Key points from this week’s report:
Please refer to the attached PDF for the full report.
- European markets rallied 3.1% last week, with a 1.7% gain on Friday, capping off a 16% rally of early April lows. Investors are reacting positively to earnings, better-than-expected job growth, steady unemployment reports from the U.S. and de-escalation of U.S.-China trade tensions as Beijing signals that it is open to discussions. While the April Eurozone CPI figures remained above the ECB’s target and marginally higher than expectations, the path to further rate cuts remains open as the hit from U.S. tariffs and uncertainty could drag economic growth over subsequent quarters.
- The Stoxx 600 now trades just 5% off its early March highs and above all its key moving averages after reclaiming the 100-DMA (529; 1.4% below) and 50-DMA (533; 59 bps below) last week on good volume. After the sharp rally, we expect the index to consolidate between 547 (2% above) and 529. The number of stocks breaking out steadily rose over the past three weeks, while the number of failed bases dropped sharply over the past four weeks. As European indices continue their V-shaped recovery, we recommend investors cautiously add positions in ideas emerging from proper early-base setups while monitoring stocks which are extended and breaking below near-term moving averages or rolling over after facing resistance.
- On the sectoral front, all except Mining (-0.5%) closed in the green. Banks, Chemicals, Retail, and Financial Services are now trading above their key moving averages as Utility, Telecom, and Food & Beverage are trading near or making new highs. Health Care (+5.4%), Technology (+4.9%), and Travel & Leisure (+3.3%) led the rally last week but now face significant overhead resistance from their respective declining 50-DMA. Oil & Gas, Autos, and Mining continue to lag the broader market