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US Futures Rise In Muted Reaction To Biden’s Exit: Markets Wrap

The dollar slipped in early Asian trading after Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. The region’s stocks are set for a mixed start.

US President Joe Biden speaks in the Indian Treaty Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. The Biden administration wants to tackle rampant shortages of drugs for cancer and other diseases with a multibillion-dollar plan that calls for hospitals to pay more for reliable supplies of high-quality medicines.
US President Joe Biden speaks in the Indian Treaty Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. The Biden administration wants to tackle rampant shortages of drugs for cancer and other diseases with a multibillion-dollar plan that calls for hospitals to pay more for reliable supplies of high-quality medicines.

US tech stocks were poised to rebound from their worst week since April as investors looked beyond Joe Biden ending his presidential reelection campaign and mainly focused on earnings.

Market reaction to Biden’s decision to quit the race and endorse Kamala Harris has so far been fairly muted, with a Bloomberg gauge of dollar strength slipping 0.2%, while the 10-year Treasury yield dropped a basis point. Democrats face the task of uniting around a new nominee just weeks before their convention, and must rapidly make up ground against Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. 

Investors have been wagering on Trump’s return to the White House for weeks, trimming holdings of long-term US bonds and buying Bitcoin, among other things. Now, they’re considering whether the “Trump Trade” is still on. The uncertainty may translate into volatility for markets, though for now, much attention is on earnings and the outlook for monetary policy.

“We are more focused on the cadence of the business cycle than on the outcome of the election,” said Morgan Stanley strategist Michael Wilson. “While markets have been digesting the rising odds of a Trump win, cyclical upside from here will likely be dependent on growth.”

Nasdaq 100 futures contracts advanced 0.7%, signaling a partial recovery from last week’s 4% slump. S&P contracts climbed 0.5%. Europe’s Stoxx 600 index rose 1%, snapping a five-day losing streak.

WATCH: Wolf von Rotberg, equity strategist at J. Safra Sarasin, says US president Joe Biden’s decision not to seek re-election in the 2024 election will not be the driving force in markets. Source: Bloomberg
WATCH: Wolf von Rotberg, equity strategist at J. Safra Sarasin, says US president Joe Biden’s decision not to seek re-election in the 2024 election will not be the driving force in markets. Source: Bloomberg

Investors have their hands full dealing with major earnings this week. Tesla Inc. and Alphabet Inc. will be the first of the “Magnificent Seven” to report on Tuesday. Analysts will likely press Elon Musk’s electric-vehicle giant on the progress of its plans for robotaxis. And investors will delve into the details of Google’s parent revenue boost from artificial intelligence.

Strategists at Morgan Stanley said companies in Europe have made a positive start to the second-quarter reporting season, with 29% beating profit expectations. 

Ryanair Holdings Plc failed to boost that track record Monday, however, falling 13% after the Irish budget carrier cut its outlook for ticket prices in the crucial summer travel period as consumers grow more cautious. Rivals EasyJet Plc and IAG SA also fell, dragging down the travel and leisure subindex.

In Asian trading, stocks continued to be dragged lower by a weak tech sector. Chinese bonds were a highlight, gaining after the central bank cut a policy interest rate. The country’s stocks fell, as investors continued to express disappointment at a lack of strong stimulus measures from a recent major Communist Party meeting.

US Futures Rise In Muted Reaction To Biden’s Exit: Markets Wrap

Elsewhere this week, traders will be focused on economic activity data in Europe, US second-quarter growth and a Bank of Canada rate decision. 

WATCH: Democrat donations have surged with senior figures in the party rallying around Kamala Harris after US President Joe Biden announced he would abandon his reelection bid.Source: Bloomberg
WATCH: Democrat donations have surged with senior figures in the party rallying around Kamala Harris after US President Joe Biden announced he would abandon his reelection bid.Source: Bloomberg

Key events this week: 

  • Mexico retail sales, Monday
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu embarks on visit to Washington, Monday
  • EU foreign ministers meet in Brussels, Monday
  • Singapore CPI, Tuesday
  • Taiwan industrial production, Tuesday
  • India’s budget for fiscal year through March 2025, Tuesday
  • Turkey rate decision, Tuesday
  • Eurozone consumer confidence, Tuesday
  • Alphabet, Tesla, LVMH earnings, Tuesday
  • Malaysia CPI, Wednesday
  • South Africa CPI, Wednesday
  • Eurozone HCOB PMI, Wednesday
  • UK S&P Global PMI, Wednesday
  • Canada rate decision, Wednesday
  • IBM, Deutsche Bank earnings, Wednesday
  • ECB Vice President Luis de Guindos speaks, Wednesday
  • Hong Kong trade, Thursday
  • South Korea GDP, Thursday
  • US GDP, initial jobless claims, durable goods, merchandise trade, Thursday
  • G-20 finance ministers and central bankers meet in Rio de Janeiro, Thursday through Friday
  • Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville, Thursday through July 27
  • Japan Tokyo CPI, Friday
  • US personal income, PCE price index, University of Michigan consumer sentiment, Friday
  • Mexico trade, Friday

Some of the main moves in markets:

Stocks

  • S&P 500 futures rose 0.5% as of 6:10 a.m. New York time
  • Nasdaq 100 futures rose 0.7%
  • Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.2%
  • The Stoxx Europe 600 rose 1.1%
  • The MSCI World Index rose 0.1%

Currencies

  • The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index fell 0.1%
  • The euro was little changed at $1.0886
  • The British pound rose 0.1% to $1.2929
  • The Japanese yen rose 0.6% to 156.58 per dollar

Cryptocurrencies

  • Bitcoin fell 0.5% to $67,409.37
  • Ether fell 0.2% to $3,491.2

Bonds

  • The yield on 10-year Treasuries declined one basis point to 4.23%
  • Germany’s 10-year yield was little changed at 2.47%
  • Britain’s 10-year yield advanced two basis points to 4.14%

Commodities

  • West Texas Intermediate crude was little changed
  • Spot gold rose 0.2% to $2,405.29 an ounce

This story was produced with the assistance of Bloomberg Automation.

--With assistance from Farah Elbahrawy and Catherine Bosley.

(An earlier version of the story was corrected to fix the spelling of Kamala in the second paragraph.)

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

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