Overnight surprises have had a significant impact on trading that could continue into today's action. President Trump surprised the world overnight by firing FBI Director Comey. This news has reminded the street that the current political environment in the US is unpredictable and that being complacent is dangerous. Gold has bounced back a bit in recognition that just because France turned out the way the street wanted, it's not all going to be smooth sailing ahead politically.
US index futures and continental indices are trading lower this morning on the Trump news. The one exception has been in the UK where the FTSE and sterling are both up today. There have been reports of dissent in Labour that could lead to the formation of a breakaway faction should Corbyn try to stay on after the vote. This plus strong polling leads for PM May has boosted expectations of a decisive conservative win in next month's vote.
Crude oil has been rallying overnight with both WTI and Brent gaining over 1.0%. API reported a 5.3 mmbbl drawdown in US inventories suggesting the supply-demand balance may be finally starting to improve. Today's DOE mid-morning reports may attract significant attention from traders looking for confirmation.
Earnings may also spark trading action today. In Canada, Valeant (TO:VRX) may remain active as traders digest yesterday's 25% gain. Sun Life (TO:SLF) disappointed on earnings but raised its dividend.
In the US, Disney (NYSE:DIS) declined in aftermarket trading as a sales miss and struggles with falling viewers amid rising costs at ESPN overshadowed strong earnings. Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:EA) and NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) both beat the street by a wide margin.