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Posts Tagged ‘Asian Stock Markets’

Morning Call: Sovereign-debt concerns weigh on European stocks

Overnight Developments

  • European stocks are weaker with the European Stoxx down -0.45% and Sep S&Ps down -2.20 points. The euro weakened and German bunds rallied after the yield premium investors demand to hold Greek 10-year bonds instead of benchmark German bunds of similar maturity widened to over 800 bp for the first time since Jun 28. European stocks weakened and failed to hold an early rally amid renewed concern that the region’s sovereign debt crisis will curb economic growth in the second half of 2010. Bank stocks led the downturn with HSBC, Europe’s largest bank, down 1.6%, and Santander, the biggest Spanish bank, down 1.9%. Retail stocks also moved lower led by a 8% slump in Delhaize Group after the owner of Food Lion supermarkets cut its full-year profit forecast after a decline in US same-store sales accelerated. European stocks had rallied earlier after strong GDP reports within the region. Q2 German GDP expanded by a more-than-expected +2.2% q/q, the fastest pace sinc e the country’s reunification two decades ago. Combined with a larger-than-expected +0.6% q/q gain in Q2 French GDP helped Q2 Euro-Zone GDP to increase +1.0% q/q, its fastest pace of expansion in 4 years.
  • The Asian markets today closed mostly higher with Japan up +0.44%, Hong Kong -0.16%, China +1.39%, Taiwan +0.79%, Australia +1.33%, Singapore +0.44%, South Korea +1.36%, India +0.52%. Strong earnings reports throughout Asia helped most Asian stock markets to close higher today. Wintek surged 6.9% after the maker of parts for Apple’s iPad reported Q2 net income of $9.81 million, its first profit after 9 quarters of losses, while Genting Singapore soared 14% after the casino operator reported Q2 profit of $291 million compared with a loss a year earlier, which prompted Credit Suisse Group AG, Citigroup and Morgan Stanley to raise their recommendations on the stock. Korean Air jumped 2.8% after the country’s largest carrier reported record operating profit as cargo sales climbed 86% to 1 trillion won. Minutes of the BOJ policy meeting from Jul 14-15 released today showed that some policy makers indicated they were worried about the yen’s advance, a sign they see the cur rency’s threat to exporters as a bigger economic risk than fallout from Europe’s sovereign-debt crisis. Concern about the rising yen may indicate the BOJ is prepared to curb currency gains, either through additional easing measures or currency intervention, to protect Japan’s recovery.

 

Overnight U.S. Stock News

  • Sep S&Ps this morning are down -2.20 points. The stock market yesterday opened on its low and recovered most of its losses into late morning but then faded the rest of the day and finished moderately lower (Dow -0.57%, S&P 500 -0.54%, Nasdaq Composite -0.83%). All of the indexes fell to 3-week lows. Bearish factors included (1) carry-over weakness from a drop in European stocks on signs that the European economy is weakening after Jun Euro-Zone industrial production unexpectedly declined, (2) the unexpected increase in weekly initial unemployment claims which rose to a 5-1/2 month high and adds to evidence that the US economic recovery may falter (+2,000 to 484,000 versus expectations of -14,000 to 465,000), and (3) weakness in technology stocks after Cisco Systems plunged when it forecast weaker-than-expected Q3 sales and after BMO Capital Markets reduced its ratings on semiconductor companies to "underperform" from "market perform," c iting rising inventory and weakening demand.
  • Bullish factors included (1) a rally in fertilizer companies after the USDA estimated that global wheat production will fall to a 3-year low, and (2) the prediction from PIMCO that the Fed’s recent decision to reinvest principal payments on mortgage holdings into Treasuries should eventually boost demand for riskier assets, including stocks.
  • Intel (INTC) slipped 1.2% in European trading after a report surfaced that Nvidia has a team of engineers developing chips that could be used by computer makers instead of Intel, according to people who declined to be identified because the project hasn’t been made public.

 

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Morning Call: Alcoa earnings boost US and European stocks

Overnight Developments

  • Global stocks are mixed with the European Euro Stoxx 50 Index up +1.47% and Sep S&Ps up +5.80 points. Better than expected earnings from Alcoa boosted US and European stocks to 2-week highs despite weakness in the euro after the action by Moody’s Investors Service to cut Portugal’s credit rating two notches to A1 because of a growing debt burden and "weak" economic growth prospects. The euro remained under pressure after the July German ZEW economic sentiment fell a more than expected -7.5 to a 15-month low of 21.2 as Europe’s debt crisis threatens to cripple economic growth and banks undergo stress tests to prove their durability. Helping to keep European stocks in positive territory was the action by Greece to sell 1.625 billion euros ($2.1 billion) of 26-week T-bills at 4.65%, below the 5.00% rate charged by the European Union for its bailout package, easing concern about its budget deficit and reviving confidence in the Greek government’s austeri ty measures. BMW jumped 6.6% and led automakers higher after it forecast 2010 sales volume will rise by about 10% to more than 1,4 million units, with a full-year profit margin of more than 5% expected for the automobilies segment.
  • The Asian markets today closed mostly lower with Japan down -0.11%, Hong Kong -0.18%, China -1.56%, Taiwan -0.55%, Australia -0.67%, Singapore +0.12%, South Korea +0.12%, India +0.27%. Chinese stocks fell and led other Asian stock markets lower after the government quashed speculation that it will ease real estate curbs that drove property prices lower for the first time in 16 months. Chinese banks and property developers led declines after the government said it will "strictly" enforce housing policies to prevent speculative real estate investment. Also pressuring Asian stocks was the 3.6% fall in Infosys after India’s second-largest software services provider reported Q2 net income of 14.9 billion rupees ($318.5 million), below analysts’ estimates of 15.6 billion rupees.

 

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Morning Call: Global stocks rise on speculation valuations have become attractive

Overnight Developments

  • Global stocks are higher with the European Euro Stoxx 50 Index up +2.34% and Sep S&Ps up +11.00 points. Speculation that stock valuations have become attractive is boosting global stocks today after the recent decline in equity prices may have overrun the outlook for company earnings. Analysts are projecting profit for S&P 500 companies will climb 34% in 2010 compared with a 27% projected gain on March 29. The revision, the most during any quarter in at least 6 years, comes as stocks posted their biggest losses in 16 months. Basis resource stocks are leading the rally today in European stocks as rising commodities boosts share prices. BHP Billiton, the world’s biggest mining company, gained 4% and Rio Tinto rose 4.8%. BP rallied 3.7% after RBS upgraded the company to "buy" from "hold," saying the "pessimistic view on the probable costs of Macondo oil spill is currently discounted" in the share price.
  • The Asian markets today closed higher with Japan up +0.77%, Hong Kong +1.22%, China +2.00%, Taiwan +!.46%, Australia +1.28%, Singapore +0.84%, South Korea +0.76%, India +0.99%. The Australian dollar and financial stocks rallied today after Australia’s central bank paused in raising borrowing costs for a second month. RBA Governor Stevens kept the overnight cash rate at 4.5% and said "caution in financial markets has been evident in the past couple of months, driven principally by concerns about European sovereigns and banks but also by some uncertainty about the pace of future global growth." China’s Shanghai Stock Index rallied off of a 15-month low to close higher and provided support for gains in other Asian stock markets. Technology shares gained after Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, the world’s largest contract manufacturer of chips, increased 2.6% after JPMorgan Chase maintained its "overweight" rating on the company, while Elpida Memory advanced 4.5% after the world’s third-biggest maker of computer-memory chips said it plans to cut debt and "seek opportunities including acquisitions" as a recovery in computer sales boosts profits.

 

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Morning Call: European stocks lead US stocks higher after ECB reports

Overnight Developments

  • Global stocks are mixed with the European Euro Stoxx 50 Index up +0.64% and Sep S&Ps up +7.40 points. The dollar and Treasuries are weaker and most commodities are higher as the euro strengthened after ECB figures suggested reduced funding pressure for European banks. The ECB said it would lend banks 131.9 billion euros ($161.5 billion) for 3 months, less than some market estimates of 250 to 300 billion euros. Banks on July 1 need to repay 442 billion euros in 12-month funds, the biggest amount ever awarded by the ECB, and a main cog in its extraordinary liquidity measures designed to fight the financial crisis last year. The weaker-than-expected demand suggests that funding pressures for European banks aren’t as bad as originally feared and helped push the euro higher and send European bank stocks soaring. AstraZeneca Plc, the UK’s second-biggest drug maker, climbed 9.7% after winning a US court ruling that will help prevent the sale of generic copies of it s cholesterol medicine Crestor until 2016, while Portugal Telecom SGPS SA jumped 5.8% after Telefonica SA increased its offer for the Portuguese company’s stake in Brazil’s largest mobile-phone operator.
  • The Asian markets today closed mostly lower with Japan down -1.96%, Hong Kong -0.59%, China -1.12%, Taiwan -1.27%, Australia -1.02%, Singapore +0.18%, South Korea -0.76%, India +0.95%. Most Asian stock markets declined, with Chinese stocks falling to a 14-month low, as Asian markets play catch up to yesterday’s global equity market rout that was extended by weaker-than-expected US Jun consumer confidence that’s spurring concern about a slowdown in US economic growth. Most Asian exporters closed lower on concerns demand will weaken for their goods if the US economy slows and Japan’s Nikkei 225 Stock Index tumbled to a 7-month low after Japan’s wages unexpectedly declined in May. May Japan labor cash earnings dropped -0.2% y/y when the market was expecting a +0.8% y/y increase, eroding prospects for acceleration in domestic demand and deepening concern that the global economic recovery will slow.

Overnight U.S. Stock News

  • Sep S&Ps this morning are trading up +7.40 points. The US stock market yesterday opened lower and continued lower throughout the day and finished with sharp losses (Dow Jones -2.65%, S&P 500 -3.10%, Nasdaq Composite -3.85%). The S&P 500 plunged to a 7-3/4 month low, the Dow Jones fell to 3-week lows while the Nasdaq slid to a 1-3/4 month low. Bearish factors included (1) carry-over weakness from a plunge in Asian and European stock markets as industrial and commodity stocks declined on concern that China’s economy is weakening after the Conference Board revised down its April gauge for the outlook of China’s economy to indicate slower growth, (2) the larger-than-expected decline in Jun US consumer confidence (-9.8 to 52.9 versus expectations of -0.8 to 62.5), (3) weakness in bank stocks led by a plunge in JPMorgan Chase after Moody’s Investors Service said JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo may lose $1.38 billion in annual revenue from the proposed cap on credit-card swipe fees being considered by Congress, and (4) concerns over the health of European banks after the 3-month Euribor rate rose to an 8-month high of 0.688%, signaling a lack of trust between lenders, along with concerns that European banks must refinance $540 billion in 1-year ECB loans into 3-month loans by July 1.
  • Bullish factors included (1) the larger-than-expected increase in the Apr S&P/CaseShiller composite-20 home price index which had its biggest year-over-year gain in 3-1/2 years (+0.4% m/m and +3.8% y/y versus expectations of -0.15% m/m and +3.4% y/y), (2) comments from President Obama who said after meeting with Fed Chairman Bernanke that he and the Fed Chairman both agree that the US economy is strengthening "into recovery," and (3) the plunge in the 10-year T-note yield to a 14-month low of 2.95%.
  • Citigroup (C) rose 2.1% and Bank of America (BAC) climbed 1.5% in pre-market trading on carry-over support from a rally in European bank stocks on weaker-than-expected demand for ECB funds.
  • Peabody Energy (BTU) increased 1.3% in pre-market trading after Deutsche Bank AG raised its recommendation on the stock to "buy" from "hold."

 

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Morning Call: Global stocks surge after China relaxes its currency peg to the dollar

Overnight Developments

  • Global stocks are sharply higher with the European Euro Stoxx 50 Index up +1.34% at a 1-1/4 month high and Sep S&Ps up +17.10 points at a 1-month high. The dollar index plunged to a 1-1/4 month low, Treasuries sank and commodities surged with gold jumping to an all-time high after China signaled it will relax the yuan’s fixed rate to the dollar, a sign that the global economy may strengthen. European mining stocks and basic resource producers rallied on speculation a stronger yuan will boost Chinese demand for metals and other commodities. European carmakers all gained with Daimler AG and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG both up over 3%, while Porsche SE advanced 4.1% after Commerzbank raised its recommendation on the carmaker to "hold" from "reduce." Banco Santander SA climbed nearly 2% after the Times reported that Spain’s largest bank is considering selling parts of its UK operations that may be worth as much as 25 billion pounds. BP Plc li mited gains in European stocks after it slid nearly 5% after the Sunday Times reported that the company is seeking to raise $50 billion to cover the cost of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. BP may raise the first $10 billion from a bond sale this week, acquire a $20 billion loan and get the remaining $20 billion from asset sales over the next 2 years, the newspaper reported, and that BP wants to move quickly to raise cash because of concern its ratings may be downgraded, which would boost its borrowing costs.
  • The Asian markets today closed higher with Japan up +2.43%, Hong Kong +3.08%, China +3.13%, Taiwan +1.90%, Australia +1.33%, Singapore +1.84%, South Korea +1.75%, India +1.74%. Asian stock markets rallied sharply on speculation that China’s relaxing of its currency peg to the dollar will bolster global economic growth. China’s currency posted its biggest gain in 20 months as the yuan surged to 6.798 per dollar after being held at about 6.83 to the dollar since mid-2008. In a statement on its website, the PBOC said the decision to increase "exchange-rate flexibility" was made after the economy improved, but did not indicate a timeframe for the change. The PBOC said it would maintain the yuan’s 0.5% daily trading band and said greater yuan flexibility would help cut the trade surplus and reduce reliance on exports as a driver of growth. In a tactical move ahead of this weekend’s Jun 26-27 G-20 summit in Toronto, China is trying to shift the focus of the G-20 meeting away from the value of its currency to items on its own agenda. Vice Foreign Minister Tiankai said that China wanted to discuss new quotas for the IMF that would boost the power of developing countries, promote the overhaul of global financial regulations, speak out against trade protectionism and pay more attention to economic development in poorer countries.

 

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Morning Call: Global stocks mixed

Overnight Developments

  • Global stocks are mixed with the European Euro Stoxx 50 Index up +0.14% and Sep S&Ps down -4.70 points. The euro weakened and the yield premium that investors demand to hold Spanish 10-year government bonds over German bunds widened to a record 219 bp, the most since the euro’s debut in 1999, after the Spanish newspaper El Economista reported that the IMF, the EU and the US Treasury are putting together a credit line of as much as 250 billion euros ($307 billion) for Spain. The EU and the Spanish government denied the report. European stocks shrugged off the Spanish report and rallied with Celesio jumping 6.1% as Europe’s largest publicly traded drug wholesaler said it’s forming a joint venture with Phoenix Group in the Netherlands to distribute pharmaceuticals. Irish Life surged 9.5% after Deutsche Bank initiated coverage of the bank with a "buy" recommendation, while automobile stocks fell and limited gains in the overall market with Daimler AG fa lling 2.4% and Michelin & Cie. dropping 1.4%.
  • The Asian markets today closed higher with Japan up +1.81%, Hong Kong, China and Taiwan all closed for holiday, Australia +1.20%, Singapore +1.02%, South Korea +0.90%, India +0.29%. Asian stock markets closed higher, led by gains in technology shares, after Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s projection for global demand boosted US chip sales. Raw materials and commodity producers also gained on speculation for increased demand and after the price of copper climbed to a 1-1/2 week high. Japan’s Nintendo closed 4.7% higher after the company introduced its 3DS handheld device that displays games in 3 dimensions without requiring glasses at the annual E3 game conference in Los Angeles. Nomura Holdings predicts that the "bubble" in China’s property market is going to burst very quickly, with prices set to fall as much as 20% in the next 12 to 18 months. China’s real-estate prices jumped 12.4% across 70 cities in May, adding to the 12.8% surge in April tha t was the most since the data series began in 2005. In its annual report released on its website yesterday, the China Banking Regulatory Commission warned of growing credit risks in the country’s real-estate industry and that the risks associated with home mortgages are growing and a "chain effect" may reappear in real-estate development loans.

 

 

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Morning Call: Global stocks gain on increased economic optimism

Overnight Developments

  • Global stocks are higher with the European Euro Stoxx 50 Index up +1.01% and Sep S&Ps up +1.30 points. The dollar is little changed, Treasuries are stronger and commodities are mixed. European bank stocks gained, led by a 8% surge in Banco Santander SA, after Spain’s biggest lender said its outlook is “brilliant” and that is can benefit from rivals’ “weakness” in mature markets. Novartis gained 3.4% after winning a US regulatory advisory panel’s backing to introduce the first pill to treat multiple sclerosis with its drug Gilenia. Continental AG rose 3.8% after Europe’s second-biggest tire maker was raised to “buy” from “hold” at Deutsche Bank AG, while BP gained 8.7% as it snapped 4 days of declines that saw its stock tumble to a 13 year low, after the WSJ reported the company is considering cutting or deferring its Q2 dividend payment. Also boosting European stocks today was the action by the Bundesbank to raise its g rowth forecasts for Germany, as it now predicts GDP growth of 1.9% this year and 1.4% in 2011, higher than a Dec prediction of 1.6% growth in 2010 and 1.2% for 2011 as the economy profits from a pick-up in global demand. 
  • The Asian markets today closed higher with Japan up +1.70%, Hong Kong +1.22%, China +0.32%, Taiwan +1.64%, Australia +1.58%, Singapore +0.60%, South Korea +1.62%, India +0.84%. Asian stock markets rallied after several economic reports from China showed its economy continues to strengthen. May China retail sales surged +18.7% y/y and May industrial production climbed 16.5% y/y as the Chinese economy proves resilient so far to the European debt crisis. Computer-related companies closed higher after Acer, the world’s largest vendor of laptop computers, rallied over 3% higher when it reported a 45% jump in May sales and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, the biggest maker of custom chips, said that it’s optimistic about the chip industry and the global economy for the second half of 2010. This adds to bullishness in the technology sector after the Semiconductor Industry Association said that global sales of microchips will rise 28% to $290.5 billion this year, boosted by demand in China and India, compared with a Nov forecast of 10% growth.

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Barchart.com U.S. Morning Call for Monday, June 7,

Overnight Developments

  • Global stocks are mixed with the European Euro Stoxx 50 Index up +0.02% and June S&Ps up +2.20 points. The dollar index rallied to a 14-3/4 month high and copper slid to an 8-month low after the weekend meeting of the Group of 20 finance chiefs failed to agree on steps to ensure the economic recovery will strengthen. The G-20 post meeting statement said the global economic rebound faces "significant challenges," while US Treasury Secretary Geithner warned that the world cannot count on the US consumer to drive growth and urged other nations to stimulate their own demand. The euro fell to a fresh 4-year low against the dollar but erased its losses after German factory orders unexpectedly gained for a second month on April as the weaker euro boosted export demand and companies increased investment. April German factory orders rose +2.8% m/m, when the market was expecting a -0.4% m/m decline, and gained +29.6% y/y, the biggest year-over-year increase s ince data began in 1992. Greece’s benchmark stock index, the ASE index, tumbled to a 12-year low, and was led lower by weakness in bank stocks, while European telecommunication stocks fell after Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA plunged 6.6% when it announced that it will pay a lower dividend than planned. Also giving European stocks a lift was the unexpected increase in the June Euro-Zone Sentix investor confidence, which climbed +2.3 points to -4.1 when the market was expecting a -0.6 point decline to -7.0.
  • The Asian markets today closed lower with Japan down -3.84%, Hong Kong -2.03%, China -1.77%, Taiwan -2.54%, Australia -2.78%, Singapore -1.95%, South Korea -1.67%, India -1.97%. Asian stock markets closed lower as they played catch up with last Friday’s losses in European and US markets. Asian mining companies and raw materials producers weakened on concerns a slowing global economy may undercut demand for commodities, while Japanese exporters slid after the yen strengthened. KB Financial Group fell 5.3% and led Asian financial companies lower on concern the European sovereign debt crisis is spreading, while China’s Hon Hai Precision Industry, the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer, declined 5.6% after the company announced the base wage for workers at a China factory will double following recent employee suicides at its plant.

Overnight U.S. Stock News

  • June S&Ps this morning are trading up +2.20 points. The US stock market last Friday traded lower the entire day and finished with sharp losses (Dow Jones -3.15%, S&P 500 -3.44%, Nasdaq Composite -3.64%). The Dow Jones, S&P 500 and the Nasdaq all dropped to 1-week lows. Bearish factors included (1) carry-over weakness from a slump in European equity markets on concern that the European sovereign debt crisis is spreading after Hungarian Prime Minster Orban said Hungary’s economy is in a "very grave situation" because the previous government manipulated figures and lied about the state of the economy and that talk of a default is "not an exaggeration," (2) concerns that the US economic recovery may not be robust after the weaker-than-expected May nonfarm payrolls (+431,000 versus expectations of +520,000) with private payrolls up +41,000 (versus expectations of +178,000), (3) weakness in energy and raw material producers after the doll ar surged to a 14-3/4 month high and prompted a sell off in most commodities, and (4) comments from Atlanta Fed President Lockhart who said that falling commercial property prices pose a growing challenge to the banks in the Southeastern US where more failures are likely to occur.
  • Bullish factors included (1) the larger-than-expected drop in the May US unemployment rate (-0.2 to 9.7% versus expectations of -0.1 to 9.8%), (2) the +31,000 increase in temporary workers in May, the eighth straight monthly increase, which may be a harbinger of future payroll gains as employment at temporary-help agencies often picks up before companies take on permanent staff, and (3) the drop in the yield on the 10-year T-note to a 1-week low of 3.20% which cuts the cost of capital for consumers and businesses.
  • Talecris Biotherapeutics (TLCR) soared 38% in pre-market trading after Grifols, Europe’s largest maker of blood-plasma products, agreed to buy Talecris for about $3.4 billion in cash and stock.

 

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Barchart.com U.S. Morning Call for Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Overnight Developments

  • Global stocks are mixed with the European Euro Stoxx 50 Index down -0.89% and June S&Ps up +6.40 points. European stocks retreated and were led lower by losses in energy producers and oil service companies as the US opens up criminal and civil investigations into BP Plc’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Prudential Plc, the UK’s biggest insurer, fell nearly 3% after its $35.5 billion takeover attempt of American International Group’s Asian unit collapsed, while Aegis Group Plc slipped 3.1% after the world’s largest independent buyer of advertising space was downgraded to “sell” from “hold” at Deutsche Bank AG. Also undercutting European stock prices was the larger-than-expected +0.9% m/m increase in April Euro-Zone PPI, the biggest monthly gain in 1-3/4 years, as a weaker euro made imports more expensive and energy costs rose.
  • The Asian markets today closed mostly lower with Japan down -1.12%, Hong Kong -0.13%, China +0.49%, Taiwan -1.28%, Australia -0.73%, Singapore +0.45%, India +1.02%. Most Asian stock markets fell and the yen droppped to a 2-week low against the dollar after Japanese Prime Minister Hatoyama said he will resign, less than 2 months before elections, which raises uncertainty after the future direction of the Japanese economy. The next prime minister will inherit an economy that’s dependent on exports and remains within the throes of deflation that the BOJ has failed to stop. With consumer spending slowing in Q1, the reliance on trade leaves Japan vulnerable to any slump in overseas demand stemming from Europe’s debt crisis. Australia’s Q1 GDP rose +0.5% q/q, its fifth straight quarterly increase, as government stimulus spending helped counter consumer demand that weakened. Policy makers expect Australia’s economic growth to almost double in he next 2 years, as China’s de mand for resources spurs a mining investment boom.

Overnight U.S. Stock News

  • June S&Ps this morning are trading up +6.40 points. The US stock market yesterday shook off early weakness and rallied into early afternoon, but then plummeted into the close and finished on its low (Dow Jones -1.11%, S&P 500 -1.72%, Nasdaq Composite -1.54%). Bearish factors included (1) concerns that the global economy may begin to slow after China’s May purchasing managers index slowed more than forecast (-1.8 to 53.9 versus expectations of -1.2 to 54.5) (2) weakness in bank stocks after the ECB said in its bi-annual Financial Stability Report that Euro-Zone banks may see another 90 billion euros in net writedowns this year on loans and securities and will need to make provisions for losses of about 105 billion euros next year, (3) the plunge in the euro to a 4-year low against the dollar after the April Euro-Zone unemployment rate unexpectedly rose +0.1 to a 12-year high of 10.1%, and (4) geopolitical concerns after AFP reported that Lebanon fired on Isr aeli warplanes that were flying over its airspace.
  • Bullish factors included (1) optimism the US economy may be able to overcome the negative effects of the European debt crisis after the May ISM manufacturing index fell less than expected (-0.7 to 59.7 versus expectations of -1.0 to 59.4), (2) the unexpected increase in April construction spending which had its largest monthly increase since June 1998 (+2.7% m/m versus expectations of unchanged), and (3) the prediction from the chief equity strategist at JPMorgan Chase who said that the 5-week decline in the S&P 500 Stock Index is consistent with a temporary pullback within a bull market.
  • JPMorgan Chase (JPM) climbed 1.6% in pre-market trading after UBS upgraded the stock to “buy” from “neutral.”
  • Joy Global (JOYG) rose 2.7% in pre-market trading after Goldman Sachs raised its recommendation on the stock to “buy” from “neutral.”

 

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