Morning in Arizona

Morning in Arizona
Rainbows over Canyonlands - Dave Stoker

The Headline Animator

Tuesday, October 03, 2017

Markets Add to Record Run

Charles Schwab: On the Market
Posted: 10/3/2017 4:15 PM EDT

Markets Add to Record Run
 
The U.S. equity markets moved further into record territory, as global economic sentiment continued to get a tailwind from yesterday's plethora of upbeat manufacturing reports and favorable September auto sales figures released today. Treasury yields inched lower after a recent rally and the U.S. dollar was little changed, while crude oil prices were mixed and gold was modestly higher.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) increased 84 points (0.4%) to 22,643, the S&P 500 Index was 5 points (0.2%) higher at 2,535, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 15 points (0.7%) to 6,532. In moderate volume, 724 million shares were traded on the NYSE and 2.0 billion shares changed hands on the Nasdaq. WTI crude oil lost $0.16 to $51.42 per barrel and wholesale gasoline was $0.01 higher at $1.57 per gallon. Elsewhere, the Bloomberg gold spot price rose $0.69 to $1,271.82 per ounce, and the Dollar Index—a comparison of the U.S. dollar to six major world currencies—was unchanged at 93.59.

Tesla Inc. (TSLA $348) announced that total Q3 deliveries of vehicles came in above expectations, led by its Model S and X cars, though its Model 3 shipments were well below estimates. The company said Model 3 production was less than anticipated due to production bottlenecks, but it pointed out that there are no fundamental issues with the Model 3 production or supply chain. Shares overcame early weakness and were higher.

Lennar Corp. (LEN $55) reported Q3 earnings-per-share (EPS) of $1.06, above the $1.00 FactSet estimate, as revenues rose 15.0% year-over-year (y/y) to $3.3 billion, topping the forecasted $3.2 billion. The homebuilder said its results were supported by strong demand for homes, low unemployment, favorable interest rates, and increased consumer confidence. LEN is gained solid ground.

The major automakers reported September sales today, with General Motors Co's (GM $43) sales rising 11.9% y/y, compared to FactSet's projected 8.1% increase. Ford Motor Co (F $12) reported an 8.7% rise in sales, versus the expected gain of 1.4%. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV's (FCAU $18) Chrysler sales fell 9.7%, compared to the expected 13.4% drop. GM and F were solidly higher, while shares of FCAU dipped.

Treasury yields and U.S. dollar take a breather

Treasuries finished higher, amid an economic calendar void of any major releases today. The yields on the 2-year and the 10-year notes, as well as the 30-year bond, declined 1 basis point (bp) to 1.48%, 2.33%, and 2.87%, respectively.

Treasury yields and the U.S. dollar have seen noticeable increases as of late as the Fed is set to begin to shrink its behemoth $4.5 trillion balance sheet, while signs of an uptick in inflation have joined the backdrop of a tight labor market to boost December Fed rate hike expectations. Global economic growth is widespread and the markets have appeared to become relatively optimistic in the wake of last week's release of the tax reform framework as discussed by Schwab's Vice President of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Michael T. Townsend in his latest article, Tax Reform Framework Released, But The Road Ahead Is Long, on the Insights & Ideas page. Follow Schwab on Twitter: @schwabresearch.

The European Central Bank and Bank of England have also signaled moves to tighten monetary policy and Schwab's Chief Global Investment Strategist Jeffrey Kleintop, CFA, offers analysis in his article, How the Shift by Central Banks May Affect the Stock Market, on the Market Commentary page at www.schwab.com. Follow Jeff on Twitter: @jeffreykleintop.

Meanwhile, the stock market has moved back to record high territory, showing resiliency in the face of a plethora of things to worry about as discussed by Schwab's Chief Investment Strategist Liz Ann Sonders in her article, Comfortably Numb? An Update on Investor Sentiment, on the Market Commentary page at www.schwab.com. Follow Liz Ann on Twitter: @lizannsonders.

Tomorrow, the economic docket will bring a couple September reads on the key U.S. services sector—the largest contributor to economic output—in the form of the ISM non-Manufacturing Index and Markit's final Services PMI Index. The ISM Index is expected to tick higher to 55.5 from 55.3 in August, while Markit's Index is projected to be unrevised at 55.1, but down from the prior month's 56.0 level. Readings above 50 for both indicate expansion. The consumer drives services sector activity and Schwab's Director of Market and Sector Analysis, Brad Sorensen, CFA, points out that the likelihood of gradually rising short-term interest rates, a continued solid employment picture, and improved wage growth are helping paint a healthy picture. However, he points out some potential negative factors, while providing our current view of the economic cycle that leads us to maintain our neutral stances on the consumer staples and discretionary sectors. You can read this in Brad's latest, Schwab Sector Views: Consumer Staples: More than Meets the Eye on the Market Commentary page at www.schwab.com.

Other reports set for release tomorrow include the ADP Employment Change report, with the measure of private sector jobs expected to decline sharply to a level of 135,000 added for September from the 237,000 posted in August, as well as MBA Mortgage Applications.

Europe ticks higher as Spanish political uneasiness remains, Asia mixed

European equity markets showed some late-day strength to finish mostly higher with yesterday's upbeat global manufacturing data supporting sentiment and overshadowing lingering Spanish political uncertainty in the wake of the weekend's independence vote in Catalonia, which was deemed as illegal. The euro was higher versus the U.S. dollar and bond yields in the region gained ground.

The British pound saw some pressure following a read on construction output, which unexpectedly fell into contraction territory for September, and as Brexit uncertainty festered. For a look at the Brexit process, see our article, Brexit Begins: What's Next for the U.K?, on the Insights & Ideas page at www.schwab.com. The pound jumped last month as the Bank of England signaled that a rate hike could happen in the coming months. Schwab's Jeffrey Kleintop, CFA, discusses the shift in monetary policy and points out that Inflation May Be The Biggest Question For Investors In 2018, on the Market Commentary page at www.schwab.com. German markets were closed for a holiday.

Stocks in Asia finished mixed, with global market sentiment continuing to be buoyed by recent upbeat economic data, bolstered by yesterday's favorable manufacturing reports out of the U.S., China, Japan and eurozone. The yen continued to see pressure, helping stocks in Japan finish at a two-year high. Markets rallied in Hong Kong after returning to action following yesterday's holiday, with financials leading the way on the weekend announcement that the People's Bank of China will reduce the amount of cash lenders must hold in reserve. Markets in mainland China and South Korea extended holiday breaks. Listings in India moved to the upside, but Australian securities declined in the wake of the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) expected unchanged monetary policy decision.

However, the markets appeared disappointed by RBA Governor Lowe's remarks after the decision, which provided a mixed outlook to foster policy uncertainty. Amid this backdrop, Schwab's Jeffrey Kleintop, CFA, and Vice President of Trading and Derivatives, Randy Frederick note in the video, Is An Optimistic Outlook for Global Equities Warranted?, all of the world's top 20 economies are growing this year—a rare occurrence over the last decade, underpinning our positive outlook for global earnings. Read more on the Insights & Ideas page at www.schwab.com and follow Randy on Twitter: @randyafrederick.

Similar to the U.S., reads on the all-important services sector will dominate tomorrow's international economic calendar, while other items of note include retail sales from the Eurozone, and the Reserve Bank of India's monetary policy decision, with no change to the nation's interest rates expected.

No comments: