European Markets Leap on Aid Package

A huge day in Europe boosted US markets with the Dow gaining 404 points on the day (3.9%). The gain was largely a result of a pre-market gap higher in prices with uneventful sideways consolidation price action throughout the trading day.

The €750 billion ($957 billion) debt aid package arranged by the European Union and International Monetary Fund is having its intended effects on debt and equity markets within the Eurozone. The aid deal consists of €440 billion in loan guarantees, €60 billion in emergency European Commission funding and another €250 billion contributed by the IMF. A special purpose vehicle (SPV) will be setup to distribute the aid and manage the loans. Quite a few questions remain as to how this massive undertaking will be structured, how it will be run and what the incentives/disincentives will be for countries receiving aid. In general, the package has been modeled after the TARP plan enacted by the United States during the 2008 financial crisis.

I did some homework on European markets with the results below:

Market	Day's Gain	YTD Return
United Kingdom (FTSE)	5.2%	(0.5%)
Germany (DAX)	5.3%	1.0%
France (CAC)	9.7%	(5.5%)
PIGS
Portugal (PIS)	10.6%	(11.3%)
Italy (MIB)	11.3%	(9.8%)
Greece (ATHEX)	9.1%	(19.0%)
Spain (IBEX)	14.4%	(13.3%)

Monday Rundown, FTSE Outperforming, Shanghai Lagging

Global Market Rundown

Tokyo's Nikkei Index has tracked the US equity markets fairly closely currently trading 5.6% off highs correcting from the 56% rally off the March 2009 lows to January 2010 highs. Yet, the index remains 43% off 2007 highs.

Revisiting the Shanghai Composite after some weeks, the index remains in the dead middle of its large range. After correcting in August 2009 with a 24% pull-in, the index has bounced back and forth now trading 13% off highs. China still trades 51% off 2007 highs.

London has outperformed the world since the March 2009 bottom in these highly correlated markets. The FTSE is at new highs for the rally up 62% off the lows and just 17% off 2007 highs.

The S&P 500 is 24% off all-time highs in the index.

Not Global Markets

I revisited the devil this morning and contributed to the AIG donation bin. That was a great breakout through $30, NOT! I'm an idiot. Made it all back and then some in RIMM though. Still holding some, very nice technical breakout through $72, should lead to higher prices although I'm somewhat skeptical of it just being daytraders jamming the last weak stock through its resistance level. Time will tell, I've booked good profits.

Did you know over 70% of US exports are manufactured goods? It's just a focus on capital goods like airplane engines and such, not like all the random stuff China makes. I found that interesting this weekend as I continued my CFA studying given the constant rhetoric that America doesn't make anything anymore. Granted, we still run a trade deficit.

Random Tidbits

"Apple's online iTunes store has just sold its 10 billionth recording since its introduction in 2003. Over that time, the record industry's total revenues have declined from $14.3 billion to $6.3 billion. (TheAtlantic.com via The Week)
-Wow! That's equivalent to over 30 songs for every person in the United States!

"With competition for summer internships growing more intense, some students are paying up to $8,000 to placement agencies like University of Dreams and the Washington Center to land the unpaid jobs, which are seen as career essentials." (Chicago Tribune via The Week)
-So, it's come to this...paying to work for someone else.