Style Outperformer:
Sector Outperformers:
- 1) Hospitals +.98% 2) Biotech +.75% 3) Tobacco +.51%
Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume:
- KNDI, CYBR, VIPS, SRPT, EBIX, QSR, GPRO, PPO, LCI, FEYE and WM
Stocks With Unusual Call Option Activity:
- 1) VDSI 2) ARRY 3) SPPI 4) MSI 5) ACI
Stocks With Most Positive News Mentions:
- 1) MU 2) MDT 3) TPX 4) JKHY 5) NUS
Charts:
Weekend Headlines
Bloomberg:
- Ukraine Fight Grinds On as First Deaths Reported After Truce. The conflict in Ukraine escalated with the
first deaths since a cease-fire went into effect after midnight
on Feb. 15 as government troops battled pro-Russian militants. Five government soldiers were killed and 25 wounded in
fighting near the strategic port city of Mariupol, Ukrainian
military spokesman Dmytro Chalyi said by phone on Monday.
Debaltseve, a key rail junction, was the focus of shelling by
insurgents, according to the Defense Ministry in Kiev. Rebels
blame Ukraine for repeatedly violating the truce, according to
comments carried by the separatist-run DAN news service. The Obama administration Monday said it’s “gravely
concerned” and urged a halt to attacks near Debaltseve.
- Eurogroup to Greece: Your Move. The abrupt ending to the Eurogroup meeting this evening in Brussels
points to the fundamental differences between the two sides of the
negotiations.
The Eurogroup, for their part, will not renegotiate the program
without an extension of the current program in place. Greece will not
agree to an extension of the current program. Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem, speaking after the meeting, said
that there is not enough time to renegotiate the program. Instead
Greece must agree to an extension to the current bailout first, which
would then allow time to explore flexibility in the Greek program. Greece rejected this insistence on an extension of the bailout as "absurd" and "unacceptable." That is where we stand this evening.
- Islamic State Video Shows Beheadings of Coptic Christians. A purported video by Islamic State fighters
appears to show the beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians
kidnapped in Libya, according to the Site Intelligence Group,
which reports and analyzes terrorist threats. The video, posted on social media Sunday, shows a line of
men in orange jumpsuits walking along a beach, each accompanied
by a masked man in black wielding a knife. The men are forced to
kneel and then lie face down in the sand as they are
decapitated. If its authenticity is confirmed, the video would
underscore the geographic spread of Islamic State, which
declared a self-styled caliphate in parts of Iraq and Syria. A spokesman for the Christian Coptic Church in Egypt
confirmed the identities of those who appeared slain in the
video, according to the Middle East News Agency. The video is entitled “A message signed with blood to the
nation of the cross,” and later refers to “the followers of
the hostile Egyptian Church.”
- Egypt Bombs Islamic State in Libya to Avenge Christian Beheadings. Egypt bombed Islamic State targets in Libya
to avenge the beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians there, and
called on other nations to strike at the militants operating in
its oil-rich western neighbor. The airstrikes, which the military said hit camps and
weapons depots, threatened to draw Egypt deeper into the chaos
engulfing Libya. “Avenging Egyptian blood is a national
imperative,” the military said in the statement aired early
Monday on state television. The strikes killed three children
and two women, state-run LANA news agency said, citing Al-Nabaa
television.
The aerial attacks marked Egypt’s first open military
action in Libya, where a security collapse and a power struggle
between Islamists and the elected government have driven the
nation to the brink of chaos.
- Greek Euro Exit Risk Signals ECB’s QE Safeguards Wanting. Mario Draghi’s assurance that the European
Central Bank has ring-fenced the risks of its bond-buying
program has a caveat. While the ECB president says the euro area’s 19 national
central banks will buy and hold their own country’s debt, the
money they create -- at least 1.1 trillion euros ($1.3 trillion)
-- can flow freely across borders through the region’s Target2
payment system. Should a nation build up liabilities and then
leave the currency union, the remaining members may have to
share the bill.
- How a Liquidity Squeeze Could Push Greece Out of the Euro. The standoff between Greece and its
creditors on how to proceed on its bailout program risks
triggering a simultaneous cash and credit crunch, which could
drive the country out of the euro area. Here’s how a worst-case scenario could unfold:
- Ukraine Bonds Drop on Debt Restructuring, Strains in Cease-Fire. Ukraine’s foreign-currency bonds fell as the
government said it was looking to restructure its debt by June
and a cease-fire showed signs of strain. Bonds headed for their biggest two-day decline in four
weeks after Ukraine said it was seeking to reach an agreement
with bondholders on a $15 billion restructuring before the
International Monetary Fund’s first bailout review. Fitch
Ratings downgraded the country’s debt, saying the nation’s
creditworthiness deteriorated and the economy would shrink 5
percent this year.
- Putin’s Paradise Becomes Economic No-Go Zone Where Cash Is King. Nearly a year after Russia annexed Crimea,
Moscow’s man here, Oleg Saveliev, is struggling with a seemingly
mundane task: paying bills. Like everyone on this disputed Black Sea peninsula, the
minister for Crimea is living in an economic no man’s land. International banks like UniCredit SpA, credit cards like
MasterCard and Visa, global brands like McDonald’s -- all
vanished with Russia’s adventurism in Ukraine and seizure of
Crimea. In their place has come a cash-only society of runaway
inflation, chronic shortages and growing anxiety over the
conflict. Even Russian companies are staying away.
- Why Putin Fears China. Boxed in by the U.S. and its allies, faced
with an uneasy relationship with China and needing new friends
and income, Russia is popping up everywhere in Asia.
A new strategic agreement with Pakistan. A visit by
Vladimir Putin to India. Helping search for a plane that crashed
off Indonesia. Coaxing Kim Jong Un to venture out of North
Korea. In a region where some governments may be less squeamish
about events in Ukraine, Putin is surprisingly welcome. Russia’s forays reflect a dual strategy: To find new
markets as its economy is crushed by sanctions and last year’s
tumble in oil prices, and to diversify from its one big ally in
Asia -- China. Putin is concerned that his relationship with Xi
Jinping is becoming increasingly tilted in China’s favor.
- China Said to Ask Local Governments to Re-Examine Reported Debt. China’s finance ministry asked local
governments to re-examine the amount of debt they reported
previously as authorities step up efforts to limit leverage and
control risks to the financial system. Some local governments inflated the amount of their debt,
so all the data needs to be checked again, two people familiar
with the matter said today, asking not to be identified because
the details are private. The local governments should examine
whether they have included any debt they don’t have to repay,
and they should also make sure any debt they may incur is
excluded so as the figures aren’t artificially inflated, the
people said.
- Asian Stocks Fall for First Time in Four Days on Greece Concern. Asian stocks fell from a 4 1/2 month high
after talks between Greece and its creditors broke down. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index slid 0.1 percent to 143.17 as
of 9:01 a.m. in Tokyo after closing yesterday at the highest
since Sept. 25. Talks in Brussels ended abruptly Monday as an
official from Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’s government
said the euro area’s recommendation to extend the current
bailout conditions was unacceptable. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index
halted two days of gains. Futures on the Standard & Poor’s 500
Index sank 0.5 percent since Feb. 13, with U.S. markets closed
yesterday for a holiday.
- Appaloosa Cut U.S. Stocks By 40% as Tepper Exits Citigroup. Billionaire investor David Tepper reduced
his firm’s investments in U.S. stocks last quarter, liquidating
stakes in some of the largest companies. The value of Appaloosa Management’s publicly disclosed U.S.
equity positions dropped by $2.74 billion last quarter to $4
billion, according to a regulatory filing Friday. The firm
exited its holdings in Citigroup Inc., Halliburton Co., Facebook
Inc. and Apple Inc. The firm also sold almost all its shares of
an exchange-traded fund that tracks the Standard & Poor’s 500
Index. The moves came as Tepper, who manages about $20 billion,
made bullish comments about U.S. stocks in interviews during the
quarter. He said on CNBC in December that the S&P 500 could rise
8 percent to 10 percent in 2015 after telling Bloomberg
Television in October that the price-to-earnings ratios for U.S.
stocks weren’t high. “The U.S. economy is pretty good, stocks are not at high
multiples right now,” he said in the October interview.
Wall Street Journal:
- Port Delays Starting to Damage Businesses. Backups hurt retailers and take a heavy toll on small companies as labor dispute drags on. As employers at the ports along the West Coast on Monday refused to
unload ships for the sixth day out of the past 10, their nine-month
contract dispute with port workers is becoming a significant business
problem.
- Dollar’s Rise Papers Over Miners’ Woes. Currency moves reduce costs, allowing them to keep operations humming. Mining companies, slammed by tumbling commodities prices, have in
recent days vowed not to cut production, saying the stronger dollar is
cushioning the blow of falling markets. Companies ranging from
Australian miners BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto to smaller firms like South
Africa’s Lonmin PLC are benefiting from the stronger greenback because
they receive dollars for the gold, copper and iron ore they dig up, but
pay for labor and many other costs using local currencies. When the
dollar rallies, revenue generated by metals sales stretch further in
covering expenses.
Fox News:
- Police in Canada foil Valentine's Day massacre plot. A senior police official said Friday that police foiled a plot by two
suspects who were planning on going to a mall and killing as many
people as they could before committing suicide on Valentine's Day in
Halifax. The official told The Associated Press the suspects were on a chat
stream and were apparently obsessed with death and had many photos of
mass killings.
- Egyptian beheadings show ISIS taking ‘global jihad’ to rest of Arab world. (video) The Islamic State's mass execution of Egyptian Christians is the latest
sign that ISIS is pointing its sword against not just the West but the
rest of the Arab world -- drawing the region into a spreading war that
leaves the United States in a difficult spot as it tries to marshal a
cohesive coalition.
MarketWatch.com:
Telegraph:
Bild:
- Ukraine Premier Says He Doesn't Trust Russian Leadership. Words
don't count as measures needed to solve conflict, Ukraine PM Arseniy
Yatsenyuk said in an interview, casting doubt Russia will do everything
to achieve peace. Yatsenyuk says it is Russian President Vladimir
Putin's biggest dream to establish hegemonic control over Ukraine, which
may start new version of former USSR. Russia may do everything to
undermine peace process, weaken Ukraine. Says biggest challenge is to
reestablish full control of the Ukrainian border, as his country aims to
retake Donetsk, Luhansk step-by-step.
- Ifo's Sinn Says Greek Euro Exit Would Be Best for Country.
Previous policy to save Greece hasn't worked "because it's not making
Greece competitive," citing Hans-Werner Sin, head of Germany's Ifo
economic institute. If Greece doesn't exit euro, it will keep adding new
debt it won't be able to repay. Debt writedown is precondition for euro
exit.
Night Trading
- Asian indices are -.50% to +.25% on average.
- Asia Ex-Japan Investment Grade CDS Index 105.0 +1.0 basis point.
- Asia Pacific Sovereign CDS Index 66.75 -1.0 basis point.
- NASDAQ 100 futures -.10%.
Morning Preview Links
Earnings of Note
Company/Estimate
Economic Releases
8:30 am EST
- Empire Manufacturing for February is estimated to fall to 8.5 versus 9.95 in January.
10:00 am EST
- The NAHB Housing Market Index for February is estimated to rise to 58 versus 57 in January.
4:00 pm EST
- Net Long-Term TIC Flows for December.
Upcoming Splits
Other Potential Market Movers
- The Fed's Plosser speaking, China property price report, UK CPI, German ZEW Index and the (WCG) investor day could
also impact trading today.
BOTTOM LINE: Asian indices are mostly lower, weighed down by commodity
and financial shares in the region. I expect US stocks to open mixed
and to weaken into the afternoon, finishing modestly lower. The
Portfolio is 50% net long heading into the week.
Week Ahead by Bloomberg.
Wall St. Week Ahead by Reuters.
Weekly Economic Calendar by Briefing.com.
BOTTOM LINE: I expect US stocks to finish the week modestly lower on Russia/Ukraine tensions, global
growth fears, rising European/Emerging Markets debt angst,
profit-taking, yen strength and technical selling. My intermediate-term
trading indicators are giving
neutral signals and the Portfolio is 50% net long heading into the week.

The Weekly Wrap by Briefing.com.
*5-Day Change
Indices
- Russell 2000 1,223.13 +1.47%
- S&P 500 High Beta 34.82 +3.48%
- Goldman 50 Most Shorted 139.01 +1.73%
- Wilshire 5000 21,875.95 +1.99%
- Russell 1000 Growth 995.90 +2.50%
- Russell 1000 Value 1,034.93 +1.54%
- S&P 500 Consumer Staples 509.04 +.96%
- Solactive US Cyclical 142.83 +2.97%
- Morgan Stanley Technology 1,042.45 +3.79%
- Transports 9,034.06 +1.14%
- Bloomberg European Bank/Financial Services 108.25 +1.90%
- MSCI Emerging Markets 40.43 +.77%
- HFRX Equity Hedge 1,182.32 +.43%
- HFRX Equity Market Neutral 986.62 -.31%
Sentiment/Internals
- NYSE Cumulative A/D Line 235,569 +.17%
- Bloomberg New Highs-Lows Index 283 +214
- Bloomberg Crude Oil % Bulls 20.51 -34.4%
- CFTC Oil Net Speculative Position 271,527 -.25%
- CFTC Oil Total Open Interest 1,717,593 -.23%
- Total Put/Call .96 -6.80%
- OEX Put/Call 1.11 -58.89%
- ISE Sentiment 100.0 +58.73%
- Volatility(VIX) 14.69 -15.04%
- S&P 500 Implied Correlation 63.97 -6.24%
- G7 Currency Volatility (VXY) 10.82 +3.05%
- Emerging Markets Currency Volatility (EM-VXY) 10.79 -92%
- Smart Money Flow Index 17,293.22 +.21%
- ICI Money Mkt Mutual Fund Assets $2.690 Trillion +.16%
- ICI US Equity Weekly Net New Cash Flow +$3.534 Billion
Futures Spot Prices
- Reformulated Gasoline 162.30 +3.69%
- Heating Oil 197.14 +6.69%
- Bloomberg Base Metals Index 171.85 -.62%
- US No. 1 Heavy Melt Scrap Steel 324.0 USD/Ton unch.
- China Iron Ore Spot 63.19 USD/Ton +1.12%
- UBS-Bloomberg Agriculture 1,184.93 +.84%
Economy
- ECRI Weekly Leading Economic Index Growth Rate -4.3% -30 basis points
- Philly Fed ADS Real-Time Business Conditions Index .2619 +3.8%
- S&P 500 Blended Forward 12 Months Mean EPS Estimate 122.0 +.05%
- Citi US Economic Surprise Index -37.20 -11.9 points
- Citi Eurozone Economic Surprise Index 43.70 +18.9 points
- Citi Emerging Markets Economic Surprise Index -8.80 -3.5 points
- Fed Fund Futures imply 52.0% chance of no change, 48.0% chance of 25 basis point cut on 3/18
- US Dollar Index 94.19 -.50%
- Euro/Yen Carry Return Index 141.32 +.38%
- Yield Curve 141.0 +10.0 basis points
- 10-Year US Treasury Yield 2.05% +9.0 basis points
- Federal Reserve's Balance Sheet $4.463 Trillion +.04%
- U.S. Sovereign Debt Credit Default Swap 17.18 -5.46%
- Illinois Municipal Debt Credit Default Swap 190.0 -1.73%
- Western Europe Sovereign Debt Credit Default Swap Index 26.44 +5.99%
- Asia Pacific Sovereign Debt Credit Default Swap Index 67.90 +1.35%
- Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt CDS Index 319.52 -2.44%
- Israel Sovereign Debt Credit Default Swap 77.0 +2.25%
- Iraq Sovereign Debt Credit Default Swap 375.88 +8.56%
- Russia Sovereign Debt Credit Default Swap 473.42 -11.20%
- iBoxx Offshore RMB China Corporates High Yield Index 113.32 -.28%
- 10-Year TIPS Spread 1.70% -2.0 basis points
- TED Spread 25.25 +.75 basis point
- 2-Year Swap Spread 26.75 unch.
- 3-Month EUR/USD Cross-Currency Basis Swap -20.75 -1.5 basis points
- N. America Investment Grade Credit Default Swap Index 64.68 -.83%
- America Energy Sector High-Yield Credit Default Swap Index 710.0 -3.07%
- European Financial Sector Credit Default Swap Index 63.94 +1.64%
- Emerging Markets Credit Default Swap Index 367.24 -2.74%
- CMBS AAA Super Senior 10-Year Treasury Spread to Swaps 90.0 -1.5 basis points
- M1 Money Supply $2.986 Trillion unch.
- Commercial Paper Outstanding 994.90 +.60%
- 4-Week Moving Average of Jobless Claims 289,750 -3,000
- Continuing Claims Unemployment Rate 1.8% unch.
- Average 30-Year Mortgage Rate 3.69% +10 basis points
- Weekly Mortgage Applications 501.80 -8.96%
- Bloomberg Consumer Comfort 44.3 -1.2 points
- Weekly Retail Sales +2.10% -130 basis points
- Nationwide Gas $2.24/gallon +.07/gallon
- Baltic Dry Index 540.0 -3.40%
- China (Export) Containerized Freight Index 1,078.69 +1.22%
- Oil Tanker Rate(Arabian Gulf to U.S. Gulf Coast) 35.0 unch.
- Rail Freight Carloads 237,915 -4.80%
Best Performing Style
Worst Performing Style
Leading Sectors
Lagging Sectors
Weekly High-Volume Stock Gainers (27)
- PFNX, CBM, XLS, SCOR, OWW, MLM, TRIP, INTL, CHRS, QLYS, MTSI, MOH, AKAM,
NSP, HRS, RLD, CR, TMH, EIGI, FWRD, VSAT, ORA, SKX, DNB, SPSC, VNTV and
FSLR
Weekly High-Volume Stock Losers (25)
- TAP, ATRA, CAKE, CAB, MPAA, AOL, ENSG, VVI, CPLA, PNRA, NILE, THS, BG,
ACOR, ENT, CTRL, EDE, JONE, YELP, DV, MKTO, ZU, COUP, RENT and PIR
Weekly Charts
ETFs
Stocks
*5-Day Change
Broad Equity Market Tone:
- Advance/Decline Line: Modestly Higher
- Sector Performance: Mixed
- Volume: Slightly Below Average
- Market Leading Stocks: Underperforming
Equity Investor Angst:
- Volatility(VIX) 15.21 -.85%
- Euro/Yen Carry Return Index 141.26 -.38%
- Emerging Markets Currency Volatility(VXY) 11.16 -1.41%
- S&P 500 Implied Correlation 64.02 +.38%
- ISE Sentiment Index 110.0 -14.06%
- Total Put/Call .98 +13.95%
Credit Investor Angst:
- North American Investment Grade CDS Index 65.23 -1.27%
- America Energy Sector High-Yield CDS Index 709.0 -1.28%
- European Financial Sector CDS Index 63.96 -2.81%
- Western Europe Sovereign Debt CDS Index 26.44 -2.07%
- Asia Pacific Sovereign Debt CDS Index 68.21 unch.
- Emerging Market CDS Index 366.93 -1.68%
- iBoxx Offshore RMB China Corporates High Yield Index 113.32 +.02%
- 2-Year Swap Spread 26.75 unch.
- 3-Month EUR/USD Cross-Currency Basis Swap -20.75 unch.
Economic Gauges:
- 3-Month T-Bill Yield .01% unch.
- Yield Curve 138.0 +2.0 basis points
- China Import Iron Ore Spot $63.19/Metric Tonne +1.48%
- Citi US Economic Surprise Index -37.20 -.3 point
- Citi Eurozone Economic Surprise Index 43.70 +12.6 points
- Citi Emerging Markets Economic Surprise Index -8.80 -.6 point
- 10-Year TIPS Spread 1.69 +2.0 basis points
Overseas Futures:
- Nikkei Futures: Indicating +165 open in Japan
- DAX Futures: Indicating +7 open in Germany
Portfolio:
- Slightly Higher: On gains in my tech/retail/biotech/medical sector longs
- Market Exposure: 50% Net Long