Morning Call For Friday, Feb. 3

OVERNIGHT MARKETS AND NEWS

Mar E-mini S&Ps (ESH17 +0.16%) are up +0.15% and European stocks are up +0.63% ahead of this morning’s U.S. payroll report that may provide clues as to the timing of the next Fed rate hike. Mar WTI crude oil (CLH17 +0.19%) is up +0.50% and is giving energy producing stocks a lift after President Trump tweeted this morning that Iran was “playing with fire” following its ballistic missile test this week. European stocks also found support after the Eurozone Jan Markit composite PMI was revised upward to its fastest pace in 3 years. Gains in stocks were contained as mining companies weakened as Mar COMEX copper prices (HGH17 -1.06%) fell -0.89% after a gauge of Chinese manufacturing activity weakened more than expected last month, and after Chinese copper supplies rose after weekly Shanghai copper inventories climbed +10,928 MT to 223,853 MT, an 8-1/2 month high. Asian stocks settled mixed: Japan +0.02%, Hong Kong -0.24%, China -0.60%, Taiwan +0.28%, Australia -0.42%, Singapore -0.07%, South Korea +0.13%, India +0.05%.

The dollar index (DXY00 +0.28%) is up +0.33%. EUR/USD (^EURUSD) is down -0.26% after ECB Executive Board member Praet said “the firming recovery is not yet sufficiently robust to ensure a self-sustained convergence of inflation rates to levels closer to 2%.” USD/JPY (^USDJPY) is up +0.33%.

Mar 10-year T-note prices (ZNH17 -0.11%) are down -5.5 ticks.

ECB Executive Board member Praet said that “the firming recovery is not yet sufficiently robust to ensure a self-sustained convergence of inflation rates to levels closer to 2% as underlying inflation dynamics remain subdued, and risks and uncertainties still prevail, especially those related to the geopolitical environment.”

The Eurozone Jan Markit composite PMI was revised upward to 54.4 from the originally reported 54.3, the fastest pace of expansion since the data series began in 2014.

The China Jan Caixin (flash) manufacturing PMI fell -0.9 to 51.0, weaker than expectations of -0.1 to 51.8.