Today's Headlines

Bloomberg:     

• Canada Demands China Release Detainees Amid Huawei Tensions.   

• China Pledges More Stimulus in 2019 as Economy Seeks Bottom.

• Quantitative Tightening Is Already Rattling Markets Worldwide.

• The Jury's Out on the Euro as Strategists Collide With Traders.  

• Wells Fargo Slashes S&P 500 Target, Says Fed Has Made a ‘Policy Mistake’.

• Supreme Court Rejects Trump Bid to Curb Asylum Claims at Border.

• Amazon, Lego, Wayfair Join the Pop-Up Store Boom.

• The World's Richest People Lost $511 Billion in 2018.   

• Wall Street’s Biggest Bitcoin Forecaster Gives Up Forecasting Bitcoin.  

• History Shows This Week’s Bitcoin Rally Could Be Fleeting.   

• Payment Stocks Are Poised for a Sunny 2019.

• Sanders Says No ‘Plans’ to Fire Fed’s Powell as Lawmakers Worry.

Wall Street Journal:

• Government Shuts Down Over Wall Funding.

• How Fortnite Sparked an Unwinnable War Between Parents and Their Boys.

• Churchill’s Adversaries Weren’t His Enemies.

• What Amazon Isn’t Telling Investors About Its Revenue.

Barron's:

• Had bullish commentary on (UHS), (MS), (LH) and (CVS).

• Had bearish commentary on (XLK).

MarketWatch.com

• Insider executives love the housing sector — here are the best stocks to buy.

Fox News:

• Trump, Dems point fingers at each other as Congress works to negotiate end to partial shutdown.

CNBC:  

• Trump reportedly wants to fire the Fed chair, a move that could wreak havoc on the financial markets.

• Brace yourselves shoppers, this Saturday’s $26 billion shopping frenzy will top Black Friday.

• Top finance execs are losing confidence in China’s economy, survey shows.

• US crude ends the week down 11% at $45.59 for worst performance since January 2016.

• This dog-like robot can perform inspections without the help of a human.

Zero Hedge:

• Trump Is Considering Firing Fed Chair Powell.

• Government To Stay Shut Until At Least Thursday As Senate Adjourns Without Deal.

• Trump Warns Dems' Shutdown "Could Be A Long Stay" If No Border Security Funding.

• May Prepares "Secret" Brexit Plan B To Avoid "No Deal" Armageddon.

• The European Project Comes To An End.

• Shutdown Begins As Trump, Democrats Wrestle Over Border Wall.

• "The Worst Possible Situation" - This Surprise Tax Liability Will Blindside Hedge Fund LPs.

• Deutsche Bank Lists The Top 30 Risks To The Market In 2019, And One Surprise.

• David Collum's 2018 Year In Review: "The Year Everything Changed".

• Yellow Vests Chase French Police Out Of Champs Elysees In Pre-Christmas Rumble.

• China Tests Sub-Launched Nuclear Missile That Can Hit USA From Thousands Of Miles.

• Loan Market Is Freezing: Banks Fail To Sell $1.6 Billion In Loans.

• Out Of Control: Baltimore On The Verge Of Hitting Homicides Record.

• The Inside Story Behind Trump's "Shocking" Withdrawal From Syria.

• US Arrests Chinese National Charged With Theft Of Trade Secrets At Phillips 66.

• Der Spiegel Reporter Who Committed Journalistic Fraud Returns Awards.

• Walgreens Employee With Concealed Carry Permit Fatally Shoots Armed Assailant Who Jumped the Counter.

• Forget $12 Million GoFundMe For Trump's Wall; Opponents Raising Money For Wall-Defeating Ladders.

• Stocks Tumble After Navarro Says "Agreement With China Difficult" Unless Beijing Does Full Trade Overhaul.

• Weekend Reading: Last Chance For Santa Claus.

• "Panic In The Air" - Stunned Traders Speechless At The Carnage.

Business Insider:

• Americans received a record-breaking 5.1 billion robocalls in November — here are some ways to stop them.

Weekly Scoreboard*

S&P 500 2,416.62 -7.05%

The Weekly Wrap by Briefing.com.

 
Indices

• DJIA 22,445.30 -6.87%

• NASDAQ 6,332.99 -8.36%

• Russell 2000 1,292.08 -8.42%

• S&P 500 High Beta 33.75 -8.24%

• Goldman 50 Most Shorted 128.09 -10.3%

• Wilshire 5000 24,779.90 -7.22%

• Russell 1000 Growth 1,253.79 -7.82%

• Russell 1000 Value 1,064.52 -6.45%

• S&P 500 Consumer Staples 515.96 -7.13%

• MSCI Cyclicals-Defensives Spread 995.24 +1.08%
  

• NYSE Technology 1,499.42 -8.2%

• Transports 8,874.79 -6.72%

• Utilities 722.38 -4.68%

• Bloomberg European Bank/Financial Services 71.34 -4.5%

• MSCI Emerging Markets 38.65 -2.84%

• HFRX Equity Hedge 1,137.53 -1.82%

• HFRX Equity Market Neutral 973.62 -.1%

Sentiment/Internals

• NYSE Cumulative A/D Line 307,189 -2.88%

• Bloomberg New Highs-Lows Index -3,126 -2,251

• Bloomberg Crude Oil % Bulls 28.21 -41.6%

• CFTC Oil Net Speculative Position 309,506 -6.25%

• CFTC Oil Total Open Interest 2,050,634 +.09%

• Total Put/Call 1.43 +26.55%

• OEX Put/Call .63 -44.25%

• ISE Sentiment 52.0 -44.09%

• NYSE Arms 1.83 +42.97%

• Volatility(VIX) 30.1 +39.20%

• S&P 500 Implied Correlation 45.33 -10.7%

• G7 Currency Volatility (VXY) 8.36 +6.77%

• Emerging Markets Currency Volatility (EM-VXY) 9.55 -4.12%

• Smart Money Flow Index 11,115.1 -13.13%

• ICI Money Mkt Mutual Fund Assets $3.008 Trillion +.2%

• ICI Domestic Equity Mutual Fund/ETFs Weekly Flows -$11.904 Billion

• AAII % Bulls 24.9 +19.0%

• AAII % Bears 47.3 -3.2%

Futures Spot Prices

• CRB Index 172.13 -4.41%

• Crude Oil 45.39 -10.35%

• Reformulated Gasoline 131.0 -8.55%

• Natural Gas 3.71 +.03%

• Heating Oil 172.95 -5.75%

• Gold 1,258.20 +1.27%

• Bloomberg Base Metals Index 177.80 -.46%

• Copper 266.70 -3.0%

• US No. 1 Heavy Melt Scrap Steel 302.0 USD/Metric Tonne +.33%

• China Iron Ore Spot 69.35 USD/Metric Tonne +.89%

• Lumber 336.0 +4.30%

• UBS-Bloomberg Agriculture 920.39 -1.91%

Economy

• Atlanta Fed GDPNow Forecast +2.71%+33.0 basis points

• ECRI Weekly Leading Economic Index Growth Rate -3.9% unch.
• Bloomberg US Recession Probability Next 12 Months 20.0% unch.

• Philly Fed ADS Real-Time Business Conditions Index .1421 -6.64%

• US Economic Policy Uncertainty Index 396.94 +112.0%

• S&P 500 Blended Forward 12 Months Mean EPS Estimate 173.80 -.41%

• Citi US Economic Surprise Index -16.30 -9.0 points

• Citi Eurozone Economic Surprise Index -77.50 -1.3 points

• Citi Emerging Markets Economic Surprise Index -3.9 -2.4 points

• Fed Fund Futures imply 2.7% chance of no change, 97.9% chance of 25 basis point hike on 1/30

• US Dollar Index 96.95 -.45%

• MSCI Emerging Markets Currency Index 1,609.14 +.5%

• Bitcoin/USD 3,814.56 +24.7%

• Euro/Yen Carry Return Index 131.57 -1.24%

• Yield Curve 15.0 -.75 basis point
  

• 10-Year US Treasury Yield 2.79% -10.0 basis points

• Federal Reserve's Balance Sheet $4.045 Trillion -.1%

• U.S. Sovereign Debt Credit Default Swap 19.88 +9.5%

• Illinois Municipal Debt Credit Default Swap 201.39 -.02%

• Italian/German 10Y Yld Spread 258.0 -11.75 basis points

• Asia Pacific Sovereign Debt Credit Default Swap Index 11.62 +19.67%
  

• Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt CDS Index 79.96 -6.37%
  

• Israel Sovereign Debt Credit Default Swap 69.54 +1.47%

• South Korea Sovereign Debt Credit Default Swap 39.93 +3.91%

• Russia Sovereign Debt Credit Default Swap 152.71 +3.48%

• iBoxx Offshore RMB China Corporate High Yield Index 150.86 +.84%

• 10-Year TIPS Spread 1.77% -6.0 basis points

• TED Spread 42.5 +4.5 basis points

• 2-Year Swap Spread 15.25 +.5 basis point

• 3-Month EUR/USD Cross-Currency Basis Swap -1.75 +7.75 basis points

• N. America Investment Grade Credit Default Swap Index 91.71 +15.02%

• America Energy Sector High-Yield Credit Default Swap Index 789.0 +17.5%

• European Financial Sector Credit Default Swap Index 111.02 +8.06%
  

• Emerging Markets Credit Default Swap Index 211.32 +5.45%
  

• CMBS AAA Super Senior 10-Year Treasury Spread to Swaps 180.0 unch.
  

• M1 Money Supply $3.817 Trillion -.39%

• Commercial Paper Outstanding 1,074.30 +1.4%

• 4-Week Moving Average of Jobless Claims 200,000 -2,750

• Continuing Claims Unemployment Rate 1.2% unch.
  

• Average 30-Year Mortgage Rate 4.62% -1.0 basis point

• Weekly Mortgage Applications 325.90 -5.81%

• Bloomberg Consumer Comfort 58.8 -.6 point

• Weekly Retail Sales +6.80% +20.0 basis points

• Nationwide Gas $2.35/gallon -.04/gallon

• Baltic Dry Index 1,318.0 -5.9%

• China (Export) Containerized Freight Index 841.65 -1.52%

• Oil Tanker Rate(Arabian Gulf to U.S. Gulf Coast) 35.0 -6.67%

• Rail Freight Carloads 301,407 -.6%

Best Performing Style

• Large-Cap Value -6.5%

Worst Performing Style

• Small-Cap Growth -9.5%

Leading Sectors

• Gold & Silver +1.2%

• Homebuilders -1.8%

• Steel -1.9%

• Insurance -2.4%

• Papers -3.0%

Lagging Sectors

• Alt Energy -9.3% 

• Internet -9.4%

• Biotech -9.7%

• Oil Service -11.9%

• Gaming -12.5%

Weekly High-Volume Stock Gainers (1)

• ATSG

Weekly High-Volume Stock Losers (61)

• MDP, RCKT, KNX, FFWM, GLT, MAXR, SAIC, GS, AXGN, WBA, VSAT, AEL, NXST, ALXN, TRGP, DOCU, DCP, CJ, PTLA, FIVE, SMAR, NFJ, AMZN, LTRPA, LMNX, PRIM, SRG, HCSG, KBR, MTDR, BC, USAC, SOI, FB, CBLK, KRA, OSPN, VRNT, WLL, AMGP, BRKR, OSUR, VEEV, GTHX, BHVN, INSP, PCTY, DK, EBS, FSCT, CAMP, COUP, MDB, CAG, SLCA, NTLA and EDIT

Weekly Charts

ETFs

• High-Volume Gainers

• High-Volume Losers

Stocks

• High-Volume Gainers

• High-Volume Losers

*5-Day Change