U.S. Market Wrap and Forecast for Monday

Early buying pressure faded during Friday’s expiration session, dropping major indices into the red. WTI crude oil reversed, dropping below 60 as temperatures lifted above the freezing mark in Texas and southern states. The 30-year bond posted another monthly low, continuing the relentless rise in yields across short- and long-dated instruments. Gamestop Inc. (GME) hit a monthly low, forcing another batch of Reddit traders to look for a less stressful hobby.

Roku Rocks

Roku Inc. (ROKU) posted a Q4 2020 profit of $0.49 per-share, well above expectations for a $0.03 loss, lifting the streaming hardware provider to a three-day high. However, rich valuation weighed on buying interest, stalling price well below Tuesday’s all-time high at 486.72. Deere and Co. (DE) reported the second blowout quarter in a row, lifting the agricultural giant to an all-time high above 330. The stock rose more than 55% in 2020 and has added another 20% so far in 2021.

Russell-2000 index ignored blue chip selling pressure, lifting into the midpoint of the weekly trading range. This instrument has rallied 55% since September, carving one of the strongest small cap buying waves since the 1990s. Speculative fervor in the Reddit crowd is driving the upside, with SPACs acting as petri dishes for hundreds of start-up operations. Unfortunately, most small caps won’t succeed down the road due to roadblocks set up by trillion dollar mega-techs.

Post-Options Hangover Ahead

Discovery Inc. (DISCA) could provide early metrics on the paid streaming service it launched in January in Monday’s pre-market earnings release. Home Depot Inc. (HD) and Lowes Inc. (LOW) lead next week’s blue chip calendar, highlighting do-it-yourself income during the pandemic’s second wave. The bubble in mall anchors could break after department stores release miserable quarterly results, which should confirm the slow bleed of long-term customers.

Consumer confidence and durable goods head next week’s economic calendar, along with new home sales. Millennials have entered their nesting stages, scooping up the limited supply of existing homes and driving prices to all-time highs. The supply crunch is forcing many nest builders to take advantage of remote work opportunities and build homes far away from west coast and northeast urban centers, in a phenomenon that will alter US demographics for decades.

For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar.