Category Archive: 4.) Marc to Market

FX Weekly Preview: Forces of Movement

Over the past few weeks, the markets have come to accept the likelihood of a December Fed hike. US interest rates have adjusted. The pricing of December Fed funds futures contract is consistent with around an 80% chance of a hike. The two-year yield is trading at the upper end of what is expected to be the Fed funds target range at the end of the year, after slipping below the current range a month ago. The Dollar Index formed a bottoming pattern.

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Cool Video: Double Feature Courtesy of Bloomberg

Tom Keene and Francine Lacqua gave me a most appreciated opportunity to present my dollar views on Bloomberg TV earlier today. They also let me opine about current events, like Catalonia's push for independence and May's troubled speech at the Tory Party Conference. Bloomberg made two clips of the discussion available. The first is about the dollar's outlook broadly. I suggest a combination of technical and fundamental factors point to a strong Q4...

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US Storm-Skewed Report Means Nothing about Anything

US interest rates and the dollar rose in response to the data. It was firm before the report. The US Dollar Index is up for a fourth consecutive week. It is the longest streak since Q1. US 10-year yields are near 2.40%, an area that has blocked stronger gains for nearly six months.

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FX Daily, October 6: Look Through the US Jobs Report

Traders are putting the final touches on another strong weekly performance for the US dollar. Strong economic data, including the PMIs, auto sales, and factory orders have surprised to the market. The ADP report warns that the storms that flattered some high frequency data will likely skew today's employment report (both headline and details) to the downside. Of course, investors will quickly look for the number of people who could get to work due...

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Sterling Unwinds Most of BOE-Inspired Gains, but Rates Market Does Not

Sterling has given up 50% of the gains score since late August's lows. Rate hike expectations are running high. Speculative market positioning has adjusted, and for the first time in a couple of years, speculators in the futures market are net long.

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FX Daily, October 05: Sterling and Aussie Weakness Featured in the Otherwise Becalmed FX Market

The US dollar is mostly little changed as the broad consolidation that has emerged this week continues. The two powerful forces that have emerged--expectation of a Fed hike at the end of the year and European political challenges--appear to have reached a tentative equilibrium.

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Long-Term Dollar Uptrend Continues, Says Marc Chandler

Oct.05 -- Marc Chandler, global head of FX strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman, examines global currencies with a focus on the dollar, pound and euro. He speaks with Bloomberg's Tom Keene on "Bloomberg Surveillance."

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Trump Influencing Fed Via Appointments, Says Chandler

Oct.05 -- Marc Chandler, global head of FX strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman, talks about what will drive Federal Reserve policy as President Donald Trump selects the next Fed chair. He speaks on "Bloomberg Surveillance."

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Long-Term Dollar Uptrend Continues, Says Marc Chandler

Oct.05 — Marc Chandler, global head of FX strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman, examines global currencies with a focus on the dollar, pound and euro. He speaks with Bloomberg’s Tom Keene on “Bloomberg Surveillance.”

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Trump Influencing Fed Via Appointments, Says Chandler

Oct.05 — Marc Chandler, global head of FX strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman, talks about what will drive Federal Reserve policy as President Donald Trump selects the next Fed chair. He speaks on “Bloomberg Surveillance.”

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FX Daily, October 04: Consolidative Tone in FX Continues

The US dollar has a softer tone today, and it was that way even for the European PMI. The greenback eased further after the upside momentum faded yesterday. The heavier tone in Asia seemed spurred by a hedge fund manager's call that Minneapolis Fed President, and among the most dovish members of the FOMC, Kashkari would be the next Fed chair.

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FX Daily, October 03: Dollar Retains Firm Tone, Spanish Markets Stabilize

Firm US interest rates and a strong manufacturing ISM yesterday help support the greenback, while disappointing construction PMI in the UK weighs on sterling. The euro briefly slipped below $1.17 in Asia for the first time in six weeks. It has recovered toward the highs seen in North America yesterday (~$1.1760). There are several euro option strikes that may be in play today. In the euro, between $1.1750 and $1.1775, there are nearly 2.9 bln euros...

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Another Look at Why the Return to Capital is Low

(summary of presentation  based on my book, Political Economy of Tomorrow, delivered to Bank Credit Analyst conference yesterday)Alice laughed.   There is no use trying; she said, “one can’t believe impossible things.” I dare say you haven’t had much practice, said the queen.  When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day.  Why sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

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FX Daily, October 02: Dollar Upbeat to Start Fourth Quarter

The US dollar is broadly higher as the quarter-end positioning losses seen at the end of last week area reversed. Developments in the US are seen as dollar positive, while the Catalonia-Madrid conflict, and slightly softer EMU manufacturing PMI weighs on the euro. The UK also reported a disappointing manufacturing PMI, and more differences with the Tory government are taking a toll on sterling. Japan's Tankan Survey was stronger than expected, but...

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FX Weekly Preview: Changing Dynamics

We agree with the consensus that the markets are in a transition phase. The consensus sees this transition phase as a new economic convergence. European and Japanese economic growth continues above trend. Large emerging markets, including BRICs, are also expanding. Central banks are gradually moving away from the extreme accommodation.

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Great Graphic: Potential Head and Shoulders Bottom in the Dollar Index

This Great Graphic was composed on Bloomberg. t shows the recent price action of the Dollar Index. There seems to be a head and shoulders bottoming pattern that has been traced out over the last few weeks. The right shoulder was carved last week, and today, the Dollar Index is pushing through the neckline, which is found by connecting the bounces after the shoulders were formed.

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Evolving Thoughts on Inflation

In early 2005, Greenspan said that the fact that long-term rates were lower despite the Fed's campaign to raise short-term rates was a "conundrum." Many rushed to offer the Fed Chair an explanation of the conundrum, which given past cycles may not have been such an enigma in the first place.

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FX Daily, September 29: Dollar’s Gains Pared, but Set to Snap Six Month Losing Streak Against the Euro

Supported by a sharp rise in interest rates and ideas of tax reform, the US dollar is closing one of its best months of the year. The Dollar Index is snapping a six-month decline, and the euro's monthly advance since February is ending. This month, the US 10-year yield has risen 18 bp, and the two-year yield has risen 13 bp. It is the biggest increase since last November.

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FX Daily, September 28: Greenback Consolidates while Yields Continue to March Higher

The US dollar is consolidating inside yesterday's ranges against the euro and yen while extending its gains against sterling and the dollar-bloc currencies. The sell-off in the US debt market continues to drag global yields higher. The 10-year Treasury yield reached 2.01% on September 8 and now, nearly three weeks later, is near 2.35%. It had finished last week at 2.25%.

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FX Daily, September 27: Dollar Builds on Gains

The Federal Reserve may not be on a coordinated campaign to convince the markets of a pending rate hike as it did so effectively in late February and early March. But investors are getting the message. The Bloomberg calculation of the odds of a rate hike before the end of the year has risen to 70% from 53% before last week's FOMC meeting and 33.5% at the end of last month. The CME puts the odds at 81% up from 37% a month ago.

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