Category Archive: 4.) Marc to Market

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Calm Start to the Week, with Little Impact from Russia’s Drama

2023-06-26

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2023-06-26

Overview:  The drama in Russia captured the imaginations but failed to have much impact on the capital markets. Conventional wisdom sees it as a sign of Putin's weakness, but he has been underestimated, including by many Ukrainians who did not think Russia was going to invade despite America's repeated warnings. It may take some time for the implications for the two main protagonists, Wagner head Prigozhin and Defense Minister Shoigu. The war in...

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After Disappointing PMIs, Attention will Turn Back to Inflation in the Week Ahead

2023-06-24

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2023-06-24

As the month and quarter wind down, inflation readings are featured. The US May PCE deflator, which is the targeted measure is reported. Canada and Australia report May CPI. The eurozone reports the preliminary June CPI, and Japan see Tokyo's June CPI, which serves a similar function. Leaving aside Japan, the others, including the UK have signaled that the monetary tightening cycle will be extended into H2. That said, the poor preliminary PMI...

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Greenback Jumps on Weak Flash PMIs

2023-06-23

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2023-06-23

Overview: As the market reluctantly edges toward the Fed's guidance, the disappointing PMIs from Europe (but also Japan and Australia) helped boost the greenback. The Dollar Index is trading at seven-day highs above 103 after briefly dipping below 102 to set a new low since mid-May yesterday. The unwinding of cross positions is helping the yen hold its own today as it consolidates near its worst level of the year. The surging dollar and risk-off...

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Higher for Longer

2023-06-22

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2023-06-22

Overview:  The central banks of Norway and Switzerland have hiked rates by 50 bp and 25 bp, respectively. Attention is on the Bank of England. A 25 bp hike is widely expected but after strong inflation report, the risk is clearly for a 50 bp hike. In fact, we suspect a quarter-point move could see sterling sold. With a new orthodox economics team in Turkey, a large rate hike is expected today. Late in the North American session, Mexico's central...

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UK Inflation Surprises to the Upside and Weighs on Sterling

2023-06-21

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2023-06-21

Overview: The UK surprised with higher-than-expected consumer inflation and budget deficit, and the odds of a 50 bp hike tomorrow edged higher. Sterling has been sold on the news and is the weakest of the G10 currencies, off about 0.5%. The dollar is mixed with the euro, Swedish krona, Canadian dollar, and Swiss franc posting small gains. Emerging market currencies are lower, including the Chinese yuan, which is at new lows since last November. The...

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Scandis and Antipodeans Lead the Greenback’s Recovery

2023-06-20

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2023-06-20

Overview: The market continues to resist the Fed's signal that another 50 bp of hikes may be necessary to ensure inflation is headed toward its target. Previously, the market had rate cuts priced in, and it took some time for the Fed's push back to be accepted. The market converged with the Fed, and this helped the dollar recover. We suspect a similar pattern to play out again. The market does not have even one of the two Fed hikes discounted. As...

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Week Ahead: Greenback Looks Set to Bounce after the Recent Drubbing

2023-06-17

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2023-06-17

The week ahead is less eventful than the week that just passed, which saw the anticipated hike by the ECB and the small cut by the PBOC. The Fed delivered the widely tipped hawkish hold and the US CPI continued to decelerate. The dollar fell against the G10 currencies last week but the yen.  Sterling, and the Canadian dollar rose to new highs for the year,  Momentum indicators are stretched.  This coupled with risk-reward considerations suggest...

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BOJ Stands Pat while the Dollar is Consolidating Ahead of the Weekend

2023-06-16

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2023-06-16

Overview: The market has not yet become convinced that the Fed will in fact deliver the two hikes the median dot anticipates this year, and the dollar was sold off sharply yesterday, the day after the FOMC meeting. In fact, the swaps market is more convinced that the ECB hikes in July than the Fed. Outside of the yen, which was sold after the BOJ stood pat, the G10 currencies are mostly little changed, consolidating the recent moves. Emerging...

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ECB’s Turn

2023-06-15

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2023-06-15

Overview: The Fed's hawkish hold and signal that it may raise rates two more time this year sent ripples through the capital markets. Risk appetites have been dealt a blow. However, China's rate cut and likely additional supportive measures after disappointing data, helped lift the CSI 300 by 1.6%, the most this year. The Hang Seng rose by nearly 2.2%, the most in three months. Europe's Stoxx 600 is snapping a three-day advance and US index futures...

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Euro: Thumbnail Sketch Ahead of the ECB Meeting

2023-06-14

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2023-06-14

The euro has traded between roughly $1.0485 and $1.1100 so far this year. The average is about $1.08, where it traded above yesterday for the first time in 2 ½ weeks. Recall that the euro rallied from around $1.05 in mid-March (amid speculation that the banking stress was going to force the Fed to cut) to around $1.1100, where it stalled in late April and early May. We argued that the rate cut expectations had swung too far and that as they...

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Fed Day: Skip = Hawkish Pause, but Market Says Finito

2023-06-14

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2023-06-14

Overview: The year-end effective Fed funds rate implied in the futures market is about 5.11%. The rate has been averaging 5.08% since the Fed hiked rates last month The Fed may go to pains to explain that the steady that to be announced later today is just a pause to get a better read on the economy, the market favors this to be the end of the tightening cycle. The dollar is trading softer against nearly all the G10 currencies. Emerging market...

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PBOC Surprise Rate Cut and a Strong UK Labor Market Report Ahead of US CPI

2023-06-13

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2023-06-13

Overview: A surprise cut in China's seven-day repo and a stronger than expected UK employment report are session's highlights ahead of the US CPI. The base effect alone suggests a sharp fall in the year-over-year rate, while the median forecast in Bloomberg's survey has been shaved to a 0.1% month-over-month gain. The dollar is under pressure and is weaker against nearly all the G10 currencies. It is mixed against the emerging market currencies....

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Ahead of the Week’s Central Bank Meetings, Risk Appetites Stoked

2023-06-12

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2023-06-12

Overview: Today may be the calm ahead of a tomorrow's US CPI and rate decisions by the Fed, ECB, BOJ, and PBOC over the next few days. Most large bourses in the Asia Pacific region rose and Europe's Stoxx 600 is snapping a three-day decline. US index futures are trading higher. US 10-year yield is slightly firmer as are core European benchmark yields. The dollar is under broad pressure and is weaker against the G10 currencies. Against emerging...

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US CPI, Fed, ECB, BOJ and the Week Ahead

2023-06-10

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2023-06-10

Of the three G3 central banks that meet in the days ahead, the market is the most confident of a rate hike by the European Central Bank. The market sees a hawkish hold from the Federal Reserve. However, the idea of a skip, a topic which even Fed officials have broached, would seem to pre-commit to another hike, and this is not typically the central bank's modus operandi. Moreover, it may be difficult for the Fed to resume hikes in July if inflation...

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Dollar Stabilizes Ahead of the Weekend

2023-06-09

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2023-06-09

Overview:  Long US dollar positions were pared yesterday as rates unwound the gains scored in the wake of the Bank of Canada's surprise hike on Wednesday. It is consolidating today as the market looks toward next week’s central bank meetings (FOMC, ECB, and BOJ) and a flurry of data. It is also possible that China shaves the benchmark one-year medium-term lending facility rate. Broadly speaking the greenback is still tracking rates, and the more...

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Japan’ Q1 GDP was Revised Up, While the Eurozone’s was Revised Down

2023-06-08

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2023-06-08

Overview: The back-to-back surprise rate hikes by the Australia and Canada spurred speculation that the Fed could hike next week, and this lifted US rates and helped the dollar recover. The odds of a hike increased, according to the indicative pricing in the Fed funds futures market from about a 20% chance to a little above 35%. now. At yesterday's high, the two-year yield was up a little more than 25 bp since the low before the US employment data...

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RBA Surprises with a Quarter-Point Hike and German Factory Orders Disappoint

2023-06-06

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2023-06-06

Overview: The Reserve Bank of Australia surprised many with a quarter-point hike and German factory orders unexpectedly fell. Reports suggest that China has asked banks to cut deposit rates. The next result is the Australian dollar is the strongest currency in the G10 and helped lift the Canadian dollar ahead of the Bank of Canada meeting tomorrow. Australian stocks sold off (~1.2%) while large markets outside of China rose in the region. Europe's...

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Dollar Gains Extended, Oil Steadies at Higher Levels after Saudi’s Cut, US Bill Deluge Begins Today

2023-06-05

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2023-06-05

Overview:  The US dollar has extended its post-employment gains today, helped by firmer rates and several countries seeing downward revisions from the preliminary May PMI. The greenback is trading with a firmer bias against all the G10 currencies and most of the emerging market currencies, including Turkey, India, and China. July WTI gapped higher after the Saudi Arabia announced a voluntary and unilateral cut of one million barrels a day in output...

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Week Ahead: Australia and Canada–Hawkish Hold? US Bill Issuance Jumps

2023-06-03

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2023-06-03

True to the historic pattern, the US debt ceiling was used by the party not in control of the executive branch to exact spending concessions. Despite the extreme partisanship, the brinkmanship tactics, and fears that this time would be different, there was no default. As Bismarck once quipped, "Laws are like sausages and it is best not seen them being made." Still, as a consequence, the rebuilding of the Treasury's account and bill...

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US Debt Ceiling Drama Ends with a Whimper, Focus on US Jobs and Fed

2023-06-02

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2023-06-02

Overview: Another bizarre US debt-ceiling episode is over. President Biden will sign the bill that was approved by the Senate late yesterday. It is a bit anticlimactic for the market, for which the US jobs data is the key focus now. Outside of the fiscal drama, the Federal Reserve leadership has effectively push against market expectations for a hike later this month. The odds were around 70% earlier this week, and ahead of the jobs report, is...

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