Bloomberg Updates

[Vinayak 10]

Intel Board Elects COO Brian Krzanich as CEO, Succeeding Paul Otellini

 

ECB Cuts Benchmark Interest Rate to 0.50%

 

ECB Deposit Facility Rate Unchanged at Zero Percent

 

ECB Lowers Marginal Lending Rate to 1% From 1.5%

 

France Sells 10-Year Debt at Record-Low Average Yield of 1.81%

 

ING U.S. Prices 65.2M Shares at $19.5 Each in IPO

 

Stoxx 600 Rose For 11th Month in Longest Streak Since 1997

 

US April Consumer Confidence Index Rises To 68.1 from 61.9

 

Chicago Business Barometer Decreased to 49 in April from 52.4

 

Google Offers to Change Search Page to Settle EU Antitrust Probe

[Vinayak 10]

AIG Profit Falls 31% to $2.21B After CEO Shrinks Insurer #AIG #profits #earnings

 

LinkedIn Reports Q1 Adj. EPS $0.45, Est. $0.31; Rev. of $324.7M Beating Est. of $318.2M #LinkedIn #tech #earnings

 

I included hash tags to gain more traction!

[Larry1234 10]

More Updates

 

Fed is open to increased bond buying if economy falters

 

Japanese monetary base expands to $1.54 trillion

 

Italy and France back shift to growth-oriented policy

 

Yuan strengthens to all-time high against U.S. dollar

 

ECB is expected to reduce key interest rate

[Larry1234 10]

More Updates

 

• Anti-EU party scores big win in local U.K. elections
   
  
• EU tells France to cut spending and revamp labor market
   
  
• Buffett discusses departure from Berkshire
   
  
• Some bond investors trust Bernanke more than Greenspan
   
  
• Franklin Templeton forms share class for employer-sponsored plans
  

[Vinayak 10]

Malaysian Stocks Surge With Ringgit as Premier Najib Wins Election

 

TPG Capital, Warburg Pincus Said to Explore Sale or IPO of Luxury Retailer Neiman Marcus

 

Berkshire Hathaway Q1 Operating EPS Beats Estimates

 

Euro-Area Economy Headed for 2-Year Slump as EU Lowers Forecast

[Vinayak 10]

JP Morgan Received 'Wells-Type' Notice from FERC on Energy Probe

 

JP Morgan Said to Name Erik Bisso to Run Chief Investment Office in North America

 

German March Industrial Output Rises 1.2% Versus Estimated 0.1% Drop

 

Toyota Forecasts Annual Profit toRise 42% to 1.37 tln Yen vs 1.42 Tln Yen Estimate

 

China's CNPC Said in Talks to Buy Brazil's Barra for About $2B

 

German Factory Orders Unexpectedly Jump in Sign of Recovery

 

Wal-Mart Said to Focus on Two Internal Choices to Succeed CEO

[Vinayak 10]

Bank of England Keeps Benchmark Interest Rate at 0.50%; Holds Asset Purchase Plan at 375 Bln Pounds

 

There have some broad improvements in the business sentiment and there is also the fact that the stock markets are heading to record highs.

 

It seems like the UK is enjoying similar positive economic data like across the pond in the US with economic confidence being better than expected and housing prices at a three-year high.

 

The BOE rate staying the same comes at a time when the ECB decided to cut its rate to 0.50% from 0.75% as ECB President Mario Draghi was echoing the need to bolster growth in the Euro zone.

 

US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims Fell 4,000 Last Week to 323,000 a Five-Year Low

 

This is great news as economists polled by MarketWatch had expected initial claims to increase a little to to 335,000. This could drive the US indices and the some of the large cap US equities to new highs.

[Vinayak 10]

The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Level in US Hovered Last Week Near Five-Year High

[Larry1234 10]

Major Updates from Other Sources

 

Australian hiring picks up

 

Australia's employers hired 50,100 workers in April, more than four times the 12,000 increase that economists expected, the Bureau of Statistics said. The unemployment rate edged down to 5.5% despite the fact that many of the jobless are starting to look for work again.

 

 

 

Mexico's finance minister calls for reform to boost lending

 

Mexican Finance Minister Luis Videgaray has announced a long list of financial reform aimed at increasing bank lending and making credit less expensive. The package has been endorsed by all major political parties. It will be presented to Congress when the next session begins in September.

 

 

 

WEF: Volume of exchange-traded derivatives climbed in Q1

 

The World Federation of Exchanges says derivatives traded on exchanges increased in the first quarter compared with Q1 of 2012. Volume declined last year compared with 2011. "Uncertainty continues, which means there's a greater need for hedging," said Romain Devai of the WFE.

 

 

 

JPMorgan reports warning from energy regulator

 

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission informed JPMorgan Chase in March that the U.S. regulator could recommend bringing an enforcement case, according to a regulatory filing from the bank. The claim could include "alleged violations of FERC rules and the rules of certain independent system operators," JPMorgan's filing says.

[Vinayak 10]

Yen Weakens to 100 Per Dollar for the First Time in Four Years

 

WATCH THIS THREAD FOR THE LATEST UPDATES.

[Larry1234 10]

Updates on Market Activity

 

• Japan rises most among mostly upbeat Asian-Pacific markets
   
  
• Trading in Indian bonds skyrockets
   
  
• China reportedly stops some bond trading on inter bank market
  

[Vinayak 10]

Bank of Israel Cuts Interest Rate to 1.5% in Surprise Move

 

US April Revenue Sales Increase 0.1%; Excluding Autos Fall 0.1%

[Vinayak 10]

German Investor Confidence Increased Less Than Forecast in May

 

It was a big blow for Germany to see its ZEW survey miss the forecasts for May and by quite a big margin. Market analysts had estimated an increase to 40.0, but the German economic indicator only rose to 36.4 from 36.3 in April.

 

This is reflective of the troubles in Spain and Italy which have high unemployment and are in a recession.

 

Verizon Wireless to Distribute $7B to Owners Vodafone, Verizon

[Vinayak 10]

Greece Raised to B- from CCC by Fitch; Outlook Stable

 

A mixed bag of updates from the Euro zone here. But with all the attention on the region, this is a win for the bulls!

[Vinayak 10]

BOE Raises Growth Outlook as It Sees Inflation Pressures Easing

 

Euro zone GDP fell by 0.2% in Q1 2013 -- more than expected, but less than Q1 2012

 

Euro-Area Recession Deepens as Contraction Exceeds Estimates

 

France Slips into recession during Q1 2013 as GDP shrinks 0.2%, official figures show

[Vinayak 10]

Homebuilder Confidence in US Rises in May to 44 from a Revised 41 on Improving Outlook

 

Industrial Production in US Declines by Most in Eight Months

 

US April Producer Prices Drop 0.7%, Estimate was for Drop of 0.6%. New York Area Manufacturing Unexpectedly Slides

 

Some updates to keep in mind while trading the US financial markets today and this week in general.

 

I watch Bloomberg so you don't have to.

[Vinayak 10]

US Jobless Claims Jump to Highest Levels in Six Weeks

 

US April CPI Fall 0.4%; CORE CPI Up 0.1%

 

Housing Starts in US Fell 16.5% in April to 853,000 Rate

 

Berkshire Hathaway Rating Cut Based On Methodology Change: S&P

Berkshire Hathaway cut to AA from AA+ by S&P

 

Japan's Q1 GDP Rises Annualized 3.5% vs Estimated 2.7% Ga

 

Wal-Mart Sees Q2 EPS of $1.22 - $1.27 vs Estimates of $1.29

[Vinayak 10]

Bill Gates Dethrones Carlos Slim as Richest Man as Microsoft Hits 5-Year High

 

Dell Earns $0.21 Per Share in Q1, Missing Estimates of $0.35; Revenue of $14B Tops Estimates

[Vinayak 10]

Yahoo! Will Buy Tumblr for $1.1B, Mostly in Cash

 

Yahoo! is really hoping for a big turnaround under Marissa Mayer and this latest move is a hope that the acquisition of the white-hot blogging site will do precisely that.

 

Tumblr may be a big deal right now, but how Yahoo! will make money out of the acquisition isn't as clear cut. So I strongly believe that Yahoo! stock will slide in the coming weeks and how it does in the future will depend on the success of Tumblr and other factors.

 

Tumblr seems to be getting the better end of the deal as it needs the advertising that the Yahoo! deal will bring. This is definitely big news in the tech world right now and I will be watching this one closely for you.

 

Actavis to Buy Warner Chilcott for $8.5B in Stock Deal

 

This deal creates a money-saving lower tax rate for the generic drug make Actavis, and now the combined company would have $11B in revenues.

[Vinayak 10]

FTSE 100 Closes At Highest Level Since September 2000

 

The FTSE 100, boosted by central-bank stimulus, added 32.57 points (0.5%) to 6,755.63 at the close in London.

 

There is a lot to like about the UK because it’s a global market and investors love the fact that it exposes their portfolios to emerging markets at a cheap price and via a London listing.

 

The Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc (RBS) jumped 4.5 percent as Numis Securities Ltd. upgraded the financial stock. EasyJet Plc (EZJ) rose 4 percent after Ryanair Holdings Plc (RYA) posted a 13 percent increase in full-year profit.

 

Furthermore, Europe’s largest discount airline Ryanair hit a record high in Dublin.

[Vinayak 10]

Target Earns $0.77 per Share in Q1; Missing Estimates of $0.84 per Share

 

Swiss Franc Weakens Through 1.26 Per Euro for First Time in Two Years

 

Fed's Dudley Says Decision on Tapering QE Will Take Three to Four Months

 

UK Retail Sales Unexpectedly Fall 1.3% on Drop in Food Demand

 

King Defeated for a Fourth Month as BOE Majority Watches Inflation. Inflation shows more than forecast to 7-month low.

 

Apple CEO Tim Cook Testifies on Offshore Tax Practices

 

JP Morgan's Jamie Dimon Seen Keeping Chairman and CEO Title in Preliminary Voting at Shareholder Meeting

 

Sprint Increases Its Offer for the Rest of Clearwire to $3.40 per Share from $2.97 per Share

[Vinayak 10]

Sales of Previously Owned US Homes Climb to Three-Year High, Rising by 0.6% in April

 

Fed Chief Ben Bernanke Says Premature Fed Tightening Would Endanger Recovery

[Vinayak 10]

US April New Home Sales Rise More than Expected by 2.3% to 454,000 Annual Rate

 

US Initial Jobless Claims Fall 23,000 Last Week, More than Forecast, to 340,000

 

These positive macro data releases could see some upward momentum in the US markets after a bit of a pullback this week. There is the US Durable Goods Orders and this will come out as trading opens on the NYSE so there will be a big impact. There is already a bullish sentiment among traders as the forecast is for a value of 1.7% up from the previous value of -5.7%.

 

Then for the Asian markets:

 

China Manufacturing Unexpectedly Contracts in May, HSBC Index Shows

 

Japan's 10-Year Benchmark Yield Advances to 1%, Highest Since April 2012

Edited May 24, 2013 by Vinayak

[Vinayak 10]

How will the market perform on Wednesday? Important updates from Tuesday.

 

US Consumer Confidence Rose to 76.2, it's highest level Since February 2008

 

US March S&P/Case-Shiller Index Shows Home Prices Rose 10.9% From Year Ago, the biggest 12-month gain since 2006.

 

Bank of Israel Lowers Rate Again After Surprise Mid-May Cut

 

The S&P and the DJIA soared as a result of this positive macro data as trading got underway in the NYSE. I expect the bullish sentiment to persist despite the elevated levels.

 

Here are some stocks to watch today

 

SoftBank Corp. (TYO:9984) $20.1 billion takeover of Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) is close to passing a national-security review by U.S. officials

 

Dish Network Corp. (DISH), has made a $25.5 billion counteroffer for Sprint and has stated that allowing the Japanese telecommunications and Internet giant SoftBank control over a US phone network would have national security issues.

 

Softbank has been soaring the last two weeks and it has risen as much as 4 percent, to 5,420 yen in Tokyo. This was as Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 declined 0.2 percent despite the Abenomics. Sprint was at $7.27, a 0.80% decline and Dish soared 2.1 percent in New York.

 

Valeant Pharmaceuticals to Buy Bausch & Lomb for $8.7B in Cash

Edited May 29, 2013 by Vinayak

[Vinayak 10]

NASDAQ Pays $10M to Settle Facebook IPO Failure Charges by SEC

 

Brazil Raises Key Rate 50 Basis Points to 8% as Forecast by 19 of 57 Economists

 

Berkshire's Midamerican to Buy NV Energy for About $5.6B

 

Alcoa's Credit Rating Cut to Junk by Moody's; Outlook Stable

 

Dish Increases Clearwire Bid To $4.40 a Share, Topping Sprint