Opening Bell: Apple's Reduced Outlook Hits Global Stocks; Yen Jumps

 | Jan 03, 2019 05:30

  • Apple's outlook cut sends global stocks and US futures tumbling lower
  • Global growth fears prompt flash crash in the Aussie
  • Yen, Treasurys gain on flight to safety
  • Oil's rally fizzles out
  • h2 Key Events/h2

    European shares and US futures contracts tumbled this morning, as Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), which lowered guidance for the first quarter after US markets closed yesterday, exacerbated investor worries about a looming recession. Global growth fears also triggered a currency flash crash for the Australian dollar.

    Contracts on the NASDAQ 100 lead the drop with a 2.9 percent dip, while those on the Russell attempted a climb before joining the downward trend. The STOXX Europe 600 sold off, with technology shares falling the most, as Apple dragged down both price averages and investor sentiment.

    It was the first revenue warning in almost 12 years for the US tech giant, and the first quarter outlook cut in nearly 20 years, according to Bloomberg. The company cited an unexpected slowdown in China and fewer upgrades to its flagship iPhone line. The report re-ignites concerns over the long-term impact of the US-China trade war on the first synchronized growth in nearly a decade: softer corporate guidance suggests executives are not convinced about the positive rhetoric recently aired by presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.

    During this morning's Asian session, regional indices ended mixed after Wednesday’s over 1 percent tumble. South Korea’s KOSPI (-0.81 percent) led the declines. The Shanghai Composite dropped 0.04 percent and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was down 0.26 percent. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 bucked the downward trend, rebounding 1.36 percent. Japan’s markets were closed.

    h2 Global Financial Affairs/h2

    Yesterday, US stocks managed to eke out a gain despite noticeable losses in futures contracts before the market open—when Chinese data showing contracting manufacturing activity had sparked global growth fears. Wednesday's upbeat performance demonstrates a degree of resilient investor optimism even after equities posted their worst December since the Great Depression.

    The S&P 500 gained 0.13%. Interest-rate sensitive Real Estate (-2.29%) shares weighed on the index, while Energy (+1.97%) rallied along with crude, which jumped by more than 4 percent yesterday after Saudi Arabia confirmed it had reduced exports.

    The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Russell 2000 crawled higher, 0.08 percent and 0.07 percent respectively, while the NASDAQ Composite edged 0.46 percent higher.