Equities rally as US data softens – Stock Markets
US stock indices reach new highs as chances of a Fed rate cut jump
Extra focus on US retailers’ earnings
Utility stocks record the strongest monthly rally since 2022
Could US car manufacturers benefit from the new EV tariffs?
US stock indices are enjoying strong gains so far in 2024 with the S&P 500 index leading the way with an 11% increase. However, European indices are outperforming their US counterparts with the DAX 40 index being around 13% higher this year. This is quite intriguing considering the evident economic divergence between the US and the euro area economies during 2024. Despite the recent positive signs, it is clear that the euro area is still lacking growth momentum compared to the US.
US retail sales slowingWednesday’s session also included a weaker set of US retail sales. The Fed is extremely interested in the strength of domestic demand, which is partly responsible for the recent stickiness in inflation figures. In the current earnings reporting period, Amazon saw a decent increase in sales revenues while Walmart revenues jumped by 6%. The remaining key retailers report over the next fortnight.
The consumer staples sector is one of the laggards of the US 500 index sectors in 2024, but it has been outperforming the consumer discretionary sector. This could reveal an increasing pressure from high inflation on households’ spending.
Utilities rally aggressively Drilling down the data and the S&P 500 utilities sector is recording a very strong rally during May, pushing its 2024 positive advance to around 14%. It is the best monthly performance for this sector since March 2022, benefiting from sizeable dividends, and it takes place despite the relatively elevated US treasury yields. This rally could be an early sign that investors are expecting the current soft patch in the US to become more entrenched over the next months, and consequently allow the Fed to possibly announce more than one rate cut in 2024.
Could US car manufacturers benefit from the new EV tariffs?The party campaigns for the November US elections are in full swing with the latest announcements from the US President Biden focusing on China. A new package of increased tariffs, which includes a 100% tariff of Chinese-made electric vehicles, comes as an answer to Trump’s intention to increase tariffs on all Chinese imports. President Biden’s aim is to protect US manufacturers with Tesla in need for a boost considering its underperformance against its main rivals.
Related Assets
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
