20Dec2022 Market Close & Major Financial Headlines: Wall Street Three Main Indexes Traded Along The Unchanged Line And Closed Fractionally Higher, Snapping Four-Day Losing Streak

Summary Of the Markets Today:

  • The Dow closed up 92 points or 0.28%,
  • Nasdaq closed up and flat 0.01%,
  • S&P 500 up 0.11%,
  • WTI crude oil settled at $76 up $0.83,
  • USD $104.03 down $0.69,
  • Gold $1828 up $30.30,
  • Bitcoin $16,862 up 2.54% – Session Low 16,375,
  • 10-year U.S. Treasury 3.694% up 0.111%

*Stock data, cryptocurrency, and commodity prices at the market closing.


Click here to read our Economic Forecast for December 2022


Today’s Economic Releases:

Privately‐owned housing units authorized by building permits in November 2022 are 22.4% below November 2021 (blue line on the graph below). Privately‐owned housing starts in November were 16.4% below November 2021 (red line on the graph below). Housing Completions Privately‐owned housing completions in November were 6.0% above November 2021 (green line on the graph below). The housing market continues to slow due to the higher mortgage.

Nationwide, rent prices were up by 8.8% year over year in October, the lowest rate of growth recorded since June 2021. Three of four tracked price tiers posted lower rental cost increases than in October 2021, with only the lowest tier seeing a 1.3 percentage point acceleration in growth.

A summary of headlines we are reading today:

  • Long Term Outlook For Precious Metals Looks Blurred Despite Strong End Of 2022
  • Exxon Steers Clear Of Russia-Linked Oil Tankers
  • Deadly Blast Destroys Russia-Ukraine Gas Export Pipeline
  • Bill Gross says markets are headed for ‘potential chaos’ if interest rates keep going up
  • Biden unveils stricter emissions rules for heavy-duty trucks
  • U.S. Postal Service to transform delivery fleet with 66,000 electric vehicles by 2028
  • Earnings Outlook: Micron earnings: Memory-chip slowdown appears to be far from over

These and other headlines and news summaries moving the markets today are included below.

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The Market in Perspective

Here are the headlines moving the markets.

Living Solar Cell Could Pave The Way For Future Sustainable Energy Tech

Scientists at Technion in Israel figured out how to harvest the electrons plants produce and extract the current. By collecting electrons naturally transported within plant cells, the scientists can generate electricity as part of a green, biological solar cell. Now the research team has used a succulent plant to create a living bio-solar cell that runs on the solar powered photosynthesis. The team reported their study in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. Though plants can serve as a source of food, oxygen and

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Living-Solar-Cell-Could-Pave-The-Way-For-Future-Sustainable-Energy-Tech.html

Long Term Outlook For Precious Metals Looks Blurred Despite Strong End Of 2022

Via AG Metal Miner The Global Precious Metals MMI (Monthly MetalMiner Index) stayed within a sideways range this past month. However, precious metal prices did rise by a modest 1.13%. As the US dollar dropped in value over recent weeks, precious metal indexes responded accordingly. Month-over-month, gold, platinum, and palladium all saw a brief rally between Nov 3 10. However, they soon began to cool off again. Silver reacted similarly, but managed to continue its rally a bit longer than the other three. Wrapping up 2022, its

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Metals/Gold/Long-Term-Outlook-For-Precious-Metals-Looks-Blurred-Despite-Strong-End-Of-2022.html

Putins Energy Weapon Is Losing Strength

Bold and unpredictable maneuvers are supposed to be the trademark political style of Russian President Vladimir Putin; last week, however, he surprised observers of various persuasions not with a proactive move but with an unusual act of avoidance. Putins annual marathon end-of-the-year press conference has been canceled, as has the traditional direct line with carefully trained audiences, and his constitutionally prescribed annual address to the Federal Assembly has been postponed indefinitely (RTVi.com, December 15). Speculation

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Putins-Energy-Weapon-Is-Losing-Strength.html

Saudi Energy Minister Says OPEC Predictions Have Been Spot On

In an interview with the Saudi state news agency (SPA), the Saudi energy minister said that despite heavy criticism of OPEC+s recent decision to cut oil output, the cartels market predictions have been more accurate than others as they have been based on fundamentals rather than politics. As I have emphasized multiple times, in OPEC+ we leave politics out of our decision-making process, out of our assessments and forecasting, and we focus solely on market fundamentals. This enables us to assess situations in a more objective

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Saudi-Energy-Minister-Says-OPEC-Predictions-Have-Been-Spot-On.html

Exxon Steers Clear Of Russia-Linked Oil Tankers

Since the G7 price cap on Russian crude oil came into force on December 5, ExxonMobil has started asking shipowners to prove that the tankers they hire out to the U.S. supermajor havent shipped oil cargoes linked with Russia in any way, according to a clause in contracts Bloomberg has seen. After the price cap took effect, buyers paying $60 or less per barrel of Russias crude will continue to have full access to all EU and G7 insurance and financing services associated with transporting Russian crude to non-EU countries. Exxon

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Exxon-Steers-Clear-Of-Russia-Linked-Oil-Tankers.html

Deadly Blast Destroys Russia-Ukraine Gas Export Pipeline

A gas pipeline in central Russia that brings gas from Russia’s Arctic through Ukraine to Europe has been shut following a huge blast that ripped through and left three people dead and one injured, Reuters cited local officials and TASS news agency as reporting. According to the Chuvashia regional Emergencies Ministry, the pipeline blew up during planned maintenance work near the village of Kalinino, about 150 km (90 miles) west of the Volga city of Kazan. The resulting gas flare has been extinguished, with local officials reporting that the

Read more at: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Natural-Gas/Deadly-Blast-Destroys-Russia-Ukraine-Gas-Export-Pipeline.html

Auto executives are less confident in EV adoption than they were a year ago

For the U.S., the median expectation for EV sales was 35% of the market by 2030 — down from 65% a year earlier.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/20/auto-execs-less-confident-in-ev-adoption-amid-economic-fears-kpmg.html

Target hopes value-hungry shoppers will come to the rescue this holiday season

Target has put up three quarters of disappointing earnings results while trying to clear through excess inventory and woo price-sensitive shoppers.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/20/target-under-pressure-value-minded-shoppers-holidays.html

Treasury Department delays electric vehicle tax credit guidance until March

The sourcing of materials and batteries for EVs is a major part of the federal tax credits of up to $7,500 for consumers under the Inflation Reduction Act.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/20/treasury-delays-electric-vehicle-tax-credit-guidance-until-march.html

Two New York men arrested for conspiring with Russians to hack JFK taxi system

Two people were arrested for conspiring with Russian hackers to break into the taxi dispatch system at JFK Airport so they charge drivers to cut the line.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/20/jfk-taxi-dispatch-system-hacked-new-york-men-arrested-for-conspiracy.html

Porsche begins production of ‘e-fuel’ that could provide gas alternative amid EV push

Porsche officials celebrated the beginning of e-fuel production with the filling of a Porsche 911 with the first synthetic fuel produced at the site.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/20/porsche-starts-production-of-e-fuel-that-could-provide-gas-alternative.html

Bill Gross says markets are headed for ‘potential chaos’ if interest rates keep going up

The famed investor expects a mild recession could take a turn for the worse on tightening monetary policy.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/20/bill-gross-says-markets-are-headed-for-potential-chaos-if-interest-rates-keep-going-up.html

EV battery startup QuantumScape starts shipping prototypes to automakers, a key milestone

It’s a key step for QuantumScape, but actual commercial production of its EV batteries is still at least a few years away.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/20/quantumscape-starts-shipping-ev-battery-prototypes.html

EV maker Lucid closes $1.5 billion raise from the Saudi public wealth fund and other investors

Electric vehicle maker Lucid Group said it has completed a planned $1.5 billion equity offering.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/19/ev-maker-lucid-raises-from-the-saudi-public-wealth-fund-and-other-investors.html

Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Gilead Sciences, Moderna, Tesla and more

These are the stocks posting the largest moves midday.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/20/stocks-making-the-biggest-moves-midday-gilead-sciences-moderna-tesla-and-more.html

Biden unveils stricter emissions rules for heavy-duty trucks

The new rules from the Environmental Protection Agency are the first update to clean air standards for trucks, vans and buses in more than 20 years.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/20/biden-unveils-stricter-emissions-rules-for-heavy-duty-trucks.html

Three Marvel sequels are the most anticipated movies of 2023, according to Fandango

Fandango found that moviegoers are most looking forward to Marvel sequels and plan to visit theaters more often in 2023.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/20/marvel-sequels-are-most-anticipated-movies-of-2023-fandango-survey.html

U.S. Postal Service to transform delivery fleet with 66,000 electric vehicles by 2028

The Postal Service said the move has the potential to create one of the largest electric vehicle fleets in the country.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/20/postal-service-to-buy-66000-electric-vehicles-to-transform-fleet.html

This ‘wild card’ strategy can help retirees with unpaid quarterly taxes before year-end

If you’re retired and missed quarterly estimated tax payments for 2022, there’s still a chance to avoid late penalties. Here’s what to know.

Read more at: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/20/how-to-use-a-required-minimum-distribution-for-unpaid-quarterly-taxes.html

Delaware Supreme Court Strikes Down Voting By Mail, And Same-Day Registration

Delaware Supreme Court Strikes Down Voting By Mail, And Same-Day RegistrationAuthored by Matthew Vadum via The Epoch Times,

The Supreme Court of Delaware has formally struck down state laws allowing universal mail-in voting and same-day voter registration, finding the statutes violate the state’s constitution.

The court unanimously ruled against the laws in October—preventing no excuse required mail-in voting and same-day voter registration from being used in the Nov. 8 general elections—but didn’t make public a full opinion explaining its reasons until Dec. 16.

Before that, on Sept. 14, the Court of Chancery of Delaware found that the state’s mail-in voting practices violate the Delaware Constitution, The Epoch Times reported.

Christian Adams, president of the

Read more at: https://www.zerohedge.com/political/delaware-supreme-court-strikes-down-voting-mail-and-same-day-registration

Fed’s New Inflation Index Shows Rent Slowing Sharply, Setting Stage For Fed Pivot

Fed’s New Inflation Index Shows Rent Slowing Sharply, Setting Stage For Fed PivotThere are two things that need to happen for the Fed to stop hiking and pivot (or just one if the Fed were to raise its inflation target, which will happen but not for several years as Powell himself admitted last week): first, the labor market has to turn decidedly weaker with both the pace of monthly payrolls increase and hourly earnings having to come down drastically; and second, inflation has to drop sharply on a Y/Y basis and has to at worst flatten sequentially.

Regarding the first, we are almost there. Recall that as we first reported last week, the Philly Fed had effectively revised what was according to the BLS a gain of 1.1 million jobs to just 10,500 jobs, meaning that the Fed was looking at erroneously overstated, arguably politicized data, as it unleashed its burst of 75bps rate hikes in June… which happened just as June jobs number turned negative.

Read more at: https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/feds-new-inflation-index-shows-rents-plunging-setting-stage-fed-pivot

Potential Pre-Christmas Bomb Cyclone Could Wreak Havoc Across US

Potential Pre-Christmas Bomb Cyclone Could Wreak Havoc Across USMillions of Americans could be caught in a travel nightmare before Christmas as a major winter storm could become a bomb cycle at the end of the week, dumping heavy snow across the Midwest and Great Lakes and mixed precipitation in the Northeast, according to The Weather Channel.

The storm will usher in below-freezing air across much of the country as far south as Texas, the Gulf Coast, and Florida.

Read more at: https://www.zerohedge.com/weather/potential-pre-christmas-bomb-cyclone-could-wreack-havoc-across-us

Rising Rates Lead To Financial Accidents

Rising Rates Lead To Financial AccidentsAuthored by Alasdair Macleod via GoldMoney.com,

A recent Bank for International Settlements paper warning of unappreciated risks in foreign exchange markets echoes my earlier warning in an article for Goldmoney published over a month ago describing derivative risks in FX markets.[i]

In this article I also show evidence that banks in both the US and Eurozone are reducing the deposit side of their balance sheets by turning away big deposits which are ending up in central bank reverse repos, parking unwanted liquidity out of public circulation. The great unwind is well under way.

Credit contraction is not only driving a bear market in financial assets, but the exposure to malinvestments by rising interest rates is having negative consequences for the non-financial economy as well. Private equity, which has thrived on cheap finance used to leverage targeted businesses, is showing signs of unwinding with two major Blackrock funds suspending redemptions.

As we approach the season for year-end window dressing, we must hope that the volatility in thin markets that often accompanies it does not destabilise global financial markets.

Read more at: https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/rising-rates-lead-financial-accidents

Train drivers announce new January strike date

The first week of the new year will be marked by rail strikes as drivers take action over pay.

Read more at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64039480?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

Who is striking? How Wednesday 21 December’s walkouts will affect you

What you need to know about Wednesday’s ambulance workers strike – by the BBC’s Zoe Conway.

Read more at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63999202?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

3M manufacturing giant to stop making ‘forever chemicals’

Environmental campaigners called the move to phase out the chemicals a “win for public health”.

Read more at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64042796?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

Tech View: Nifty charts hint at non-directional activity. What traders should do on Wednesday

Volume profile indicates Nifty may find support around the 18150-18200 zone, which was tested today. The highest OI was observed at 18500, followed by a 18600 strike price, while on the Put side, the highest OI was at an 18300 strike price.

Read more at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/tech-view-nifty-charts-hint-at-non-directional-activity-what-traders-should-do-on-wednesday/articleshow/96374442.cms

Kotak Securities’ base case view on Nifty50 implies moderate upside in 2023

This is partly also because of the stretched valuations. Currently, India is the most expensive market within the emerging market pack. It is trading at close to 20 times its one-year forward earnings.

Read more at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/kotak-securities-base-case-view-on-nifty50-implies-moderate-upside-in-2023/articleshow/96369984.cms

Nifty’s two-decade-old habit shows double-digit return possible in 2023. Which stocks to buy?

In the past, it has been observed that the Nifty rallies 20%, on average, after breaching its all-time high. Barring Nov 2010, all breaches have generated positive returns over the next 12 months,” said Amar Ambani, Head of Institutional Equities at YES Securities.

Read more at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/niftys-two-decade-old-habit-shows-double-digit-return-possible-in-2023-which-stocks-to-buy/articleshow/96359266.cms

Washington Watch: This economist gives 5 reasons why crypto shouldn’t be regulated

While the collapse of crypto exchange FTX has spurred many U.S. lawmakers to call for new regulations, one economist offered a different take on Tuesday.

Read more at: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B20C06575-04D4-B545-716D-7396D4A2E343%7D&siteid=rss&rss=1

SportsWatch: The Masters golf tournament will allow players who joined LIV Golf to compete at Augusta in 2023

Golfers who defected the PGA Tour and joined LIV Golf are eligible to play at the 2023 Masters tournament.

Read more at: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B20C06575-04D4-B545-716D-650B5F195E5B%7D&siteid=rss&rss=1

Earnings Outlook: Micron earnings: Memory-chip slowdown appears to be far from over

Micron Technology Inc. shares have fallen more than 45% this year, but the memory-chip specialist is not out of the woods yet as demand continues to be weak.

Read more at: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B20C06575-04D4-B545-716C-CDADD3C1310D%7D&siteid=rss&rss=1

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