OVERNIGHT MARKETS AND NEWS
June E-mini S&Ps (ESM15 +0.23%) this morning are little changed, down -0.06% ahead of U.S. economic data on May ISM manufacturing and Apr personal spending that are expected to show a pickup in growth. European stocks are up +0.02& as they hover just above a 2-week low. Gains in European stocks were limited as Greece’s debt payment deadlines draw closer amid a standoff with creditors. Asian stocks closed mixed: Japan +0.03%, Hong Kong +0.63%, China +4.71%, Taiwan -0.78%, Australia -0.72%, Singapore closed for holiday, South Korea -0.63%, India +0.07%. Chinese stocks closed sharply higher after a gauge of Chinese manufacturing activity expanded or a third month. Another positive for Chinese stocks was a report from people familiar with the situation that China was considering doubling the size of a local bond-swap program to 1 trillion yuan ($81 billion) from 500 billion yuan that would be authorized to swap bonds issued by provinces and cities in an attempt to clean up local government finances. The bond-swap program includes inducements for banks to buy new, longer-maturity bonds that may alleviate a funding crunch among Chinese provinces that had threatened to deepen China’s economic slowdown.
Commodity prices are mostly lower. Jul crude oil (CLN15 -1.19%) is down -1.04% and Jul gasoline (RBN15 -0.67%) is down -0.61. Metals prices are weaker. Aug gold (GCQ15 -0.26%) is down -0.31% and Jul copper (HGN15 -0.38%) is down -0.24%. Agricultural prices are lower.
The dollar index (DXY00 +0.44%) is up +0.46%. EUR/USD (^EURUSD) is down -0.56%. USD/JPY (^USDJPY) is down -0.07%.
Sep T-note prices (ZNU15 -0.24%) are down -8 ticks.
Speaking at an event in Beijing, San Francisco Fed President John Williams said the U.S. economy is “basically in a good place,” and he doesn’t worry about a strong dollar weakening U.S. growth. He added that long-term interest rates are expected to rise and to be more normal in the next few years.
