Tag Archives: South Korea

Overview: The US dollar is narrowly mixed against the G10 currencies. The Canadian and Australian dollars lead the advancers, while the Scandis are pacing the losers off 0.1%-0.2% in quiet turnover. Most the freely accessible emerging market currencies are sporting softer profiles today, the Chinese yuan is among them. However, most Asia Pacific currencies, are firmer. Benchmark 10-year yields were softer in the Asia Pacific region in mostly a catch-up to the...

Overview: Late yesterday, on the eve of the quarterly refunding announcement, Fitch cut the US rating to AA+ from AAA, citing project fiscal deterioration over the next few years and "the erosion of governance". S&P also has the US as an AA+ credit. Ironically, many observers who have been critical of the US monetary and fiscal policies, like former Treasury Secretary Summers and El-Erian, were also critical of Fitch's decision. The US 30-year yield reached its...

Overview: The market has concluded that the Fed will hike rates today. The US two-year yield has risen from about 3.63% at Monday's lows almost 4.20% yesterday. It needs to rise to 4.35% to recover half of its decline since March 8 but has come back softer today. Meanwhile, the banking crisis continues to ease, and Europe's Stoxx 600 bank index is up 1.5%, its third consecutive advance. The US KBW bank index rallied almost 5% yesterday. Still, while the dollar drew...

Overview:  The prospect that the Federal Reserve tightening cycle continues into early Q3 is underpinning the greenback today against most of the G10 currencies. The dollar bloc is the notable exception, and they are posting minor gains, perhaps encouraged by the firmer equity markets. The minutes of this month’s FOMC meeting appear to show wide support for quarter point hikes going forward and there did not seem to be much discussion of the conditions that would...

Overview: Asia Pacific stocks rallied on the heels of the surge in US equities. China’s CSI 300 led the large bourses higher with a 1% advance. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is matching yesterday’s gain of a little more than 0.6%, while US futures are a touch softer. European yields are 9-13 bp lower, with the peripheral premiums shrinking. The US 10-year yield, which tumbled 14 bp yesterday is little changed now near 3.60%. The dollar is broadly lower. The strongest of the G10...

Overview: Surging Covid cases in China and Hong Kong are undermining hopes of a Covid-pivot and the US dollar is broadly higher. Equities are under pressure to start the week. Most of the large bourses in the Asia Pacific but Japan, fell earlier today. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is paring last week’s minor gain, which was the fifth consecutive weekly rise. US stock futures are lower, while the 10-year US Treasury yield is flat near 3.83%. European yields are mostly around...

Overview: Risk appetites have returned today. Bonds and stocks are advancing, while the dollar is better offered. Unsourced claims that Beijing has formed a committee to assess how to exit the zero-Covid policy sent Chinese shares sharply higher. An index of mainland companies list in Hong Kong jumped nearly 7% and closed up almost 5.5%. The Hang Seng surged 5.2%, while all the large markets in the region advanced. Europe’s Stoxx 600 recovered yesterday and is up...

Overview: The dramatic moves spurred by the BOE maintaining the end of the week deadline for its Gilt purchases, which have been quite modest given its wherewithal, have calmed. Sterling is firmer on the day, though long-end Gilt yields are higher. The dollar has pushed above JPY145.90, where the BOJ intervened last month. Risk appetites more broadly appear to have stabilized, but we suggest it may be a modest bout of position adjusting ahead of tomorrow’s US CPI....

Overview: The markets begin October with some trepidation.  Rumors continue to circulate about the health of a large European bank, cross currency swaps are elevated, suggest dollars are more difficult to access.  The S&P 500 settled on new lows for the year at the end of last week.  China and South Korea on closed for national holidays. Chinese market will not open until next week, and Hong Kong markets are closed tomorrow.  While the Nikkei advanced, the other...

Overview: Sterling’s pounding continued in Asia where it was driven to $1.0350, a new record low before stabilizing. UK rates also continued to rise sharply after the new government promised more tax cuts next year. The right-wing victory in Italy was not surprising but it kept pressure on Italian bonds. China took more action to slow the yuan’s descent The dollar is broadly higher. All the G10 currencies and most emerging market currencies are lower. Risk appetites...