Thursday Watch

Night Trading 

• Asian equity indices are -.25% to +.75% on average.

• Asia Ex-Japan Investment Grade CDS Index 67.25 unch. 

• China Sovereign CDS 46.0 -1.0 basis point.

• Bloomberg Emerging Markets Currency Index 67.65 -.02%.

• FTSE 100 futures -.17%.

• S&P 500 futures +.04%.

• NASDAQ 100 futures +.08%.

Morning Preview Links

Earnings of Note
Company/Estimate

Before the Open:

• (DG)/1.89
• (GCO)/2.33
• (TEN)/1.41

After the Close:

• (ADBE)/1.62
• (AVGO)/5.22
• (JBL)/.61
• (ORCL)/.84
• (ULTA)/3.56
• (ZUMZ)/1.11

Economic Releases
8:30 am EST

• The Import Price Index MoM for Feb. is estimated to rise +.3% versus a -.5% decline in Jan.
• The Export Price Index MoM for Feb. is estimated to rise +.1% versus a -.6% decline in Jan.
• Initial Jobless Claims for last week are estimated to rise to 225K versus 223K the prior week.
• Continuing Claims are estimated to rise to 1763K versus 1755K prior.

10:00 am EST

• New Home Sales MoM for Jan. is estimated to rise +.2% versus a +3.7% gain in Dec.
  

Upcoming Splits

• None of note

Other Potential Market Movers

• The China Retail Sales report, House Ways and Means hearing with Treasury Secretary Mnuchin, Bloomberg US Economic Survey for March, weekly Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index, weekly EIA natural gas inventory report, JPMorgan Gaming/Lodging/Restaurant/Leisure Forum, (TSLA) Model Y event and the (GE) outlook conference call could also impact trading today.

BOTTOM LINE:  Asian indices are higher, boosted by technology and industrial shares in the region. I expect US stocks to open mixed and to rally into the afternoon, finishing modestly higher.  The Portfolio is 100% net long heading into the day.