US stock index futures fell in early morning trading on Tuesday as traders continued to get acquainted with the rather mixed reports of companies on corporate earnings. Do not forget about the meeting of the Federal Reserve System on monetary policy, which will take place next week.
Futures for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 moved into the red zone after rising on the back of strong results from companies that reported yesterday. Among the companies reported today are The Coca-Cola Co., General Motors Co., and United Parcel Service Inc. Although their estimates exceeded analysts' forecasts, 3M Co. and General Electric Co. showed a negative result. Today, we are waiting for Alphabet Inc. and Microsoft Corp.
About a fifth of the S&P 500 companies have already released their third-quarter earnings reports, with more than half of them exceeding estimates. However, investors are concerned that the economic slowdown will be felt more seriously in the future. It is not for nothing that rumors have spread in the market that several representatives of the Fed have already seriously started talking about the underestimated damage to the economy that the current super-aggressive policy of the central bank can cause. Let me remind you that the committee plans to raise interest rates further, even though the economy is showing signs of weakening.
The Stoxx Europe 600 index declined after the morning growth. The chemical sector showed the worst results. The banking sector is also trading in the red after rumors that the European Central Bank is considering imposing restrictive measures on the growth of profits from the increase in interest rates in the banking sector. Shares of HSBC Holdings Plc fell by more than 7%.
Yesterday's reports on activity in the manufacturing and service sectors also did not impress. The reduction in indicators indicates that the Federal Reserve's rate hike is slowing down activity. Against this background, more and more investors expect that the central bank is nearing the end of its aggressive campaign of tightening borrowing costs. If inflation decreases in the near future and consumers rethink their approach to spending, it will be possible to see a completely different economic picture. It will increase stock indices, allowing the Fed to suspend the tightening cycle after the February meeting.
Oil fell as traders assessed a short-term supply shortage in the market and a broad appetite for risky assets, including commodity markets. Bitcoin continued to move in the side channel, holding above $19,000.
As for the technical picture of the S&P500, after a small phase of decline at the opening, the bulls have pulled themselves together and are trying to return to weekly highs. The main task for buyers now is to protect the supports: $3,773 and $3,735. As long as trading is conducted above these levels, we can expect the demand for risky assets to remain. This will also create good prerequisites for further strengthening the trading instrument and a breakout of $3,808. Only such a scenario will strengthen the hope for an upward correction with an exit to the resistance of $3,835. The farthest target will be the $3,872 area. In the case of a downward movement, buyers are obliged to declare themselves in the area of $3,773 and $3,735. A breakdown of these ranges will quickly push the trading instrument to $3,699 and $3,661 and open up the possibility of updating support and $3,621.
