Overview: Calmer markets are prevailing today, but an unease remains, and market moves continue to be sharp even if less dramatic. Still, it is in these somewhat less volatile conditions that the US dollar is doing better. It is firmer against all the G10 currencies today. The yen and sterling are the weakest, nursing 0.4%-0.5% losses, while the Norwegian krone and the Canadian dollar are faring the best, off 0.05%-0.15%. Emerging market currencies are also mostly...
Read More »Market Boosts Odds of a BOE Rate Cut this Week
Overview: The US dollar is mostly firmer today ahead of what promises to be an eventful week. Sterling is bearing the brunt today, off a little less than half-of-a-cent as expectations creep up of a rate cut this week and Chancellor of the Exchequer Reeves plays up the poor state of public finances left by the Conservative government. Sterling (and the euro's) five- and 20-day moving averages have crossed. The yen is mostly within the pre-weekend range. Outside a of...
Read More »Yen’s Surge Continues, while PBOC Surprises with Another Rate Cut, and US 2-30 Year Yield Curve Ends Inversion
Overview: The capital markets are in flux. The powerful short-covering rally of the yen and unwinding of carry trades continues. For the second time this week, the PBOC has surprised by cutting interest rates. The dramatic sell-off of equities continues. The unexpected contraction of South Korea's Q2 GSP (-0.2%) is seen as confirmation of broader economic weakness Speculation of a more aggressive Federal Reserve is gaining ground. It is not that the odds of a cut...
Read More »Euro Trades Quietly Ahead of ECB Meeting
Jury duty assignment prevents a more comprehensive note, but here is a snapshot. Overview: The US dollar enjoys a firmer bias today, in mostly quiet turnover in narrow ranges. The Australian dollar is a noted exception, and the better than expected jobs growth may have lent it some resilience today. The greenback initially was sold to almost JPY155.35, a new low (since June 7) before recovering to nearly JPY156.60 in Europe. The UK's employment report saw the first...
Read More »Market Takes JPY Lower Despite Intervention Speculation, While Sterling Shines
Overview: The dollar is mostly consolidating yesterday's CPI-inspired decline. The main features include the market bidding the US dollar back above JPY159 despite more speculation that the BOJ did in fact intervene yesterday and checked on the euro-yen cross in the local session today, and unexpectedly soft Swedish inflation, which the swaps market says could spur three rate cuts here in second half. A record trade surplus and strong aggregate lending figures did...
Read More »No Turn Around Tuesday as Greenback Remains Firm
Taking the next few days off. Will be back with week ahead commentary on July 6. Overview: The sharp jump in US long-term interest rates has helped lift the greenback in recent sessions and it remains firm against most of the G10 currencies today. The Canadian dollar is the best performer, and it is nearly flat. The intraday momentum indicators warn that after a mostly consolidative Asia Pacific and European morning, the greenback may probe higher in North...
Read More »Yen: Short Overview
The yen is off about 1% this month to bring the year-to-date decline to about 2.4%. It fell by 12.2% in 2022 and 10.3% in 2021. The yen rallied against the dollar for the five preceding years. Over that five-year period the dollar fell from around JPY124 to JPY99, but it was all done in H1 16, and after a rally at the end of 2016 and very early 2017 (to about JPY118.65), the dollar ground down around JPY101. This year’s dollar low was set in mid-Jan near JPY127.25...
Read More »Japan Surprises
The Bank of Japan surprised everyone may lifting the 10-year yield curve cap to 0.50% from 0.25%.The BOJ also said it would increase its bond purchases to JPY9 trillion (~$68 bln) a month compared to the current JPY7.3 trillion. BOJ Kuroda, whose term ends next April, insisted that the easy monetary policy stance will continue. The surprise decision sent ripples across the capital markets. Japanese stocks slumped, with the Nikkei falling about 2.5%. Global...
Read More »Caution Advised in Chasing FX, but Wow!
Overview: The softer than expected US inflation figures unleashed significant market adjustment that continue to ripple through the capital markets. The modification of some of China’s Covid stance may have also fanned some optimism, but we suggest that measures are modest tweaks, and the surge in infections will prevent the end of disruptive restrictions. Although we have been arguing that a significant dollar top was being forged, the move is stretched from a...
Read More »The Yen and Yuan Continue to Weaken
Overview: While the US dollar appears to be consolidating its recent gains, the Japanese yen and Chinese yuan remain under pressure. Officials seem more concerned about the pace of the move than the level it has reached. New and large fiscal initiatives that the new UK government has floated has failed to change sentiment toward sterling, which is the second weakest major currency today after the Japanese yen. The yen’s weakness did not prevent new losses in Japanese...
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