Thursday Watch

Evening Headlines

Bloomberg:   

• China Ramps Up Virus Propaganda, And Stirs Even More Outrage   

• China Rolls Out Legal Game Changer for $5 Trillion Bond Market.

• Hubei Adds 349 New Cases on Revised Guidelines: Virus Update

• CDC Warns Travelers on Hong Kong; Two Die in Iran: Virus Update   

• China Back in the Market for U.S. Farm Goods After Waivers.

• Japan Stocks Rise as Yen Slides; U.S. Futures Gain. Japanese stocks gained after a slide in the yen, while stocks elsewhere in Asia opened with more modest gains as investors scrutinized the infection rate for the coronavirus after another methodology change in China. The yen slumped overnight to its weakest in nine months amid concern the Japanese economy is heading toward recession and as Chinese stimulus reduces demand for some haven assets. China’s benchmark borrowing costs for new loans is expected to drop Thursday amid a swath of policy measures to fight the impact of the deadly coronavirus. Shares in South Korea and Australia opened firmer, while U.S. and European equities earlier closed at record highs. Japan’s Topix index rose 1.1% as of 9:10 a.m. in Tokyo. Futures on the S&P 500 Index added 0.2%. The gauge advanced 0.5% on Wednesday, when the Stoxx Europe 600 Index jumped 0.8%. South Korea’s Kospi index added 0.6%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index rose 0.4%.

• Fed Officials Saw Policy Appropriate ‘For a Time’ Amid Risks

• Options Traders Are So Bullish It’s Sending Warning Signals.

• Police Say 8 Killed in Shootings in the German City of Hanau.

• Five Things You Need to Know to Start Your Day   

• Fed Policy Plan, China Strains, IMF Sees Global Rebound: Eco Day.

Wall Street Journal:

• China Struggles to Give Care to Patients Without Coronavirus.

• Why the Young Back Bernie Sanders.

• Cord-Cutting Accelerates, Raising Pressure on Cable Providers.

• How the Drug Lobby Lost Its Mojo in Washington.

• Bloomberg Bankrolls a Social-Media Army to Push Message.

Fox News:

• Whoopi takes AOC to woodshed for treatment of older Dems, moderates.

MarketWatch.com:  

• Here are 25 Dividend Aristocrat stocks screened for ‘quality’.

• Nvidia(NVDA) stock rockets past $300 to third straight record close as holdout analyst turns bullish.

CNBC:

• Coronavirus live updates: Fed sees risk to global growth, markets face ‘pretty serious reckoning’.

• Goldman says market underestimating coronavirus: ‘Correction is looking much more probable’.

• Democrat plans to tax the wealthy could hit an unintended target: Average Americans.

Zero Hedge:

• Hubei Reports Huge Drop In New Cases On Wednesday As President Xi Touts Progress In 'People's War' Against COVID-19.

• Israel To Step Up "Offensive Action" - Will Turn Syria Into "Iranian Vietnam": Israeli Defense Chief.

• "They Completely Dropped The Ball": Critics Bash Japan's Government.

• Assange's Lawyer Flip-Flops - Admits He Offered Russia Exoneration Quid Pro Quo, White House Ignored. 

• CDC Issues Hong Kong Travel Advisory; Dems Demand Trump Reimburse States Battling Coronavirus.

• Terrifying Charts Show China's Economy Remains Completely Paralyzed.

• Did The Diamond Princess "Quarantine" Just Infect More People With Covid-19 And Spread It Further?

• WTI Extends Gains Despite Bigger Than Expected Crude Build. 

• Sanders Widens Lead Over 2020 Dems After New Poll Reveals 32% Support

• 10 Very Important Questions That The Mainstream Media Should Be Asking About This Coronavirus Outbreak.

• Stocks Up, Bonds Up, Gold Up, Dollar Up, Oil Up, Virus-Death-Count Up!

John Hopkins University:

• Coronavirus Global Cases. (map) 

Night Trading 

• Asian equity indices are +.25% to +1.0% on average.

• Asia Ex-Japan Investment Grade CDS Index 46.75 -.75 basis point.

• China Sovereign CDS 34.0 -.5 basis point.

• Bloomberg Emerging Markets Currency Index  64.75 -.08%.

• FTSE 100 futures +.26%.

• S&P 500 futures +.14%.

• NASDAQ 100 futures +.14%.

Morning Preview Links

Earnings of Note 
Company/Estimate

Before the Open:

• (AKS)/-.10

• (AEP)/.58

• (AAWW)/3.01

• (CLF)/.24

• (DPZ)/2.97

• (HRL)/.46

• (NEM)/.47

• (RS)/1.73

• (RGEN)/.18

After the Close:

• (BYD)/.45

• (ED)/.80

• (DBX)/.14

• (FSLR)/2.04

• (RMAX)/.46

• (SFM)/.14

• (OLED)/.75

• (ZS)/.03

Economic Releases 
8:30 am EST

• The Philly Fed Business Outlook Index for Feb. is estimated to fall to 11.0 versus 17.0 in Jan.

• Initial Jobless Claims for last week are estimated to rise to 210K versus 205K the prior week.

• Continuing Claims are estimated to rise to 1717K versus 1698K prior.

10:00 am EST

• The Leading Index for Jan. is estimated to rise +.4% versus a -.3% decline in Dec.
  

11:00 am EST

• Bloomberg consensus estimates call for a weekly crude oil inventory gain of +2,627,000 barrels versus a +7,459,000 barrel gain the prior week. Gasoline supplies are estimated to rise by +228,100 barrels versus a -95,000 barrel decline the prior week. Distillate inventories are estimated to fall by -1,337,300 barrels versus a -2,013,000 barrel decline the prior week. Finally, Refinery Utilization is estimated to fall by -.45% versus a +.6% gain prior.

Upcoming Splits

• None of note

Other Potential Market Movers

• The Fed's Barkin speaking, Japan CPI report, weekly Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index, Bloomberg Economic Expectations Index for Feb. and the Germany IFO Business Climate Index could also impact trading today.

Market Hours
Normal:

• 9:30 am - 4:00 pm EST
  

BOTTOM LINE: Asian indices are higher, boosted by technology and commodity shares in the region. I expect US stocks to open mixed and to rally into the afternoon, finishing modestly higher. The Portfolio is 75% net long heading into the day.