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Futures Rise, Earnings Season Off To Shaky Start, Trade Concerns Dampen Investor Appetite

By:
Thomas Hughes
Published: Oct 15, 2019, 13:12 UTC

Global markets are mixed as earnings season gets underway.

Bull market

The U.S. Futures Are Rising In Early Trading

The U.S. indices are indicated higher in early trading as earnings season kicks off. Today’s news includes reports from more than a half-dozen important names and the results are mixed. The big banks are the main focus as JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, and Citigroup all report. JP Morgan posted a nice beat on the top and bottom lines driven by strength in consumer lending. Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo are all trading lower after reporting weaker than expected numbers.

In other news, United Health and Johnson & Johnson both beat expectations. Johnson & Johnson also reports strength in the consumer units while United Health upped its full-year guidance. Both stocks are moving higher by roughly 2.0%.

The Down Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500, and NASDAQ Composite are all up about 0.25% in early trading. The sentiment is buoyed by trade hopes but also tempered by caution. While China and the U.S. have signaled a Phase 1 deal is at hand there is still no deal in place. Until such time traders are cautioned to be prepared for negative headlines. On the economic front, the Empire State Manufacturing Survey rose modestly to 4 from last months 2.0 as production and employment edge higher.

European Markets Are Mixed, Hope For A Smooth Brexit Persist

European markets are mixed at midday on Tuesday after remarks from the EU’s Brexit team renewed hope. Michel Barnier said that despite the increasing difficulty it is still possible to reach a deal this week. The DAX and CAC are both up about 0.35% to 0.40% while the FTSE is down roughly -0.25%. Retail is in the lead with a gain of 0.90%.

In economic news, unemployment ticked higher in the UK. The 3rd quarter figure came in at 3.9%, a tenth higher than the previous. In stock news, shares of Hays are up 5.5% after it reported flat results. The good news is weakness in the UK was offset by strength in offshore markets. Share of Wirecard, however, are not so buoyant. The Financial Times did an expose on the company’s accounting practices and shares are down -17% because of it.

Asia Mixed, Trade Hopes Clash With Trade Fears

Asian markets are wildly mixed after Tuesday’s session. The Japanese Nikkei led the market with a gain of 1.9% after being closed Monday for holiday. Chinese indices are broadly lower following the release of inflation data. CPI rose 3% on a 69% increase in pork prices while PPI fell. The Shanghai Composite is down -0.56% on the news, the Hang Seng a more tepid -0.07%. Elsewhere in the region, the ASX and Kospi are both up mildly.

About the Author

Thomas has been a professional options trader and investor since October 2005. At that time, Thomas was introduced to financial markets, technical analysis, and financial market analysis. He tracks economic data from the worlds leading economies, corporate earnings, equities, currency, commodities, and cryptocurrencies.

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