Friday, October 18, 2013

Weekly Scoreboard*

Indices
  • S&P 500 1,744.50 +2.43%
  • DJIA 15,399.60 +1.07%
  • NASDAQ 3,914.27 +3.23%
  • Russell 2000 1,114.77 +2.81%
  • S&P 500 High Beta 28.55 +3.59%
  • Wilshire 5000 18,379.90 +3.24%
  • Russell 1000 Growth 812.23 +2.65%
  • Russell 1000 Value 882.36 +2.29%
  • Morgan Stanley Consumer 1,055.68 +2.24%
  • Morgan Stanley Cyclical 1,352.53 +2.15%
  • Morgan Stanley Technology 847.08 +2.59%
  • Transports 6,830.45 +2.74%
  • Utilities 496.05 +.89%
  • Bloomberg European Bank/Financial Services 107.54 +2.13%
  • MSCI Emerging Markets 43.16 +1.65%
  • HFRX Equity Hedge 1,133.44 +1.66%
  • HFRX Equity Market Neutral 941.26 +.73%
Sentiment/Internals
  • NYSE Cumulative A/D Line 194,370 +2.09%
  • Bloomberg New Highs-Lows Index 988 +652
  • Bloomberg Crude Oil % Bulls 13.16 -68.98%
  • CFTC Oil Net Speculative Position 320,758 n/a
  • CFTC Oil Total Open Interest 1,881,081 n/a
  • Total Put/Call .68 -29.17%
  • OEX Put/Call 1.67 +27.48%
  • ISE Sentiment 104.0 +28.4%
  • NYSE Arms 1.24 +175.50%
  • Volatility(VIX) 13.04 -20.87%
  • S&P 500 Implied Correlation 36.07 -22.72%
  • G7 Currency Volatility (VXY) 7.63 -8.18%
  • Emerging Markets Currency Volatility (EM-VXY) 8.38 -8.32%
  • Smart Money Flow Index 11,688.55 +2.04%
  • Money Mkt Mutual Fund Assets $2.613 Trillion -1.96%
  • AAII % Bulls 46.3 +12.0%
  • AAII % Bears 24.9 -25.8%
Futures Spot Prices
  • CRB Index 286.92 -.16%
  • Crude Oil 100.81 -.91%
  • Reformulated Gasoline 267.32 +.39%
  • Natural Gas 3.76 -.71%
  • Heating Oil 303.54 +.07%
  • Gold 1,314.60 +3.30%
  • Bloomberg Base Metals Index 192.88 +1.05%
  • Copper 329.90 +.79%
  • US No. 1 Heavy Melt Scrap Steel 335.87 USD/Ton +.06%
  • China Iron Ore Spot 134.40 USD/Ton +.98%
  • Lumber 353.50 +6.16%
  • UBS-Bloomberg Agriculture 1,446.40 +1.55%
Economy
  • ECRI Weekly Leading Economic Index Growth Rate 2.8% -100 basis points
  • Philly Fed ADS Real-Time Business Conditions Index -.1800 +9.87%
  • S&P 500 Blended Forward 12 Months Mean EPS Estimate 118.84 unch.
  • Citi US Economic Surprise Index 23.20 -12.2 points
  • Citi Emerging Markets Economic Surprise Index -9.60 -5.0 points
  • Fed Fund Futures imply 34.0% chance of no change, 66.0% chance of 25 basis point cut on 10/30
  • US Dollar Index 79.65 -.94%
  • Euro/Yen Carry Return Index 139.57 +.27%
  • Yield Curve 226.0 -7 basis points
  • 10-Year US Treasury Yield 2.58% -11 basis points
  • Federal Reserve's Balance Sheet $3.770 Trillion +1.47%
  • U.S. Sovereign Debt Credit Default Swap 34.02 +.80%
  • Illinois Municipal Debt Credit Default Swap 182.0 -4.75%
  • Western Europe Sovereign Debt Credit Default Swap Index 71.32 -1.37%
  • Asia Pacific Sovereign Debt Credit Default Swap Index 102.95 -6.10%
  • Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt CDS Index 207.50 -6.10%
  • Israel Sovereign Debt Credit Default Swap 108.83 -4.53%
  • Egypt Sovereign Debt Credit Default Swap 676.08 +.16%
  • China Blended Corporate Spread Index 363.0 -7 basis points
  • 10-Year TIPS Spread 2.18% -3 basis points
  • TED Spread 22.0 +3.25 basis points
  • 2-Year Swap Spread 13.25 unch.
  • 3-Month EUR/USD Cross-Currency Basis Swap -6.50 +1.0 basis point
  • N. America Investment Grade Credit Default Swap Index 70.91 -8.25%
  • European Financial Sector Credit Default Swap Index 120.44 -5.92%
  • Emerging Markets Credit Default Swap Index 257.13 -6.77%
  • CMBS AAA Super Senior 10-Year Treasury Spread  to Swaps 113.0 -1 basis point
  • M1 Money Supply $2.552 Trillion -1.88%
  • Commercial Paper Outstanding 1,033.70 -3.0%
  • 4-Week Moving Average of Jobless Claims 336,500 +11,500
  • Continuing Claims Unemployment Rate 2.2% unch.
  • Average 30-Year Mortgage Rate 4.28% +5 basis points
  • Weekly Mortgage Applications 457.10 +.26%
  • Bloomberg Consumer Comfort -34.10 -4.4 points
  • Weekly Retail Sales +3.20% -50 basis points
  • Nationwide Gas $3.36/gallon +.02/gallon
  • Baltic Dry Index 1,901 -4.23%
  • China (Export) Containerized Freight Index 1,010.07 -2.85%
  • Oil Tanker Rate(Arabian Gulf to U.S. Gulf Coast) 27.50 +10.0%
  • Rail Freight Carloads 260,839 -2.15%
Best Performing Style
  • Small-Cap Growth +3.0%
Worst Performing Style
  • Large-Cap Value +2.3%
Leading Sectors
  • Gold & Silver +6.2%
  • Internet +5.5%
  • Oil Tankers +4.2%
  • Airlines +3.9%
  • Gaming +3.9%
Lagging Sectors
  • Utilities +.9% 
  • Networking +.3%
  • Road & Rail -.6%
  • HMOs -3.3%
  • Computer Services -3.8%
Weekly High-Volume Stock Gainers (11)
  • TUC, SCTY, RCPT, AAP, EOPN, ZEP, UFPI, ERA, ECYT, ENV and PTLA
Weekly High-Volume Stock Losers (13)
  • PHMD, FXCM, FCS, LBY, GY, ELLI, FLIR, OSTK, SWK, UTEK, TDC, TZOO and SCSS
Weekly Charts
ETFs
Stocks
*5-Day Change

Stocks Higher into Final Hour on Earnings Optimism, Central Bank Hopes, Short-Covering, Tech/Transport Sector Strength

Broad Equity Market Tone:
  • Advance/Decline Line: Higher
  • Sector Performance: Most Sectors Rising
  • Volume: Slightly Below Average
  • Market Leading Stocks: Outperforming
Equity Investor Angst:
  • Volatility(VIX) 13.32 -1.19%
  • Euro/Yen Carry Return Index 139.58 -.03%
  • Emerging Markets Currency Volatility(VXY) 8.34 -2.34%
  • S&P 500 Implied Correlation 36.92 -3.78%
  • ISE Sentiment Index 81.0 unch.
  • Total Put/Call .67 -23.86%
  • NYSE Arms 1.35 +19.47% 
Credit Investor Angst:
  • North American Investment Grade CDS Index 71.20 -.24%
  • European Financial Sector CDS Index 120.37 -3.01%
  • Western Europe Sovereign Debt CDS Index 71.32 +1.12%
  • Emerging Market CDS Index 256.60 -2.71%
  • 2-Year Swap Spread 13.25 -.25 basis point
  • TED Spread 21.50 +.75 basis point
  • 3-Month EUR/USD Cross-Currency Basis Swap -6.5 -.25 basis point
Economic Gauges:
  • 3-Month T-Bill Yield .03% -1 basis point
  • Yield Curve 227.0 -7 unch.
  • China Import Iron Ore Spot $134.40/Metric Tonne unch.
  • Citi US Economic Surprise Index 23.20 -.8 point
  • Citi Emerging Markets Economic Surprise Index -9.60 -1.0 point
  • 10-Year TIPS Spread 2.18 +1 basis point
Overseas Futures:
  • Nikkei Futures: Indicating +124 open in Japan
  • DAX Futures: Indicating -5 open in Germany
Portfolio: 
  • Higher: On gains in my tech/retail sector longs
  • Disclosed Trades: Covered all of my (IWM)/(QQQ) hedges, then added them back
  • Market Exposure: 75% Net Long

Today's Headlines

Bloomberg: 
  • Spanish Banks’ Bad Loans Ratio Climbs to Record 12.1%. Spanish defaults as a proportion of total lending climbed to a record in August as companies and consumers struggled to make loan payments in an economy with an unemployment rate that’s still above 26 percent. Non-performing loans accounted for 12.1 percent of lending in August, compared with 12 percent in July and 10.5 percent in the same month a year earlier, the Bank of Spain said on its website today. The stock of bad loans rose to 180.7 billion euros ($247.2 billion) during the month as 2 billion euros of lending turned sour.
  • European Stocks Gain for Seventh Day as China’s GDP Rises. European stocks rose for a seventh day, their longest winning streak this year, as China’s economic growth accelerated for the first time in three quarters. Schindler Holding AG jumped 4.3 percent after the Swiss elevator maker announced a share buyback. Cap Gemini (CAP) SA climbed to six-year high after saying it will repurchase convertible bonds to forestall a potential dilution of equity. Grifols SA fell 3.5 percent after an investor sold a stake in Europe’s largest blood-plasma products maker. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index advanced 0.8 percent to 318.47, extending its highest level since June 2008.
  • Google(GOOG) Surpasses $1,000 for First Time on Ad Optimism. Google Inc. (GOOG) reached $1,000 for the first time amid optimism about new advertising for wireless devices and online video, joining a small club of U.S. stocks. The world’s largest search-engine company gained a record 13 percent to $1,007.40 before retreating to $1,001.99 at 12:17 p.m. New York time. The stock, sold at $85 in a 2004 initial public offering, has risen every year since except for 2010 and 2008, when it slumped 56 percent during the recession. The Internet company is benefiting from ads for new formats after expanding beyond delivering advertisements alongside search results on desktop computers. Google should take 33 percent of the global online-advertising market this year, up from 31 percent in 2012, according to EMarketer Inc.
  • Boeing(BA) Cuts 747-8 Output Again as Jumbo-Jet Sales Slump. Boeing Co. (BA) is cutting production again for its 747-8 jumbo jet, the planemaker’s biggest model ever, as demand continues to dwindle for four-engine aircraft. The new rate will be 1.5 planes a month instead of 1.75, a pace that will be maintained through 2015, Boeing said today in a statement.
Wall Street Journal:
Barron's:
CNBC:
  • BoE's Tucker warns on shadow banking risk. Regulators need to "up their game" in overseeing hedge funds and shadow banks as risky pools of capital build up beyond the heavily scrutinized world of traditional banking, one of the world's top central bankers has warned.
Zero Hedge: 
Business Insider: 

Bear Radar

Style Underperformer:
  • Mid-Cap Value +.39%
Sector Underperformers:
  • 1) HMOs -2.18% 2) Biotech -1.44% 3) Steel -1.37%
Stocks Falling on Unusual Volume:
  • CMRX, ACTG, EVEP, TAM, IPG, UTEK, UNH, ISRG, HUM, ENTA, GPC, BGS, PBCT, NOAH, ASML, WAL, BITA, CI, CTB, KERX, CYT, TSN and CMLP
Stocks With Unusual Put Option Activity:
  • 1) GOOG 2) RDN 3) SPF 4) GCI 5) MRO
Stocks With Most Negative News Mentions:
  • 1) HUM 2) GM 3) ISRG 4) BAX 5) UTEK
Charts:

Bull Radar

Style Outperformer:
  • Large-Cap Growth +1.0%
Sector Outperformers:
  • 1) Internet +4.3% 2) Oil Service +1.91% 3) Gaming +1.14%
Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume:
  • ALGN, ATHN, ANAC, GOOG, SMC, BHI, PH, CHK, VISN, FNSR, IR, BIDU, AMZN, YOKU, SLB, EGOV, ALDW, FSLR, YELP, ANIK, AFOP, CJES, FB, URI, WETF, POL, ZUMZ, GMCR, PIR and EGHT
Stocks With Unusual Call Option Activity:
  • 1) KKR 2) XLK 3) FLR 4) CAM 5) GOOG
Stocks With Most Positive News Mentions:
  • 1) GOOG 2) LVS 3) CMG 4) FB 5) AAPL
Charts:

Friday Watch

Evening Headlines 
Bloomberg:
  • Fault Lines Fracture Rebalanced World Economy: Cutting Research. The rebalancing of global demand following the financial crisis may mask fault lines that still threaten the world economy, according to HSBC Holdings Plc and Deutsche Bank AG. The international economy’s overreliance on U.S. consumer demand and Chinese exports were among imbalances policy makers later said helped fuel the turmoil of 2008. By leading to a misalignment of currencies and leverage, they threw the world out of kilter, paving the way for its deepest recession since World War II. While there are some signs the global economy is now on a more even keel, there may be reasons to worry about how that shift occurred and how sustainable it is, according to separate studies published recently by Stephen King at HSBC and Deutsche Bank’s Thomas Mayer and Markus Jaeger.
  • Asian Stocks Climb With Won And Copper as China GDP Grows. Asian stocks rose, pushing the benchmark index to a five-month high, and emerging-market currencies gained with copper after China’s economic growth quickened. U.S. equity-index futures climbed as Google Inc. sales topped estimates. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index added 0.2 percent to at 12:32 p.m. in Tokyo as Australian stocks headed for the highest close in five years.
  • Rebar Swings as Market Weighs China Inventories, Iron Ore Price. Steel reinforcement-bar futures in Shanghai swung between gains and losses as an increase in China’s inventory of the material weighed against an advance in iron ore prices. Rebar for delivery in January on the Shanghai Futures Exchange fell as much as 0.5 percent and climbed as much as 0.3 percent. The contract was down 0.2 percent at 3,551 yuan ($583) a metric ton at 10:38 a.m. local time and has lost 1.4 percent this week.
  • Delayed September U.S. Employment Report Coming Out Next Week. The September U.S. employment figures, delayed by the 16-day partial shutdown of the federal government that ended today, will be issued on Oct. 22, the Labor Department said. A total of nine releases were rescheduled, including the October employment report, which will be pushed back to Nov. 8 from the originally announced Nov. 1, according to an announcement today on the Labor Department’s website.
Wall Street Journal:
  • Fukushima Watch: Protest Filed Vs Decision Not to Indict Tepco. In the latest chapter in the search for justice following the Fukushima nuclear disaster, one person filed a protest Wednesday against a decision by Tokyo prosecutors not to indict former executives of Tokyo Electric Power Co., the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. In the filing to the Tokyo District Court, Ruiko Muto reiterated her claim that Tepco executives ignored research findings suggesting a tsunami more than 10 meters high could reach the plant, and didn’t take steps to prepare for such a scenario. The group Ms. Muto works with says the worst nuclear power accident since Chernobyl was caused by human error, and could have been prevented.
  • Jim DeMint: We Won't Back Down on ObamaCare. Fighting a law that is unfair, unworkable and unaffordable is reasonable and necessary. Now that the government shutdown has ended and the president has preserved ObamaCare for the time being, it's worth explaining why my organization, the Heritage Foundation, and other conservatives chose this moment to fight—and why we will continue to fight. The reason is simple: to protect the American people from the harmful effects of this law.
Fox News:
  • House panel on Benghazi eyes White House document, Panetta testimony. As they wrap up their 13-month probe into the terrorist attacks in Benghazi that killed four Americans, congressional investigators have zeroed in on a press release issued the day before the murders by White House Press Secretary Jay Carney. They also are seeking fresh testimony from former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.
CNBC:
  • Google(GOOG) shares hit new high after earnings beat. Google shares hit a new high in after-hours trading Thursday after the Internet giant's earnings blew past expectations as its advertising business expanded. Google shares, which are up around 24 percent this year, rose more than 5 percent in after-hours trading, topping $948 a share. The previous high was $924.30, set on July 15. "They were able to grow their revenue pretty substantially, particularly in their own websites, in spite of having lower overall ad prices,'' said JMP Securities analyst Ronald Josey.
Zero Hedge:
Business Insider:
Washington Post:  
  • Budget deal allows for January federal pay raise. The budget measure that ended the partial government shutdown allows for a 1 percent raise for federal employees in January in addition to providing back pay for those furloughed, according to two Democratic Maryland senators.
New York Times:
  • White House Weighs Easing Sanctions on Iran With Tapered Release of Assets. The Obama administration, in the wake of a promising first round of nuclear diplomacy with Iran, is weighing a proposal to ease sanctions on Tehran by offering it access to billions of dollars in frozen funds if the Iranian government takes specific steps to curb its nuclear program, a senior administration official said on Thursday.
The Blaze:
  • Glenn Beck ‘Horrified’ by ‘America’s Latest Propaganda Machine’. Glenn Beck on Thursday broached a topic that he said “horrified” him when it was brought to his attention roughly two weeks ago, describing it as an “effort to re-write our history and catalyze a new culture for America” with the help of “America’s latest propaganda machine.” Beck proceeded to tell his viewers about two groups, the first called “Imagining America” and the second called “The U.S. Department of Arts and Culture.” “…So we have the government, radicals, and the universities, and some of their affiliates are actually public officials. They actually hold conferences and presentations about how to re-author American history, and it’s [funded] by you.”
Reuters:
  • Intuitive Surgical(ISRG) profit falls, da Vinci sales drop. Intuitive Surgical Inc on Thursday reported lower third-quarter profit as sales of its high-priced da Vinci surgical robots declined sharply. Intuitive said net profit fell to $157 million, or $3.99 per share, from $183 million, or $4.46 per share, a year ago. Revenue for the quarter fell 7 percent to $499 million, missing Wall Street estimates of $526 million compiled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. The company sold 101 da Vinci surgical units in the quarter, down from 155 a year ago and 143 in the second quarter of this year.
  • Chipotle(CMG) lures more diners, profit jumps. Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc on Thursday reported a 15 percent jump in quarterly profit after sales at established restaurants rose more than expected due to an increase in visits from diners. The fast-growing burrito seller's third-quarter net income rose to $83.4 million or $2.66 per share, from $72.3 million or $2.27 per share, a year earlier. Chipotle's sales at restaurants open at least 13 months, a closely watched gauge of industry performance, were up 6.2 percent for the latest quarter, more than the average analyst estimate of 4.7 percent compiled by Consensus Metrix. Shares of the Denver-based Chipotle rose 1.9 percent to $447.50 in after-hours trading.
  • Lenovo will face obstacles in any BlackBerry(BBRY) deal -source. Chinese computer maker Lenovo, which has signed a non-disclosure deal to examine BlackBerry's books, faces regulatory obstacles if it bids for all of the company and will likely pursue just parts, a source familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
Sankei:
  • A Group of 159 Japanese Lawmakers Visits Yasukuni. Members of a cross-party group formed by Japanese lawmakers with a common interest in visiting Yasukuni went to the shrine today for an annual autumn festival, citing the group.
China Daily:
  • Japan PM's Offering to Yasukuni Shrine Same as Visiting. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's sending an offering to the Yasukuni Shrine is no difference than visiting the shrine in person, a commentary said. The act has hurt the feelings of the Asian nations and challenged the current international order by hailing back to the spirit of militarism. China is not taking the act "calmly" as reported by Japan's Kyodo News.
Evening Recommendations 
  • None of note
Night Trading
  • Asian equity indices are unch. to +.50% on average.
  • Asia Ex-Japan Investment Grade CDS Index 132.75 +.75 basis point.
  • Asia Pacific Sovereign CDS Index 101.25 -3.0 basis points. 
  • FTSE-100 futures +.53%.
  • S&P 500 futures +.12%.
  • NASDAQ 100 futures +.34%.
Morning Preview Links

Earnings of Note

Company/Estimate
  • (BHI)/.78
  • (GE)/.36
  • (GPC)/1.20
  • (HON)/1.24
  • (IR)/1.10
  • (IPG)/.18
  • (KSU)/1.11
  • (LH)/1.80
  • (MS)/.41
  • (PH)/1.47
  • (SLB)/1.24
  • (STI)/.69
  • (TXT)/.48
Economic Releases
  • None of note
Upcoming Splits
  • None of note
Other Potential Market Movers
  • The Fed's Stein speaking, Fed's Evens speaking, Fed's Taruillo speaking and Canadian inflation data could also impact trading today.
BOTTOM LINE: Asian indices are mostly higher, boosted by commodity 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.