Overview: Most equity markets in the Asia Pacific region lost ground today. China’s Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and India were notable exceptions. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index is at its lowest level since June 2020. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is forging a base ahead of 4000 and is trading quietly with a small upside bias. The French stock market lagging after Macron lost his parliamentary majority, is raising questions about his reform agenda. US equity futures are firm, but the...
Read More »Is a 0.3% Miss on Headline CPI Really Worth a 77 bp Rise in the December Fed Funds Yield?
Overview: Better than expected Chinese data and an unscheduled ECB meeting are the highlights ahead of the North American session that features the May US retail sales report and other high frequency data before the outcome of the FOMC meeting. Asia Pacific equities outside of Hong Kong and China fell. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is up almost 1% as it tries to snap a six-day slide. US futures are posting modest gains. Bond markets in Europe and the US are rallying. The ECB...
Read More »Prospects of Aggressive Tightening Sends Shock Waves through the Capital Markets
Overview: The markets' evolving expectations of a more aggressive monetary policy is not limited to the Federal Reserve, where the terminal rate is now straddling the 4% area, around 100 bp above late May levels. Consider that on May 31, the swaps market saw the key rate in the eurozone finishing the year at 60 bp. It has risen by more than 40 bp in the past four sessions. The UK expectedly reported the second consecutive monthly contraction in GDP, and still there...
Read More »Dollar Jumps, Stocks and Bonds Slide
Overview: The prospect of a more aggressive Federal Reserve policy has spurred a sharp sell-off in global equities and bonds and sent the dollar sharply higher. The large Asia Pacific bourses were off mostly 2%-4%. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is off 2.2%, its fifth consecutive losing session. US futures are off also. The NASDAQ was down 3.5% before the weekend and the S&P 500 fell 2.9%. The dollar rocks. The Scandis and Antipodean currencies are bearing the brunt and are...
Read More »Over to the ECB
Overview: Equity markets in Asia Pacific and Europe are weaker. The main exception in Asia Pacific was India, where the market rose by about 0.75%. Europe's Stoxx 600 is lower for the third consecutive session and is now down on the week. US futures are up around 0.3%-0.4%. The 10-year Treasury yield is hovering a little above 3%. European peripheral yields are softer ahead of the ECB meeting. New Zealand’s 10-year yield jumped eight basis points in response...
Read More »The Greenback Bounces Back
Overview: After modest US equity gains yesterday, the weaker yen and Beijing’s approval of 60 new video games helped lift most of the large markets in the Asia Pacific region. South Korea and India were notable exceptions. Europe's Stoxx 600 is off for the second day as Monday's 0.9% advance continues to be pared. US futures are trading lower. The 10-year Treasury yield continues to hover around 3%, and European yields are up 3-5 bp today. The euro is little changed...
Read More »Reserve Bank of Australia Surprises, but Aussie Struggles
Overview: The jump in US interest rates helped lift the greenback to new 20-year highs against the Japanese yen and pushed the euro back below $1.07. US equities saw initially strong gains pared and this set the tone for today’s activity. Most of the equity markets in the Asia Pacific region fell, but Japan and China. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is giving back more than half of yesterday’s 0.9% gain. US futures are off about 0.5%. The US 10-year yield is off a couple of...
Read More »Moderating Labor Market is what the Fed Wants
Overview: For the large rally in US stocks yesterday and the sell-off in the dollar, US rates were surprisingly little changed. This set the tone for today’s action, ahead of the US employment data. Asia Pacific equities moved higher and Europe’s Stoxx 600 has edged up to extend yesterday’s rise. The 10-year US Treasury yield is little changed, hovering around 2.91%. European benchmark yields are 1-3 bp higher. The greenback has stabilized after yesterday’s fall. The...
Read More »Dollar Gains Pared
Overview: Asia Pacific equities were mostly lower. China and India bucked the trend. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is steady with no follow through selling after yesterday reversal. US index futures are posting modest gains and are trying to snap a two-day drop. The US 10-year yield is firm at 2.91%, while European benchmark rates are 2-3 bp higher. Asia Pacific bonds were dragged lower by the sell-off in the US yesterday. The dollar is broadly lower. The Swedish krona...
Read More »Bank of Canada’s Turn
Overview: The recent equity rally is stalling. Asia Pacific equities were mixed, with Japan, South Korea, and Australia, among the major bourses posting gains. Europe’s Dow Jones Stoxx 500 is slipping lower for the second consecutive session, ending a four-day bounce. US equity futures are little changed. The US 10-year yield is edging higher at 2.86%, while European yields are slightly lower. The greenback is firm against most of the major currencies. The Australian...
Read More »