Technology Rally Slows as US Holidays Approach

Coming off a spectacular surge for US tech stocks, that saw the NASDAQ pop 2.7% as the AI trade roared back to life, overseas markets have been posting more moderate gains. The Hang Seng rose 0.7%, the Nikkei was flat, the DAX is up 0.6% and the FTSE is up 0.4%. US index futures are […]
Fed Speculation Drives Big Market Reversals

It has been a roller coaster 24 hours for global markets, particularly risk and AI plays. Yesterday’s early enthusiasm around strong Nvidia earnings completely fell apart and stocks across several sectors staged big bearish reversals. A positive start turned into a rout as the NASDAQ lost 2.1% and the Dow dropped 0.9%. The catalyst for […]
Stocks Keep Sliding as Home Depot Disappoints

Yesterday’s retreat in US markets, which saw major indices fall 0.8% to 1.2%, has continued overnight and into this morning. US index futures are down another 0.6%-0.7%, while overseas, the Nikkei plunged 3.2%, the Hang Seng fell 1.7%, the DAX has dropped 1.5%, and the FTSE has fallen 1.4%. Crude Oil is flat in commodity […]
Choppy Markets Await Earnings and Economic News

Global markets opened the week on a muted note, with most major indexes trading flat to slightly lower. Overseas equities softened overnight, with the Hang Seng down 0.7 percent, the Nikkei off 0.1 percent, the DAX lower by 0.6 percent, and the FTSE down 0.2 percent. U.S. index futures are hovering flat to marginally negative. […]
Positive Economic Data Boosts the US Dollar

This morning, several key US economic indicators have come in significantly better than expected. The latest US Q2 GDP update (3.8% vs Street 3.3%), and durable goods orders (2.9% vs Street -0.5%) suggest a more robust economy than previously thought. Meanwhile, fewer than expected weekly initial jobless claims (218K vs previous 232K) suggest US labor […]
Stocks Rebound Following a Correction

Yesterday’s pullback in North American equities from recent all-time highs, which saw the NASDAQ lose 1.0% and the S&P slide 0.6%, appears to have been short lived. Better than expected earnings from chipmaker Micron Technology ($3.03 vs Street $2.86) appears to have shored up confidence. This morning finds US index futures trading flat to up […]
Precious Metals Keep on Climbing as PMI Numbers Disappoint

There appears to be a growing disconnect between what equity and non-equity asset classes are telling us about investor sentiment. On the one hand, equity indices in the US and elsewhere continuing to reach new all-time highs seems to suggest an increased level of confidence and optimism about the future. This morning, US index futures […]
Steady Markets Await This Week’s Central Bank Meetings

Equities, bonds and commodities are all relatively quiet to start the week. US index futures are up 0.1%-0.3%. In Europe, the FTSE is flat, and the DAX is up 0.5%. Crude Oil and Copper are both up 0.3%. Gold is down 0.2%. The Loonie is up 0.1%, the Euro is up 0.2%. Signs of slowing […]
World Markets Await Summit News

After today, SIA Wealth Morning Minutes will be on summer vacation for the next two weeks, returning Tuesday, September 2nd. With a 2-point gain, the S&P 500 managed to eke out another all-time high yesterday, but investors have had difficulty keeping the party going overnight. US index futures are split between a 0.5% gain for […]
Rising Inflation Sinks Stocks, Sparks US Dollar Rally

US index futures have turned sharply downward after US producer prices jumped in July (3.3% vs Street 2.5% and previous 2.3%), contradicting Tuesday’s consumer price report and suggesting that tariffs may be starting to drive up inflation. US core PPI (excluding food and energy) was even worse (3.7% vs Street 2.9 and previous 2.6%). US […]