Morning Briefing
Economy loses 701,000 jobs in March; April looks much worse
The U.S economy lost 701,000 jobs in March, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced this morning. The unemployment rate rose to 4.4% in March from 3.5%, a 50-year low, in February. The survey behind the numbers was completed by March 12 so it didn't capture the full...
Initial claims for unemployment soar to 6.65 million
I'm finding it hard to wrap my head around exactly how bad the economy is and how fast the collapse has been. Today's report of 6.65 million new claims for unemployment for the week ended March 28 exploded through the record number of new claims set just the prior...
Sellers batten down the hatches today ahead of tomorrow’s report on new claims for unemployment
Not much mystery to today's selling. Investors and traders were trimming positions--or more--ahead of tomorrow's report on initial claims for unemployment. Last week brought a record 3.28 million new claims for unemployment as the coronavirus and "shelter in place"...
Saudis ramp up oil production
The first tankers in what looks like a long fleet of tankers are loading now in Saudi Arabia on their way to Europe and the United States in April. The Saudi government looks to be making good on its announced increase in output to a record 12.3 million barrels a day...
Oil hits an 18-year low–worse to come as world runs out of storage
As of noon New York time, today March 30, U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate fell another 5.67% to $20.29 a barrel. International benchmark Brent dropped 9.83% to $22.45 a barrel. That's an 18-year low for oil. And worse is yet to come. The world has run out of...
House passes $2.2 trillion coronavirus rescue bill, but coronavirus cases continue to surge
The House of Representatives jumped one last procedural hurdle and sent the $2.2 trillion coronavirus bill to President Trump for his signature. Meanwhile... Italy reported 919 coronavirus deaths in one day, the largest single-day toll reported by any country. The...
Market shrugs off 3.28 million jump in new claims as $2.2 trillion coronavirus rescue bill moves toward House vote tomorrow
Today Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said the surge in Americans filing for unemployment benefits is “not relevant.” Mnuchin told CNBC, “The president is protecting those people.” For the week ended March 21, initial claims for unemployment soared to a record 3.28...
Buy on the rumor, sell on the news in this bear market
As I write this at 1:20 p.m. New York time on Wednesday, March 25, the Senate is debating the $2 billion (or is it even more now?) coronavirus rescue bill. The consensus is that the chamber will vote and pass the bill sometime this afternoon and then send it to the...
Cover those shorts! S&P 500 up 9.38% but most heavily shorted stocks rocket ahead of the general market
Stocks are up Big Time today on speculation that the Senate will finally pass a $1.8 trillion (remember when it was just $1.2 trillion?) coronavirus rescue package. As of the close today, March 24, the Standard & Poor's 500 was up 9.38% to 2437.33, and the Dow...
Senate fails to pass coronavirus rescue bill as procedural vote fails
I've been operating on the assumption for the last week of so that the Senate in particular and Congress in general would, of course, pass a coronavirus rescue bill. (I have been calling it a "stimulus: bill but given how quickly the economy, unemployment, and small...
Credit markets “sell everything” call means Fed will have to eventually support everything
In the credit markets investors and traders are selling everything. Safe. Risky. Doesn't make any difference. And that's creating a potential shortage of dollars. When you sell corporate bonds, you take dollars out of the credit market. When companies draw down credit...Jim’s Stock Alerts
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