Overnight Markets And News

Dec E-mini S&Ps (ESZ18 -1.02%) this morning are down sharply by -1.20% at a 5-3/4 month low and European stocks are down -1.93% at a fresh 1-3/4 year low. Global stocks plunged as disappointing earnings reports from bellwether companies Alphabet and Amazon fuel a broad sell-off in technology stocks with Amazon down 8% and Alphabet down more than 5% in pre-market trading. Adding to market concerns, officials from the U.S. and China are increasingly pessimistic about the prospects for a resolution to their trade war. Larry Kudlow, head of President Trump's National Economic Council, accuses China of refusing to engage on trade issues while Chinese officials are said to be bracing for a prolonged fight and are focusing on adapting to a "new normal" in relations. The weakness in stocks boosted the safe-haven demand for government debt as the yield on the 10-year German bund fell to a 1-1/2 month low of 0.345% and the 10-year T-note yield dropped to a 3-week low of 3.075%. Asian stocks settled mostly lower: Japan -0.40%, Hong Kong -1.11%, China -0.19%, Taiwan -0.33%, Australia +0.02%, Singapore -1.35%, South Korea -1.51%, India -1.01%. Asian markets slumped on weakness in technology stocks along with concern about a global economic slowdown as Japan's Nikkei Stock Index tumbled to a 6-3/4 month low.

The dollar index (DXY00 +0.11%) is up +0.09% at a 2-1/4 month high. EUR/USD (^EURUSD -0.26%) is down -0.25% at a 2-1/4 month low. USD/JPY (^USDJPY -0.31%) is down -0.41%. GBP/USD is down -0.16% at a 2-month low after people familiar with the matter said UK Prime Minister May's Cabinet is not close enough to agreeing on a way forward for top level Brexit negotiations to resume.

Dec 10-year T-note prices (ZNZ18 +0-140) are up +15 ticks at a 5-week high.

German Nov GfK consumer confidence was unch at 10.6, stronger than expectations of -0.1 to 10.5.

France Oct consumer confidence rose +1 to 95, right on expectations.

U.S. Stock Preview

Key U.S. news today includes: (1) Q3 GDP (expected +3.3% q/q annualized, Q2 +4.2%), (2) final-Oct University of Michigan U.S. consumer sentiment index (expected unch at 99.0, previous -1.1 to 99.0).

Notable S&P 500 earnings reports today include: Charter Communications (consensus $1.02), Phillips 66 (2.47), Moody's (1.79), Rockwell Collins (2.00), Weyerhaeuser (0.37), Aon (1.23), Cabot Oil & Gas (0.28), Goodyear (0.74).

U.S. IPO's scheduled to price today: none.

Equity conferences during the remainder of this week: none.

Market Comments

Dec S&P 500 E-minis (ESZ18 -1.02%) this morning are down -32.25 points (-1.20%) at a 5-3/4 month low. The S&P 500 on Thursday closed higher: S&P 500 +1.86%, Dow Jones +1.63%, Nasdaq 100 +3.35%. Bullish factors included (1) a rally in technology stocks, led by a 5% gain in Microsoft, after it reported stronger-than-expected Q1 revenue growth, (2) signs of strength in the U.S. labor market after weekly continuing unemployment claims unexpectedly fell -5,000 to a 45-year low of 1.636 million, and (3) the +0.5% m/m increase in U.S. Sep pending home sales, stronger than expectations of unch m/m.

Dec 10-year T-notes (ZNZ18 +0-140) this morning are up +15 ticks at a 5-week high. Dec 10-year T-notes on Thursday closed lower: TYZ8 +11.50, FVZ8 +7.00. Bearish factors included (1) the stronger-than-expected U.S. Sep pending home sales, and (2) the rally in stocks that reduced the safe-haven demand for T-notes.

The dollar index (DXY00 +0.11%) this morning is up +0.085 (+0.09%) at a 2-1/4 month high, EUR/USD (^EURUSD-0.26%) is down -0.0028 (-0.25%) at a 2-1/4 month low, and USD/JPY (^USDJPY -0.31%) is down -0.46 (-0.41%). The dollar index on Thursday climbed to a 2-1/4 month high and closed higher: Dollar Index +0.245 (+0.25%), EUR/USD -0.0017 (-0.15%), USD/JPY +0.16 (+0.14%). Bullish factors included (1) weakness in the yuan which tumbled to a 1-3/4 year low against the dollar, and (2) an increase in T-note yields that boosted the dollar's interest rate differentials.

Metals prices this morning are mixed with Dec gold (GCZ18 +0.45%) +6.5 (+0.53%), Dec silver (SIZ18 +0.48%) +0.080 (+0.55%) and Dec copper (HGZ18 -1.20%) down -0.039 (-1.40%). Metals on Thursday settle mixed with Dec copper at a 2-week low: Dec gold +1.3 (+0.11%), Dec silver -0.046 (-0.31%), Dec copper -0.0030 (-0.11%). Bearish factors included (1) the rally in the dollar index to a 2-1/4 month high, and (2) strength in stock prices that curbed the safe-haven demand for precious metals. A bullish factor is the sell-off in global stock markets this week that has spurred fund buying of gold as long gold positions in ETFs rose to a 1-3/4 month high Wednesday.

Dec WTI crude oil prices (CLZ18 -1.20%) this morning are down -97 cents (-1.44%) and Dec gasoline (RBZ18 -1.32%) is -3.19 (-1.76%). Dec crude oil and gasoline on Thursday settled mixed with Dec gasoline at an 8-month low: Dec crude oil +0.51 (+0.76%), Dec gasoline -0.89 (-0.49%). Bearish factors included (1) the rally in the dollar index to a 2-1/4 month high, and (2) the decline in the crack spread to a 1-week low, which reduces incentive for refiners to purchase gasoline to turn it into gasoline. A bullish factor was the statement from the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee that said OPEC must prepare "options" for how much oil it should produce next year to prevent the market slipping back into oversupply.

Overnight U.S. Stock Movers

Amazon.com (AMZN +7.09%) dropped more than 8% in pre-market trading after it reported Q3 net sales of $56.58 billion, below consensus of $57.07 billion, and then forecast Q4 net sales of $66.5 billion to $72.5 billion, weaker than consensus of $73.78 billion.

Alphabet (GOOGL +4.40%) fell 5% in pre-market trading after it reported Q3 revenue ex-TAC of $27.20 billion, below consensus of $27.33 billion.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG +2.63%) gained almost 4% in after-hours trading after it reported Q3 adjusted EPS of $2.16, higher than consensus of $2.01.

Intel (INTC +4.46%) rose 3% in after-hours trading after it reported Q3 revenue of $19.16 billion, well above consensus of $18.12 billion.

Mohawk Industries (MHK +2.41%) tumbled 16% in after-hours trading after it reported Q3 adjusted EPS of $3.29, weaker than consensus of $3.58, and then forecast Q4 adjusted EPS of 2.45 to $2.60, well below consensus of $3.51.

Expedia Group (EXPE +2.93%) climbed more than 6% in after-hours trading after it reported Q3 adjusted EPS of $3.56, better than consensus of $3.10.n

Stryker (SYK +1.27%) fell 4% in after-hours trading after it reported Q3 net sales of $3.20 billion, weaker than consensus of $3.26 billion.

First Solar (FSLR +2.57%) dropped almost 8% in after-hours trading after it forecast full-year net sales of $2.3 billion to $2.4 billion, below consensus of $2.5 billion.

Western Digital (WDC +3.19%) declined more than 7% in after-hours trading after it reported Q1 net revenue of $5.03 billion, below consensus of $5.14 billion.

L Brands (LB +3.24%) was rated a new 'Buy' at Goldman Sachs with a price target of $36.

Mattel (MAT +2.98%) jumped 8% in after-hours trading after it reported Q3 gross margin of 42.6%, above consensus of 41.5%.

Briggs & Stratton (BGG +2.02%) dropped 6% in after-hours trading after it reported Q1 net sales of $279 million, weaker than consensus of $296.5 million.

Snap (SNAP +6.07%) fell nearly 4% in after-hours trading after it said Q3 daily active users fell -1% to 186 million, less than expectations of 186.8 million, and forecast Q4 revenue of $355 million to $380 million, the midpoint below consensus of $372.9 million.