U.S. futures are holding steady, only moderately lower from yesterday’s closing all-time highs for the major averages as investors brace for the FOMC meeting, with results expected tomorrow afternoon. Bitcoin prices surging to highs, up over 4% around $63,400 in another broad spike for crypto assets; Ethereum +3.25% at $4,450. House Speaker Pelosi is planning to go ahead with plans to vote this week on President Biden’s two bills even though Democratic moderates are echoing Senator Manchin’s complaints that they don’t know full cost & economic impact. In corporate news, JNJ, TEVA, ENDP and ABBV win the first case for pharmaceutical companies in the four-year litigation over the drugs in a $50B opioid litigation case. In commodity prices, gold holds below $1,800, oil is little changed around $84 per barrel and Wheat hit $8.00 a bushel Monday, highest levels since 2012 as world reserves declined following extreme weather. The Aussie dollar drops and the curve bull steepens after the RBA scraps its April 2024 yield target and signals openness to earlier rate hikes. Tesla $TSLA falls over 4%, is falling off a record high close of $1,208.59 – follows tweet from CEO Musk overnight saying there has been no contract signed yet with Hertz and that the Hertz deal has zero effect on Tesla’s economic.
Wall Street’s main indexes notched record closing highs again on Monday, adding to the big totals in October as Tesla $TSLA shares surged and the energy sector gained on rising oil prices while investors looked ahead to a major Federal Reserve meeting later in the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average briefly eclipsed 36,000 points for the first time before slipping just below. Along with the barrage of earnings again this week, the Federal Reserve is expected to approve plans to scale back its $120 billion monthly bond-buying program on Wednesday.
The small-cap Russell 2000 index was a standout, rising 2.7% for its biggest daily percentage gain since late August. Economic data was mixed as the ISM U.S. manufacturing activity slowed in October, with all industries reporting record-long lead times.
In Asian markets, The Nikkei Index slipped -0.43% to 29,520, the Shanghai Index dropped -1.1% to 3,505, and the Hang Seng Index fell -0.22% to 25,099. In Europe, the German DAX is up +0.4% at 15,875, while the FTSE 100 declines around -0.6% below 7,250.
Events Calendar for Today
· 7:45 AM ET ICSC Weekly Retail Sales
· 8:55 AM ET Johnson/Redbook Weekly Sales
Earnings Calendar:
· Earnings Before the Open: AME, APO, ARCB, AVNS, BBGI, BCC, BHC, BLD, BLMN, CEIX, CLW, CMI, COP, CRSR, CTLT, DD, EL, EPD, ESPR, ETN, EXLS, EXPD, EXTR, GNRC, GPN, HEES, HEP, HSC, HSIC, IART, IDXX, INCY, IPGP, IT, KKR, LCII, LDOS, LEA, LGIH, LPX, MIME, MLM, MMP, MPC, MPLX, MYGN, NRZ, NXST, NYMT, OMCL, PFE, PINC, RL, ROK, SABR, SAGE, SEE, TMX, TNC, UAA, VAL, WEC, WLK, XHR, XYL ZBRA
· Earnings After the Close: ACT, AFG, AIZ, AKAM AMGN, ANDE, ATVI, AWK, AYX, BFAM, BGFV, BKH, BRY, BXC, CASA, CDK, CERS, CHK, COUR, CRK, CSLT, CZR, DCO, DCPH, DEI, DENN, DOX, DRRX, DVN, EGHT, EIX, ENLC, EXAS, EXEL, FMC, FNF, FRSH, GAIN, GNW, GPOR, HALO, HCC, HLF, HRB, HURN, INFI, INSP, KAI, KAMN, KAR, LPI, LSCC, LSI, LYFT, MANT, MDLZ, MG, MGNX, MOD, MRCY, MTCH, NP, NSA, OKE, OVV, PAA, PAGP, PAYC, PKI, PRO, PRTS, PRU, RAMP, RARE, RCKY, RM, RRR, SGRY, SKY, SRC, STE, TCS, TMUS, TVTY, UIS, UNM, VECO, VOYA, VRSK, WTTR, WU, ZG
Other Key Events:
· China Caixin Services PMI for October
· Wolfe Research Wealth Symposium, 11/2-11/3 $virtual
· Senator Manchin says he is prepared to support a Build Back Better plan that combats inflation, is fiscally responsible, and will create jobs. The plan the House is finalizing meets those tests-it is fully paid for, will reduce the deficit, and brings down costs for health care, child care, elder care, and housing
