Futures brokerage activity surged this week as CME E-mini S&P 500 contracts posted a 1.3% gain, driven by stronger-than-expected U.S. retail sales data. Traders are positioning for potential Fed rate cuts in Q3 2024, with futures open interest up 4.7%. This sentiment hints at bullish equity market momentum spilling over into derivatives trading. Do you wonder why? As a result of the vested interest of brokerage firms in a stock they cover, their analysts tend to rate it with a strong positive bias. According to our research, brokerage firms assign five "Strong Buy" recommendations for every "Strong Sell" recommendation. CME Globex: Sunday - Friday 6:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. CT) with a 60-minute break each … European equity index futures brokerage has noted rising flow into DAX contracts amid expectations of ECB easing. Bund futures rallies are aligning with risk-on equity moves, suggesting multi-asset correlation shifts that brokers are closely monitoring.