31Jan2017 Pre-Market Commentary: Wall Street To Open Lower, Crude Prices Climbing, Feds Expected To Keep Interest Rates Unchanged, Employment Cost Index Fell, Some Analysts Calling For Falling Sky’s Ahead

Here is the current market situation from CNN Money

European markets are higher today with shares in London leading the region. The FTSE 100 is up 0.58% while France’s CAC 40 is up 0.27% and Germany’s DAX is up 0.19%.

Futures slip as investors fret over Trump’s policies

(Reuters) – U.S. stock index futures fell on Tuesday, the second straight day of decline, as investors focused on President Donald Trump’s policies that could prove detrimental to the markets.

Fed likely to keep rates steady as it awaits Trump economic plan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to keep interest rates unchanged on Wednesday in its first policy decision since President Donald Trump took office, as the central bank awaits greater clarity on his economic policies.

Elliott turns up CEO pressure blending activism with buyouts

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Eight days after Elliott Management disclosed a 7.6 percent stake in LifeLock Inc , managers of the more than $30 billion hedge fund met with executives at the consumer protection company.

Funds wary that higher U.S. stocks at risk of Trump disappointment

LONDON (Reuters) – Global investors raised their U.S. equity holdings to an 18-month high in January, betting fiscal stimulus from U.S. President Donald Trump will spur growth, but doubts are growing whether he can deliver as much as markets have priced in.

Trump to meet Novartis CEO, other pharma bosses on Tuesday

(Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump, who has accused drugmakers of “getting away with murder” on prices, will meet executives from the pharmaceutical industry at the White House on Tuesday.

Deutsche Bank fined for $10 billion sham Russian trades

NEW YORK/FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Deutsche Bank has agreed to pay $630 million in fines for organizing $10 billion in sham trades that could have been used to launder money out of Russia, the latest in a string of penalties that have hammered the German lender’s finances.

Trump order targeting business rules leaves key regulations untouched

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump signed an order on Monday that will seek to dramatically reduce federal regulations, but the policy will not apply to most of the financial reform rules introduced by the Obama administration.

McDonald’s to open at least 50 new restaurants in Russia in 2017

MOSCOW (Reuters) – McDonald’s plans to open more than 50 restaurants in Russia this year and hopes to sign more franchising deals to expand in existing and new regions, the local unit’s chief executive said on Tuesday.

Exclusive: Peanuts, home of Snoopy and Charlie Brown, up for sale – sources

(Reuters) – U.S. brand management company Iconix Brand Group Inc is exploring a sale of its majority stake in Peanuts Worldwide LLC, which owns the rights to cartoon strip characters Snoopy and Charlie Brown, according to people familiar with the matter.

Under Armor Crashes On Triple Whammy: Earnings Miss, Outlook Cut, CFO Out

Under Armor shares are down almost 30% in the pre-open, trading at their lowest in 3 years after a triple whammy disaster of an earnings announcement.

Top and Bottom Line miss:

*UNDER ARMOUR 4Q NET REV. $1.31B, EST. $1.41B

*UNDER ARMOUR 4Q EPS 23C, EST. 25C

Outlook slashed:

As Bloomberg notes, Under Amour — which has doubled its sales about every three years — is now having a hard time maintaining that rapid growth.

Sales this year will increase as much as 12 percent to nearly $5.4 billion, the Baltimore-based company said in a statement Tuesday. That trailed analysts’ $6.05 billion average estimate and would be Under Armour’s smallest annual gain since it went public in 2005.

“Numerous challenges and disruptions in North American retail tempered our fourth quarter results,” UAA CEO Kevin Plank said in release.

And C-Suite shake-up:

CFO Chip Molloy will leave for personal reasons; SVP, Corporate Finance David Bergman will serve as acting CFO

The result… almost 30% collapse…

to 3-year lows…

Trump Mocks Pelosi And “Fake Tears Chuck Schumer” Protest As A “Mess – Just Like Dem Party”

Last night, Nancy Pelosi and “Fake Tears Chuck Schumer” held a protest at the Supreme Court over Trump’s recent immigration ban which has sparked mass protests around the country and ultimately led to the firing of the acting Attorney General Sally Yates last night.

Unfortunately, there were some logistical issues with the protest which Trump has seized upon this morning via Twitter:

Nancy Pelosi and Fake Tears Chuck Schumer held a rally at the steps of The Supreme Court and mic did not work (a mess)-just like Dem party!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 31, 2017

And here is the trainwreck in slow motion for your viewing pleasure:

Pelosi: “Is someone going to deal with this? Look at that moon. Introduce the real people now…I’ll do the real people now.”

Once the mics started working, Pelosi told protesters that she was happy to stand in defiance of a President that “undermines our values and is not in support of the oath of office that we take, to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Per CNN:

“I’m very proud to stand her with members of the House Democratic Caucus, soon to be join …

Silver, Platinum and Palladium Bullion As Safe Havens – Reassessing Their Role

Precious Metals As Safe Havens – Reassessing Their Role

New research confirms that not just gold but also the other precious metals – silver, platinum and palladium bullion – act as safe havens, especially from ‘Economic Policy Uncertainty.’ This is something that is particularly prevalent today due to the ‘Hard Brexit’ impact on the UK and the Eurozone, risk of trade wars and heightened financial and geopolitical risk under the Trump Presidency.

In their just released paper, Reassessing the Role of Precious Metals As Safe Havens – What Colour Is Your Haven and Why?, Dr Brian Lucey and Sile Li, of Trinity College Dublin and Trinity Business School, examine the “safe haven properties versus equities and bonds of four precious metals (gold, silver, platinum and palladium) across eleven countries.”

Deutsche Bank’s Russia Settlements Help But Don’t Heal

The German lender is paying less than feared to U.S. and U.K. regulators.

Why Executives Are Speaking Out on Travel Ban and Why More Might Follow

President Trump’s immigration order has mostly drawn criticism from companies with employees directly affected, but others may join them as they see international reputations threatened.

Apple’s Secret, but Very Large, Profit Center

Apple’s services unit bears watching in Tuesday’s earnings report as the tech giant looks for new ways to boost margins and maintain growth.

Metals Stocks: Gold pitches up, on track for best monthly gain since June

Gold futures gains Tuesday, adding to what’s shaping up to be the yellow metal’s best monthly performance since June, as stocks waver and the dollar experiences a late-month stall.

Your Digital Self: Advice for President Trump: How to use your smartphone

Jurica Dujmović chides U.S. politicians for failing to follow security directives, and offers advice for them and the rest of us.

Avi Gilburt: Stocks have confounded expectations, so I’m predicting more gains for 2017

The S&P 500 looks like it will top 2,500 this year.