Category Archive: 4.) Marc to Market
FX Daily, June 21: Heavy Oil Weighs on Yields and Lifts Yen
The US dollar is narrowly mixed against the major currencies. The drop in oil prices (3.3% this week) is seen as one of the factors that may be underpinning the appetite for fixed income, and this, in turn, is lifting the yen. The greenback had approached JPY112 yesterday, but with the drop in oil prices and yields has seen it retreat toward JPY111.00.
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FX Daily, June 20: Officials Fill Vacuum of Data to Drive FX Market
The light economic calendar has cleared the field to allow officials to clarify their positions. Yesterday it was NY Fed President Dudley and Chicago Fed Evans who argued that economic conditions continued to require a gradual removal of accommodation. The Fed's Vice Chairman Fischer did not address US monetary policy directly but did note that housing prices were elevated and that low interest rates
contributed.
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FX Daily, June 19: Dollar Mixed while Equities Recover to Start Eventful Week
The US dollar is mixed against the major currencies, and while it is firmer against the euro and yen, it is within last week's ranges. The success of Macron's new party in France, and the majority is secured, was well anticipated by investors and is having little effect on today's activity in the capital markets.
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FX Weekly Preview: Events Not Data Key in Week Ahead
Light economic data calendar, but look for downtick in eurozone flash PMI. Soft Canadian retail sales (volume) and softer CPI (base effect) could take some of the sting from the recent BoC official comments. MSCI decision on China, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea may have the broadest and long-lasting impact of the five key events we highlight.
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Great Graphic: Value vs Growth
This Great Graphic, created on Bloomberg show the performance of growth and value stocks since the start of December 2016. The yellow line is the Russell 1000 Growth Index. The white line is the Russell 1000 Value Index. The outperformance of the former is clear.
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FX Daily, June 16: Dollar Slips In Consolidation, but Extends Recovery Against the Yen
As the market heads into the weekend, the US dollar is trading softer as it consolidates. It is within yesterday's ranges against the major currencies but the Japanese yen. The dollar has made a dramatic recovery against the yen. It traded near JPY108.80 in the middle of the week and pushed through JPY111 in late in the Tokyo morning. The greenback is above its 20-day moving average against the yen for the first time in a month.
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Great Graphic: Sticky Pass Through
This Great Graphic was posted by Steve Goldstein at MarketWatch. The blue line shows the effective Fed funds rate. The orange line depicts the average interest rate on a $10,000 one-year CD.
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FX Daily, June 15: Dollar Trades Higher in Wake of the FOMC
The US dollar gains scored yesterday in response to what appeared to be a more hawkish FOMC than expected have been extended today. The euro and the Swiss franc have recorded new lows for the month.
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FX Daily, June 14: FOMC and upcoming SNB
The Euro has risen by 0.37% to 1.0901 CHF. This is a typical movement ahead of the SNB meeting tomorrow.
This movement is probably unrelated to the Fed rate hike, given that the USD/JPY has fallen.
It makes sense to go long CHF against JPY, if you bet on an inactive SNB. Inactive SNB would mean that the central bank will not speak about stronger FX Interventions or about lower rates.
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FX Daily, June 13: Dollar Softens Ahead of Start of FOMC Meeting
The US dollar is trading with a heavier bias against all the major currencies save the Japanese yen. The Scandis and Canadian dollar are leading the move. Sweden reported a 0.1% rise in the headline and underlying inflation while the median expected a decline of the same magnitude. The year-over-year pace slowed but not as much as expected.
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FX Daily, June 12: Ahead of Central Bank Meetings, Politics Dominates
The US dollar is trading within its pre-weekend range against the major currencies as participants await the central bank meeting starting in the middle of the week. The Federal Reserve, Bank of England, and the Bank of Japan meet.
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FX Weekly Preview: Politics and Economics in the Week Ahead
FOMC, BoE, and BOJ meet next week; only the Fed is expected to change policy. High frequency data may be less important than the central bank meetings and politics in the week ahead. UK political situation is far from resolved, and US drama continues, while several hot spots in the EMU are emerging.
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FX Daily, June 09: Sterling Shocked, Dollar Broadly Firmer
What looked like a savvy move in late April has turned into a nightmare. Collectively, voters have denied the governing Conservative party a parliamentary majority. The uncertainty today does not lie yesterday with the known unknown, but with the shape of the next government and what it means for Brexit.
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Great Graphic: Another Look at US-German Rate Differentials
This Great Graphic, created on Bloomberg, depicts the interest rate differential between the US and Germany. The euro-dollar exchange rate often seems sensitive to the rate differential. The white line is the two-year differential and the yellow line is the 10-year differential.
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FX Daily, June 08: Thursday’s Show
Today has an anti-climactic feel to it. Yesterday's leak of what is purported to be the ECB staff forecasts point to small downward revisions to inflation forecasts and an ever small upward tweak to growth. This would be in line with only mild changes in the forward guidance language. The clear indication is that inflation is still not the conditions of a self-sustaining path toward the target.
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FX Daily, June 07: Markets Mark Time Ahead of Tomorrow
Tomorrow may be the most important day of the quarter for investors. The ECB meets. The UK goes to the polls. Former FBI Comey testifies. Ahead of these significant events, the global capital markets are mostly quiet, with some pockets of activity.
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FX Daily, June 06: Yen Propelled Higher
The week was supposed to be dominated by the UK election and the ECB meeting, but the yen is stealing the show in the first part of the week. The US dollar has been sold through JPY110 for the first time since late April. The euro has fallen from JPY125.30 before the weekend to JPY123.25 today.
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Euro Shrugs off European Banking Woes
Spain's Banco Popular is scrambling ahead of its meeting with the ECB tomorrow; shares are around 50% in three sessions. Italy has two banks that may see the same deal Monte Paschi negotiated with the EU. Portugal banks are still putting loan loss reserves and provisions aside.
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Great Graphic: Don’t be Misled by Sterling Stability, Investors are Concerned
The Great Graphic, created on Bloomberg, shows the options skew (three-month 25 delta risk reversal) in the white line, and sterling is the yellow line. The takeaway is that the market appears to be more nervous than the relatively firm sterling in the spot market suggests. Typically, one might expect those with sterling exposure to sell calls (and receive funds) rather than buy puts (new expenditure).
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FX Daily, June 05: US Dollar Starts Important Week Mostly Stable to Higher
The US dollar is beginning what promises to be an important week on a steady to firmer note against most of the major currencies. It is a holiday in parts of Europe (e.g.,m Germany and Switzerland). Although excitement is not until Thursday's ECB meeting, UK election, and the testimony of former US FBI Director Comey, there are several developments today to note.
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