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Market Analysts Examine Fed Speeches and Key Data Amid Bitcoin Plunge And Gold Spike


The scene on Wall Street is one of muted anticipation today, mirroring the stalling of a car engine at the starting line. Tuesday’s market open is expected to be underwhelming, weighed down by lingering concerns from the previous trading day. Investors are on high alert, waiting with bated breath for a slew of key economic data, most notably job market figures, to provide clues about the economy’s well-being. The spotlight is on the Federal Reserve, with market participants eagerly anticipating any hints about the trajectory of interest rates from a series of scheduled Fed speeches.

Cues From Previous Session

Monday’s ripple effect was palpable as robust manufacturing data sent shivers down investors’ spines, resulting in a mixed bag at the closing bell. The Institute for Supply Management’s surprising growth in the manufacturing purchasing managers’ index nudged bond yields northwards, with the 10-year note yield momentarily touching a peak of 4.337% before settling slightly lower at 4.318%. Amid fading hopes of looming rate cuts, investors swiftly offloaded stocks in response.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) and the S&P 500 Index stumbled beneath the flatline shortly after Monday’s opening bell, sliding on a downward trajectory throughout the day. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite, after a shaky mid-session performance, managed to claw its way back to a modestly positive close, albeit still lingering below recent peak levels observed just days ago.

With eight of the eleven S&P sectors wrapped in a crimson hue, real estate stocks bore the brunt of the downturn, bowing to the pressure of interest rate volatility. In sharp contrast, communication services saw a notable uptick, while pockets of enthusiasm materialized in the energy and IT industries.

IndexPerformance (+/-)Value
Nasdaq Composite+0.11%16,396.83
S&P 500 Index-0.20%5,243.77
Dow Industrials-0.60%39,566.85
Russell 2000-1.02%2,102.84

Insights From Analysts:

In the midst of apprehensions concerning tech stock valuations, one economist asserts that there’s more gas in the tech sector’s tank. Senior Economist at WisdomTree, Jeremy Siegel, opined in his weekly commentary, “Tech’s momentum has waned a tad, but I don’t believe this sector has hit its peak just yet.” Echoing this sentiment, he added, “I see nothing disrupting the steady climb of equities, and I’m hopeful for a broader market rally.”

Fund manager Louis Navellier highlighted the dual impact of a robust economy on earnings estimates and the potential long-standing stance of the Fed on interest rates. “The tug-of-war persists: a potent economy propelling earnings projections, while simultaneously increasing the likelihood of prolonged Fed rate policies to steer towards their 2% inflation target,” noted Navellier. Anticipating political nudges pre-election, he predicts a probable shift in Fed rates to address post-election inflation dynamics.

Futures Today

Futures Performance On Tuesday ( as of 7 a.m. EDT)

FuturesPerformance (+/-)
Nasdaq 100-0.34%
S&P 500-0.27%
Dow-0.39%
R2K-0.63%

In the early hours of trading, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust stumbled by 0.21% to $521.07, while the Invesco QQQ ETF dropped by 0.27% to $443.77 according to Benzinga Pro data.

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Upcoming Economic Data:

At 10 a.m. EDT, the Commerce Department is poised to unveil factory goods orders data. Economists are bracing for a predicted 1% rise in February’s factory goods orders, reversing the 3.6% dip in the previous month. Highlighting the bulk of factory goods, durable goods orders bulged by 1.4% in February, as per data from the Commerce Department issued in late March.

Simultaneously, the Bureau of Labor Statistics is set to disclose February’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey findings at 10 a.m. EDT, with estimates hovering around 8.8 million job openings for the month, slightly down from January’s 8.9 million tally.

Fed Governor Michelle Bowman, Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester, and San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly are slated to take the stage at 10:10 a.m. EDT, 12:05 p.m. EDT, and 1:30 p.m. EDT respectively.

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Stocks In Focus:

  • PVH Corp. PVH and lifestyle electric-vehicle manufacturer Canoo, Inc. GOEV fell over 22.50% in premarket trading following their earnings releases.
  • Paychex, Inc. PAYX, Dave & Buster’s Entertainment, Inc. PLAY, and Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. CALM are among the companies




Financial Markets Update

Diverse Reactions in Financial Markets

Stock Market Volatility Ahead of Earnings Releases

  • Tesla, Inc. TSLA experienced a dip of over 1.50% as investors braced for the unveiling of its first-quarter deliveries, highlighting the inherent volatility in trading.
  • On the flip side, health insurance giants such as Humana, Inc. HUM, Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. WOOF, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated UNH, and CVS Health Corporation CVS faced a significant downturn in the premarket. Concerns arose following the announcement by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services about potential margin squeezes due to increased payments to Medicare Advantage programs.

Market Movements Across Commodities, Bonds, and Equities

The trading day unveiled a symphony of movements across financial instruments. Crude oil futures surged by nearly 2%, cresting at $85.35, while Gold futures shimmered, inching towards yet another record as the yellow metal traded approximately 1% higher at $2,280.85 per ounce. In parallel, the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury bond exhibited a slight uptick, settling at 4.349%.

Bitcoin BTC/USD experienced a formidable slump, retracting by approximately 4.70% to hover around the $66,000 mark, indicating the capricious nature of the cryptocurrency market.

Global Market Landscape

In the realm of Asian markets, a sense of ennui prevailed as major indices mirrored the subdued sentiment on Wall Street. However, the Hong Kong market defied gravity, sailing higher while the Taiwanese market exhibited remarkable vigor, reflecting the diverse nature of regional performances.

Over in European territories, stocks approached trading cautiously, with mixed results marking the post-Boxing Day resumption. Lingering concerns were fueled by lackluster manufacturing data, though a glimmer of hope emerged from German inflation figures depicting a moderation in pricing pressures, painting a complex picture in the panorama of global equities.