OVERNIGHT MARKETS AND NEWS
March E-mini S&Ps (ESH15 +0.25%) this morning are up +0.38% as energy producers and oil service providers gained in pre-market trading after crude oil jumped to a 2-week high, while European stocks are down -0.12%, led by a plunge in Spanish bank stocks, on concern Spain may try to follow Greece in attempting to renegotiate the country’s debt. The leader of Spain’s anti-austerity party, Podemos, pledged to restructure Spain’s debt if his party can convert its opinion-poll lead into victory in elections later this year. Asian stocks closed mixed: Japan -0.66%, Hong Kong -0.09%, China -2.34%, Taiwan +0.27%, Australia +0.66%, Singapore +0.95%, South Korea +0.29%, India -0.21%. China’s Shanghai Stock Index fell to a 1-1/2 week low after a gauge of Chinese manufacturing signaled contraction for the first time in over two years. Commodity prices are mostly higher. Mar crude oil (CLH15 +0.58%) is up +3.11% at a 2-week high and Mar gasoline (RBH15 +2.84%) is up +5.00% at a 1-month high after a strike by oil workers in refineries that account for 10% of U.S. refining capacity enters its second day. Feb gold (GCG15 -0.24%) is down -0.24%. Mar copper (HGH15 +0.12%) is up +0.80%. Agriculture prices are higher. The dollar index (DXY00 -0.07%) is down -0.12%. EUR/USD (^EURUSD) is up +0.25%. USD/JPY (^USDJPY) is up +0.14%. Mar T-note prices (ZNH15 -0.02%) are down -0.5 of a tick.
The China Jan manufacturing PMI unexpectedly fell -0.3 to 49.8, weaker than expectations of +0.1 to 50.2 and the first time manufacturing activity has contracted in 28 months. The Jan non-manufacturing PMI fell -0.4 to 53.7, the slowest pace of expansion in a year.
The German Jan Markit/BME manufacturing PMI was revised downward to 50.9 from the originally reported 51.0.
UK Jan Markit manufacturing PMI rose +0.5 from an upward revised 52.7 in Dec to 53.0, better than expectations of +0.2 to 52.7.
Japan Jan vehicle sales fell -18.9% y/y, the biggest decline in 3-1/3 years and the sixth consecutive month sales have fallen.
