Case for "baby rally" to continue strengthened this week. But October jobs report key (Friday)

We publish on a 3-day a week schedule:

– SKIP MONDAY <– No Macro Minute Video Sunday or First Word Monday due to Travel
– SKIP TUESDAY
– Wednesday
– SKIP THURSDAY
– Friday

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We discuss: how there are multiple reasons to believe this baby rally is gaining strength.  Foremost is a Fed which is beginning to be forward looking.  But there are structural reasons to believe a tradable low is in place.

Please click below to view our Macro Minute (Duration: 6:20).

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Equities have managed to gain for 4 consecutive days with cumulative gains week to date of ~5%. As we noted earlier this week, of the 9 key macro events (plus AAPL -0.43% ), only a few needed to go right for stocks to reverse the many key macro reports. And indeed, incoming macro developments have been favorable in a way that, in our view, sets the stage for stocks to gain in the near-term. So far, it is a “baby rally” but this could turn into a larger rally.

• The key remaining macro data point is the October employment report released Friday at 8:30am ET.
  – The Street is looking for +180k and avg hourly earnings +0.3% MoM.
  – Softer side (below +180k) would be unequivocally positive
  – But even a slightly “hot” number will not necessarily be negative
• Why? The October ISMs manufacturing and services, reported this week, both showed a downtick in the employment indicators, so the labor market is showing signs of softening. Thus, the only real risk is a very strong jobs number — something >200k.
• There are a few structural reasons to expect stocks to have some positive traction in coming weeks:
  – first, the % stocks >200 dma (moving avg) fell to 23% on 10/30 and 25% on 10/31
  – this is a bottom decile reading since 1994, median 6M gain is +9.7% with 80% win-ratio
  – second, Nasdaq 100 had 15 consecutive days 5D return was negative
  – only 14 times since 1985. ex-dotcom, median 12M gain +19%, 91% win-ratio
• These are meaningful quantitative/structural arguments for why a durable bottom was formed in late October. And if so, this is a case for this “baby rally” to strengthen. The jobs report, however, is important.
• This week, we also believe the Fed made a visible shift away from “data dependence” as Fed Chair Powell made several comments, which we saw as a move away from data dependence:
  – He spoke of consumer inflation expectations in a “good place” despite a rise in U Mich
  – He hinted that 1-2 further hikes may not be where the committee is now
  – He spoke of being patient moving forward
  – He said “wages not a driver of inflation” and listed short-term factors
  – He generally came across as dovish
• Long-term interest rates have made a meaningful move lower as the 10-year broke down from the prior range and at 4.674%, is off the >5% levels of a week ago. This is progress but a move below 4.5% would be more convincing.
• October was the end of “tax loss harvesting” and as we previously noted, this also hit bonds as many govt and corporate bonds saw sizable losses. This selling pressure is largely over and coupled with negative positioning, favors stocks to drift higher.
• Another sign of easing anxiety in equities is the drop in the VIX. It is currently 15 and moved below the 200 dma earlier this week. To me, subjectively, the Israel—Hamas war heightened investor anxiety about escalation of conflict and also the personal nature of the war. This seems to have ebbed. Even my news feeds and conversations seems to have less intense focus of the war this past week.
  

BOTTOM LINE: The case for a “baby rally” has strengthened this week

The case for the rally strenghtened this week. But Friday jobs is a big deal.

• We still favor FAANG/Technology into YE, particularly given the decline in interest rates
• We expect market breadth to improve, which means IWM 0.59%

Key incoming data November

• 11/01 9:45am ET S&P Global PMI October Final Tame 
• 11/01 10am ET JOLTS Job Openings September Mixed
• 11/01 10am ET October ISM Manufacturing Tame
• 11/01 10am ET Treasury 4Q23 Quarterly Refunding Press Conference Tame
• 11/01 2pm ET FOMC Rate Decision Dovish
• 11/02 8:30am ET: 3Q23 Nonfarm Productivity Tame
• 11/03 8:30am ET October Jobs Report 
• 11/03 10am ET October ISM Services
• 11/07 9am ET Manheim Used Vehicle Index October Final
• 11/10 10am ET U. Mich. November prelim Sentiment and Inflation Expectation 
• 11/14 8:30am ET October CPI 
• 11/15 8:30am ET October PPI
• 11/15 8:30am ET November Empire Manufacturing Survey 
• 11/15 8:30am ET October Retail Sales Data
• 11/16 8:30am ET November New York Fed Business Activity Survey
• 11/16 8:30am ET November Philly Fed Business Outlook Survey 
• 11/16 10am ET November NAHB Housing Market Index 
• 11/17 9am ET Manheim Used Vehicle Index November Mid-Month
• 11/21 2pm ET Nov FOMC Meeting Minutes
• 11/22 10am ET: U. Mich. November final Sentiment and Inflation Expectation
• 11/24 9:45am ET S&P Global PMI November Prelim 
• 11/27 10:30am ET Dallas Fed November Manufacturing Activity Survey
• 11/28 9am ET November S&P CoreLogic CS home price 
• 11/28 10am ET November Conference Board Consumer Confidence
• 11/29 8:30am ET 3QS 2023 GDP
• 11/29 2pm ET Fed Releases Beige Book
• 11/30 8:30am ET October PCE

Key incoming data October

•  10/2 10am ET September ISM Manufacturing Tame
•  10/3 10am ET JOLTS Job Openings August Hot
•  10/4 10am ET September ISM Services Tame
•  10/6 8:30am ET September Jobs Report Mixed
•  10/6 9am ET Manheim Used Vehicle Index September Final Tame
• 10/10 11am NY Fed Inflation Expectations Mixed
•  10/11 8:30am ET September PPI Mixed
•  10/11 2pm ET Sep FOMC Meeting Minutes Tame
•  10/12 8:30am ET September CPI Mixed
•  10/13 10am ET U. Mich. September prelim 1-yr inflation Mixed
•  10/16 8:30am ET October Empire Manufacturing Survey Tame
•  10/17 8:30am ET October New York Fed Business Activity Survey Tame
• 10/17 8:30am ET September Retail Sales Data Hot
•  10/17 9am ET Manheim October Mid-Month Used Vehicle Value Index Tame
•  10/17 10am ET October NAHB Housing Market Index Tame
• 10/18 8:30am ET September Housing Starts Tame
• 10/18 2pm ET Fed releases Beige Book Tame
•  10/19 8:30am ET October Philly Fed Business Outlook Survey Tame
• 10/19 10am ET Existing Home Sales Tame
• 10/19 12pm ET Fed (including Powell) at Economic Club of New York
•  10/24 9:45am ET S&P Global PMI October Prelim Tame
•  10/26 8:30am ET 3Q 2023 GDP Advance Strong
•  10/27 8:30am ET September PCE Tame
•  10/27 10am ET Oct F UMich Sentiment and Inflation expectation Tame
•  10/30 10:30am ET Dallas Fed September Manufacturing Activity Survey Tame
• 10/31 8:30am ET 3Q23 Employment Cost Index Mixed
•  10/31 9am ET August S&P CoreLogic CS home price Mixed
•  10/31 10am ET October Conference Board Consumer Confidence Tame

Key incoming data September

•  9/1 8:30am ET August Jobs Report Tame
•  9/1 10am ET August ISM Manufacturing Tame
•  9/6 10am ET August ISM Services Mixed
•  9/6 2pm ET Fed releases Beige Book Tame
•  9/8 9am ET Manheim Used Vehicle Index August Final Tame
•  9/8 2Q23 Fed Flow of Funds Report Tame
•   9/13 8:30am ET August CPI Mixed
•  9/14 8:30am ET August PPI Tame
•  9/15 8:30am ET September Empire Manufacturing Survey Tame
•  9/15 10am ET U. Mich. September prelim 1-yr inflation Tame
•  9/18 8:30am ET September New York Fed Business Activity Survey Tame
•  9/18 10am ET September NAHB Housing Market Index Tame
•  9/19 9am ET Manheim September Mid-Month Used Vehicle Value Index Mixed
•  9/20 2pm ET September FOMC rates decision Market saw Hawkish
•  9/21 8:30am ET September Philly Fed Business Outlook Survey Mixed
•  9/22 9:45am ET S&P Global PMI September Prelim
•  9/25 10:30am ET Dallas Fed September Manufacturing Activity Survey
•  9/26 9am ET July S&P CoreLogic CS home price
•  9/26 10am ET September Conference Board Consumer Confidence

Key incoming data August

• 8/1 10am ET July ISM Manufacturing Tame
• 8/1 10am ET JOLTS Job Openings Jun Tame
• 8/2 8:15am ADP National Employment Report Hot
• 8/3 10am ET July ISM Services Tame
• 8/4 8:30am ET July Jobs report Tame
• 8/7 11am ET Manheim Used Vehicle Index July Final Tame
• 8/10 8:30am ET July CPI Tame
• 8/11 8:30am ET July PPI Tame
• 8/11 10am ET U. Mich. July prelim 1-yr inflation Tame
• 8/11 Atlanta Fed Wage Tracker July Tame
• 8/15 8:30am ET Aug Empire Manufacturing SurveyMixed 
• 8/15 10am ET Aug NAHB Housing Market IndexTame
• 8/16 8:30am ET Aug New York Fed Business Activity SurveyNeutral
• 8/16 2pm ET FOMC MinutesMixed 
• 8/17 8:30am ET Aug Philly Fed Business Outlook Survey Positive
• 8/17 Manheim Aug Mid-Month Used Vehicle Value IndexTame
• 8/23 9:45am ET S&P Global PMI Aug PrelimWeak
• 8/25 10am ET Aug Final U Mich 1-yr inflationMixed
• 8/28 10:30am ET Dallas Fed Aug Manufacturing Activity Survey Tame
• 8/29 9am ET June S&P CoreLogic CS home price Tame
• 8/29 10am ET Aug Conference Board Consumer Confidence Tame
• 8/29 10 am ET Jul JOLTS Tame
• 8/31 8:30am ET July PCE Tame

Key incoming data July

• 7/3 10am ET June ISM Manufacturing Tame
• 7/6 8:15am ADP National Employment Report Hot
• 7/6 10am ET June ISM Services Tame
• 7/6 10 am ET May JOLTS Tame
• 7/7 8:30am ET June Jobs report Mixed
• 7/10 11am ET Manheim Used Vehicle Index June Final Tame
• 7/12 8:30am ET June CPI Tame
• 7/13 8:30am ET June PPI Tame
• 7/13 Atlanta Fed Wage Tracker June Tame
• 7/14 10am ET U. Mich. June prelim 1-yr inflation Mixed
• 7/17 8:30am July Empire Manufacturing Survey
• 7/18 8:30am July New York Fed Business Activity Survey
• 7/18 10am July NAHB Housing Market Index in-line
• 7/18 Manheim July Mid-Month Used Vehicle Value Index Tame
• 7/25 9am ET May S&P CoreLogic CS home price Tame
• 7/25 10am ET July Conference Board Consumer Confidence Tame
• 7/26 2pm ET July FOMC rates decision Tame
• 7/28 8:30am ET June PCE Tame
• 7/28 8:30am ET 2Q ECI Employment Cost Index Tame
• 7/28 10am ET July Final U Mich 1-yr inflation Tame

Key data from June

• 6/1 10am ET May ISM Manufacturing Tame
• 6/2 8:30am ET May Jobs report Tame
• 6/5 10am ET May ISM Services Tame
• 6/7 Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index May Tame
• 6/9 Atlanta Fed Wage Tracker April Tame
• 6/13 8:30am ET May CPI Tame
• 6/14 8:30am ET May PPI Tame
• 6/14 2pm ET April FOMC rates decision Tame
• 6/16 10am ET U. Mich. May prelim 1-yr inflation Tame
• 6/27 9am ET April S&P CoreLogic CS home price Tame
• 6/27 10am ET June Conference Board Consumer Confidence Tame
• 6/30 8:30am ET May PCE Tame
• 6/30 10am ET June Final U Mich 1-yr inflation Tame

Key data from May

• 5/1 10am ET April ISM Manufacturing (PMIs turn up) Positive inflection
• 5/2 10am ET Mar JOLTS Softer than consensus
• 5/3 10am ET April ISM Services Tame
• 5/3 2pm Fed May FOMC rates decision Dovish
• 5/5 8:30am ET April Jobs report Tame
• 5/5 Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index April Tame
• 5/8 2pm ET April 2023 Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey Better than feared
• 5/10 8:30am ET April CPI Tame
• 5/11 8:30am ET April PPI Tame
• 5/12 10am ET U. Mich. April prelim 1-yr inflation Tame
• 5/12 Atlanta Fed Wage Tracker April Tame
• 5/24 2pm ET May FOMC minutes Dovish
• 5/26 8:30am ET PCE April Tame
• 5/26 10am ET U. Mich. April final 1-yr inflation Tame
• 5/31 10am ET JOLTS April job openings

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