OVERNIGHT MARKETS AND NEWS

March E-mini S&Ps (ESH16 -1.69%) are down sharply by -2.11% at a 3-week low and European stocks are down -3.44% at a 2-1/2 year low after Wednesday’s testimony to Congress by Fed Chair Yellen failed to boost confidence in the markets. Crude oil prices (CLH16 -2.95%) are down -4.04%at a 3-week low and copper (HGH16 -0.57%) is down -0.67% at a 2-week low, which has pushed energy producers, miners, and raw-material companies lower with Exxon Mobile sliding more than 5% in pre-market trading. The plunge in global equities has fueled a massive rush into the safe-haven of government bonds as the 10-year UK gilt yield fell to a record low of 1.296%, the 10-year German bund yield declined to a 9-1/2 month low of 0.158% and the 10-year T-note yield dropped to a 2-3/4 year low of 1.62%. The global market turmoil has also pushed global investors into the safe-haven of gold with Apr gold (GCJ16 +3.37%) up +3.93% at an 8-1/2 month high. Asian stocks settled mostly lower: Japan, China and Taiwan closed for holiday. Hong Kong -3.85%, Australia +0.95%, Singapore -1.70%, South Korea -2.83%, India -3.40%.

The dollar index (DXY00 -0.25%) is down -0.40% at a 3-1/2 month low. EUR/USD (^EURUSD) is up +0.41% at a 3-1/2 month high. USD/JPY (^USDJPY) is down -1.83% at a 15-month low.

Mar T-note prices (ZNH16 +0.75%) are up +1-3.5/32 points at a 2-3/4 year nearest-futures high.

U.S. STOCK PREVIEW

Key U.S. news today includes: (1) weekly initial unemployment claims (expected -5,000 to 280,000, previous +8,000 to 285,000) and continuing claims (expected -10,000 to 2.245 million, previous -18,000 to 2.255 million), (2) Fed Chair Janet Yellen’s testimony before the Senate Banking Committee to deliver the Fed’s semi-annual monetary policy report to Congress, and (3) the Treasury’s auction of $15 billion of 30-year T-bonds.

There are 20 of the S&P 500 companies that report earnings today with notable reports including: Coca-Cola Enterprises (Consensus $0.51), PepsiCo (1.06), Kellogg (0.75), BorgWarner (0.72), AIG (-0.91), CBS (0.92), TripAdvisor (0.33), Wynn Resorts (0.76).