With no data releases scheduled for Wednesday morning, markets are likely to focus on earnings reports as well as the testimony of Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. In the afternoon, the Federal Reserve will release minutes from the monetary policy meeting in late April.
S&P futures look poised to open higher on Wednesday as crude oil futures bounced to a six-month high above $60 per barrel. Moreover, BJ’s Wholesale Club announced its earnings climbed 41% in the first quarter, suggesting some resilience in the American consumer. BJ’s also raised their earnings forecast for the year by 2 cents per share.
At 9:30 am EST, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will testify to the Senate Banking Committee on the progress of the Treasury Asset Relief Program. In recent weeks, Treasuy has extended use of the funds to insurance companies, extended the application deadline for smaller banks, and has been in discussion with well-capitalized banks about opting out of the progra.
“New details emerged Tuesday about the repayment plans, including word that regulators would refuse to let a single major bank exit first, which might have given that institution considerable bragging rights,” reported the New York Times today.
At 2pm, the Fed will release minutes from the April 28-29 FOMC meeting. Any surprises in the minutes could shake markets, but the statement from the meeting merely reiterated status quo policy, so a surprise would be unlikely.
The FOMC statement had said “the economy has continued to contract, though the pace of contraction appears to be somewhat slower.”
Also in the media, the Obama administration is considering handing over some regulatory powers from the SEC to the Fed.
Bloomberg: “The Obama administration may call for stripping the Securities and Exchange Commission of some of its powers under a regulatory reorganization, people familiar with the matter said. . . The Fed may inherit some SEC functions, with others going to other agencies, the people said. On the table: giving oversight of mutual funds to a bank regulator or a new agency to police consumer-finance products, two people said.”
The Washington Post adds that the administration is also in talks to create a panel to oversee the safety of financial products.