Apple Today - 3/16/2016 FOMC (AAPL)
seymour_greenz • March 16th 2016 01:46:09 PM
Good Morning,
NASDAQ Futures are down 1 with flat Fair Value, S&P Futures are down 2 with -2 Fair Value and Dow Futures are down 9 as we begin another busy day of economic data and the FOMC meeting continues with an announcement at 2pm. Futures started off strong but drifted downwards after 5:45am and are now break-even near the lows as we approach the open.
Asian markets were mixed today. China gained 0.21%, Hong Kong dropped 0.15% and Japan declined 0.83%. European markets are mixed today. The UK is currently up 0.09%, Germany is up 0.32% and France is down 0.13%.
Commodities are mixed this morning. Oil is up 2.01%, natural gas is up 0.32% and gold is up 0.15%. Unleaded gas is up 0.66% and heating oil is up 1.42%. Metals are up. Meat is up. Cocoa, coffee, cotton, corn, wheat and soybeans are all down.
Shares slip, dollar rises as caution reigns before Fed. Retail sales in US decline after January revised down. Core US consumer prices increase more than forecast. US home construction jumps in February. Builder confidence steady in March, labor shortage hurts.
Oracle Corporation (ORCL) reported an earnings beat yesterday afternoon with strong cloud results and is up nearly 4% in pre-market. MagicJack VocalTec Communications Ltd. (CALL) also announced earnings yesterday, posting a Q4 profit. Eastman Kodak Co. (KODK) also reported a profitable Q4. On the other hand, Avid Technology, Inc. (AVID) reported a Q4 loss.
This morning, Cheetah Mobile Inc. (CMCM) reported earnings and is up nearly 1% in pre-market. In contrast, Actuant Corporation (ATU) reported a Q2 loss.
This afternoon after the bell, look for earnings from FedEx Corporation (FDX), Guess? Inc. (GES), Jabil Circuit Inc. (JBL), Liquidmetal Technologies, Inc. (LQMT), Herman Miller, Inc. (MLHR) and Williams-Sonoma Inc. (WSM).
Tomorrow, Lands' End, Inc. (LE) and The Michaels Companies (MIK) are expected to report.
AAPL made some pretty big skyward tracks yesterday, closing up 2.01% on moderate volume. AAPL opened way up at 103.91 to high volume following the Morgan Stanley iPhone note and briefly set a low of 103.85 before driving up the 104 hill towards 105 on higher than average volume for the next hour. Just before noon, AAPL broke above 105 on moderate volume, setting an intra-day high of 105.18 on moderate volume before slipping back towards the mid-104 area early in the afternoon where AAPL remained for a while until 3pm when an additional surge on lower volume brought AAPL back into the upper-104 area before dipping back towards 104.5 into the close on moderate volume. AAPL ended the day up 2.06 at 104.58. AAPL gained an additional 4 cents in after-hours to 104.62.
This morning in pre-market, AAPL opened at 105 and subsequently struggled to hold the upper-104 area as the morning progressed and Futures slipped. AAPL has since gravitated towards 104.5. AAPL is currently down 13 cents at 104.45 as we approach the open.
Classic max-pain is 100.
Shares slip, dollar rises as caution reigns before Fed:
http://in.reuters.com/article/us-global-markets-idINKCN0WI01U
Retail sales in US decline after January revised down:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-15/retail-sales-in-u-s-fell-in-february-after-january-revised-down
Core US consumer prices increase more than forecast:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-16/core-u-s-consumer-prices-increase-more-than-forecast-again
US home construction jumps in February:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/03/16/us/politics/ap-us-home-construction.html?_r=0
Builder confidence steady in March, labor shortage hurts:
http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/210597/builder-confidence-steady-in-march-labor-shortage-hurts
Weak US retail sales highlight risks to economic outlook:
http://in.reuters.com/article/usa-economy-idINKCN0WH2FF
Frankfurt and London seal $30 billion trading merger:
http://in.reuters.com/article/lse-m-a-deutsche-boerse-idINKCN0WI0W9
Tech is the leading industry on parental leave:
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/03/tech-paid-paternity-leave/473922/
Lockheed to Mach 6:
http://fortune.com/2016/03/16/lockheed-could-soon-be-making-a-plane-that-can-reach-mach-6/
Can free burritos lure back Chipotle loyalists?
http://in.reuters.com/article/chipotle-mexican-promotions-idINL2N16N276
BMW pushes for EV:
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-bmw-strategy-results-idUSKCN0WI115
Apple actively working to "double down" on iCloud encryption:
http://www.macrumors.com/2016/03/16/apple-to-double-down-icloud-encryption/
Sony PlayStation VR review:
http://www.pcmag.com/article/342931/hands-on-with-sony-s-playstation-vr
Obama calls for balance in Apple security case:
http://www.npr.org/2016/03/12/470194268/in-apple-security-case-obama-calls-to-strike-a-balance
Apple News opens scope:
http://www.cnet.com/uk/news/apple-news-opens-the-floodgates/
77% of Google Internet traffic now encrypted:
http://www.pcmag.com/news/342935/77-percent-of-google-internet-traffic-now-encrypted
Google will help you send canned replies to Web-based email:
http://www.cnet.com/au/news/now-google-will-help-you-send-canned-replies-to-web-based-email-too/
Tesla confirms $35k Model 3 revealed March 31:
http://www.cnet.com/roadshow/auto/2018-tesla-model-3/
10 Oculus Rift experiences worth seeing:
http://time.com/4259799/oculus-rift-virtual-reality-games/
Ceres' mysterious bright spots are changing:
http://news.discovery.com/space/asteroids-meteors-meteorites/ceres-mysterious-bright-spots-change-unexpectedly-160316.htm
NASA will intentionally start a fire on a spaceship:
http://www.theverge.com/2016/3/16/11244364/nasa-saffire-test-fire-orbital-atk-cygnus-iss-resupply-mission
It's a pregnant T. Rex!
http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2016/03/16/its-a-girl-paleontologists-examine-pregnant-t-rex/
See why these pigeons have tiny backpacks:
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2016/0315/How-pigeons-with-tiny-backpacks-can-help-London-curb-pollution-video
Who is happiest?
http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/16/travel/worlds-happiest-countries-united-nations/
The secret of the primes:
http://qz.com/639452/mathematicians-are-geeking-out-about-a-bizarre-discovery-in-prime-numbers/
Zika linked to microcephaly:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/03/15/zika-linked-microcephaly-2013-2014-outbreak-french-polynesia/81783422/
Refugees are at risk:
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/141333/20160316/refugees-at-greater-risk-for-schizophrenia-other-psychotic-illnesses.htm
First-ever dissolving heart stent gets FDA review:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/03/14/us/politics/ap-us-dissolving-implant-fda.html
Doggie diners of NYC, rejoice!
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/16/nyregion/new-york-today-dogs-outdoor-restaurants-dining.html
Today's Economic Calendar:
7:00 MBA Mortgage Applications
8:30 Consumer Price Index
8:30 Housing Starts
9:15 Industrial Production
10:30 EIA Petroleum Inventories
2:00 PM FOMC Announcement
2:00 PM FOMC Forecast
2:00 PM Chairman Press Conference
Notable earnings after today's close: PVCT, ANW, CLC, CTRP, DPGYF, *FDX*, *GES*, HMIN, ISVLF, *JBL*, JBSAF, JYNT, *LQMT*, *MLHR*, NOAH, QUNR, SGNL, SLW, SMTX, SYNC, TLYS, UWN, *WSM*
And tomorrow before the open: BCOM, BTG, COLFF, DLAKY, FSAM, GSOL, HDELY, IGT, INNL, *LE*, MFCSF, *MIK*, TCEHY, TGD, ZX