Tactics
I have used the afternoon rally to scale into more SPY shorts as I suspect some of the first-of-the-month money has been committed.
But still small sized.
Position: Short SPY (S)
I have used the afternoon rally to scale into more SPY shorts as I suspect some of the first-of-the-month money has been committed.
But still small sized.
Position: Short SPY (S)
Here’s the next catalyst we’re likely to see for the shares.
Position: None
From Peter Boockvar:
I think Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem said it best at the central bank forum on stage with peers Kevin Warsh, Christine Lagarde and Andrew Bailey. “We have to be humble in this time of uncertainty.” In other words, and I think those thoughts are shared by the others, we just have to wait and see how events play out and they won’t commit until they have to.
Specifically on the heels of the ECB rate cut, Lagarde acknowledged they were in a different place than the Fed and BoE with a deposit rate of just 2% and inflation now above that.
With respect to Warsh, he reiterated again that we won’t get any clues as to what he’ll want to do next in terms of policy (which could be different or the same as his colleagues), if anything in the coming meetings. What I’m most interested in but yet to be revealed by him is his views of the concept of the ‘neutral rate.’ Powell’s view was that he’d know what that rate is when he sees it as it is a very econometrically modeled figure. In other words, who really knows what it is. The dot plot has the long term ‘neutral rate’ view at 1% real but does Warsh have a view on that? In the meantime, markets are going to be left very much on its toes without the hand holding of the central bank.
The June ISM manufacturing index fell to 53.3 from 54 and just below the estimate of little change at 53.9. New orders were still good at 56 but down a touch m/o/m. Backlogs were 50.5 vs 52.2. Inventories rose back above 50 at 51.4 for the first time since April 2025.
Likely thanks to the drop in crude prices and other commodities, prices paid fell to 73 from 82.1, though still well above the 59 it was at in January. Supplier deliveries at 57.4 were down 3.2 pts m/o/m, but still elevated. This is what was said on pricing, “The Prices Index reading is still being driven by (1) increases in steel and aluminum prices that impact the entire value chain, (2) tariffs applied to many imported goods and (3) increases in petroleum-based products as a result of the Middle East conflict. Higher prices were reported by 55.1 percent of respondents in June, down 11.2 percentage points from May’s 66.3 percent.”
Employment got closer to 50 at 49.7.
Export orders fell back under 50 at 48.5, down 2.1 pts m/o/m.
Breadth softened a touch with 14 industries of 18 seeing expansion vs 16 in May.
Bottom line, the parts of the US manufacturing sector that are feeding into the GenAI buildout is enjoying the massive spend on it, as we know. Other parts are seeing a more mixed bag but a lift over the past few months as a pull forward of ordering has taken place after the Middle East conflict began. I’m also hearing that ahead of another possible round of tariffs is resulting in more pull forwards.
US Treasuries are little changed in response to both of the above.
Here were the broad respondent comments and reflects hopes but realism with the pace of business activity and the challenges being faced:
Goldman Sachs has highlighted two intriguing small-cap names as AI valuations get crazier.
One month ago Kimberly-Clark ($KMB) traded at $93 and is now nearly $111/share.
I have reduced my weighting to very small.
Position: Long KMB (VS)
Dan Nathan interviews Rosie on his Risk Reversal podcast.
Run, don’t walk to watch this valuable hour-long interview.
Let’s go to the tape!
David Rosenberg: “There Are No More Bears Left” In This Market
Position: None
I put out more SPY shorts at $749.24
Position: SPY (S)
Position: None
The Nasdaq has become “a tale of two cities” with haves and have-nots.
That relationship shifts daily.
As such, it is getting too hard to trade.
For the foreseeable future I will be concentrating on shoring the S&P index.
I am no longer short QQQ.
Position: Short SPY (VS)