Category Archive: 4) FX Trends
FX Daily, April 25: Euro Consolidates Gains, Bond Market Sell-Off Continues
The US dollar is again at the fulcrum of the foreign exchange market. The dollar-bloc currencies are under pressure, along with the Japanese yen, while the European complex is posting modest gains. The euro is consolidating in the half cent below $1.09. Yesterday's marked up in early Asia saw the euro complete the 61.8% retracement of the losses since the US election, which was found near $1.0935
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Adam Button talks about the euro and Canadian dollar on BNN
In the aftermath of the first round of the French Presidential election, Adam Button from ForexLive stopped in at BNN to talk about the euro. He also spoke about the outlook for the Canadian dollar in light of new rules designed to cool the market.
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FX Daily, April 24: Dramatic Response to French Election
The results of the first round of the French election spurred a dramatic response in the capital markets. Our thesis that there is no populist-nationalist wave sweeping the world is supported by the previous results in Austria, the Netherlands, and now France.
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FX Weekly Preview: Politics and Economics in the Week Ahead
Provided Le Pen and Macron or Fillion make to the second round, the market response to the French election results may be short lived. BOJ, Riksbank and ECB meetings. Spending authorization and some announcement from the White House on tax policy are in focus as Trump's 100th day in office approaches.
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FX Weekly Review, April 17 – 22: Dollar Technicals Trying to Turn, but…
While the dollar index had another bad week with a 0.75% less, the Swiss Franc currency index could accumulate the corresponding gains. Main reason is that the EUR/CHF rose over 1.07.
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State of Dollar Bull Market
The dollar market is intact, despite the pullback here at the start of 2017. We have seen similar pullbacks in 2016 and 2015. Divergence remains the key driver.
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FX Daily, April 21: Markets Enter Consolidative Mode Ahead of Weekend
Neither the terrorist attack in Paris nor the strong eurozone flash PMI has managed to shake investors. Judging from the social media, many suspect that the terrorist attack plays into Le Pen's hands, but investors do not seem particularly concerned. The French interest rate premium over Germany has narrowed, and gold is flat. UK retail sales fell sharply, yet sterling is holding on to the bulk of this week's gains, which are the most here in 2017.
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FX Daily, April 20: Dollar and Yen Push Lower
With the exception of the yen, the US dollar is lower against all the major currencies. US Treasury yields are firm, extending yesterday's rise a little. This may help keep the dollar straddling JPY109, but unwinding long yen cross positions is helping underpin the other major currencies. The Dollar Index is making a new low for the week and appears poised to test support around 98.85-99..00.
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May’s Early Election Bid Sends Sterling on Roller Coaster
May calls snap election for June 8. Tories running 20 percent point lead over Labour. Next election would be in 2022, after the Brexit negotiations conclude.
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More Thinking about Trade as Pence and Ross Head to Tokyo
Pence and Ross may "feel out" Abe for interest in a bilateral trade agreement. The US enjoys a small trade surplus with countries it has free-trade agreements. Ownership-based framework of the current account and value-added trade suggest the US trade imbalance is not a significant problem.
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FX Daily, April 18: US Dollar Consolidates Yesterday’s Gains
The US dollar is consolidating the gains scored late in the US session yesterday in response to a Financial Times interview with US Treasury Secretary Munchin who seemed to play down the strategic importance of Trump's recent complaint about the greenback's strength.
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FX Daily, April 17: Markets Trying to Stabilize in Holiday-Thin Activity
Financial centers in Europe are closed for the extended Easter holiday. Australian and New Zealand markets were also closed. The drop in US 10-year Treasury yields in early Asia, with a brief push below 2.20%, appears to have kept the dollar under pressure. As the North American market prepares to open, the dollar is softer against the all major currencies and many emerging market currencies.
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Monetary Policy is Important, but US Fiscal Stance Moving Center Stage
Monetary policy is off the table for at least the next two months. Several fiscal issues are coming to a head. Despite the GOP majority in Congress and White House, brinkmanship cannot be ruled out.
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Weekly Speculative Positions (as of April 11): Adding To Foreign Currency Exposure Before Trump’s Talk
The net short CHF position has fallen to 10K contracts (against USD). In the days before US President Trump expressed concern about the dollar's exchange value, speculators in the futures market mostly added to the gross long foreign currency positions.
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FX Weekly Preview: What to Watch in the Week Ahead
Many observers misunderstood US President Trump's "American First" rhetoric. Trump's earlier writings show that this is not a reference to the 1940s effort to keep the US out of WWII, with its isolationist tint. Rather, Trump's use goes back to the original use by President Harding in the 1920s. It was a rejection of the Wilsonian multilateralism (e.g. League of Nations) and a robust defense of unilateralism.
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FX Weekly Review, April 10-14: Swiss Franc loses against the Yen, but wins against Dollar
Last week the Swiss Franc improved against both euro and dollar, but - compared to its safe-haven counterpart Japanese Yen - it had a bad performance. We expect strong SNB interventions.
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Decoupling of Oil and US Interest Rates
US yields have trended lower as oil prices have trended higher. The correlation between the 10-year breakeven and oil has also weakened considerably. Technicals readings are getting stretched, but no compelling sign of a top.
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Euro’s Record Losing Streak Against the Yen
The euro has fallen for 11 consecutive sessions against the yen. Interest rates, US and German in particular, seem to be the main driver. Technicals are stretched, but have not signaled a reversal yet.
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Cool Video: Making Sense of the New Administration
I was on Bloomberg TV earlier today, chatting with David Gura about how to try to make sense of new Trump Administration. I suggest that the decision-making style and practical concerns have created two wing to the Administration. There is a populist-nationalist wing that is home to America First ideas.
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FX Daily, April 14: Holiday Markets Remain on Edge
The holiday-induced calm in the capital markets conceals a high degree of anxiety. The investment climate has been challenged by heightened geopolitical risk and unusual complaints about the US dollar's strength from the sitting US President. While sending an "armada" toward the Korean peninsula, the US ordered a missile strike against Syria in retaliation for the use of chemical weapons and dropped the largest bomb in the world on Afghanistan.
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