The Overnight Report: Encore

This story features ARISTOCRAT LEISURE LIMITED. For more info SHARE ANALYSIS: ALL

By Greg Peel

The Dow closed up 145 points or 0.8% while the S&P rose 0.7% to 2090 and the Nasdaq gained 0.7%.

Green on Screen

After two wavering and nervous-looking sessions for the ASX200 on Monday and Tuesday, yesterday saw a return to the type of buying we saw last Friday – index wide. Thanks to a sudden return to exuberance in Europe and on Wall Street, Australia joined in the risk-on flurry.

As oil prices push up towards the 50 mark, energy led the charge with a 2.7% gain. At the other end of the scale, the defensives of utilities and consumer staples dragged the chain somewhat, only managing gains of around half a percent. Every other sector posted uniform gains of around 1.5%, and thus so did the ASX200 by the close.

There was a slight fade at the end – the index almost raised its bat to the crowd around lunchtime before settling up 76 – but otherwise yesterday’s “rally” mimicked that on Wall Street in being a step-jump from the opening bell and thus not much of a “rally” per se.

However while Wall Street traders were suggesting on Tuesday night it was all about a short squeeze and little else, Australia’s level of short positions are as low as they’ve been for a long time. And shorts in the Big Caps are minimal. Thus we can’t call yesterday a short squeeze downunder. We may, nevertheless, call it jumping on the bandwagon.

The volume of construction work in Australia declined by 2.6% in the March quarter, yesterday’s data revealed – worse than the 1.5% decline forecast. Engineering construction fell 4.2% to be down 13.7% year on year, balanced by a rise in residential construction of 1.5%, up 5.7% year on year. The housing boom is not finding the support elsewhere to overcome rapidly declining resource sector investment. The Australian economy is struggling in its transition.

Not that anyone cared yesterday. And besides, Glenn’s got our backs.

The construction data feed into today’s more influential capex numbers. Could they take the wind out of the sails?

Same Again

On Tuesday night global markets were encouraged by easing Brexit fears. We recall that the tag “Brexit” had its origins in something we all used to worry sick about in previous years – a possible “Grexit”.

Last night eurozone finance ministers agreed to release E10.3bn of bail-out funds to the still-struggling member, despite Germany’s opposition, two days after the Greek parliament voted to enact a further round of spending cuts and tax increases. The ministers also agreed to offer Greece further relief in 2018 if required.

While not in the class of a Brexit in terms of possible global turmoil, staving off renewed Grexit fears is still a mild positive for the risk-on players. And we won’t have to all go on and on about it again.

Otherwise another day of rallying on Wall Street was simply a follow-on from Tuesday. And while volumes were a little better last night than the night before, they still weren’t the stuff of buyer conviction. Again traders declared the rally to be driven by little more than short-covering, and advised their clients to sell into to it.

Last night’s monthly trade data released in the US showed an increase in both exports and imports, further fuelling a sudden belief the US economy is actually doing pretty well. Positive data continue to feed into June rate hike expectations, and thus into strength in the US financial sector. Tonight all eyes will be on durable goods. Another gain for oil prices, almost to the 50 mark, also helped drive a second session of market gains.

On Monday night, Wall Street barely moved, uncertain as to what might transpire with the UK and with Fed policy. Since then, the Dow is up 358 points.

Commodities

West Texas crude is up US63c at US$49.74/bbl and Brent is up US77c at US$49.90/bbl.

Aside from playing off supply numbers, oil is looking at stronger US data as a positive sign. The trade-off is a stronger US dollar a Fed rate rise implies. Base metal markets should also see stronger data as a positive, but are more fearful of the greenback at present and unsure over demand-supply, given China is yet to show any real rebound.

The US dollar index has slipped 0.2% to 95.40 but aluminium, lead and nickel are down 0.5-1.5%. Copper is up a percent.

Iron ore fell US20c to US$50.00/t.

Stability in the greenback means gold has also stabilised at US$1224.00/oz.

The Aussie is 0.2% higher at US$0.7199.

Today

The SPI Overnight closed up 34 points or 0.6%.

If accurate, that would take the ASX200 over the 5400 mark. The question is as to whether we will see profit-takers come in at that level, or whether a breach will bring in fresh buying.

As noted, the US sees durable goods data tonight but before that, the local release of March quarter private capex and capex intentions numbers today will be very closely watched by the RBA.

Aristocrat Leisure ((ALL)) will post its earnings result today.

Rudi will make his weekly appearance on Sky Business, 12.30-2.30pm and tonight he shall entertain a small group of subscribers who signed up for the Sydney "An Evening With Rudi" event.
 

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