Tuesday Watch

Evening Headlines

Bloomberg:

• Trump Says China’s Xi ‘Acted Responsibly’ in Hong Kong Protests

• Top Iran Diplomat to Meet Macron During Tanker Standoff With U.K. 

• Asia Stocks Edge Higher on Low Volumes; Oil Steady. Asian stocks opened modestly higher as investors brace for a busy week of U.S. corporate earnings and potential developments in trade negotiations. Oil stabilized after recent gains amid tensions in the Persian Gulf. Shares in Japan, Australia and South Korea edged higher. U.S. futures were little changed after gains in technology shares lifted stocks earlier. Trading has been thin across the region, with volumes below average. Treasury yields were little changed. The New Zealand dollar slipped after comments on monetary policy from the central bank. Japan’s Topix index was little changed as of 9:11 a.m. in Tokyo. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 Index rose 0.2%. South Korea’s Kospi index added 0.2%. Hang Seng Index futures were little changed. S&P 500 Index futures were flat.  

• Five Things You Need to Know to Start Your Day.  

• Oil Holds Gains Amid Concerns Over Tensions in Middle East.   

• Speculators Are at Odds With Asset Managers on Near-Term Fed Bets.

• Trump, Congress Clinch Debt-Limit Deal After Tense Negotiations. 

• There Are Green Lights All Over the Place for U.S. Stock Bulls.

Wall Street Journal:

• ‘No Niceties’ for Ship’s Crew From Iranian Commandos.

• In Puerto Rico, Thousands Demand Governor Resign.

• Europe Braces for Brexit With Boris Johnson.

• Hong Kong Protest Images Fan Chinese Public Anger.

• Facebook(FB) Settlement Expected to Mandate Privacy Committee.

• Boeing’s(BA) 737 MAX Grounding Spills Over Into Economy, Weighs on GDP.

Fox News:

• EXCLUSIVE: DOJ tells Mueller testimony 'must remain within the boundaries' of public report.

MarketWatch.com:

• Microsoft invests $1 billion in AI startup.

• Forget the Fed — stock-market investors brace for Dow’s busiest week of earnings.

CNBC:

• Elizabeth Warren’s recession scare appears long on fear, short on facts.

• Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: TD Ameritrade, Whirlpool and more.

• These are the 3 catalysts driving gold’s record rally.

Zero Hedge:   

• Wall Street Trading Desks Suffer Worst First Half In Over A Decade.

• Leaked Documents Expose Huawei's Role In Building North Korean Wireless Network.

• Illinois Lawmakers Push Property Tax Hikes To Fund Affordable Housing.

• Trump Announces Two-Year Budget Deal That Will Handle Debt Ceiling "With No Poison Pills".

• US Army Admits It's Conducting A Classified "Secret Operation" Near D.C.

• Iran Sentences "CIA Spy Ring" To Death; Publishes Video & Photos Of Americans.

• Semis Soar, Small Caps Sink, Silver Surges.

Business Insider: 

• Apple(AAPL) is reportedly in talks to buy Intel's(INTC) smartphone-modem chip business for $1 billion.

Telegraph:

• Money printing is dragging central banks into politics, Bank of England official says.

Night Trading 

• Asian equity indices are +.25% to +.75% on average.

• Asia Ex-Japan Investment Grade CDS Index 63.0 -1.0 basis point.

• China Sovereign CDS 42.0 -1.0 basis point.

• Bloomberg Emerging Markets Currency Index  67.72 -.04%.

• S&P 500 futures +.10%.

• NASDAQ 100 futures +.12%.

Morning Preview Links 

Earnings of Note 
Company/Estimate

Before the Open:

• (ATI)/.34

• (AN)/1.07

• (BIIB)/7.53

• (KO)/.62

• (FITB)/.66

• (HOG)/1.39

• (HAS)/.50

• (JBLU)/.57

• (KMB)/1.62

• (LMT)/4.75

• (MLM)/3.12

• (PCAR)/1.81

• (PII)/1.65

• (PHM)/.82

• (DGX)/1.68

• (SHW)/6.36

• (SWK)/2.55

• (TRV)/2.30

• (UTX)/2.05

After the Close:

• (CSL)/2.36

• (CMG)/3.76

• (CB)/2.56

• (EEFT)/1.70

• (IRBT)/.18

• (MANH)/.35

• (RHI)/.98

• (TER)/.62

• (TXN)/1.26

• (V)/1.32

Economic Releases
9:00 am EST

• The FHFA House Price Index MoM for May is estimated to rise +.4% versus a +.4% gain in April.
  

10:00 am EST

• The Richmond Fed Manufacturing Index for July is estimated to rise to 5.0 versus 3.0 in June. 

• Existing Home Sales MoM for June is estimated to fall -.3% versus a +2.5% gain in May.
  

Upcoming Splits

• None of note

Other Potential Market Movers

• The Eurozone Consumer Confidence report, Japan Machine Orders report, US weekly retail sales reports and the $40B 2Y T-Note auction could also impact trading today.

BOTTOM LINE: Asian indices are higher, boosted by industrial and technology 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.