US : Pre Market News – 21 Sep 2016

Dec E-mini S&Ps (ESZ16 +0.46%) are up +0.42% and European stocks are up +1.43% at a 1-week high on signs that global central banks will maintain their overly easy monetary policies in an attempt to spur economic growth and revive inflation. A rally in energy producing stocks is also giving equity markets a boost with crude oil (CLX16 +2.07%) up +2.09% after API data late Tuesday showed U.S. crude stockpiles dropped -7.5 million bbl last week. Asian stocks settled mostly higher: Japan +1.91%, Hong Kong +0.59%, China +0.10%, Taiwan +0.73%, Australia +0.68%, Singapore -0.14%, South Korea +0.56%, India -0.06%. Japan’s Nikkei Stock Index rallied up to a 1-1/2 week high as banks and insurance companies led the overall market higher after the BOJ refrained from cutting interest rates further below zero and shifted the focus of its stimulus to controlling the yield curve.

The dollar index (DXY00 -0.02%) is down -0.06%. EUR/USD (^EURUSD) is down -0.06%. USD/JPY (^USDJPY) is down -0.24% at a 3-week low.

Dec T-note prices (ZNZ16 -0.02%) are down -1.5 ticks.

The BOJ kept its benchmark interest rate at -0.1% and said it will maintain its asset purchase target at 80 trillion yen a year, but announced a new package which shifts its emphasis from just managing the key interest rate and buying assets to controlling the yield curve. The BOJ said it will buy bonds in a way that ensures the 10-year government bond yield remains more or less where it is, around 0%, as part of its “yield curve management.” The BOJ also said it would continue expanding its monetary base until inflation overshoots its 2% target and stays above it.

Key U.S. news today includes: (1) weekly MBA mortgage applications (previous +4.2% with purchase sub-index +8.6% and refi sub-index +1.7%), (2) 2-day FOMC meeting concludes with policy announcement, updated economic projections, and a press conference by Fed Chair Yellen, and (3) EIA Weekly Petroleum Status Report.

Russell 1000 companies that report earnings today: General Mills (consensus $ 0.76), CarMax (0.88), Red Hat (0.54), Bed, Baty & Beyond (1.17), Jabil Circuit (0.25).

U.S. IPO’s scheduled to price today: elf Beauty Inc (ELF), Capstar Financial Holdings (CSTR).

Equity conferences this week include: Finance Montreal FinTech Forum on Tue-Wed, Johnson Rice Energy Conference on Tue-Wed, Goldman Sachs Communicopia Conference on Tue-Thu, Finance Shared Services & GBS Exchange Conference on Wed.

Microsoft (MSFT -0.21%) rose over 1% in pre-market trading after it raised its quarterly dividend by 3 cents to 39 cents and authorized the byback of an additional $ 40 billion of stock on top of an existing $ 40 billion repurchase program.

Cooper Cos. (COO -1.09%) gained 1% in after-hours trading after it was announced that it will replace Starwood Hotels & Resorts in the S&P 500 Index at the close of trading on Thursday, September 22.

SPS Commerce (SPSC +0.78%) jumped over 5% in after-hours trading after it was announced that it will replace Northwestern in the S&P SmallCap 600 at the close of trading on Thursday, September 22.

Adobe Systems (ADBE +0.94%) climbed nearly 5% in pre-market trading after it reported Q3 adjusted EPS of 75 cents, better than consensus of 72 cents, and then raised guidance on fiscal 2016 adjusted EPS to $ 2.94-$ 3.00, higher than consensus of $ 2.87.

KB Home (KBH -2.42%) gained over 3% in after-hours trading after it reported Q3 net orders were up +16% y/y, well above consensus of +2.8%.

FedEx (FDX +0.86%) rose almost 3% in after-hours trading after it reported Q1 adjusted EPS of $ 2.90, higher than consensus of $ 2.79.

The Children’s Place (PLCE -1.02%) was downgraded to ‘Neutral’ from ‘Overweight’ at Piper Jaffray with a 12-month target price of $ 88.

Clovis Oncology (CLVS +12.68%) rallied over 8% in after-hours trading after Janney said there are a “long list” of potential suitors for Clovis.

Airgain (AIRG +10.64%) gained over 4% in after-hours trading after it reported Q2 sales surged +63% y/y to $ 6.1 million.

CommScope Holding Co. (COMM -0.77%) slid 1% in after-hours trading after holder Carlyle said it sold 10 million common shares of CommScope.

Adamas Pharmaceuticals (ADMS +2.32%) jumped 5% in after-hours trading after the results of a Phase 3 trial of ADS-5102 for the treatment of Levodopa-induced Dyskinesia in patients with Parkinson’s met its primary endpoint.

Nu Skin Enterprises (NUS -1.32%) rose over 3% in after-hours trading after it raised its Q3 revenue view to slightly above a prior forecast of $ 560 million-$ 580 million due to success of recent product introductions and “favorable” currency trends.

Mirna Therapeutics (MIRN -0.40%) plunged over 25% in after-hours trading after it said it was closing a Phase 1 study of its MRX34 in melanoma patients due to serious adverse events in patients taking the drug.

Dec E-mini S&Ps (ESZ16 +0.46%) this morning are up +9.00 points (+0.42%). Tuesday’s closes: S&P 500 +0.03%, Dow Jones +0.05%, Nasdaq +0.19%. The S&P 500 on Tuesday closed slightly higher as the market awaited Wednesday’s outcome of the FOMC meeting, which is likely to produce hawkish language but not a rate hike. Energy producer stocks received a boost from the +0.43% rally in crude prices. Stocks were undercut by the weak Aug housing starts report of -5.8%, which implied less stimulus from the housing sector.

Dec 10-year T-notes (ZNZ16 -0.02%) this morning are down -1.5 ticks. Tuesday’s closes: TYZ6 +2.50, FVZ6 +0.50. Dec T-notes on Tuesday closed higher on the weaker-than-expected U.S. Aug housing starts and building permits reports and on expectations for the FOMC on Wednesday to refrain from a rate hike.

The dollar index (DXY00 -0.02%) this morning is down -0.056 (-0.06%). EUR/USD (^EURUSD) is down -0.0007 (-0.06%). USD/JPY (^USDJPY) is down -0.24 (-0.24%). Tuesday’s closes: Dollar index +0.178 (+0.19%), EUR/USD -0.0024 (-0.21%), USD/JPY -0.23 (-0.23%). The dollar index on Tuesday closed higher on speculation that the Fed may be hawkish in its post-FOMC meeting statement as it may prepare the markets for a Dec rate hike. In addition, there was weakness in EUR/USD after German Aug PPI weakened more than expected, which fueled speculation the ECB may expand stimulus.

Nov crude oil (CLX16 +2.07%) this morning is up +92 cents (+2.09%) and Nov gasoline (RBX16 +2.60%) is up +0.0356 (+2.69%). Tuesday’s closes: CLX6 +0.19 (+0.43%), RBX6 -0.0280 (-2.07%). Nov crude oil and gasoline on Tuesday settled mixed with Nov gasoline at a 2-week low. Crude oil prices was undercut by a stronger dollar and the slide in gasoline prices after Colonial said it will restart its damaged gasoline pipeline in Alabama one day earlier than scheduled, which should ease East Coast supply concerns. Crude oil was also undercut by expectations for Wednesday’s EIA crude inventories to climb +3.25 million bbl. Crude oil recovered from a 1-1/4 month low and closed higher after Algerian Energy Minister Noureddine Bouterfa said OPEC may turn the informal meeting in Algiers on Sep 28 into a formal meeting as it seeks ways among producers to cut crude supplies by 1.0 million bpd to rebalance and stabilize the oil market.