Written by Gary
U.S. stock index futures were lower this morning, after closing up for the second straight day, as investor optimism regarding a resolution of the Greek debt crisis faded.
Greek stocks led European markets lower Friday after the latest setback in the country’s financing talks. U.S. markets are expected to open lower.
Here is the current market situation from CNN Money | |
European markets are broadly lower today with shares in France off the most. The CAC 40 is down 1.19% while Germany’s DAX is off 1.10% and London’s FTSE 100 is lower by 0.62%. |
What Is Moving the Markets
Here are the headlines moving the markets. | |
May 2015 Producer Prices Year-over-Year Deflation DecreasesWritten by Steven Hansen The Producer Price Index year-over-year deflation continued – but was marginally less than last month. The intermediate processing continues to show a large deflation in the supply chain. | |
Exclusive: Euro zone formally discusses Greek default for first timeBRUSSELS (Reuters) – Senior EU officials have formally discussed for the first time a possible Greek debt default as negotiations between Athens and its creditors have stalled ahead of an end-month repayment deadline, several officials told Reuters. | |
Merkel urges Greece and creditors to keep pushing for deal ATHENS/BERLIN (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Greece and its creditors on Friday to keep pushing for a cash-for-reforms deal after negotiations hit stalemate, while Athens refused to back down and accused the IMF of using pressure tactics. | |
Pricing Gaps Suppress China’s Appetite for LuxuryExchange rate fluctuations have widened the gap between the prices of luxury goods in China and Europe. With growth in China slowing, that looks unsustainable | |
Greece Refuses To Blink; EU Says Noncompliance “Not An Option”Months of tense negotiations between Athens and creditors came to a head on Thursday when the IMF (which at this point is just going through the motions after telling the EU it would not participate in a third Greek program) sent its lead negotiators back to Washington. EU officials, who have long contended that without IMF participation there can be no solution for Greece, followed the Fund’s lead, stepping up the pressure on Athens and telling Greek PM Alexis Tsipras that his government has 24 hours to submit a proposal that includes pension reform and VAT hikes. To be clear, that’s tantamount to saying Tsipras has one day to abandon Syriza’s electoral mandate and will come as no surprise to those who frequent these pages, as we’ve said for months now that come hell, high water, or “Grimbo,” the EU is going to extract its pension cuts and VAT hikes from Tsipras, and not because anyone seriously thinks it will make a difference in terms of putting the country on a ‘sustainable’ path, but because the EU simply cannot afford for Syriza sympathizers in more economically consequential countries like Spain to get any ideas about rolling back austerity (of ‘fauxsterity’ as it were) and using EMU membership as a bargaining chip. Here’s a bit of color on the pension issue from Bloomberg:
| |
Frontrunning: June 12Razor-edge U.S. Congress vote to decide fate of Obama Pacific trade pact (Reuters) EU Readies for Default as Tsipras Drives Greek Finances to Brink (BBG) Greece Can’t Plan a Barbecue, Let Alone a Currency, Nielsen Says (BBG) IMF quits Greece talks amid ‘air of unreality’ as deal unravels (FT) Greece Counts Cost of One Man’s Gamble (BBG) Merkel urges Greece and creditors to keep pushing for deal (Reuters) Fearful ECB starts countdown on Greek funding lifeline (Reuters) Greek stocks suffer further pummelling (FT) Shares, euro numbed by Greek drama (Reuters) Pentagon again asks China to end island building, seeks more military contact ( | |
U.S. futures slip as Greece continues to weigh(Reuters) – U.S. stock index futures were lower on Friday, after closing up for the second straight day, as optimism regarding a resolution of the Greek debt crisis faded. | |
Mortgage Rates Top 4%Mortgage rates vaulted above 4% for the first time this year, posing a challenge to the housing market’s strengthening recovery. | |
Emerging Markets Suffer Largest Outflow Since 2008Global investors yanked $9.3 billion from stocks in developing countries over one week, the most since the 2008 financial crisis. | |
Markets Twist And Turn On Every Headline In The Endless Greek TragedyFor a sense of what is driving sentiment this morning look no further than the Athens stock market which exploded higher yesterday on a Bloomberg story based on “two sources” that Germany was willing to compromise, only to close just as the IMF pulled a classic bad cop and announced it was halting work on Greece, and before further news from Bild that Germany was preparing for a Greek default while Europe had given Greece 24 hours to submit a final, workable proposal. As a result, it tumbled promptly at the open even as optimism persists and since the opening plunge, Greek stocks have continued to climb and are now back to yesterday’s euphoric opening levels. Then there was Diesel-BOOM, who had the usual batch of headlines of which this one was key: GREECE REJECTING PROPOSALS `NOT AN OPTION’: DIJSSELBLOEM Which is ironic because Greece can say the same for the Troika’s reaction ot its own proposal. Germany’s economy minister was also in the spotlight: GREECE EURO EXIT WOULD BE ˜CATASTROPHE’: GERMANY’S GABRIEL But not before Merkel hit the tape saying that: STRONG EURO MAKES IT HARDER FOR SPAIN, PORTUGAL, IRELAND: MERKEL Which in turn sent the Euro tumbling, but only for another comment to send it surging: IMF HASN’T BROKEN OFF GREECE TALKS, JAEGER SAYS Needless to say, the algos have had a field day with the kneejerk reactions to all of the above. One thing is certain: by the end of trading stocks … | |
Palm Oil Prices Pumped Up by Policy Changes in Asia, U.S.Biodiesel policy changes in Malaysia, Indonesia and the U.S. support palm-oil prices, despite robust production and a stock overhang. | |
Bullish Uber plans to invest $1 billion in China in 2015SHANGHAI/BENGALARU (Reuters) – Ride-hailing service Uber Technologies Inc plans to invest more than $1 billion in China this year as the controversial ride-hailing app looks to rev up growth in the world’s second largest economy, an executive at the firm said on Friday. | |
Shares, euro numbed by Greek drama LONDON (Reuters) – World shares saw a muted end to what looks set to be their best week since April on Friday as Greek debt talks took yet another confusing turn and put European markets on the back foot. | |
Is Huffington Post Worth $1 Billion?There’s speculation that Huffington Post might fetch $1 billion in a sale, but that might be a case of mistaking activity for achievement, Dennis Berman writes. | |
Honda to restate earnings to reflect expanded air bag recallsTOKYO (Reuters) – Honda Motor Co said on Friday it would restate its financial results for the last business year, to account for about $360 million in additional costs to pay for an expanded recall of cars equipped with air bag parts made by Takata Corp . | |
Alstom to continue to defend GE deal with EUPARIS (Reuters) – French engineering group Alstom said on Friday it will continue to provide evidence on the positive impact for Europe of the planned sale of its power business to General Electric Co.. | |
Bond selloff a wild card that could delay Fed rate hikeNEW YORK (Reuters) – The sharp bond market selloff is starting to pinch American consumers and companies, causing a mild economic tightening that, if sustained, could raise alarms at the Federal Reserve and even delay a plan to hike interest rates in coming months. |
Earnings Summary for Today
leading Stock Positions
Current Commodity Prices
Commodities are powered by Investing.com
Current Currency Crosses
The Forex Quotes are powered by Investing.com.
To contact me with questions, comments or constructive criticism is always encouraged and appreciated: