These are the markets that try portfolio’s souls

These are the markets that try portfolio’s souls

I’d like to think that the volatility of last week is all over and a thing of the past. But I don’t think it is. This is a transitional market with sentiment moving toward value, cyclical, and post-vaccine stocks and away from technology momentum plays. And it’s also a market trying to figure out how to reprice all assets in light of a potential move to lower stimulus bond-buying and to raise interest rates at some point in the future. These kinds of transitions don’t occur smoothly and I think we can expect more volatility.

Trick or Trend: The secret message in the first quarter’s 6.4% GDP growth–buy stocks in the service sector for the June quarter

Trick or Trend: The secret message in the first quarter’s 6.4% GDP growth–buy stocks in the service sector for the June quarter

When it comes down to company earnings, we’re seeing a huge lag in revenue growth for companies in the service sector. Wyndham Hotels and Resorts (WH),for example, which reported first quarter results today, April 30, saw revenue fall to $303 million in the first quarter of 2021 from $410 in the first quarter of 2020. But, and I think this is the clear implication of the first quarter GDP numbers, those service companies will close that gap in the June quarter as companies open more services–Disney (DIS) opened its California theme parks today, for example–and consumers feel safer in going to theme parks or restaurants or gyms.

Well, DUH! Earnings are beating Wall Street’s forecasts by a record margin this quarter

Well, DUH! Earnings are beating Wall Street’s forecasts by a record margin this quarter

Data from Refinitiv published yesterday show that companies are beating estimates at a historic rate and that the amount by which they are beating projections is also at a historic high. Of the Standard & Poor’s 500 companies reporting so far, 86.8% have beat Wall Street projections. The average beat is a huge 23.5%. According to Refinitiv (where data goes back to 1994) that’s the highest percentage of companies to beat estimates for a quarter on record and also the largest average beat on record. Three things to think about.

Call it the Apple problem although it isn’t limited to Apple: Skyworks post-earnings tumble is example of the market’s huge expectations worry

Call it the Apple problem although it isn’t limited to Apple: Skyworks post-earnings tumble is example of the market’s huge expectations worry

After the close yesterday, April 29, Skyworks Solutions (SWKS), a key Apple supplier and a maker of radio frequency chips for smartphones and WiFi networking equipment, reported earnings of $2.37 a share on sales of $1.17 billion for quarter that closed on April 2 2021. That beat–slightly–Wall Street projections for earnings of $2.35 a share and sales of $1.15 billion. Year over year Skyworks earnings climbed 77% and sales rose by 53%. And what happened to the stock in after-hours trading? It got punished. Shares dropped to $183.37, a loss of $14.49 a share from the day’s close at $197.86. That’s a loss of 7.32%. In a market driven by expectations for constantly higher growth, I think you can see the problem.

What a difference a week makes: stocks look ahead to BIG TECH earnings next week

What a difference a week makes: stocks look ahead to BIG TECH earnings next week

Today, April 21, as of 3 p.m. New York time, the major indexes were on track to break their three-day losing streak. At 3 p.m. the Standard & Poor’s 500 was ahead 0.65% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average had gained 0.74%. The NASDAQ Composite was higher by 0.73% and the small cap Russell 2000 had moved up 1.94%. Why the big change in tone from earlier in the week?

Apple event tomorrow expected to build on pandemic sales gains for iPad and (maybe) AirPod

Apple event tomorrow expected to build on pandemic sales gains for iPad and (maybe) AirPod

At its “Spring Loaded” event tomorrow, April 20, Apple (AAPL) is expected to announce changes to its 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models. Analysts expect that both models will include Apple’s new A14X chip and that the high-end iPad will come with a mini-LED display. In a research note Wedbush analyst Dan Ives wrote that a mini-LED display, “will be a game changer around color performance, dimming capabilities, and high contrast capabilities for the consumer.” Apple’s iPad segment faces a tough comparisons for the second half of the 2021 fiscal year, as work-from-home and at-home education drove double-digit iPad growth in the second half last year.

On second thought, financial markets decide they really didn’t like yesterday’s news from  the Federal Reserve

On second thought, financial markets decide they really didn’t like yesterday’s news from the Federal Reserve

After not moving very much yesterday on the actual news from the Federal Reserve-the Standard & Poor’s 500 finished up 0.29% and the NASDSQ Composite closed higher by 0.40%, today, March 18, markets decided they really didn’t like the Fed’s stance on inflation, interest rates, and bond yields.
A day after Fed chair Jerome Powell said the Fed wasn’t much concerned about either the projects for higher inflation or the rise in Treasury yields, the yield on the 10-year Treasury spiked to 1.71% at the close. (It was at 1.74% as 1 p.m. in New York.) The closing yield amounted to a jump of 7 basis points in the yield on the benchmark Treasury issue. The yield on the 10-year Treasury is now up an astonishing 42 basis points in a month. And as has been the case in 2021 and as you might expect, stocks sold off with high multiple, high momentum technology shares taking the worst beating.

Again but not as bad–spike in Treasury yields clips technology stocks today

Again but not as bad–spike in Treasury yields clips technology stocks today

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note climbed to 1.62% today, March 12. That’s a jump of 9 basis points on the day. Following the recent pattern, the climb in yields meant a drop in the prices of technology stocks. Among BIG TECH stocks Apple (AAPL) fell 0.76%; Facebook (FB) dropped 2.00%; Amazon (AMZN) was lower by 0.77%; Alphabet (GOOG) slid 1.50%; and Microsoft (MSFT) lost 0.58%.

Stocks driving you crazy yet? In massive turnaround, NASDAQ climbs 3.69% today after 2.41% tumble yesterday

Stocks driving you crazy yet? In massive turnaround, NASDAQ climbs 3.69% today after 2.41% tumble yesterday

Technology stocks, so pummeled yesterday, roared back today. The NASDAQ Composite gained 3.69% on the day. The NASDSQ 100 with its huge waiting to BIG TECH closed up 4.03%. After yesterday, a day when the recent rotation into value, cyclical, and vaccine recovery stocks resulted in a sell off in technology shares, today, March 9, those shares showed only muted if any gains, and tech stocks saw huge pickups.