Market Update
S&P 500 and Nasdaq Rebound Ahead of Busy Week of Earnings
Barry Adams
22 Apr, 2024
New York City
Stocks attempted to rebound as investors gear up for a busy week of earnings ahead.
The S&P 500 index and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.7% in early trading after tensions between Israel and Iran eased for now.
Both countries showed little interest in escalating tensions after conducting face-saving limited strikes and walked away from the brink of starting what could have turned into a regional war in the Middle East.
Crude oil eased from five-month highs after tensions in the Middle East eased and investors shifted their focus to upcoming earnings from leading tech companies.
Earnings releases are expected to pick up, and more than 700 companies are expected to release earnings this week.
The electric vehicle maker Tesla is scheduled to release earnings after the close of regular trading sessions on Tuesday, Facebook-parent Meta on Wednesday, and Apple, Microsoft, and Intel on Thursday.
Investors are looking for clues about how companies are adjusting to persistent inflation, rising wage demands, and a strong dollar.
The U.S. dollar has retained its upward bias in the last three months amid rising geopolitical tensions, and the Japanese yen, the Chinese yuan, the Indian rupee, the euro, and the pound have lost ground.
The Japanese yen is now down about 50% in the last three years. The Chinese yuan is trading near a record low, the Indian rupee is trading at a record low, and the euro and the pound are hovering near recent lows.
The Swiss franc has been the only currency to appreciate against the U.S. dollar over the last two years.
U.S. Indexes and Yields
The S&P 500 index increased 0.5% to 5,087.23, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.45% to 15,332,06.
The yield on 2-year Treasury notes edged higher to 4.98%, 10-year Treasury notes inched down to 4.59%, and 30-year Treasury bonds edged lower to 4.69%.
WTI crude oil decreased $0.59 to $82.13 a barrel, and natural gas prices decreased 1 cent to $1.74 a thermal unit.
Gold decreased by $0.82 to $2,379.82 an ounce, and silver fell 1 cent to $28.22.
The dollar index, which weighs the U.S. dollar against a basket of foreign currencies, edged lower to 105.88.
U.S. Stock Movers
Tesla declined 3.2% to $141.25 on news that the company announced a 5% discount for all electric vehicles in China and Germany as demand lags supply.
Tesla lowered the Model 3 price in China by 14,000 yuan to 231,000 yuan and also lowered the price in Germany by 2,000 euros to 40,990 euros.
Cryptocurrency-focused stocks declined ahead of the so-called "halving" of Bitcoin, where cryptocurrency miners are rewarded for miners.
Bitcoin hovered around $65,000 in early Monday's trading.
Energy complex stocks declined for the second day in a row following the easing of crude oil prices after tensions in the Middle East eased.
Europe Movers: Alstom, Galp Energia, Hipgnosis Song Fund, Tesco, Tyman
Inga Muller
22 Apr, 2024
Frankfurt
European markets rebounded after three weeks of tumultuous trading that saw indexes decline more than 5%.
Market indexes edged higher after tensions eased between Iran and Israel for now and crude oil prices turned lower from their five-month highs.
The DAX index increased by 0.4% to 17,814.66; the CAC-40 index rose by 0.2% to 8,037.43; and the FTSE 100 index inched higher by 0.6% to 8,007.47.
The yield on 10-year German bonds edged up to 2.53%; French bonds inched higher to 3.03%; the UK gilts edged higher to 4.24%; and Italian bonds inched higher to 3.90%.
Tyman soared 31% to 388.50 pence after the U.K.-based doors and windows supplier agreed to be acquired by the U.S.-based metal windows maker Quanex for about £788 million in cash and stock.
Alstom SA jumped 0.5% to €15.19 after the French train maker agreed to sell its North American rail conventional signaling business to Knorr-Bremse for €630 million.
Hipgnosis Song Fund soared 10% to 101.0 pence after alternative asset manager Blackstone offered to buy the troubled music rights investor for $1.5 billion.
Galp Energia rose 16% to €18.67, and the Portuguese oil company said the Mopane oil field off the coast of Namibia could have at least 10 billion barrels of oil.
Tesco PLC increased 2.8% to 289.20 pence after the UK-based grocery retailer commenced its first tranche of its £1 billion stock repurchase program.
European Markets Edge Higher After Middle East Tensions Ease and Crude Oil Prices Turn Lower
Bridgette Randall
22 Apr, 2024
Frankfurt
European market indexes advanced after a week of choppy trading as geopolitical tensions eased and crude prices descended from five-month highs.
Benchmark indexes in Frankfurt, Paris, and London rebounded after declining for three weeks in a row as investors prepare to review earnings from leading global tech companies and European banks.
Tensions between Iran and Israel eased for now after two countries carried out limited strikes and avoided escalating tensions following intense diplomatic efforts by the U.S., Oman, Switzerland, and France.
Crude oil futures prices edged lower after tensions eased in the Middle East and U.S. crude oil inventories rose more than expected, easing global demand growth.
Europe Indexes and Yields
The DAX index increased by 0.4% to 17,814.66; the CAC-40 index rose by 0.2% to 8,037.43; and the FTSE 100 index inched higher by 0.6% to 8,007.47.
The yield on 10-year German bonds edged up to 2.53%; French bonds inched higher to 3.03%; the UK gilts edged higher to 4.24%; and Italian bonds inched higher to 3.90%.
The euro edged higher to $1.065; the British pound inched higher to $1.234; and the U.S. dollar edged higher to 91.11 Swiss cents.
Brent crude decreased $0.35 to $86.73 a barrel, and the Dutch TTF natural gas fell by €0.85 to €29.92 per MWh.
Europe Stock Movers
Tyman soared 31% to 388.50 pence after the U.K.-based doors and windows supplier agreed to be acquired by the U.S.-based metal windows maker Quanex for about £788 million in cash and stock.
Alstom SA jumped 0.5% to €15.19 after the French train maker agreed to sell its North American rail conventional signaling business to Knorr-Bremse for €630 million.
Hipgnosis Song Fund soared 10% to 101.0 pence after alternative asset manager Blackstone offered to buy the troubled music rights investor for $1.5 billion.
Galp Energia rose 16% to €18.67, and the Portuguese oil company said the Mopane oil field off the coast of Namibia could have at least 10 billion barrels of oil.
Tesco PLC increased 2.8% to 289.20 pence after the UK-based grocery retailer commenced its first tranche of its £1 billion stock repurchase program.
Tokyo Stocks Advance Higher, Yen Drifts Lower Ahead of the BoJ's Rate Decisions
Akira Ito
22 Apr, 2024
Tokyo
Stocks attempted to rebound in Japan, and investors looked forward to the Bank of Japan's rate decision and Tokyo area inflation data later in the week.
Last week, market indexes in Tokyo plunged 4.7% and declined seven of the last nine weeks, following sharp losses in New York and Europe after investors lowered their expectations of rate cuts in the U.S.
The sharp fall in market indexes was led by a plunge in popular semiconductor and tech stocks after Taiwan Semiconductor projected a weaker-than-expected sales outlook.
Taiwan-based TSMC lowered its growth estimate for global logic semiconductors to 10% from the previous estimate of more than 10%.
The S&P 500 index registered its worst weekly decline in six months after investors estimated that the previously estimated three rate cuts are less likely to materialize this year after the latest data showed a resilient U.S. economy.
The Nikkei 225 Stock Average rose 0.4% to 37,222.11, and the Topix index advanced 1% to 2,651.93.
Asian markets rebounded from a sharp selloff in the previous week due to the lowered rate-cut expectations in the U.S.
Benchmark indexes in Seoul jumped 0.8%, in Sydney advanced 1.0%, in Shanghai edged up 0.01%, and in Hong Kong soared 2.2%.
The People's Bank of China held steady its 1-year and 5-year loan prime rates at 3.45% and 3.95%, respectively.
The decision by the central bank was widely anticipated after China's economy expanded at a faster-than-expected pace of 5.3%.
In Tokyo's trading, tech stocks led the gainers in Monday's trading.
SoftBank, Tokyo Electron, Advantest, and Screen Holdings rebounded between 0.5% and 2.5%.
Tech stocks are expected to be in focus as Alphabet, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, SK Hynix, and Advantest are scheduled to release their quarterly results later in the week.
Financial stocks advanced in the hopes that the Bank of Japan would lay the groundwork to lift rates; however, Governor Kazuo Ueda signaled last week that the central bank is likely to retain an accommodative stance for some time.
The Bank of Japan is scheduled to announce its rate decisions on Friday, April 26.
The yen traded at 154.64 against the U.S. dollar.
Mitsubishi UFJ, Mizuho Financial Group, and Sumitomo Mitsubishi gained between 1% and 1.5%.
Hong Kong Stocks Rebound After China Announces Regulatory Support
Li Chen
22 Apr, 2024
Hong Kong
Stock market indexes in Shanghai struggled to advance, and market indexes in Hong Kong soared following regulatory reforms.
Asian markets rebounded from a sharp selloff in the previous week due to the lowered rate-cut expectations in the U.S.
Benchmark indexes in Tokyo edged higher by 0.5%, in Seoul jumped 0.8%, in Sydney advanced 1.0%, in Shanghai edged down 0.2%, and in Hong Kong soared 1.7%.
The People's Bank of China held steady its 1-year and 5-year loan prime rates at 3.45% and 3.95%, respectively.
The decision by the central bank was widely anticipated after China's economy expanded at a faster-than-expected pace of 5.3%.
The CSI 300 index decreased 0.2% to 3,533.98, and the Hang Seng index rose 1.7% to 16,506.66.
Hong Kong indexes rose after the China Securities Regulatory Commission announced reforms to facilitate the listing of mainland Chinese companies on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
The move comes after the Hang Seng index plunged more than 40% over the last three years as foreign investors fled Chinese stocks.
The securities regulator also said it plans to enhance the Stock Connect system that will facilitate trading in mainland China companies listed on stock exchanges in mainland China.
Tech stocks advanced and participated in the market rally.
Tencent Holdings jumped 4.4% to HK$318.20, Meituan jumped 4.9% to $100.0, and Alibaba Group advanced 3.3% to $68.90.
Oil-related stocks traded lower after crude oil prices fell in international trading following the easing of tensions between Iran and Israel and rising inventories in the U.S.
PetroChina decreased 2.2% to HK$7.33, and CNOOC declined 2% to HK$18.26.
Electric vehicle makers were under pressure after the price war intensified in the industry.
Tesla lowered prices by 5% in mainland China for its electric vehicle manufactured in a Shanghai-based facility.
Li Auto declined 9.6% to HK$26.38, Geely Automotive rose 1.2% to HK$8.92, and BYD fell 0.6% to HK$200.40.
India Movers: HDFC Bank, GSPL, IREDA, Jio Financial, Wipro
Arun Goswami
22 Apr, 2024
Mumbai
Stocks in Mumbai rebounded in Monday's trading as investors overlooked elevated geopolitical tensions and global interest rate uncertainty.
The Sensex index increased by 0.3% to 73,303.91, and the Nifty index rose by 0.3% to 22,224.90.
On the Mumbai stock exchange, 138 stocks traded at their 52-week highs, and 8 stocks traded at their 52-week lows.
The yield on the 10-year Indian government bonds inched higher to 7.22%, and the Indian rupee edged lower at ₹83.43 against the U.S. dollar.
HDFC Bank decreased 0.2% to ₹1,528.50 after the financial services company reported weaker-than-expected March quarter results.
Net interest income in the quarter rose 24.5% to 29,080 crore, and the core net interest margin was 3.4%.
Wipro advanced 1.1% to ₹456.90 after the tech services providers reported smaller-than-expected declines in revenue and earnings in the March quarter.
Revenue fell 4.2% to 22,208.3 crore and net income declined 7.9% to 2,835 crore from a year ago, respectively.
Jio Financial Services rose 2.1% to ₹377.75 after the company reported March quarter financial results that surpassed market expectations.
Consolidated revenue in the March quarter was nearly flat at 418 crore, and net income rose 5.7% to 310.6 crore from the previous quarter, respectively.
Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency soared 7.2% to ₹172.10 after the company reported strong quarterly results.
Net interest income in the March quarter jumped 35% to ₹172.10 and net profit advanced 33% to 337.4 crore from a year ago, respectively.
Gujarat State Petronet plunged 20% to ₹302.15 after the petroleum and natural gas regulatory board cut the tariff on the company's key petroleum transmission pipeline by 47%.
U.S. Movers: KB Home, Intuitive Surgical, Netflix, P&G, Western Alliance
Scott Peters
19 Apr, 2024
New York City
Intuitive Surgical rose 3.3% to $385.0 after the robotic surgical equipment maker reported better-than-expected quarterly results.
Revenue in the first quarter increased 11% to $1.89 billion from $1.70 billion, net income rose to $547.4 million from $360.8 million, and diluted earnings per share advanced to $1.51 from $1.01 a year ago.
The company placed 313 da Vinci surgical systems, compared with 312 in the first quarter of 2023, and increased its installed base by 14% to 8,887 systems from 7,779 at the end of the first quarter of 2023.
Western Alliance decreased 3.4% to $53.82 after the regional bank posted weaker-than-expected quarterly results.
KB Home increased 1% to $61.04 after the home builder said its board of directors announced a new $1 billion stock repurchase plan.
The new plan replaces the previous authorization with the remaining $113.6 million.
The company intends to continue its share repurchases in 2024 in a projected range of between $200 million and $400 million for the full year, including $50 million of share repurchases completed during the company’s 2024 first quarter.
The home builder's board of directors raised quarterly cash dividend by 25% to 25 cent per share payable on May 23 to shareholders on May 9.
The company declared first quarter results on March 20 and said it repurchased $50 million of its stock in the period.
In the first quarter ending in March, revenue increased 6% to $1.47 billion from $1.38 billion, net income rose to $138.6 million from $125.5 million, and diluted earnings per share rose to $1.76 from $1.45 a year ago.
Netflix declined 5.7% to $571.95 after the online streaming service provider reported better-than-expected quarterly results and added it will stop publishing paid subscriber counts starting in 2025.
Revenue in the first quarter increased to $9.37 billion from $8.16 billion, net income rose to $2.13 billion from $1.30 billion, and diluted earnings per share advanced to $5.28 from $2.88 a year ago.
Caution Prevailed On Wall Steet After Israel Conducted Limited Strike Targeting Iran
Barry Adams
19 Apr, 2024
New York City
Safe-have assets were in demand after the long-running conflict between Israel and Iran spilled over into public view amid rapidly escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Israel's limited strike targeted locations deep into Iran's territory after the nuclear-armed nation conducted missile strikes in a retaliatory move.
However, Israel and Iran appear to be in no mood to step up more attacks for now, after diplomats on both sides worked to lower tensions and limit the conflict from spreading to a regional war.
The so-called safe-haven assets were in demand, and the U.S. Treasury yields held stable; crude oil prices soared 4% before erasing most of the gains; and gold edged slightly higher in early trading.
Investors also reviewed the fresh batch of earnings and reacted negatively to Netflix's announcement that it no longer plans to release a paid subscriber count starting in 2025.
The S&P 500 index and the Nasdaq Composite are set to extend weekly losses for the third week in a row after a week of choppy trading.
The S&P 500 index and the Nasdaq Composite have fallen nearly 5% from their peaks.
U.S. Indexes and Yields
The S&P 500 index declined 0.1% to 5,014.45, and the Nasdaq Composite decreased 0.3% to 15,550.10.
The yield on 2-year Treasury notes edged higher to 4.98%, 10-year Treasury notes inched down to 4.59%, and 30-year Treasury bonds edged lower to 4.69%.
WTI crude oil decreased $0.59 to $82.13 a barrel, and natural gas prices decreased 1 cent to $1.74 a thermal unit.
Gold decreased by $0.82 to $2,379.82 an ounce, and silver fell 1 cent to $28.22.
The dollar index, which weighs the U.S. dollar against a basket of foreign currencies, edged lower to 105.88.
U.S. Stock Movers
Intuitive Surgical rose 3.3% to $385.0 after the robotic surgical equipment maker reported better-than-expected quarterly results.
Western Alliance decreased 3.4% to $53.82 after the regional bank posted weaker-than-expected quarterly results.
KB Home increased 1% to $61.04 after the home builder said its board of directors announced a new $1 billion stock repurchase plan.
Netflix declined 5.7% to $571.95 after the online streaming service provider reported better-than-expected quarterly results and added it will stop publishing paid subscriber counts starting in 2025.
Revenue in the first quarter increased to $9.37 billion from $8.16 billion, net income rose to $2.13 billion from $1.30 billion, and diluted earnings per share advanced to $5.28 from $2.88 a year ago.
Europe Movers: 888 Holdings, L'Oreal, Man Group, Schneider Electric, Sodexo
Inga Muller
19 Apr, 2024
Frankfurt
European market indexes traded at six-week lows after tensions between Israel and Iran escalated, crude oil surged as much as 4%, and the bond yield edged slightly lower.
The DAX index decreased by 0.6% to 17,720.0; the CAC-40 index fell by 0.3% to 7,998.50; and the FTSE 100 index inched lower by 0.6% to 7,831.73.
The yield on 10-year German bonds edged up to 2.45%; French bonds inched lower to 2.97%; the UK gilts edged higher to 4.24%; and Italian bonds inched lower to 3.84%.
Sodexo increased 4.1% to €80.40 after the company reported a net loss in the first half, driven by the weakness in discontinued operations.
The company also confirmed organic revenue growth in 2024 will be near its previously estimated range of between 6% and 8%.
Schneider Electric SA decreased 2.7% to €209.90 after the digital automation and energy management company confirmed that it is in preliminary purchase talks with the U.S.-based software company Bentley Systems Inc.
Man Group declined 5% to 255.0 pence after the UK-based investment management company confirmed a net fund outflow of $1.6 billion in the first quarter.
888 Holdings increased 2.0% to 81.36 pence after the online gambling company reiterated its full-year outlook.
L'Oreal jumped 4.1% to €441.0 after the French cosmetic company reported a 9.4% increase in comparable sales in the first quarter.