Category Archive: 4.) Marc to Market

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European Banks Bad Loans and Coverage

2016-07-26

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2016-07-26

European banks are worrisome. EBA's stress test results will be out at the end of the week. Nonperforming loans are a separate issue, but also need to be addressed.

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FX Daily, July 25: Big Week Begins Slowly

2016-07-25

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2016-07-25

What promises to be a busy week has begun off slowly. The US dollar has been largely confined to its pre-weekend ranges against most of the major currencies. Equity markets are mostly firmer following the new record highs on Wall Street. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index eked out a small gain (0.1%), with losses in Japan, Taiwan, and Singapore offsetting gains elsewhere.

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Great Graphic: OIl Breaks Down Further

2016-07-25

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2016-07-25

With today's losses the Sept contract has retraced 50% of this year's rally. The oil glut has partly been transformed into a gasoline glut. US rig count is rising and output has increased two weeks in a row.

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European Bank Stress Test: Preview

2016-07-25

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2016-07-25

European bank stress test results will be released a couple hours before the US open on Friday. The focus is on Italy, but other countries' banks may also be identified as needing capital. Within the existing rules are allowances for exceptions. Everyone wants to follow the rules.

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FX Weekly Preview: BOJ and FOMC Meetings Featured in the Last Week of July

2016-07-25

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2016-07-25

A recent Reuters poll found about half of the 100 economists surveyed expect a hike in Q4, which really means December since the November meeting is too close to the national election. The other half is split between a Q3 rate hike (September) and some time in 2017. That said, two primary dealers anticipate no hike until the end of 2017.

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Weekly Speculation Positions: Bullish on Dollar and Dollar-Bloc

2016-07-23

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2016-07-23

Speculators made several significant position adjustments in the CFTC reporting period ending 19 July. They are more Bullish on Dollar and on the Dollar-Bloc currencies.

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FX Daily, July 22: Flash PMIs Show Brexit Impact Localized

2016-07-22

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2016-07-22

As the week draws to a close, there are three main developments in the capital markets. First, the profit-taking seen in US equities yesterday has continued in Asia and Europe today. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index and the Dow Jones Stoxx 600 in Europe are both off around 0.5%.

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FX Daily, July 21: Monetary Policy Expectations are Driving Foreign Exchange

2016-07-21

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2016-07-21

Monetary policy is said to have lost its impact on the foreign exchange market, as investors scratch their heads at the resilience of currencies with negative interest rates. Yet the price action in the action cannot be understood without recognizing the ongoing importance of monetary policy expectations.

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Effective Fed Funds and Money Markets

2016-07-21

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2016-07-21

Fed funds have been trading firmly. There are several reasons and one of them is the shift that is taking place in the US money markets. Still the risk of a Fed hike has increased, just as speculation increases of easing in other major centers.

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Draghi Does not Surprise and Euro Edges Away from $1.10

2016-07-21

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2016-07-21

Draghi does not show the kind of urgency many bank economists do over the shortage of bonds to buy. Draghi kept options open and suggested a review in September when new staff forecasts are available and more data will be seen. The euro firmed, mostly it seemed on sell the rumor buy the fact, and/or possibly some disappointment that no fresh action was taken.

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FX Daily, July 20: Sterling’s Jump Slows Dollar’s Ascent

2016-07-20

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2016-07-20

It is a bizarre turn of events. Just like the Game of Throne's Westeros is a map of the UK put on top of an inverted Ireland, so too do UK events seem to be a strange permutation of the pre-referendum views. Although sterling and interest rates have not fully recovered from the Brexit decision, equity markets have, and fear of contagion has died down.

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Great Graphic: Aussie Approaches Two-Month Uptrend

2016-07-20

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2016-07-20

Australian dollar is the second heaviest currency this week after a key downside reversal at the end of last week. It is approaching an uptrend line near $0.7450. Many perceive an increased likelihood that the RBA eases and many are reassessing chance of a Fed hike later this year.

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FX Daily, July 19: Dollar-Bloc Tumbles, but Euro and Yen Little Changed

2016-07-19

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2016-07-19

The US dollar is sporting a firmer profile today, but it is not the driver. Heightened speculation that Australia and New Zealand may cut interest rates next month is pushing those respective currencies more than 1% lower today.

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Dollar Bull Case Intact: It is All About the Perspective

2016-07-19

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2016-07-19

Our bullish dollar outlook was based on divergence and we judge it to still be intact.The Dollar Index has been trading broadly sideways since March 2015, but never did more than a minimum retacement of its arlier rally. The Dollar index is at it highest level since March today.

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European Court of Justice Ruling Weighs on Italian Banks

2016-07-19

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2016-07-19

ECJ uphold principle of bailing in junior creditors before the use of public funds. Italian banks shares snap a three-day advance. The EBA/ECB stress test results at the end of next week are the next big event.

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FX Daily, July 18: Coup in Turkey Repulsed, Risk-Appetites Return

2016-07-18

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2016-07-18

The US dollar and the yen are trading heavy, while risk assets, including emerging markets, and the Turkish lira, have jumped. Sterling is the strongest of the majors. It is up about 0.5% (~$1.6365), helped by the opportunity of GBP23.4 bln foreign direct investment and comments from a hawkish member of the MPC suggesting not everyone is onboard necessarily for a rate cut next month.

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Squaring the Circle: Can Article 7 be Used to Force Article 50?

2016-07-18

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2016-07-18

Article 7 would suspend the UK's EU voting rights on grounds it is not negotiating in good faith by delaying the triggering of Article 50. The U.S. debated what "is" means, now investors are trying to figure out what May means. Although sterling has stabilized, interest rate differentials have not.

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FX Weekly Preview: EMU Returns to Center Stage in the Week Ahead

2016-07-17

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2016-07-17

Key event in Europe is not on many calendars--it is a ruling by the European Court of Justice. UK government and Tory Party stabilizing, leaving the Labour Party in disarray. US economy appears to have accelerated into the end of Q2. BOJ's meeting at the end of the month.

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Speculative Sentiment Shifts

2016-07-16

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2016-07-16

The combination of a robust US jobs report, speculation of bolder action by Japan, the possibility that the ECB drops the capital key to overcome the ostensible shortage of some core bonds (e.g. German bunds), and the anticipation of easier BOE policy appears to have generated a change in sentiment among speculators in the currency futures market.

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Great Graphic: Equities Since Brexit

2016-07-15

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2016-07-15

Since the UK voted to leave the EU, emerging market equities have outperformed equities from the developed markets. This Great Graphic, composed on Bloomberg, shows the MSCI Emerging Market equities (yellow line) and the MSCI World Index of developed equities (white line).

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