Tag Archive: US
US Dollar Slumps and China Surprises with Twice the Expected Trade Surplus
Overview: The market took US short-term rates and
the dollar lower after the CPI data, which was largely in line with
expectations. On the one hand, the odds of a quarter-point hike next month
increased slightly (73.6% vs. 71.6%) to 5.25%, but it reinforced that sense
that it is last hike and that the Fed will unwind this hike and more before the
end of the year. The year-end implied policy rate fell by about six basis points to
4.33%. The dollar...
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Greenback Pares Yesterday’s Gains
Overview: As the long-holiday ends, risk appetites
have returned. Equities and yields are mostly higher. The dollar is seeing
yesterday's gains pared. Yesterday's setback in the yen helped lift Japanese
stocks, with the Nikkei advancing 1%. Several other markets in the region also
gained more than 1%, including Australia and South Korea. China's CSI was an
exception. It slipped fractionally. Europe's Stoxx 600 is up nearly 0.6%
through the European...
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Fragile Calm Casts a Pall over the Capital Markets
Overview: There is a fragile calm in the capital
markets today ahead of the long holiday weekend for many. The poor US economic
data yesterday and third consecutive decline in the KBW bank index weighed on
risk sentiment. Most of the large bourses in the Asia Pacific region fell, with
Hong Kong and India notable exceptions. In Japan, the Topix bank index fell
1.1% after a 1.9% decline yesterday and is now lower on the week. Europe's
Stoxx 600 is...
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Pressure Returns to Bank Shares and seems to Help Propel Gold Higher
Overview: There are three themes today. First, the
sharp decline in US rates seen yesterday (-14 bp on the two-year yield) on the
back disappointing economic data seemed a bit exaggerated and the two-year
yield has bounced back to almost 3.90% from around 3.81%. This appears to be
helping the dollar consolidate today. Second, bank shares are coming under
renewed pressure. The US KBW bank index fell almost 2% yesterday after a 0.5%
decline on...
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RBA Holds Fire, Sterling Reaches Best Level since last June, and the Dollar Struggles to Find Much Traction
Overview: The jump in oil prices is the newest shock and the May
WTI contract is holding above $80 a barrel as it consolidates yesterday's
surge. A week ago, it settled near $73.20. Australian and New Zealand bond
yields moved lower, partly in catch-up and partly after the RBA stood pat. South
Korean bonds also rallied on the back of softer inflation (4.2% vs. 4.8%). But
European and US benchmark yields is 2-4 bp higher. The large equity markets...
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Dollar Soft but Stretched
Overview: While bank stress seems to continue
to ease, the dollar languishes against most of the major currencies. The
Japanese yen is the notable exception. It is off about 1.5% this week. The
Dollar Index has given back the gains scored at the end of last week but
remains inside the range set last Thursday and Friday (~101.90-102.35). Perhaps
the participants are waiting for Friday. In addition to month-, quarter, and
fiscal-year ends, it is...
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Financial Stress Continues to Recede
Overview: Financial stress continues to recede. The
Topix bank index is up for the second consecutive session and the Stoxx 600
bank index is recovering for the third session. The AT1 ETF is trying to snap a
four-day decline. The KBW US bank index rose for the third consecutive session
yesterday. More broadly equity markets are rallying. The advance in the Asia
Pacific was led by tech companies following Alibaba's re-organization
announcement. The...
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Swiss National Bank Support Steadies Market as ECB Faces Difficult Choice
Overview: The pendulum of market psychology is
swinging dramatically. Amid the US banking crisis, Credit Suisse's long-running
pressures percolated back to top-of-mind, sending ripples through the capital
markets, trigging a sharp slide in the euro. The SNB support is helping the
markets calm today. The odds of a 50 bp hike by the ECB today have been cut to
about 50% compared with a nearly 100% a week ago. The market has about a 66%
chance of a 25...
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Investor Anxiety Continues to Run High even If More Comfortable ECB 50 BP Tomorrow and 25 bp Next Week by the Fed
Overview: The capital markets remain unsettled. Asia-Pacific
bourses rose, but European markets are sharply lower, with the Stoxx 600 off
1.3%, giving back the lion's share of yesterday's gains and US equity futures
are lower. Benchmark 10-year yields are off 3-9 bp in Europe, with widening
core-periphery yields. The yield on the 10-year US Treasury is off a dozen
basis points to about 3.56%. Two-year yields are also sharply lower, led by the
15-16...
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Concerns Over US Banks Rival Today’s Jobs Report
Overview: The unexpectedly large rise in US weekly
jobless claims, the largest since the end of last September and concerns about
the impact of the sharp rise in interest rates on the liquidity and value of
assets (bonds) owned by small and medium-sized banks saw the market unwind the
effect of Fed Chair Powell's comments. The yield on the US two-year note
slumped almost 20 bp to 4.87% yesterday and fell to 4.75% today before
stabilizing (~4.82%)....
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Tumbling Tokyo Prices Gives Ueda Breathing Space
Overview: Talk from two Fed officials yesterday,
which seemed to validate market expectations eased the upward pressure on the
dollar and helped equities launch a dramatic recovery. The market is pricing in a terminal rate near 5.50%, a little higher than the median dot in December. The S&P 500 posted a
dramatic recover and posted a potential bullish key reversal. Its 0.75% closing
gain was the largest advance in nearly three weeks. A large...
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Higher for Longer Helps the Dollar while Weighs on Equities
Overview: The jump in prices paid in yesterday's US
ISM manufacturing coupled with the stronger eurozone inflation, with a new
cyclical high reported in the core rate, underscores the market theme of
higher-for-longer. This is seen as dollar supportive but also negative for
risk-assets, including and especially equities. European benchmark 10-year
yields are up another couple of basis points today and the 10-year US Treasury
yield is pushing above...
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Doubt Chinese Data, but Its Stronger-than-Expected PMI Lifts Risk Assets
Overview: Many investors may be skeptical of the
accuracy of Chinese data, but its stronger than expected February PMI animated
the animal spirits and bolstered risk-taking appetites. Asia Pacific equities
jumped, led by the 4.2% rally in Hong Kong and a 5% surge in the index that
tracks mainland shares. Among the long bourses Australia and Singapore slipped,
and South Korean markets were closed for a national holiday. Europe's Stoxx 600
is posting...
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Potential Brexit Breakthrough Helps Sterling, while France and Spain Report Stronger Price Pressures
Overview: There are two important developments. First,
the stronger than expected February inflation reports from France and Spain
have sparked a jump in European interest rates and the swaps market is
beginning to price in a 4% terminal rate by the European Central Bank. The
deposit rate is now at 2.50% and is widely expected to rise to 3.0% in the
middle of next month. Second, a tentative agreement to resolve the dispute over
the Northern Ireland...
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Ueda Day
Overview: Rising rates and falling stocks provided the
backdrop for the foreign exchange market this week. The dollar appreciated
against all the G10 currencies but the Swedish krona, which is still correcting
higher after the hawkish pivot by the central bank. The market looks for a
later and higher peak in the Fed funds rate. This coupled with the risk-off
sentiment helped the dollar extend its recovery after falling since last...
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Investors Shaken by Rising Rates
Overview: The surge in US interest rates and sharp
losses in US stocks sent the dollar broadly higher in North America yesterday. The
$42 bln of two-year notes auctioned by the US Treasury saw the highest yield in
more than a quarter-of-a-century (4.67%) and it still produced a small tail.
Sterling, helped by its own surprisingly strong data, was the only G10 currency
to have gained against the surging dollar. Still, no important technical levels...
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Upside Surprise in UK’s Flash PMI and Better-than-Expected January Public Finances Lift Sterling
Overview: Rising interest rates are weighing on risk
appetites and the dollar is broadly stronger. Sterling is a notable exception
after a stronger than expected flash PMI and better than expected public
finances. The correlation between higher US rates and a weaker yen is
increasing and the greenback looks poised to rechallenge the JPY135 area. A
slightly better than expected preliminary PMI and hawkish minutes from the
recent RBA meeting has done...
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Markets Catch Collective Breath
Overview: On the
heels of a dramatic jump in US job creation and firmer than expected
year-over-year CPI, the US reported a larger than expected jump in retail sales
and a strong recovery in manufacturing output. Few think that economic momentum
that the recent data implies can be repeated, the "no landing" camp
has gained adherents. We suspect that says more about psychology than the
economy. The US two-year note is threatening to snap...
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US Dollar Comes Back Better Bid
Overview: Although the US January CPI was in line with
expectations, the year-over-year rate was a little firmer than expected. Still, the measure that Fed Chair Powell has underscored, core services, excluding shelter, moderated with a 0.3% month-over-month gain. US rates shot up and this lent
the dollar support, while weighing on equities and risk sentiment. The US
two-year note yield rose to almost 4.64% yesterday, the highest in three months....
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Dollar and Rates Soften a Little Ahead of US CPI
The focus is on the US CPI report today, but the price action is anything but intuitive. Although the revisions of the basket and methodological changes reinforce expectations for the largest rise in three months, the US dollar continues to trade heavily after rallying last week. The dollar-bloc currencies are underperforming today. And US rates are softer. The US 2- and 10-year yields are 1-2 bp lower.
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