Tag Archive: Australia

FX Daily, October 6: The Dollar Tests Key Supports and Pauses

2020-10-06

by

2020-10-06

Market moves have stalled.  The MSCI Asia Pacific Index did manage to extend Monday's gains, but other markets are heavier.  Europe's Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is snapping a three-day advance.  The communications sector is the sole standout, though financials and energy are little changed.

Read More »

FX Daily, October 05: Monday’s Dollar Blues

2020-10-05

by

2020-10-05

New actions to contain the virus are being taken in the US and Europe, but investors are looking past it and taking equities and risk assets, in general, higher to start the new week. MSCI Asia Pacific recouped most of last week's 0.7% loss with gains of move than 1% in Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Australia.

Read More »

FX Daily, September 25: Sentiment Remains Fragile Ahead of the Weekend

2020-09-25

by

2020-09-25

The dramatic week is finishing on a quieter note.  The modest gains in US equities yesterday helped the Asia Pacific performance today.  Most markets but China and Hong Kong pared the weekly losses, and easing regulations in Australia spurred a rally in financials that saw its stock market close higher on the week. 

Read More »

FX Daily, September 2: Corrective Pressures Give the Greenback a Reprieve

2020-09-02

by

2020-09-02

After poking above $1.20 for the first time in more than two years, the euro reversed lower yesterday and is continuing to succumb to profit-taking pressures today.  Comments from ECB's Lane appeared to trigger a reversal yesterday throughout the currency markets.

Read More »

FX Daily, August 18: Canada Shrugs Off Loss of Morneau and Gold Reclaims $2000 Threshold

2020-08-18

by

2020-08-18

The NASDAQ rallied 1% yesterday to record highs as the Dow Industrials struggled, and the S&P 500 was able to eke out a small gain. The coattails were short, and the strength of the yen may have contributed to a 0.2% loss of the Nikkei. Still, its 6.2% advance this month is the best among the G10.

Read More »

FX Daily, August 13: Dollar Remains Offered

2020-08-13

by

2020-08-13

The poor price action on Tuesday in the S&P 500 was shrugged off, and new highs for the recovery were made as the record high nears. The dollar, on the other hand, seemed to find plenty of sellers against most of the major currencies. The yen was a notable exception.

Read More »

FX Daily, July 16: Equities Slide and the Greenback Bounces After China’s GDP and Before the ECB

2020-07-16

by

2020-07-16

Overview:  Profit-taking, perhaps spurred by disappointing retail sales figures, sent Chinese equity markets down by 4.5%-5.2% today, the most since early February.  It appears to be triggering a broader setback in equities today.  The Hang Seng fell 2%, and most other markets in the region were off less than 1%. 

Read More »

FX Daily, July 9: The Dollar is Sold through CNY7.0 as Chinese Equities Continue to Rally

2020-07-09

by

2020-07-09

Investors continue to clamor into risk assets.  Led by Chinese shares, the MSCI Asia Pacific Index pushed higher for the third session this week to new five-month highs.  Europe's Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is trying to snap a two-day decline with the help of better than expected revenues for its largest tech company.

Read More »

FX Daily, May 19: Optimism Burns Eternal

2020-05-19

by

2020-05-19

Overview: Hopes for a vaccine and a German-French proposal to break the logjam at the EU for a joint recovery effort helped propel equities higher yesterday. There was strong follow-through in the Asia Pacific region, where most markets advanced by more than 1% today. However,  the bloom came off the rose, so to speak, in Europe. After a higher opening, markets reversed lower, and the Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is off about 0.75% in late morning turnover.

Read More »

FX Daily, May 14: Risk Appetites Wane

2020-05-14

by

2020-05-14

Overview: Risk appetites have been gradually waning this week. US equity losses mounted yesterday after Tuesday's late sell-off. Asia Pacific equities were off, with many seeing at least 1.5% drops. Europe's Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is off a little more to double this week's decline and leaves it in a position to be the biggest drop since panicked days in mid-March.

Read More »

FX Daily, April 29: Heavy Dollar amid Month-End Pressure

2020-04-29

by

2020-04-29

Overview: The dollar is lower across the board as dealers attribute the selling to month-end pressures ahead of the FOMC today and ECB tomorrow and long-holiday weekend for many. Japan's Golden Week holiday has already begun. Despite the loss in US equities yesterday, despite the higher opening, it has not spilled over, as Alphabet earnings helped lift sentiment.

Read More »

Cool Video: OIl, ECB, and Animal Spirits

2020-04-09

by

2020-04-09

I had the privilege to join Ben Lichtenstein at TD Ameritrade (from a remote location) this morning to talk about the global markets.  I make four points.  First, the reversal of the S&P 500 yesterday set the tone for Asia and Europe.  Volatility throughout the capital markets remains elevated, even if off the peaks.  

Read More »

FX Daily, April 8: Flavor of the Day: Consolidation

2020-04-08

by

2020-04-08

Overview: Global equities are struggling after the S&P 500 staged a dramatic reversal yesterday. The early 3.5% gain was completely unwound and closed slightly lower.  With few exceptions (e.g., Japan and the Philippines), most equity markets in the Asia Pacific region and Europe are lower.

Read More »

FX Daily, February 20: Covid-19 Hits Yen and Korean Won

2020-02-20

by

2020-02-20

The increase of Covid-19 cases in South Korea and Japan, coupled with China's changing reverting back to its previous methodology of calculation, dropping clinically-diagnosed cases have again weakened risk appetites and sent the dollar broadly higher. Fears of a Japanese recession are sapping the yen's role as a safe haven, and this helps explain why Japanese equities did react as positively to the weaker yen than is often the case.

Read More »

FX Daily, February 18: Apple’s Warning Weighs on Sentiment

2020-02-18

by

2020-02-18

Overview: Apple's warning that it will miss Q1 revenue due to the knock-on effects of the coronavirus seemed to be a modest wake-up call to investors, who, judging from the equity market, were looking beyond. Equities have fallen, and bonds have rallied. Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korean stocks fell by more than 1%, and only China and Indonesia were able to post gains.

Read More »

FX Daily, January 29: Escaped from a Crocodile’s Mouth, Entered a Tiger’s Mouth

2020-01-29

by

2020-01-29

Overview: This colorful Malay saying captures the spirit of the animal spirits. Narrowly escaping an escalation of a trade war between the world's two largest economies, the outbreak of a deadly virus has spurred moves, especially the sell-off in stocks and rally in bonds, for which many investors seemed ill-prepared. Even though the virus contagion has not peaked, the recovery in US equities yesterday points to a break the fear and anxiety.

Read More »

FX Daily, January 23: ECB’s Strategic Review and the Coronavirus Command Investors’ Attention

2020-01-23

by

2020-01-23

The spread of the coronavirus and the lockdown in the epicenter in China has again sapped the risk-taking appetite in the capital markets. Asia is bearing the brunt of the adjustment. Tomorrow starts China's week-long Lunar New Year celebration when markets will be closed, which may have also spurred today's drama that aw the Shanghai Composite tumbled 2.75%, bringing the week's loss to 3.2%, the most in five months.

Read More »

FX Daily, November 20: Dollar Snaps Back

2019-11-20

by

2019-11-20

Overview: The idea that a US-China trade deal is proving more elusive than the agreement in principle on October 11 implied is being seized upon to spur what we suspect is an overdue round of profit-taking in global equities. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index snapped a three-advance, with over 1% declines in South Korea and Australia.

Read More »

Dollar Mixed on Central Bank Thursday

2019-09-20

by

2019-09-20

As expected, the Fed cut rates by 25 bp; the dollar firmed after the decision but has since given back some gains. During the North American session, there will be a fair amount of US data. BOE is expected to keep rates steady; UK reported August retail sales. SNB and BOJ kept rates steady, as expected; Norges Bank unexpectedly hiked 25 bp.

Read More »

FX Daily, May 30: Kill Bull: Intermission

2019-05-30

by

2019-05-30

Overview:  After significant moves in equities and interest rates, investors are taking a collective breath, waiting for fresh developments.  A nervous calm has settled over the capital market.  China, Japan, and Australian equities leaked lower, but other bourses in the region, including Korea and Taiwan posted modest gains, while Indonesian equities are still responding positively to the recent election.

Read More »