Friday Watch

Evening Headlines

Bloomberg:              

• MSCI Cuts China Telcos From Indexes After Trump Ban; Shares Fall.
• Hyundai Shares Jump Most Since 1988 After Report on Apple Tie-Up.
• Asian Stocks Follow U.S. Higher; Dollar Holds Gain: Markets Wrap.  
• Oil Heads for Weekly Gain on Saudi Cuts and Democratic Sweep.  
• More U.S. States Find Variant; Hebei Cases Jump: Virus Update.
• Goldman-Backed Tuhu Seeks Funding at $4 Billion Value.  
• Democratic Sweep Sets Stage for $2,000 Stimulus Checks and Higher Taxes.

Wall Street Journal:

• Covid-19 Vaccines Are Elusive for Many Doctors.
• SolarWinds Hack Likely Affected Federal Judiciary.
• Live Coverage | Tensions Simmer After Biden Certification.
• Covid Keeps Thousands of Australians Stranded Overseas.
• Jobless Claims and Imports Show U.S.’s Uneven Recovery.
• Samsung Expects 25% Rise in 4th-Quarter Operating Profit.
  

Fox News:    

• Biden, Harris ripped for suggesting BLM, Capitol riots double standard.
• CNN's Cooper mocks Trump supporters, restaurant chain during Capitol riots.

CNBC.com:

• New York Gov. Cuomo warns Covid variant discovered in UK could strain hospitals, force shutdown.

MarketWatch.com:       

• Opinion: Electric vehicles aren’t going to take over any time soon.  
• Micron stock rises after earnings, outlook easily exceed expectations. 
• Bitcoin price surges to $40,000, doubling in just about 3 weeks.

Zero Hedge:

• Why Was Founder Of Far-Left BLM Group Filming Inside Capitol As Police Shot Protester?
• Trump Tweets For The First Time Since Suspension, Says "New Administration Will Be Inaugurated On Jan 20".
• "We'll See You In Court": Sen. Josh Hawley Blasts 'Orwellian' Simon & Schuster Over Canceled Book.
• Chicago Schools Chief: Half Of Teachers Pressured By Teachers’ Union Didn’t Show Up For Work.
• A Bizarre Discrepancy Is Blowing Up The Trade "Data" Between US And China.
• Matt Gaetz Destroys Democrats' Hypocrisy On Contesting Elections And Violence.
• Why Trump Voters Don't Trust The People Who Count The Votes.
• Biotech Bloodbath: Hedge Fund Hotel Sarepta Collapses After Study Disappoints.
• The Coming "Woke" American Theocracy.
• Robinhood May Sell Shares To Its Own Clients In Upcoming IPO.
• Boeing Pays $2.5BN Criminal Penalty Tied To 737 MAX Crashes That Killed 350.
• Stocks, Crypto, & Bond Yields Soar After "Darkest Moment In American History".

Newsmax:

• Capitol Police Probe Death of Woman Killed in Riots, Family Speaks.
• Gaetz, Other Republicans Suggest Antifa Behind Breach.

TheGatewayPundit.com:

• BREAKING: Capitol Police Officer Has Died From Medical Emergency Suffered During Capitol Protest, Chief Resigns.
• Michelle Obama Calls For Tech Companies to Permanently Ban President Trump From Their Platforms.
• FBI Has Already Put Together a List of “MAGA Most Wanted” From Yesterday – Considering Adding President Trump.
• Biden Fans the Flames, Labels Trump Supporters “Domestic Terrorists” (VIDEO).
• Deep State’s Color Revolution Executed to Perfection – Now They’re After Red Meat.
• Project Veritas Identifies the Exact Moment Ralph Jones is Ordered by a Judge to Stop Preventing Poll Watchers Access to Activities Going on in Atlanta.
• Pelosi Calls for Trump to be Impeached or Removed By 25th Amendment as House Democrats Draft Articles of Impeachment to Remove Trump and Ban Him From Second Term.

The Epoch Times: 

• Chinese Regime Uses Noodle Dish to Promote Its Agenda Overseas: Leaked Documents.
• Chinese City of 11 Million Issues Travel Ban as CCP Virus Outbreak Worsens.

ProtectTheVote.com: 

• Serious allegations of misconduct in the 2020 elections have resulted in unprecedented legal action to ensure our elections are -- and remain -- free and fair. Find out where we’re exposing fraud and how you can help.

HereIsTheEvidence.com:

• This is for aggregating publicly available items of voter fraud evidence in the US election that would be admissible in court.
  

Digital Blackboard:

• Daily New Cases by Region.

Worldometer:

• New Cases/Deaths by state.

Rt Covid-19:

• How fast virus is growing by state.

KFF:

• State Data(Tests/Hospitalizations).

Night Trading 

• Asian equity indices are +.5% to +1.5% on average.

• Asia Ex-Japan Investment Grade CDS Index 57.0 -.75 basis point.

• China Sovereign CDS 28.25 -.25 basis point.

• Bloomberg Emerging Markets Currency Index 62.57 -.08%.
• Bloomberg Global Risk-On/Risk Off Index 1,886.0 +2.0 points.
• Volatility Index(VIX) futures 24.9 -.5%.
• FTSE 100 futures +.08%.

• S&P 500 futures +.36%.

• NASDAQ 100 futures +.33%.

Morning Preview Links

Earnings of Note 
Company/Estimate 

 

Before the Open: 

• None of Note
  

After the Close:

•  None of note
  

Economic Releases

8:30 am EST

• The Change in Non-Farm Payrolls for Dec. is estimated to fall to 50K versus 245K in Nov.
• The Unemployment Rate for Dec. is estimated to rise to 6.8% versus 6.7% in Nov.
• Average Hourly Earnings MoM for Dec. is estimated to rise +.2% versus a +.3% gain in Nov.
  

3:00 pm EST

• Consumer Credit for Nov. is estimated to rise to $9.0B versus $7.228B in Oct.

Upcoming Splits

• None of note
  

Other Potential Market Movers

• The Fed Vice Chair Clarida speaking and the Eurozone Trade Balance report could also impact trading today.

Market Hours
Normal:

• 9:30 am - 4:00 pm EST
  

BOTTOM LINE: Asian indices are mostly 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 75% net long heading into the day.