Saturday, 28 October 2023

Special Update 28/10/2023 Bonds Hammer Stocks. The Week Ahead. Gold.

Baltic Dry Index. 1563 -99         Brent Crude 90.48

Spot Gold 2008              U S 2 Year Yield 4.99 -0.03   

“What you’re seeing now with the bond market is, you know, bond vigilantes are back in vogue, back from the 80s, back from the dead, and I think they’re leading the market today,”

David Neuhauser, Chief Investment Officer of Livermore Partners.

With the war on Gaza leading mainstream media, the weekend update will stick just to the markets, but the devastating war is fast polarising world opinion and could easily become a market dominating feature, next week and next month.

So far, only gold seems to have reacted to the Gaza war.

Below, a bad day for most stocks, with month-end and a Fed meeting still to come.

 

S&P 500 Enters Correction

Major indexes on track to fall for three straight months

Updated Oct. 27, 2023 6:01 pm ET

 

The autumn pullback in the stock market worsened Friday, pushing the S&P 500 into a correction and to its worst two-week decline of the year.  

The broad stock-market gauge wavered for much of the day before turning lower and losing 0.5% for the session, bringing it down more than 10% from its recent high. A drop in shares of  Chevron  and  JPMorgan Chase  helped send the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 367 points, or 1.1%, to its lowest closing level since March.

The Nasdaq Composite eked out a 0.4% gain, though the tech-heavy index finished well off its session highs. The index entered a correction earlier in the week and has fallen for three consecutive weeks.

The mood in the market has darkened in October as investors have parsed a wave of earnings results from some of the biggest companies in America while navigating a punishing bond rout. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note breached 5% for the first time in 16 years in early trading Monday, keeping many investors glued to the bond market throughout the week. It settled at 4.846% on Friday. 

“Bonds and yields are in the driver’s seat right now for markets,” said Adam Turnquist, chief technical strategist at LPL Financial. “Yields simply moved too high, too fast.” 

The sharp ascent in bond yields has triggered volatility across markets. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average are on track to finish October with three consecutive months of losses, the worst such stretch since the three months ending March 2020.

More

S&P 500 Enters Correction - WSJ

European stocks close lower as investors assess global data, earnings; Sanofi falls 19%

UPDATED FRI, OCT 27 2023 12:06 PM EDT

European stocks closed lower on Friday, with earnings and the state of the global economy keeping sentiment on edge.

The benchmark Stoxx 600 ended down 0.8%, with most sectors and major bourses in negative territory. Healthcare stocks slipped 2.9% to lead losses, while chemicals stocks climbed 0.8%.

The pan-European index has had a muted week overall but is heading for its worst monthly performance since Sept. 2022, according to LSEG data.

Company results have caused big movements in individuals stocks. NatWest plunged as much as 17% near the open, before paring losses and ending the session down 11%. The bank reported third-quarter results that showed a lower net interest margin, while the U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority said Friday morning it had found “potential regulatory breaches” in its report into a banking account scandal that ousted NatWest CEO Alison Rose.

Earlier in the week, Deutsche Bank gained on a forecast beat as Barclays tumbled after it warned of cost-cutting charges ahead.

Investors also remain focused on central bank messaging on “higher for longer” rates and economic indicators as bond yields remain elevated. U.S. gross domestic product grew by 4.9% in the third quarter, ahead of estimates, sparking stock market jitters.

More

European markets open to close: earnings, yields, U.S. GDP (cnbc.com)

 

Global bond rout looks ‘tremendously dangerous’ for stocks, hedge fund manager warns

PUBLISHED FRI, OCT 27 2023 8:22 AM EDT

An intensifying bond rout is piling pressure on the global economy and creating a “tremendously dangerous” outlook for equities, the chief investment officer of Livermore Partners hedge fund said Friday.

A new era of higher interest rates has caused bond yields to surge, hampering returns for investors and flipping on its head the status quo of the past decade-and-a-half, David Neuhauser told CNBC. Bond yields move inversely to prices.

Asked how worrying that landscape was for equities, he said: “I think it’s tremendously dangerous at this point.”

“We’re in this world of risk where, for almost 15 years, you had a bond market that was in a bull market, and you had rates negative for several years,” Neuhauser told “Squawk Box Europe.”

“That dynamic fed throughout the global economy, where housing prices were affordable, autos were affordable, and people were subjected to an environment and a lifestyle which had much lower interest rates.”

That environment has shifted as central banks have pushed ahead with rate hikes to tackle higher inflation. That, in turn, has pushed bond yields higher and sapped money from government budgets by raising borrowing costs.

In the U.S. Treasury market — a crucial component of the global financial system — bond yields have surged to highs not seen since the onset of the global financial crisis. In Germany, Europe’s largest economy, yields have hit their highest level since the 2011 euro zone debt crisis. And in Japan, where interest rates are still below 0%, yields have risen to 2013 highs.

“I think that is going to cause a lot of pain moving forward in terms of the economy,” Neuhauser said.

More

Global bond rout looks 'tremendously dangerous' for stocks, hedge fund manager warns (cnbc.com)

Wall St Week Ahead Frazzled U.S. stock investors eye frothy Treasury market as Fed looms

By David Randall 

NEW YORK, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Financial markets are bracing for what could be a momentous week, with a Federal Reserve meeting, U.S. employment data and earnings from technology heavyweight Apple Inc (AAPL.O) possibly setting the course for stocks and bonds the rest of the year.

 

October has lived up to its reputation for volatility, as a surge in Treasury yields and geopolitical uncertainty pressured stocks. The S&P 500 index (.SPX) is down 3.5% for the month, adding to losses that have left it over 10% off its late-July high.

 

Whether the ride remains rough for the rest of 2023 may depend in large part on the bond market. The Fed's 'higher for longer' stance on interest rates and rising U.S. fiscal worries pushed the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield - which moves inversely to prices - to 5% earlier this month, the highest since 2007. Higher Treasury yields are seen as a headwind to stocks, in part because they compete with equities for buyers.

Investors worry that yields could rise further if the Fed reinforces its hawkish message at the central bank's Nov. 1 monetary policy meeting. Strong U.S. employment data next Friday could also be a catalyst for yields to rise if it bolsters the case for keeping rates elevated to cool the economy and prevent inflation from rebounding.

 

"Stocks will start to recover when the market believes that bond yields have peaked," said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA Research.

Overall, futures markets are pricing in a near-certainty that the Fed does not raise rates in November, and a nearly 80% chance that the central bank holds rates steady in December, according to CME's FedWatch Tool. Still, policymakers have projected they will keep the key policy rate at current levels through most of 2024, longer than markets had previously anticipated.

Investors are playing a "waiting game of how much does each economic data point need to increase to put another rate hike back on the table," said Alex McGrath, chief investment officer for NorthEnd Private Wealth.

With U.S. Gross Domestic Product growth at a sizzling 4.9% in the third quarter, signs that the labor market remains too hot, or the Fed sees the need for further tightening to control inflation, could fuel further volatility.

"It feels like we are at a crossroads whether or not the strong growth we've seen over the summer months will continue over the fourth quarter," and keep worries over inflation and restrictive monetary policy bubbling, said Charlie Ripley, senior investment strategist for Allianz Investment Management.

Adding to the bond market's concerns, the Treasury is expected to announce its upcoming auction sizes later this week. Worries about a growing federal deficit and increased supply have helped push yields higher.

More

Wall St Week Ahead Frazzled U.S. stock investors eye frothy Treasury market as Fed looms | Reuters

There ae no recipes for success, only failure.

Peter Drucker.

Global Inflation/Stagflation/Recession Watch.   

Given our Magic Money Tree central banksters and our spendthrift politicians,  inflation now needs an entire section of its own.

Key Fed inflation gauge rose 0.3% as expected in September; spending tops estimate

PUBLISHED FRI, OCT 27 2023 8:34 AM ED

Inflation accelerated in September but consumer spending was even stronger than expected, according to a Commerce Department report Friday.

The core personal consumption expenditures price index, which the Federal Reserve uses as a key measure of inflation, increased 0.3% for the month, in line with the Dow Jones estimate and above the 0.1% level for August.

Even with the pickup in prices, personal spending kept up and then some, rising 0.7%, which was better than the 0.5% forecast. Personal income rose 0.3%, one-tenth of a percentage point below the estimate.

Including volatile food and energy prices, the PCE index increased 0.4%. On a year-over-year basis, core PCE increased 3.7%, one-tenth lower than August, while headline PCE was up 3.4%, the same as the prior month.

The Fed focuses more on core inflation on the belief that it provides a better snapshot of where prices are headed over the longer term. Core PCE peaked around 5.6% in early 2022 and has been on a mostly downward trek since then, though it is still well above the Fed’s 2% annual target. The Fed prefers PCE as its inflation measure as it takes into account changing consumer behavior such as substituting lower-priced goods as prices increase.

More

Key Fed inflation gauge rose 0.3% as expected in September; spending tops estimate (cnbc.com)

ECB Ends Record Run of Rate Increases

October 26, 2023

FRANKFURT—The European Central Bank held interest rates steady, ending a historic run of 10 consecutive rate increases as Europe’s currency union teeters on the brink of recession and uncertainty rises around the global economy.

Major central banks including the Federal Reserve have paused interest-rate increases after a rapid series of hikes as inflation eases from last year’s multidecade highs. Now investors are watching for signs that policy makers will pivot and start to reduce rates to support economic growth that is faltering outside the U.S.

The central bankers’ decisions are complicated by new headwinds facing the global economy, including Israel’s war with Hamas, Russia’s continued war on Ukraine and high energy prices. A broad rise in global bond yields is also putting downward pressure on growth and inflation.

ECB officials agreed Thursday to hold the bank’s deposit rate at 4%, a record high for the institution created in 1998.

ECB President Christine Lagarde signaled that eurozone borrowing costs may have peaked as past rate increases increasingly weigh on the region’s housing market and bank lending.

“We are seeing very strong transmission of monetary policy in the banking sector in particular…. We know there is more still to come,” Lagarde said at a news conference.

Lagarde acknowledged a weakening of the eurozone economy as declining manufacturing output spills over to other sectors of the economy. The labor market, until recently a bright spot, is also softening, with fewer new jobs created, she said.

The euro edged lower against the dollar shortly after the ECB’s policy statement, reflecting investor expectations that eurozone rates have likely peaked. Eurozone bond yields declined, including in Italy, as Lagarde signaled that the ECB wasn’t ready to reduce its vast holdings of eurozone government debt faster.

Fed officials voted last month to hold interest rates steady at a 22-year high and revealed a divide over whether they should raise them once more this year. They meet again next week.

The ECB is in a trickier spot than the Fed because the eurozone’s inflation rate is higher than that of the U.S. while Europe’s economic growth rate is much lower.

The eurozone’s economy has stagnated for about a year and business surveys suggest the region could now be in contraction. In contrast, the U.S. economy expanded at a rate of 4.9% in the three months through September, data published Thursday showed, extending the divergence between two of the world’s biggest economic blocs.

The ECB also needs to keep an eye on weaker southern European economies such as Italy, where 10-year bond yields recently rose to an 11-year high of around 5%. This increases the cost of servicing the country’s huge public debt and makes fresh deficits more expensive.

Inflation across the eurozone declined to 4.3% in September from a peak of more than 10% last year, compared with a 3.7% U.S. inflation rate last month.

More

ECB Ends Record Run of Rate Increases (msn.com)


Covid-19 Corner

This section will continue until it becomes unneeded.

More contempt for the public, by all parties in the Commons, on display yet again, on the issue of Covid-19 vaccine safety. Approx. 14 minutes.

Safe and effective

Safe and effective - YouTube

COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines Reduce a Major Beneficial Bacteria, Gut Biodiversity: Research

Some unpublished data found that Bifidobacteria levels are negligible in vaccinated people.

10/26/2023 Updated: 10/26/2023

Research has shown that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines reduce bacteria belonging to the Bifidobacteria genus, a common and beneficial gut bacteria. COVID vaccination is also linked to reduced gut biodiversity.

Works by gastroenterologist Dr. Sabine Hazan, the CEO of ProgenaBiome, a microbiome genomic research laboratory, found that after COVID-19 vaccination, people's Bifidobacteria levels can fall by as much as 90 percent. Some of her unpublished data found that Bifidobacteria levels are negligible in vaccinated people.

Bifidobacteria are among the first microbes to colonize a baby's gastrointestinal tract as he or she passes through the mother's birth canal. They are believed to exert positive health effects on their host.

Bifidobacteria interact with the immune system, and their presence is linked with improved immunity against pathogens and cancer.

Dr. Hazan's prior works on hospitalized COVID-19 patients showed that patients who had severe COVID-19 tended to have no or low Bifidobacteria levels, whereas those with higher stores of Bifidobacteria tended to develop asymptomatic infection.

In her research, she came across a pair of siblings enrolled in the COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials.

"One sibling got placebo, and one got the vaccine. The one sibling that got the vaccine got harmed ... and she has no Bifidobacteria bacteria. Her brother, who got the placebo and was not harmed, has this Bifidobacteria," she told The Epoch Times.

More

COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines Reduce a Major Beneficial Bacteria, Gut Biodiversity: Research | The Epoch Times

 

Technology Update.

With events happening fast in the development of solar power and graphene, I’ve added this section.

From Electric Vehicles to Construction Innovation: The Forces Shaping the Future of the Graphene Market

Thu, 26 October 2023 at 12:03 pm BST

Dublin, Oct. 26, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Graphene Market (by Material, Application, & Region): Insights and Forecast with Potential Impact of COVID-19 (2022-2027)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global graphene market is set to exhibit remarkable growth, projected to be worth US$198.39 million by 2023, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 25.56% over the forecasted period.

Understanding Graphene

Graphene is an extraordinary material, known for its exceptional strength, thermal and electrical conductivity. It consists of a single sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal honeycomb lattice, making it the thinnest and strongest substance on Earth. Graphene's outstanding properties, including its heat and electrical conductivity, mechanical strength, and large surface area, have led to its widespread recognition as a material with limitless potential. It has the capacity to transform the properties of various materials, including composites, concrete, elastomers, and plastics.

Segmentation

By Material: The graphene market is segmented into four categories: Graphene Oxide, Reduced Graphene Oxide, Graphene Nanoplatelets, and Others. The reduced graphene oxide segment is anticipated to be the fastest-growing category in the forecasted period. Its applications span across various sectors, including research, batteries, biomedicine, supercapacitors, and printable graphene electronics. The product also finds use in chemical and biological sensors, particularly in field-effect transistors (FETs).

More

From Electric Vehicles to Construction Innovation: The Forces Shaping the Future of the Graphene Market (yahoo.com)

This weekend’s music diversion. An almost unknown, one time student of Heinichen.  Approx. 14 minutes.  

Johann Christoph Förster (1693-1745) - Concerto à 5 for Oboe, Strings and B.C in C minor

Johann Christoph Förster (1693-1745) - Concerto à 5 for Oboe, Strings and B.C in C minor - YouTube

This weekend’s chess update. Approx. 14 minutes.

Next World Champion Might be Here

Next World Champion Might be Here - YouTube

No weekend the maths update this weekend. This weekend, how the seashore lighthouse became effective.  Approx. 18 minutes.

The Fresnel Lens: the Invention That Saved 1000 Ships

The Fresnel Lens: the Invention That Saved 1000 Ships - YouTube

The secret to success is to know something nobody else knows.

Aristotle Onassis.

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