Daily Analysis – Weak Chinese PMI Data Hits Equities

Negative PMI data from China pressured Asian shares, as factory growth fell to its lowest level in nearly 3 years. In China, the Shanghai Composite fell .7%, and the Hang Seng slumped 2.1%. Australia’s ASX 200 declined 1.7%, as materials stocks sank on the Chinese news, and the Kospi dropped 2.4%. Japanese markets were closed for a holiday.

European markets continued to drop, and a weak German bond auction spooked investors. The auction had an incredibly low bid-to-cover ratio of .65, as the government failed to sell the entire amount planned. The DAX fell 1.4%, the CAC40 lost 1.7%, and the FTSE shed 1.3%.

Selling pressure mounted in the US, with the Dow closing down 236 points to 11258. The Nasdaq fell 2.4% and the S&P 500 lost 2.2%. Financials fell after the Federal Reserve said it would conduct stress tests on the 6 largest US financial companies to weigh the risk of a worsening European debt crisis. The 6 banks all fell more than 3% on the news.



US Markets Continue to Fall

Deere rallied 2.9% after raising its guidance for 2012 and reporting strong earnings. Pandora Media shares tumbled 11.3% after issuing a weaker than expected outlook.

Currencies

The Dollar rallied strongly against the major currencies, as the Euro closed down 1.3% to 1.3335, and the Australian Dollar tumbled 1.6% to .9687. The Pound fell .8% to 1.5515, and the Canadian Dollar lost .9% to 1.0478. The Yen fell .5% to 77.35, and the Swiss Franc dropped .7% to 1.0867.

Economic Outlook

The reality that even Germany is having trouble raising money is a strong warning sign for the markets, although Germany’s bond yields are close to record lows.

Wednesday’s extensive US data was mixed. Consumer Sentiment came in slightly below estimates, and weekly unemployment claims rose to 393K from last weeks 391K reading, worse than forecast. Personal spending rose by just .1%, much less than last month’s .7% jump.

On the upside, durable goods orders dropped by less than feared, sliding .7% after dropping by 1.5% last month. Personal income rose by .4%, slightly more than expected.