Help Wanted | May 21, 2021 | FFS

The week was all about inflation data, but have we inflated its importance?

Monday S&P 500 0.04% | NASDAQ 0.03%

Markets were little changed on the day. There was very little economic news out before the bell on Monday. The week will likely be sharply focused on Wednesday when we get the updated figures for March inflation. The report is expected to show an increase from February.

Tuesday S&P 500 0.14% | NASDAQ 0.32%

Small business sentiment slipped in March to the lowest level since January 2013! Even still, markets advanced ahead of inflation data on Wednesday. Growth stocks out-performed which signals that an increase of inflation data would likely not hamper growth stock leadership. This is important because the rate cuts expected later this year would favor growth stocks most.

Wednesday S&P 500 0.95% | NASDAQ 0.84%

Consumer Price Index (CPI) information showed that inflation has stopped cooling. A 0.1% reading was replaced with a 0.4% reading. The main culprits were transportation services, energy, and home services. The markets moved sharply lower, but likely on the Federal Reserve Board (FRB) minutes release, rather than on CPI data. FRB Minutes showed concerns that inflation was stagnating, endangering the likelihood of the FRB cutting rates later this year.

Thursday S&P 500 0.74% | NASDAQ 1.68%

Producer Price Index (PPI), which is a proxy for wholesale inflation rose less than expected. Initial jobless claims fell on the day supporting a strong job market. The weaker than expected inflation data led to a bounce back rally by markets. Little was changed about rate cut expectations moving forward however, given the FRB minutes from March.

Friday S&P 500 1.46% | NASDAQ 1.62%

Michigan Consumer Sentiment is projected to slip, but remains in the high 70’s. Financial firms got earnings season underway on Friday and they did not impress. The slide on Friday solidified a down week for equities. The Nasdaq led markets lower on the day, but its Thursday rebound mitigated losses for the week.

Conclusion S&P 500 1.56% | NASDAQ 0.45%

The week ended well into the red. The fall represented the worst week for the S&P 500 since January. In January the focus was on the markets accepting that the FRB may only cut rates three times this year. This time it is on the realization that perhaps the FRB may not cut rates at all. As of now investor expectations are that the FRB will cut rates one, maybe two times (September and December). The meeting in two weeks should provide more clarity. Even with this change to rate cut expectations, it will be interesting to see what action the FRB takes with Quantitative Tightening. If they do start to slow the selling bonds that should provide some relief.

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With a close eye on inflationary pressures, will the recovery continue as wanted or will they need help finding equilibrium?

Monday

Markets fell .25% on Monday as the week continued the losses from the prior week. The NASDAQ led the way lower as it has for the last couple of weeks. Although current housing statistics are lower, the NAHB housing index is holding steady at 83. Interest is there; however, material costs and a lack of inventory are stemming growth.

Tuesday

In a continued fall of market activity, the S&P 500 slid .85% Tuesday. The NASDAQ trailed the S&P 500 for a change during the fall. Both new housing starts and building permits fell in April. Lending to the pessimism about current economic conditions. This should yield a net gain as the reopening seems to be coming on slower than expected, quelling concerns about inflation.

Wednesday

The slide in market value this week continued with the S&P 500 falling .29% Wednesday. Again, the NASDAQ lagged the S&P 500 on the fall. Gold and interest rates gained on the day.

Thursday

In an attempt to stage a rebound on the week, the S&P 500 rose 1.06%. The NASDAQ led the way as the dollar weakened and concerns over inflation seemed to subside. Most of the recovery trade on the day related to initial jobless claims coming in at 444K. This is the lowest level since the start of the pandemic and the third week in a row under 500K.

Friday

The S&P 500 was little changed on Friday. Both manufacturing and services PMI information improved from the prior month. Manufacturing experienced a minor increase, while services jumped dramatically.

Conclusion

The markets as a whole continue to gauge price increases against worker production to alleviate supply shortages. The question has been whether reentry into open employment opportunities would keep pace with consumer demand. Figures show that there continues to be a slow movement back into the workforce. New housing starts fell which reflects a slower recovery in this area. Housing data eased major inflationary concerns following the spike in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures from April. The .43% fall for the week was not much, but enough to keep the recent trend of weekly losses continuing.