Monday Watch

Today's Headlines

Bloomberg: 

• Khamenei Says U.S. Has to Act First to End Iran Nuclear Deadlock.
• Germany’s Scholz Calls for Spending Boost in Bid for Chancellor.  
• Even Europe’s Draghi-Led Market Euphoria Can’t Buoy the Euro.
  
• China Issues Final Monopoly Regulations for Internet Sector.  
• Most Porsche Sales to Be Electric Cars by 2030: Bild.  
• Global Cases Ease; Biden Warns on Immunity: Virus Update.
• Israel Won’t Reach Covid-19 Immunity Even If All Adults Jabbed.    
• U.S. Stock Futures Extend Gains After Record High: Markets Wrap.
• Saudi Arabian Shares Lead Gulf Gains on Oil, Earnings: Inside EM.   
• Brent Oil Extends Advance Toward $60 on Tightening Global Supply.
• Big Oil Stocks Rally Despite Democrats’ Fossil-Fuel Stance.
• Flash Loans Are Providing Instant Cash to Crypto Speculators.
• Reddit’s Populist Stock Movement Was 15 Years in the Making.
  
• Apple Supplier Dialog Semi Holds Talks With Suitors Including Renesas.  
• U.S. Pupils in Online-School Limbo as Teachers Threaten Strikes.  
• Yellen Sees Full Employment Next Year With Biden’s Stimulus Plan.
• Yellen, Summers Spar About Overheating Risk in Stimulus Plan.
• Hyundai, Kia Say Not in Car Development Talks With Apple.
• Renesas Confirms Talks to Buy Apple-Supplier Dialog Semi.

Wall Street Journal:

• Biden Tests the Adage ‘The Customer Is Always Right’.
• Tighter Oil Supplies Inject Momentum Into Price Rally.
• Covid-19 Is Likely Here to Stay.
• Woke Capital’s Political Warning.
• Super Bowl Ads Go for Comedic Catharsis.
• Pandemic Makes Big Tech Even Bigger.
• Mediocrity Is Now Mandatory.
• Wrong Stimulus, Wrong Time.
• As Biden Decides What to Do With Border Wall, Landowners Are in Limbo.
• China Battles West for Control of Vital Technology Standards.

Fox News:

• Governor ends state's mask mandate, gathering limits.
• Liz Cheney responds to state GOP calls for her to resign in exclusive Chris Wallace interview.
• Antifa activists issue threats in DC, draw police response.
• New 'Squad' member under fire for defending violent jail uprising after condemning Capitol mayhem.
• Biden admin plans to stop deporting immigrants convicted of some crimes, limit arrests at border.

CNBC: 

• Retailers see sales rebounding—eventually. Europe’s murky outlook may snag growth.
• U.S. must lift sanctions before Iran rejoins nuclear deal, Khamenei says.
• Top analysts like these stocks the most amid a turbulent start to 2021.
• Biden suspends Trump asylum deals with El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
• U.K coronavirus strain is doubling in the U.S. every 10 days, study finds.

Zero Hedge: 

• "This Is The Wildest Market I've Ever Seen": Druckenmiller's Must-See Goldman Interview.
• Fossil Fuels Aren't Going Anywhere.
• "The Post-U.S. Era Has Started": Iran's Ayatollah Blasts Biden For Refusing To Lift Sanctions.
• Hedge Fund CIO: "I Didn’t Realize How Many People Understand The Extent Of The Fed Market Manipulation".
• Renaissance Hit With $5 Billion In Redemptions After "Terrible" Returns.
• Mob Threatens Arson During 'F*ck The Police' March In DC.
• "There Is No Modern Precedent": American Murder Rate Soars 30% In 2020.
• Trump Lawyers To Use Videos Of Democrats Inciting Violence During Impeachment Defense.
• America's Lost Decade In Fertility Results In 5.8 Million Fewer Babies.
• Why Are So Many Americans Stockpiling Guns, Silver, & Food Right Now?
• When (Or If) Comes The Pushback?
• Monetary Policy Is Pushing Americans, Kicking And Screaming, Up The Risk Curve.
• "A Wake-Up Call" - AstraZeneca Jab Fails To Prevent Mutated COVID Strain From South Africa.
• "Is There Even A French COVID Strategy?" - Voters Furious With Macron's Pandemic Response.
• Goldman: Does Valuation Still Matter?
• Super Bowl LV Ticket Prices Halved Amid Virus Fears.
• Biden To Reverse Trump's Terror Designation Of Yemen's Houthis.
• Commodities Are Soaring 25%: That's Consistent With Headline Inflation Of Almost 4%.

MarketWatch.com:      

• All of President Biden’s key executive orders — in one chart.
  

NewsMax:

• Stephen Moore: Biden Policies 'Put America Last'.
• Iran Demands Biden Lift Sanctions or No Nuclear Deal.
• Yellen: Americans Earning $60K Should Get Stimulus Checks.
• Wyoming Republicans Vote to Censure Liz Cheney.
• Senior Dems Plan $3K Per Child Stimulus Starting July.
• Sen. Wicker: Biden Botched Two Chances To Unite Nation.

TheGatewayPundit.com:

• Fact-Checking the Phony Fact-Checkers: The Gateway Pundit’s Explosive Michigan, TCF Center Reporting ABSOLUTELY Shows Voter Fraud.
• 13% Liz Cheney Says 91% President Trump “Does NOT have a Role as a Leader of Our Party Moving Forward” (VIDEO).
• “Burn it Down!” – BLM-Antifa March Through DC, Assault Police Officers, Harass Outdoor Diners (VIDEO).
• Study: Support for Socialism Sinks After 2020 Election, Hits Lowest Level in Years.
• Law Professor Creates Website To Track Far Left Critical Race Training At American Colleges And Universities.
• It’s Been One Month to the Day and Americans Still Don’t Know Who Shot and Killed Ashli Babbitt.
• That Didn’t Take Long: US Borders Wide Open – Fake Asylum Seekers Walk Across Border and Are Immediately Released (VIDEO).
• Gateway Pundit Suspended Indefinitely from Twitter After Announcing More Video of TCF Center Fraud Will Be Released in Coming Days.
• Mike Lindell to Bannon War Room: “Absolute Truth” Film Was Seen by Over 10 Million People After Friday Release – Five Million Completed the Film.
• Big Tech Purge Contines: Twitter Suspends Conservative Radio Host Wayne Root.

The Epoch Times:

• Wuhan Residents Remember COVID-19 ‘Whistleblower’ Doctor a Year After His Death. 
• Virus Outbreak Continues to Worsen in China’s Harbin City as Mass Lockdowns Cause Anxiety.

HereIsTheEvidence.com:

• This is for aggregating publicly available items of voter fraud evidence in the US election that would be admissible in court.

Digital Blackboard:

• Daily New Cases by Region.

Worldometer:

• New Cases/Deaths by state.

Rt Covid-19:

• How fast virus is growing by state.

KFF:

• State Data(Tests/Hospitalizations).

Night Trading

• Asian indices are +.25% to +.75% on average.
• Asia Ex-Japan Investment Grade CDS Index 58.5 -.5 basis point.
• China Sovereign CDS 29.0 -.75 basis point.
• Bloomberg Emerging Markets Currency Index 62.59 +.02%.
• Bloomberg Global Risk-On/Risk Off Index 2,404.0 +42.0 points.
• Volatility Index(VIX) futures 26.60 -.19%. 
• Euro Stoxx 50 futures +.69%.
• S&P 500 futures +.37%.
• NASDAQ 100 futures +.43%

Morning Preview Links

Earnings of Note

Company/Estimate

Before the Open:

• (AMG)/3.68
• (DNB)/.26
• (CNA)/1.00
• (GPN)/1.76
• (HAS)/1.14

After the Close:

• (CHGG)/.41
• (SPG)/2.24
• (TTWO)/.95
  

Economic Releases

• None of note

Upcoming Splits

• None of note
  

Other Potential Market Movers

• The (HQY) year-end sales conference call could also impact trading today.

Market Hours
Normal:

• 9:30 am - 4:00 pm EST

BOTTOM LINE: Asian indices are mostly higher, boosted by commodity and transport shares in the region. I expect US stocks to open modestly higher and to maintain gains into the afternoon.  The Portfolio is 100% net long heading into the week.