This Great Graphic, created on Bloomberg, depicts the interest rate differential between the US and Germany. The euro-dollar exchange rate often seems sensitive to the rate differential. The white line is the two-year differential and the yellow line is the 10-year differential. There are a few observations to share. First, the 10-year premium is often greater than the two-year premium. It has been five years since this...
Read More »FX Daily, June 07: Markets Mark Time Ahead of Tomorrow
Swiss Franc The euro is higher at 1.0854 CHF (+0.06%). EUR/CHF - Euro Swiss Franc, June 07(see more posts on EUR/CHF, ) - Click to enlarge FX Rates Tomorrow may be the most important day of the quarter for investors. The ECB meets. The UK goes to the polls. Former FBI Comey testifies. Ahead of these significant events, the global capital markets are mostly quiet, with some pockets of activity. The US dollar is...
Read More »FX Daily, June 06: Yen Propelled Higher
Swiss Franc The euro is lower at 1.0853 (-0.06%). EUR/CHF - Euro Swiss Franc, June 06(see more posts on EUR/CHF, ) - Click to enlarge FX Rates The week was supposed to be dominated by the UK election and the ECB meeting, but the yen is stealing the show in the first part of the week. The US dollar has been sold through JPY110 for the first time since late April. The euro has fallen from JPY125.30 before the...
Read More »Euro Shrugs off European Banking Woes
Summary: Spain’s Banco Popular is scrambling ahead of its meeting with the ECB tomorrow; shares are around 50% in three sessions. Italy has two banks that may see the same deal Monte Paschi negotiated with the EU. Portugal banks are still putting loan loss reserves and provisions aside. Eurozone The eurozone appears to be in rare form. The political threat that seemed so palpable at the start of the year has...
Read More »FX Daily, June 05: US Dollar Starts Important Week Mostly Stable to Higher
Swiss Franc The euro is lower at 1.0854 (-0.06%). EUR/CHF - Euro Swiss Franc, June 05(see more posts on EUR/CHF, ) - Click to enlarge FX Rates The US dollar is beginning what promises to be an important week on a steady to firmer note against most of the major currencies. It is a holiday in parts of Europe (e.g.,m Germany and Switzerland). Although excitement is not until Thursday’s ECB meeting, UK election, and...
Read More »FX Weekly Preview: ECB Meeting and UK Election Key Drivers in Week Ahead
Summary: ECB may take a baby step toward the exit of extraordinary monetary policy by confirming rates are unlikely to be cut further and the risks are roughly balanced. UK election is coming down to the wire. In the US, former FBI director Comey is set to testify, and leaks of two Fed appointments overshadow mostly second-tier economic data. This week’s two main events, the ECB meeting and the UK national election...
Read More »FX Weekly Preview: ECB Meeting and UK Election Key Drivers in Week Ahead
Summary: ECB may take a baby step toward the exit of extraordinary monetary policy by confirming rates are unlikely to be cut further and the risks are roughly balanced. UK election is coming down to the wire. In the US, former FBI director Comey is set to testify, and leaks of two Fed appointments overshadow mostly second-tier economic data. This week’s two main events, the ECB meeting and the UK national election...
Read More »Great Graphic: US Curve and the Euro
This Great Graphic was created on Bloomberg. It shows two times series. The yellow line and the left-hand scale show the euro’s exchange rate against the dollar for the past year. The white line depicts the spread between the US two-year and 10-year yield. I show the curve this way to be more intuitive with the euro rather than the 10-2 yr curve. To be clear as the curve has flattened the white line rises. Despite me...
Read More »Great Graphic: US Rate Curve and the Euro
This Great Graphic was created on Bloomberg. It shows two times series. The yellow line and the left-hand scale show the euro’s exchange rate against the dollar for the past year. The white line depicts the spread between the US two-year and 10-year yield. I show the curve this way to be more intuitive with the euro rather than the 10-2 yr curve. To be clear as the curve has flattened the white line rises. Despite me...
Read More »Drop in the US Unemployment Rate Not Sufficient to Mask Disappointing Report
Summary: Poor jobs growth won’t challenge June hike expectations but September and balance sheet. Little positive in today’s report. Drop in unemployment explained by drop in participation rate. Trade deficit was larger than expected, which may point to slower Q2 growth. United States Unemployment Rate The US unemployment rate unexpectedly fell to 4.3%, a new multi-year low, but it is a misleading optic for...
Read More »