Futures Tumble As AI Euphoria Goes Into Reverse
It's ugly out there. Futs are sharply lower on doubts about whether the Fed will cut interest rates again in December, as fear deepens about stretched AI valuations and the debt used to fund them. S&P 500 futures are down 1% at 8:00 a.m.ET following continued unwind of momentum/AI thematic + hawkish Fed digestion (Kashkari undecided on Dec cut yesterday makes 5 officials now questioning/mkt currently pricing ~50% of Dec cut vs ~66% last Friday; more hawks today Schmid today @ 10:05am, Logan 2:30pm, Bostic 3:20pm); Nasdaq futures plunge 1.6%, pointed to a fourth consecutive day of losses in a week in which aggressively-built long positions in momentum stocks were unwound and value baskets comfortably outperformed. Pre-market, Mag 7 are all underperforming: TSLA -2.6%, NVDA -1.1%, META -0.5%. The VIX rose above 22.55, and is at session highs. Bond yields are sharply lower following a huge block of 135,000 10Y futs sold; USD was higher but then repriced sharply lower to LOD just around 7am ET. Commodities are mostly higher: oil +2.6%, sugar +1.6%. Bitcoin sank to a six-month low below $95K. This morning, we have seen a continuation of momentum unwind in the equities markets given valuation and positioning of the AI story; NVDA fell again into it earnings next week.
In premarket trading, Magnificent Seven all retreated in premarket trading as doubts over an interest-rate cut in December deepened concerns about stretched valuations (Tesla -4.8%, Nvidia -3.1%, Alphabet -2.7%, Amazon -1.6%, Meta -1.5%, Microsoft -0.6%, Apple -0.1%)
- AI-related energy stocks are sliding: Bloom Energy -8%, Oklo -7.7%, NuScale Power -8%, Nano Nuclear Energy -7.3%, Plug Power -7.2%, IREN -9%
- Applied Materials (AMAT) declines 6.5%. The chip-equipment maker suffered a sales decline last quarter and predicted another drop in the current period, though the company sees demand improving in the second half of 2026.
- Avadel Pharma (AVDL) jumps 18% after the pharmaceutical company said it received an unsolicited proposal from H. Lundbeck A/S to acquire it for up to $23.00 per ordinary share.
- Cidara Therapeutics (CDTX) is up 104% after Merck & Co. agreed to acquire the biotech company, which is developing a flu treatment.
- Gap Inc. (GAP) is up 1.6% after Jefferies upgraded the clothing retailer to buy from hold.
- Red Cat Holdings (RCAT) plunges 17% after the drone company’s FY25 revenue forecast missed the average analyst estimate.
- Stubhub (STUB) tumbles 19% as analysts note that it was surprising that the ticketing platform did not provide a forecast for the current quarter. It was the firm’s first quarterly report after going public in September.
- TripAdvisor Inc. (TRIP) is up 0.8% after Mizuho Securities upgraded the online travel agency to neutral from underperform.
- Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) is up 2.8% after the WSJ reported Paramount, Comcast and Netflix are preparing bids for the media company, citing people familiar. Separately, the owner of HBO and CNN in a filing said CEO David Zaslav’s employment agreement was amended amid a strategic review.
In corporate news, Citigroup’s CEO Jane Fraser says her bank is growing “rapidly” in China with reviving interest from investors and companies in the world’s second largest economy. NBA star Stephen Curry is leaving Under Armour, the sportswear firm that partnered with him for more than a decade.
One doesn't need to look at futures to see the signs of growing nervousness, with volatility in bond markets also on the rise. Minneapolis Fed president Neel Kashkari said Thursday he didn’t support the US central bank’s last interest-rate cut, though he’s still undecided on the best course of action for its December policy meeting. Markets are now pricing in less than a 50% chance of a cut next month, down from about 63% earlier this week and over 95% a month ago. Just after 7am ET, we saw a purchase of 135K 10Y futs which slammed yields 6bps lower in minutes.
It is not just the US which are volatile this morning: UK government bonds are lower, with larger declines at the long end after reports that Chancellor Reeves dropped plans to raise headline income tax rates. Thirty-year gilt yields rise 10 bps to 5.33%. Gilts found some support after Bloomberg reported Reeves’ decision was driven by an improved fiscal forecast from the budget watchdog.
AI euphoria is facing an acute test, as investors look are finally looking at the massive borrowing to fund the technology’s buildout (something we first warned about over a month ago). Support for the three-year bull market increasingly rests with a strong earnings outlook, and especially next week's NVDA earnings. Still, foreign inflows into US equity funds are tracking at an annualized $134 billion, the second-biggest year ever after $163 billion in 2024, according to Bank of America citing EPFR Global data. US stocks saw their ninth-straight week of inflows through Nov. 12 at $6.4 billion. Meanwhile, a rotation from tech into more defensive stocks has helped the S&P 500 limit losses to just over 2% since its last record high toward the end of October, while the Nasdaq 100 has dropped nearly twice as much.
“The nervousness is palpable on markets and it stems from different corners,” said Arnaud Girod, head of economics and cross-asset strategy at Kepler Cheuvreux in Paris. “Any pushback from the Fed on interest rate cuts is bad news. If the Fed hasn’t enough data, they are likely not to cut.”
That said, while the market-cap weighted S&P has faced volatility and a recent downturn, beneath the surface, US equities remain healthy, lifting the equal-weighted index and underscoring the broader market’s reliance on, and concentration risk around, AI according to Bloomberg.
“We’ve seen tech stocks suffer the biggest repercussions each time there’s been a setback, and that’s because they trade at the frothiest valuations,” said Aneeka Gupta, director of macro research at Wisdom Tree UK. “Whenever there are question marks on whether there is a higher probability of a hawkish Fed stance, the segments that get hit the most are the highest duration ones.”
In trade news, Trump is readying substantial tariff cuts aimed at tackling high food prices and a series of new trade deals. Meanwhile an agreement with Switzerland could be close.
European stocks are broadly lower, including in the UK where the FTSE 100 drops 1.4%. UK equities underperformed on reports of a U-turn by Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves on income tax hikes. Siemens Energy led energy stocks higher after raising guidance, while banks and tech shares were among the biggest laggards. Here are some of the biggest movers on Friday:
- Bechtle shares surge as much as 17%, the most in eight months, after the supplier of computers and office supplies reported a significant improvement in earnings in the third quarter compared to the second.
- Siemens Energy shares are up as much as 12%, the most since April, after the German energy company raised Ebitda guidance above consensus, citing strong demand for gas turbines and data center equipment.
- Richemont shares gain as much as 8.7%, the steepest advance since April, after the Swiss luxury-goods maker reported first-half results that beat analyst expectations across divisions and regions, particularly driven by strong demand for its jewelry brands.
- Orkla shares gain as much as 6.7%, the most since May, after the Norwegian consumer goods firm reported what DNB Carnegie said were slightly positive earnings.
- Alstom shares advance as much as 7.2%, the most since June, as analysts laud the company’s latest earnings as a reassuring and strong showing from the French rolling stock company.
- Bavarian Nordic shares drop as much as 7.8% to the lowest since July after the Danish vaccine maker’s revenue guidance for the full year was weaker than expected.
- Sonova shares drop as much as 6.1% to the lowest intraday since September 2020 after the Swiss hearing-aid maker reported weaker-than-expected Ebita for the first half-year.
- Swiss Re shares slip as much as 5.1%, the most since April, after posting a “mixed” quarter in the eyes of analysts.
- Goodwin shares drop as much as 12% after the Goodwin family sold 122,368 ordinary shares in the company to a limited number of institutional investors.
- Land Securities shares fall as much as 5% after the UK real estate firm reported lower-than-expected net asset value and dividends.
Earlier in the session, Asian stocks declined, led by technology-heavy markets, as concerns over lofty valuations and uncertainty around the Federal Reserve’s rate outlook dampened sentiment. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index dropped as much as 1.7% on Friday to head for its biggest decline since April. Technology megacaps including TSMC, SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics were the major drags. South Korea posted the steepest loss in the region, while Japan’s Nikkei 225, Taiwan’s Taiex index and the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index all dropped over 1.5%. In China, economic activity cooled more than expected at the start of the fourth quarter, with an unprecedented slump in investment and slower growth in industrial output adding to a drag from sluggish consumption. The onshore CSI 300 Index closed 1.6% lower, the most in nearly a month.
“The market sell off is mainly driven by disappointing macro economic data and increasing concern on leading e-commerce companies profitability,” said Jason Chan, senior investment strategist at Bank of East Asia in Hong Kong. “Also, many cities in Fujian province announced the trade-in subsidy of auto will be suspended in November, which heightens policy uncertainty on consumption stimulus.”
In FX, the BBG Dollar index saw a sudden airpocket led by yield differentials as 10Y yields tumbled 6bps just after 7am ET. The pound pared losses but remains down 0.4%.
In rates, treasuries erased losses in early US trading amid a curve-steepening rout in gilts, where reports that UK government will drop a proposed income tax increase have sparked jitters about its fiscal credibility. US yields retreated from session highs reached during the gilt selloff as US stock index futures slide, led by European equity markets. Front-end Treasury yields are lower by 2bp-3bp with long-end tenors little changed, steepening 2s10s and 5s30s spreads; 10-year, about 2bp lower on the day near 4.10%, peaked near 4.14% as UK 10-year yield surged as much as 13bp. UK yields remain cheaper by 4bp-10bp across a steeper curve after reports that Chancellor Rachel Reeves will drop a widely-expected income-tax increase in this month’s budget. US session includes three scheduled Fed speakers, while economic data continues to be delayed as the US government recuperates from its record-length shutdown.
In commodities, oil prices jump after a drone strike damaged an oil depot and a vessel at Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. WTI crude rises 2.6% to near $60.20 a barrel. Gold slips about $9 to $4,162 an ounce, while Bitcoin falls 1.8% to around $97,000.
US economic calendar expected to continue to face delays as government reopens; October retail sales and PPI were scheduled to be released Friday. Fed speaker slate includes Schmid (10:05am), Logan (2:30pm) and Bostic (3:20pm)
Market Snapshot
- S&P 500 mini -0.3%
- Nasdaq 100 mini -0.6%
- Russell 2000 mini -0.3%
- Stoxx Europe 600 -1.2%
- DAX -0.9%
- CAC 40 -0.9%
- 10-year Treasury yield +1 basis point at 4.13%
- VIX +1.2 points at 21.2
- Bloomberg Dollar Index +0.1% at 1217.34
- euro -0.1% at $1.1616
- WTI crude +2.8% at $60.31/barrel
Top Overnight News
- The White House unveiled trade deals with Argentina, Ecuador, Guatemala, and El Salvador as part of an initiative to reduce food prices/ address affordability challenges for American consumers. FT
- Ukrainian drones attacked Russia’s giant Black Sea port of Novorossiysk overnight, prompting a state of emergency. Moscow launched a massive air strike on Kyiv that killed four and damaged several residential buildings. BBG
- NEC Director Hassett said he expects to see 60k job losses due to the government shutdown, while he responded that the numbers they have are consistent with more rate cuts, when asked about inflation.
- Signs of weakness in China’s economy stretched into October, with one measure of investment notching the sharpest slowdown in years. Retail sales was about inline at +2.9% (vs. the Street +2.8% and down from +3% in Sept) while industrial production fell short at +4.9% (vs. the Street +5.5% and down from +6.5% in Sept) and fixed asset and property investment declined at one of the sharpest rates in years. WSJ
- Sir Keir Starmer and Reachel Reeves have ditched their manifesto-busting plan to increase income tax rates, in a dramatic U-turn ahead of the Budget on Nov 26 that sparked a sell of in the gilt mkt. FT
- China’s unreported gold purchases could be more than 10x its official figures as it quietly tries to diversify away form the USD, highlighting the increasingly opaque sources of demand behind bullion’s record-breaking rally. FT
- Brazil hopes to reach a preliminary agreement with the US as soon as this month. India and Canada will work together to secure supply chains in critical minerals and clean energy, signaling a reset in bilateral ties. BBG
- Canada’s forestry industry plans to divert a significant shares of its wood exports from the US to new intl mkts, claiming that Trump’s latest trade tariffs will lead to lumber shortages and drive up building costs in America. FT
- Palantir is planning a “significant investment” in the UK to win military contracts, even as the software company has complained about slow traction in Europe.
- Paramount, Comcast and Netflix are preparing bids for Warner Bros. Discovery. WSJ
Trade/Tariffs
- US President Trump's administration is preparing tariff exemptions in a bid to lower food prices, according to NYT
- US Secretary of State Rubio met with Brazil's Foreign Minister and discussed a reciprocal framework for the US-Brazil trade relationship, according to the State Department
- US senior official said agreements with Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala open markets to US agricultural and industrial products, expects full agreements with most of these countries to be finalised within the next two weeks, in which the four countries agreed not to impose digital service taxes. Furthermore, the tariff rates will remain for these countries, but framework agreements will provide relief in certain areas, including bananas.
- US senior official said talks with Switzerland on Thursday were very positive, and if the deal is accepted by US President Trump, we would see a reduction of tariffs on Swiss imports. The official also commented that they have made a lot of advances with Taiwan.
- South Korea announced the factsheet with the US was finalised and President Lee said that US President Trump made a rational decision for the factsheet, while Lee added they agreed that investment in the US will be limited to commercially viable projects and that South Korea and the US will build a new partnership for shipbuilding, AI and the nuclear industry. Lee stated that the sides agreed on South Korea building a nuclear-powered submarine, and South Korea will strengthen ties with companies like NVIDIA.
- South Korean Presidential Adviser said the US will give South Korea chip tariff terms that are no less favourable than Taiwan’s, while it was agreed with the US that forex market stability needs to be ensured and that the amount and timing of fund supply to the US can be adjusted if needed for forex stability.
- White House said the US and South Korea deal includes USD 150bln of Korean investment in the shipbuilding sector approved by the US and USD 200bln of additional Korean investment committed pursuant to an MOU on strategic investments, while the US has given approval for South Korea to build nuclear-powered attack submarines. US said it will reduce its Section 232 sectoral tariffs on automobiles, auto parts, timber, lumber and wood derivatives of South Korea to 15%, and for any Section 232 tariffs imposed on pharmaceuticals, the US intends to apply a tariff rate no greater than 15% to originating goods of South Korea. Furthermore, South Korea is committed to spending USD 25bln on US military equipment purchases by 2030 and shared its plan to provide comprehensive support for US Forces Korea amounting to USD 33bln in accordance with South Korean legal requirements, while the US agreed that South Korea will pay USD 20bln annual phased instalments as part of the trade deal.
A more detailed look at global markets courtesy of Newsquawk
APAC stocks were pressured following the sell-off stateside, where tech was hit on valuation and China AI race concerns, while sentiment was also not helped by recent hawkish-leaning Fed rhetoric and mixed Chinese activity data. ASX 200 was dragged lower by weakness in tech and with nearly all sectors in the red aside from energy. Nikkei 225 dipped beneath the 51,000 level and was among the worst performers amid earnings results and tech woes. Hang Seng and Shanghai Comp declined with participants digested the recent data releases, including mixed activity data in which Industrial Production disappointed and Retail Sales marginally topped estimates, but both showed a slowdown from the previous, while Chinese House Prices continued to contract. Nonetheless, the downside in the mainland was somewhat cushioned with China pledging to expand domestic demand and stabilise trade.
Top Asian News
- China stats bureau spokesperson said the economy was generally stable in October, but pressure to adjust the domestic economic structure remains high and stabilisation faces some challenges, while China is to improve the effectiveness of macro policies and to pursue higher-quality economic growth. China will also expand domestic demand on all fronts and will further spur private investment vitality. Furthermore, the spokesperson said China’s investment space and potential remain huge and that China will stabilise trade and help trade firms that have been heavily hit.
- South Korean Finance Minister said they are to prepare measures to stabilise the FX market with the pension fund, while he is concerned about increasing uncertainty in the FX market and noted it is necessary to address imbalances in FX supply and demand.
- Chinese Defence Ministry says the Japanese side "will only suffer a crushing defeat" should it dare to take a risk.
- Hong Kong revises its 2025 GDP forecast to 3.2% (prev. 2-3%).
- Japan's automobile union (JAW) says there are no plans to scale back the wage demand for next year, despite a hit from US tariffs. Wage hikes are key to attaining a demand driven economy.
European Equities – Opened broadly lower, with all major indices in the red as sentiment soured following weakness in APAC trade, where tech underperformed on valuation and China AI concerns. Recent hawkish Fed rhetoric and mixed Chinese data also weighed. UK headlines dominated the morning, with reports that PM Starmer and Chancellor Reeves will scrap plans to raise income tax, further pressuring the FTSE 100 (-1.2%). EZ GDP and employment data were largely shrugged off, while attention now turns to ECB’s Buch, Elderson, and Lane. European sectors - Opened mostly lower, with only Energy (+1.0%) and Consumer Products & Services (+0.7%) in positive territory. The latter was lifted by Richemont (+8.0%) after stronger-than-expected H1 revenue and profit, while Energy gained on elevated crude prices following a Ukrainian drone strike on Russia’s Novorossiysk oil depot and upbeat results from Siemens Energy (+9.9%), which raised 2026 guidance. Laggards include Technology (-2.7%), Banks (-2.0%), and Basic Resources (-2.0%). Tech mirrored US weakness amid renewed US–China AI race concerns, while softer Chinese industrial output weighed on resources. Banks underperformed on UK political turbulence, with HSBC (-2.8%), Lloyds (-3.4%), and Barclays (-2.8%) all lower.
Top European News
- UK PM Starmer and Chancellor Reeves reportedly ditched budget plans to increase income tax rates, according to FT. Since, improved UK forecasts reportedly led Chancellor Reeves to drop the Income Tax hike, via Bloomberg citing sources.
- ITV's Peston posts the UK Chancellor "is NOT going to take greater risks with the public finances, which is what investors quite understandably fear is happening". Peston, citing sources, writes that the Chancellor will increase the headroom from the GBP 9bln at the last budget to GBP 15bln or more; "that will happen". Expects Reeves and/or PM Starmer to make it clear today that they will not weaken their commitment to the fiscal rules and increasing headroom. Changes are due to the Treasury receiving improved data on current/expected future wage growth, which has increased tax revenue forecasts; reducing the need to increase tax rates re. Income Tax. New "tax masterplan": extend the Income Tax threshold increase by another two years; look at reducing the threshold where 40p and 45p tax bands kick in.
- German Budget Committee approved the 2026 budget, which clears the path to parliamentary approval, while the budget has total spending of EUR 524.5bln and includes investments of EUR 58.3bln and borrowing of EUR 97.9bln.
- German 2026 net new borrowing to rise to EUR 98bln (vs. 89.8bln in the draft), via Bloomberg citing a document.
- ECB's Elderson says he favours easier rules and fewer requirements for small banks.
FX
- USD - DXY is little changed after a subdued overnight session, following yesterday’s weakness when USD-denominated assets came under pressure amid a broader risk-off tone. With the government now reopened, focus shifts to the release of delayed economic data, though no official schedule has been confirmed — one could, however, be announced as early as today. In early European trade, DXY continues to hold within a narrow 99.109–99.336 range, well within Thursday's 98.991-99.591 range.
- EUR - EUR/USD is trading slightly softer in early European hours after holding onto the prior day’s gains during APAC trade, remaining above the 1.1600 handle amid ongoing dollar pressure. Newsflow for the Eurozone is light, with the pair contained within a 1.1618–1.1648 intraday range and well within yesterday’s 1.1579–1.1656 parameters. The 50DMA and 100DMA sit just above at 1.1660 and 1.1662, respectively.
- GBP - GBP/USD is in focus this session following reports that Chancellor Reeves has scrapped plans for an income tax rate hike, a move seen as increasing fiscal risks ahead of the November 26th budget. Gilts slipped at the open, with the pound underperforming into European trade. Price action later reversed modestly after Bloomberg sources suggested that improved UK forecasts had prompted Reeves to drop the planned tax rise (see Fixed Income section for details). GBP/USD spiked from 1.3121 to 1.3200 on the Bloomberg headlines before easing back toward 1.3150, with trade contained within a 1.3109–1.3200 intraday range and inside yesterday’s broader 1.3100–1.3215 parameters.
- JPY - USD/JPY is struggling for clear direction after recent choppy trade and amid a lack of fresh domestic catalysts, while Japanese press highlights growing scepticism among market participants over the government’s ability to support the yen through direct intervention. The JPY is showing limited reaction to the broader risk-averse tone, with sentiment further dampened by sharp remarks from China’s Defence Ministry, which warned that Japan “will only suffer a crushing defeat” should it “dare to take a risk.” The comments followed Japanese PM Takaichi’s statement that a conflict over Taiwan could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Tokyo. USD/JPY trades within a 154.32–154.74 intraday range, contained inside yesterday’s 154.13–155.02 parameters.
- Antipodeans - The Antipodeans are mixed with NZD leading gains despite limited fresh catalysts, after the RBNZ confirmed it will proceed with easing mortgage loan-to-value ratio restrictions as previously announced last month. AUD/USD briefly moved above its 100DMA (0.6540) before pulling back, while NZD/USD recovered strongly from yesterday’s losses. The AUD/NZD cross meanwhile slipped from a 1.1558 high to a 1.1487 low.
Fixed Income
- Gilts - A volatile session, with the benchmark plunging from 93.37 to 92.07 at the lows (down 130 ticks) before rebounding to trade around 92.60, still lower by ~77 ticks. Yields briefly spiked to 4.57% (10yr) and 5.37% (30yr). The initial selloff followed FT reports that Chancellor Reeves plans to scrap the manifesto-breaching income tax rate hike, opting instead for threshold cuts and smaller levies — moves seen as undermining fiscal credibility. The reversal prompted renewed concerns over the government’s fiscal stability and added political pressure on PM Starmer. Gilts later pared losses after Bloomberg reported the U-turn was driven by improved UK growth and wage forecasts, lifting the benchmark nearly 50 ticks. ITV’s Peston added that the new plan includes a two-year extension of threshold freezes and lower entry points for the 40p/45p bands, underpinned by stronger wage-driven revenue projections. Despite partial recovery, markets remain uneasy over the handling of communications and credibility risks. The yield swing trimmed the odds of a December BoE cut to under 75% (from ~85% earlier in the week), particularly as higher wage growth reinforces inflation concerns within the MPC’s divided board.
- USTs - Softer in early Europe, with the benchmark slipping to a 112-19 low before stabilising near 112-22, down around 2+ ticks, as US futures found support amid improved chip-sector sentiment. Newsflow was light, with focus on US government bureaus resuming operations and expected to release updated data schedules—potentially as soon as today—setting up a catch-up-heavy week ahead. Attention remains on the December Fed meeting, where markets are split roughly 50/50 on a rate cut, leaving upcoming delayed data pivotal for near-term policy expectations.
- Bunds - Weaker, down around 23 ticks at 128.69, trading between USTs and Gilts in relative terms. The benchmark fell to a 128.63 low (off 29 ticks at worst) after Germany’s defence ministry unveiled its 2026 Bundeswehr funding plan, followed by the Bundestag fiscal committee’s approval of a total package roughly EUR 4bln above the prior figure. Reports indicate net new borrowing for 2026 at EUR 98bln (vs EUR 89.8bln in the draft), explaining Bunds’ mild underperformance versus Treasuries. The full Bundestag vote is scheduled for November 28th.
Commodities
- Crude Oil - Firmer after prices surged in APAC trade on reports of a Ukrainian strike on a Russian oil depot and Kyiv confirming active air defences amid a large-scale attack. WTI and Brent spiked around USD 2/bbl to peaks of USD 60.65 and USD 64.86, before easing to USD 59.26 and USD 63.56 respectively. Later, the UKMTO reported an incident off UAE’s Khor Fakkan, believed linked to state activity, shortly after Reuters cited sources saying an Iranian force redirected a Talara tanker toward its coast near the Strait of Hormuz, prompting a fresh USD 1/bbl uptick. Separately, Sky News Arabia reported the IDF preparing a limited offensive in Lebanon against Hezbollah.
- Precious Metals - Mixed, with XAU unchanged and XAG +1.0%. Spot gold held in a USD 4159–4211/oz range through APAC and early Europe, consolidating after several Fed officials suggested limited scope for further cuts, while Kashkari said he did not support the latest move. The simultaneous drop in equities and gold on Thursday has raised concern that the metal’s safe-haven appeal is fading, with investors noting that gold’s strong correlation with risk aversion — which helped drive it to record highs in recent months — has weakened lately.
- Base Metals - Softer, with 3M LME Copper -0.3%, extending Thursday’s risk-off tone. The red metal held within a USD 10.86k–10.91k/t range through APAC before dipping to a USD 10.83k/t low amid continued caution in broader markets. It has since bounced modestly from session lows as sentiment stabilises.
- US President Trump administration revoked Biden-era limits on Alaska oil drilling.
Geopolitics: Iran
- Talara crude oil tanker taken towards Iranian coast by revolutionary guards based on initial assessment according to Reuters sources.
- Thereafter, UKMTO notes of incident off the coast of UAE's Khor Fakkan, believed to be state activity; Vessel is transiting towards Iranian territorial waters
- Ukrainian drone attack damages apartment buildings and oil depot in Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.
- Ukrainian air defence units were engaged in Kyiv against what the mayor described as a massive Russian attack.
- US Coast Guard detected and monitored a Russian military vessel operating near US territorial waters approximately 15 nautical miles south of Oahu on October 29th, according to the US Coast Guard.
- US senior military officials on Wednesday presented President Trump with updated options for potential operations in Venezuela, including strikes, according to sources cited by CBS News.
- US Defense Secretary Hegseth announces Operation Southern Spear to remove narco-terrorists from the Western Hemisphere.
- China summoned Japan’s envoy over Japanese PM Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan and said the remarks were extremely dangerous.
US Event Calendar
- 10:05 am: Fed’s Schmid Speaks at Energy Conference
- 2:30 pm: Fed’s Logan Speaks in Fireside Chat
- 3:20 pm: Fed’s Bostic To Participate in Moderated Conversation
DB's Jim Reid concludes the overnight wrap
It's certainly been a volatile week in terms of sentiment with relief over the end of the shutdown vying with concerns over AI valuations and whether the Fed will cut rates again after several speakers have struck a more cautious tone this week. The S&P 500 (-1.66%) posted its worst day in over a month with a December cut probability falling sharply from around 59% at Wednesday's close to 49% last night. Standby for a likely deluge of data next week to test this pricing in both directions.
On those releases, yesterday we heard NEC Director Kevin Hassett say that the September jobs report might get released next week. That release should have come out on October 3, so just a couple of days after the shutdown began, and the data collection for that had already been completed when the shutdown started. Then for the October jobs report (which would have normally been out on November 7), Hasset said on Fox News that “We’re going to get half the employment report. We’ll get the jobs part, but we won’t get the unemployment rate”.
Ahead of those releases, we heard from a few Fed speakers yesterday, who struck a cautious tone on the policy outlook. For instance, San Francisco President Daly said that she had “an open mind” on the decision in December. Cleveland Fed President Hammack said “we’ve got this persistent high inflation that is sticking around”, and that getting inflation “back to 2% is critical for our credibility, and that’s our objective”. St Louis Fed President Musalem (a voter this year) noted that “We need to proceed and tread with caution, because I think there’s limited room for further easing”. And Minneapolis Fed President Kashkari suggested that he didn’t support the Fed’s last rate cut in October and that he was undecided on December. So regional Fed presidents not sounding like they are rushing into rate cuts, and futures dialled back the likelihood of a December cut to 49% by the close, down from 59% the previous day.
Clearly, it’s this upcoming wave of data that will help determine whether we actually get a December cut, but there was a clear market reaction to that Fedspeak in the meantime. US equities lost ground across the board, with the S&P 500 (-1.66%) slumping after a run of 4 consecutive gains. The decline was driven by the more cyclical sectors, with the NASDAQ (-2.29%) and the Magnificent 7 (-2.69%) posting even larger declines led by Nvidia (-3.58%) and Tesla (-6.64%). Epitomising yesterday’s struggles for momentum stocks, Robinhood Markets (-8.61%) was the worst performer in the S&P 500 after unveiling a cash delivery service. Still, its shares are up +226% year-to-date. Meanwhile, Walt Disney (-7.75%) was the third worst-performer in the S&P after its Q4 revenue missed estimates. While defensive sectors fared less badly, the equal-weighted S&P 500 (-1.18%) also saw its worst day since the US-China trade escalation five weeks ago.
Rising volatility saw the VIX index (+2.49pts) spike back to exactly 20.0 at the close, with many other asset classes also struggling. Bitcoin (-3.08% to $98,756) fell to its lowest level since early May, extending the decline from its early October peak to -21%. Credit spreads widened, with US IG and HY +1bps and +8bps wider respectively. And historical safe havens of gold (-0.57%) and the dollar (-0.34%) weren’t spared either.
This backdrop also weighed on US Treasuries, with yields rising as investors priced in fewer rate cuts. For example, if we look at the December 2026 meeting, investors were pricing in 81bps of cuts by the close, down -1.8bps on the day. So it wasn’t just the next meeting that was being priced in a more hawkish direction. In turn, that pushed yields higher, with the 2yr yield (+2.2bps) moving up to 3.59%, whilst the 10yr yield (+5.0bps) was up to 4.12%. Long-end Treasuries weren’t helped by a softish 30yr auction that saw $25bn of bonds issued +1.0bps above the pre-sale yield, leaving 30yr yields +4.8bps higher on the day. US yields are back down around a basis point across the curve in Asia this morning.
Earlier in Europe, markets followed a very similar direction to the US, with equities and bonds both selling off. In the UK, sentiment wasn’t helped by an underwhelming GDP report, which showed Q3 GDP growth at just +0.1% (vs. +0.2% expected), whilst the major equity indices lost ground across the continent. So the STOXX 600 (-0.61%) fell back after a 3-day run of gains, with the FTSE 100 (-1.05%) and the DAX (-1.39%) leading the declines. And sovereign bond yields moved consistently higher too, with those on 10yr bunds (+4.4bps), OATs (+3.9bps) and BTPs (+4.8bps) all rising.
Here in the UK, sterling is trading -0.39% lower this morning after the FT reported late last night that Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves have ditched plans to increase income tax rates with the budget announcement on November 26. The politics of breaking a manifesto pledge are seemingly forcing their hands if the story is correct. Gilts have outperformed recently on the expectations of significant tax rises in the budget so this could bring some reversal of that.
Asian markets are weak this morning, following on from the US losses with weak monthly China data also a focus. As I check my screens, the KOSPI (-3.51%) is experiencing the most significant losses, followed by the Nikkei (-1.70%), the S&P/ASX 200 (-1.37%), the Hang Seng (-1.36%), the CSI (-0.81%), and the Shanghai Composite (-0.25%). S&P 500 (+0.03%) and NASDAQ 100 (-0.01%) have actually stabilised this morning.
Turning our attention back to China, industrial production increased by +4.3% year-on-year in October, which was below expectations and a decrease from a three-month high of +6.5%, as local manufacturers contend with weak domestic demand and trade tensions with the US. This represents the slowest growth in industrial production since August 2024. Simultaneously, retail sales rose by +2.9% year-on-year in October, surpassing market expectations of +2.7% but down from the 3.0% increase observed in the previous month. In a separate report, new home prices fell by -0.45% month-on-month in October, marking the steepest monthly decline in a year, which underscores the persistently weak demand in the beleaguered property sector which may require additional policy support. This follows a -0.41% decrease in September. September and October are typically peak sales periods.
In the commodities market, Brent crude prices surged above $64 per barrel overnight before retracting some gains to close +1.48% higher, settling at $63.94 per barrel all due to supply concerns following a Ukrainian drone strike on an oil depot in the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, a key export hub.
To the day ahead now, and data releases include the second estimate of Q3 GDP in the Euro Area, and the final October CPI reading for France. Otherwise, central bank speakers include the ECB’s Escriva, Vujcic, Elderson and Lane, along with the Fed’s Schmid, Logan and Bostic.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 11/14/2025 - 08:30
Tartus port, via Maxar Technologies/AFP
Townhouse for sale in Elkridge, Md., on Sept. 27, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times
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