Tag Archive: Canada

Will a Solid US Jobs Report Dampen Expectation for a Fed Cut This Month?

Overview: There are two broad developments in the G10 currencies ahead of the US jobs report. The euro, Swiss franc, sterling, Swedish krona, and the Canadian dollar are in tight ranges with a heavier bias. The others are off a 0.3%-0.7%. There have been various distortions, like storms and industrial action, which exaggerated the weakness of the US labor market, which does seem to be slowing but gradually. Today's report should show a rebound, and...

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Fall of French Government Does Not Roil the Markets and a BOJ Dove did not Rule out Rate Hike this Month

Overview: The US dollar is mostly softer today. The only G10 currency that has not gained on it today is the Swedish krona, which is nursing minor losses. Still, the tone is one of consolidation and this may persist through the North American session, ahead of tomorrow US employment report. The median forecast in Bloomberg's survey has crept up to 215k. Most emerging market currencies have also gained on  greenback, but the South Korean won. The...

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Busy Wednesday: French Confidence Vote, Fed’s Powell Speaks, ADP Jobs Estimate, and Beige Book

Overview:  The dollar is mixed on what will start critical second half of the week. France holds its confidence vote in a few hours. Fed Chair speaks at a moderated discussion at the New York Times around 1:40 ET. The US data focus shifts to the labor market with the ADP estimate today and the nonfarm payroll report on Friday. The head of the main opposition party in Japan stepped down ostensibly until March due to a personal scandal and this has...

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French Government on Precipice, Presses Euro Lower

Overview: The US dollar is beginning the new week and month on a firm note. It is rising against all the G10 currencies and nearly all the emerging market currencies. US-President-elect Trump's threat to BRICS if they abandon the dollar is symbolic than substantive, as we have argued, despite the occasional claim to the contrary, a BRICS currency is not realistic, and the China has little interest in fostering another competitor to the yuan. Still,...

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Yen Jumps on Rate Hike Speculation

Overview: The US dollar has a softer profile today. All the G10 currencies are higher, led by 1%+ surge in the yen amid heightened speculation of a rate hike next month, while the US 10-year yield is near 4.25% today, the lowest since the election. Although the Reserve Bank of New Zealand allows for another half-point cut after delivering the second one this year earlier today, the New Zealand dollar has popped up amid sell the rumor buy the fact...

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Markets do Cartwheels in Response to Traditional Pick for US Treasury Secretary

Overview: The selection of Scott Bessent, the hedge fund manager as next US Treasury Secretary was greeted euphorically in the capital markets:  one of their own and, arguably, like many of new economics team could have been picked in any Republican administration. Risk appetites have been animated. Still, we suspect market positioning may have led to an exaggerated response. The dollar has been sold. Stocks have bought. The euro is leading the G10...

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Euro and Sterling are Trying to Stabilize after Sharp Drop on Back of Disappointing Flash PMI

Overview: Weak preliminary PMI readings in Europe, Japan, and Australia, underscore the apparent divergence with the US, sending the dollar broadly higher. The euro is currently recovering from the sell-off that took it to $1.0335 and sent sterling below $1.25. Only the yen, among the G10 currencies, has weathered today's dollar surge. Most emerging market currencies, especially from central Europe, are weaker. Despite the stronger dollar, gold is...

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Geopolitics Roil Capital Markets

Within hours of the US giving permission to Ukraine to use US weapons to strike Russian territory, which it did, Moscow announced a change it is nuclear doctrine that allow for the use of nuclear weapons against a conventionally armed adversary that is backed by nuclear powers.

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US Dollar Soars and US Rates Jump

Overview: Shortly after the North American markets closed, before any results were known, the market jumped back into the "Trump trade," which it had pared on Tuesday. The dollar and US interest rates soared. The euro is the hardest hit among the G10 currencies today, off about 1.6% and the Canadian dollar, the best performer … Continue...

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Nervous Calm Hangs over the Markets

Overview: A nervous calm hangs over the markets as the US goes to the polls. The proximity of the presidential contest warns that the results may not been known as soon as people hope. Indeed, many fear the voting simply begins the next phase of the contest, with premature declarations of victory and disputes over votes. The dollar is in mostly narrow ranges today, but the Antipodeans and Scandis are the strongest, and the Reserve Bank of Australia...

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Japan’s LDP Loses Majority, Sending Yen Lower, and Oil Gaps Lower on Middle East Developments

Overview: The next couple of weeks in the capital markets are likely to be tumultuous, and the loss of the LDP majority in Japan get it started. The yen gapped lower amid the immediate uncertainty. The yen is off about 0.5% toward the middle of today's range. Leaving aside the Scandis, where are mixed, the other G10 currencies are little changed, +/- 0.15%. The euro has recovered above $1.08, where options for 2.3 bln euros expire tomorrow....

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FX Becalmed Ahead of the Weekend and Next Week’s Big Events

Overview: The dollar is trading quietly, with a slightly firmer today. There has been little follow-through selling after yesterday's setback. The Canadian dollar and sterling are faring best. The yen is a little softer after Tokyo's CPI came in lower as expected due to the government's energy subsidy. The election for the lower house of the Diet is held Sunday. Emerging market currencies are also mostly softer. The JP Morgan Emerging Market...

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Dollar Firm, China Briefing Light on Details, and Its Data Remain Poor

Business travel will prevent the updating of the blog in the coming days. It resumes October 19 with the Week Ahead. The lack of details from China's fiscal briefing, the soft CPI (and deeper PPI deflation), and a smaller than expected trade surplus did not prevent Chinese equities from advancing (CSI 300 +1.9%).

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Tomorrow’s China Briefing Did Not Prevent the Continued Slide in Chinese Stocks Today

Overview: The combination of the firmer than expected US CPI and larger than expected rise in initial and continuing jobless claims saw short-term US rates fall, and the odds of a quarter-point cut by the Fed rose from about 83% to about 93%. The Fed funds futures market boosted the odds of another quarter-point cut in December (~90% vs.78%). The dollar initially weakened but recovered, though the key levels held, such as $1.09 in the euro, $1.30...

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Dollar-Bloc Currencies are Disappointed by the Lack of New Chinese Fiscal Stimulus

Overview: The US dollar is mixed but is mostly consolidating. The Australian dollar is a notable exception. The lack of new fiscal initiatives from China weighed on the Aussie, which is off for the fourth consecutive session. The other dollar-bloc currencies have also seen the recent losses extended. On the other hand, the Japanese yen and euro enjoy a firmer bias. After a dreadful drop in factory order, German industrial production surprised to...

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US Rates Extend Gains to Fray 4 percent

The stronger than expected US jobs report triggered a 20 bp jump in the US two-year yield and sent the greenback broadly higher. The market slashed the probability that the Fed would cut by 75 bp in Q4.

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Bailey Weighs on Sterling

Overview: The dollar enjoys a firmer tone today. The escalating conflict in the Middle East is keeping the market on edge. And then there is tomorrow's US employment report. Among the G10 currencies, sterling has been the hardest hit. It is off around 1% after Bank of England Governor Bailey seemed to signal that after pausing last month, the central bank may turn more aggressive here in Q4. Nearly all the emerging market currencies are...

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Yen Surges After New LDP Leader Picked, while the Greenback Consolidates

Overview:  Japan's LDP leadership selection has not been the dragged-out affair that many thought likely with a record nine candidate vying for the post. It turns out that the economy may have been less important than foreign affairs and the threat posed by China. Shigeru Ishiba is strong nationalist, who reports indicate own shares in Nippon Steel, whose bid for US steel has faced domestic opposition in the US on seemingly nationalist, rather than...

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Consolidation Featured, but the Yen and Mexican Peso are Under Pressure, While PBOC Fixed the Dollar Lower

Overview: The week is winding down and the US dollar is mostly consolidating against the G10 currencies. Two exceptions stand out. First, sterling is the only G10 currency higher on the day. It follows the BOE's cautious hold yesterday and stronger than expected retail sales today. The other exception is the Japanese yen, where the BOJ stood pat and did not seem to have the urgency after a move next month, even though the national CPI ticked up....

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Stocks Higher, Dollar Lower: Post-Fed

Overview: The Federal Reserve's 50 bp rate cut has made for a volatile 15 hours or so in the foreign exchange market. As North American traders return to their posts, the greenback is heavy. They will find that only the yen and Russian ruble are softer. Norway delivered a hawkish hold, and the krone leads the G10 currencies with more than a 1% gain. Australia's employment data was sufficiently strong that the Reserve Bank of Australia will likely...

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