Market Wrap-Up for August 24: The Bubble Bursts

Erasing 2015 gains, China’s Shanghai Composite sparked a global equity market sell-off on Monday, with investors fearful that the world’s second-largest economy could be spiralling out of control. In an effort to stabilize the situation, Chinese officials confirmed that they would be increasing liquidity through a direct cash injection.

Commenting on the events, Robert Doll of Nuveen Asset Management stated, “China’s the big one. They’ve got to step in and do something. I think the Fed is an issue but it’s not the biggest deal.”

The Greek debt saga continued to play out over the weekend, with breakaway political party, Unity, pushing for a dissolution of the bailout terms and a possible euro exit. On the economic front, New Home Sales and Consumer Confidence data will be announced on Tuesday, with the market looking for a rise in both. Durable Orders, Initial Claims, GDP and Pending home Sales will be announced mid-week, with Personal Spending and Income rounding out the week.

Monday

Investors reacted to contagion fears, with the Dow Jones opening 1,000 points lower on Monday before recovering to close at 15,871 (down 3.58%). Apple rebounded considerably, after CEO Tim Cook reassured investors that China’s demand for iPhones was accelerating. His email exchange with CNBC may, however, have breached mid-quarter SEC rules.

No important economic news was released.

• Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF ) bucked the trend during the Monday session and rose 5.17% off the back of a ratings upgrade from Piper Jaffray. ANF has a dividend yield of 4.62%.

• Campus Crest Communities (CCG ) announced the delay of its release of quarter earnings in light of the recent purchase of the Copper Beech Townhome Communities. CCG has a dividend yield of 7.12%.

• Newell Rubbermaid (NWL ), a consumer products supplier, confirmed that they would be offering a lump-sum pension payment to over 3,000 employees in the next 12 months. Such a strategy aims at reducing long-term costs. NWL has a dividend yield of 1.90%.

Tuesday

New Home Sales for July will be released on Tuesday, with economists forecasting 511,000. This is above initial estimates of 482,000. Consumer Confidence is also expected to rise in August to 93.1. The survey measures the confidence level of 5,000 homes.

• Best Buy (BBY ) is set to release earnings before market open on Tuesday, with analysts forecasting an EPS of $0.34. Investment company Piper Jaffray recently upgraded the stock to Buy from Overweight. BBY has a dividend yield of 3.14%.

• DSW Inc. (DSW ) will release its quarterly earnings before market open on Tuesday, with analysts forecasting earnings of 42 cents per share. DSW has a dividend yield of 2.59%.

Wednesday

Durable Orders, which provide an insight into order volumes and general manufacturing output, are expected to be announced at 8:30 am. The market is pricing in a contraction of 0.6% for the July period. Other economic news to be released includes the MBA Mortgage Index and Crude Inventories.

• Avago Technologies (AVGO ) is set to release its quarter earnings after market close on Wednesday, with analysts forecasting earnings of $2.14 per share. AVGO has a dividend yield of 1.46%.

• Guess Inc. (GES ), which has a dividend yield of 4.49%, is expected to release earnings after market close, with an EPS estimate of $0.15 per share. Investment research analyst Zacks recently downgraded the stock to Hold from a Buy rating.

Thursday

Gross Domestic Product and the GDP Deflator will be announced on Thursday at 8:30 am. The market is expecting a rise from 2.3% to 3.1% for Q2 GDP. The Deflator, which takes into account the change in GDP, is forecast to remain flat at 2%. Other economic releases include Pending Home Sales, Initial Claims and Continuing Claims.

• Bebe Stores (BEBE ), which recently launched an athleisure footwear range, will announce quarter earnings on Thursday. The market is expecting a fall of 4 cents in earnings for the quarter. BEBE has a dividend yield of 5.71%.

• GameStop (GME ), which has a dividend yield of 3.35%, will release quarter results after market close, with an EPS of 24 cents expected.

Friday

Friday will see Personal Income, Spending and the University of Michigan Sentiment Index released. Each metric is expected to remain relatively flat. Federal Reserve member Stanley Fischer will speak at an Economic Symposium in Jackson Hole.

• Big Lots (BIG ), recently cut to Sell by Zacks, will announce quarter earnings on Friday. The market is factoring in an EPS of 34 cents. BIG has a dividend yield of 1.66%.

The Bottom Line

The Chinese equity market will dominate headlines this week, with investors watching for reactions to stabilization measures.