Daily Market Reports | Aug 05 2022
This story features ORICA LIMITED, and other companies. For more info SHARE ANALYSIS: ORI
World Overnight | |||
SPI Overnight | 6891.00 | + 6.00 | 0.09% |
S&P ASX 200 | 6974.90 | – 1.00 | – 0.01% |
S&P500 | 4151.94 | – 3.23 | – 0.08% |
Nasdaq Comp | 12720.58 | + 52.42 | 0.41% |
DJIA | 32726.82 | – 85.68 | – 0.26% |
S&P500 VIX | 21.44 | – 0.51 | – 2.32% |
US 10-year yield | 2.68 | – 0.07 | – 2.62% |
USD Index | 105.75 | – 0.63 | – 0.59% |
FTSE100 | 7448.06 | + 2.38 | 0.03% |
DAX30 | 13662.68 | + 75.12 | 0.55% |
By Greg Peel
Bridge Too Far
Wall Street’s turnaround rally overnight had the ASX200 shooting up 46 points in the first half hour yesterday, rising above 7000 for the first time since early June. But an orderly return to flat then followed for the rest of the session.
Having previously been a technical support level, 7000 now becomes resistance. And at yesterday’s opening high, the index was up 9.6% from the year to date low on June 20. A 10% rebound is also a good place to take some profits.
There is also likely some caution ahead of tonight’s US jobs numbers.
Yesterday’s release of the June trade numbers provided no excitement. The trade surplus hit another monthly record at $17.7bn when $14bn was forecast. Sales of iron ore, coal and LNG drove the result. With China trying to cut back on coal imports, and commodity prices pulling back in general, this might be as good as it gets for now.
The materials sector fell -1.1% yesterday and energy -2.2% on lower metal and oil prices. Orica ((ORI)) is in materials, and it fell -9.3% yesterday to be the worst performing index stock, but due to a big acquisition-related capital raise.
Meanwhile, the banks rose 0.6% after all of the Big Four belatedly passed on the full 50 point RBA hike into mortgage rates.
Consumer staples rather stood out with a -0.7% fall – probably just profit-taking. Bega Cheese ((BGA)) actually rose 6.3%. Healthcare was down slightly and everything else went up, led by technology (+1.9%) and telcos (+1.8%), reflecting Wall Street.
Block ((SQ2)) reported in the Wall Street aftermarket this morning and is down -7%
The top five index winners’ list featured some usual wild rides – Appen ((APX)) recovered 6.3% — but also Bega.
The losers’ list was made up of Orica and resources companies, and some give-back for Pinnacle Investment Management ((PNI)).
So we remain poised under 7000 ahead of tonight’s US jobs number. The futures are up 6 points this morning so it might be another quiet day.
There is likely also some consternation with regard China’s antics off Taiwan. Let’s hope there’s no miscommunication.
Blimey
The Bank of England implemented its sixth consecutive rate hike last night, of 50 points to 1.75%. The governor warned inflation would hit 13% by October (from 8.2% in June) and the UK would suffer a year-long recession. All because of Putin.
Looks like taking over from Boris will be a bit of a poison pill. But when the UK economy needs support, surely you’d go with Truss?
While recession in the UK does not imply recession in the US, it was still food for thought on Wall Street last night. It was otherwise a quiet session, with the indices mostly banging around the flatline before dipping a bit by the close, ahead of the jobs reports.
Wall Street is forecasting fewer new jobs in July than in June (372,000) but still a robust 258,000.
Investors will want to see the result land pretty close to the forecast. If the number is meaningfully higher, the Fed will need to keep going hard. If it is meaningfully lower, it smells of recession.
Speaking of recession, the US ten-year yield fell -7 points last night to 2.68%, and the two-ten spread widened further to 35 points. The bond market is forecasting recession, and/or a “pivot” from the Fed next year – i.e. rate cutting – to fight a recession.
The Fed won’t rule out a recession, but to date believes any pivot assumptions are madness.
“We’re committed to getting inflation down,” Cleveland Fed president Loretta Mester told the Economic Club of Pittsburgh last night. “We’re not in a recession right now. Are the risks of recession going up? Yes.”
Meanwhile, signs are that inflation is retreating.
Most notable has been the retreat in US gasoline prices. Last night the WTI price fell below US$90/bbl for the first time since February, pre-invasion.
OPEC-Plus has agreed to increase production by 100,000bbls per day, although this is not particularly significant. Weakness continued last night following Wednesday night’s release of US weekly inventories showed that demand destruction really does work.
Commodities
Spot Metals,Minerals & Energy Futures | |||
Gold (oz) | 1791.20 | + 25.60 | 1.45% |
Silver (oz) | 20.16 | + 0.12 | 0.60% |
Copper (lb) | 3.49 | – 0.05 | – 1.36% |
Aluminium (lb) | 1.17 | – 0.01 | – 0.73% |
Lead (lb) | 0.92 | + 0.01 | 0.63% |
Nickel (lb) | 9.98 | – 0.17 | – 1.63% |
Zinc (lb) | 1.52 | – 0.01 | – 0.44% |
West Texas Crude | 88.54 | – 2.12 | – 2.34% |
Brent Crude | 93.46 | – 3.45 | – 3.56% |
Iron Ore (t) | 106.50 | – 3.88 | – 3.52% |
I doubt that China’s actions are providing any comfort for metals traders.
Despite the dour forecasts from the BoE, the pound managed to rally after an initial drop. The US dollar index is down -0.6%.
That, and lower yields, on top of heightened geopolitical tension, supported gold.
The Aussie is up only 0.2% at US$0.6970 despite the record trade surplus.
Today
The SPI Overnight closed up 6 points.
The RBA will issue a quarterly Statement on Monetary Policy today.
US jobs tonight.
The Australian share market over the past thirty days…
BROKER RECOMMENDATION CHANGES PAST THREE TRADING DAYS | |||
APX | Appen | Downgrade to Underperform from Neutral | Macquarie |
EDV | Endeavour Group | Downgrade to Sell from Neutral | UBS |
FMG | Fortescue Metals | Downgrade to Sell from Neutral | UBS |
PNI | Pinnacle Investment Management | Downgrade to Hold from Accumulate | Ord Minnett |
Downgrade to Neutral from Buy | UBS | ||
PX1 | Plexure Group | Upgrade to Buy from Speculative Buy | Ord Minnett |
QAN | Qantas Airways | Downgrade to Sell from Neutral | Citi |
SWP | Swoop Holdings | Downgrade to Hold from Speculative Buy | Morgans |
TAH | Tabcorp Holdings | Downgrade to Lighten from Hold | Ord Minnett |
TCL | Transurban Group | Downgrade to Hold from Add | Morgans |
UMG | United Malt | Downgrade to Neutral from Buy | UBS |
VUK | Virgin Money UK | Upgrade to Outperform from Neutral | Macquarie |
For more detail go to FNArena's Australian Broker Call Report, which is updated each morning, Mon-Fri.
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CHARTS
For more info SHARE ANALYSIS: APX - APPEN LIMITED
For more info SHARE ANALYSIS: BGA - BEGA CHEESE LIMITED
For more info SHARE ANALYSIS: ORI - ORICA LIMITED
For more info SHARE ANALYSIS: PNI - PINNACLE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT GROUP LIMITED
For more info SHARE ANALYSIS: SQ2 - BLOCK INC