By Chris Matthews and William Watts, MarketWatch
JP Morgan shares jump after posting record revenue
Stock-index futures point to a slightly higher start for Wall
Street Tuesday as the corporate earnings reporting season gets
fully under way for the third quarter and investors weigh the
implications of a partial U.S.-China trade deal
How are the major benchmarks faring?
Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 78 points, or
0.3%, to 26,813, while S&P 500 futures gained 9.25 points, or
0.3%, to 2,974.75. Nasdaq-100 futures rose 22.5 points, or 0.3%, to
7,880.
The Dow edged 29.23 points lower on Monday to end at 26,787.36,
a loss of 0.1%. The S&P 500 closed 4.12 points lower, down
0.1%, at 2,966.15, while the Nasaq Composite lost 8.39 points, or
0.1%, to finish at 8,048.65.
Read:5 prominent U.S. companies are most at fault for the
earnings recession
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/5-prominent-us-companies-are-most-at-fault-for-the-earnings-recession-2019-10-14)
What's driving the market?
Third-quarter earnings season kicked off Tuesday morning with
the release of a series of earnings reports from the nation's
largest banks reflecting a relatively healthy U.S. consumer and a
more wary business sector.
Shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) were higher in
premarket action after reporting revenue and earnings
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/jp-morgan-chase-beats-profit-and-revenue-expectations-stock-rallies-2019-10-15)
that rose more than expected on the back of its consumer banking
division, while Wells Fargo & Co.(WFC) reported a surprise
increase in revenue, though its third-quarter profits fell more
than expected.
Citigroup Inc.(C) shares rose before the start of trade on
better-than expected increases in third-quarter profit and sales,
but Goldman Sachs Group Inc.(GS)(GS) reported a steep 26% decline
in profit from the year ago period, reflecting weakness in the
mergers and acquisitions market and debt and equity
underwriting.
"It's a better time to be a traditional, consumer-facing bank
than more of an institutional or trading bank," Stephen Biggar,
director of financial institution research at Argus Research told
MarketWatch. "Underwriting and financial advisory were weak spots
[in the third quarter], but the consumer is by and large
steady-as-she -goes," he added.
However, S&P 500 index company earnings are expected to fall
4.6% in the third quarter, according to Factset. This would be the
first time that index company earnings have fallen for three
straight quarters since the fourth of quarter of 2015 through the
second quarter 2016, Factset analyst John Butters said.
Earnings forecasts focused on headwinds from the global economic
growth slowdown and international trade policy uncertainty, with
profit margins seen under pressure. However, corporate buybacks are
again seen supporting earnings per share.
Check out:Banks look to put earnings recession in revers, but
aren't expected to succeed ()
Enthusiasm over a U.S.-China trade deal boosted stocks at the
end of last week, but analysts said a lack of detail around planned
tariff increases and other elements damped enthusiasm, leaving
stocks to drift lower on Monday.
"The latest twist in the U.S.-China trade conflict is yet
another reminder to investors not to get caught up in the hype,"
said Han Tan, market analyst at FXTM, in a note. "Trying to bridge
the conflicting interests between the world's two largest economies
is a gargantuan task; an undertaking that has already proven to be
protracted and complicated."
Speaking with reporters in London, St. Louis Fed President James
Bullard said investors might be too optimistic about how long it
takes to reach trade deals
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/bullard-says-pandoras-box-has-been-opened-on-trade-that-will-take-a-long-time-to-resolve-2019-10-15).
He also emphasized that data on consumption, while strong, was
"backwards looking" and said that was why he has been "emphasizing
these downside risks and also emphasizing pre-emptive types of
action to stay out of recession."
Bullard dissented last month
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/feds-bullard-dissent-was-due-in-part-to-worries-about-slowing-economy-2019-09-20)
from the Federal Reserve's decision to cut interest rates by a
quarter point, calling instead for half-point decrease.
In its World Economic Outlook, published Tuesday
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/imf-sees-global-economic-growth-falling-to-3-this-year-slowest-pace-since-2008-financial-crisis-2019-10-15),
the IMF sees global economic growth falling to 3% this year,
slowest pace since 2008 financial crisis.
Which stocks are in focus?
Shares of Dow component UnitedHealthGroup Inc.(UNH) jumped in
premarket trade after earnings and revenue came in above
expectations
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/unitedhealths-stock-jumps-after-earnings-rise-above-expectations-and-guidance-raised-2019-10-15)
and after the health-care services company raised its full-year
outlook.
Fellow Dow constituent Johnson & Johnson(JNJ) reported
earnings and revenue that rose more than Wall Street estimates
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/johnson-johnson-shares-rise-after-earnings-beat-estimates-company-raises-guidance-2019-10-15),
while the company raised its full-year guidance. The company's
stock rose 1.9% in premarket action.
Shares of BlackRock Inc.(BLK) were on the rise before the start
of trade Tuesday after reporting a smaller-than-expected fall
(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/blackrock-profit-slips-8-in-q3-2019-10-15)
in profit.
How are other markets trading?
The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note fell to 1.696% from
1.748% late Friday. Bond markets were closed Monday for the
Columbus Day holiday.
In commodities markets the price of crude oil fell about 21
cents to $53.40 on the New York Mercantile Exchange and gold
futures ticked down 50 cents to $1497.10 on Comex.
In Asia overnight, stocks trade mixed with Japan's Nikkei rising
1.9%, the China CSI 300 falling 0.4% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng
index falling 0.1%. In Europe, stocks were mostly higher, as the
Stoxx Europe 600 added 0.4%.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
October 15, 2019 09:05 ET (13:05 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.