Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Stocks Falling Substantially into Final Hour on Coronavirus Fears, European/Emerging Markets/US High-Yield Debt Angst, Oil Decline, Energy/Homebuilding Sector Weakness

 Broad Equity Market Tone:
  • Advance/Decline Line: Substantially Lower
  • Sector Performance: Every Sector Declining
  • Volume: Heavy
  • Market Leading Stocks: Performing In Line
Equity Investor Angst:
  • Volatility(VIX) 53.5 +13.0%
  • Euro/Yen Carry Return Index 122.53 -.8%
  • Emerging Markets Currency Volatility(VXY) 10.06 +3.60%
  • S&P 500 Implied Correlation 72.9 +8.5%
  • ISE Sentiment Index 52.0 -20
  • Total Put/Call 1.36 +14.3%
  • NYSE Arms 2.39 +670.1%
Credit Investor Angst:
  • North American Investment Grade CDS Index 115.76 +9.44%
  • America Energy Sector High-Yield CDS Index 1,273.0 +23.3%
  • European Financial Sector CDS Index 116.31 +.32%
  • Italian/German 10Y Yld Spread 191.75 -20.25 basis points
  • Asia Ex-Japan Investment Grade CDS Index 101.50 +7.0%
  • Emerging Market CDS Index 348.13 +11.9%
  • iBoxx Offshore RMB China Corporate High Yield Index 171.19 -.29%
  • 2-Year Swap Spread 1.5 -4.25 basis points
  • TED Spread 38.5 -12.25 basis points
  • 3-Month EUR/USD Cross-Currency Basis Swap -18.5 -.25 basis point
Economic Gauges:
  • Bloomberg Emerging Markets Currency Index 62.0 -.93%
  • 3-Month T-Bill Yield .41% unch.
  • Yield Curve .22 unch.
  • China Iron Ore Spot 86.45 USD/Metric Tonne -.49%
  • Citi US Economic Surprise Index 72.30 +.2 point
  • Citi Eurozone Economic Surprise Index 11.7 +.4 point
  • Citi Emerging Markets Economic Surprise Index -20.2 -1.9 points
  • 10-Year TIPS Spread .94 -8.0 basis points
  • 50.1% chance of 75.0 basis point Fed rate cut at April 29th meeting, 54.3% chance of 75.0 basis point cut at June 10th meeting
Overseas Futures:
  • Nikkei 225 Futures: Indicating -351 open in Japan 
  • China A50 Futures: Indicating -80 open in China
  • DAX Futures: Indicating -140 open in Germany
Portfolio:
  • Lower: On losses in my tech/biotech/medical/retail/industrial sector longs
  • Disclosed Trades: Added to my (IWM)/(QQQ) hedges and to my emerging market shorts
  • Market Exposure: Moved to 25% Net Long

Bear Radar

Style Underperformer:
  • Small-Cap Growth -5.3%
Sector Underperformers:
  • 1) Gaming -8.7% 2) Homebuilding -8.2% 3) Oil Service -8.1%
Stocks Falling on Unusual Volume: 
  • MAR, HUN, DGX, PBCT, APLE, AL WEX, DOW, OHI, EPD, WSC, HLT, WHD, CBRL, GEO, SNV, H, SBRA, NOV, FUN, PAR, SRG,VAC, MTN, PTY, CAKE, DY, RETA, LYV, ZYXI, PENN, WDR, DRI, KFY, MAC, PETQ, CCL, CAR, MGM, IIVI, DIN, BA, FANG, SFIX, LYFT, OXY, WYND, EAT, RCL, AAWW, NCLH, ERI  and FLGT
Stocks With Unusual Put Option Activity:
  • 1) CC 2) CIM 3) ITB 4) NLY 5) MGM
Stocks With Most Negative News Mentions:
  • 1) OXY 2) BA 3) MTDR 4) VAL 5) WOW
Charts:

Bull Radar

Style Outperformer:
  • Large-Cap Growth -4.4%
Sector Outperformers:
  • 1) I-Banks -3.5% 2) Video Gaming -3.7% 3) Biotech -4.0%
Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume:
  • VIR, MRNA, NS, LGND and GILD
Stocks With Unusual Call Option Activity:
  • 1) VSTM 2) VIRT 3) MGM 4) HBAN 5) APC
Stocks With Most Positive News Mentions:
  • 1) CLDR 2) DQ 3) DXC 4) BWXT 5) MAS
Charts:

Mid-Day Market Internals

NYSE Composite Index:

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Wednesday Watch

Evening Headlines
Bloomberg:        
  • How the Coronavirus and Tumbling Oil Prices May Affect Global Growth. Stocks Drop With U.S. Stimulus Plan Still Pending. U.S equity futures retreated and Asian equities opened lower as investors awaited details from the Trump administration on planned stimulus to counter the coronavirus impact. S&P 500 futures fell about 1.5%, following a strong rally on Wall Street. President Donald Trump didn’t appear at a White House briefing on the outbreak after promising a day earlier that he would hold a news conference to announce a “major” economic aid package. The yen clawed back some of a steep overnight retreat, while Japanese and Australian shares opened lower. The S&P 500 Index earlier closed up almost 5% to end a topsy-turvy session, with the U.S. looking at measures including cutting payroll taxes and aiding ailing businesses like airlines and cruise operators. Oil steadied after rising 10% on the back of Monday’s plunge. Japan’s Topix index declined 0.5% as of 8:01 a.m. in Tokyo. South Korea’s Kospi index retreated 0.3%. S&P 500 futures fell 1.5%. The index rose 4.9% on Tuesday. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index lost 1.7%.
Zero Hedge:
Night Trading 
  • Asian equity indices are -1.25% to +.25% on average.
  • Asia Ex-Japan Investment Grade CDS Index 96.0 -3.25 basis points.
  • China Sovereign CDS 64.0 -7.0 basis points.
  • Bloomberg Emerging Markets Currency Index  62.59 +.02%.
  • Euro Stoxx 50 futures +1.37%.
  • S&P 500 futures -2.0%.
  • NASDAQ 100 futures -2.0%.
Morning Preview Links

Earnings of Note 
Company/Estimate
Before the Open:
  • (LK)/-.13
  • (UNFI)/.26
  • (VRA)/.52
After the Close:
  • (SMTC)/.36
  • (ZAGG)/.94
  • (KRO)/.10
Economic Releases
8:30 am EST
  • The CPI MoM for Feb. is estimated unch. versus a +.1% gain in Jan.
  • The CPI Ex Food and Energy MoM for Feb. is estimated to rise +.2% versus a +.2% gain in Jan.
  • Real Avg. Weekly Earnings YoY.
10:30 am EST
  • Bloomberg consensus estimates call for a weekly crude oil inventory gain of +2,105,360 barrels versus a +784,000 barrel gain the prior week. Gasoline supplies are estimated to fall by -2,691,200 barrels versus a -4,339,000 barrel decline the prior week. Distillate inventories are estimated to fall by -2,203,200 barrels versus a -4,008,000 barrel decline the prior week. Finally, Refinery Utilization is estimated to rise by +.09% versus a -1.0% decline prior.
2:00 pm EST
  • The Monthly Budget Statement for Feb. is estimated at -$236.8B versus -$234.0B in Jan.
Upcoming Splits
  • None of note
Other Potential Market Movers
  • The UK Trade Balance report, weekly MBA Mortgage Applications report, $24B 10Y T-Note auction, BofA Merrill Refining Conference and the Susquehanna Tech Conference could also impact trading today.
Market Hours
Normal:
  • 9:30 am - 4:00 pm EST
BOTTOM LINE: Asian indices are mostly lower, weighed down by commodity and technology shares in the region. I expect US stocks to open lower and to rally into the afternoon, finishing mixed. The Portfolio is 50% net long heading into the day.