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☆ Stocks finished the quarter surprisingly strong. What’s next?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The tech-heavy Nasdaq made a remarkable resurgence, soaring nearly 17% in its best quarterly gain since the fourth quarter of 2020. The labor market has remained red hot, despite the Fed’s aggressive tightening campaign. The number of job openings fell in January , signaling a slight cooling but still hot labor market. The March jobs report. Friday: March jobs report and February consumer credit.

☆ Slower China factory activity growth challenges economic recovery prospects
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

China's economic activity picked up in the first two months of 2023 as consumption and infrastructure investment drove a recovery after the end of COVID-19 disruptions and retail sales swung back to growth. "However, amid rapidly worsening geopolitical tensions and financial concerns outside of China, this may not last long," they added in a note. While business and consumer sentiment is starting to pick up, the manufacturing sector remains under pressure amid sluggish global demand and stubbornly high costs. Any fallout from a recent crisis of confidence in the global banking sector could also affect demand for China's goods, adding to pressure on manufacturers. Factory activity was hit by slowing growth in production and customer demand, with the output and new orders sub-indexes showing declines from February's levels.

☆ China manufacturing activity expands at slower pace in March
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary Manufacturing PMI 51.9 in March vs 52.6 in FebBEIJING, March 31(Reuters) - China's manufacturing activity expanded at slower pace in March, official data showed on Friday, suggesting hopes of a strong post-COVID economic recovery are faltering amid weaker global demand and a continued property market downturn. The February figure had grown at the fastest pace in more than a decade. China's economic activity picked up in the first two months of 2023 as consumption and infrastructure investment drove a recovery after the end of COVID-19 disruptions and retail sales swung back to growth. While business and consumer sentiment is starting to pick up, the manufacturing sector remains under pressure to maintain growth momentum amid sluggish global demand and stubbornly high costs. Any fallout from a recent crisis of confidence in the global banking sector could also affect demand for China's goods, adding to pressure on manufacturers.

☆ China's non-manufacturing PMI jumps to decade high as economic recovery gets back on track
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —A key index measuring the strength of China’s massive services sector jumped to its highest level in more than a decade, as the country’s economic recovery gained traction. The official non-manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) soared to 58.2 in March from 56.3 in February, marking the best level since 2011, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). “The official PMIs suggest that China’s rapid reopening recovery remained robust this month,” Capital Economics analysts wrote on Friday. In a keynote speech, the newly minted premier told more than a thousand international business and political leaders that China’s economic growth was “strong,” with March’s performance even better than January and February’s. Top economic officials have also been trying to reassure both foreign business and the domestic private sector.

☆ Euro zone services firms enjoy buoyant March but factories struggle -flash PMI
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Jonathan Cable | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Jon Nazca/File PhotoSummary Euro zone March flash PMI at 54.1, a 10-month highData adds to evidence euro zone will dodge recessionGrowth unbalanced, however, as factory activity fallsLONDON, March 24 (Reuters) - Business activity across the euro zone unexpectedly accelerated this month as consumers splashed out on services, but weakening demand for manufactured goods deepened the downturn in the factory sector, surveys showed. S&P Global's flash Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), seen as a good gauge of overall economic health, bounced to a 10-month high of 54.1 in March from February's 52.0. SERVICES SHINEA PMI covering the euro zone's dominant services industry jumped to 55.6 this month from 52.7, well above all forecasts in the Reuters poll which had predicted a decline to 52.5. An index measuring output, which feeds into the composite PMI, slipped back below breakeven to 49.9 from last month's 50.1. The euro zone PMI input costs index slipped to 46.4 from 50.9.

☆ Bank troubles roil markets and make Fed's decision next week more fraught
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Patti Domm | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Even with Friday's sell-off, the S & P 500 and Nasdaq scored gains for the week. The S & P 500 rose 1.4%, compared to a tiny loss of 0.2% in the Dow . "If the U.S. economy is going into a recession, they're going to be buying less cloud service. On Friday, durable goods for February is reported, and there are releases of flash S & P Global PMI data for services and manufacturing. Durable goods 9:30 a.m. St. Louis Fed President James Bullard 9:45 a.m. S & P Global Manufacturing PMI 9:45 a.m. S & P Global Services PMI

☆ This week's jobs report will help determine if this nascent March rally has legs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Where the market heads next will once again depend on inflation data — especially this week's highly anticipated jobs report. No portfolio companies report earnings next week. However, with mortgage rates bouncing back in recent weeks, it remains to be seen if the strong monthly report will see any follow up. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio.

☆ US services sector grows steadily; prices stubbornly high
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Thirteen services industries, including construction, retail trade, accommodation and food services as well as professional, scientific and technical services, reported growth last month. Overall, the services sector is benefiting from a switch in consumer spending from goods, which are typically bought on credit. ISM services PMISUPPLY SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVEDThe services sector is now at the center of the fight against inflation as services prices tend to be stickier and less responsive to interest rate increases. A measure of prices paid by services industries for inputs fell to 65.6, the lowest in January 2021, from 67.8 in January. Some economists view the ISM services prices paid gauge as a good predictor of personal consumption expenditures (PCE) inflation.

The greenback briefly cut its losses after data showed the U.S. services sector grew at a steady pace in February, with new orders and employment rising to more than one-year highs. "This suggests traders think yields have been pushed too far, too fast, and could augur a peak in implied terminal rates," he added. "Next week's job opening and non-farm payrolls reports could generate a lift in yields and the dollar. The dollar eased 0.4% to 136.26 yen , after climbing to 137.10 on Thursday, the highest since Dec. 20. For the week, the dollar is down 0.4% versus the yen, but any gain would preserve its win streak since mid-January.

☆ Europe markets set to open higher as investors digest Fed comments, inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

European markets were on course to open higher Friday, extending the previous session's gains as investors take stock of the slew of economic data published this week. Across Europe, inflation data came in hotter than expected. A flash estimate for the euro zone showed headline inflation eased from 8.6% to 8.5%, but this was above a consensus estimate; while core inflation rose from 5.3% to 5.6%. However, in a separate speech, Fed Governor Christopher J. Waller raised the possibility of a higher terminal rate if inflation does not cool, citing January's bumper payrolls report. Asia-Pacific markets were mostly higher Friday, while U.S. stock futures nudged lower.

This is despite another week of even higher U.S. bond yields and Fed interest rate expectations, and deteriorating relations between the U.S. and China. Perhaps because it had fallen nearly 10% over the preceding four weeks, it was primed for a technical or short-covering rebound. Perhaps stocks are making a bet that policymakers won't raise rates as aggressively as rates markets are implying. Maybe it's a play that rising nominal rates are merely matching inflation and inflation expectations, so policy isn't so tight in real terms and growth isn't suffering. Investors will also be watching the dollar, which rose across the board on Thursday, spurred on by higher U.S. yields.

☆ Asian stocks rally sputters as China pulls back, higher U.S. yields weigh
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

U.S. futures erased earlier gains, with the S&P 500 stock futures falling 0.5% and Nasdaq futures down 0.7%. Tesla shares (TSLA.O) slumped 5.5% in after-hour trading, after the Tesla Investor Day failed to excite investors. On Thursday, the benchmark 10-year Treasury yields hit a fresh four-month high of 4.0160%, after hitting 4% overnight. In the currency markets, the U.S. dollar index, measuring the greenback's value against a basket of major peers, gained 0.2% to 104.6. Oil prices were largely steady on Thursday, having risen by 1% the previous day due to optimism over China's recovery.

☆ Morning Bid: EU inflation risks loom large for markets
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

March 2 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Wayne Cole. Asian markets had thought to bask in the glow from Wednesday's radiant PMI data from China, and the region in general. Markets are now leaning toward a peak of 5.50%-5.75%, compared with 5.0% just a month ago. That leaves a lot riding on what EU (HICP) inflation figures for February show later on Thursday. Median forecasts are for an annual figure of 8.2%, but risks are on the upside following the surprises from France, Spain and Germany.

☆ China's factories just had their best month in 11 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s factory activity has expanded at the fastest pace in more than a decade, as the world’s second largest economy staged what economists are calling a “very rapid” rebound after reopening from zero-Covid. In January, the reading was 50.1, a sharp increase from the month before, as disruptions caused by the abrupt end of pandemic restrictions was starting to fade. The official non-manufacturing PMI for February, which includes the construction and services industries, recorded its best level in two years, figures from the NBS showed. Also Wednesday, the Caixin/Markit manufacturing PMI, a private gauge of the country’s factory activity, jumped to 51.6 in February from 49.2 in January. The latest data is “exceptionally strong,” confirming a “very rapid rebound” in China’s economic activity, Julian Evans-Pritchard, head of China economics at Capital Economics, wrote in a research note.

☆ China's factory activity bounces further into expansion in February
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Jihye Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

China's factory activity for February bounced further into expansion territory, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. The official manufacturing purchasing managers' index rose to 52.6 in February – above the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction. That marks the highest reading since April 2012, when it hit 53.5. February's PMI reading is also higher than the 50.1 reported for January and above expectations of 50.5, according to economists surveyed by Reuters. Non-manufacturing PMI also grew further to 56.3 from January's print of 54.4, when it saw a sharp improvement backed by a recovery in services and construction activity.

☆ Morning Bid: Brisk China activity sets the mood
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Data from France and Spain on Monday highlighted the sticky nature of inflation, weighing on the continent-wide STOXX 600 index. The index was one of the few to eke out meagre gains for the month of February. March also brings us the next set of central bank meetings, with investors expecting the ECB to hike interest rates by 50 basis points, taking the benchmark rate to 3%. The central bank is due to meet on March 16. But before that, investors will parse through a raft of economic data, including S&P global manufacturing PMIs for the Eurozone, Germany and France later in the day.

March 1 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in Asian markets from Jamie McGeever. How Asian markets trade on the second day of the month on Thursday may come down to which of these two forces retains the most momentum. chartSpiraling bond yields, rates and inflation expectations aren't confined to the U.S. - euro zone PMIs also highlighted stagflationary pressures, while euro zone inflation expectations are the highest in over a decade and, in a rare occurrence, pushing above U.S. equivalents. Can Asian markets withstand these pressures on Thursday and take their cue again from China's economic renaissance? There are no top-tier Asian economic data releases on tap - South Korean retail sales, Australian building approvals and Japanese consumer confidence - leaving flash February euro zone inflation as perhaps the biggest market-mover of the day.

☆ Dollar advances, Aussie slides as Australia economy slows
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Australia's economy grew at the weakest pace in a year last quarter while the country's monthly consumer prices rose less than expected in January, separate data showed on Wednesday. The Aussie slumped in the aftermath of the data to a two-month trough, and was last 0.47% lower at $0.6697. "We see the Fed going to 5.5%, with a growing risk of 6%," said Michael Every, global strategist at Rabobank. Elsewhere, the dollar rose 0.12% against the Japanese yen to 136.38, after having spiked close to 5% against the yen in February, its largest monthly gain since last June. The kiwi fell 0.28% to $0.6167, while the Chinese offshore yuan slipped marginally to 6.9603 per dollar.

☆ German manufacturing activity remains weak in Feb but some encouraging signs -PMI
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, March 1 (Reuters) - German manufacturing activity continued to shrink overall in February but output rose for the first time in nine months as supply-chain bottlenecks showed signs of easing, a survey showed on Wednesday. S&P Global's final Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for manufacturing, which accounts for about a fifth of Germany's economy, fell to 46.3 in February, from 47.3 in January. It marked its lowest level for three months and stayed below the 50 level that points to growth in activity. While there were positives on the supply-side, demand remained under pressure, with new orders continuing to fall, according to the report. The German manufacturing PMI has languished below the 50 mark since July.

☆ Dollar slides, yuan gains on China PMI; hot inflation lifts euro
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Yen, euro and U.S. dollar banknotes of various denominations. Meanwhile, inflation data from five German states was largely unchanged in the high single digits in February, pointing to no let-up in stubborn price pressures at the national level. Preliminary pan-German inflation data is to be published at 1300 GMT, calculated using data from up to 16 German states. "The euro is being well supported by the inflation data," Nordea's Christensen said. "We're looking for a more solid euro area inflation reading tomorrow than we had expected going into this week."

☆ Wednesday, March 1, 2023: This Club stock just got a big upgrade
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Joshua Natoli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWednesday, March 1, 2023: This Club stock just got a big upgradeJim Cramer and Jeff Marks break down what February's hotter-than-expected ISM Manufacturing PMI means for their market outlook. Despite the downturn last month, the S&P Oscillator is not showing oversold conditions. Jim discusses one portfolio holding after getting a big upgrade from UBS. Jim also previews earnings for Salesforce which reports after market close Wednesday.

☆ US manufacturing sector still shrinking; raw material prices rebound
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Nevertheless, the rebound in prices at the factory gate suggests inflation could remain elevated for a while after monthly consumer and producer prices surged in January. The ISM's manufacturing PMI edged up to 47.7 last month from 47.4 in January. Paper products, textile mills, furniture and related products as well as nonmetallic mineral products, computer and electronic products were among the 14 reporting contraction. Comments from some manufacturers in the ISM survey were supportive of this thesis. Timothy Fiore, chair of the ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee, said "new order rates remain sluggish due to buyer and supplier disagreements regarding price levels and delivery lead times."

☆ Key bond yields spike to their highest levels in 3 months as the strongest Chinese manufacturing report in a decade stokes new inflation fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Carla Mozée | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Bond yields soared Wednesday, extending this year's jump in borrowing costs. The closely watched 10-year Treasury yield pushed above 4% for the first time since November. The 10-year Treasury yield, a gauge of borrowing costs for a range of consumer loans and other debt, sprang up nine basis points to 4.006%. Bond yields have shot up in 2023 after a run of higher-than-expected consumer and wholesale prices for January. As bond yields have risen, "bond love" is at a 10-year high, Bank of America said Wednesday.

A bumper data dump on Wednesday kicks off the new trading month in Asia, with China's manufacturing PMI report for February and fourth quarter Australian GDP among the most important releases for investors. Traders in Asia will be hoping for some encouraging signs in the economic data to get markets off to a positive start for the month. chartThe latest manufacturing PMI data from Japan, India, Australia and several other countries across the region will also be released on Wednesday. The annual rate of Australian consumer inflation is expected to slow, but tick higher in Indonesia. chartHere are three key developments that could provide more direction to markets on Wednesday:- Manufacturing PMIs across Asia (February)- Australia GDP (Q4)- Australia inflation (January)By Jamie McGeever; Editing by Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Oil little changed as Russian supply cuts support prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Sudarshan Varadhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Polski Koncern Naftowy Orlen SA FollowSINGAPORE, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Oil was little changed in early trade on Monday, as Russia's plans to deepen oil supply cuts continued to support prices, while increasing global inflation risks and rising crude inventories in the United States weighed. Oil prices have fallen by about a sixth in the year since Feb. 24, 2022, when Russian troops first marched into Ukraine. Two weeks after the invasion, prices surged to a record high of nearly $128 a barrel over supply concerns, but have since cooled over fears of a global economic slowdown. "China's manufacturing PMI data for February will be key to steering the oil prices for this week. A rebound in Chinese economic data will boost sentiment and improve the demand outlook," said Tina Teng, an analyst at CMC Markets.

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