Early Look

Monday, September 27, 2021

U.S. stock futures are looking higher, led by the energy complex after WTI crude tops $75 for the first time since July and Brent crude hitting 3-year highs following a massive stock market recovery late last week as fears about China Evergrande Group ‘s debt crisis issues waned and investors bet on further economic reopening from the pandemic. Despite the Chinese property developer missing a bond coupon payment, the S&P 500 still finished the week up 0.5% (though U.S. listed China stocks fell sharply on the week). Last week, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the U.S. economy has recovered sufficiently for the central bank to potentially announce the start of bond-purchase tapering at its next meeting, which failed to dent investor optimism, even as Treasury yields and the dollar rallied as the FOMC pushed up its timeline for interest rate hikes. In Asian markets, The Shanghai Composite Index slipped 0.8%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index edged up 0.1%. The Nikkei Index was down slightly at 30,240, the Shanghai Index dipped -30 points to 3,583 and the Hang Seng Index edged higher 16 points to 24,208. In Europe, the German DAX rises following election results, up around 100-points (0.6%) at 15,625, while the FTSE 100 is up slightly above 7,060.

Oil futures rise with WTI crude oil futures topping $75 a barrel for the first time since July, amid an escalating energy crunch across Europe and now China. Energy is the clear premarket leader among the S&P sectors, most of which are higher. Materials and Info Tech are slightly lower. Treasury yields are moving to their best levels since late June, with the benchmark 10-year yield above 1.49% and the 30-year topping 2%, extending last week gains which saw the largest one-week yield gain since June 25, as it rose nearly 8 basis points. The 10-year was yielding 1.495%, up from 1.454%. Markets await data on new U.S. orders for durable goods in August at 8:30 AM ET.

Market Closing Prices Yesterday

·     The S&P 500 Index gained 6.50 points, or 0.15%, to 4,455.48

·     The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 33.18 points, or 0.10%, to 34,798.00

·     The Nasdaq Composite slipped -4.54 points, or 0.03%, to 15,047.70

·     The Russell 2000 Index declined -10.97 points, or 0.49% to 2,248.07

Events Calendar for Today

·     8:30 AM ET         Durable Goods Orders for Aug

·     8:30 AM ET         Durable Goods Ex: Transportation for Aug

·     10:30 AM ET      Dallas Fed Manufacturing for Sept

·     1:00 PM ET         U.S. to sell $61 bln 5-year notes

·     1:00 PM ET         U.S. to sell $60 bln 2-year notes

Earnings Calendar:

·     Earnings Before the Open: AYTU, IBIO, SANW

·     Earnings After the Close: CNXC

Other Key Events:

·     BMO Capital Washington DC Property Tour, 9/27-9/28

·     Cantor Global Healthcare Conference (virtual), 9/27-9/30

World News

·     House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pledged to pass a $550 billion infrastructure bill this week and signaled that the headline amount on a bigger package of spending and tax measures will be lowered from $3.5 trillion

·     German inflation is likely to accelerate from already high levels and will stay above 2% through mid-2022, exceeding the European Central Bank’s target for the 19-nation euro zone, the Bundesbank said in a monthly report on Monday

·     Widening power shortages in China have halted production at numerous factories including many supplying Apple and Tesla. On Monday, State Grid Corp pledged to ensure basic power supply and avoid electricity cuts. China’s power crunch, caused by tight coal supplies and toughening emissions standards, has hurt production in industries across several regions – Dow Jones

Sector News Breakdown

Consumer

·     Scotts Miracle-Gro (SMG) mentioned positively in Barron’s saying the co has a dominant franchise in the consumer lawn and garden market, and it has a fast-growing hydroponics business catering mainly to the marijuana industry. Scotts has seen its stock fall over 40% from an April high to a recent $146 on lower consumer demand in 2022 and narrower profit margins concerns but yet the stock looks inexpensive

·     Lordstown Motors (RIDE) downgraded to Sell from Neutral at Goldman Sachs

·     Tesla’s (TSLA) Shanghai factory is expected to produce 300,000 cars in the first nine months of the year, despite a global semiconductor shortage, Reuters reported

·     Gores Guggenheim Inc (GGPI) rises after Swedish electric car maker Polestar agrees to go public through merger with GGPI, at a valuation of $20 bln including debt https://bit.ly/3udy8fD

Energy, Industrials and Materials

·     Lockheed Martin (LMT) was awarded a $1.1B modification to a previously awarded fixed-price incentive advance acquisition contract.

·     Piedmont Lithium (PLL) files automatic mixed securities shelf

·     BP plc (BP) says panic buying has caused 30% of its 1,200 gasoline stations in the U.K. to run out of the two main grades of fuel.

Healthcare

·     Acceleron Pharma Inc. (XLRN) is in advanced discussions to be acquired by a large pharmaceutical company for about $180 a share in cash, according to people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported late Friday https://bloom.bg/3ANfEVx

·     Pfizer (PFE), Opko (OPK) said late Friday the FDA extended the review period for the biologics license application for somatrogon

·     SeaSpine Holdings Corp. (SPNE) said late Friday it expects its total revenue for q3 of 2021 to grow in mid-single digit range; said it is unable to confirm its prior revenue guidance for q4 and full-year 2021 at this time

·     Syndax Pharmaceuticals (SNDX) and Incyte (INCY) announce global collaboration to develop and commercialize axatilimab for chronic graft-versus-host disease and other fibrotic diseases; Syndax to receive $152 million in cash ($117 million upfront plus a $35 million equity investment, with potential for $450 million in additional milestone payments)

·     ASLAN Pharmaceuticals (ASLN) shares fall after announcing data conclusively establishing proof of concept for ASLAN004 in atopic dermatitis; said topline data from multiple-ascending-dose study supports a potentially differentiated safety and efficacy profile. ASLAN004 achieved a statistically significant improvement vs. placebo in the primary efficacy endpoint of percent change from baseline in EASI with significant improvements in other efficacy endpoints

·     Astellas Pharma (ALPMY) and Seagen (SGEN) announced that Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has approved PADCEV (enfortumab vedotin) for radically unresectable urothelial carcinoma that has progressed after anti-cancer chemotherapy.

Technology, Media & Telecom

·     Google (GOOGL), seeking to overturn the EU’s $5B antitrust decision from 2018, is arguing that its Android operating system for mobile devices has boosted competition rather than stifled it – WSJ

·     Several Apple (AAPL) and Tesla (TSLA) suppliers have halted production at some of their Chinese facilities to comply with Beijing’s tighter energy consumption policy, putting supply-chain continuity at risk during a peak season for electronics goods including the latest iPhones. – Nikkei reports https://s.nikkei.com/3m1F7EF

·     Vizio (VZIO) a positive mention in Barron’s saying stock buyers should consider newly public Vizio, which completed upfront advertising negotiations with more than $100 million in commitments, up fourfold from last year

·     Amazon.com’s (AMZN) Whole Foods Market is implementing a grocery delivery fee across the U.S., rolling back a perk the retailer had offered for paying Prime members since it began offering home delivery from the organic grocer