Summary Of the Markets Today:
*Stock data, cryptocurrency, and commodity prices at the market closing. Today’s Economic Releases Compiled by Steven Hansen, Publisher:Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 272,000 in May 2024, and the unemployment rate changed little at 4.0%. Employment continued to trend up in several industries, led by health care; government; leisure and hospitality; and professional, scientific, and technical services. Talk about crazy, the headline establishment survey showing employment gain of 272,000 (blue bars on the graph below) – the household survey shows an employment DECREASE of 408,000 (red bars on the graph below). Either one or both of the surveys must be wrong as they do not agree. And the household survey (which is the basis of the headline unemployment rate) shows the total workforce fell by 250,000 whilst the number of unemployed increased by 157,000. Also worth noting that the temporary help services fell for the third month in a row which is indicative of a slowing economy. 
April 2024 sales of merchant wholesalers were up 1.4% from the revised April 2023 level. Total inventories of merchant wholesalers were down 1.7% from the revised April 2023 level
The April inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers was 1.35. The April 2023 ratio was 1.39. A rising inventory/sales ratio is indicative of a slowing economy – but the amount of rise is currently insignificant – and my takeaway from this and employment levels in this industry is that the economy remains little changed. 
U.S. homeowners with a mortgage pulled in $28,000 in equity gains year over year in first quarter of 2024, the highest number since late 2022. California ($64,000), Massachusetts ($61,000) and New Jersey ($59,000) led the country for annual home equity gains in the first quarter. Dr. Selma Hepp, chief economist for CoreLogic added:With home prices continuing to reach new highs, owners are also seeing their equity approach the historic peaks of 2023, close to a total of $305,000 per owner. Importantly, higher prices have also lifted some 190,000 homeowners out of negative equity, leaving only about 1.8% of those with mortgages underwater. Home equity is key to mortgage holders who have seen other homeownership costs soar, including insurance, taxes and HOA fees, as a source of financial buffer. Also, low amounts of negative equity are welcomed in markets that have shown price weaknesses this spring, such as Florida (1.1% of homes underwater) and Texas (1.7% of homes underwater) — both of which are below the national rate — as further price declines could drive more homeowners to lose their equity. 
Holy crap Batman – the Federal Reserve says consumer credit increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.5 percent in April 2024. Revolving credit decreased at an annual rate of 0.4 percent, while nonrevolving credit increased at an annual rate of 2.2 percent. My preferred method of calculating consumer credit growth is 2.0% growth year-over-year. And a 2.0% growth taking inflation into account is a decline of 0.2% year-over-year. This is a major warning sign that the consumer is reducing its use of credit – and that translates into fewer purchases. Fewer purchases = a slowing economy. The slowing is most noticeable in non-revolving credit (cars, student loans, and personal loans) but revolving credit (credit cards) is also slowing. 
The Market in Perspective
China’s EV Boom Sparks Trade Tensions with US and EU
The United States and the European Union fear the Chinese electric vehicle competition, the founder and CEO of China’s EV manufacturing giant BYD said on Friday. “There are many examples of politicians in other countries who are worried about EVs in China,” BYD founder, CEO, and chairman Wang Chuanfu said at an industry event in China, as carried by Bloomberg. The Chinese billionaire said that the idea to slap tariffs on Chinese EVs shows that China’s electric vehicle industry is strong. “If you are…
Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Chinas-EV-Boom-Sparks-Trade-Tensions-with-US-and-EU.html
Opportunities to Watch as Power Grid Expansion Shifts into High Gear
Authored by Michael Lebowitz via RealInvestmentAdvice.com, We continue with our discussion of investment ideas that could benefit from upgrading and expanding the power grid to accommodate surging demand from AI data centers and EVs. This third and final part of this series focuses on alternative energy sources, utility companies, and other companies related to the power grid infrastructure. If you haven’t read Parts ONE or TWO we recommend reading them before continuing. Alternative/Renewable Energy Sources In 2022, the Department of Energy…
Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Opportunities-to-Watch-as-Power-Grid-Expansion-Shifts-into-High-Gear.html
Biden Administration Seizes Opportunity to Refill SPR Amid Price Dip
The Biden administration has announced the purchase of an additional six million barrels of crude oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), capitalizing on a recent dip in oil prices to bolster the nation’s emergency stockpile. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) revealed on Friday two solicitations for the SPR, totaling 1.5 million barrels for delivery in September and an additional 4.5 million barrels scheduled for October, November, and December. These purchases will be directed to the Bayou Choctaw site, which has recently completed maintenance…
Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Biden-Administration-Seizes-Opportunity-to-Refill-SPR-Amid-Price-Dip.html
Oil Spill Shuts Down Dock at Europe’s Second-Largest Port
Authorities at Europe’s second largest port, Antwerp, said on Friday they closed a dock for traffic after detecting late on Thursday afternoon an oil spill that had occurred during a bunkering operation. The authorities are using drones to determine the extent of the oil leak and have already begun clean-up operations. A total of 20 ships have been found to have oil on them and they cannot leave the Deurganck Dock until they are cleaned from the oil, the port authorities said. Oil was also detected in the shipping…
Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Oil-Spill-Shuts-Down-Dock-at-Europes-Second-Largest-Port.html
U.S. Oil, Gas Activity Declines
The total number of active drilling rigs for oil and gas in the United States fell this week, according to new data that Baker Hughes published on Friday. The total rig count fell by 6 to 594 this week, compared to 695 rigs this same time last year. The number of oil rigs fell by 4 this week, after staying the same in the week prior. Oil rigs now stand at 492–down by 64 compared to this time last year. The number of gas rigs fell by 2 this week to 98, a loss of 37 active gas rigs from this time last year. Miscellaneous rigs stayed the same at…
Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/US-Oil-Gas-Activity-Declines.html
EU To Endorse German Plan to Subsidize 10 GW New Gas Power Capacity
EU competition regulators have given an informal approval to a German plan to offer state support to new natural gas-fired power capacity of 10 gigawatts (GW) that would help stabilize the grid as Europe’s biggest economy is boosting renewables, government and industry sources with knowledge of the talks told Reuters on Friday. Earlier this year, the German government said that it would tender 10 GW of new natural gas-fired capacity from power plants that could be converted to hydrogen in the 2030s, as part of plans to…
Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/EU-To-Endorse-German-Plan-to-Subsidize-10-GW-New-Gas-Power-Capacity.html
Gold Surpasses Euro, Challenges Dollar Dominance in Global Reserves
ByJan Nieuwenhuijs of Gainesville Coins Sturdy central bank gold buying since 2009 and a rising gold price has grown the precious metal’s share of global international reserves to the detriment of fiat currencies. By the end of 2023 gold surpassed the euro and the next fiat currency to be challenged is the US dollar. Often when financial analysts draw charts on the distribution of international reserves they focus on foreign exchange (omit gold) and start when the euro was introduced in 1999. Based on such charts the dollar’s share…
Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Metals/Gold/Gold-Surpasses-Euro-Challenges-Dollar-Dominance-in-Global-Reserves.html
Oil Exploration Firm: South Korea’s Offshore Prospects Hold Great Potential
The oil and gas exploration prospects offshore South Korea have great potential and a future discovery is “highly prospective,” according to the founder of a petroleum exploration firm that advises the Asian country’s government on the drilling potential off its east coast. South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol endorsed earlier this week a plan for drilling off the east coast of one of the world’s largest oil and gas importers, to explore what studies say are potentially vast resources of crude oil…
Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Oil-Exploration-Firm-South-Koreas-Offshore-Prospects-Hold-Great-Potential.html
Iran Doubles Down on Nuclear Ambitions Following IAEA Censure
Iran has criticized a resolution by the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) calling on Tehran to step up its cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog. The IAEA’s 35-nation board on June 5 voted 20-2, with 12 abstentions, to adopt the censure resolution tabled by Britain, France, and Germany — the three Western European nations that are party to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and are known as the E3. In a statement, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said it “strongly condemns” the resolution, which…
Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Geopolitics/International/Iran-Doubles-Down-on-Nuclear-Ambitions-Following-IAEA-Censure.html
Norway Restores Natural Gas Flows to UK Terminal after Outage
Natural gas from Norway resumed flowing to Britain’s Easington terminal early on Friday, following several days of repairs on a pipeline link that had halted supply to the UK terminal and sent European gas prices to a six-month high. Gas flows at the Easington terminal from the Langeled link from Norway were at about 50 million cubic meters (mcm) per day at 10:22 a.m. UK time on Friday, compared to zero on Thursday, data from UK’s National Gas transmission network showed. An outage on Sunday halted gas supply from Langeled to the…
Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Norway-Restores-Natural-Gas-Flows-to-UK-Terminal-after-Outage.html
OPEC’s Cautious and Calculated Strategy
OPEC’s decision on Sunday to leave the door open for rolling back some of the production cuts, while not an unprecedented move, has led to a bearish reaction in the oil markets, with prices plummeting in the days following the announcement. Analysts have expressed concern over this ambiguity, despite OPEC’s historical approach of adapting its policies based on market conditions. The group’s commitment to maintaining flexibility ensures they can respond dynamically to shifts in global oil demand and supply. The immediate market reaction appears…
Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/OPECs-Cautious-and-Calculated-Strategy.html
Oil Bounces Back on Rate Cut Optimism
Oil Market Weekly Recap and Forecast Oil prices closed higher on Thursday, rebounding after a week of significant losses. The market reacted positively to the European Central Bank’s (ECB) decision to cut interest rates, which raised hopes that the Federal Reserve might follow suit. Additionally, reassurances from OPEC+ ministers about potential adjustments to their oil output agreement provided some support. However, the overall sentiment remains cautious due to mixed economic signals and increasing oil inventories in the U.S. Central Bank Actions…
Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Oil-Prices/Oil-Bounces-Back-on-Rate-Cut-Optimism.html
Hopes of Fed Cut Jolts Oil Prices
Brent crude jumped above $80 per barrel again on Friday morning following the ECB rate cut decision on Thursday. Friday, June 07, 2024The oil markets got their breath back after the Monday sell-off saw WTI plunge to $73 per barrel, with Saudi Arabia and Russia insisting that the gradual return of crude to the markets should be seen as a positive signal rather than a bearish one. The interest rate cut of the European Central Bank has provided some macro upside to prices, raising the hopes for a potential Federal Reserve interest rate cut in…
Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Hopes-of-Fed-Cut-Jolts-Oil-Prices.html
OPEC+ Paves the Way for 2025 Return of Crude
In the latest edition of the Numbers Report, we will take a look at some of the most interesting figures put out this week in the energy and metals sectors. Each week we’ll dig into some data and provide a bit of explanation on what drives the numbers. Let’s take a look.1. OPEC+ Rolls Over Voluntary Cuts, Paves the Way for 2025 Return of Crude- OPEC+ extended their 2.2 million b/d voluntary crude production through Q3 2024, however the group has also charted a path to bring back those volumes back to the market from October 2024 onwards.…
Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/OPEC-Paves-the-Way-for-2025-Return-of-Crude.html
Tensions Between the West and Russia are Rising Again
Politics, Geopolitics & Conflict – Tensions are slowly rising, and expanding further afield in relation to the Russia-Ukraine war, with a number of new developments that build on other East-West conflict developments over the past few months. France agreed (on D-Day) to give Mirage fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of the year. Four Russian warships are headed for Cuba and will dock next week in what is being interpreted as a message to Washington. One of the four warships is a nuclear-powered sub, and Moscow promptly assured that none would…
Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Tensions-Between-the-West-and-Russia-are-Rising-Again.html
Market backs off on hopes for interest rate cuts following strong jobs report
The data at the very least adds to the narrative that the Fed doesn’t have to be in a rush to lower interest rates.
Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/07/market-backs-off-on-hopes-for-interest-rate-cuts-following-strong-jobs-report.html
S&P 500 closes flat near record, posts winning week: Live updates
The S&P 500 reached a fresh record intraday on Friday.
Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/06/stock-market-today-live-updates.html
GameStop tumbles 40% as ‘Roaring Kitty’ trader says little new about retailer on livestream
Keith Gill, better known as “Roaring Kitty,” is slated to host his first livestream since the meme stock craze that took place three years ago.
Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/07/following-gamestop-action-during-roaring-kitty-livestream.html
Synapse bankruptcy trustee says $85 million of customer savings is missing in fintech meltdown
The missing funds explain what is at the heart of the worst meltdown in the U.S. fintech sector since its emergence after the 2008 financial crisis.
Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/07/synapse-bankruptcy-trustee-85-million-of-customer-savings-is-missing.html
The Fed’s rate decision and May inflation data will be key tests for the stock market next week
The next rate decision from the Federal Reserve and an update on inflation in May will play a key role in how stocks perform next week.
Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/07/fed-rate-decision-may-inflation-key-tests-for-stock-market-next-week-.html
Bitcoin in the red to end the week after better-than-expected May jobs report: CNBC Crypto World
CNBC Crypto World features the latest news and daily trading updates from the digital currency markets and provides viewers with a look at what’s ahead with high-profile interviews, explainers, and unique stories from the ever-changing crypto industry. On today’s show, Sun Raghupathi, the co-founder of the DeFi protocol Veda, weighs in on recent developments related to spot bitcoin and ether ETFs in the U.S. and regions around the world.
Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/video/2024/06/07/bitcoin-red-end-week-after-better-than-expected-may-jobs-report-cnbc-crypto-world.html
Waystar shares slip in Nasdaq debut after digital health company priced IPO in middle of range
Shares of Waystar fell in their trading debut on Friday in one of the first tech IPOs of the year.
Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/07/waystar-shares-slip-in-debut-after-pricing-ipo-in-middle-of-range-.html
10-year Treasury yield shoots higher after May payrolls top expectations
U.S. Treasury yields rose Friday after nonfarm payrolls increased more than expected in May.
Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/07/us-treasurys-ahead-of-may-jobs-report.html
Microsoft says AI feature that captures screenshots on new PCs will be off by default after backlash
Security researchers said hackers could get data on users’ PCs with the launch of Recall, a feature for searching through automatically generated screenshots.
Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/07/microsoft-says-its-upcoming-recall-featu.html
United Airlines starts serving passengers personalized ads on seat-back screens
United’s Kinective Media is the latest example of how airlines have adopted new revenue streams such as cobranded cards.
Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/07/united-airlines-personalized-ads-seatback-screens.html
Beyoncé tickets, book advances, Bali trip revealed in new Supreme Court financial disclosures
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson valued four Beyoncé tickets at $3,711.84.
Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/07/beyonce-supreme-court-ketanji-brown-jackson-clarence-thomas.html
Jury dismissed in Hunter Biden gun trial after his daughter testifies about rehab visit
Hunter Biden is charged with three counts related to his purchase and possession of a Colt Cobra revolver while using illicit drugs.
Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/07/hunter-biden-trial-prosecution-rests.html
The utilities sector is up 10% in 2024. These four names still have room to run, Morningstar says
Enthusiasm around powering the artificial intelligence revolution is breathing new life into utilities this year. Morningstar likes these four stocks.
Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/07/four-utilities-with-attractive-dividends-and-upside-per-morningstar.html
Are They Trying To Start A Nuclear War?
Authored by James Rickards via DailyReckoning.com,
The steady path toward World War III continues. U.S. and NATO support for Ukraine in the war with Russia has been one long failure, but that hasn’t stopped them from escalating the war with new weapons and tactics.
Russia has met the escalation with its own escalation every step of the way. At what point do rational leaders in the West (if there are any left) pause, consider that the war is lost in Ukraine, deescalate and seek a treaty to end the war?
There’s no sign of that yet. In fact, all of the signs point to further escalation, which is a sure path to nuclear war. What good has escalation accomplished?
The West supplied Ukraine with HIMARS precision-guided artillery, but that largely failed because the Russians quickly learned how to jam the GPS guidance systems, so the missiles went off course.
That do …
Read more at: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/are-they-trying-start-nuclear-war
Heir To Jose Cuervo Fortune Has Amassed A More Than $1 Billion Commercial Real Estate Portfolio
Juan Beckmann Vidal, the heir to the Jose Cuervo tequila fortune, has been amassing a portfolio of commercial real estate in the United States over the last 15 years, according to a new report from Yahoo/Bloomberg.
He’s put together a portfolio that “that runs from Miami to Minneapolis”, according to the report. He has purchased and developed at least 5 million square feet (464,515 square meters), Bloomberg wrote on Thursday.
The business – which is known as Agave Holdings – has been backed completely by the Beckmanns and has not taken on outside investors. Its buildings are now worth more than $1 billion.
The company’s latest project is a mixed-use complex in Coral Gables, marking not only an ambitious purchase, but one that Bloomberg describes as “emblematic of the U.S. playbook of one of Mexico’s richest families”.
The building has been able to sidestep the current CRE crisis since it was purchased out of foreclosure more than a decade ago. Property prices in South Florida remain on the rise and the building is fully leased, according to the report.
Read more at: https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/heir-jose-cuervo-fortune-has-amassed-more-1-billion-commercial-real-estate-portfolio
Presidential Campaigns And Technological Advances
Authored by Adeline Von Drehle via RealClearPolitics,
The Biden campaign is looking for a meme manager.
We laugh, because it’s outrageous. Yet even a candidate older than the computer itself understands that a changing technological landscape calls for new campaign tactics. It is a tale originally told on radio waves.
Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first president who harnessed technology to speak directly to the American public. Throughout the Great Depression and World War II, Roosevelt delivered staticky messages about the state of the nation and world affairs via a handy new tool: the radio. As the story goes, Americans across the country would assemble in their living rooms with loved ones and listen to their president like children with a bedtime story. Roosevelt spoke with …
Read more at: https://www.zerohedge.com/political/presidential-campaigns-and-technological-advances
US Bombers Drop Live Munitions In Threat To North Korea
Authored by Kyle Anzalone via The Libertarian Institute,
Two US B-1 strategic bombers dropped live munitions on the Korean Peninsula in a show of force eyeing Pyongyang. Tensions in the region have ratcheted up during the Biden administration as the president has taken a hardline approach toward the DPRK.
The American B-1Bs and two South Korean fighter jets dropped live GBU-38, 500-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMS) on test targets in South Korea. “This training showcases the incredible capabilities of our combined forces to simultaneously strike multiple targets in a contested environment,” said Lt. Gen. David Iverson, US Force Korea deputy commander and Seventh Air Force commander. “The tremendous capabilities of ROK and US airpower is an overwhelming, asymmetric warfighting advantage for our combined force that adversaries cannot match.”
Read more at: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-bombers-drop-live-munitions-threat-north-korea
100ml liquid rule reintroduced at some regional airports
Restrictions on liquids are already in place at London Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester.
Read more at: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clmm97x3yvmo
US jobs surge casts doubt over interest rate cuts
US employers added 272,000 jobs in May which was far higher than economists expected.
Read more at: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c97763pnlvpo
Unite union refuses to endorse Labour manifesto
Labour’s biggest trade union backer is concerned workers’ rights policies do not go far enough.
Read more at: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c722zkj9ly8o
?Top Performers: These 3 equity mutual funds gave over 25% returns in five years
Three equity mutual fund categories gave more than 25% returns in the last five years. The returns ranged between 25.22% and 26.94%, according to data pulled from ACE MF.
Read more at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/mf/analysis/these-3-equity-mutual-funds-gave-over-25-returns-in-five-years/top-performers/slideshow/110803876.cms
RBI MPC Policy: Mutual fund managers decode RBI rate pause for investors
Reserve Bank of India in its bi-monthly monetary policy review again decided to keep the policy rate unchanged at 6.50%.
Read more at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/mf/analysis/rbi-mpc-policy-mutual-fund-managers-decode-rbi-rate-pause-for-investors/articleshow/109061578.cms
Trader sends abusive responses to Sebi regarding insider trading, fined Rs 20 lakh
Though Rajat Mishra said he would be available for video call anytime in response to the summons dated March 7, he failed to appear through the call before the investigating authority from Common Investor Service Centre, Lucknow.
Read more at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/trader-sends-abusive-responses-to-sebi-regarding-insider-trading-fined-rs-20-lakh/articleshow/110803321.cms
Every 15 minutes, there’s a new millionaire in this Asian country
India and investors in its stock market are getting rich quick — and that should give us pause.
Read more at: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/this-fast-growing-country-is-minting-one-new-millionaire-every-15-minutes-ac0eca5c?mod=mw_rss_topstories
Treasury yields end at highest in a week after May’s job gains reduce rate-cut expectations
Investors aggressively sold off U.S. government debt on Friday, sending Treasury yields soaring for the first time in seven trading sessions, after a stronger-than-expected jobs report for May.
Read more at: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/treasury-yields-inch-higher-ahead-of-may-payrolls-data-a71699e1?mod=mw_rss_topstories
Credit-card borrowing drops unexpectedly in April for first monthly decline in 3 years
While total consumer credit rose in April, consumers shied away from using credit cards, according to the latest government data released Friday.
Read more at: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/consumer-credit-rebounds-in-april-after-small-decline-in-prior-month-f513e302?mod=mw_rss_topstories
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