Category Archive: 4.) Marc to Market

FX Daily, April 04: Trade Specificities Rattle Markets

Late yesterday, the US announced that specific tariffs and goods that would be targeted for intellectual property violations. China had warned of a commensurate response and earlier today made its announcement. This sent reverberations through the capital markets, driving down equities, corn and soybean prices (subject to Chinese tariffs). The US dollar was sold, especially against the yen, euro, and sterling.

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FX Daily, April 03: Markets in Search of Footing

The sell-off in US tech shares dragged the market lower. The S&P 500 fell for the sixth session of the past eight and closed below the 200-day moving average for the first time in a couple of years. The sell-off in Asia and Europe is more muted. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index slipped less than 0.1%. The Hang Seng, an index of H-shares, and Korea's KOSDAQ managed post gains.

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Cool Video: Bloomberg Double Feature

Many are still celebrating the Easter holiday today, but not Tom Keene and Lisa Abramowicz and the Bloomberg team. They hosted me on Bloomberg TV today. As is often the case, the discussion was broad, covering the pressing economic and financial issues.

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Marc Chandler Says Dollar Is Trading Down Like Buckets

Apr.02 -- Marc Chandler, Brown Brothers Harriman global head of currency strategy, discusses the rising dollar and using the yield curve as an indicator for economic expansion. He speaks with Bloomberg's Tom Keene and Lisa Abramowicz on "Bloomberg Surveillance."

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Brown Brothers Harriman’s Chandler Says U.S. Economy Is Late in the Cycle

Apr.02 — Marc Chandler, global head of currency strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman, discusses consumer debt and what it signals for the overall U.S. economy. He speaks with Tom Keene and Lisa Abramowicz on “Bloomberg Surveillance

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FX Daily, April 02: Monday Blues

The US dollar drifted a little lower in Asia to start the week while equities had a slightly heavier bias. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index slipped 0.1%. European bourses are mostly closed for the extended Easter holiday, while the S&P is set to start the new quarter about 0.3% lower. Although the subdued price action may not reflect it, there have been several new economic reports and developments.

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Marc Chandler Says Dollar Is Trading Down Like Buckets

Apr.02 — Marc Chandler, Brown Brothers Harriman global head of currency strategy, discusses the rising dollar and using the yield curve as an indicator for economic expansion. He speaks with Bloomberg’s Tom Keene and Lisa Abramowicz on “Bloomberg Surveillance.”

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FX Weekly Preview: The Start of Q2

The chief uncertainty has shifted from monetary policy and macroeconomics to the increase of volatility in the stock markets and the prospects of a trade war. Some of the major benchmarks, including the S&P 500, the MSCI Asia Pacific Index, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, and Shanghai Composite held above the February lows in the retreat during the second half of March.

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Great Graphic: EMU Inflation Not Making it Easy for ECB

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is credited with being the first central bank to adopt a formal inflation target. Following last year's election, the central bank's mandate has been modified to include full employment. To be sure this was a political decision, and one that initially saw the New Zealand dollar retreat.

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FX Daily, March 29: Bonds and Stocks are Firm, While the Greenback Consolidates Upticks

The choppy US equity session yesterday, ultimately ending with modest losses as the tech sector remained under pressure, has been shrugged off in Asia and Europe, where modest gains have been seen. The dollar is little changed after yesterday's gains, and bonds are mostly firmer.

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FX Daily, March 28: Three Developments Shaping Month-End

Today may be the last day of full liquidity until next Tuesday, after the Easter holidays. We identify three developments that are characterizing the end of the month, quarter, and for some countries and companies, the fiscal year. Equity market sell-off, bond market rally, and the continued rise in LIBOR.

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FX Daily, March 27: Global Equities Follow US Lead, Dollar Steadies

We argued that the talk of trade war was exaggerated. The confrontation, strong demands and a climb down is the Art of the Deal, and is part of the way the Trump Administration negotiates. We see striking parallels between the policymakers and tactics with the Reagan Administration's attempt to pry open Japanese markets.

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FX Daily, March 26: Equity Meltdown Aborted, Dollar Eases

After a poor start in Asia, equities recovered. The MSCI Asia Pacific initially extended last week's losses and fell to its lowest level since February 12 before recovering to finish near its highs, 0.4% above last week's close. European markets followed suit. They did not have to take out last week's lows. The Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is up about 0.4% in late morning turnover.

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FX Weekly Preview: The Investment Climate

The investment meme of a synchronized global upturn has been undermined by the recent string of US and European economic data. The flash March eurozone composite reading fell to 55.3, the lowest reading since January 2017. Although Q4 17 US GDP may be revised higher (toward 2.8% from 2.5%) mostly due to greater inventory accumulation, the curse of weak Q1 GDP appears to be showing its hand again, with forecasts now coming in below 2%.

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Cool Video: Let’s Not Declare Trade War Yet

Trade tensions have risen. No doubt about it, but to consider this a trade war is premature. We should not pretend that this is the first time that the US adopted protectionist measures that ensnarled are military allies. We have been to this dance before.

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FX Weekly Preview: The Fed and More

The most significant event in the coming week is the first FOMC meeting under the Chair Powell. At ECB President Draghi’s first meeting he cut interest rates. He cuts rates at his second meeting as well, underwinding the two hikes the ECB approved under Trichet. At BOJ Governor Kuroda’s first meeting, an aggressive monetary policy was announced that was notable not only in its size, but also in the range of assets to be purchased under the...

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Great Graphic: Potential Topping Pattern for Euro

The euro appears to be potentially carving out a topping pattern. Recall that after correcting lower last September and October, the euro rallied for three months through January before weakening 1.75% in February. That was its biggest decline since February 2017. The euro's high print was actually on February 16 near $1.2555, when it posted a key reversal, which is when it makes a new high for the move and then closes below the previous day's low.

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FX Daily, March 13: Non-Economic Developments Dominate Ahead of US CPI

Many see the eruption of the scandal that threatens senior government officials as yen positive because it weakens those that ostensibly want to depreciate the yen through monetary policy. The scandal involves falsifying documents to conceal a sweetheart deal. The government sold of state-owned land to a school-operator, reportedly with connections to Prime Minister Abe's wife at an incredibly low price.

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FX Weekly Preview: Another Goldilocks Moment

Spring is around the corner in the Northern Hemisphere, and with it, a sense of a Goldilocks moment. Growth is sufficiently strong to see employment grow and absorb the economic slack. In the US, the participation rate of the key 25-54 aged demographic group has risen and now stands at 89.3%, the highest since 2010.

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