Overview: The busy week of central bank meetings is off to a mostly slow start. The dollar is narrowly mixed in quiet turnover, except against the Japanese yen. Many participants seemed to exaggerate the risks of a BOJ move next week and dollar continued its recovery that began ahead of the weekend. Among emerging market currencies, central European currencies appear to be aided by the firmer euro. They are resisting the dollar's advance seen against most other...
Read More »Bonds Extend Recovery
Overview: Broadly speaking, the dollar's recent pullback was extended today but the momentum appears to be slowing, perhaps ahead of tomorrow's US CPI report. The Dollar Index slipped to its lowest level since September 25 before steadying. The greenback is mixed as the North American market is set to open. The dollar bloc and Swedish krona are the underperformers. The Swiss franc is the best, up about 0.2%, while the yen and euro are little changed. Most emerging...
Read More »After Strong Demand for US Three-Year Notes, Treasury will Sell $38 bln 10-year Notes
Overview: The first leg of the US refunding was well received, with the three-year note being scooped up by investors, driving the yield below it was trading in the when-issued market. Today, the Treasury sells $38 bln 10-year notes, whose auctions have been less than stellar recently. The US 10-year yield reached 4.20% last week and is now straddling 4%. Italian bonds are also firm as the Italian government clarifies the new tax on banks' windfall profits. Other...
Read More »Euro Edges Higher
Overview: The US dollar has mostly steadied at the start of the week after last week's sharp losses. The yen, euro, and Swiss franc are enjoying a firmer tone, but only the euro has thus far extended last week's gains, and then, only marginally. Uninspiring data from China pressed the yuan lower, while the firm euro is helping the central European currencies. A typhoon shut Hong Kong markets and Japan's markets were closed for a national holiday. The Ukraine...
Read More »BOJ Stands Pat while the Dollar is Consolidating Ahead of the Weekend
Overview: The market has not yet become convinced that the Fed will in fact deliver the two hikes the median dot anticipates this year, and the dollar was sold off sharply yesterday, the day after the FOMC meeting. In fact, the swaps market is more convinced that the ECB hikes in July than the Fed. Outside of the yen, which was sold after the BOJ stood pat, the G10 currencies are mostly little changed, consolidating the recent moves. Emerging market currencies are...
Read More »ECB’s Turn
Overview: The Fed's hawkish hold and signal that it may raise rates two more time this year sent ripples through the capital markets. Risk appetites have been dealt a blow. However, China's rate cut and likely additional supportive measures after disappointing data, helped lift the CSI 300 by 1.6%, the most this year. The Hang Seng rose by nearly 2.2%, the most in three months. Europe's Stoxx 600 is snapping a three-day advance and US index futures are trading...
Read More »Euro: Thumbnail Sketch Ahead of the ECB Meeting
The euro has traded between roughly $1.0485 and $1.1100 so far this year. The average is about $1.08, where it traded above yesterday for the first time in 2 ½ weeks. Recall that the euro rallied from around $1.05 in mid-March (amid speculation that the banking stress was going to force the Fed to cut) to around $1.1100, where it stalled in late April and early May. We argued that the rate cut expectations had swung too far and that as they converged back with...
Read More »PBOC Surprise Rate Cut and a Strong UK Labor Market Report Ahead of US CPI
Overview: A surprise cut in China's seven-day repo and a stronger than expected UK employment report are session's highlights ahead of the US CPI. The base effect alone suggests a sharp fall in the year-over-year rate, while the median forecast in Bloomberg's survey has been shaved to a 0.1% month-over-month gain. The dollar is under pressure and is weaker against nearly all the G10 currencies. It is mixed against the emerging market currencies. The dollar gapped...
Read More »Japan’ Q1 GDP was Revised Up, While the Eurozone’s was Revised Down
Overview: The back-to-back surprise rate hikes by the Australia and Canada spurred speculation that the Fed could hike next week, and this lifted US rates and helped the dollar recover. The odds of a hike increased, according to the indicative pricing in the Fed funds futures market from about a 20% chance to a little above 35%. now. At yesterday's high, the two-year yield was up a little more than 25 bp since the low before the US employment data last Friday. It is...
Read More »The Greenback Stalls after Yesterday’s Surge as US Negotiators Move Closer to Last-Minute Deal
Overview: Yesterday's dollar surge has stalled. It is consolidating its gains and is softer against all the G10 currencies. After popping above JPY140 yesterday, there were no follow-through greenback buying in Tokyo. Most emerging market currencies are also firmer, including the South African rand, which plummeted by 2.8% yesterday on the back of the central bank's warning of downside currency risks as it delivered a 50 bp hike. The Chinese yuan is also firmer to...
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