Stocks Are Boring; Alcoa Shows Why; Europe Punts

On a midsummer's day upon which the biggest news was awaiting the second quarter earnings report from ALCOA, after he closing bell, stocks simply drifted below the break-even line in a tight range throughout the session.

With earnings season at hand, one would normally expect more excitement, but, alas, all is not well with what used to be known as the perfect discounting mechanism, i.e., the Wall Street stock exchanges.

Like it or not, continued central bank intervention on the grandest of scales ever witnessed has done nothing to revitalize global industry. The world has been in a funk for at least the past four years - since the epochal events of fall, 2008 - banks are all insolvent zombies and a global slowdown is coming at a time when monetary authorities are at their weakest, with zero to near-zero base interest rates the norm, bloated central bank balance sheets, full of faulty debt instruments nobody else wants to own, and sovereign debt exploding everywhere.

The world is full of debt and overcapacity, yet those in charge, scared to death as they may be, relent whenever an adult solution - like actually writing down bad debts - is needed and instead pass the hat to neighboring countries, the next central banker or the IMF, which, incidentally, is funded by the same over-indebted nations that borrow from it.

In the corporate sector, the slowdown can be seen everywhere, but especially tantalizing was Alcoa's (AA) second quarter, in which the company posted a loss.

Of all the goofy headlines designed to make people think everything is OK, the only one to get it right was the AP, which blared, Alcoa Inc. posts 2Q net loss in slowing economy.

Aluminum manufacturer Alcoa Inc. says it lost $2 million in the second-quarter as revenue dropped due to weaker prices and pockets of declining demand in the slowing global economy.

Alcoa on Monday posted break-even earnings per share for the April-through-June quarter. That compares with net income of $322 million, or 28 cents a share, a year ago.

Revenue fell 9 percent to $5.96 billion.

The world's largest producer of aluminum has been squeezed into a condition in which it can no longer shed employees to save money, command a profitable price for its products due largely to over-supply, and thus, limps into the second half of the year off a loss with prospects for growth jaded, at best.

If Alcoa is any kind of bellwether, and, as a standing member of the Dow 30, it should be, the prospects for a robust earnings season have just been significantly reduced, maybe obliterated.

Companies can only do so much in stagnant or imploding economies, which is what the global condition is today, and just breaking even (or, taking a small loss) is probably considerably better than some of the companies to follow will do.

It's a very tough environment - one in which large firms have limited pricing power and smaller firms can't find financing. That's oversimplifying matters to a large degree, but there will be fire sales, clear misses and break evens on lowered expectations this quarter and going forward, unless and until central banks take their foot off the accelerator of the money-printing press.

Early signs of total collapse came from Europe today, where the ESM (European Stability Mechanism) - a permanent funding source of 500 billion Euros - was to be established, but was delayed amid growing discontent among participants, and the nagging need for the fund to not only bail out nations, but also the banks of those nations, without any preconditions.

The delay, just 10 days after a euphoric european summit ended with apparent agreement, sent Spanish bonds soaring over seven percent and confusion reigning supreme in the Eurozone.

This clip from CNBC, featuring two of the most vocal critics of centralized economic planning, central bank intervention and bailouts, Rick Santelli and Nigel Farage tells the story of the growing discontent perfectly well.

Dow 12,736.29, -36.18 (0.28%) NASDAQ 2,931.77, -5.56 (0.19%) S&P 500 1,352.46, -2.22 (0.16%) NYSE Composite 7,736.22, -20.40 (0.26%) NASDAQ Volume 1,358,825,380 NYSE Volume 2,810,960,750 Combined NYSE & NASDAQ Advance - Decline: 2427-3155 Combined NYSE & NASDAQ New highs - New lows: 293-51 WTI crude oil: 85.99, +1.54 Gold: 1,589.10, +10.20 Silver: 27.44, +0.52

Poor Jobs Report Sends Stocks Reeling

The recovery that wasn't continues to glide along on a path to... somewhere, but probably, for most Americans, nowhere.

It's not like conditions are horrifying for most people, but standards of living are slipping overall, there are still 20 million of so Americans unemployed or underemployed, but the food stamps and welfare checks keep coming like clockwork, so what's the worry?

After this morning's dismal non-farm payroll report showed a net gain of 80,000 jobs - not enough to keep up with the growing labor force (which, recently, according to government statistics - lies, mostly - is shrinking) - stocks set out on a course to the serious downside, where they belong, but, after some thought, investors, or suckers, if you will, dove back in and brought the major indices back to more respectable levels.

The Dow had been down as much as 193 points, the S&P off by 19 and the NASDAQ down 55 before the afternoon crowd came in and hoisted the averages upwards, beginning just after 2:00 pm EDT in a very thinly-traded market.

Bankers and hedgies must be a lot like most people - or sheeple - in that they are so shallow and superficial as to believe that today's sharp decline and manufactured rally will convince anyone with a brain that the miasma of the debt clutch, high unemployment and Europe's special set of problems are not deeper, more profound and long-lasting than the suck-up media would have us believe.

Following last Friday's melt-up on Europe's latest "solution" stocks have clambered about a bit, and, as of today have given back only about a third of those ill-gotten gains. There's a growing apprehension that the lofty levels of equities and insistence by central bankers to keep printing more worthless fiat is going to cause a bust bigger than anyone wants to imagine. However, given that the current scheme of low to even negative interest rates - as Denmark posted just yesterday - has thus far kept the wolf from the door for nearly four years, central bank and government can-kicking may just be able to sustain itself for another two, three or four years.

Of course, there's always the possibility that something could go horribly wrong, like having most of the major global banking firms under investigation for rigging key rates, as is the current case concerning the libor, or that Italians might just give up on the technocratic form of governance that strips away wealth a little bit at a time and decide to go back to an agrarian lifestyle, an epochal event that would surely shatter the Euro for good, but, until such an event or "black swan," the global ponzi of the central bankers and their lieutenants within the banking cartel should continue without much interruption.

One has only to look around a bit, at places like Stockton, California, which recently filed for bankruptcy, or the new Section 8 neighbors in your formerly pristine, peaceful suburb or the dependency of old-timers, poor people and previously middle class folks on government programs to get a feeling that all is not well.

It's a depressing thought to think that our elected leaders and captains of industry have colluded against the best interests of the citizenry, but, that's what seems to have taken place over the past decade or so, or, at least it's become more out in the open during that time.

There aren't many good solutions to global economic crises, and he central bankers of the world have thrown everything, including the kitchen sink, at this one, to little avail. The day is approaching when all of the economists, bankers, politicians and CEOs are proven to be charlatans, their proposals and ideas completely wrong. That day will come; the trick is to know the exact date.

Until then, free houses for everyone!

Dow 12,772.47, -124.20 (0.96%)
NASDAQ 2,937.33, -38.79 (1.30%)
S&P 500 1,354.68, -12.90 (0.94%)
NYSE Composite 7,756.61, -81.17 (1.04)
NASDAQ Volume 1,419,548,625
NYSE Volume 2,650,810,250
Combined NYSE & NASDAQ Advance - Decline: 1708-3841
Combined NYSE & NASDAQ New highs - New lows: 225-36
WTI crude oil: 84.45, -2.77
Gold: 1,578.90, -30.50
Silver: 26.92, -0.75

Trepidacious Trading in Uncertain market Environment

On a day in which most of the economic news was positive - or, could have been considered in that regard - the palpable fear that engulfed Wall Street was nothing short of astonishing.

Even though the People's Bank of China (PBOC) cut interest rates, along with the ECB, and the Bank of England announced a boost in their own version of quantitative easing, adding 50 billion pounds to their asset purchase program, stocks could not get out of their own way throughout a tense, thinly-traded, anxious session.

US data was mixed. The ADP private employment index registered a gain of 179,000 jobs in June, blowing away estimates of a gain of 105,000, but ISM Services declined from 53.7 in May to 52.1 in June, the lowest reading since January of 2010.

Must of the angst appears focused on Friday's non-farm payroll report from the BLS, which is expected to show job growth in June for the US of 100,000 net new jobs. Following May's poor showing of a mere 69,000 new jobs, investors were rightly skeptical of the ADP number, which last month showed a gain of 136,000 jobs, so the consensus is that ADP's figures are skewed to the upside by 50,000, at a minimum.

With the major indices trading at, or close to, their highest levels since the end of May, investors exercised caution ahead of tomorrow's potentially-volatile non-farm payroll number.

The odd occurrence of stocks actually slumping when central banks cut interest rates or offer looser standards is confounding and possibly a signal that the current short-term rally is close to completion. Stocks are trading at levels closer to the highs seen at the beginning of May than the lows experienced at the end of May.

Also adding to the general state of confusion is the advent of second quarter earnings, which will begin to come to market next week. There may be some thinking that this earnings season will not be as robust as prior ones, even though estimates have been lowered for many firms.

There's also the nagging feeling that nothing is really solved in Europe and in America, no meaningful legislative action will be taken with the presidential and congressional elections taking place within four months.

The market is very uneasy at present, and yesterday's - and today's - extreme reading of new highs to new lows may have signaled to some an interim market top.

Of course, everything hinges on tomorrow's jobs' data, which will be released prior to the opening bell, at 8:30 am EDT.

Dow 12,896.67, -47.15 (0.36%)
NASDAQ 2,976.12, +0.04 (0.00%)
S&P 500 1,367.58, -6.44 (0.47%)
NYSE Composite 7,838.39, -63.27 (0.80%)
NASDAQ Volume 1,326,294,125
NYSE Volume 2,925,787,750
Combined NYSE & NASDAQ Advance - Decline: 2494-3070
Combined NYSE & NASDAQ New highs - New lows: 385-22
WTI crude oil: 87.22, -0.44
Gold: 1,609.40, -12.40
Silver: 27.67, -0.61

Short Session, Big Gains

In Tuesday's shortened session, since there was no negative news coming out of Europe and no US data upon which to trade, stocks took the path of least resistance and bolted to the upside, scoring unusually large gains in the 3 1/2 hour session.

Topping the news was the resignation of Barclay's chief executive, Bob Diamond, who has been embroiled for the past week in a scandal involving rigging of the Libor during the financial crisis in 2008.

Diamond, who previously said he would not step down, is at the center of a growing maelstrom which could reportedly involve 12 major banking firms also involved in the rate-rigging scheme.

Also revealed today was news that the Bank of England might have been encouraging Barclay's and others to maneuver the Libor to keep financial firms and the global economy from disintegrating at the height of the crisis.

The British parliament plans to open an inquiry into the matter, which will convene tomorrow, July 4.

One piece of economic data that was released was Factory Orders, which recorded a rise of 0.7% in May.

Auto sales for June were also announced by a number of car makers. Chrysler reported a 20% increase in sales from a year ago. Ford had a 7% increase, while sales of General Motors' vehicles rose 16%.

While down from the pace of May, June's numbers were enough to bolster confidence in stocks overall.

Dow 12,943.82, +72.43 (0.56%)
NASDAQ 2,976.08, +24.85 (0.84%)
S&P 500 1,374.02, +8.51 (0.62%)
NYSE Composite 7,901.59, +69.36 (0.89%)
NASDAQ Volume 976,336,625
NYSE Volume 2,067,057,875
Combined NYSE & NASDAQ Advance - Decline: 4176-1290
Combined NYSE & NASDAQ New highs - New lows: 482-22 (extreme)
WTI crude oil: 87.16, +3.41
Gold: 1,621.80, +24.10
Silver: 28.28, +0.78

Limited Follow-Through After Friday's Euro-fed Bazooka Gains

Like night follows day, Monday's trading followed on the heels of Friday's great Eurozone "we fixed it, again" ramp-job; the pseudo-rally on vapors of Germany "backing down" from imposing terms and conditions on bailout money was an enormous sham, a dickering of the markets which, without doubt will be eaten alive by the short-sellers, profit-takers and high frequency traders in due time.

The retrenchment did not begin at the first possible moment, with the start of trading for the week at Monday morning's opening bell, but, with the 10:00 am EDT release of the latest ISM Index showing a massive decline, from 53.3 in May to 49.7 in June, signifying slight, but actual, contraction, stocks quickly tumbled to what turned out to be the lows of the day.

With extremely light volume, all of the major indices kept to within a very narrow range, with the NYSE Composite and NASDAQ turning positive for much of the session, eventually being joined by the S&P 500 late in the day.

Of course, the markets being what they are, no bad news - such as the ISM report - is taken without swift contrary action via the HFTs, plus this week is shortened by the odd Wednesday holiday, the 4th of July being Independence Day, and the big nugget out there comes Friday, with June's non-farm payroll report, expected to show US job gains of 90,000.

By the end of the day, the only major index not showing a gain was the Dow, though its losses were marginal. Volume was excepted to be low, and it was probably less than expected. All in all, the day was very uneventful trading-wise, though those with a keen eye for data surely did not miss the fact that the ISM numbe was under 50 - signaling contraction - for the first time in three years, and that is, in itself, notable.

However, in what can be called the most perverse trade of the day, the ISM news was so bad that the most cynical traders see it as impetus for more easing by the Federal Reserve, and we all know what that means: No, not free houses for everybody, free money for BANKERS! and, if that's not just the best news of the day, what is?

On a note unrelated to to the day's trading action and other miscellaneous items of high finance, Henry Blodget at The Daily Ticker has a neat summary of what the Obamacare tax is going to cost Americans.

Dow 12,871.39, -8.70 (0.07%)
NASDAQ 2,951.23, +16.18 (0.55%)
S&P 500 1,365.51, +3.35 (0.25%)
NYSE Composite 7,825.02, +23.18 (0.30%)
NASDAQ Volume 1,708,509,750
NYSE Volume 3,267,654,000
Combined NYSE & NASDAQ Advance - Decline: 3768-1838
Combined NYSE & NASDAQ New highs - New lows: 414-32
WTI crude oil: 83.75, -1.21
Gold: 1,597.70, -6.50
Silver: 27.50, -0.11