Coming off a day of 0.3%-0.5% declines for US indices, US index futures are mixed with Dow futures down 0.2% and NASDAQ futures up 0.6%. European trading finds the Dax up 0.2% and the FTSE up 0.5%.
We’re in the heart of earnings season now and a lot of big names have reported overnight and this morning including: Microsoft ($3.23 vs street $3.11, down 4.1% premarket), Meta Platforms ($8.02 vs street $6.76, up 1.8% premarket), Tesla ($0.73 vs street $0.77, up 4.1% premarket), IBM ($3.92 vs street $3.78), Caterpillar ($5.14 vs street $5.02, down 4.8% premarket), and UPS ($2.75 vs street $2.53, down 13.8% premarket). Canadian earnings season is also getting underway with results out from Canadian Pacific ($1.29 vs street $1.24), and Rogers Communications ($1.46 vs street $1.36).
Later today, results are due from Apple, Intel, Canadian National Railway, Mastercard and Visa. Tomorrow brings the first Big Oil results with Exxon Mobil, Imperial Oil and Chevron reporting.
The European Central Bank cut its benchmark rates by 0.25% this morning as had been widely expected. The Euro is quiet this morning as is the Loonie following yesterday’s 0.25% Bank of Canada interest rate cut. The Fed held rates steady as expected. There does appear to be some rotation of capital into traditional defensive havens Gold up 1.1%, Silver up 2.4% and the Japanese Yen up 0.7%. Commodities are mixed today with Crude Oil down 0.2%, Natural Gas up 0.7% and Copper up 0.4%.