* Major indexes slide; Nasdaq down nearly 2%
* 10 of 11 S&P sectors lower; energy, tech tumble
* 10-yr U.S. Treasury yield hits low of 2.308%
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RARE EARTHS COME INTO THE SUNLIGHT (1255 EDT/1655 GMT)
Rare earths with tongue-twisting names like lanthanum, neodymium and dysprosium are all over the news these days as a potential new front in the U.S.-China trade war. These 17 elements used in everything from cell phones to rechargeable batteries and missile guidance systems are more ubiquitous than the name implies but are expensive to extract and process.
The U.S. has produced barely any for decades. That might have to change since China has a lock on more than 80% of global supply and there is concern that it will weaponize its position. Many U.S. companies - Apple AAPL.O , Raytheon (NYSE:RTN) RTN.N and Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) LMT.N , for example - need stable supplies of rare earths. is potentially a big deal. Except it really isn't. Rare earths are not actually rare. And higher prices – should an embargo come to pass – have historically pulled enough supply back in to satisfy demand," wrote DataTrek Research co-founder Nicholas Colas in a note on Thursday.
California's Mountain Pass mine is the only operating U.S. rare earths facility. Fifty thousand tonnes of its rare earths are shipped to China for processing and China has imposed a 25% on those imports.
Australia's rare earths producer Lynas Corp LYC.AX said it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Texas-based Blue Line Corp (NYSE:LN) to set up a rare earths separation facility in the United States. India, South Africa, Canada, Estonia, Malaysia and Brazil could also help fill the gap.
Here is a chart on surging rare earths prices:
(Alden Bentley)
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UTILITIES POWER AHEAD (1222 EDT/1622 GMT)
Amid increasing trade tensions and sliding bond yields, defensive groups have been outperforming. In fact, the S&P 500 utilities sector .SPLRCU is making new record highs this week.
Indeed, defensives are offering refuge amid the recent market instability as more cyclical groups, such as banks, take a hit on trade and growth concerns. May's 1.8% gain, the Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund XLU.P is on track for a 5th straight monthly rise. That would be its longest monthly winning streak since a 6-month run in February/July 2012.
That said, the XLU is rapidly nearing some significant chart barriers, which may put its recent rate of ascent at risk. (Click on chart below) There are several long-term resistance lines which now reside in the $61.35/$62.25 area. With these barriers just 3-5% or so above the last price, the ETF's rise may soon run out of steam.
Of note, the S&P utilities sector is underpinned by a 3.3% dividend yield, or more than 100 basis points above the current U.S. 2-year Treasury yield US2YT=RR . However, with a PE of 23.48 and an estimated PE of 19.16, the group can be considered expensive on this basis when compared to the overall S&P 500 .SPX which is at 19.64 and 17.04 (Refinitiv data).
(Terence Gabriel)
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For Thursday's U.S. Live Markets posts prior to 1215 EDT/1615 GMT - click here: XLU05232019
https://tmsnrt.rs/2HxQQrB Rare earths surge
https://tmsnrt.rs/2YIPT5u
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