Traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, July 12, 2022.
Source: NYSE
US stock futures changed little on Sunday night after a broad rally last week that pushed the S&P 500 to its best week since March, and its highest level since last August.
Futures contracts linked to the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 6 points, or 0.02%. S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 futures hovered below the flat line.
On Friday, stocks ended the week higher after the strong jobs data for May. The Dow Jones index jumped 701.19 points, or 2.12%, in its best day since January, to end the week at 33,762.76 points. The S&P 500 rose 1.45% to 4,282.37, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 1.07% to 13,240.77, marking its sixth consecutive weekly advance.
Over the weekend, President Joe Biden signed a debt ceiling bill into law, averting a potentially catastrophic deficit by the US government.
Investor sentiment was high on Friday after the explosion in non-farm payroll growth in May reported by the Labor Department. Public and private sector payrolls increased by 339,000 in May, compared to a Dow Jones estimate of 190,000, average hourly earnings rose at an annualized rate of 4.3%, slightly less than economists expected, and the average workweek fell slightly. The report eased concerns about an impending recession.
“Although a number of leading indicators point to a recession imminently rising, continued strength in the labor market and stubborn levels of personal consumption are propelling the headway into the future,” said Mace McCain, chief investment officer at Frost Investment Advisors.
“We don’t think the economy can slip into recession until employment weakens materially,” he added. “The unemployment rate has increased with every decrease in employment going back to the 1950s [has] Did not happen after this cycle. This trend may continue, thus delaying the recession.”
More than that, investors are focused on what has so far proven to be a narrow stock market rally in 2023, led by the handful of technology stocks that have been carrying the rest of the market, and whether there could be a correction in the medium term if breadth does not improve.
“The big question is whether the breadth of the range can continue to improve, which could breathe new life into what was a very narrow rally,” Young Yu Ma, senior investment analyst at BMO, told CNBC.
He added, “Recent developments in the banking sector are also encouraging, and frequent signals of labor market strength reduce negative risk outcomes. Monday’s services PMI and factory orders numbers could help reinforce the positive narrative.”
On Friday, the S&P 1500 regional banking index rose 5.5% and the Russell 2000 index of small-cap stocks rose 3.6%, both of which far outperformed the 1.5% gain in the S&P 500. Nearly six stocks advanced on the NYSE for every share that fell. .
Meanwhile, after a intense month of first-quarter earnings, the agenda is much lighter next week. Investors will take a look at food prices and demand from JM Smucker, Campbell Soup and United Natural Foods. Stitch Fix, Signet Jewelers, and DocuSign are also slated to report findings.
In economic data, traders will have May PMI data from both the Institute for Supply Management and S&P Global on Monday, as well as April Factory Orders and Durable Goods. On Wednesday, the Mortgage Bankers Association will release its latest data on home loan applications.
“Infuriatingly humble alcohol fanatic. Unapologetic beer practitioner. Analyst.”