Capital Alert: April 25, 2019

Investors Focus on Earnings, Look to Q1 Data for Clues

Investors continue their focus on corporate earnings which appear good enough to be mitigating concerns over the global economy. Earnings expectations have drifted lower as the market accepts the reality of a slower economic environment. Data on first-quarter GDP out Friday will be closely watched for clues as to how the U. S. economy responded to headwinds of the government shutdown and 4th quarter tensions. Bond market observers are boosting wagers on a Fed cut this year, as the spread between 2 and 10-year treasury rates re-steepened to 20 basis points from below 10 a month ago. Treasuries were relatively steady this week with the 10-year yield coming in slightly to 2.53 percent.