Overview: The persistent rise in US rates continues to help fuel dollar gains. The euro has been sold through $1.08 and the greenback has jumped over 1% against the yen to JPY152.75. It finished last week closer to JPY149.55. So far, Japanese officials have been fairly quiet, but this seems likely to change. The US two-year premium over Germany has widened by around 65 bp since late September to return to levels that prevailed in June. The greenback is firmer...
Read More »Consolidation Featured
Overview: Yesterday's poor 10-year note US Treasury auction helped turn the equity market lower and this carried over into Asia Pacific and European activity today. Today, Treasury completes its quarterly refunding with the sale of $25 bln 30-year bonds. The general tone in the foreign exchange market is one of consolidation. Japanese investors were buyers of foreign stocks on bonds last week, according to the latest portfolio flow report, which is not what one...
Read More »Double Whammy: US CPI and Federal Reserve
Overview: Position adjustments ahead of today's US CPI and FOMC meeting are giving the dollar a modestly heavier tone today. Each of these events are typically a source of volatility in their own right and together they promise an eventful North American session. The yen is the only exception among the G10 currencies, but even there, the dollar is holding below yesterday's highs. Even sterling's relative resilience this week was unmarred by the flat April GDP. Led...
Read More »Election Results Lift India But Weigh on Mexico
Overview: The dollar has returned from the weekend with a better bid tone. It is firmer against all the G10 currencies but the yen, Swiss franc, and Swedish krona, which are marginally firmer. The market seems reluctant to extend the euro or Canadian dollar upticks ahead of the central bank meetings this week, though, ironically, sterling’s 0.25% decline leads the major currencies. Election news is a key driver today. A dramatic victory for the Morena party in...
Read More »Dollar’s Recent Gains Pared but Firm Undertone Remains Intact
Overview: After surging at the last week, the dollar consolidated yesterday and is continuing to do so today as slightly lower levels. The Swiss franc is the only G10 currency unable to gain traction against the greenback today. Still, the dollar's pullback has barely met the minimum retracement targets of the jump last Thursday and Friday. The PBOC lower the dollar's fix slightly, but the proverbial toothpaste is out of the tube and officials are struggling to...
Read More »In Uncoordinated Steps, Japan and China Help Slow Greenback’s Rally
Overview: The Bank of Japan Governor Ueda hinted the world's third-largest economy may exit negative interest rates before the end of the year. This sparked the strongest gain in the yen in a couple of months and lifted the 10-year yield to nearly 0.70%. In an uncoordinated fashion, Chinese officials stepped their rhetoric and indicated that corporate orders to sell $50 mln or more will need authorization. This helped arrest the yuan's slide. The Australian dollar...
Read More »Risk Appetites Challenged after US Equities Tumble
Overview: The sharp sell-off of US stocks yesterday as sapped the risk appetite today. Equities are being sold. Hong Kong and the index of mainland shares that are listed there led the regional decline with 3.2%-3.3% losses. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is off about 0.65% in late morning turnover, the fourth day of losses. US futures are trading with a lower bias as well. European 10-year bonds are mostly 1-2 bp firmer. The US 10-year Treasury is practically flat at 3.53%....
Read More »Macro: Tell Us Something We Don’t Already Know
As September winds down, three sets of economic reports will draw the most attention. We will review them and then offer a snapshot of the emerging market central bank meetings. As we have seen in the UK and Norway, several emerging market countries raised rates early (beginning in the middle of last year) but still experienced an acceleration of inflation. It obviously begs the unanswerable question about the impact on US inflation if the Fed had taken its foot off...
Read More »Downside Risks to the US Employment Report?
Overview: The US dollar enjoys a firmer bias against the major currencies ahead of the July employment data. Emerging market currencies are mixed. Asian currencies are generally firm while central Europe is a bit softer. Some detect a relaxation in tensions around Taiwan, though China’s aerial harassment continues. Taiwanese shares jumped 2.25% to lead the region that saw China’s CSI 300 rally over 1%. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is giving back yesterday’s 0.2% gain, even...
Read More »Euro Tests Parity
Overview: Equities remain under pressure as investors contemplate tighter financial conditions and the risks of recession. Most of the large equity markets in the Asia Pacific region sold-off, led by a 2.7% drop in Taiwan. Australia managed to buck the trend and managed a small gain. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is off by about 0.2% near midday after a 0.5% loss yesterday. US futures are lower and are threatening a gap lower opening for the S&P 500 and NASDAQ. Bonds are...
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