- Futures up: Dow 0.46%, S&P 0.37%, Nasdaq 0.16%.
- Chinese gaming stocks listed in the U.S. slump in premarket trading.
- Under Armour, Translate Bio, Clorox and more made the biggest moves in the premarket.
- Crude oil reversed earlier losses as sentiment improved in broader markets.
(August 3) U.S. stock index futures rose on Tuesday, as an upbeat corporate earnings season and a pickup in global deals activity lifted demand for risky equities, although gains were capped by concerns around a surge in the Delta variant of the coronavirus.
At 08:02 a.m. ET, Dow E-minis were up 159 points, or 0.46%, S&P 500 E-minis were up 16 points, or 0.37% and Nasdaq 100 E-minis rose 24.5 points, or 0.16%.
The big story overnight was China's latest crackdown in which the XInhua-affiliated Economic Information Daily cited Tencent's "Honor of Kings" in an article in which it said minors were addicted to online games and called for more curbs on the industry. The broadside re-ignited investor fears about state intervention in China after Beijing had already targeted the property, education and technology sectors to curb cost pressures and reassert the primacy of socialism after years of runaway market growth. "They don’t believe anything is off limit and will react, sometimes overreact, to anything on state media that fits the tech crackdown narrative,” Ether Yin, partner at Trivium, a Beijing-based consultancy.
Not surprisingly, Chinese gaming stocks listed in the U.S. slump in premarket trading; among the biggest gaming-related stocks falling this morning, NetEase sinks 8.8%, Bilibili falls 6.67%, Huya declines 4.79% and DouYu International slides 5.12% as of 8:11am in New York, Other large-cap Chinese stocks are also lower in U.S. premarket trading: Alibaba -0.94%, Pinduoduo -1.2%, Baidu -0.37%, Didi -1.25%.
Stocks making the biggest moves in the premarket: Under Armour, Translate Bio, Clorox and more
1) Under Armour(UAA) – Under Armour shares jumped 4.5% in the premarket, after the athletic apparel maker beat estimates on the top and bottom lines and the company raised its full-year forecast. Under Armour reported quarterly earnings of 24 cents per share, compared to a consensus estimate of 6 cents a share.
2) Translate Bio(TBIO) – French drugmakerSanofi(SNY) agreed to buy the U.S.-based biotech company for $3.2 billion, or $38 per share in cash. Translate Bio specializes in mRNA technology, the type that was used to produce thePfizerandModernaCovid-19 vaccines. Translate Bio shares soared 29.6% in premarket trading.
3) Clorox(CLX) – Clorox tumbled 8.6% in premarket action after the household products maker missed top and bottom line estimates for its latest quarter. Clorox’s sales fell from a year ago, when consumers stocked up on its products amid the surging pandemic.
4) Eli Lilly(LLY) – The drugmaker’s shares lost 1.7% in premarket trading, after falling 2 cents a share shy of estimates, with quarterly earnings of $1.87 per share. Revenue beat forecasts, but Lilly’s overall results were impacted by weaker sales of Covid-19 therapies as more Americans got vaccinated.
5) Marriott(MAR) – The hotel operator’s stock gained 1.8% in premarket trading after it reported quarterly earnings of 79 cents per share, compared to a 45 cents a share consensus estimate. Revenue more than doubled from a year ago thanks to a rebound in travel demand, though it did fall slightly short of Wall Street forecasts.
6) Take-Two Interactive(TTWO) – Take-Two lost 4.3% premarket trading after issuing a weaker-than-expected outlook and announcing delays in new releases for some of its games. The video game producer beat estimates by 12 cents a share, with quarterly profit of $1.01 per share. Take-Two’s revenue also topped Wall Street forecasts.
7) BP(BP) – BP surged 6.3% in premarket trading after it reported better-than-expected quarterly profit and revenue, thanks to higher oil and gas prices. The energy producer also announced a 4% dividend hike and a boost to its share buyback program.
8) Stellantis(STLA) – Stellantis raised its full-year profit margin outlook after the automaker reported strong first-half financial results, boosted by record margins in North America. The upbeat results came despite the impact of the global chip shortage which cut production by 700,000 vehicles. The stock rallied 5.3% in the premarket.
9) Micron Technology(MU) – Micron instituted its first-ever dividend, with the chip maker planning to pay 10 cents per share in cash payable on October 18. Micron also said it had updated its share buyback policy to buy more when prices are low and fewer when prices are high. Micron shares gained 1.9% in the premarket.
10) Simon Property Group(SPG) – Simon Property shares rose 2.8% in premarket trading after it said sales at its shopping centers returned to pre-pandemic levels in June. The largest U.S. mall owner is hoping the improved results encourage retailers to sign new leases and help it fill space vacated during the pandemic.
11) SolarEdge Technologies(SEDG) – SolarEdge reported better-than-expected earnings and revenue for its latest quarter, with the solar energy company also providing an upbeat current-quarter forecast. SolarEdge surged 11.4% in the premarket.
12) Reynolds Consumer Products(REYN) – Reynolds beat estimates by a penny a share, with quarterly earnings of 39 cents per share. Revenue fell short of Street forecasts, however. The maker of products like Hefty garbage bags and Reynolds Wrap said it was pleased with the results in the face of higher input costs supply chain issues. Reynolds lost 3.6% in premarket action.
In rates, treasuries drifted lower over early European session, tracking losses in bunds and gilts. The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield edged around 2bps higher after falling as low as 1.15%; the move steepened 2s10s, 5s30s by 1bp each. Higher S&P futures also added pressure on rising yields, following gains across European stocks amid positive earnings results. Germany’s 10-year yield fell to its lowest since early February at -0.486%. It was last up less than a basis point at -0.47%. Its 30-year yield, which turned negative and sent the whole German yield curve into negative territory on Monday, was hovering around 0%.
“There is some definite downside bias in the dollar now,” said Vasileios Gkionakis, Global Head of FX Strategy at fund manager Lombard Odier in Switzerland. “You are starting to a see a rotation of growth away from the U.S.”
According to strategists the months-long advance in Treasuries which saw 10Y real yields drop to fresh record lows on Monday, points to worries that a weaker period lies ahead for the economic reopening from the health crisis, though second-quarter corporate earnings have been robust for the most part. Traders are awaiting key U.S. jobs data this week to gauge the recovery and monitoring the impact of price pressures sparked by pandemic-related disruption and bottlenecks.
“I don’t think the market is concerned about delta as much as it’s concerned about how it impacts inflation,” Shana Sissel, Spotlight Asset Group chief investment officer, said on Bloomberg Television, referring to the coronavirus variant. “The longer we have delta spread globally, the longer the supply chain disruptions will continue.”
Meanwhile, on the policy front, the tapering debate continues. Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said he could back a tapering announcement by September, if the next two monthly U.S. employment reports show continued gains.
In FX, the Norwegian krone and New Zealand’s dollar led an advance against the greenback; the Canadian dollar retreated, underperforming its peers. The euro eked out an advance to a session high of 1.1885 per dollar; the pound climbed back above $1.39 and gilts halted a three-day gain as caution reigns ahead of Bank of England’s meeting on Thursday.The Australian dollar jumped after the nation’s central bank said it will stick to its tapering plan, arguing that the economy will rebound from the latest virus outbreak.Traders rushed to close short positions on the Aussie after the Reserve Bank of Australia decision on Tuesday, according to Asia-based FX traders. Existing AUD/NZD flows after the RBA decision propelled New Zealand’s dollar to a new session high.
Australia’s currency advanced after its central bank kept a plan to taper bond purchases despite a protracted lockdown in Sydney.
In commodities, crude oil reversed earlier losses as sentiment improved in broader markets even though the spread of the delta coronavirus variant, including in the key market of China, continues to pose a risk to demand. Brent crude was up 33 cents in London at $73.28 per barrel. U.S. crude inched up to $71.56 a barrel while gold and industrial metal copper were both slightly lower at $1,810.45 per ounce and 9,594.50 a tonne respectively.
Looking at the day ahead, this morning the only data due out is the June PPI print for the Euro area. This afternoon in the US June factory orders and final June revisions for durable and capital goods orders are expected as well as July vehicle sales data. Away from that the Fed’s Bowman is due to speak this evening while it’s another busy day for earnings with the likes of BP, ConocoPhillips, BMW and Amgen amongst those reporting.