FTSE 100

The euphoria of the past month has ended with a thud and BTFDers are strangely missing as the commodity chill out of China (which overnight became full blown carnage), has unleashed a global risk-off phase ahead of today's critical CPI data, resulting in broad and sharp selling across global markets, as European stocks followed declines in Asia while bonds and gold advanced. The equity retreat, which spread to U.S. stock futures, started with last night's sharp puke in Chinese commodities.

The Nikkei 225 now finds itself at its “Half Way” point of the 20-year crash, based up 1989 highs and 2009 lows. Could it be creating a topping pattern or major reversal at a critical price point? What this important index does at a key price zone could end up impacting stocks in the states and around the world?

Below looks at the chart patterns of the Nikkei 225 over the past 30-years on a monthly basis-

S&P futures gave up early gains and were trading down -0.2%, as Donald Trump completes his first Asian tour and as pressure mounts on U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May, sending the pound plunging. European stocks fell, tracking many Asian shares as the Nikkei plunge accelerated.

It might be a modest exaggeration it to say that Theresa May’s position as Prime Minister is doomed, but that is the general direction as the newsflow for the British PM remains overwhelmingly bad. Scandals aside, May seems to be falling into the growing gulf between Conservative MPs who are pushing more strongly for a “hard” Brexit as negotiations with the EU founder and those who are increasingly alarmed at the prospect, making them more desperate to ensure a softer Brexit.

Yesterday's Japan flash-crash inspired selling continues for a second day, with global equities - and bonds - sliding early Friday on concerns U.S. tax reform - and corporate tax cuts - will be delayed after Senate Republicans unveiled a plan that differed significantly from the House of Representatives’ version. After suffering their biggest plunge in 4 months on Thursday, European stocks failed to find a bid along with Asian stocks, while U.S.