Monday's Market Minute: If A Tree Falls In The Forest…

 …and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? We may finally get our answer this week.

Friday, we have Non-Farm Payrolls and Unemployment data, but markets are closed for Good Friday. Kind of an unusual situation; in fact, it’s the first time I can remember a closely-watched data point like this being released on holiday, when the markets are closed — even more so with all the focus on the labor, as the Fed has been pretty clear it’s at the top of their list in terms of focal points.

In addition to non-farm payrolls, we have Dallas Fed Manufacturing Survey to begin the week, some housing data, Consumer Confidence, the ADP employment report and Chicago PMI in the middle of the week, and Thursday keep an eye on the Challenger Job-Cut Report, Jobless Claims, and Construction Spending. In terms of companies reporting quarterly results, keep an eye on McCormick & Company, Incorporated MKC, Chewy Inc CHWY, Lululemon Athletica Inc LULU, Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc WBA, Micron Technology, Inc. MU, Acuity Brands, Inc. AYI, and CarMax, Inc KMX to name a few.

U.S. rates are holding near multi-month highs: TYX at 2.36% and the TNX at 1.66% to end the week Friday. We also have indices holding near all-time highs, and a few of the other existing trends we’ve been watching to begin the year, like copper and crude trending higher off pandemic 2020 lows, and the dollar strong off lows from the beginning of the year. We’re still dialed in on the cargo ship that remains stuck in the Suez Canal and over 450 vessels are waiting to pass as a result of the blockage. These are all potential focal points for traders this week that could move markets.

Photo by Sergei Akulich on Unsplash