Overnight weakness in Japan and Europe was no big catalysts for markets either way, but the moment Vladimir Putin uttered the words "avoid conflict" (as ooposed to saying 'destroy all of you'?), stocks took off. Weak jobless claims data sparked a dump but once cash markets opened, it was on like donkey kong as the worst volume day of a terrible volume week took stocks higher on the back of USDJPY. For the technically-minded, the S&P is testing up to its 50-day moving-average (DMA), Russell finding resistance at 100/200DMA, Trannies broke back above the 50DMA, and Nasdaq is on course for new highs. All this exuberance in stocks was shared by bonds as buyers bid 30Y yields to a 3.18% handle - lowest in 15 months (gaping divergence to stocks this week). USD oscillated but ended unch. Gold and silver limped higher as copper and crude were monkey-hammered. VIX ended at 3-week lows (after an opening slam lower) for day 15 of inversion. S&P futures volume 55% below average.
Putin started it today...
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Lifting stocks to new highs on the week...
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Thanks to USDJPY... (though into the close things started to break)...
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VIX was slammed lower at the open but diverged slightly for rest of the day...then melted up into the close...
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As bonds and stocks continue to diverge from retail sales...
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Treasury yields were slammed (and heavby auction demasnd) sending 30Y bond yields to fresh 15-month lows...
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FX markets were noisy once again around geopolitics and US macro but USD ended unch on the day...
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Gold and silver limped higher but as US data hit Crude and copper were whacked lower...
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Gold had quite a volatile day...
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Brent and WTI fell generally in line as the spread stayeds steady around $6.50
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Charts: Bloomberg
Bonus Chart: Was everyone expecting the short squeeze follow-through?
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