Tag Archive: Currency Movement

Rate Adjustment Continues and the Greenback Pares the Week’s Losses

2021-10-29

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2021-10-29

Overview:  Disappointing Apple and Amazon earnings news after the NASDAQ set a record high set the stage of a weaker bias in the Asia Pacific region today.  China and Japan still posted gains, while local developments, like an unexpected drop in South Korea's industrial output, and Australia struggling to exit its yield-curve control, saw equities lose more than 1%.  Europe's Stoxx 600 is paring this week's gains but is holding on to some for the...

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Eyes Turn to the ECB and the First Look at Q3 US GDP

2021-10-28

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2021-10-28

Overview:  The market awaits the ECB meeting and the first look at the US Q3 GDP.  The pullback in US shares yesterday was a drag on the Asia Pacific equities.  It is the first back-to-back loss of the MSCI Asia Pacific in a few weeks.  Europe's Stoxx 600 is recovering from early weakness and US future indices are firm.  The US 10-year yield is flat, around 1.55%, after falling around 15 bp over the past four sessions.  European bonds are paring...

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Today’s Big Events Still Lie Ahead

2021-10-27

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2021-10-27

Overview: The day’s big events lie ahead:  the UK’s budget, the Bank of Canada, and the central bank of Brazil meetings.  The US data on tap, especially trade and inventories, will allow economists to fine-tune their forecasts for tomorrow’s first estimate of Q3 GDP. The mixed tech earnings helped spur a bout of profit-taking in Asia Pacific equities, where most of the large markets fell. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is posting a slight loss for the first...

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Strong Earnings and Easing of (Some) Political Tensions Bolster Sentiment

2021-10-26

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2021-10-26

Overview:  Helped by new record highs in the S&P 500 and Dow Industrials, constructive earnings, and an easing of political tensions, risk appetites are robust today.  The MSCI Asia Pacific Index recouped yesterday's losses plus more as the large equity markets in the region, but China and Hong Kong rose, led by a more than 1% gain in Tokyo.  European shares are rallying, and the Stoxx 600 is posting gains for the ninth session in the last 11...

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Big Week Begins Slowly

2021-10-25

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2021-10-25

Overview:  The global capital markets give little indication of the important economic and earnings data that lie ahead this week.  There is an eerie calm. Equities in Asia were mixed.  Japan and Hong Kong, and most small bourses were lower.  Last week, the MSCI Asia Pacific Index gained almost 0.9%. Europe's Stoxx 600 is little changed after rising about 0.5% last week. US futures are firm.  The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrials reached...

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The Euro and Sterling Remain within Tuesday’s Ranges

2021-10-22

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2021-10-22

Overview: A new record high in the S&P 500 yesterday and news that Evergrande had made an interest rate payment failed to lift most Asia Pacific bourses, though Japan and Hong Kong, among the large markets, posted modest gains.  The Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is pushing higher in the European morning to put its finishing touches on its third consecutive weekly gain.  US tech is trading off, and this is weighing on the NASDAQ futures while the S&P...

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Markets Turn Cautious

2021-10-21

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2021-10-21

Overview: After a couple of sessions of taking on more risk, investors are taking a break today.  Equities are mostly lower today after the S&P 500's six-day advance took it almost to its record high, while the NASDAQ's streak was halted at five sessions.

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Consolidative Session as Markets Await Fresh Incentives

2021-10-20

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2021-10-20

Overview: The markets lack a clear direction today and await fresh incentives.  After gaining almost 1% yesterday, the MSCI Asia Pacific Index slipped.  Japan, Hong Kong, and Australia are among the few equity markets that rose.

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Dollar Slumps

2021-10-19

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2021-10-19

Overview:  While equities and bonds are firmer, it is the dollar's sell-off that stands out today.  The greenback has retreated broadly.   

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The Dollar Slips Ahead of CPI

2021-10-13

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2021-10-13

 The US dollar is trading with a lower bias ahead of the September CPI report due early in the North American session.  Long-term yields softened yesterday and slipped further today, leaving the US 10-year yield near 1.56%.  European benchmark yields are 3-4 bp lower.  The shorter-end of the US coupon curve, the two-year yield is firmer.

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The Euro Remains Within Last Wednesday’s Range

2021-10-12

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2021-10-12

Overview:  A weak close in US equity trading yesterday and the widening of China's "cultural revolution" for a two-month investigation of the financial sector stopped a three-day advance in the MSCI Asia Pacific Index.  China, South Korea, and Taiwan saw more than a 1% decline in their major indices. 

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FX Daily, October 11: Rate Expectation Adjustment Continues

2021-10-11

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2021-10-11

Overview:  Equities are softer and yields higher to start the new week.  The dollar is mixed.  Oil and industrial metals are higher. There are several developments over the weekend, but the focus seems to be on central bank action, inflation reports by the US and China, and the start of the Q3 earnings season. 

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Hope Springs Eternal, or at least enough to Lift Risk Taking Today

2021-10-07

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2021-10-07

Overview:  The animal spirits have been reanimated today.  Encouraged by the dramatic reversal in oil and gas prices, a deal in the US that pushes off the debt ceiling for a few weeks and talk of a new bond-buying facility in the euro area spurred further risk-taking today, ahead of tomorrow's US employment report. 

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Dollar Rallies as Energy Surge Quashes Animal Spirits

2021-10-06

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2021-10-06

Overview: Investors worry that surging energy prices will sap economic activity and boost prices.  It is sparking a sharp drop in equities and bonds while lifting the dollar.  The Nikkei fell for the eighth consecutive session, and today's 1% drop brings the cumulative decline to 9%.  South Korea's Kospi also fell by more than 1%. 

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Soaring Energy Prices Lift Yields, Weigh on Equities and the Greenback Pops

2021-09-28

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2021-09-28

Overview: Rising energy prices and yields are helping lift the US dollar and weighing on equities.  November WTI has pushed above $76, while Brent traded above $80, and natural gas is up for the fourth consecutive session, during which time it has risen by about 25%. 

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Taper, No Tantrum

2021-09-23

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2021-09-23

Overview:  The market's reaction to the FOMC statement was going according to our script, with the dollar backing off on a buy rumor sell the fact type of activity until Powell provided an end date for the tapering (mid-2022) before providing a start date (maybe next month).  This spurred a dollar rally. 

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What to Expect When You are Expecting

2021-09-22

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2021-09-22

Overview: The markets have stabilized since Monday's panic attack but have not made much headway.  China and Taiwan returned from the extended holiday weekend.  Mainland shares were mixed. Shanghai rose by about 0.4%, while Shenzhen fell by around 0.25%.

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Ever Grand

2021-09-21

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2021-09-21

Overview: Coming into yesterday's session, the S&P 500 had fallen in eight of the past ten sessions.  It closed on its lows before the weekend and gapped.  Nearly the stories in the press blamed China and the likely failure of one of its largest property developers, Evergrande. 

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Risk Appetites Didn’t Return from the Weekend

2021-09-20

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2021-09-20

Overview: Investors' mood did not improve over the weekend, and the lack of risk appetites are rippling through the capital markets today.  Equities have tumbled, yields have backed off, and the dollar is well bid.  Hong Kong and Australia led the sell-off in the Asia Pacific region, off 3.3% and 2.1%, respectively. 

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FX Daily, September 15: China Disappoints, but the Yuan Remains Strong

2021-09-15

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2021-09-15

The sixth decline of the S&P 500 in the past seven sessions set a negative tone for equity trading in the Asia Pacific region, and the poor Chinese data did not help matters.  News that China's troubled Evergrande would miss next week's interest payment weighed on sentiment too.

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