Tag Archive: Australia

FX Daily, December 2: Euro Rally Stalls while Brexit Concerns Trip Sterling

The selling pressure that drove the dollar lower yesterday has abated, and the greenback is paring yesterday's loss, though the dollar-bloc currencies are showing some resilience. EC negotiator Barnier briefed ministers that the same three issues that have bedeviled the trade talks with the UK remain unresolved (fisheries, level playing field, and a conflict resolution mechanism).

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FX Daily, November 27: Dollar Offered Ahead of the Weekend

Equities are finishing the week on a firm tone, while the US dollar remains heavy.   In the Asia Pacific, only Australia and India did not end the week on a firm note.  The MSCI Asia Pacific completed its fourth consecutive weekly gain, for around a 13% gain. 

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FX Daily, November 5: The Dollar Slides and the Yuan Jumps

Overview: The markets did not wait for the final vote count and took stocks and bonds higher while pushing the greenback lower. While it appears Biden will be the next US President, investors seemed to like the fact that his agenda will be checked by a Senate that may remain in Republican hands.  Stocks are on a tear. 

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FX Daily, November 3: Risk Appetites Return as the US Goes to the Polls

More than 95 mln Americans voted before today, and many observers warn of a cliffhanger that could be decided in the courts. The polls sand surveys show strong odds in favor of a Democratic sweep. Looking at the capital markets, nothing looks amiss. 

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FX Daily, October 15: Markets Shake and Dollar Goes Bid

A combination of the surging virus, threatening the slow recovery that was already losing momentum, the lack of new stimulus in the US, and market positioning is seeing risk unwind in a big way today.  Equities are selling off. 

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FX Daily, October 6: The Dollar Tests Key Supports and Pauses

Market moves have stalled.  The MSCI Asia Pacific Index did manage to extend Monday's gains, but other markets are heavier.  Europe's Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is snapping a three-day advance.  The communications sector is the sole standout, though financials and energy are little changed.

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FX Daily, October 05: Monday’s Dollar Blues

New actions to contain the virus are being taken in the US and Europe, but investors are looking past it and taking equities and risk assets, in general, higher to start the new week. MSCI Asia Pacific recouped most of last week's 0.7% loss with gains of move than 1% in Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Australia.

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FX Daily, September 25: Sentiment Remains Fragile Ahead of the Weekend

The dramatic week is finishing on a quieter note.  The modest gains in US equities yesterday helped the Asia Pacific performance today.  Most markets but China and Hong Kong pared the weekly losses, and easing regulations in Australia spurred a rally in financials that saw its stock market close higher on the week. 

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FX Daily, September 2: Corrective Pressures Give the Greenback a Reprieve

After poking above $1.20 for the first time in more than two years, the euro reversed lower yesterday and is continuing to succumb to profit-taking pressures today.  Comments from ECB's Lane appeared to trigger a reversal yesterday throughout the currency markets.

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FX Daily, August 18: Canada Shrugs Off Loss of Morneau and Gold Reclaims $2000 Threshold

The NASDAQ rallied 1% yesterday to record highs as the Dow Industrials struggled, and the S&P 500 was able to eke out a small gain. The coattails were short, and the strength of the yen may have contributed to a 0.2% loss of the Nikkei. Still, its 6.2% advance this month is the best among the G10.

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FX Daily, August 13: Dollar Remains Offered

The poor price action on Tuesday in the S&P 500 was shrugged off, and new highs for the recovery were made as the record high nears. The dollar, on the other hand, seemed to find plenty of sellers against most of the major currencies. The yen was a notable exception.

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FX Daily, July 16: Equities Slide and the Greenback Bounces After China’s GDP and Before the ECB

Overview:  Profit-taking, perhaps spurred by disappointing retail sales figures, sent Chinese equity markets down by 4.5%-5.2% today, the most since early February.  It appears to be triggering a broader setback in equities today.  The Hang Seng fell 2%, and most other markets in the region were off less than 1%. 

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FX Daily, July 9: The Dollar is Sold through CNY7.0 as Chinese Equities Continue to Rally

Investors continue to clamor into risk assets.  Led by Chinese shares, the MSCI Asia Pacific Index pushed higher for the third session this week to new five-month highs.  Europe's Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is trying to snap a two-day decline with the help of better than expected revenues for its largest tech company.

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FX Daily, May 19: Optimism Burns Eternal

Overview: Hopes for a vaccine and a German-French proposal to break the logjam at the EU for a joint recovery effort helped propel equities higher yesterday. There was strong follow-through in the Asia Pacific region, where most markets advanced by more than 1% today. However,  the bloom came off the rose, so to speak, in Europe. After a higher opening, markets reversed lower, and the Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is off about 0.75% in late morning turnover.

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FX Daily, May 14: Risk Appetites Wane

Overview: Risk appetites have been gradually waning this week. US equity losses mounted yesterday after Tuesday's late sell-off. Asia Pacific equities were off, with many seeing at least 1.5% drops. Europe's Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is off a little more to double this week's decline and leaves it in a position to be the biggest drop since panicked days in mid-March.

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FX Daily, April 29: Heavy Dollar amid Month-End Pressure

Overview: The dollar is lower across the board as dealers attribute the selling to month-end pressures ahead of the FOMC today and ECB tomorrow and long-holiday weekend for many. Japan's Golden Week holiday has already begun. Despite the loss in US equities yesterday, despite the higher opening, it has not spilled over, as Alphabet earnings helped lift sentiment.

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Cool Video: OIl, ECB, and Animal Spirits

I had the privilege to join Ben Lichtenstein at TD Ameritrade (from a remote location) this morning to talk about the global markets.  I make four points.  First, the reversal of the S&P 500 yesterday set the tone for Asia and Europe.  Volatility throughout the capital markets remains elevated, even if off the peaks.  

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FX Daily, April 8: Flavor of the Day: Consolidation

Overview: Global equities are struggling after the S&P 500 staged a dramatic reversal yesterday. The early 3.5% gain was completely unwound and closed slightly lower.  With few exceptions (e.g., Japan and the Philippines), most equity markets in the Asia Pacific region and Europe are lower.

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FX Daily, February 20: Covid-19 Hits Yen and Korean Won

The increase of Covid-19 cases in South Korea and Japan, coupled with China's changing reverting back to its previous methodology of calculation, dropping clinically-diagnosed cases have again weakened risk appetites and sent the dollar broadly higher. Fears of a Japanese recession are sapping the yen's role as a safe haven, and this helps explain why Japanese equities did react as positively to the weaker yen than is often the case.

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FX Daily, February 18: Apple’s Warning Weighs on Sentiment

Overview: Apple's warning that it will miss Q1 revenue due to the knock-on effects of the coronavirus seemed to be a modest wake-up call to investors, who, judging from the equity market, were looking beyond. Equities have fallen, and bonds have rallied. Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korean stocks fell by more than 1%, and only China and Indonesia were able to post gains.

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