Before The Bell
The stock market ended the day deeply in the red yesterday, as fears about the economy and earnings due to the coronavirus shutdown weighed on sentiment. Too, oil spent the day down sharply as fears about oversupply and running out of storage capacity hurt the commodity’s prices. All 11 of the sectors were lower on the day, but technology stocks were among the worst hit. Additionally, market breadth was decidedly negative on the NYSE, as decliners outpaced advancers by a 4.1-to-1.0 ratio. By the time the session ended, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down by 632 points, while the S&P 500 was off 87 points.
The futures markets started in the green yesterday, as a few large companies recorded decent quarterly results after Tuesday’s closing bell. Too, the U.S. Senate passed another $484 billion bill designed to help small businesses with the shutdowns related to the coronavirus. This move higher continued through the night but didn’t edge too far from the prior day’s close. Now as we approach the opening bell, futures are nicely higher, as oil prices appear to be stabilizing.
Meanwhile, all eyes today will be on several economic data points. These include the Energy Information Administration’s weekly report on crude oil inventories. A large build in such stocks is expected to have occurred over the past week. Supply remains saturated due to higher output from Russia and Saudi Arabia, while demand is lower reflecting less traveling and commuting worldwide. Too, earnings season will continue in earnest as a few large companies are slated to report both before the opening bell today and after the close. Additionally, traders will likely be looking at the number of coronavirus cases that are confirmed throughout the United States today to help determine when the economy may be reaching a point of reopening.
Looking forward to the rest of the week, all eyes will be on the University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index on Friday, which may help determine how well the economy will do in the near term and how quickly a bounce back may occur once the states reopen for business. Too, earnings season will continue, with many companies reporting quarterly results. They will likely provide tempered guidance, which may reduce uncertainty, though it certainly is a negative.
— John E. Seibert III
At the time of this article’s writing, the author did not have positions in any of the companies mentioned.
