Asia markets are mixed on each side of the flat line idling
ahead of the US jobs data. NIKK is down and SSEC is up +0.7%. The dollar/yen is
103.89 after peaking at 104.12. The weaker yen, with dollar/yen moving from 102
to 104 in recent days, creates the rocket fuel to send US stocks higher. Softbank
loses -3%. A mini rally occurs in rare earth stocks in China. China regulators
will conduct stress tests on banks. Toho Zinc is reducing production. Zinc and
nickel are required to manufacture specialty steels and their demand, or lack
thereof, is an indicator of global economic health.
India’s elections begin on Monday so traders take profits in
this robust stock market. Money has been rushing into India for months so
investors are expecting big reforms that will boost infrastructure spending and
promote business. IFN catapults from 18 to 23, nearly +30%, in the last two
months and is up from 16 to 23, nearly +50% in the last seven months. The world’s
central banker easy money is sending India’s markets up about +2% per week
since late last summer.
Europeans are drinking their troubles away with Remy
Cointreau jumping +5%. BF/A is planning to make a bid for the spirit maker. Marks
and Spencer dumps -1% after GS removes the retailer from the conviction buy
list. The euro is weaker to 1.3701, printing a low at 1.3698, so Draghi
achieves a tiny victory with his dovish lip service yesterday. European markets
are trading higher across the board. Spain’s 5-year yield drops to 1.76%
dipping under the US Treasury 5-year yield at 1.79%. Remarkably, investors
desire Spain’s paper, a country mired in recession and depression with high
unemployment, more than US paper. The central bankers have destroyed all price
discovery in markets.
The US is contemplating adding an additional brigade in
Europe to address Russia’s aggression into Ukraine. MCD closes three restaurants
in Crimea due to the Russian takeover. Chocolate billionaire Petro Poroshenko
and Yulia Tymoshenko, with the Princess Leia (Star Wars) hairdo, are the two
key candidates for Ukraine president with elections approaching 5/25/14.
The consensus for this morning’s Monthly Jobs Report is 206K
jobs, call it 200K even, up from last month’s 175K jobs. The consensus range is
from 175K to 275K. Whisper numbers are 250K. Traders in general expect a
bullish jobs number of well over 200K. The unemployment rate is expected to
drop one tick to 6.6% from 6.7% last month. S&P futures are +3 in the early
morning hours on the East Coast. WTIC crude oil continues higher punching up
through 101. Brent is above 106 moving towards 107. Natty gas continues
sideways at 4.41. Gold 1292. Silver 19.92. Copper is up +0.6% to 3.05....
[Text is Redacted: Purchase April 2014-04 to Read the Complete Chronology]
Documents surface during the Apple and Samsung patent
litigation showing how AAPL is concerned about the iPhone losing market share
due to increased competition. AAPL has lost sales due to its stubborn position
of not supplying a larger screen for the iPhone. Apple changes course and now plans
to offer a larger screen smartphone in a few months. AAPL dumped -1.3% today
and continues to languish sideways through 500-560 for the last six months.
Samsung’s Galaxy S5 smartphone is offering a free security feature to deter and
prevent theft.
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