Stocks Extend Recent Gains

Charles Schwab: On the Market

Posted: 12/8/2017 4:15 PM EST

Stocks Extend Recent Gains

 

U.S. stocks advanced during the regular trading session to extend recent gains and finish the week mostly higher. The advance for equities was aided by a relatively upbeat read on the domestic labor market which followed favorable economic reports out of China and Japan. Treasury yields were mixed and the U.S. dollar was higher, while gold was little changed and crude oil prices rallied. 

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) increased 119 points (0.5%) to 24,329, the S&P 500 Index was 15 points (0.6%) higher at 2,651, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 27 points (0.4%) to 6,840. In moderate volume, 740 million shares were traded on the NYSE and 1.8 billion shares changed hands on the Nasdaq. WTI crude oil increased $0.67 to $57.36 per barrel and wholesale gasoline gained $0.02 to $1.72 per gallon. Elsewhere, the Bloomberg gold spot price moved $0.71 higher to $1,247.93 per ounce, and the Dollar Index—a comparison of the U.S. dollar to six major world currencies—was 0.1% higher at 93.90. Markets were mixed for the week, as the DJIA and the S&P 500 Index increased 0.4% and the Nasdaq Composite declined 0.1%.

United Continental Holdings Inc. (UAL $64) increased its Q4 passenger revenue outlook after reporting a 5.1% increase in November traffic, and it announced a new $3 billion share repurchase program. Shares traded higher.

Western Digital Corp. (WDC $81) is gained solid ground amid media reports that the company and Toshiba Corp. (TOSYY $16) have reached a deal in principle to settle their chip dispute and could announce a formal agreement next week. Neither company commented on the report.

Cooper Companies Inc. (COO $227) reported fiscal Q4 earnings-per-share (EPS) of $1.78, or $2.65 ex-items, versus the $2.64 FactSet estimate, with revenues rising 8.0% year-over-year (y/y) to $562 million, above the projected $559 million. The medical device company issued 2018 EPS guidance that had a midpoint below expectations. Shares finished solidly lower.

November labor report shows job growth tops forecasts, consumer sentiment slips

Nonfarm payrolls (chart) rose by 228,000 jobs month-over-month (m/m) in November, compared to the Bloomberg forecast of a 195,000 increase. The rise of 261,000 seen in October was revised to a gain of 244,000 jobs. The total upward revision to the job gains in October and September was 3,000.

Excluding government hiring and firing, private sector payrolls increased by 221,000, versus the forecasted gain of 195,000, after rising by 247,000 in October, revised from the 252,000 increase that was initially reported. The Department of Labor said employment continued to trend up in professional and business services, manufacturing and healthcare.

The unemployment rate remained at 4.1%, matching estimates, while average hourly earnings were up 0.2% m/m, below projections of a 0.3% increase and versus October's downwardly revised 0.1% decrease. Y/Y, wage gains were 2.5% higher, versus estimates of a 2.7% increase and October's downwardly revised 2.3% rise. Finally, average weekly hours ticked higher to 34.5 from October's unrevised 34.4 rate, where it was forecasted to remain.

Rate hike expectations for when the Fed concludes its meeting next week remained elevated following the relatively favorable employment report but the softer-than-expected wage growth and downward revision to the prior month may have caused some uncertainty regarding the pace of rate hikes in 2018. As we head toward the New Year, Schwab's Director of Market and Sector Analysis, Brad Sorensen, CFA, offers a look at the key issues to watch in his latest, Schwab Sector Views: 18 Thoughts Heading into '18, pointing out that business optimism is elevated, which could bolster already rising capital investments. This could help support a continuation of the strong labor market.
Schwab's Chief Investment Strategist Liz Ann Sonders points out that capital spending (capex) is likely to be an economic highlight in 2018 and coupled with the continued rebound in productivity is good news for wages in her articles, Takin Care of Business: Several Important Kickers for a Strong Capex Cycle and One Thing Leads to Another: Productivity's Rebound.

The preliminary University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index (chart) declined to 96.8 in December, from 98.5 in November, and compared to expectations of an improvement to 99.0. The current economic conditions component of the survey improved but was more than offset by a decline in the expectations part of the report. The 1-year inflation forecast rose to 2.8% from November's 2.5% rate, while the 5-10 year inflation outlook ticked higher to 2.5% from the prior month's level of 2.4%.

Wholesale inventories (chart) were revised lower to a 0.5% m/m decline for October from the preliminary estimate of a 0.4% decrease, where it was forecasted to remain and compared to September's 0.1% gain. Sales grew 0.7% m/m, compared to forecasts of a 0.3% increase and September's upwardly revised 1.4% rise. The inventory-to-sales ratio—the amount of time it would take to deplete inventories at the current sales pace—dipped to a 1.25 months pace from September's 1.26 rate.

Treasuries finished mixed, with the yield on the 2-year note dipping 1 basis point (bp) to 1.79%, the yield on the 10-year note remaining at 2.37%, and the 30-year bond rate increasing 1 bp to 2.76%.

The U.S. dollar is extended its weekly gain and Treasury yields are diverged on the heels of the employment data, which followed favorable Chinese trade and Japanese GDP figures. Moreover, the markets cheered a breakthrough in the U.K. Brexit impasse, and a short-term government funding bill late yesterday that should help avoid a U.S. government shutdown this weekend. However, tax reform continues to be a main focus for the markets as the House and Senate grapple with reconciling key differences in their bills.

Schwab's Director of Tax and Financial Planning, Hayden Adams, CPA, offers analysis of the reconciliation process and what investors should be paying attention to, in his article, Tax Reform: What Investors Should Know.

If you have questions regarding how the potential tax overhaul may affect you as an investor, see Hayden's Tax Reform: Frequently Asked Questions.

Europe and Asia higher

European equity markets moved higher, with the markets cheering upbeat economic reports out of the U.S., China and Japan, which overshadowed an unexpected drop in German exports and mixed industrial and manufacturing production figures in the region. Financials led the way, bolstered by a long-awaited deal by regulators to complete the final batch of post-crisis capital rules, which offered clarity for the industry. The U.K. and European Union (EU) reached a deal on three key issues, including the Irish border, that paves the way to break the Brexit negotiation deadlock and likely leads to talks moving to the next phase ahead of next week's EU summit. However, the next stage would revolve around trade and headlines suggested this could be a lengthy process in getting an agreement, which appeared to weigh on the British pound versus the U.S. dollar. The Brexit breakthrough joined the agreement in the U.S. on a short-term government spending bill that likely avoids a near-term shutdown, though the markets continued to eye the U.S. tax reform reconciliation process.

Schwab's Chief Global Investment Strategist Jeffrey Kleintop, CFA, and Vice President of Trading and Derivatives Randy Frederick point out in the video, Political Risk: How Should Investors Respond?, that a long history of these developments shows us that holding a well-diversified portfolio may buffer the short-term market moves that are often the result. So, investors should avoid overreacting to the political and geopolitical drama and stick to their long-term financial plans. The euro dipped versus the greenback and bond yields in the region finished mixed.

Stocks in Asia finished higher as the U.S. markets rose to break a string of sluggishness, while economic reports in the region fostered some optimism. Japan's Q3 GDP was revised to a 2.5% quarter-over-quarter annualized pace of growth, from the preliminary estimate of a 1.4% rise, and versus expectations of an adjustment to a 1.5% rate of expansion. China's November exports and imports rose much more than expected resulting in an unexpected widening of the nation's trade surplus. The yen lost ground for a second day amid some rejuvenated global economic optimism, helping lift Japanese share prices. Stocks trading in mainland China and Hong Kong advanced, while securities trading in Australia and India also gained ground and South Korean equities ticked to the upside. The markets rebounded after a recent stumble and Schwab's Jeffrey Kleintop, CFA, and Randy Frederick, discuss in the video, It's All Relative: Why Stocks May Not Be Overvalued.

Stocks nudge higher on week as tech rebounds and tax reform moves closer

U.S. stocks finished the week modestly higher with economic data continuing to paint a positive global backdrop, while the weekend passage of the Senate's tax reform bill fostered optimism that the most sweeping overhaul effort in decades was moving closer to President Donald Trump's desk. Moreover, the tech sector rollover that had pressured the markets as of late, reversed to the upside as the week matured to help nudge the markets into positive territory and the Nasdaq mostly recover early losses. Energy stocks lagged behind as crude oil prices moved to the downside. The U.S. dollar moved noticeably higher and Treasury yields ticked to the upside in choppy trading with political uncertainty in Europe also garnering attention.

Next week, fiscal policy focus will share the spotlight with monetary policy as the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is highly expected to conclude its Wednesday meeting with a 25 bps increase to its target fed funds rate to 1.50% (economic calendar). However, the accompanying updated FOMC projections and Chairwoman Janet Yellen's final press conference shortly after the decision will likely garner the most attention as the markets try to gauge the pace of rate hikes in 2018. The decision will also be joined by releases next week including: JOLTS Job Openings report, the NFIB Small Business Optimism Index, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the Producer Price Index (PPI), retail sales, Markit's business activity reports, and industrial production and capacity utilization.

As noted in the latest Schwab Market Perspective: The Big Picture Heading into 2018, a better-than-expected 2017 appears to be morphing into a solid start to 2018, but it is unlikely to be as smooth a ride. We believe the bull market still has room to run but it could shape up to be a bumpier ride as expectations and sentiment are elevated. U.S. economic growth appears to be picking up, but with the Federal Reserve tightening policy and inflation likely to heat up, we appear to be in the latter stages of the cycle. Global markets are also poised to have an unprecedented year of performance; which is unlikely to be repeated, but conditions around the world still look largely supportive of further gains.

International reports due out next week to look out for include: Australia—employment change. China—CPI and PPI, lending statistics, retail sales, and industrial production. India—CPI, industrial production, and trade balance. Japan—machine orders, industrial production and capacity utilization, and the Q4 Tankan Large Manufacturing Index. Eurozone—European Central Bank monetary policy decision, industrial production, Markit's business activity reports, and the trade balance, along with German investor sentiment and CPI. U.K.—the Bank of England monetary policy decision, CPI, employment change, and retail sales.

Stocks Advance Ahead of Jobs Report

Charles Schwab: On the Market

Posted: 12/7/2017 4:15 PM EST

Stocks Advance Ahead of Jobs Report

 

U.S. stocks traded higher with technology shares leading the advance on the heels of some upbeat results and guidance from Broadcom. Crude oil prices rose solidly and Treasury yields were mostly higher, while gold was lower and the U.S. dollar ticked to the upside to add to its recent gains. Market participants continued to assess the tax reform landscape amid the reconciliation process. Tomorrow, the morning release of the November labor report will likely garner much attention.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) increased 71 points (0.3%) to 24,211, the S&P 500 Index was 8 points (0.3%) higher at 2,637, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 36 points (0.5%) to 6,813. In moderate volume, 824 million shares were traded on the NYSE and 1.9 billion shares changed hands on the Nasdaq. WTI crude oil increased $0.73 to $56.69 per barrel and wholesale gasoline gained $0.04 to $1.70 per gallon. Elsewhere, the Bloomberg gold spot price moved $15.54 lower to $1,247.83 per ounce, and the Dollar Index—a comparison of the U.S. dollar to six major world currencies—was nearly 0.1% higher at 93.74.

Broadcom Limited (AVGO $264) reported fiscal Q4 earnings-per-share (EPS) of $1.50, or $4.59 ex-items, versus the $4.52 FactSet estimate, as revenues rose 17.0% year-over-year (y/y) to $4.9 billion, above the projected $4.8 billion. The chipmaker issued Q1 revenue guidance that had a midpoint above expectations. The company also announced a 72% increase to its quarterly dividend to $1.75 per share. Shares finished flat after initially trading higher.

Dollar General Corp. (DG $93) posted Q3 EPS of $0.93, versus the estimated $0.94, as revenues increased 11.0% y/y to $5.9 billion, topping the projected $5.8 billion. Q3 same-store sales grew 4.3% y/y, exceeding the forecasted 2.7% gain. DG narrowed its full-year earnings outlook, while increasing its sales guidance. Shares gained ground.

Dow member General Electric Co. (GE $18) announced that its GE Power group plans to reduce its global headcount by about 12,000 positions as part of its effort to reduce overall structural costs. GE traded to the upside.

Lululemon Athletica Inc. (LULU $72) announced Q3 EPS of $0.43, or $0.56 ex-items, versus the projected $0.52, with revenues rising 14.0% y/y to $619 million, north of the expected $610 million. Q3 same-store sales grew 8.0% y/y, above the estimated 5.3% gain. The company's gross and operating margins topped forecasts. LULU issued Q4 guidance that topped forecasts, while it raised its full-year outlook. Separately, the company authorized the repurchase of up to $200 million in its common shares. Shares gained solid ground.

Shares of SAGE Therapeutics Inc. (SAGE $156) rallied 70% after the company announced positive results regarding a trial of its treatment for major depressive disorder.

Consumer credit tops expectations, jobless claims surprisingly decline

Consumer credit, released in the final hour of trading, showed consumer borrowing expanded by $20.5 billion during October, well above the $17.0 billion forecast of economists polled by Bloomberg, while September's figure was adjusted lower to $19.2 billion from $20.8 billion. Non-revolving debt, which includes student loans and loans for vehicles and mobile homes, rose $12.2 billion, a 5.3% increase y/y, while revolving debt, which includes credit cards, rose by $8.3 billion, a 9.9% y/y rise.

Weekly initial jobless claims (chart) decreased by 2,000 to 236,000 last week, versus the Bloomberg forecast of 240,000, as the prior week was unrevised at 238,000. The four-week moving average dipped by 750 to 241,500, while continuing claims dropped by 52,000 to 1,908,000, south of estimates of 1,919,000.

The upbeat report comes ahead of tomorrow's November nonfarm payroll report, with jobs projected to rise by 195,000, following October's 261,000 jump (economic calendar). Private sector employment is expected to grow 198,000 on the heels of the prior month's 252,000 gain. The unemployment rate is forecasted to remain at 4.1%. However, given the importance of the consumer on U.S. economic output and the subdued inflation outlook, tomorrow's wage component of the report is likely to garner the most attention as the markets try to project the pace of Fed rate hikes in 2018 after December's highly-expected increase. Average hourly earnings are anticipated to rise 0.3% month-over-month (m/m) after being disappointingly flat in October and the y/y pace of earnings is projected to accelerate to 2.7% from 2.4%.

As we head into 2018, Schwab's Director of Market and Sector Analysis, Brad Sorensen, CFA, offers his latest, Schwab Sector Views: 18 Thoughts Heading into '18. In our view, a repeat of 2017 is unlikely, and we’re expecting more sector changes in 2018 than there were in 2017. Brad adds that the Fed will be under new management and have several new members throughout the year, and we don’t currently expect major changes in the normalization process but the new makeup could change things.

Treasuries were mostly lower, with the yield on the 2-year note dipping 1 basis point (bp) to 1.80%, while the yield on the 10-year note increased 2 bps to 2.36%, and the 30-year bond rate advanced 3 bps to 2.76%.

The U.S. dollar slightly extended its weekly gain and Treasury yields dipped. Tax reform continues to be a main focus for the markets as the House and Senate grapple with key differences in their bills with the reconciliation process expected to be highly competitive.

Schwab's Director of Tax and Financial Planning, Hayden Adams, CPA, offers analysis of some likely changes, based on what we know about the current bills, in his article, Tax Reform: What Investors Should Know, though he cautions that it's hard to be certain what might be in the final bill.
We believe it would be premature for individual investors to make changes now, given the high degree of uncertainty over any eventual new tax law, but Hayden offers his Tax Reform: Frequently Asked Questions for investors wondering how the most sweeping tax overhaul effort in decades will affect them.

Additional economic reports expected tomorrow include wholesale inventories, forecasted to have declined 0.4% m/m in October, and the preliminary University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index, expected to have ticked higher for December's initial result to 99.0 from November's final read of 98.5.

Europe and Asia finish mixed

European equity markets finished mixed, following some divergent economic data in the region, while conviction remained stymied by policy uncertainty as the U.S. tax reform reconciliation process looms and U.K. Brexit concerns festered. The British pound turned slightly higher versus the U.S. dollar as U.K. Prime Minister May scrambles amid heightened political pressures to try to make progress on Brexit negotiations. The U.K. and EU have reportedly agreed on the future role of the European Court of Justice in British legal cases but the Irish border issues still remains a substantial sticking point as a deadline nears for the EU to deem if negotiations have progressed enough to move on to the next stage. Schwab's Chief Global Investment Strategist Jeffrey Kleintop, CFA, and Vice President of Trading and Derivatives Randy Frederick point out in the video, Political Risk: How Should Investors Respond?, that a long history of these developments shows us that holding a well-diversified portfolio may buffer the short-term market moves that are often the result. So, investors should avoid overreacting to the political and geopolitical drama and stick to their long-term financial plans. In economic news, German industrial production unexpectedly fell in October and the Q3 eurozone GDP growth rate was revised higher to a 2.6% y/y pace, from a previous estimate of a 2.5% gain, where it was expected to remain. The euro was little changed versus the U.S. dollar and bond yields in the region traded mixed.

Stocks in Asia finished mixed, with technology issues rebounding after a recent bout of pressure, while the focus on U.S. tax reform remained and the markets appear to be continuing to assess the year's strong advance. The global rally is discussed by Schwab's Jeffrey Kleintop, CFA, and Randy Frederick, in the video, It's All Relative: Why Stocks May Not Be Overvalued. Japanese equities almost overcame yesterday's entire drop, with the yen giving back yesterday's rise. Stocks trading in Hong Kong rebounded slightly from yesterday's slide, though mainland Chinese shares declined with banks seeing some pressure after a the IMF said lenders need more capital and the government proposed liquidity-management regulations. Australian securities traded higher, led by strength in banking stocks and Indian equities gained ground on the heels of yesterday's unchanged monetary policy decision by the Reserve Bank of India. South Korean stocks declined with the tech rebound being countered by weakness in manufacturing and energy issues.

The international economic docket for tomorrow will yield reports on Q3 GDP and bank lending from Japan, home loans from Australia, the trade balance and labor costs from Germany, and construction output, industrial and manufacturing production, and the trade balance from the U.K.

Dow Continues Rally, Techs Sock Nasdaq

Charles Schwab: On the Market

Posted: 12/4/2017 4:15 PM EST

Dow Continues Rally, Techs Sock Nasdaq

 

The Dow added to its recent surge, with economic optimism getting a boost from another strong read on domestic business spending, while the Senate's passage of its tax reform bill over the weekend added to the enthusiasm. However, sustained weakness in the tech sector continued to weigh on the Nasdaq. Treasury yields and the U.S. dollar were higher ahead of a busy week of economic reports that will culminate with Friday's nonfarm payroll report, while crude oil and gold were lower.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) rose 58 points (0.2%) to 24,290, the S&P 500 Index lost 3 points (0.1%) to 2,639, and the Nasdaq Composite tumbled 72 points (1.1%) to 6,775. In heavy volume, 987 million shares were traded on the NYSE and 2.4 billion shares changed hands on the Nasdaq. WTI crude oil fell $0.89 to $57.47 per barrel and wholesale gasoline declined $0.05 to $1.69 per gallon. Elsewhere, the Bloomberg gold spot price decreased $4.42 to $1,276.20 per ounce, and the Dollar Index—a comparison of the U.S. dollar to six major world currencies—was 0.4% higher at 93.23.

CVS Health Corp. (CVS $72) announced an agreement to acquire Aetna Inc. (AET $179) for $207 per share in cash and stock, valued at about $69 billion, excluding debt. Under the terms of the deal, Aetna stockholders will receive $145 in cash and 0.8378 CVS Health shares for each share owned. Shares of both companies were lower.

Italy's Prysmian SpA (PRYMY $16) announced an agreement to acquire Kentucky-based General Cable Corp. (BGC $30) for $30 per share in cash, for a total value of about $3 billion, including the assumption of debt. Shares of BGC rallied over 35%.

Dollar, rates and stocks gain ground on tax reform and continued robust business spending

Treasuries finished lower, as the yield on the 2-year note rose 3 basis points (bps) to 1.80%, while the yields on the 10-year note and the 30-year bond advanced 1 bp to 2.37% and 2.76%, respectively.
Treasury yields and the U.S. dollar moved to the upside and the stock markets added to last week's strong gains, bolstered by the Senate's passing of its tax reform bill over the weekend. Now the reconciliation process looms as the House and Senate have to find some key areas of compromise before a tax reform bill can go to President Donald Trump's desk for a signature.

Schwab's Vice President of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Michael T. Townsend notes in his latest commentary,Tax Reform Bills Progress, but Many Hurdles Remain, negotiations between the House and Senate will likely be extremely challenging, given the differences between the two approaches. For investors, we still think it is too early to take any drastic action. If and when a tax bill passes, there will be time to review the details and amend your tax and financial plans accordingly. Regardless of the outcome of the tax bill, it’s always a good idea to meet with your tax and financial advisors before the end of the year to review your current financial situation and discuss your plans for the coming year.

Factory orders (chart) dipped 0.1% month-over-month (m/m) in October, better than the Bloomberg expectation of a 0.4% decline, and versus September's upwardly revised 1.7% gain. Stripping out the volatile transportation component, orders rose 0.8% and September's 0.7% gain was revised to a 1.1% increase. October durable goods orders—preliminarily reported last week to have dropped 1.2%—were favorably adjusted to a 0.8% decrease, and compared to forecasts of a revised 1.0% decline. Also, nondefense capital goods orders excluding aircraft, a gauge of business spending, were revised higher to a 0.3% decrease from the initially-reported 0.5% decline.

The highlight of the report was the upward revision to the gauge of business spending, which has risen for four-straight months, with an average month gain of 1.3% for the period. This adds credence to Schwab's Chief Investment Strategist Liz Ann Sonders' view that an even sharper recovery could be in the cards for U.S. business capital spending in 2018, while tax reform—if we get it—would be an additional kicker in her article, Takin Care of Business: Several Important Kickers for a Strong Capex Cycle.

Today's release kicked off a busy economic calendar that will continue tomorrow with a look at the all-important services sector in the form of the ISM non-Manufacturing Index, with economists forecasting a slight decline in the reading for November to a level of 59.0 from October's 60.1, as well as Markit's final Services PMI Index for November, expected to post a reading of 54.7, in line with its preliminary report, but below the 55.3 registered the month prior, while the trade balance will round out the day's docket, with the deficit expected to widen to $47.1 billion during October from September's $43.5 billion.

Europe higher on U.S. tax reform, Brexit negotiations in focus, Asia mixed

The European equity markets rallied, with financials a noticeable gainer along with industrials. Bond yields in the region were mostly higher, while the euro declined versus the U.S. dollar on the weekend's tax reform bill passage by the Senate and upbeat U.S. business spending data, which bolstered global economic optimism. The British pound reversed to the downside on the greenback after the meeting between Prime Minister Theresa May and European Commission President Juncker ended without reaching a deal on an Irish border issue. The meeting was highly expected to produce a deal and likely help Brexit talks end a deadlock. With volatility showing some signs of life last week, in his article, Schwab's Chief Global Investment Strategist Jeffrey Kleintop, CFA, tackles the question, Are Stocks too Expensive?, noting that although world stock market valuations are above average, similar valuations have produced double-digit gains over the following 12 months during the past 50 years. Jeff concludes that valuations support a globally diversified portfolio offering the best diversification benefits in 20 years.

Stocks in Asia finished mixed as the markets grapple with the weekend's tax reform bill passing in the U.S. Senate, along with flared-up uncertainty regarding what possible ramifications former U.S. NSA advisor Mike Flynn's guilty plea for lying to the FBI may have for the Trump administration. This news on Friday caused the U.S. stock markets to dip but they held onto solid weekly gains. Stocks in Japan, mainland China and Australia all lost ground, but securities traded in South Korea, Hong Kong and India saw modest gains. Although showing some signs of choppiness, the global stock markets remain nicely higher for the year that has been bolstered by the broadest economic growth in a decade. This is expected to continue in 2018 as discussed by Schwab's Jeffrey Kleintop, CFA, in his article, 5 Reasons Investors Should Give Thanks.

Services PMI readings from across the globe will dominate tomorrow's international economic calendar, with other reports of note to include retail sales from the U.K. and the Eurozone, new home sales from Australia, and industrial production from Spain. In central bank action, the Reserve Bank of Australia will meet, with no change to its benchmark interest rate expected.

Stocks Gain Ground, Dow Rallies

On the Market

Posted: 10/18/2017 4:15 PM EDT

Stocks Gain Ground, Dow Rallies

 

U.S. stocks finished higher with Dow member IBM's quarterly results aiding the blue chip index to close well above the 23,000 mark for the first time. Treasury yields rose despite continued uncertainty in regard to the future leadership of the Federal Reserve. Housing construction activity disappointed and the Fed's Beige Book noted a modest and moderate increase in domestic economic activity. The U.S. dollar and crude oil prices were little changed, while gold was lower. 

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) rallied 160 points (0.7%) to 23,158, the S&P 500 Index added 2 points (0.1%) to 2,561, and the Nasdaq Composite was nearly 1 point higher at 6,624. In moderate volume, 677 million shares were traded on the NYSE and 1.7 billion shares changed hands on the Nasdaq. WTI crude oil ticked $0.15 higher to $52.26 per barrel and wholesale gasoline increased $0.01 to $1.64 per gallon. Elsewhere, the Bloomberg gold spot price lost $4.04 to $1,281.08 per ounce, and the Dollar Index—a comparison of the U.S. dollar to six major world currencies—was nearly unchanged at 93.41.

Dow member International Business Machines Corp. (IBM $160) reported Q3 earnings-per-share (EPS) of $2.92, or $3.30 ex-items, versus the $3.28 FactSet estimate, as revenues dipped 0.4% year-over-year (y/y) to $19.2 billion, topping the expected $18.6 billion. The company's cloud revenue rose 20% y/y, helping it achieve double-digit growth in its strategic imperatives. IBM reaffirmed its full-year earnings outlook and projected Q4 revenues that topped forecasts and would end a 22-quarter streak of declines. Shares rallied.

Abbott Laboratories(ABT $56) reported Q3 EPS of $0.32, or $0.66 ex-items, versus the projected $0.65, with revenues rising 5.6% y/y to $6.8 billion, compared to the expected $6.7 billion. ABT issued Q4 profit guidance that matched forecasts, while it narrowed its full-year earnings outlook. Shares traded higher.

Housing construction activity misses, ahead of Fed's business activity report

Housing starts (chart) for September dropped 4.7% month-over-month (m/m) to an annual pace of 1,127,000 units, below the Bloomberg forecast of a 1,175,000 unit rate. August starts were upwardly revised to an annual pace of 1,183,000. Starts on both single and multi-unit structures were down m/m but are higher compared to the last year. Building permits, one of the leading indicators tracked by the Conference Board as it is a gauge of future construction, fell 4.5% m/m in September to an annual rate of 1,215,000, after August's downwardly revised 1,272,000 rate, and south of the expected annual pace of 1,245,000 units. Permits for single unit structures were up m/m and y/y, while multi-family units were down sharply m/m and y/y.

The MBA Mortgage Application Index rose 3.6% last week, following the prior week's 2.1% decline. The increase came as a 3.0% gain in the Refinance Index was met with a 4.2% rise in the Purchase Index. The average 30-year mortgage rate decreased 2 basis points (bps) to 4.14%.
Mortgage demand appears healthy and home-buying incentives may be bolstered by continued relatively low interest rates and high rental rates in some areas of the country, as discussed as one of the reasons we have an outperform rating on the financial sector in Schwab's Director of Market and Sector Analysis, Brad Sorensen's, CFA, latest, Schwab Sector Views: Sustainable Energy?.

In afternoon action, the Federal Reserve released its Beige Book, a summary of business activity across the nation used as a tool to prepare for its next two-day monetary policy meeting ending on November 1st. The report indicated that domestic economic activity increased at a pace split between modest and moderate in September through early October. Major disruptions from hurricanes Harvey and Irma were reported in some areas and sectors in the Richmond, Atlanta and Dallas Districts. Meanwhile, job growth was modest on balance, and labor markets continued to be characterized as "tight."

The report also noted that price pressures remained modest and several Districts noted increased manufacturing input costs that in most cases weren't passed through to selling prices, while retail prices increased slightly. For our analysis of inflation, Schwab's Chief Investment Strategist Liz Ann Sonders notes in her article, The Waiting: Wage Growth and Inflation Finally Getting in Gear?, with wage growth picking up and the labor market even tighter, it’s time to put even traditional measures of inflation back on the radar screen. Also, Schwab's Chief Global Investment Strategist Jeffrey Kleintop, CFA, notes his commentary, Inflation May Be The Biggest Question For Investors In 2018, that central banks are behaving as if wages and inflation will revive in the year ahead. If they don’t, and central banks don’t alter their policy path, the global stock markets could be in for a rough 2018.

Global monetary policy remains in focus as many central banks appear to be shifting onto the path to normalization, while the upcoming end of Fed Chief Janet Yellen's term is fostering some uncertainty. Schwab's Jeffrey Kleintop discusses, How the Shift by Central Banks May Affect the Stock Market, and Schwab's Chief Fixed Income Strategist, Kathy Jones talks in the video with Vice President of Trading and Derivatives, Randy Frederick, Should a Change in Fed Leadership Matter to Investors?. Tax reform continues to garner attention, with the Senate expected to vote this week on its budget resolution that could help nudge it further down the long road to fruition, as discussed by Schwab's Vice President of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Michael T. Townsend in the article, Tax Reform Framework Released, But The Road Ahead Is Long.

Check out these articles and video on the Market Commentary page at www.schwab.com. Follow our Schwab experts on Twitter: @lizannsonders, @jeffreykleintop, @kathyjones and @randyafrederick.
Treasuries finished lower, with the yield on the 2-year note ticking 2 bps higher to 1.56%, while the yields on the 10-year note and 30-year bond rose 4 bps to 2.34% and 2.85%, respectively. The U.S. dollar was little changed as global economic optimism was countered by the aforementioned uncertainties.

Tomorrow, the U.S. economic calendar will begin with weekly initial jobless claims, forecasted to have ticked lower to a level of 240,000 from the prior week's 243,000, as well as the Philly Fed Manufacturing Index, anticipated to have ticked lower to a reading of 22.0 in October from 23.8 in September. Rounding out the day, we'll receive the Leading Index for September, expected to increase 0.1% m/m after rising 0.4% in August.

Europe higher despite lingering political uneasiness, Asia mixed as Japan continues streak

European equity markets finished higher, despite festering political uncertainty as the independence standoff between Spain and Catalonia continues, with that latter given a deadline of Thursday morning to renounce independence claims. Also, Brexit talks remain in a deadlock ahead of this week's summit of European Union leaders. For analysis, see Schwab's Jeffrey Kleintop's, CFA, and Randy Frederick's video, Political Risk: How Should Investors Respond?, and our article, Brexit Begins: What's Next for the U.K?, on the Market Commentary page at www.schwab.com. IBM's earnings results across the pond appeared to foster some optimism regarding global earnings as the season kicks into gear. The euro ticked higher and British pound dipped versus the U.S. dollar, while bond yields in the region gained solid ground to boost financials. In economic news, U.K. employment change came in below forecasts, while eurozone construction output declined in August.

Stocks in Asia finished mixed as the markets await a flood of Chinese economic data tonight, headlined by the nation's Q3 GDP report, which is expected to show growth slowed slightly to a 6.8% y/y pace from 6.9% in Q2. Also, the commencement of China's Communist Party National Congress was in focus but comments from President Xi offered no huge changes to the country's outlook. Shares trading in Hong Kong and mainland China gained ground. Japanese equities nudged higher to continue a winning streak to 12 sessions, which has led the Nikkei 225 Index to its highest level since 1996. Japan's stock market has contributed to the global rally and Schwab's Jeffrey Kleintop, CFA, and Randy Frederick discuss in the video, Are Investors Underestimating the Stock Market Rally?, on the Market Commentary page at www.schwab.com. Stocks trading in South Korea and India dipped, while Australian securities finished mostly flat.

The international economic docket for tomorrow will include trade data, the All Industry Activity Index and machine tool orders from Japan, employment data and business confidence from Australia and retail sales from the U.K., while China will release retail sales in addition to its aforementioned GDP report.

Stocks Advance to Begin the Week

Charles Schwab: On the Market

Posted: 10/16/2017 4:15 PM EDT

Stocks Advance to Begin the Week

 

U.S. stocks began the week on a positive note as shares continued the recent record run on the heels of an unexpected jump in regional manufacturing activity that coupled with some upbeat Chinese economic data to aid global economic optimism. The advance for stocks may have been limited as market participants await a host of earnings and economic reports expected later this week. Treasury yields and the U.S. dollar ticked higher, while gold was flat and crude oil added to last week's gains. In equity news, Nordstrom traded lower after suspending its search to go private. 

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) increased 85 points (0.4%) to 22,957, the S&P 500 Index added 4 points (0.2%) to 2,558, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 18 points (0.3%) to 6,624. In moderate-to-light volume, 695 million shares were traded on the NYSE and 1.6 billion shares changed hands on the Nasdaq. WTI crude oil increased $0.42 to $51.87 per barrel and wholesale gasoline was flat at $1.62 per gallon. Elsewhere, the Bloomberg gold spot price lost $9.00 to $1,294.82 per ounce, and the Dollar Index—a comparison of the U.S. dollar to six major world currencies—was 0.2% higher at 93.31.

Nordstrom Inc. (JWN $40) saw heavy pressure after the retailer announced, in light of the difficulty of obtaining debt financing in the current retail environment, it suspended active exploration, for the balance of the year, of the possibility of proposing a transaction to take the company private. The company said it intends to continue its efforts to explore the possibility of making a going private proposal after the conclusion of the holiday season.

Aramark (ARMK $42), a provider of uniforms and food to schools and stadiums, announced agreements to acquire competitors Avendra for about $1.35 billion, as well as AmeriPride Services Inc. for $1.0 billion. ARMK finished little changed.

Regional manufacturing activity jumps to three-year high

The Empire Manufacturing Index showed output from the New York region jumped further into a level depicting expansion (a reading above zero) for October. The index rose to 30.2—the highest since 2014—from September's unrevised 24.4 level, with the Bloomberg forecast calling for a decline to 20.2.

Treasuries dipped, with the yield on the 2-year note rising 4 basis points (bps) to 1.53%, the yield on the 10-year note advancing 3 bps to 2.30%, and the 30-year bond rate ticking 1 bp higher to 2.82%. Bond yields and the U.S. dollar nudged higher and have been choppy as inflation remains in focus and global economic growth remains steady, while global monetary policy uncertainty lingers and the markets continue to grapple with the potential for tax reform.

For more on this backdrop, see Schwab's Chief Investment Strategist Liz Ann Sonders' article, The Waiting: Wage Growth and Inflation Finally Getting in Gear?, and Schwab's Chief Global Investment Strategist Jeffrey Kleintop's, CFA, commentary, Inflation May Be The Biggest Question For Investors In 2018.

Moreover, Jeff discusses, How the Shift by Central Banks May Affect the Stock Market, and talks in the video with Vice President of Trading and Derivatives, Randy Frederick, Should a Change in Fed Leadership Matter to Investors?, while Schwab's Vice President of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Michael T. Townsend, delivers his article, Tax Reform Framework Released, But The Road Ahead Is Long.

Check out these articles and video on the Market Commentary page at www.schwab.com. Follow our Schwab experts on Twitter: @lizannsonders, @jeffreykleintop, @kathyjones and @randyafrederick.
Tomorrow, the U.S. economic calendar will offer the Import Price Index for September, expected to have increased 0.6% month-over-month (m/m), matching the increase seen in August. Additionally, we'll receive the Fed's September industrial production and capacity utilization report, forecasted to show production increased 0.3% m/m and utilization ticked higher to 76.2%. The housing market will also garner attention with tomorrow's release of the NAHB Housing Market Index, with economists anticipating October's reading to match the 64 posted in September, where the 50 mark represents the point of separation for good versus poor conditions.

Europe mixed, Asia mostly higher 

European equity markets finished mixed amid persistent global economic optimism following some upbeat Chinese and U.S. economic data, while a report showed the eurozone trade surplus widened more than expected. Crude oil prices extended last week's gains to support the energy sector, bolstered by reports of turmoil in parts of Kirkuk, a Kurdish-controlled oil rich province, per Reuters. For more on the energy sector, check out Schwab's Director of Market and Sector Analysis, Brad Sorensen's, CFA, latest, Schwab Sector Views: Sustainable Energy? on the Market Commentary page at www.schwab.com. Political uncertainty remained elevated, with Catalonia calling for talks with the Spanish government, which is pressing it to clarify if it declared independence, while U.K.

Prime Minister Theresa May headed to Brussels to talk with European officials as Brexit negotiations remain in a deadlock. For analysis, see Schwab's Jeffrey Kleintop's, CFA, and Randy Frederick's video, Political Risk: How Should Investors Respond?, and our article, Brexit Begins: What's Next for the U.K?, on the Market Commentary page at www.schwab.com. The euro dipped and British pound was little changed versus the U.S. dollar, while bond yields in the region lost ground.

Stocks in Asia finished mostly higher on the heels of last week's gains in the U.S. to fresh record highs, culminating with a cooler-than-expected consumer price inflation reading that kept accelerated Fed monetary policy tightening concerns in check. Japanese stocks continued to rally, for their tenth-straight session of gains, rising to levels not seen in over two decades, despite some strength in the yen as the U.S. dollar slipped. Mainland Chinese stocks declined and shares trading in Hong Kong advanced following mixed reads on inflation in September, as well as late-Friday's reports that showed lending activity topped forecasts for last month. The markets are awaiting a flood of Chinese economic data this week, headlined by its Q3 GDP report, along with the beginning of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party. South Korean equities moved higher, while Indian and Australian securities gained ground. Schwab's Jeffrey Kleintop, CFA, and Randy Frederick discuss in the video, Are Investors Underestimating the Stock Market Rally?, on the Market Commentary page at www.schwab.com.

The international economic docket for tomorrow will yield new motor vehicle sales from Australia, CPI, PPI and house prices from the U.K., investor confidence from Germany and CPI for the Eurozone.

Markets Notch Gains Amid a Flurry of Data and Events

Charles Schwab: On the Market

Posted: 10/13/2017 4:15 PM EDT

Markets Notch Gains Amid a Flurry of Data and Events

 

U.S. equities finished out the week higher, getting a boost from a 13-year high in consumer sentiment and solid retail sales. Technology issues caught a draft from HP's favorable guidance, while healthcare issues came under pressure as the Trump administration cut cost-sharing subsidies. Treasury yields were lower on cooler-than-expected inflation data and the U.S. dollar finished nearly unchanged, while crude oil prices moved higher in the wake of President Trump’s decision not to certify the Iran nuclear deal. 

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) increased 32 points (0.1%) to 22,872, the S&P 500 Index added 2 points (0.1%) to 2,553, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 14 points (0.2%) to 6,606. In moderate volume, 769 million shares were traded on the NYSE and 1.7 billion shares changed hands on the Nasdaq. WTI crude oil increased $0.85 to $51.45 per barrel and wholesale gasoline was $0.04 higher at $1.62 per gallon. Elsewhere, the Bloomberg gold spot price added $9.74 to $1,303.46 per ounce, and the Dollar Index—a comparison of the U.S. dollar to six major world currencies—was flat at 93.08. Markets were higher for the week, as the DJIA gained 0.4%, the S&P 500 Index added 0.3% and the Nasdaq Composite increased 0.2%.

Bank of America Corp. (BAC $26) reported Q3 earnings-per-share (EPS) of $0.48, versus the FactSet estimate of $0.46, with revenues rising 1.0% year-over-year (y/y) to $21.8 billion, compared to the expected $22.0 billion. Net interest income topped forecasts and trading revenues were above expectations despite falling, while loans grew and the company cut expenses more than anticipated. BAC was higher.

Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC $54) posted Q3 EPS of $0.84, or $1.04 ex-items, compared to the projected $1.02, as revenues declined 2.0% y/y to $21.9 billion, versus the estimated $22.4 billion. The company's net interest margin came in well below expectations and loans missed estimates. Shares were solidly lower.

HP Inc. (HPQ $22) rallied after the company issued its fiscal 2018 earnings outlook at its analyst day that had a midpoint above expectations. HPQ said it is looking to aggressively focus on pockets of growth in its stabilized core businesses and expand its 3-D printing solutions to include metal for mass-production manufacturing.

The healthcare sector saw some choppiness, led by hospital and managed-care stocks, after President Trump and his administration announced that they will cut off Affordable Care Act cost-sharing subsidies.

With earnings season heating up, Schwab's Director of Market and Sector Analysis, Brad Sorensen, CFA, offers a look at all the major market sectors in his latest, Schwab Sector Views: Sustainable Energy?, on the Market Commentary page at www.schwab.com. Follow us on Twitter: @schwabresearch.

Retail sales rise, consumer inflation cooler than expected, consumer sentiment jumps

Advance retail sales (chart) for September rose 1.6% month-over-month (m/m), compared to the Bloomberg forecast of a 1.7% gain and compared to August's positively-revised 0.1% decline. Last month's sales ex-autos were up by 1.0% m/m, versus expectations of a 0.9% gain, and following the favorably revised 0.5% increase seen in the previous month. Sales ex-autos and gas rose 0.5% m/m, compared to estimates of a 0.4% rise, and versus August's upwardly revised 0.1% gain. The retail sales control group, a figure used to help calculate GDP, grew 0.4%, matching projections, and the prior month's positively revised flat reading. Auto and gas sales rose solidly, along with building materials, while sales of food and beverages, clothing, at restaurants and online all moved higher. Electronics and appliances, furniture, health and personal care, and sporting goods sales categories were down.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) (chart) gained 0.5% m/m in September, versus estimates calling for a 0.6% gain, while August's 0.4% rise was unrevised. The core rate, which strips out food and energy, was up 0.1% m/m, versus expectations for it to match August's unrevised 0.2% rise. Y/Y, prices were 2.2% higher for the headline rate, below forecasts of a 2.3% rise, while the core rate was up 1.7%, south of projections of a 1.8% increase. August y/y figures showed unrevised 1.9% and 1.7% rises for the headline and core rates, respectively.

The preliminary University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index (chart) surged to a 13-year high of 101.1 in October from the prior month's 95.1 level, and compared to expectations for it to dip to 95.0. The current economic conditions and expectations components of the report both jumped. The 1-year inflation forecast fell to 2.3% from September's 2.7% rate, while the 5-10 year inflation outlook dipped to 2.4% from 2.5%.

Business inventories (chart) rose 0.7% m/m in August, in line with forecasts, and versus July's upwardly revised 0.3% increase.

With inflation garnering more attention, Schwab's Chief Investment Strategist Liz Ann Sonders discusses putting traditional measures of inflation back on the radar screen in her article, The Waiting: Wage Growth and Inflation Finally Getting in Gear?, and Schwab's Chief Global Investment Strategist Jeffrey Kleintop, CFA, offers analysis of inflation in a global monetary policy perspective in his commentary, Inflation May Be The Biggest Question For Investors In 2018.

Global monetary policy focus remains, with Europe appearing to lean more hawkish and the Fed continuing down the normalization path amid leadership uncertainty, and Jeff discusses, How the Shift by Central Banks May Affect the Stock Market, and talks in the video with Vice President of Trading and Derivatives, Randy Frederick, Should a Change in Fed Leadership Matter to Investors?.

The political front remained in focus, as in midday action President Trump announced that he will not certify the nuclear deal with Iran, while Washington continues to grapple with tax reform, as discussed by Schwab's Vice President of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Michael T. Townsend, in his article, Tax Reform Framework Released, But The Road Ahead Is Long.

Check out these articles and video on the Market Commentary page at www.schwab.com. Follow our Schwab experts on Twitter: @lizannsonders, @jeffreykleintop, @kathyjones and @randyafrederick.
Treasuries finished higher on the inflation data, as the yield on the 2-year note declined 2 basis points (bps) to 1.50%, the yield on the 10-year note fell 4 bps to 2.28%, and the 30-year bond rate dropped 3 bps to 2.82%.

Europe mixed following U.S. data, Asia mostly higher as Japan extends rally

European equities finished mixed, though a sharp jump in Chinese exports bolstered the basic materials sector. The markets digested today's cooler-than-expected U.S. inflation data and countering retail sales and consumer sentiment reports. As such, the euro and British pound gained modest ground on the greenback to apply some pressure on the markets. A mixed response to key U.S. banking sector earnings reports and declining bond yields weighed on financials. Bond yields saw pressure amid reports suggesting the European Central Bank is considering extending its bond-buying program for at least nine months after it starts tapering stimulus measures, per Bloomberg.

U.K. Brexit uncertainty remained, with a stalemate continuing as a fifth round of negotiations wrap up. Political uncertainty also festered as Spain is pushing Catalonia for clarification on whether or not it declared independence, while recent Italian confidence votes were digested. For analysis, see Schwab's Jeffrey Kleintop's, CFA, and Randy Frederick's video, Political Risk: How Should Investors Respond?, and our article, Brexit Begins: What's Next for the U.K?, on the Market Commentary page at www.schwab.com.

Stocks in Asia finished mostly higher to close out the week, with recent upbeat global economic optimism continuing to buoy sentiment, while Japanese stocks extended a rally to levels not seen in over two decades. Schwab's Jeffrey Kleintop, CFA, and Randy Frederick discuss in the video, Are Investors Underestimating the Stock Market Rally?, on the Market Commentary page at www.schwab.com. Stocks in China and Hong Kong ticked higher on a mixed September trade report, which showed exports rose at a rate that was below forecasts but imports topped expectations. Markets in Australia and India advanced, with the latter gaining on the heels of late-yesterday's upbeat inflation and industrial production reports. After the closing bell, India reported that its exports for September rose solidly. Finally, South Korean equities finished lower.

Stocks tick higher on the week amid mixed data and uncertainties

U.S. stocks posted a fourth-straight weekly gain as Q4 continued to roll on, with data fostering continued global economic optimism to support sentiment and overshadow festering global political and monetary policy uncertainties. Treasury yields and the U.S. dollar slipped after recent rallies on a cooler-than-expected read on consumer price inflation, pared optimism as the markets grapple with the long road to tax reform, and volatility across the pond on a Brexit stalemate and lingering Spanish political uncertainty. As such, real estate and utilities led to the upside, while financials were hampered. Banks also saw pressure as earnings reports from Dow member JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM $96) and Citigroup Inc. (C $72) topped expectations but signs of rising credit costs and the continued drop in trading revenues appeared to foster concerns. Telecommunications issues fell solidly amid continued concerns toward the sector, exacerbated by AT&T Inc's (T $36) warning that its Q3 results were negatively-impacted by the hurricanes and heightened competition. Consumer staples were among the best performers, aided by Dow member Wal-Mart Stores Inc's (WMT $87) $20 billion share buyback plan and outlook for sales. The positive global economic mood helped materials issues gain ground. Crude oil prices moved higher to help lift the energy sector.

Although ramped up earnings season will likely command a great deal of the market’s attention, next week's economic calendar will bring a flood of reports to be scrutinized, with housing playing a major role. The NAHB Housing Market Index will be followed by housing starts and building permits, and the week will culminate with existing home sales. The docket will be rounded out with the releases of industrial production and capacity utilization, the Fed's Beige Book, the Leading Index and the Import Price Index.

As noted in the latest Schwab Market Perspective: Preparing for the Latter Innings, U.S. stocks continue to grind higher, with little appearing able to knock them off course. The possibility of a pullback always exists but a melt up is also reemerging as a real possibility. Earnings tend to drive equity market direction, and the next few weeks should help set the tone for market action for the rest of the year. Expectations came down a bit as we entered reporting season and recent robust economic data gives support to the potential for companies to meet and/or beat estimates. Global economic growth continues to improve, which should help support both domestic and global stock markets. Read more on the Market Commentary page at www.schwab.com.

International reports due out next week that deserve a mention include: Australia—employment change. China—lending statistics, CPI and PPI, Q3 GDP, retail sales and industrial production. Japan—industrial production and trade balance. Eurozone—trade balance, new car registrations, CPI and construction output, along with German investor confidence. U.K.—inflation statistics, employment change and retail sales.

Last Week's Record Run Pauses

Charles Schwab: On the Market

Posted: 10/9/2017 4:15 PM EDT

Last Week's Record Run Pauses

 

U.S. equities finished modestly lower, pausing from last week's rally that notched record highs, as investors weighed upbeat global economic sentiment and cautious tax-reform optimism, along with political and monetary policy uncertainties. Volume was lighter than usual with the U.S. economic calendar dormant and the bond markets closed for Columbus Day. The U.S. dollar dipped, while crude oil and gold were higher. News on the equity front focused on Dow member General Electric after announcing a plethora of management changes.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) decreased 13 points (0.1%) to 22,761, the S&P 500 Index fell 5 points (0.2%) to 2,545, and the Nasdaq Composite lost 10 points (0.2%) to 6,580. In light-to-moderate volume, 620 million shares were traded on the NYSE and 1.5 billion shares changed hands on the Nasdaq. WTI crude oil increased $0.29 to $49.58 per barrel and wholesale gasoline was unchanged at $1.56 per gallon. Elsewhere, the Bloomberg gold spot price was up $8.01 to $1,284.69 per ounce, and the Dollar Index—a comparison of the U.S. dollar to six major world currencies—was 0.2% lower at 93.66.

Honeywell International Inc. (HON $144) was in focus after a Reuters report that the company is planning on spinning off its non-core assets and creating at least two publicly listed companies, per people familiar with the matter. HON has not commented on the report. Shares were higher.

Dow member General Electric Co. ( GE $23) also garnered attention following late-Friday's announcement that Jamie Miller has been named Chief Financial Officer as Jeffrey Bornstein will leave the company. GE also announced that two additional executives will leave the company and said today that Ed Garden, a founding partner of activist shareholder Trian Fund Management, has been elected to the Board. Shares finished lower.

Bond markets take a break, U.S. dollar pauses ahead of earnings and economic data

The economic calendar was void of any major releases today and the U.S. bond markets were closed in observance of the Columbus Day holiday. The yield on the 2-year note sits at 1.50%, the yield on the 10-year note is at 2.36%, and the 30-year bond rate is at 2.89%. Treasury yields and the U.S. dollar have rebound solidly to multi-month highs amid a continued positive global economic growth backdrop, with signs of inflation ticking higher, while the Fed is highly expected to announce another rate hike in December and begin the process of shrinking its behemoth $4.5 trillion balance sheet this month. This comes as uncertainty festers regarding who will be the next Chairman of the Fed. Also, fiscal policy optimism has nudged higher amid the recently-released tax reform framework, but it faces a long road as discussed by Schwab's Vice President of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, Michael T. Townsend in his article, Tax Reform Framework Released, But The Road Ahead Is Long.

Inflation will remain in focus this week and the stock markets continue to trade in record high territory. Amid this backdrop, Schwab's Chief Global Investment Strategist Jeffrey Kleintop, CFA, delivers his commentary, Inflation May Be The Biggest Question For Investors In 2018, and Schwab's Chief Investment Strategist Liz Ann Sonders discusses the stock market's resiliency in her article, Comfortably Numb? An Update on Investor Sentiment. Follow Liz Ann and Jeff on Twitter: @lizannsonders and @jeffreykleintop. Read all these articles and other timely commentary from our Schwab experts on the Market Commentary page at www.schwab.com.

This brings us to this week's plethora of data that could drive volatility, beginning with tomorrow's NFIB Small Business Optimism Index, with economists expecting a reading of 105.4 for September, a slight uptick from August's 105.3 reading. For the rest of the week, the headlining events will be the Producer Price Index (PPI) and Consumer Price Index (CPI), the minutes from the Fed's September meeting, retail sales and the preliminary October University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index, as well as the JOLTS Job Openings report. However, the economic front will have to contend with the ramp up of Q3 earnings season, with the financial sector in focus as some banking heavyweights are slated to report.

As noted in the latest Schwab Market Perspective: Fourth Quarter Fun…or Folly?, the resiliency of stocks continues but risks of a pullback exist with signs of investor complacency and heightened political and geopolitical uncertainties. Earnings reporting season begins with elevated expectations and valuations, so the ability to hurdle the bar is getting tougher, but if surprises are biased to the upside, stocks should perform well. But that doesn't mean that there won’t be some Fed-induced volatility in the fourth quarter if inflation begins to kick in in earnest, it could push the Fed to be more aggressive than currently believed. Read more on the Market Commentary page at www.schwab.com.

Europe mostly higher on eased Spanish political concerns, Asia mixed

Most European equity markets finished modestly higher, with Spanish stocks leading to the upside following weekend protests against independence for Catalonia and amid a report from Bloomberg citing a call for dialogue with Spain from a member of the Catalan administration. This comes in the wake of last week's volatility stemming from the independence vote that was deemed illegal by national authorities. However, U.K. stocks saw pressure as the British pound gained ground on an upward revision to the nation's Q2 unit labor costs and as talk of a cabinet reshuffling by U.K. Prime minister Theresa May appeared to foster eased political uncertainty. However, U.K. Brexit negotiations entered a fifth round today as progress has been hard to come by and Brexit uncertainty continues to linger. The euro ticked higher versus the U.S. dollar even as German industrial production rose much more than expected and eurozone investor confidence improved more than projected. Bond yields in the region lost ground.

For analysis of political and Brexit uncertainties, see Schwab's Jeffrey Kleintop's, CFA, and Vice President of Trading and Derivatives, Randy Frederick's video, Political Risk: How Should Investors Respond?, and our article, Brexit Begins: What's Next for the U.K?, on the Insights & Ideas page at www.schwab.com. Follow Randy on Twitter: @randyafrederick. Fed uncertainty continues to fester amid the backdrop of hawkish sentiment toward the European Central Bank and the Bank of England. As such, Schwab's 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.

Stocks in Asia finished mixed as the markets digested Friday's noisy U.S. September nonfarm payroll report and a lackluster read on Chinese services sector activity. Caixin's China PMI Services Index declined to 50.6 in September from 52.7 in August, though continued to depict growth due to a reading above 50. Stocks in Hong Kong declined, but those in mainland China gained ground in a return to action following a week-long holiday break, during which optimism ramped up on the announcement that the People's Bank of China will lower the amount banks will have to keep on reserve for next year. Volume was lighter than usual as markets in Japan were closed for a holiday and South Korean markets remained on a holiday break. Stocks in Australia and India advanced. Check out Schwab's Jeffrey Kleintop's, CFA, and Randy Frederick's discussion of global investing in the video, Is An Optimistic Outlook for Global Equities Warranted?, on the Insights & Ideas page at www.schwab.com.

Tomorrow's international economic calendar will offer business confidence from Australia, trade data from Germany, and industrial and manufacturing production from France, Italy and the U.K.

Financial Review

Focus on Earnings

Sinclair Noe — July 21, 2017

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DOW – 31 = 21,580
SPX – 0.91 = 2472
NAS – 2 = 6387
RUT – 6 = 1435
10 Y – .03 2.23%
OIL – 1.25 = 45.67
GOLD + 10.50 = 1255.50
BITCOIN + 1.33% = 2703.19 USD
ETHEREUM + 3.41% = 221.94

Stocks pulled back from record highs earlier this week.  For the week, the Dow fell 0.3% but the S&P 500 is up 0.5% and the Nasdaq added 1.2%. The Nasdaq is coming off a 10-day string of gains, matching its longest streak since Feb. 24, 2015 – so a pullback today was overdue.

At long last, tech stocks have finally recovered all the losses they suffered during the bursting of the dotcom bubble in 2000. It only took 17 years. The S&P 500 Information Technology Index closed Wednesday at an all-time high of 992.3. In doing so, it broke the previous record of 988.5, which was set back in March 2000.

In the intervening years, tech shares had lost as much as 80% of their value before beginning the slow ascent back to the top of the market. That ultra-slow recovery highlights how long it can take stocks to come back from bubbles. Tech stocks in the S&P 500 index now trade at a price/earnings ratio of 18.4, according to FactSet, based on projected sector profits in the coming 12 months.

That means tech is now trading at a 28% premium to tech companies’ valuations over the past decade. To be sure, that’s nothing compared to the triple digit P/Es seen in the late 1990s.

The FANG stocks, (Facebook Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Alphabet-Google) have rocketed up this year, rising nearly 40 percent, four times the gain of the S&P 500. And the trend doesn’t seem to be ending. The technology heavy Nasdaq Composite Index raced ahead of the broader S&P 500 again this week.

And yet as investors pile into the FANG stocks, one measure of the return investors can expect from those stocks has shrunk to a new low. As of the end of the second quarter, the average free cash-flow yield of the FANG stocks, based on the past 12 months, slid to just 1.4 percent. That’s less than half of what that measure was just two years ago and now nearly a full percentage point below the yield on a 10-year Treasury.

Tech is back to being the biggest sector in the market, representing about a quarter of the S&P 500. That’s still well below the one-third share of the market that tech stocks occupied in the late 1990s. But remember that this figure does not include several big stocks that the public regards as “tech” but that S&P classifies as “consumer discretionary” stocks — a list that includes Amazon, Priceline, and Netflix. Moreover, Tesla isn’t even in the S&P 500, despite being valued at more than $53 billion.

If you want to make money in the stock market, you’d better nail earnings season. The reason is simple: Quarterly results are exerting unprecedented influence over stock returns and, by extension, portfolio performance. In recent quarters, reporting companies have seen their shares move four times the normal daily average, the most in the past 18 years, according to data compiled by Goldman Sachs.

The punishment for missing earnings is also the harshest in almost two years. In the first quarter of this year, companies that fell short dropped more than 2.5% in a single day, on average, according to Wells Fargo data.

One possible explanation is the rise of passive investment vehicles such as exchange-traded funds and quant funds. By trading large swaths of the equity market, rather than individual stocks, participating investors are diluting the effects of specific company fundamentals during non-earnings periods. Then, once earnings season rolls around, stock prices are spring-loaded to react more sharply to any new information.

This ETF effect is compounded by how price-insensitive the traders who use them can be — buying and selling based on what their models tell them and ignoring valuations that might otherwise raise red flags. Goldman finds that the FAAMG group that has led the stock market’s latest rally to new highs — consisting of Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Google — has been realizing more than 50% of its quarterly return during earnings week.

In addition, the tech, materials, and consumer discretionary sectors are also seeing more than 30% of their quarterly returns generated in the five days surrounding releases.

General Electric reported quarterly profits fell 57% to $1.2 billion, as sales in its oil and gas, transportation and lighting divisions fell. Outgoing GE boss Jeffrey Immelt said the company was working in a “slow-growth, volatile environment”. He said a cost-cutting plan and other measures should put the firm on track to hit profit targets for the year. GE is down about 19% year to date.

Honeywell reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit. Net income attributable to Honeywell increased 5.5 percent to $1.3 billion, or $1.80 per share, above expectations of $1.78 per share. Revenue rose about 1 percent to $10 billion, topping expectations of $9.8 billion.

Honeywell also raised the low end of its 2017 earnings per share forecast by 10 cents. Sales in Honeywell’s aerospace business, which activist investor Daniel Loeb wants to be spun off, fell about 3 percent to $3.67 billion in the quarter, but the drop was much smaller than forecast.

The Department of Labor ordered Wells Fargo to pay $575,000 and to rehire a whistleblower the bank had dismissed in September 2011 after the former employee raised concerns over the opening of customer accounts without their knowledge. Despite news reports and lawsuits claiming the bank had retaliated against whistle-blowers, an investigative report by the bank’s board of directors released in April found no pattern of retaliation.

The U.K. cabinet will accept the free movement of EU citizens for up to four years after Brexit as part of a transitional deal. The news comes after a meeting between Prime Minister Theresa May and British businesses, in which companies stepped up pressure to avoid a so-called hard Brexit.

Bank of America has chosen Dublin as its future European Union hub, the latest major financial services firm to outline its plans to deal with Brexit, Britain’s departure from the 28-nation bloc.

Many banks and financial firms have concentrated their European operations in London, taking advantage of deep and liquid markets as well as the wide variety of support industries that have built up in the British capital, including accountants and lawyers. But those companies now face the distinct possibility that they may no longer be able to serve European clients from London after Britain leaves the Euro Union.

With Britain as a member of the EU, companies based in the country have been able to sell financial products across the Continent under “passporting” rules, which allow a lender licensed in one member state to work throughout the European Union. That is no longer guaranteed when Britain leaves in 2019, so financial companies have been moving forward with contingency strategies, and Bank of America is the latest lender to announce its plans.

American and European authorities have shut down two of the largest online black markets, AlphaBay and Hansa Market, and arrested their operators. AlphaBay, the largest so-called dark net market, was taken down in early July at the same time the authorities arrested the reported founder of the site, Alexandre Cazes, a Canadian man who was living in Bangkok.

Cazes committed suicide in his jail cell shortly after he was arrested. After AlphaBay went down, users streamed to one of its largest competitors, Hansa Market. But on Thursday, the Dutch national police announced that they had taken control of Hansa Market in June and had been operating the site since then, monitoring the vendors and customers and gathering identifying details on those involved in the 50,000 transactions that took place.

AlphaBay and Hansa Market were successors to the first and most famous market operating on the so-called dark net, Silk Road, which the authorities took down in October 2013.

You’ve undoubtedly heard that, in reaction to the hiring of Anthony Scaramucci as communications director, Sean Spicer has resigned as White House Spokesperson (leaving the White House to find someone else to not give press briefings).

Sarah Huckabee Sanders will replace Spicer. Given the nature of Trump coverage—and Spicer’s outsized role in it—you probably heard about the resignation within ten seconds of it happening. Scaramucci said he hopes that press secretary Sean Spicer will go on “to make a tremendous amount of money.”