Wall Street rises on trade hopes, chip stocks at record highs - Investing.com

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange shortly after the opening bell in New York

By Sruthi Shankar

(Reuters) - New York's main stock indexes rose on Wednesday, extending a strong start to the quarter as a rally in chipmakers added to optimism over trade talks between the United States and China.

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Tuesday that the two countries "expect to make more headway" in trade talks this week, leading to hopes of a resolution to their months-long trade war.

"The trade talks supposedly getting closer to an agreement, are definitely giving a positive lift to Asian and U.S. markets," said Robert Pavlik, chief investment strategist and senior portfolio manager at SlateStone Wealth LLC in New York.

"The market believes that's a good sign and it will be carried throughout the rest of the day."

Chipmakers, which get a large part of their revenue from China, boosted the main U.S. indexes. Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:) Inc jumped 9.1%, becoming the top gainer on the . Micron Technology Inc (NASDAQ:) gained 4.5% and Intel Corp (NASDAQ:) rose 1.9%.

Nomura Instinet started coverage of AMD and Intel with "buy" ratings, according to a report, and the brokerage expects a rebound in chip sales from 2020 to 2025 after a 10% decline this year.

The Philadelphia Semiconductor index rose 2.3% to hit a record high, adding to its 24% gain this year on hopes of a trade deal and recovering global demand for chips.

Global growth slowdown fears receded after a report which showed China's services sector rose to a 14-month high in March, following upbeat manufacturing data from China and the United States earlier in the week.

Stocks gave up some gains after the Institute for Supply Management came out with its March U.S. services sector PMI, which was below estimates, and was at its lowest since August 2017.

Earlier, the ADP (NASDAQ:) National Employment Report showed U.S. private employers added 129,000 jobs in March, below economists' estimates.

At 10:14 a.m. ET, the was up 3.78 points, or 0.01%, at 26,182.91, the S&P 500 was up 7.38 points, or 0.26%, at 2,874.62 and the was up 49.53 points, or 0.63%, at 7,898.21.

The gains put the S&P 500 less than 2% away from a record high hit in September as a dovish Federal Reserve and trade hopes set the stage for a strong start to the quarter.

Seven of the 11 major S&P sectors were higher, with the technology index's 0.6 percent rise providing the biggest boost.

Checking gains on the Dow, Boeing (NYSE:) Co dropped 1.1% after brokerage Baird said it expects Wall Street to lower earnings estimates "considerably" after the company reports delivery numbers next week. The numbers could reflect the 737-MAX groundings following the Ethiopian crash, Baird said.

Caterpillar Inc (NYSE:) dropped 0.8% on a report that Deutsche Bank (DE:) downgraded the company's stock to a "hold" rating.

GameStop Corp (NYSE:) fell 8.5% after the videogame retailer forecast current-quarter profit below analysts' estimates.

Advancing issues outnumbered decliners for a 2.30-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and a 2.13-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.

The S&P index recorded 39 new 52-week highs and one new low, while the Nasdaq recorded 59 new highs and 14 new lows.

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2019-04-03 14:45:00Z
CBMiaGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmludmVzdGluZy5jb20vbmV3cy9zdG9jay1tYXJrZXQtbmV3cy9mdXR1cmVzLWJvdW5jZS1vbi11cGJlYXQtY2hpbmEtZGF0YS10cmFkZS1ob3Blcy0xODI2MDc00gEA

Tesla will start installing Model 3 production equipment in Gigafactory 3 this May: report - Teslarati

By Simon Alvarez

Posted on April 3, 2019

Tesla President of Automotive Jerome Guillen and Shanghai Deputy Mayor Wu Qing held a meeting on Tuesday, where they discussed the progress of Gigafactory 3’s buildout in the Shanghai Lingang Industrial Zone. The Tesla executive and Chinese official shared in-depth updates on the project, including an estimated timeframe for the installation of the facility’s vehicle production lines.

Local news agency Laoyaoba, which covered the meeting, pointed out that the installation of vehicle production equipment could start as early as May, when the initial stages of the facility are expected to be completed. This represents a notable accomplishment for both the electric car maker and its construction partner, considering that Gigafactory 3 is one of the most ambitious foreign-owned projects that have been attempted in China.

Based on this recent update, it appears that Tesla intends to start the installation of production equipment in Gigafactory 3 while other areas of the 864,885-square meter site are still under construction. This is a bold and risky move on Tesla’s part, but if the electric car maker pulls it off, such a strategy will likely help the company meet its goal of starting Model 3 production in Gigafactory 3 by the end of 2019.

Guillen and Wu also discussed the recent milestones of the project. Construction work in Gigafactory 3 started back in January, and since then, the first phase of the buildout has been moving along very well. Pile foundation structures have been completed, and the steel structure construction of the factory has begun. Multiple sets of steel roof grids have also been completed.

Gigafactory 3 is under an incredibly ambitious timeline. During the groundbreaking ceremony of the facility, Elon Musk noted that he expects the factory to be completed around summer. This timeframe was mocked by Tesla’s skeptics, many of whom claimed that such a target was impossible. This was until Shanghai official Chen Mingbo stated that Gigafactory 3 was on track to be completed by May, a date even more ambitious than Musk’s estimate.

The work in Tesla’s Gigafactory 3 site in Shanghai does not stop for the night. (Photo: 烏瓦/YouTube)

Part of the reason behind Gigafactory 3’s rapid progress is the support that Tesla enjoys from the Chinese government. Tesla’s presence in China is beneficial to the country, which is aggressively pushing for the adoption of electric vehicles. In a statement to Xinhua News, Cui Dongshu, secretary general of the China Passenger Car Association, noted that Tesla’s China production will have a “catfish effect” in the country’s auto industry, pushing domestic carmakers to expedite and improve their own electric vehicles to compete with the Silicon Valley-based electric car maker.

China’s support for Tesla was evident during Musk’s visit to the country. When Musk met with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing, the CEO was received at the Tower of Violet Light, a place that is usually reserved for dignitaries. Li also proved receptive to Musk’s ambitious ideas, even offering the CEO a “Chinese Green Card” so that he can pursue his vision in the country freely.

Tesla will start installing Model 3 production equipment in Gigafactory 3 this May: report

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2019-04-03 15:31:01Z
52780257617966

Stocks trim gains after services economy measure disappoints - CNBC

Stock rose on Wednesday as investors cheered a nearing trade deal between the U.S. and China though softer measures on payrolls and the service economy kept a lid on optimism.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 10 points as UnitedHealth and Home Depot outperformed. The S&P 500 gained 0.25 percent, led by materials and technology stocks. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.5 percent.

American and Chinese officials are reportedly closing in on a trade deal, having resolved most of the outstanding issues in their protracted trade dispute. Both countries have levied tariffs on billions of dollars' worth of each other's goods since last year.

According to the Financial Times, Beijing wants Washington to remove existing U.S. duties on Chinese imports, while the Trump administration wants China to agree to enforcement measures that ensure the country sticks to the deal.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are scheduled to meet with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He later on Wednesday to resume talks.

European stocks rose broadly as the Stoxx 600 index gained 0.8 percent. In Asia, the Shanghai Composite surged 1.2 percent, while the Japanese and Korean Kospi indexes both rose around 1 percent.

"To a certain degree, a trade deal is already priced in," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Spartan Capital Securities. However, "a trade deal is a win for the United States and the global economy."

"That will lift a major cloud that's over the global economy," he said.

This comes after a rocky previous session for Wall Street. The Dow fell for the first time in four sessions Tuesday, pulling back from a solid rally at the start of the week.

Gains were capped, however, by weaker-than-expected economic data.

Private payrolls increased by 129000 in March, according to ADP and Moody's Analytics. That is well below a Refinitiv estimate of 173,000. The report from ADP and Moody's is typically seen as a preview for the U.S. government's monthly jobs report, which is scheduled for release Friday morning.

A weaker-than-expected update on the U.S. services sector also capped stock advances throughout the session. Growth in services fell more than expected in March and advanced at its slowest pace in more than 12 months, the Institute for Supply Management reported.

The ISM non-manufacturing index dipped to 56.1 last month, its softest read since August 2017.

A bearish call on Caterpillar shares also kept the market in check. Caterpillar shares fell 1 percent after Deutsche Bank downgraded the industrial giant to hold from buy and slashed its 12-month price target. The bank cited a "collapse" in synchronized global growth.

—CNBC's Ryan Browne contributed to this report.

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2019-04-03 14:17:28Z
52780259348633

Stocks Climb; Chip Stocks Lead, Dow Jones Lags - Investor's Business Daily

Stocks grabbed strong early gains Wednesday, with chip stocks leading, as hints of more U.S.-China trade talk progress boosted global optimism.

X

The Nasdaq jumped out to an early lead, up 0.5%. The S&P 500 followed with a 0.3% advance. The Dow Jones Industrials slipped into tight losses, as heavyweights Caterpillar (CAT) and Boeing (BA) fell to the bottom of the index. (For updates on this story and other market coverage, visit the Stock Market Today page.)

Chip stocks shifted firmly higher, with STMicroelectronics (STM) scoring a gap-up open, and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Intel (INTC) rallying on analyst actions.

Amazon.com (AMZN) and Intel were both rising within buy ranges. Micron Technology (MU) rose 5% to lead the Nasdaq 100. AMD topped the S&P 500. Dave & Buster's Entertainment (PLAY) soared after reporting fourth-quarter results late Tuesday.

Caterpillar dropped 0.8% on a downgrade and a price target cut from Deutsche Bank. Boeing slid 1.6% as details from the Egypt Air crash investigation leaked out in news reports.

Dow Jones, S&P 500 Near Fresh Highs

The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded 2.9% below its October high early Wednesday, holding firmly above the 26,000 level. The S&P 500 was 2.3% below its peak from September, maintaining support above the 2,800 mark. The Nasdaq moved to within 3% of its August high. All of the index's 2018 peaks occurred in concert with tariff- or sanction-related policy announcements.

For more detailed analysis of the current stock market and its confirmed uptrend, study the Big Picture.

Chip Stocks: Intel, Advanced Micro Get Buy Ratings

Chip stock Intel jumped 1.8% at the open, after Nomura initiated coverage on the stock with a buy rating. The note placed a price target for the stock at 65, almost 20% above Tuesday's closing price.

Intel remains in a buy range, after topping a 54.20 buy point in a cup-with-handle base in mid-March. Shares remain in buy range through 56.91.

Advanced Micro Devices sparked almost 8% higher, scoring an early breakout. Nomura also initiated coverage on the stock with a buy rating and a 33 price target. AMD's move hoisted it past a buy point at 28.21, in a possible six-month cup-with-handle base. The base is 53% deep, which adds some risk to any potential breakout.

FANGs: Amazon, Netflix Advance

Amazon.com and Netflix paced the FANG stock tech leaders in early action, each with a 0.5% gains. IBD Leaderboard stock Amazon ended Tuesday at the very top of a buy range above a 1,736.51 buy point. The buy range runs through 1823.33.

Netflix possibly received a boost from Tuesday's news that the Justice Department had warned the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that barring content from streaming services such as Netflix could violate antitrust laws.

Netflix, an IBD Leaderboard watch list stock, ended Tuesday 1% below a 371.59 buy point in a cup-with-handle base.

Hiring, Service Sector Slow; Mortgage Action Surges

U.S. non-farm private sector employers added 129,000 workers in March, according to ADP's National Employment Report. That was down from 183,000 new hires in February, and well below forecasts for a decrease to 165,000 new jobs. Service sector employers added 135,000 new workers, while employment among goods producers decreased by 6,000. Education and health posted the largest increase: 56,000 new jobs.

Mortgage application activity spiked for a second straight week as mortgage rates posted their biggest one-week drop in a decade, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Mortgage application volume swelled 18.6% vs. the prior week and was up 28% over year-ago levels. Refinance applications soared 39% week-over-week, and 58% above year-ago activity.

Researcher Markit reported U.S. service sector activity slowed less than expected in March. Markit's services purchasing managers index settled to 55.3 for the month. Economists had projectged a downshift to 54.8, from February's 56 reading.

The Institute for Supply Management's non-manufacturing index is due out at 10 a.m. ET.

U.S.-China Trade War Final Push?

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He meets with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in Washington, D.C., today, as negotiations push to close what appear to be last-mile gaps in a restructured U.S.-China trade relationship.

Trade optimism sent China's markets higher, with both the Shanghai Composite and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index taking better-than 1% gains. Japan followed suit, with Tokyo's Nikkei 225 jumping 1%.

China-facing ETFs traded generally higher on U.S. markets. The Direxion Daily CSI 300 China A Share Bull 2X (CHAU) rose 3.3%, the Direxion Daily FTSE China Bull 3X (YINN)  swept 4% higher in opening trade. The iShares MSCI China (MCHI) climbed 1.1%.

Prime Minister Shakes Up Brexit Talks

Prime Minister Theresa May abandoned her effort to muster support for her existing Brexit proposal, offering to compromise with opposition Labour leaders and to implement any deal that was agreed to by a majority of lawmakers. The shift in stance points to a much "softer" Brexit plan than had been favored by May's Conservative party, and points to a less severe change than many Brexiteers had hoped for in the U.K.'s relationship to the European Union.

May plans to request a short delay to the U.K.'s already extended deadline for exit from the trade bloc, currently set for April 12. Europe's markets were mixed on May's strategy, with London's FTSE 100 trading a fraction in the red near midday. Frankfurt's DAX sprung 1% higher and the CAC-40 in Paris gained 0.6%.

Oil Prices Inch Up Ahead Of Data

Oil prices chalked up narrow gains ahead of Energy Information Administration weekly supplies data due out at 10:30 a.m. ET. West Texas Intermediate crept 0.2% higher to $62.72 a barrel. Brent crude gained 0.4% to $69.64. WTI is at its highest level since the first week of November.

Oil-focused ETFs Citigroup Global Markets VelocityShares 3x Long (UWT) slipped 0.4%, the United States Oil Fund (USO) dipped 0.1%, in early trade.

Follow Alan R. Elliott on Twitter @IBD_Aelliott

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2019-04-03 14:15:00Z
52780259348633

Stocks Climb; Chip Stocks Lead Nasdaq, S&P 500, Dow Jones - Investor's Business Daily

Stocks grabbed strong early gains Wednesday, with chip stocks leading, as hints of more U.S.-China trade talk progress boosted global optimism.

X

The Nasdaq jumped out to an early lead, up 0.5%. The S&P 500 followed with a 0.4% advance. The Dow Jones Industrials fought to hold a 0.1% gain, as heavyweights Caterpillar (CAT) and Boeing (BA) fell to the bottom of the index. (For updates on this story and other market coverage, visit the Stock Market Today.)

Chip stocks shifted firmly higher, with ST Microelectronics (STM) scoring a gap up open, and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Intel (INTC) rallying on analyst actions.

Amazon.com (AMZN) and Intel were both rising within buy ranges. Micron Technologies (MU) rose 5% to lead the Nasdaq 100. AMD topped the S&P 500. Dave & Buster's Entertainment (PLAY) soared after reporting fourth-quarter results late Tuesday.

Dow Jones, S&P 500 Near Fresh Highs

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended Tuesday's session 2.9% below its October high, holding firmly above the 26,000 level. The S&P 500 is 2.5% below its peak from September, maintaining support above the 2,800 mark. The Nasdaq is 3.6% off its August high. All of the index's 2018 peaks occurred in concert with tariff- or sanction-related policy announcements.

For more detailed analysis of the current stock market and its confirmed uptrend, study the Big Picture.

Chip Stocks: Intel, Advanced Micro Get Buy Ratings

Chip stock Intel jumped 1.8% at the open, after Nomura initiated coverage on the stock with a buy rating. The note placed a price target for the stock at 65, almost 20% above Tuesday's closing price.

Intel remains in a buy range, after topping a 54.20 buy point in a cup-with-handle base in mid-March. Shares remain in buy range through 56.91.

Advanced Micro Devices sparked almost 8% higher, scoring an early breakout. Nomura also initiated coverage on the stock with a buy rating and a 33 price target. AMD's move hoisted it past a buy point at 28.21, in a possible six-month cup-with-handle base. The base is 53% deep, which adds some risk to any potential breakout.

FANGs: Amazon, Netflix Advance

Amazon.com and Netflix paced the FANG stock tech leaders in early action, each with a 0.5% gains. IBD Leaderboard stock Amazon ended Tuesday at the very top of a buy range above a 1,736.51 buy point. The buy range runs through 1823.33.

Netflix possibly received a boost from Tuesday's news that the Justice Department had warned the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that barring content from streaming services such as Netflix could violate antitrust laws.

Netflix, an IBD Leaderboard watch list stock, ended Tuesday 1% below a 371.59 buy point in a cup-with-handle base.

Hiring Slows, Mortgage Action Surges

U.S. non-farm private sector employers added 129,000 workers in March, according to ADP's National Employment Report. That was down from 183,000 new hires in February, and well below forecasts for a decrease to 165,000 new jobs. Service sector employers added 135,000 new workers, while employment among goods producers decreased by 6,000. Education and health posted the largest increase: 56,000 new jobs.

Mortgage application activity spiked for a second straight week as mortgage rates posted their biggest one-week drop in a decade, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Mortgage application volume swelled 18.6% vs. the prior week and was up 28% over year-ago levels. Refinance applications soared 39% week-over-week, and 58% above year-ago activity.

Mortgage-related ETFs VanEck Vectors Mortgage REIT Income (MORT) and UBS ETRACS Monthly Pay 2xLeveraged Mortgage REIT (MORL) were unchanged in premarket trade.

Researcher Markit is scheduled to release its March services sector purchasing managers index at 9:45 a.m. ET. The Institute for Supply Management's non-manufacturing index is due out at 10 a.m. ET.

U.S.-China Trade War Final Push?

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He meets with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in Washington, D.C., today, as negotiations push to close what appear to be last-mile gaps in a restructured U.S.-China trade relationship.

Trade optimism sent China's markets higher, with both the Shanghai Composite and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index taking better-than 1% gains. Japan followed suit, with Tokyo's Nikkei 225 jumping 1%.

China-facing ETFs traded generally higher on U.S. markets. The Direxion Daily CSI 300 China A Share Bull 2X (CHAU) rose 3.3%, the Direxion Daily FTSE China Bull 3X (YINN)  swept 4% higher in opening trade. The iShares MSCI China (MCHI) climbed 1.1%.

Prime Minister Shakes Up Brexit Talks

Prime Minister Theresa May abandoned her effort to muster support for her existing Brexit proposal, offering to compromise with opposition Labour leaders and to implement any deal that was agreed to by a majority of lawmakers. The shift in stance points to a much "softer" Brexit plan than had been favored by May's Conservative party, and points to a less severe change than many Brexiteers had hoped for in the U.K.'s relationship to the European Union.

May plans to request a short delay to the U.K.'s already extended deadline for exit from the trade bloc, currently set for April 12. Europe's markets were mixed on May's strategy, with London's FTSE 100 trading a fraction in the red near midday. Frankfurt's DAX sprung 1% higher and the CAC-40 in Paris gained 0.6%.

Boot Barn Set To Stomp Buy Point

Boot Barn rose 0.9%, eyeing to potentially retake a buy point. The stock blew past the 29.88 flat base buy point in weak trade Monday. It reversed back below the entry during Tuesday's session. The buy range runs through 31.37. It's important to remember that not all premarket moves carry over into regular trade.

According to IBD Stock Checkup, the footwear chain has a very strong 96 IBD Composite Rating. The Composite Rating is a blend of key fundamental and technical metrics to help investors gauge the strengths of a company's stock.

Oil Prices Inch Up Ahead Of Data

Oil prices chalked up narrow gains ahead of Energy Information Administration weekly supplies data due out at 10:30 a.m. ET. West Texas Intermediate crept 0.2% higher to $62.72 a barrel. Brent crude gained 0.4% to $69.64. WTI is at its highest level since the first week of November.

Oil-focused ETFs Citigroup Global Markets VelocityShares 3x Long (UWT) gained 0.6%, the United States Oil Fund (USO) added 0.2%, in early trade.

Follow Alan R. Elliott on Twitter @IBD_Aelliott

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2019-04-03 13:31:18Z
52780259348633

Stock Futures Climb; Chip Stocks Lead Nasdaq, S&P 500, Dow Jones - Investor's Business Daily

Stock futures hustled to early gains Wednesday, with chip stocks leading, while some top trade-sensitive Dow Jones stocks lagged.

X

Nasdaq 100 futures led the early gains, swinging 0.6% above fair value. Dow futures and S&P 500 futures hammered out advances of 0.4% apiece. (For updates on this story and other market coverage, visit the Stock Market Today.)

Chip stocks shifted firmly higher, with ST Microelectronics (STM) scoring a big premarket move, and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Cypress Semiconductor (CY) poised for possible breakouts. Intel (INTC) climbed more than 1% to lead the Dow Jones industrials.

Caterpillar (CAT) and Boeing (BA) dropped to the bottom of the Dow.

Amazon.com (AMZN) and Intel were both rising within buy ranges. Micron Technologies (MU) led the Nasdaq 100. AMD topped the S&P 500. Dave & Buster's Entertainment (DAVE) soared after reporting fourth-quarter results late Tuesday. Boot Barn Holdings (BOOT) appeared set to retake a buy point, lodging a 5% surge in premarket trade.

Dow Jones, S&P 500 Near Fresh Highs

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended Tuesday's session 2.9% below its October high, holding firmly above the 26,000 level. The S&P 500 is 2.5% below its peak from September, maintaining support above the 2,800 mark. The Nasdaq is 3.6% off its August high. All of the index's 2018 peaks occurred in concert with tariff- or sanction-related policy announcements.

For more detailed analysis of the current stock market and its confirmed uptrend, study the Big Picture.

Chip Stocks: Intel, Advanced Micro Get Buy Ratings

Chip stock Intel jumped 1.3% ahead of the open, after Nomura initiated coverage on the stock with a buy rating. The note placed a price target for the stock at 65, almost 20% above Tuesday's closing price.

Intel remains in a buy range, after topping a 54.20 buy point in a cup-with-handle base in mid-March. Shares remain in buy range through 56.91.

Advanced Micro Devices sparked 4.5% higher. Nomura also initiated coverage on the stock with a buy rating and a 33 price target. AMD stock ended Tuesday 5% below a potential buy point at 28.21, in a possible six-month cup-with-handle base. The base is 53% deep, which adds some risk to any potential breakout.

Stock Futures: Amazon, Netflix Advance

Amazon.com paced the FANG stock tech leaders in early action with a 0.8% gain. The IBD Leaderboard stock ended Tuesday at the very top of a buy range above a 1,736.51 buy point. The buy range runs through 1823.33.

Netflix climbed 0.7%, possibly receiving a boost from Tuesday's news that the Justice Department had warned the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that barring content from streaming services such as Netflix could violate antitrust laws.

Netflix, an IBD Leaderboard watch list stock, ended Tuesday 1% below a 371.59 buy point in a cup-with-handle base.

Hiring Slows, Mortgage Action Surges

U.S. non-farm private sector employers added 129,000 workers in March, according to ADP's National Employment Report. That was down from 183,000 new hires in February, and well below forecasts for a decrease to 165,000 new jobs. Service sector employers added 135,000 new workers, while employment among goods producers decreased by 6,000. Education and health posted the largest increase: 56,000 new jobs.

Mortgage application activity spiked for a second straight week as mortgage rates posted their biggest one-week drop in a decade, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Mortgage application volume swelled 18.6% vs. the prior week and was up 28% over year-ago levels. Refinance applications soared 39% week-over-week, and 58% above year-ago activity.

Mortgage-related ETFs VanEck Vectors Mortgage REIT Income (MORT) and UBS ETRACS Monthly Pay 2xLeveraged Mortgage REIT (MORL) were unchanged in premarket trade.

Researcher Markit is scheduled to release its March services sector purchasing managers index at 9:45 a.m. ET. The Institute for Supply Management's non-manufacturing index is due out at 10 a.m. ET.

U.S.-China Trade War Final Push?

Chinese Vice Premier Liu He meets with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in Washington, D.C., today, as negotiations push to close what appear to be last-mile gaps in a restructured U.S.-China trade relationship.

Trade optimism sent China's markets higher, with both the Shanghai Composite and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index taking better-than 1% gains. Japan followed suit, with Tokyo's Nikkei 225 jumping 1%.

China-facing ETFs traded generally higher on U.S. markets. The Direxion Daily CSI 300 China A Share Bull 2X (CHAU) and Direxion Daily FTSE China Bull 3X (YINN) each swept 3.1% higher in premarket trade. The iShares MSCI China (MCHI) was unchanged.

Prime Minister Shakes Up Brexit Talks

Prime Minister Theresa May abandoned her effort to muster support for her existing Brexit proposal, offering to compromise with opposition Labour leaders and to implement any deal that was agreed to by a majority of lawmakers. The shift in stance points to a much "softer" Brexit plan than had been favored by May's Conservative party, and points to a less severe change than many Brexiteers had hoped for in the U.K.'s relationship to the European Union.

May plans to request a short delay to the U.K.'s already extended deadline for exit from the trade bloc, currently set for April 12. Europe's markets were mixed on May's strategy, with London's FTSE 100 trading a fraction in the red near midday. Frankfurt's DAX sprung 1% higher and the CAC-40 in Paris gained 0.6%.

Boot Barn Set To Stomp Buy Point

Boot Barn saddled up to retake a buy point, and gained nearly 5% ahead of the open. The stock blew past a 29.88 flat base buy point in weak trade Monday. It reversed back below the entry during Tuesday's session. The buy range runs through 31.37. It's important to remember that not all premarket moves carry over into regular trade.

According to IBD Stock Checkup, the footwear chain has a very strong 96 IBD Composite Rating. The Composite Rating is a blend of key fundamental and technical metrics to help investors gauge the strengths of a company's stock.

Oil Prices Inch Up Ahead Of Data

Oil prices chalked up narrow gains ahead of Energy Information Administration weekly supplies data due out at 10:30 a.m. ET. West Texas Intermediate crept a fraction higher to $62.62 a barrel. Brent crude gained 0.4% to $69.64. WTI is at its highest level since the first week of November.

Oil-focused ETFs Citigroup Global Markets VelocityShares 3x Long (UWT) was down 0.1%, the United States Oil Fund (USO) added 0.2%, in early trade.

Follow Alan R. Elliott on Twitter @IBD_Aelliott

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The Big Picture: These 6 Critical Factors Could Impact Stocks In Q2

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2019-04-03 13:05:56Z
52780259348633

Private payrolls add 129K in March vs. 173K est.: ADP/Moody's Analytics - CNBC

Job growth hit an 18-month low in March amid increasing signs that the hiring boom may be running out of steam, according to a report Wednesday from ADP and Moody's Analytics.

Private payrolls increased by just 129,000 for the month, well below the 173,000 that economists surveyed by Dow Jones had expected. The weakness was offset somewhat by an upward revision for February, which went to 197,000 from an initially reported 183,000.

Overall, though, March was the worst month since September 2017, which saw an increase of just 111,000.

"The job market is weakening, with employment gains slowing significantly across most industries and company sizes," Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, said in a statement. "Businesses are hiring cautiously as the economy is struggling with fading fiscal stimulus, the trade uncertainty, and the lagged impact of Fed tightening. If employment growth weakens much further, unemployment will begin to rise."

All of the gains came from services, which increased 135,000, while goods-producing industries lost 6,000 positions. A decline of 6,000 in construction and 2,000 in manufacturing was offset a bit by a 2,000-job increase in natural resources and mining.

On the plus side, education and health services saw an increase of 56,000 while professional and business services added 41,000. Leisure and hospitality grew by 13,000 while information services increased by 11,000 and trade, transportation and utilities contributed 9,000. Financial activities saw a drop of 1,000.

The disappointing number comes as Wall Street is watching the jobs market closely for signs of an economic slowdown. The Labor Department's nonfarm payrolls count is released Friday, with economists looking for growth of 175,000 after February's weak 20,000 reading.

Zandi, who said he expects the government count to be closer to 140,000, attributed much of the jobs issues to weakening business sentiment fueled in part by the U.S.-China trade dispute.

"The widespread expectation is that the Trump administration and the Chinese will come to terms here and get a deal and this trade war will end. But until it does, the uncertainty created by the conflict is weighing heavily on the collective psyche," Zandi said in a conference call.

ADP and the government counts often conflict, as evidenced by the 177,000 disparity in the February total.

Small businesses, which have been a major growth engine for hiring, struggled in March with just 6,000 net new hires, according to the ADP/Moody's report. The biggest gains game from firms with between 50 and 499 employees, which grew by 63,000, while large companies added 60,000.

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https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/03/payrolls-up-129000-in-march-way-below-wall-street-expectations.html

2019-04-03 12:15:02Z
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