OVERNIGHT MARKETS AND NEWS

March E-mini S&Ps (ESH16 +0.29%) are up +0.30% and European stocks are up +2.87%, both at 1-week highs, after the Fed raised interest rates yesterday and pledged that further rate increases would be gradual. Strength in European automakers is leading European shares higher as EUR/USD fell to a 1-week low, which benefits export-oriented companies. The ECB lowered the ELA ceiling for Greek banks to 75.8 billion euros from 77.9 billion euros, citing an “improvement of the liquidity situation of Greek banks.” Asian stocks settled higher: Japan +1.59%, Hong Kong +0.79%, China +1.81%, Taiwan +1.65%, Australia +1.46%, Singapore +0.71%, South Korea +0.28%, India +1.21%. Asian stocks closed higher on the heels of a rally in U.S stocks with China’s Shanghai Composite at a 2-week high and Japan’s Nikkei Stock Index at a 1-week high.

The dollar index (DXY00 +1.07%) is up +1.04% at a 2-week high. EUR/USD (^EURUSD) is down -0.63% at a 1-week low. USD/JPY (^USDJPY) is up +0.25% at a 1-week high.

Mar T-note prices (ZNH16 +0.16%) are up +9 ticks.

The German Dec IFO business climate unexpectedly fell -0.3 to 108.7, weaker than expectations of no change at 109.0.

Eurozone Q3 labor costs climbed +1.1% y/y, the smallest increase since Q1 of 2014.

The Japan Nov trade balance was in deficit by -389.7 billion yen, a smaller deficit than expectations of -449.7 billion yen. Nov exports fell -3.3% y/y, weaker than expectations of -1.6% y/y and the largest decline in nearly 3 years. Nov imports fell -10.2% y/y, weaker than expectations of -7.3% y/y.

U.S. STOCK PREVIEW

Key U.S. news today includes: (1) weekly initial unemployment claims (expected -7,000 to 275,000, previous +13,000 to 282,000) and continuing claims (expected -43,000 to 2.200 million, previous +82,000 to 2.243 million), (2) Q3 current account balance (expected -$118.5 billion, Q2 -$109.7 billion), (3) Dec Philadelphia Fed business outlook index (expected -0.9 to 1.0, Nov +6.4 to 1.9), (4) Nov leading indicators (expected +0.1%, Oct +0.6%), (5) the Treasury’s auction of $16 billion of 5-year TIPS.