Saturday, May 31, 2025

Today's Headlines

Bloomberg:

CNBC:

MarketWatch.com:

Around X:
  • @elonmusk
  • @ElonMusk explains why federal spending is SO out of control: "Money is spent most poorly when it's someone ELSE'S money being spent on people you don't know." That ENTIRELY sums up USAID. "The way the government works is complaint minimization... the managers say 'it's not worth the trouble. Just pay it anyway.'" (video)
  • Jay Bhattacharya on Gain-of-Function Research. “This is a foolhardy way to pretend to yourself that we've protected ourselves against a pandemic when we haven't … And I think it's very likely that the COVID pandemic was the result of this kind of research.” (video)
  • @Zerohedge
  • @MarioNawful  
  • OPEC+ POURS ON THE OIL AS PRICES DIP. Saudi Arabia, Russia, and 6 other oil giants are opening the taps and adding 411,000 more barrels of oil every day in July. This is not a tiny boost either. It is more than triple what they usually do each month.
  • IRAN RACKS UP URANIUM AS THE WORLD HOLDS ITS BREATH. Iran has bumped its uranium stockpile to over 900 pounds of 60% purity uranium, which is a hop from weapons-grade. That is a big jump from the 600 pounds it had in February. The IAEA chief Rafael Mariano Grossi says Iran is the only country without nuclear bombs enriching to this level. He is calling on Tehran to cooperate now before things get worse. Trump still hopes for a deal.
  • ROBOT HAND TAKES HUMAN TOUCH TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL. Scientists at Korea’s Institute of Machinery and Materials have built a robot hand that can grip just about anything without missing a beat. Old robot hands move like robots, stiff and clumsy. This new one acts more like your own hand. It has a smart system that combines a four-bar linkage with wire-driven parts, making it shape-shifting and steady. Its secret weapon is the thumb, which bends and rotates with only one motor, keeping it light and nimble.
  • ULTRASONIC VAPES: SLEEK AND SCARY. U-cigarettes may sound like a safe bet. Scientists at the University of California, Riverside found they pack a nasty punch instead. Unlike regular vapes, these gadgets use vibrations to create mist. But in that mist lurk 16 metals, including arsenic and selenium, the same villains linked to cancer and lung disease. One brand tested had nickel levels so high they might as well call it a metal smoothie. Even zinc and selenium, good in tiny amounts, turn traitorous at high doses. Once inhaled, these metals can hide in your lungs and dodge the usual body defenses, causing serious damage over time.
  • 12 HOUR NEWS RECAP.
  • @LauraLoomer
  • @RodDMartin
  • Let's see. 1) Inflation down to 2.1%. 2) $10 trillion in on-shored business. 3) Gas prices plummeting. 4) Consumer confidence rising. 5) Right-track sentiment at record levels. 6) Illegal immigration non-existent. 7) Personal income rising. 8) Global trade deals happening. No wonder Democrats want to stop Trump's tariffs.
  • @IGSquawk 
OpenVAERS: 
SKirsch.com:

Friday, May 30, 2025

Evening Headlines

Around X:

  • @elonmusk
  • @Zerohedge
  • @MarioNawful  
  • SEC. DEF: NO MORE PREACHING, LET’S BUILD PEACE TOGETHER. “United States is not interested in the moralistic and preachy approach to foreign policy of the past. We're not here to pressure other countries to embrace or adopt policies or ideologies. We're not here to preach to you about climate change or cultural issues. We're not here to impose our will on you. We are all sovereign nations.” (video)
  • CHINA ON NOTICE AS DEFENSE CHIEF DRAWS LINE IN THE PACIFIC. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth: "The United States is committed to working with our allies and partners to deter aggression by Communist China in the Indo-Pacific. We're doing this, in particular, reestablishing deterrence through strength. By standing shoulder to shoulder with you, we will unite against those who threaten a free and open Indo-Pacific." (video)
  • BREAKING | DEFENSE SECRETARY HEGSETH: CHINA THREAT IS "REAL AND COULD BE IMMINENT". Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Indo-Pacific allies that China is actively rehearsing to take Taiwan by force, calling the threat "real" and potentially "imminent." Pete Hegseth, U.S. Defense Secretary: "We are not going to sugarcoat it — the threat China poses is real. And it could be imminent... China is no longer just building up its military forces to take Taiwan, it's actively training for it, every day." Speaking at Singapore's Shangri-La security conference, Hegseth noted China's 2027 deadline to be militarily capable of taking Taiwan. He also called out Beijing's ambitions in Latin America, particularly its efforts to control the Panama Canal. The U.S. is developing space-based "Golden Dome" missile defenses to counter China's hypersonic weapons and militarized South China Sea islands. Hegseth urged regional allies to boost defense spending to 5% of GDP, matching new European targets. China snubbed the conference by not sending its defense minister. "We are here this morning. And somebody else isn't," Hegseth noted. The message is clear: pick a side before it's too late.
  • REP LUNA: FOCUS ON PRESIDENT'S AGENDA, STOP TALKING, AND ACT. "A lot of people are always worried about re-election. We should go back to pre-COVID spending levels. Politicians want Congress to focus on the President's agenda, codifying what DOJ has done. Stop posting about it, stop talking about it, and actually do it." (video)
  • REP. LUNA: DOGE PROJECTED TO SAVE OVER $1 TRILLION... CONGRESS MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. "Russ Vought is head of OMB and might be taking over, definitely a financial and fiscal conservative. Some of the best minds are actually still in Washington and Doge will continue. In fact, they are projected to hit under this administration over 1 trillion dollars in savings. Congress does have a spending problem and there have been people there for decades on both sides that are part of that problem." (video)
  • CDC DEFIES RFK JR ON KIDS' COVID SHOTS? Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told America the CDC was done recommending COVID vaccines for kids, then things got weird. The CDC responded by dropping a fresh schedule that says… they’re not. Problem is, the CDC’s expert panel never voted to change anything, and that’s kind of a big deal. Turns out, announcements don’t equal policy.
  • TOM CRUISE'S "CRAZY" 2005 PHARMA RANT LOOKS PROPHETIC NOW. Remember when everyone mocked Tom Cruise for that Matt Lauer interview? Turns out he was right about Big Pharma all along. Tom Cruise (2005 Today Show): "You're glib. You don't even know what Ritalin is... There's ways of doing it so we don't end up in 'A Brave New World.'" Nearly 20 years later, his "unhinged" warnings about overmedication, especially in children, are now mainstream medical concerns. Top healthcare professionals echo his exact points about overprescription and questioning the chemical imbalance theory. Cruise was ridiculed for challenging pharmaceutical industry influence on mental health treatments. Now we have an opioid crisis, skyrocketing ADHD and autism diagnoses, and growing skepticism about psych meds' long-term effects. His delivery was intense, but his core message about caution and education proved dead-on. Sometimes the "crazy" people are just early.
  • WHITE HOUSE CELEBRATES DOGE SUCCESS: "VICTORIOUS IN SLASHING WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE". The White House just released a victory lap video highlighting DOGE's massive success in cutting government waste, with Trump thanking Elon for leading the charge. Trump: "We're talking about hundreds of millions of dollars of money that's going to places where it shouldn't be going. I've had great help with Elon Musk who's been terrific." "We have to take some of these things apart to find the corruption. We've found tremendous corruption." (video)
  • @LauraLoomer 
  • @ScottPresler
  • @BennyJohnson
  • @C_3C_3
  • Meet Judge Contreras. He just blocked Trump’s China tariffs. Rudy was on the FISA Court that illegally spied on Trump. Found in Strzok’s texts: “I need to get together w/ him.” (FISA Judge Contreras) Part of the op to ruin Flynn. Friends with Holder. It’s a judicial coup.
  • @WallStreetApes
  • @StephenM
  • @FFT1776
  • @Barchart
  • @matt_vanswol
  • @DC_Draino
  • @MJTruthUltra
  • RFK Jr says they are Working on Removing Pharmaceutical Ads on TV in America. • 75+% of all revenues on the evening news networks are funded from Big Pharma — “Brought to you by Pfizer” • if you look at people like Anderson Cooper or Jake Tapper, their salaries are 100% funded by pharmaceutical companies — they know that and they have to tote the line • 20 years ago, these networks use to talk about vaccine problems and safety concerns — not anymore because they are literally almost 100% being funded by Big Pharma • When asked about the possibility of removing Big Pharma ads from television altogether, RFK said a few things:
  • @EricLDaugh
  • @EmeraldRobinson
  • @EYakoby

Weekly Scoreboard*


S&P 500 5,914.2 +1.0%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weekly Market Wrap by Edward Jones.

Indices

  • DJIA 42,328.0 +1.0%
  • NASDAQ 19,128.4 +.84%
  • Russell 2000 2,072.94 +1.2%
  • NYSE FANG+ 13,762.1 +1.4%
  • Goldman 50 Most Shorted 172.4 -.9%
  • Wilshire 5000 58,457.6 +1.1%
  • Russell 1000 Growth 4,017.1 +1.0%
  • Russell 1000 Value 1,855.1 +1.1%
  • S&P 500 Consumer Staples 920.59 +2.4%
  • Bloomberg Cyclicals/Defensives Index(Ex Telecom) 237.94 -.47%
  • NYSE Technology 5,669.5 -.41%
  • Transports 14,736.1 +.64%
  • Utilities 1,041.9 +1.8%
  • Bloomberg European Bank/Financial Services 144.0 +.7%
  • MSCI Emerging Markets 45.56 -1.2%
  • Credit Suisse AllHedge Long/Short Equity Index 216.8 +.7%
  • Credit Suisse AllHedge Equity Market Neutral Index 123.7 +.5%
Sentiment/Internals
  • NYSE Cumulative A/D Line 547,398 +.4%
  • Nasdaq/NYSE Volume Ratio 12.2 -19.7%
  • Bloomberg New Highs-Lows Index 189 +138
  • Crude Oil Commercial Bullish % Net Position -20.4 -7.7%
  • CFTC Oil Net Speculative Position 186,420 +.6%
  • CFTC Oil Total Open Interest 1,873,273 -3.8%
  • Total Put/Call .89 -5.3%
  • OEX Put/Call 1.07 +38.2%
  • ISE Sentiment 128.0 -17.0
  • NYSE Arms 1.01 -1.1%
  • Bloomberg Global Risk-On/Risk-Off Index 67.6 -1.6%
  • Bloomberg US Financial Conditions Index .32 +5.0 basis points
  • Bloomberg European Financial Conditions Index 1.43 -3.0 basis points
  • Volatility(VIX) 19.1 -6.3%
  • S&P 500 Intraday % Swing .59 -44.9%
  • CBOE S&P 500 3M Implied Correlation Index 22.9 +2.7%
  • G7 Currency Volatility (VXY) 8.93 -4.4%
  • Emerging Markets Currency Volatility (EM-VXY) 8.43 -2.5%
  • Smart Money Flow Index 22,594.2 -.74%
  • NAAIM Exposure Index  88.4 +7.5
  • ICI Money Mkt Mutual Fund Assets $6.949 Trillion -.28%
  • ICI Domestic Equity Long-Term Mutual Fund/ETFs Weekly Flows -$.117 Million
  • AAII % Bulls 32.9 -12.7%
  • AAII % Bears 41.9 +14.2%
  • CNN Fear & Greed Index 61.0 (GREED) -3.0
Futures Spot Prices
  • CRB Index 290.42 -2.0%
  • Crude Oil 60.70/bbl. -.2%
  • Reformulated Gasoline 203.8 -4.2%
  • Natural Gas 3.45 +4.9%
  • Dutch TTF Nat Gas(European benchmark) 34.2 euros/megawatt-hour -6.3%
  • Heating Oil 201.72 -4.5% 
  • Newcastle Coal 105.5 (1,000/metric ton) -1.1%
  • Gold 3,293.2 -1.9%
  • Silver 32.99 -1.4%
  • S&P GSCI Industrial Metals Index 447.63 +.12%
  • Copper 469.2 +.31%
  • US No. 1 Heavy Melt Scrap Steel 343.0 USD/Metric Tonne +.9%
  • China Iron Ore Spot 95.4 USD/Metric Tonne -.7%
  • China Battery Grade Lithium Carbonate 8,650.0 USD/metric tonne -4.2%
  • CME Lumber  591.0 -1.1%
  • UBS-Bloomberg Agriculture 1,423.9 -2.9%
  • US Gulf NOLA Potash Spot 321.0 USD/Short Ton +1.1%
Economy
  • Atlanta Fed GDPNow Q2 Forecast +3.8% +1.4 percentage points
  • US Recession Within 6 Months Probability(3M/18M Forward Yld Curve Spread) 41.8 +4.8 percentage points
  • NY Fed Real-Time Weekly Economic Index 1.9 -1.6%
  • US Economic Policy Uncertainty Index 396.2 +57.7%
  • Bloomberg Global Trade Policy Uncertainty Index 7.6 +34.6%
  • DOGE Total Taxpayer Dollars Saved $175.0 Billion($1,086.96 Savings Per Taxpayer) +$5 Billion
  • S&P 500 Current Quarter EPS Growth Rate YoY(491 of 500 reporting) +12.5% +1.2 percentage points
  • S&P 500 Blended Forward 12 Months Mean EPS Estimate 276.68 +.80:  Growth Rate +8.9% -2.9 percentage points, P/E 21.3 +.1
  • S&P 500 Current Year Estimated Profit Margin 13.26% -4.0 basis points
  • NYSE FANG+ Current Quarter EPS Growth Rate YoY(8 of 10 reporting) +32.5% +3.4 percentage points
  • NYSE FANG+ Blended Forward 12 Months Mean EPS Estimate 428.13 +2.34: Growth Rate +23.8% +.7 percentage point, P/E 32.2 +.4
  • Citi US Economic Surprise Index 11.5 +5.5 points
  • Citi Eurozone Economic Surprise Index 17.7 +5.2 points
  • Citi Emerging Markets Economic Surprise Index 39.0 +8.1 points
  • Fed Fund Futures imply 5.4%(-.2 percentage point) chance of -25.0 basis point cut to 4.0-4.25%, 94.6%(+.2 percentage point) chance of no change, 0.0%(unch.) chance of +25.0 basis point hike to 4.5-4.75% on 6/18
  • US Dollar Index 99.33 -.6%
  • MSCI Emerging Markets Currency Index 1,826.6 +.04%
  • Bitcoin/USD 104,897.5 -3.3%
  • Euro/Yen Carry Return Index 183.77 +.96%
  • Swiss Franc/Offshore Chinese Renminbi Cross 8.76 +.4%
  • Yield Curve(2s/10s) 50.75 -.75 basis point
  • 10-Year US Treasury Yield 4.42% -9.0 basis points
  • Federal Reserve's Balance Sheet $6.626 Trillion -.24%
  • Federal Reserve's Discount Window Usage $1.944 Billion +2.8%
  • U.S. Sovereign Debt Credit Default Swap 52.05 -4.3%
  • Illinois Municipal Debt Credit Default Swap 217.24 -7.0%
  • Italian/German 10Y Yld Spread 98.0 -4.0 basis points
  • UK Sovereign Debt Credit Default Swap 19.22 -2.1%
  • China Sovereign Debt Credit Default Swap 51.61 -3.8%
  • Brazil Sovereign Debt Credit Default Swap 161.71 -4.5%
  • Israel Sovereign Debt Credit Default Swap 96.66 -6.4%
  • South Korea Sovereign Debt Credit Default Swap 28.6 -8.4%
  • China Corp. High-Yield Bond USD ETF(KHYB) 23.83 -.41%
  • China High-Yield Real Estate Total Return Index 121.13 -.70%
  • Atlanta Fed Low Skill Wage Growth Tracker YoY +3.8% unch.
  • Zillow US All Homes Rent Index YoY +3.3% unch.
  • US Urban Consumers Food CPI YoY +2.7% unch.
  • CPI Core Services Ex-Shelter YoY +3.0% unch.
  • Cleveland Fed Inflation Nowcast Core PCE YoY +2.65% +5.0 basis points: CPI YoY +2.40% unch.
  • 1-Year TIPS Spread 2.83 -15.0 basis points
  • 10-Year TIPS Spread 2.35 unch.
  • Treasury Repo 3M T-Bill Spread 1.75 basis points -5.5 basis points
  • 2-Year SOFR Swap Spread -22.0 +1.5 basis points
  • 3-Month EUR/USD Cross-Currency Basis Swap -1.0 +2.5 basis points
  • N. America Investment Grade Credit Default Swap Index 56.2 -4.3%
  • America Energy Sector High-Yield Credit Default Swap Index 247.0 -2.2
  • Bloomberg TRACE # Distressed Bonds Traded 224.0 -2.0
  • European Financial Sector Credit Default Swap Index 61.9 -5.6%
  • Deutsche Bank Subordinated 5Y Credit Default Swap 143.79 -6.3%
  • Emerging Markets Credit Default Swap Index 172.4 -1.8%
  • MBS 5/10 Treasury Spread 156.0 -1.0 basis point
  • Bloomberg CMBS Investment Grade Bbb Average OAS 616.0 +1.0 basis point
  • Avg. Auto ABS OAS .60 -1.0 basis point
  • M2 Money Supply YoY % Change +4.4% +30.0 basis points
  • Commercial Paper Outstanding $1,449.2B +.4%
  • 4-Week Moving Average of Jobless Claims 230,750 -.11%
  • Continuing Claims Unemployment Rate 1.3% +10.0 basis points
  • Kastle Back-to-Work Barometer(entries in secured buildings) 53.1 -.54%
  • Average 30-Year Fixed Home Mortgage Rate 6.98% +7.0 basis points
  • Weekly Mortgage Applications 235,700 -1.2%
  • Weekly Retail Sales +5.6% unch.
  • OpenTable US Seated Diners % Change YoY +11.0% +4.0 percentage points
  • Box Office Weekly Gross $144.8M +24.7%
  • Nationwide Gas $3.16/gallon -.04/gallon
  • Baltic Dry Index 1,353.0 +.9%
  • Drewry World Container Freight Index $2,508.4/40 ft Box +10.2%
  • China (Export) Containerized Freight Index 1,117.6 +.92%
  • Oil Tanker Rate(Arabian Gulf to U.S. Gulf Coast) 27.5 -8.3%
  • Truckstop.com Market Demand Index 70.6 -17.0%
  • Rail Freight Carloads 262,618 +.41%
  • TSA Total Traveler Throughput 2,626,000 +9.9%
Best Performing Style
  • Small-Cap Value +.9%
Worst Performing Style
  • Mid-Cap Value +.4%
Leading Sectors
  • Airlines +3.6%
  • Gambling +3.2%
  • Alt Energy +3.0%
  • Healthcare Providers +2.5%
  • Insurance +2.3%
Lagging Sectors
  • Homebuilding -1.3%
  • Semis -1.3%
  • Road & Rail -1.4%
  • Shipping -2.3%
  • Electric Vehicles -3.8%
Weekly High-Volume Stock Gainers (20)
  • STRZ, ULTA, BBNX, MP, TSSI, ZS, U, CNX, LOCO, AKRO, HIMS, SGRY, CLBR, HRTG, CRWV, COST, AVO, ENPH and ALHC
Weekly High-Volume Stock Losers (18)
  • DELL, HLNE, EMN, TWO, BULL, SNY, MRVL, GLXY, IONQ, ALAB, SATS, PD, ESTC, COO, AMBA, GAP, REGN and SMMT
ETFs
Stocks
*5-Day Change