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On September 5th, U.S. Commerce Secretary Andrew Lutnick was appointed to review transactions between the Pentagon and companies under Cerberus Capital Management to address potential conflicts of interest. According to U.S. officials, the Department of Defense has assigned Lutnick to review these transactions. Cerberus is a private equity firm founded by Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg, with significant investments in defense and national security, including several companies that have received Pentagon contracts. After joining the government, Feinberg transferred his business assets to a trust for his adult children. Reports indicate that Lutnicks review of arrangements involving Cerberus is intended to exceed existing Department of Defense ethical guidelines. However, Lutnick previously led Cantor Fitzgerald, which has had a business relationship with Cerberus for over a decade and helped manage related investment funds. Some of Cerberus defense subsidiaries recently secured Pentagon contracts, including a $10 billion, 26-year Army helicopter pilot training contract for M1 Support Services, and a $90 million defense contract for hypersonic testing company Stratolaunch. It remains unclear whether Lutnik reviewed these transactions, and the specific scope of his review.Fitch: The rating upgrade reflects the strengthening of Portugals public finances, including the expected downward trend in government debt.Barclays: Oil outflows from the Middle East are higher than in the early stages of the conflict, but the market remains in a state of shortage, and the inventory buffer is now greatly reduced.According to Al Arabiya TV: Lebanese official data shows that Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon tonight have killed three people.On September 5th, stronger-than-expected US August jobs data triggered renewed bets on a possible Federal Reserve rate hike, but Wall Street risk assets did not show significant panic. Data showed increased resilience in the job market, leading traders to raise their expectations for a rate hike at the Feds September 16th meeting. US Treasuries experienced a sell-off, the dollar strengthened, and the S&P 500 fell on Friday but still recorded a weekly gain. Unlike previous rate hikes that often triggered capital outflows, this round of bond market adjustments has not yet spread to other risk assets. Credit spreads remain low, limiting pressure on corporate bonds and stock index markets. JPMorgan Chase stated that US Treasury liquidity has deteriorated significantly, but corporate bond ETFs and stock index futures markets have not yet experienced similar tension. Market resilience mainly stems from economic growth and corporate profits, especially as AI investment continues to drive large-scale capital expenditures by technology companies. Analysts point out that the market is currently more focused on whether yields will rise rapidly than on the jobs data itself. The market focus will shift to inflation data and whether the Fed will reconsider its rate hike path due to inflationary pressures. If yields rise further rapidly, it could force investors to reduce their risk exposure.

Stock Bulls Remain Optimistic As Manufacturing Inflation Slows, According to Data

Daniel Rogers

May 16, 2022 11:04

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As data indicates a deceleration in manufacturing inflation, stock market bulls remain exceedingly cautious but are slightly more bullish. The Producer Price Index increased by 11 percent year-over-year in April, which was higher than anticipated but a significant decrease from March's 11.5 percent increase. As producer prices lead consumer prices, the report is generally positive, although markets and the Fed will need to observe a few more months of decreases before pronouncing that inflation is actually moderating.

Inflation

Economists also caution that products inflation may be declining because consumer demand is shifting away from items and toward services, suggesting that high prices may be migrating from one sector of the economy to another. The most recent data indicates that prices for services are increasing at the quickest rate in 30 years, with airfare leading the way. Even if inflation has reached its top, the question is how long it will remain elevated.

 

Chairman of the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell cautioned Monday that the central bank cannot guarantee a "smooth landing" for the economy, citing the tight labor market and continued supply chain disruptions. Powell also emphasized that other "big events," including as Russia's war in Ukraine, are currently playing significant roles that are outside the Fed's control. Powell made the remarks after receiving Senate confirmation for a second four-year term.

 

The target inflation rate of the central bank is still "flexible +2 percent," but a number of officials have hinted that the new norm may be in the range of +2.5 percent to +3 percent. The Core PCE Prices Index, which stood at +5.2 percent in March, is one of the primary (but not the only) indicators used by the Fed to assess the rate of inflation. The April reading is expected to be released on May 27, a couple weeks before the Fed's next meeting on June 14-15.

Data to Monitor

Recent consumer data has sent mixed signals that are difficult to decipher. Since the beginning of the year, sentiment has largely declined, but consumer spending has showed no indications of slowing.

 

On Tuesday of the next week, April Retail Sales will provide an update on consumer spending. Next week, a flurry of new housing statistics will shed light on how significantly increased mortgage rates may be affecting the market. The May NAHB Housing Market Index is released on Tuesday, followed by April Housing Starts and April Existing Home Sales on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

 

Home Depot and Walmart will report earnings on Tuesday, followed by Cisco, Lowe's, Target, and TJX Companies on Wednesday; Applied Materials, Palo Alto Networks, and Ross Stores on Thursday; and Deere & Co. on Friday.