The pace of stock buybacks by S&P 500 companies continued to decelerate in 3Q16. With 86 percent reporting, as per Howard Silverblatt of S&P Dow Jones Indices, buybacks are down eight percent quarter-over-quarter and down 22 percent year-over-year. These are … Continued
Following futures positions of non-commercials are as of November 8, 2016. 10-year note: The 25-basis-point hike in the Fed funds rate last December was the first in nine-plus years. At 0.4 percent, rates are still zero-bound. Growth remains sluggish, but … Continued
“…I want to solve health care, jobs, border control, tax reform.” The above quote is from a weekend interview president-elect Donald Trump gave to the Wall Street Journal. The article also talks about his willingness to keep parts of the … Continued
Major U.S. equity indices are at/approaching their respective 200-day moving average, even as they have pushed into oversold territory. At last Friday’s lows, the S&P 500 large cap index came within 0.03 percent of that average, the Russell 2000 small … Continued
Following futures positions of non-commercials are as of November 1, 2016. 10-year note: The 10-year yield (cash) has been trapped in a descending channel for the past three decades, having peaked at 15.8 percent in September 1981. From the July … Continued
Last week, the Russell 2000 small cap index dropped 2.5 percent. The decline was much bigger versus what other major U.S. peers were handed out, with the S&P 500 large cap index down 0.7 percent, Nasdaq composite down 1.3 percent … Continued
The following are futures positions of non-commercials as of October 25, 2016. 10-year note: Rates are rising. From 1.34 percent on July 6 this year to 1.88 percent on Friday, the 10-year Treasury yield has come a long way. In … Continued
Here is a brief review of change in short interest in the October 1-14 period in the Nasdaq and NYSE Group as well as nine S&P 500 sectors. Nasdaq – short interest ↓ 0.03 percent p/p; Nasdaq composite ↓ 1.8 … Continued
The following are futures positions of non-commercials as of October 18, 2016. 10-year note: Both China and Japan reduced their holdings of Treasury notes and bonds in August – the former by a whopping $33.7 billion and the latter by … Continued
One of the hallmarks of post-Great Recession recovery has been subdued capital expenditures. In 2Q16, real non-residential fixed investment was $2.19 trillion (at a seasonally adjusted annual rate) – essentially flat since 3Q14. Investment peaked at $2.22 trillion in 3Q15. … Continued