do not. These include iMessage, which Android users don't have access to, and AirPods, branded headphones with unique pop-ups and other perks that make them easier to use. Some competitors argue that integration creates an unfair advantage. Apple claims that the close coupling of hardware and software is a unique feature of its products. New law of the European Union and Apple A new European Union law, called the Digital Markets Act, aims to restrict tech companies like Apple from taking advantage of their presence in digital marketplaces like Apple's App Store for iPhone and iPad. The new law, known as the Digital Markets Act, is part of the biggest proposed expansion of global technology regulation in decades. It aims to impose new obligations and bans on a small group of digital giants, whom the European Union defines as watchdogs - backed by fines for non-compliance that could run up to tens of billions of dollars based on early draft legislation. Legislation, commonly, can affect many corners of the tech world. Its purpose is to generally limit the ability of major tech companies to benefit from their strong presence in digital markets. Apple has made efforts to address a new European law that will start to be enforced in 2024. Apple has begun investigating internally how to allow competing app stores and third-party software to be loaded onto the iPhone and iPad in a process known as sideloading . Apple share price Apple shares at the end of last year and the beginning of this year reached the lowest level, which was last recorded in 2021. The share price at the beginning of the year was at 125.07, and now it is more than twice as high at 155.28. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
Astonished by the week ahead? Barclays, NatWest Group and Microsoft earnings are also released shortly

AI (Chatgpt) Is Controversial Even With Apple

Kamila Szypuła Kamila Szypuła 03.03.2023 09:37
ChatGPT has become increasingly popular since start-up OpenAI released it in November, surpassing one million users a few days after launch. People have been using the chatbot to automate tasks at work and school, raising questions about how AI could replace some of the white-collar jobs. So-called generative AI has become one of the most closely watched emerging technologies in decades. Apple vs AI Apple has delayed approving an update to its email app with AI-powered language tools amid concerns it might generate content that is inappropriate for children, according to communications from Apple to the app developer. The developer of the software does not agree with Apple's decision. According to Ben Volach, co-founder of BlueMail developer Blix Inc., Apple took steps last week to block updates to the BlueMail mail app due to concerns that a new AI feature in the app might display inappropriate content. The app-review team said that because the app could produce content not appropriate for all audiences, BlueMail should move up its age restriction to 17 and older, or include content filtering, the documents show. Volach says it has content-filtering capabilities. The app’s restriction is currently set for users 4 years old and older. Apple’s age restriction for 17 and older is for categories of apps that may include everything from offensive language to sexual content and references to drugs. Volach says that this request is unfair and that other apps with similar AI functions without age restrictions are already allowed for Apple users. Apple's attempt to establish an age restriction to help moderate language-based AI content indicates that the tech giant is keeping a close eye on new technology and the risks it poses. The company has long said it needs to carefully select and screen what software is available on the iPhone and iPad via the App Store to ensure the privacy and security of its products. Read next: Despite The Decline Euro Remains Above 1.06, GBP/USD Is Trading Below 1.20| FXMAG.COM BlueMail BlueMail's new AI feature uses OpenAI's latest ChatGPT chatbot to help automate email writing using the content of previous emails and calendar events. ChatGPT allows users to talk to AI in a seemingly human way and is capable of advanced, lengthy typing on a variety of topics. Workers at some companies have been using ChatGPT to write emails and research topics. Some of the employees say the chatbot helps them work faster while others are trying to avoid being left behind as technology evolves. Some tech companies have raced to launch similar products after OpenAI released ChatGPT Not only Apple Chase & Co. restricts employees from using ChatGPT. The bank did not restrict the use of the popular AI chatbot because of any specific incident, the person said. It was not possible to determine how many employees used the chatbot or what functions they used it for. In addition to JPMorgan, other organizations have also blocked access to ChatGPT. Last week, Verizon Communications Inc. barred the chatbot from its corporate systems, saying it could lose ownership of customer information or source code that its employees typed into ChatGPT. New York City public schools in January banned the chatbot from its internet networks and school devices. Apple share price By mid-February, Apple shares were rising to 155.33. Since then, they have fallen to the level of 145.31. They recently increased slightly and closed at 145.91 Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com
USD/JPY Weekly Review: Strong Dollar and Yen's Resilience in G10 Currencies

Adani Group Stocks Got A Respite With US Boutique Investment Firm GQG Partners Purchasing Shares

Saxo Bank Saxo Bank 03.03.2023 11:32
Summary:  Equities came back from the brink yesterday, as US stocks rallied late in the session after the major indices had broken below the 200-day moving average earlier in the day. Still, considerable tension afoot here as the 10-year US Treasury yield rose above 4.00% on further signs of a tight jobs market and ahead of today’s February ISM Services survey. European stocks have been choppy of late, but are generally resilient despite the jump in ECB rate tightening expectations this week on hot February inflation data. What is our trading focus? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I): can S&P 500 futures climb above 4,000? US equities rallied yesterday on no real news, so we expect it to be mainly flow driven rather than driven by changes to fundamentals. S&P 500 futures closed at the 3,985 level still failing to push above the 4,000 level, and if the US 10-year yield remains above the 4% our view is that US equity futures will struggle to maintain momentum into the close before the weekend. The upside risk to that view is of course the ISM February report out later today which could send another bullish signal on the US economy extending the rebound in economic activity we saw in January. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) rallied ahead of the Two Sessions Hang Seng Index advanced over 1% and CSI 300 climbed 0.3% ahead of the Two Sessions, which are the annual meetings of China’s legislature and top political advisory body, commencing this weekend. Caixin Services PMI rose to 55 in February from 52.9 in January, echoing the strength of the recovery in the official NBS PMI survey earlier in the week. Hang Seng TECH Index gained 2.8%, with China internet names leading the charge higher. BiliBili (09626:xhkg) surged 11.2% following the online entertainment firm reporting a smaller net loss in Q4. In A shares, shipping, semiconductor, and lodging stocks gained. FX: USD firm on higher US treasury yields The US dollar rose sharply yesterday on a surge in US treasury yields after another firm weekly jobless claims print & upward revision in Unit Labor Costs for Q4 (see below), but perhaps as well on the 4.00% psychological resistance in the US 10-year benchmark treasury yield falling. The greenback’s strength faded in late trading as risk sentiment managed to stage a comeback, with US equities avoiding a meltdown after testing below key support. The February ISM Survey is in focus today, but as we emphasize below, trust in this survey may be weak. Crude oil rises on China demand optimism Crude oil prices are heading for a weekly gain but overall remain stuck within a narrowing range as China demand optimism is being offset by concerns about US monetary policy as the battle against inflation remains a key focus. Overall, however, with the dollar trading down on the week and prompt spreads indicating a tightening market, prices have managed to recover. Brent trading above its 21-DMA for a third day may add some technical support with the next level of resistance being the February high at $86.90. Focus on China where the annual National People’s Congress kicks off this weekend (see below). Gold supported by China comeback and sticky inflation Gold is heading for its best week since mid-January following a week that saw a hot EU inflation print and strong economic data from China, a top buyer of gold. The result being a softer dollar and gold has moved higher to challenge the 21-DMA, currently at $1844 for the first time since February 3. Atlanta Fed’s Bostic saying rates could rise to 5.25% and stay there well into 2024 has been shrugged off as the market is already pricing a terminal rate around 5.5%. It is also worth noting that this week's 10 basis point jump in US 10-year bond yields has primarily been driven by rising breakeven rates (inflation) leaving real yields close to unchanged. For the current recovery to attract support from technical buyers, prices as a minimum need to break $1864, and silver $22 to signal an end to the current corrections. US natural gas rally pauses after weekly stock report US natural gas prices fell on Thursday following a six-day rally which lifted the front month futures price by 29% in response to signs of lower production and rising exports. In addition, a current cold spell through mid-March has also supported the short-term demand outlook. The small correction seen yesterday came after the EIA reported an 81 bcf drop in stocks compared with a five-year average decline of 134 bcf for this week. The smaller than normal draw lifted total stocks to 2,114 bcf, some 19.3% above the 5yr avg. for this time of year, and highest surplus since May 2020. A mild winter suppressing not only demand but also producers’ willingness to maintain record production levels has created a very volatile market in recent months. US Treasuries (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) sold off on ISM Price Paid Index The 10-year US Treasury yield surged above the psychologically important 4.00% that appeared to be supporting the treasury market of late, rising as high as 4.09% before retreating overnight to 4.03% in early European trading this morning. The sharp rise in EU yields has lead global yields higher this week on a series of hot inflation numbers across the bloc, capped by a further acceleration in the EU core CPI yesterday. But short yields in Europe retreated several basis points from new cycle highs yesterday, as did the US 2-year yield, which trades this morning at 4.87% after as high as 4.94% in the immediate wake of yesterday’s US data. The Treasury Department announced the auction of $40 billion of 3-yr notes, $32 billion of 10-year notes, and $18 billion of 30-year bonds next week. What is going on? Worrying inflation prints in the eurozone Eurozone core inflation rose to 5.60 % year-over-year in February with both core goods (6.8 %) and services (4.8 %) reaching new record highs. This is much higher than expected (5.3 %). We pay more attention to core inflation as it can show how entrenched inflation is, and it appears the inflation headache will remain an issue for most of the year. All the country prints which were released earlier this week came in above expectations, topped by Germany’s 9.3% vs 9.0%. In these circumstances, talks about a potential monetary policy pause are ill-timed, and from a monetary policy perspective, we think the ECB is unlikely to slow the pace of tightening until we see the first signs of underlying inflation peaking. Expect at least two more 50 basis point hikes in March and in May (there is no meeting in April). Depending on the trajectory of inflation, the market consensus forecasts that another 25-basis point hike could happen in June. Fed officials hinting at a higher dot plot The biggest headlines today are referring to Fed member Bostic’s (non-voter) comments as dovish, while he said he is firmly in favour of a 25bps hike path (to reduce the possibility of a hard outcome) and even said we could be in a position to pause by mid-to-late summer which appears to be exactly in-line with current market expectations. If his comments suggest 25bps rate hikes each at the March, May and June meetings, we still may end up in the 5.25-5.50% terminal rate which is higher than what the December dot plot suggested. Waller (voter) also hinted at an upwards shift in the dot plot, more clearly so, saying that Fed may need to raise rates beyond December's central tendency view of 5.1-5.4% if the incoming job and inflation data does not pull back from strong readings for January. US claims and unit labor cost data feed the inflation narrative US initial jobless claims fell by 2k to 190k last week from 192k prior and 195k expected, continuing to signal a tight US labor market. Unit labor costs were revised sharply higher to an annualized 3.2% in the fourth quarter, versus the initial 1.1% read. Increased labor costs keep concerns of a wage-price spiral alive and will likely keep the Fed on its toes in tightening policy. Japan’s Tokyo CPI for February hinting at sticky prices Japan’s Tokyo-CPI for February came in at 3.4% YoY for the headline, softer than last month’s 4.4% but still hotter than the 3.3% expected. The slower print is partially a result of PM Kishida’s latest stimulus announcement to support utilities prices which included a 20% discount on household electricity rates. Core CPI at 3.3% YoY matched estimates while the core-core measure (ex-fresh food and energy) was a notch higher at 3.2% YoY vs. 3.1% expected. Inflation continues to be sticky and above the BOJ’s 2% target although the incoming Governor Ueda is unlikely to rush into any monetary policy moves at this point. India’s Adani Group gets foreign interest as prices drop After a drop of over +$150 billion in market value to $83 billion, the Adani group stocks got a respite with US boutique investment firm GQG Partners purchasing shares worth $1.87 billion in four Adani group companies. The deal shows investor interest may be returning to Adani after record drops in its share prices, and any further interest from foreign investors could potentially put a floor to near-term pressures for the conglomerate. This week, the group told bondholders it had secured a $3bn credit line from investors including a sovereign wealth fund. Four days of gain this week has seen the total market capital across the ten companies in the group rise to $103 billion. What are we watching next? February US ISM Services in focus today after erratic readings in Dec. and Jan. The US ISM services survey for February will be on watch later today and is expected to ease to 54.5 from a big jump to 55.2 last month but remain comfortably in expansion. The last two months of this data series have shown erratic moves, with a bizarre collapse in the survey December to 49.2 after 55.5 in November and then the January survey resurgent at 55.2. Can we trust this data series? Attention will also be on the prices paid component after a similar component from the ISM manufacturing survey this week created jitters and services prices are likely to be stickier. China’s “two sessions” in focus Following on from Wednesday’s stronger than expected PMI which supported the view that China’s economy is picking up steam, focus now turns to the Chinese government and what they will do to further help along a post-lockdown economic recovery. The first session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) will begin on March 4 and followed up the following day by the 14th National People’s Congress (NPC. During what is collectively known as the “two sessions”, Chinese officials will release a set of social and economic development goals and various policy measures to achieve them. Earnings to watch There are no important earnings releases today. We have highlighted next week’s most important earnings releases below with the most market attention going earnings from Adidas, CATL, and JD.com. Adidas has a huge inventory of Yeezy sneakers following the abrupt end to the partnership with Ye that caused a massive writedown in the previous quarter and investors have generally lost short-term trust in Adidas following a string of bad results. Analysts expect Adidas to report Q4 revenue of €5.2bn up 1% y/y and EBITDA of €-419mn. CATL is the world’s largest battery maker and is firing on all cylinders with analysts expecting Q4 revenue growth of 87% y/y and EPS of CNY 2.65 down 11% y/y as the company has not passed on all input costs to its EV customers after a significant surge in lithium carbonate prices last year. Monday: Trip.com Tuesday: Ashtead Group, Sea Ltd, Ferguson, Crowdstrike Wednesday: Ping An Bank, Thales, Adidas, Geberit Thursday: CATL, Deutsche Post, JD.com Friday: Daimer Truck, AIA Group, Oracle, DiDi Global Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0815-0900 – Eurozone Final Feb. Services PMI 0930 – UK Feb. Final Services PMI 1000 – Eurozone Jan. PPI 1330 – Canada Jan. Building Permits 1445 – US Feb Final Services PMI 1500 – US Feb. ISM Services 1600 – US Fed’s Logan (Voter 2023) to speak 1700 – ECB's Wunsch to speak 2000 – US Fed’s Bowman (Voter) to speak Source: Global Market Quick Take: Europe – March 3, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

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