By Kim Khan
Investing.com - The broader market ended the session lower today, although tech shares showed some resilience in late trading, helping the Nasdaq finish in the green.
And some big market players are saying that stocks have already seen the worst of the selling.
If the U.S. avoids a second surge in infections following the restart of the economy, it’s unlikely that the market will make new lows, Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) strategist said in a note today.
The Federal Reserve and Congress have “precluded the prospect of a complete economic collapse,” Goldman said.
Tomorrow the focus will be on earnings reports and “the only thing people will want to hear about is balance sheet/credit line access,” Josh Brown of Ritholtz Wealth Management tweeted.
Here are three things that could move the markets tomorrow.
1. J.P. Morgan, {{0|Wells Fargo}) Kick off Earnings Season
Earnings season gets underway tomorrow, starting with a pair of big banks before the bell as JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) and Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) issue results.
Overall, earnings for S&P 500 firms are expected to tumble 10.2% in the first quarter, compared with a Jan. 1 forecast of a 6.3% rise, before plummeting 22.4% in the second quarter as sweeping lockdowns halt business activity and spark furloughs.
"This week will be somewhat of an inkblot test," said Mike Loewengart, managing director of investment strategy at E-Trade.
"There are multiple ways to read the state of play as earnings roll out, is the downturn fully priced in or is there cause for more downward pressure?"
With the banks, investors should look at provisions set aside for credit losses, which will give insight into the damage to the economy done by the coronavirus, according to Bloomberg.
Analysts are predicting that J.P. Morgan reports a profit of $2.28 per share on revenue of about $29.5 billion, according to forecasts compiled by Investing.com.
Wells Fargo is seen earnings 61 cents per share with revenue of about $19.4 billion.
2. J&J, United Airlines Also Report
Banks aren’t the only companies that could give a clearer picture of the Covid-19 impact when reporting results.
Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) will also issue numbers ahead of trading.
The consensus estimates are for earnings of $2.05 per share and sales of about $19.9 billion.
J&J said in mid-March its supply chain for pharmaceuticals was holding up and it was taking measures of ensure the availability of over-the-counter medications, Briefing.com reported.
After the bell, United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL) will weigh in. The entire airline industry is in freefall given the sharp reduction in travel.
But major carriers are concerned with the terms of the funds being provided by the federal government, with 30% expected to be repaid and the possibility of the government taking warrants in the companies, Bloomberg reported.
United is expected to report a loss of $2.29 per share for the quarter, with revenue coming in at about $8.4 billion.
3. API Inventories on Tap
Oil prices finally succumbed to selling late today as concerns about whether the OPEC+ agreement to cut about 10 million barrels per day in production would be enough.
The market pretty much ignored a tweet by President Donald Trump saying that the real amount cut would be closer to 20 million barrels.
After the bell tomorrow, the American Petroleum Institute will report its measure of U.S. oil inventories, giving traders a glimpse into the extent of the demand destruction.
Last month the API reported a rise in crude stockpiles of nearly 12 million barrels.