U.S. stock futures is higher in pre-market trading for Wednesday, April 18.The Nasdaq Futures is trading at 6,851.75 for up with +0.34% percent or +23.00 point.The S&P 500 Futures is trading at 2,713.50 for up with +0.26% percent or +7.00 point. The Dow Futures is trading at 24,767.00 for up with +0.25% percent or +61.00 point.
In overnight trading in the Eastern Hemisphere, Japan’s Nikkei 225 are trading at 22,158.20 for up with +1.42% percent or +310.61 point. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng is trading at 30,267.90 for up with +0.68% percent or +205.15 point. China’s Shanghai Composite is trading at 3,091.40 for up with +0.80% percent or +24.60 point. India’s BSE Sensex is trading at 34,519.94 for up with +0.36% percent or +124.88 point at 12:15 PM.The FTSE 100 is trading at 7,278.25 for up with +0.72% percent or +52.20point. Germany’s DAX is trading at 12,576.58 with a loss of -0.071% percent or ?8.99 point. France’s CAC 40 is trading at 5,366.22 for up with +0.24% percent or +12.68 point. The Stoxx Europe 600 is trading at 380.49 with a loss of -0.07% percent or -0.33 point.
Wednesday’s Factors and Events
Tuesday’s Activity
U.S. market were higher on Tuesday. For the day the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 24,786.63 for up with +0.87% percent or +213.59 point. The S&P 500 closed at 2,706.39 for up with +1.07% percent or +28.55 point. The Nasdaq Composite closed at 7,281.10 for up with +1.74% percent or +124.81 point.
Other leading market index closes included the small-cap Russell 2000 Index closed at 1,579.80 for up with +1.07% percent or +16.77 point; the S&P 600 Small-Cap Index closed at 972.19 for up with +0.96% percent or +9.20 point; the S&P 400 Mid-Cap Index closed at 1,917.36 for up with +0.76% percent or +14.51 point; the S&P 100 Index closed at 1,188.39 for up with +1.07% percent or +12.56 point; the Russell 3000 Index closed at 1,604.51 for up with +1.07% percent or +16.94 point; the Russell 1000 Index closed at 1,500.33 for up with +1.07% percent or +15.83 point; and the Dow Jones U.S. Select Dividend Index closed at 24,786.63 for up with +0.87% percent or +213.59 point.
it is not often that I say this after decades of making a living from financial markets, but right now the stock market has me befuddled. We seem to be bouncing around in response to every headline, and even tweet, with traders and investors seemingly unable to decide what is important.
There have been negative reactions to talk of trade wars, the situation in Syria, and data that suggests the Fed will raise rates quicker than previously thought.
However, each time one of those fears fades from the headlines, we bounce back on strong fundamentals. There does seem to be one thing that is largely being ignored: politics.
That is understandable as all but the most partisan of hacks has surely become tired of the mudslinging on both sides of the aisle, and the lower the level of discourse sinks, the less relevant to the market and the economy it seems.