The most important thing to appreciate is that the market has moved to price not one but two cuts next year. The first is priced into the September Fed funds futures and the second is in the Dec Fed funds futures. This I in response to weaker than expected data that have elevated recession fears. The Atlanta Fed GDPNow puts Q2 growth at -2.1%. Banks have revised down their forecasts, but none of the 59 economists in the Bloomberg survey have forecast a negative...
Read More »Macro and Prices
(Combining the weekend macro commentary and price action review in one note. Check out the July monthly.) Three economic reports highlight the week ahead: Japan's labor cash earnings at the start of the week and the US employment report and China's CPI at the end of the week. In addition, the Reserve Bank of Australia meets early on July 5. The Bank of Japan's insistence that inflation, which is running slightly above target is not sustainable is that it is a...
Read More »Equities Jump, Dollar Slips, and European Yields Drop
Overview: Stocks are rallying. Nearly all the large bourses in the Asia Pacific region rose with China being the noted exception. In Europe, the Stoxx 600 is up over 1% to post gains for the third consecutive session, the longest advance this month. US futures are up around 2% as they return from yesterday’s holiday. While the US 10-year yield has edged up 3.26%, European yields are mostly softer, with the peripheral premiums falling more than core rates. The US...
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 »RBA Surprises with a 25 bp Hike
Overview: The large bourses in Asia Pacific except Hong Kong eased. Japan and China’s mainland markets are closed for the holiday. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is up about 0.6%. It gapped lower yesterday and has not entered the gap today. US futures are a little softer. The 10-year Treasury nicked the 3%-mark yesterday and is just below there now. European benchmark yields are mostly 1-3 bp higher, but the UK Gilt yield has jumped eight basis points, and Australia’s surged 13...
Read More »RBA Drops “patience” to Send the Aussie Higher
Overview: The Reserve Bank of Australia hinted that it was getting closer to a rate hike. The Australian dollar was bid to its best level since the middle of last year. Australian stocks advanced in a mixed regional session while China and Hong Kong markets were closed for the local holiday. BOJ Kuroda called the yen’s recent moves “rapid.” The yen is sidelined today as the dollar weakens against other major currencies, led by the Antipodeans. In addition to the...
Read More »Risk Assets Given a Reprieve
Overview: US equities failed to sustain early gains yesterday, but risk appetites have returned today. Asia Pacific equities had a poor start, with Chinese and Japanese indices losing ground, but the equity benchmarks in Taiwan, Australia, India, and most of the smaller markets traded higher. Taiwan’s 1.1% gain is notable as foreign investors continued to be heavy sellers. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is snapping a four-day drop with an impressive 3.3% gain, led by the...
Read More »Ever Grand
Overview: Coming into yesterday's session, the S&P 500 had fallen in eight of the past ten sessions. It closed on its lows before the weekend and gapped. Nearly the stories in the press blamed China and the likely failure of one of its largest property developers, Evergrande. Those that are prone to the sky-is-falling narratives refer to it as Lehman moment. The S&P 's 2.7% decline yesterday was the largest in half of a year, and the VIX jumped to...
Read More »Ever Grand
Overview: Coming into yesterday's session, the S&P 500 had fallen in eight of the past ten sessions. It closed on its lows before the weekend and gapped. Nearly the stories in the press blamed China and the likely failure of one of its largest property developers, Evergrande. Those that are prone to the sky-is-falling narratives refer to it as Lehman moment. The S&P 's 2.7% decline yesterday was the largest in half of a year, and the VIX jumped to...
Read More »US Employment Data is Important but for the Millionth Time, Don’t Exaggerate It
Overview: Record high closes yesterday for the S&P 500 and NASDAQ have done little to help global equities today. Most of the Asia Pacific region markets, but Japan and Australia slipped ahead of the weekend while still holding on to gains for the week. Europe's Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is threatening to snap a four-day advance, and US futures are trading a little lower. The US 10-year yield reached 1.125% in the middle of the week and is extending yesterday's...
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