Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Wednesday Watch

Around X:

  • @Business  
  • @ZeroHedge
Night Trading 
  • Asian equity indices are +1.75% to +3.75% on average. 
  • Asia Ex-Japan Investment Grade CDS Index 85.5 -7.75 basis points.
  • China Sovereign CDS 49.25 -5.5 basis points.
  • China Iron Ore Spot 106.3 USD/Metric Tonne +.8%. 
  • Crude Oil 102.62/bbl. +1.2% 
  • Gold 4,724.3 USD/t oz. +1.0%. 
  • Swiss Franc/Offshore Chinese Renminbi Cross 8.63 -.18%.
  • Bloomberg Emerging Markets Currency Index 35.36 +.04%.
  • Bloomberg Global Risk-On/Risk Off Index 101.94 +.5%
  • US 10-Year Yield 4.29% -2.0 basis points.
  • Japan 30-Year Yield 3.66% -6.0 basis points. 
  • Volatility Index(VIX) futures 24.8 -1.1%.
  • Euro Stoxx 50 futures +1.8%. 
  • S&P 500 futures +.16%.
  • NASDAQ 100 futures +.26%.
Morning Preview Links

BOTTOM LINE: Asian indices are sharply higher, boosted by technology and consumer discretionary shares in the region. I expect US stocks to open mixed and to rally into the afternoon, finishing modestly higher.  The Portfolio is 50% net long heading into the day.

Stocks Soaring into Final Hour on Mideast War De-Escalation Hopes, Long-Term Rate Decline, Quarter-End Short-Covering, Biotech/Tech Sector Strength

Economic/Market Gauges:

  • North American Investment Grade CDS Index 63.2 -6.6%
  • BofA Private Credit Proxy Index 70.9 +1.3% 
  • Bloomberg US Securitized MBS/ABS/CMBS Avg. OAS .28 -1.0 basis point
  • BofA Global Financial Stress Indicator .48 1 -1.0 basis point
  • European Financial Sector CDS Index 77.8 -2.7%
  • Emerging Market CDS Index 194.9 -5.0%
  • Israel Sovereign CDS 82.0 +1.0% 
  • Bloomberg Global Trade Policy Uncertainty Index .7 unch.
  • US Morning Consult Daily Consume Sentiment Index 89.0 +1.7
  • Citi US Economic Surprise Index 20.5 +.9
  • Citi Eurozone Economic Surprise Index -3.7 -4.7
  • Citi Emerging Markets Economic Surprise Index 45.4 -2.4 
  • S&P 500 Current Quarter EPS Growth Rate YoY(14 of 500 reporting) +94.4% -2.1 percentage points
  • S&P 500 Blended Forward 12 Months Mean EPS Estimate 336.01 +.62:  Growth Rate +21.0% +.2 percentage point, P/E 19.1 +.1
  • S&P 500 Current Year Estimated Profit Margin 15.06% -4.0 basis points
  • NYSE FANG+ Current Quarter EPS Growth Rate YoY(1 of 10 reporting) +690.0% unch.
  • NYSE FANG+ Blended Forward 12 Months Mean EPS Estimate 790.90 +.59: Growth Rate +98.8% +.1 percentage point, P/E 17.1 +.2 
  • Bloomberg US Financial Conditions Index -.19 -21.0 basis points
  • US Yield Curve 50.75 basis points (2s/10s) -.5 basis point
  • Bloomberg Industrial Metal Index 169.3 +1.4%
  • Dutch TTF Nat Gas(European benchmark) 50.8 euros/megawatt-hour -7.7% 
  • US Recession Within 6 Months Probability(3M/18M Forward Yld Curve Spread) 19.1% unch.
  • US Atlanta Fed GDPNow Q1 Forecast +2.0% unch.
  • US 10-Year T-Note Yield 4.30% -5.0 basis points
  • 1-Year TIPS Spread 5.23 -8.0 basis points
  • Highest target rate probability for June 17th FOMC meeting: 90.1% (-4.3 percentage points) chance of 3.5%-3.75%. Highest target rate probability for July 29th meeting: 86.3%(-4.1 percentage points) chance of 3.5%-3.75%. (current target rate is 3.5-3.75%)
Overseas Futures:
  • Nikkei 225 Futures: Indicating +1,775 open in Japan 
  • China A50 Futures: Indicating +120 open in China
  • DAX Futures: Indicating +450 open in Germany
Portfolio:
  • Higher: On gains in my biotech/tech/industrial/consumer discretionary sector longs
  • Disclosed Trades: Covered some of my (IWM)/(QQQ) hedges and some of my emerging market shorts
  • Market Exposure: Moved to 75% Net Long

Bear Radar

Style Underperformer:

  • Large-Cap Growth +1.6%
Sector Underperformers:
  • 1) Coal -3.1% 2) Energy -2.2% 3) Utilities -.6%
Stocks Falling on Unusual Volume: 
  • CVX, LYB, EPD, FCFS, DVN, OKE, IPI, OXY, SD, BIIB, MNR, DEC, LNG, APA, AR, MEOH, TALO, INR, CNR, LXU, CF, MKC, UL, VG, BTU, CEG and PRGS
Stocks With Unusual Put Option Activity:
  • 1) SEI 2) MTUM 3) TE 4) BANC 5) SVC
Stocks With Most Negative News Mentions:
  • 1) IT 2) TE 3) PEPG 4) BSX 5) COTY
Sector ETFs With Most Negative Money Flow:
  • 1) XLF 2) FTXO 3) IGV 4) IYF 5) SOXX

Bull Radar

Style Outperformer:

  • Small-Cap Growth +3.8%
Sector Outperformers:
  • 1) Gold & Silver +6.5% 2) Airlines +5.5% 3) Semis +5.3%
Stocks Rising on Unusual Volume:
  • APLS, CNTA, AEHR, FLY, AGIO, VOR, KOD, MLYS, ALKS, ANRO, IMNM, ELE, SLNO, CTGO, SRRK, CENX, RYTM, XPEL, COGT, AKTS, ETON, CLDX, U, SHC, NAVN, NAMS, ORKA, META, AXTI, NN, CEPU, UBS, DLO, LASR, TKO, ELVN, ESE, ELPC, FDS, ETY, VRDN, BWLP, BSAC, HLIO, CSQ, AERO, TEO, SNX, CHY and RACE
Stocks With Unusual Call Option Activity:
  • 1) KOPN 2) FEZ 3) SPCE 4) AMTM 5) SGHC 
Stocks With Most Positive News Mentions:
  • 1) APLS 2) CNTA 3) SPCE 4) NBIS 5) ALK
Sector ETFs With Most Positive Money Flow:
  • 1) XLE 2) XLB 3) FXN 4) XLU 5) IYK
Charts:

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

Earnings of Note 
Company/Estimate 

Before the Open:
  • (CALM)/.70
  • (CAG)/.40
  • (LW)/.61
  • (MSM)/.84
  • (UNF)/1.19 
After the Close: 
  • None of note
Economic Releases 

8:15 am EST

  • The ADP Employment Change for March is estimated to fall to 40K versus 63K in Feb. 
8:30 am EST 
  • Retail Sales Advance MoM for Feb. is estimated to rise +.5% versus a -.2% decline in Jan.
  • Retail Sales Ex Autos MoM for Feb. is estimated to rise +.3% versus unch. in Jan.
  • Retail Sales Ex Autos and Gas for Feb. is estimated to rise +.3% versus a +.3% gain in Jan. 
9:45 am EST
  • S&P Global US Manufacturing PMI for March final reading.

10:00 am EST

  • ISM Manufacturing  for March is estimated to fall to 52.3 versus 52.4 in Feb.
  • ISM Prices Paid for March is estimated to rise to 73.8 versus 70.5 in Feb.
  • Business Inventories for Jan. is estimated to rise +.1% versus a +.1% gain in Dec.

10:30 am EST

  • Bloomberg consensus estimates call for a weekly crude oil inventory gain of +1,257,000 barrels versus a +6,926,000 barrel gain the prior week. Gasoline supplies are estimated to fall by -3,098,670 barrels versus a -2,593,000 barrel decline the prior week. Distillate inventories are estimated to rise by +118,500 barrels versus a +3,032,000 barrel gain the prior week. Finally, Refinery Utilization is estimated to rise by +.54% versus a +1.5% gain prior.

Afternoon

  • Wards Total Vehicle Sales for March is estimated to rise to 15.86M versus 15.75M in Feb

Upcoming Splits

  • None of note
Other Potential Market Movers
  • The Fed's Musalem speaking, Fed's Barr speaking, Atlanta Fed GDPNow Q1 update and the weekly MBA Mortgage Applications report could also impact global trading tomorrow.
US Equity Market Hours
  • 9:30 am - 4:00 pm EST

Mid-Day Market Internals

NYSE Composite Index:

  • Volume Running -.9% Below 100-Day Average 
  • Nasdaq/NYSE Volume Ratio 14.7 +1.9
  • 9 Sectors Rising, 2 Sectors Declining
  • 77.9% of Issues Advancing, 20.8% Declining 
  • TRIN/Arms .84 -9.7%
  • Non-Block Money Flow +$290.9M
  • 44 New 52-Week Highs, 64 New Lows
  • 45.4% (+4.8%) of Issues Above 200-day Moving Average
  • Average 14-Day RSI 40.4 +4.5
Polymarket: 
  • How long will the DHS shutdown last? 60+ days 87.0% +3.0 percentage points
  • Will China invade Taiwan by end of 2026? 10.0% unch.
  • US forces enter Iran by April 30th 60.0% -8.0 percentage points
  • Trump announces end of military operations against Iran by April 30th 44.0% +6.0 percentage points
Other:
  • Bloomberg Global Risk-On/Risk-Off Index 100.1 +.7%
  • Global Monitor Iran Instability Index 100.0 unch.
  • Strait of Hormuz Oil Tanker Traffic Curtailed Estimate 95.0% unch.
  • US High-Yield Tech Sector OAS Index 562.0 -5.0 basis points
  • Bloomberg Cyclicals/Defensives Index 248.6 +1.7%
  • Morgan Stanley Growth vs Value Index 132.2 +1.2%
  • CNN Fear & Greed Index 13.0 (EXTREME FEAR) +3.0
  • 1-Day Vix 16.7 -27.5%
  • Vix 27.5 -10.3%
  • Total Put/Call 1.01 -1.0%