November 16, 2024
What You Need to Know Today:
Jobs number weak enough to raise fears for the economy but not weak enough to cement 50 basis point cut on September 18
Today’s employment t report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics was the worst of both worlds. The increase in jobs of just 142,000 in August, coupled with downward revisions from June and July was enough to raise fears that the economy is stalling. And that the Federal Reserve had waited too long to cut interest rates. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of forecasters called for 165,000 new jobs win the month. But the employment number, which left the three-month average of new jobs created at the lowest since mid-2020, wasn’t bad enough to convince traders and investors that the Fed would cut interest rates by 50 basis points at its September 18 meeting.
Special Report: It’s a New World for Dividend Investors: Pick #10 ABBV
Bookkeeping. I added AbbVie (ABBV) as Pick #10 for My New World for Dividend Investing Special Report (You can find it in the Special Report section of this site along with all the content on this market and its trends for Dividend Income investors. But I’m reposting it as a stand alone pick so no one misses it. AbbVie (ABBV) has been a long-time member of the Dividend Portfolio with a gain of 213% since my January 29, 2020 pick. The question right now is Should it be a top dividend pick going forward? After all, the appreciation in the stock has dropped the dividend yield to 3.67%. (Add in a modest yield from buybacks and the total yield goes to 4.18%.) The most pressing question has been What will replace the $20 billion in annual revenue from the company’s blockbuster arthritis drug Humira (adalimumab) now that it faces competition from biosimilar generics? Now we’ve got some numbers to answer that question and to me they add up to AbbVie remaining a top dividend pick.
Please Watch My New Youtube Video: Want to know when the Fed will cut rates? Look at the calendar
Today’s video is Want to know when the Fed will cut rates? Look at the calendar. The Fed only has so many meetings left for 2024 and even fewer if you only coun those with Dot Plot updates of the Fed’s economic projections. The Fed is on the verge of a major shift in policy and the U.S. central bank almost never makes a big policty shift at a meeting without an update of its economic projections.. Early in the year, people were looking for up to five cuts, now, sentiment has shifted to one or fewer. If we get a rate cut at all, when will it be? Look at which upcoming Fed meetings include Dot Plots. The Fed doesn’t like to surprise investors and if they make a drastic change, like a shift to rate cuts, you can bet they want to do it while they’re also discussing projections for 2024 and 2025. The.CME Fedwatch Tool currently odds for the next meeting, May 1, at a 98% chance of no cut and the June meeting is now up to an 84.8% chance of no cut. The June meeting WILL have a Dot Plot and, up until recently, the finanial markets believed that meeting that would deliver the news. Because the Fed generally likes to give in-depth information during a big policy shift, it’s unlikely that the rate cut will be in July, since no dot Plot economic pdate is scheduled for that meeting. The next real chance of a rate cut, I think, is September 18, which has a Dot Plot. (There is no August Fed meeting.) The market thinks there will be a cut in September, and CME Fedwatch has the odds of no cut at that meeting at just 32.7%. A second rate cut in 2024 would have to be at the December 18 meeting, the final 2024 meeting with a Dot Plot. (The Fed doesn’t meet in Ocrober and the November meeting does include a Dot Plot update.) Without the September cut, it’s very unlikely there will be two cuts in 2024. Unless inflation data changes a lot, I doubt we’ll have two rate cuts, but we can look for one in September or December at this point.
Is China’s economy about to slow down again?
China reported faster-than-expected economic growth in the first quarter–but… Although Gross Domestic Product climbed 5.3% in the quarter–a faster rate of growth than in the first quarter of 2023 and above economist estimates, most of the good news came from the first two months of the quarter. In March growth in retail sales slumped and industrial output fell short of forecasts. That doesn’t bode well for the rest of 2024.
Confusion on Tesla climbs ahead of April 23 earnings report
Can’t figure Tesla (TSLA) out? Welcome to the club. The stock was down another 5.59% today, April 15, and is now down 31% for 2024. Maybe investors will get some clarity on the company’s identity and strategy when it announced earnings on April 23. Wall Street analysts expect earnings of 36 cents a share against earnings of 73 cents a share in 2023. I think that strategic clarity is actually more important than quarterly earnings at this point for Tesla.
Apple’s smartphone market share slide continues
Apple has lost its spot as the world’s biggest mobile phone seller, IDC reported today, April 15. A steep drop in sales in China for Apple let South Korean rival Samsung retake the lead in global market share. Samsung had been the biggest seller of mobile phones for 12 years until the end of 2023, when sales of Apple’s iPhone models overtook it. Global smartphone shipments increased by 8% to 289.4m units during January-March, according to IDC. Samsung has a 20.8% market share. That beat Apple’s 17.3% share
Special Report: 10 Contrarian Bargains to Buy Now–My second of 10 Picks is Nidec
Today, October 12, I’m making Nidec, the Japanese company that is the leader in the market for small electric motors and a growing presence in the market for motors and drive trains for electric vehicles, the second pick in my Special Report: 10 Contrarian Bargains to Buy Now.
Live Market Report (20 minute delay)
More evidence of a strong economy in latest retail sales report–I’m sure the Fed is paying attention
U.S. retail sales in January jumped by 3% in January from December, the Commerce Department reported today, February 15. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had expected a 2% increase. Retail sales had dropped in December and November. Together with the strong job gains in January, this data point reduces the likelihood of a recession in 2023 and increases the odds that the Federal Reserve will continue to raise interest rates after its May 2 meeting.
Higher and longer creeps further into Wall Street thinking
Stocks didn’t move much today after the Consumer Price Index for January showed enough inflation strength to bring Federal Reserve officials out in force to talk about a potential need to raise interest rates above current financial market expectations. But other indicators–the CME FedWatch Tool, most obviously–showed that investors and traders continue to reposition for more interest rate increases beyond the Fed’s May 3 meeting.
Fed quick out of the blocks after today’s CPI inflation report: Higher interest rates may be needed
The pixels weren’t even dry on this morning’s CPI inflation report–6.4% year over year, a 10 basis point drop from December, but a 0.5% month-to-month increase from December–before Federal Reserve officials were out talking up the idea that the Fed will have to raise interest rates more to bring inflation down to its 2% target.
Year-over-year inflation rate drops again, but month-to-month rate shows increase
On a year-over-year basis headline CPI inflation fell in January. Data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics this morning, February 14, showed all-in prices rose 6.4% in January 2023 from January 2022. That was a slight drop from the 6.5% year-over-year rate measured in December. (Remember the inflation rate peaked at 9.1% in the summer of 2022.) But on a month-to-month basis, January prices rose 0.5% from December.
Please Watch My New YouTube Video: 6% Is Coming
Today I posted my two-hundred-and-thirty-sixth YouTube video: 6% Is Coming This week’s Trend of the Week is: 6% is Coming. This song lyric keeps playing in my head: “They laughed at Christopher Columbus when he said the world was round.” I’ve maintained that peak interest rates from the Fed will be 6% and I’ve gotten blowback from people saying, “No way! We’ll barely get to 5%.” I’m sticking with 6% and I also think we’ll get more rate increases than the market was expecting. Keeping this in mind, I’m looking at the best time to buy Treasuries and setting some parameters. The yield on the 10-year treasury on February 7 was 3.63%. I won’t wait until 6% from the Fed, but I will wait until the yield reaches 4.25% for the 10-year Treasury. I’m looking for that yield sometime in late 2023. Buy at Treasuries at that 4.25% for the 10-year Treasury and watch that 6% peak rate from the Fed. The world is round.
Here’s the latest Wall Street consensus on tomorrow’s CPI inflation report
The consensus is that the headline all-in year-over-year inflation rate will come in at 6.2% for January when the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the numbers before the New York market open tomorrow February 14. That would be down from an annual 6.5% rate in DecemberGood news for investors and traders hoping that the Fed will end its current cycle of interest rate increase soon (June or July) and with a peak rate of 5.2% or less. The worry remains the month-to-month move in inflation with the consensus looking for a 0.4% increase in the CPI inflation rate in January from December.
Saturday Night Quarterback says, For the week ahead expect…
It’s CPI inflation report time again. On Tuesday morning the Bureau of Labor Statistics will report the Consumer Price Index for January. Expectations are for a mixed result with the annual rate continuing to fall from the 6.5% year-over-year headline rate in December for the CPI. But with inflation rising month-over-month for the first time in three months.
Oil up on Russian production cuts
Russia plans to cut its oil output by 500,000 barrels a day next month, the Russian government announced today. That magnitude of cut would be roughly 5% of the country’s January output. Crude prices jumped on the news, with global benchmark Brent closing higher by 2.37% to $86.50 a barrel. U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate closed up 3.24% at $79.81 a barrel.
Initial claims for unemployment up week over week but closely watched 4-week moving average continues to fall
If a weaker labor market is what the Federal Reserve needs to see before it stops raising rates, the central bank didn’t get the necessary news in today’s report from the Labor Department. Initial unemployment claims rose by 13,000 to 196,000 in the week ended February 4. That’s a sign that the labor market might be weakening. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg were expecting 190,000 new claims for unemployment. However, the four-week moving average, a measure closely tracked by economists because it smooths out week-to-week volatility, dropped to the lowest level since April. The four-week moving average in initial claims edged down to 189,250.
So how does the market come to price in a 6% peak interest rate?
Right now the consensus has moved up to price in a peak interest rate of 5.1% in the Fed Funds rate with the peak coming sometime in June or July. I think that’s unrealistically low. We’re going to need a peak rate of 6% or more before the Fed can declare victory over inflation. (And just to be clear, I don’t think 6% will beat inflation down to the Fed’s target of 2% inflation. I just think that 6% is likely to result in a recession and that given the choice between leaving the fight with inflation still near 4% or causing a deep recession, the Fed will declare victory and punt. Punting will mean a decision to begin cutting interest rates.) The next step in getting to 6% will come, I believe, at the Fed’s March 22 meeting. The revised Dot Plot projections that will be released at that meeting are likely to show that the consensus at the Fefd is for a higher peak and later in 2023. Let’s say 5.25% as a new projection of the peak. The next unofficial steps, however, are likely to occur in the pronouncements of Wall Street portfolio managers. What we’re likely to see is a steady stream of higher projections,
Please Watch My New YouTube Video: Quick Pick C3.ai
Today I posted my two-hundred-and-thirty-fifth YouTube video: Quick Pick C3.ai Today’s Quick Pick: C3.ai (NYSE: AI). This is not a normal Quick Pick, this is, well, a little different. I’m not suggesting you buy this today, but instead, keep this one in your back pocket for the next big “risk-on” market rally. This is TICKER you’ll want to own when the market is shooting upward. Someone recently commented on Seeking Alpha that this ticker is worth more than the company–and I think they’re exactly right. When Microsoft came out with the news that they had invested $10 billion into OpenAI, it kicked off a frenzied buying spree for all things “AI.” C3.AI, with its ticker, AI, was no exception. AI saw its stock shoot up from $10.26 to $25 in approximately a month. I maintain that if you were to start an ice tea business, but call it “Ice Tea AI,” your stock would shoot up during this time as well. The company is a real company, run by Tom Siebel, a Silicon Valley pioneer. Overall, the company doesn’t have a lot of traction in the market just yet, and I’m not sure they have a big enough asset to be bought out at the moment. For now, keep this in mind for that small rocket section of your portfolio; if it blows up- no big deal, if it goes to the moon, fantastic!
Stocks struggle today as macro “facts” look more negative
As of the close in New York today, February 9, the Standard & Poor’s 500 was down 0.88% and the NASDAQ Composite was off 1.02%. That’s not a big absolute drop but it does mark quite a turnaround from earlier in the day. At 9:51 a.m. the S&P 500 was up 0.89% and the NASDAQ was higher by 1.21%. It’s a tribute to the strong bullish sentiment in this market (of which more later in this post) that stocks have held this ground. Certainly, macro “facts” continue to line up against an extension of this rally. Besides the continuing debate about where (and when) interest rates may peak, today we’ve got a continued inversion in the yield curve for Treasury bonds.
Adding Equinor as another energy play to my Jubak Picks Portfolio tomorrow
Today, Wednesday, February 8, Equinor (EQNR) reported a record $74.9 billion adjusted operating profit for 2022. That more than doubled the previous record. If you’re looking to add an energy stock to your portfolio ahead of a year that looks likely to be a good one for energy stocks, I’d suggest Equinor. I’ll be adding it to my Jubak Picks Portfolio tomorrow with a target price of $40 a share.
A 6% interest rate peak from the Fed starts gaining some traction
You’ll find it in the market for interest-rate options if you really dig through the data. Which Bloomberg has. On Tuesday, a trader amassed a large position in options that would make $135 million if the central bank keeps tightening until September and interest rates hit a peak of 6%.
Please Watch My New YouTube Video: Why March 22 Is the Next Big Date
Today I posted my two-hundred-and-thirty-fourth YouTube video: Why March 22 Is the Next Big Date Today’s topic is: Why March 22 Is the Next Big Date. March 22 is the date of the Fed’s next meeting. And it’s the first time we’ll get projections from the Fed on where interest rates will peak since the last Dot Plot in December. The market has been playing catch-up with the Fed since that December meeting. A hopeful market thought that the Fed was being too aggressive in their estimates of a peak of 5.00% to 5.10%, but the recent surge in jobs in January has made the market fall in line with the Fed’s expectations. As of February 7, the market had priced in a 25 basis point increase in March and May, with a peak hitting in June or July at 5.12% (nearly exactly the same as the Fed’s December projections). Just a week ago, the market was looking at a 4.9 peak in possibly May. The market has shifted to catch up with the Fed, but now we have to wait until March 22 to see if the Fed has moved the peak interest goalposts. In the meantime, I don’t expect the market to move much as we wait for the March 22 Fed meeting.
Odds rise that Intel will keep its dividend after bond sale, adding the stock to my Jubak Picks Portfolio
The possibility that Intel (INTC) would cut its dividend has been hanging over the stock price since the company announced one of the ugliest quarters I’ve seen in a while on January 26. No question why. Intel’s adjusted free cash flow was a negative $4.075 for the full 2022 year. And with the company looking to invest heavily in new fabs, the $6 billion a year in dividend payouts looked like a potential source of investing cash. And certainly, you wouldn’t want to buy into a stock paying 5.09% (as Intel did today) if the company was about to cut its dividend. But a dividend cut looks less likely today.
Yep, earnings are weaker than normal this quarter
Fewer U.S. companies are topping earnings estimates than normal this quarterly reporting season. Of the 283 companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500 that have announced results for the fourth quarter of 2022, 70% have posted better-than-expected earnings. That may seem like a lot. But given Wall Street and CEOs’ usual game of guide low and then beat, it is less than usual. A year ago 78% of companies in the S&P 500 beat earnings estimates, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Chipotle misses on sales and earnings–that’s not good news for the consumer economy
Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) missed comparable sales and profit expectations for the fourth quarter. Comparable store sales rose 5.6% in the period. Wall Street had expected a 7.1% increase. Earnings rose 48.6% to $8.29 a share. But analysts had expected earnings of $8.90 a share. Revenue climbed to $2.18 billion in the quarter. That was below analyst estimates of $2.23 billion. Shares fell 5.2% in after-hours trading on the news. A couple of red flags for the entire consumer sector
Microsoft launches AI-enhanced version of its search engine Bing; Google responds with Bard
This isn’t exactly unexpected. Microsoft (MSFT) today unveiled new versions of its Bing search engine and Edge browser powered by the newest artificial intelligence technology from ChatGPT maker OpenAI. Microsoft recently invested $10 billion in OpenAI.
You heard what you wanted to hear in Powell’s Fed talk today
On the one hand, stock markets heard Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reiterate his comments of last week that “disinflation” had become visible. On the other hand, bond markets and investors betting on the direction of the Fed Funds rate heard the Fed chairman tell the audience at the Washington Economics Club this morning, that the labor market remains extraordinarily strong, and if the jobs market doesn’t cool, the Federal Reserve will need to take its peak interest rate higher.
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