HIGHLIGHTS
S&P500 went up this week, mainly driven by the enthusiasm for AI. The debt ceiling deal is finally passed this week, and a historic default in the US is prevented. US labor market reports and European inflation are sending mixed signals.
Monetary Policy: Comments from Fed officials suggested that the Fed is likely to skip a rate hike in June. Markets are pricing in a 35% likelihood of a rate hike in June and 50% in the July meeting.
US Job: Nonfarm payroll came in higher than expected (339k actual vs 195k expected). On the other hand, unemployment increased more than expected and wage growth slowed down. The signals are mixed at this stage.
EU Inflation: Inflation data in the euro area came in lower than expected. Core CPI is 5.3% (vs 5.5% expected) and headline CPI is 6.1% (vs 6.3% expected). ECB president mentioned that there is still not enough evidence that inflation has peaked despite the optimistic data.
MARKETS
13,240.77 | +2.04% | |
S&P 500 | 4,282.37 | +1.83% |
Dow | 33,762.76 | +2.02% |
10-Year | 3.69% | -12bps |
Brent | 76.13 | -1.07% |
DXY | 104.02 | -0.18% |
*Data as of market close. 5-day change ending on Friday.
VIEW FROM THE STREET
Equity
Goldman Sachs: Mega-cap tech companies are the main contributors - the 7 largest stocks have increased 53% while the rest of the 493 stocks remained unchanged YTD. Nasdaq100 and S&P500 recorded 33% and 12% up since 2023.
Morgan Stanley: The bear market rally in stock markets has been concentrated in the growth stocks with long duration, while they are dependent on falling interest rates.
Fixed Income
Morgan Stanley: Nominal bond yields are well above the levels of the past decade, especially on the front end. With the rising risks of recession and the longer-than-average bond index duration, passive bond index is likely to outperform passive equity index in terms of risk and reward.
J.P. Morgan: Historically, when the Fed cut rates in the previous cycles, bonds usually outperformed cash. It would be a good opportunity to add duration to portfolios instead of keeping excess cash.
Economy
UBS: The unexpectedly resilient consumer spending data is giving more confidence to the market. The 2023 growth forecast consensus has been revised up in the major Western economies including US, UK and Euro area.
Blackrock: US inflation is sticky despite the slower growth. Investors are expecting that policy rates are going to stay higher for longer. Rate cuts this year would be unlikely.
KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER
Spirit & JetBlue Merger
Here's all you need to know about the major airline merger deal.
Elon Musk's Twitter
Here's all you need to know about the $44b Twitter deal.
London Metal Exchange
Here's all you need to know about the LME´s nickel lawsuit.
LUNA
Confused about what happened to UST and LUNA? Here's all you need to know about the event!
DISCLOSURE
This newsletter is meant for informational purposes only and is not investment advice. Always consult a licensed investment professional before making important investment decisions. Advertising and sponsorship do not influence editorial content or decisions. Market Hedwig is not responsible for the promises made or the quality or reliability of the products or services offered in any advertisement.
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