Apple Guides Lower, Coronavirus Still Spreading, U.S. Equities Fall

The U.S. Futures Are Lower In Early Trading

The U.S. futures are pointing to a lower open on Tuesday following a revenue warning from Apple. Apple says it is going to miss its previously stated guidance of $63 to $67 billion for the 1st quarter. The reason is the coronavirus. The world’s leading manufacturer of consumer electronics says production and sales are taking a hit in China. With production slowing sales will be impacted around the world. Shares of Apple are down about -2.5% in early trading after shedding more than -3.0% in the overnight session.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down about -0.55% while the S&P 500 a smaller -0.41%. The tech-heavy NASDAQ Composite with its exposure to China is leading with a loss of -0.60%. This week is a holiday-shortened week, today’s action is the first since the market closed last Friday. On the coronavirus front, China has announced another 1900 new cases and nearly 100 deaths. Among the dead are healthcare workers and the head of a major treatment center. In total, there are 72,350 cases worldwide and the number continues to grow. The full impact on the global economy will not be known for many months so traders should be cautious.

Earnings Season Still In Full Swing

With nearly 80% of the S&P 500 reports in the bag, the earnings season is winding down. Even so, there are still a number of market-moving releases left to come. Today’s news includes reports from Walmart, Advance Auto Parts, and Bloomin Brands. The results for all three are mixed.

Walmart reported a miss on the bottom line along with weaker than expected comps. The stock fell -1.0% on the news and then rebound to advance 1.0% before the open of the day’s session. The consumer giant raised its dividend and provided a stable outlook which was enough for the market. Advance Auto Parts also reported mixed results. The after-market auto parts store missed on the top line but delivered a solid bottom-line beat. Shares are up 2.0%, partially driven by a 300% increase to the dividend.

Economic Data Is Positive

The Empire State Manufacturing Survey came in hotter than expected. The headline reading of 12.9 is 8 points higher than the previous month. An uptick in new orders and shipments are the primary drivers although employment, backlogs, and delivery times all rose too. Later in the session traders will be watching for the homebuilder’s sentiment index due out at 10 AM. The most important read of the week will be tomorrow afternoon when the FOMC releases the minutes from the last meeting.