banking

U.S. Stocks Lose Most in Six Weeks on Fed, Treasury Report

US Session Key Developments

• Federal Reserve and Treasury Says Credit Conditions Worsened
  
• TALF Program to Be Extended Three Months
• Foreign Cash Flows to U.S. Collapsed in June
  

U.S. stocks declined by the largest amount since July 2 after a new Federal Reserve report showed that bank lending contracted in the second quarter. Indeed many had not been prepared for this announcement as surging equities may have led many to perceive that pain-staking conditions in the credit markets had been alleviating. Indeed, the Fed added that it would be extending its emergency TALF program by three months. TALF loans collaterlized with newly issued Asset-Backed Securities (ABS) and older Collaterlized Mortgage-Backed Securities (CMBS) will continue to be issued through the end of March 2010 while those backed by newly issued CMBS will be extended through the end of June 2010. Investors quickly sold shares once it was made clearer by the Fed that further stimulative action would be required of them. If that wasn’t enough to inspire the selling spree, the level of investment driven to the U.S. from abroad collapsed in June. Total Net Treasury International Capital (TIC) shrank $31.2 billion in June, wildly undershooting the consensus estimate of a rise in such flows of $23.0 billion. The unsettling may lead many to believe that the world’s trust in the American bond market may bay dwindling.

DOW 30   9135.34               -186.06                   -2.00%

Dow stocks took a beating today, with the worst of its sectors, Basic Materials, plummeting 4.73%. Alcoa, one of the two sector’s members, led the free-fall when it shed 6.48% on an indication from the Fed that the economy might not be performing as well as many had anticipated.

SPX 500   979.73              -24.36                   -2.43%

Financials were the second-hardest hit sector in the S&P 500 with Wells  Fargo and Bank of America declining 5.16% and 4.77%, respectively. Word that credit tightness in the second quarter had actually grown worse shook investors’ confidence in the banking sector. Implied volatility on the benchmark, as shown by the VIX index, rose to it’s highest level in five weeks. In percentage terms, the VIX, rose by the largest amound since April 20.

NAS 100   1930.84              -54.68                   -2.75%

NASDAQ stocks performed the worst of the three U.S. benchmark equity indices, with Technology shedding 2.81%. Apple, one of the day’s biggest losers, declining 4.26%, lost out after Dell announced it would be devloping a smart phone for China Mobile Ltd.

Written by Luis Gil, CFDTrading Analyst

For questions and comments email lgil@fxcm.com

banking

European Stocks to Extend Losses as Support Disintegrates

FTSE 100

Long-Term Technical Outlook

The FTSE is at risk of at least a pullback if not an outright reversal as daily RSI has rolled over from overbought territory. The rally from 3461 is likely to extend much higher over the summer months. But, will the advance carry more or less in a straight shot from current levels or will a pullback occur before the next advance? Remaining above 4295 keeps the FTSE 100 on a path towards 5106-5495 (50% and 61.8% of previous decline). A drop below 4295 would lead to a deeper decline in what is probably a B wave.

Short-Term Technical Outlook

The FTSE has broken below support at 4270.63, the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement level. The UK benchmark index now targets the intersection of the 50% Fib and the 100-day moving average.

DAX

Long-Term Technical Outlook

The DAX pattern is the same as that of the FTSE 100. Staying above 4653 keeps the index headed higher towards 5870-6409. These levels are defined by the 50% and 61.8% retracements of the decline from the 2007 high. The 100% extension of the first leg of the advance (wave A, from 3589-4980) is in this zone at 6045.

Short-Term Technical Outlook

German shares have surpassed support at 48066, the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement level. From here, prices target the 38.2% Fib at 45759.

CAC 40

Long-Term Technical Outlook

The decline from the 2007 high in the CAC 40 is in 5 waves and either wave 1 or 5 is extended. It seems more probably that wave 5 is the extended wave because if wave 1 were extended then wave 2 would be uncommonly small. Either way, the index is most likely headed significantly higher over the next several months. The target zone is the former 4th wave, which is 441-5142. The 61.8% is in the middle of this zone at 4754. Near term, staying above 3115 keeps the trend pointed up. Coming under there would lead to a deeper decline in what is probably a B wave.

Short-Term Technical Outlook

The French benchmark index looks to have broken below resistance-turned-support at 313490. Bearish momentum now looks to extend to test the 100-day moving average at 301610.

IBEX 35

Long-Term Technical Outlook

Same story with the IBEX 35. The rally from the low (6703) is corrective but has more room to run. Staying above 8829 keeps wave C headed higher towards 1137-1247. This zone is defined by the 50%-61.8% retracements of the decline from the 2007 high. Wave C would equal wave A near the lower end of this zone at 1159.

Short-Term Technical Outlook

The IBEX 35 reversed sharply lower on a re-test of broken support at the bottom of a rising channel. The bears now look to overcome the 14.6% Fibonacci retracement to expose the 23.6% level at 90279.

S&P/MIB

Long-Term Technical Outlook

The FTSE MIB (Milan) index took the same structure as the CAC 40 on the way down from its 2007 high. The index is currently testing the 200 day SMA, which should give way as the target zone for the index is not until 30062-34711 (former 4th wave….wave 5 is extended). Remaining above 18752 keeps the trend pointed higher. Coming below there would lead to a deeper decline (next support would be 17133) before the next leg up.

Short-Term Technical Outlook

Italian shares gapped below support at 18726.68, the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement level. From here the MIB targets the 38.2% Fib at 17504.66.