Thursday, October 01, 2026

Friday Watch

Around X:

  • @Business
  • @ZeroHedge
  • @WallStEngine
  • $GOOGL JUST PUT ITS AI CHIPS INTO ORBIT FOR THE FIRST TIME. Google and Planet Labs. $PL have successfully launched Project Suncatcher M1 aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-18 mission. Planet says it has already made contact with the spacecraft and begun commissioning. This is the first-ever in-orbit test of Google’s Tensor Processing Units, or TPUs. The refrigerator-sized prototype carries four Trillium TPUs, Google’s custom AI accelerators. This is not yet an orbital data center. The goal is to see whether the same type of AI hardware Google uses on Earth can survive launch and reliably run machine-learning workloads in low Earth orbit.
  • Nike $NKE CEO Elliott Hill: “Overall, there’s a lack of energy in the lifestyle space right now, which is impacting traffic”. “Yes, the consumer is cautious". "But as the leader in the industry, it’s on us to bring more creativity to sportswear”. Note: China Q1 rev was down 26%.
  • Anthropic to meet prospective IPO investors on Oct. 14 at its San Francisco headquarters, Bloomberg reports. A select group of institutional investors will reportedly get the chance to question senior executives ahead of a potential November listing. 
Night Trading 
  • Asian equity indices are -.75% to +.25% on average. 
  • Asia Ex-Japan Investment Grade CDS Index 72.0 +2.0 basis points. 
  • China Sovereign CDS 36.0 +.5 basis point.
  • China Iron Ore Spot 91.20 USD/Metric Tonne -1.5%. 
  • Crude Oil 92.83/bbl. -.04%. 
  • Gold 4,188.8 USD/t oz. -.3%. 
  • Swiss Franc/Offshore Chinese Renminbi Cross 8.07 +.12%.
  • Bloomberg Emerging Markets Currency Index 33.59 -.02%.
  • Bloomberg Global Risk-On/Risk Off Index 135.7 -.3%.
  • US 10-Year Yield 5.26% +2.0 basis point.
  • Japan 30-Year Yield 4.20% unch.
  • Volatility Index(VIX) futures 18.6 -.4%.
  • Euro Stoxx 50 futures -.16%. 
  • S&P 500 futures +.17%.
  • NASDAQ 100 futures +.31%.
Morning Preview Links

BOTTOM LINE: Asian indices are mostly lower, weighed down by real estate and financial shares in the region. I expect US stocks to open mixed and to rally into the afternoon, finishing modestly higher.  The Portfolio is 100% net long heading into the day.

Stocks Reversing Higher into Final Hour on Falling Long-Term Rates, More Dovish Fed Commentary, Earnings Outlook Optimism, Tech/Energy Sector Strength

Economic/Market Gauges:

  • North American Investment Grade CDS Index 60.4 +.6% 
  • BofA Private Credit Proxy Index 69.1 +.3% 
  • Bloomberg US Securitized MBS/ABS/CMBS Avg. OAS .44 -2.0 basis points
  • BofA Global Financial Stress Indicator .05 +4.0 basis points
  • European Financial Sector CDS Index 72.2 +4.3% 
  • Emerging Market CDS Index 165.4 +3.3% 
  • Israel Sovereign CDS 61.0 -.1% 
  • Bloomberg Global Trade Policy Uncertainty Index 1.1 -.2
  • US Morning Consult Daily Consume Sentiment Index 89.3 +2.5
  • Citi US Economic Surprise Index 43.9 -3.0
  • Citi Eurozone Economic Surprise Index 75.5 +2.2
  • Citi Emerging Markets Economic Surprise Index 25.9 +9.8
  • S&P 500 Current Quarter EPS Growth Rate YoY(15 of 500 reporting) +184.6% +170.0 percentage points
  • S&P 500 Blended Forward 12 Months Mean EPS Estimate 404.73 +.22:  Growth Rate +23.3% unch., P/E 18.9 -.2
  • S&P 500 Current Year Estimated Profit Margin 16.29% unch.
  • NYSE FANG+ Current Quarter EPS Growth Rate YoY(1 of 10 reporting) +1,013.1% +n/a
  • NYSE FANG+ Blended Forward 12 Months Mean EPS Estimate 1,056.78 +1.34: Growth Rate +57.4% +.2 percentage point, P/E 18.0 -.3
  • Bloomberg US Financial Conditions Index 1.09 +6.0 basis points
  • US Yield Curve 45.25 basis points (2s/10s) +5.75 basis points
  • Bloomberg Industrial Metal Index 173.8 -1.7%
  • Dutch TTF Nat Gas(European benchmark) 72.8 euros/megawatt-hour +.6%
  • US Recession Within 6 Months Probability(3M/18M Forward Yld Curve Spread) 7.9% -.5 percentage point
  • US Atlanta Fed GDPNow Q3 Forecast +3.7% unch.
  • US 10-Year T-Note Yield 5.24% -4.0 basis points
  • 1-Year TIPS Spread 2.80 +13.0 basis points
  • Highest target rate probability for Dec. 9th FOMC meeting: 63.2% (+5.0 percentage points) chance of 4.0%-4.25%. Highest target rate probability for Jan. 27th meeting: 46.9%(+13.9 percentage point) chance of 4.0%-4.25%. (current target rate is 3.75-4.0%)
Overseas Futures:
  • Nikkei 225 Futures: Indicating -436 open in Japan 
  • China A50 Futures: Indicating -144 open in China
  • KOSPI 200 Futures: Indicating +3 open in South Korea 
  • DAX Futures: Indicating +185 open in Germany
Portfolio:
  • Higher: On gains in my energy/tech/consumer discretionary/industrial sector longs and emerging market shorts
  • Disclosed Trades: Covered some of my (IWM)/(QQQ) hedges
  • Market Exposure: Moved to 100% net long

Bear Radar

Style Underperformer:

  • Large-Cap Value +.2%
Sector Underperformers:
  • 1) Gambling -1.2% 2) Pharma -1.0% 3) Biotech -1.0%
Stocks Falling on Unusual Volume: 
  • MRP, GGAL, CALM, MKC, AYI, NXRT, LIFE, FMX, SCTX, MSGS, MT, CBRS, CARG, HSBC, ING, ADPT, ONT, CAAP, NWG, GLUE, GPCR, PRGS, GRND, LQDA, NKTR and CTVA
Stocks With Unusual Put Option Activity:
  • 1) HTZ 2) BITO 3) LUMN 4) FLG 5) MDT
Stocks With Most Negative News Mentions:
  • 1) AVEX 2) AVXL 3) INV 4) BZAI 5) GUTS
Sector ETFs With Most Negative Money Flow:
  • 1) XLF 2) VGT 3) SOXX 4) XLP 5) VDC

Bull Radar

Style Outperformer:

  • Mid-Cap Growth +1.3%
Sector Outperformers:
  • 1) Computer Services +4.2% 2) Networking +2.7% 3) Energy +2.7%
Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume:
  • XRPN, ACN, RZAI, SNPS, FICO, EFOR, EFXT, INOD, COHR, VICR, KD, PAYS, GLOB, UTHR, AAOI, CTSH, LITE, GO, VIAV, CRDO, EXLS, INFY, LIND, FCN, AN, INSP, HURN, FRVO, XENE, CDNS, APMD, GIB, KOD, NGL, FRO, GEV, MSM, JBL, OXY, DHT, TLN, NU, OXM, AGYS, CWK and BJ
Stocks With Unusual Call Option Activity:
  • 1) CXW 2) QSR 3) LITX 4) QSI 5) ACN 
Stocks With Most Positive News Mentions:
  • 1) ACN 2) SNPS 3) VICR 4) IT 5) CDNS
Sector ETFs With Most Positive Money Flow:
  • 1) XLU 2) XLC 3) XLK 4) ARKK 5) VFH
Charts: 

Tomorrow's Earnings/Economic Releases of Note; Market Movers

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 Sept. is estimated at +88,000 versus +162,000 in Aug.
  • Average Hourly Earnings MoM for Sept. is estimated to rise +.3% versus a +.3% gain in Aug.
  • The Unemployment Rate for Sept. is estimated at 4.1% versus 4.1% in Aug. 

10:00 am EST

  • Factory Orders for Aug. is estimated to rise +.1% versus a +.9% gain in July.
  • Final Durable Goods Orders readings for Aug. 

Upcoming Splits

  • None of note
Other Potential Market Movers
  • The Fed's Logan speaking, weekly US Baker Hughes oil rig count, weekly CFTC speculative net positioning report and the (CALM) annual meeting could also impact global trading tomorrow.
US Equity Market Hours
  • 9:30 am - 4:00 pm EST

Afternoon Market Internals

NYSE Composite Index:

  • Volume Running +12.5% Above 100-Day Average 
  • Nasdaq/NYSE Volume Ratio 9.7 -5.6
  • 4 Sectors Rising, 7 Sectors Declining
  • 50.3% of Issues Advancing, 46.9% Declining 
  • TRIN/Arms .94 -23.6%
  • Non-Block Money Flow -$205.4M
  • 14 New 52-Week Highs, 385 New Lows
  • 37.5% (+1.2%) of Issues Above 200-day Moving Average
  • Average 14-Day RSI 30.6 -2.5
Polymarket: 
  • Will China invade Taiwan by June 30th 2027? 9.0% +1.0 percentage point
  • Strait of Hormuz traffic returns to normal by October 31st 3.0% -1.0 percentage point
  • Iran agrees to end enrichment of uranium by Dec. 31st 10.0% unch.
  • Israel withdraws from Lebanon by December 31st 6.0% +2.0 percentage points
  • US Invades Iran before 2027 15.0% +1.0 percentage point
  • US announces end of Iranian blockade by October 31st 25.0% -5.0 percentage point
Other
  • Bloomberg Global Risk-On/Risk-Off Index 136.4 +.3%
  • Global Monitor Iran Instability Index 76.0 +13.0
  • Strait of Hormuz Oil Tanker Traffic Curtailed Estimate 40.0% unch.
  • US High-Yield Tech Sector OAS Index 461.75 +14.75 basis points
  • Bloomberg Cyclicals/Defensives Index 273.1 +.5%
  • Morgan Stanley Growth vs Value Index 152.9 -.5%
  • CNN Fear & Greed Index 28.0 (FEAR) -7.0
  • 1-Day Vix 12.1 -1.2%
  • Vix 16.4 +.3%
  • Total Put/Call .91 +4.6%