Tag Archive: ECB

FX Daily, April 23: Greenback Slips into the Weekend

Overview:  Many narratives link the prospect of higher capital gains tax on about a third of 1% of Americans as the catalyst for losses in US equities yesterday (and Bitcoin) and weakness in some global shares today.  Of the large markets in the Asia Pacific region, only Japan, which is reimposing a formal emergency in Tokyo, Osaka, and two other prefectures, fell. 

Read More »

FX Daily, March 11: Risk Extends Gains Ahead of the ECB

Overview: Even though the NASDAQ closed lower yesterday and the reception of the 10-year Treasury auction did not excite, market participants are growing more confident.  Led by China, the major markets in the Asia Pacific region rallied.  The Shanghai Composite's 2.35% gain not only snaps a five-session slide but is the largest rally since last October.

Read More »

FX Daily, March 10: Markets are not Yet Convinced that Yesterday’s Move Signaled a Trend Change

Fear that yesterday's reversals represent little more than one-day wonders is contributing to the overall consolidative tone today. Most equity markets in the Asia Pacific region and Europe edged higher. China's stocks tumbled yesterday, despite reports of official assistance, were mixed with the Shanghai Composite posting small gain and Shenzhen a small loss.

Read More »

FX Daily, March 2: The Dollar Finds Better Footing

Overview: A warning from China's top banking regulator about the frothiness of foreign markets appeared to blunt the knock-on effect of yesterday's largest rise in the S&P 500 since last June (~2.4%) and weighed on global equities.  The large markets in the Asia Pacific region but India and South Korea fell.

Read More »

Even The People ‘Printing’ The ‘Money’ Aren’t Seeing It

Everyone in Europe has long forgotten about what was going on there before COVID. First, an economy that had been stuck two years within a deflationary downturn central bankers like Italy’s new recycled top guy Mario Draghi clumsily mistook for an inflationary takeoff. Both the inflation puzzle and ultimately a pre-pandemic recession have taken a back seat to everything corona.Whereas Draghi spent those years howling for inflationary conditions...

Read More »

FX Daily, January 29: Please Stay Seated, the Ride is not Over

Powerful corrective forces continue to grip the market. After a large rally to start the New Year, the correction is punishing. Most Asia Pacific equities markets were off again today to bring the week's loss to 2.5% to 5.5% throughout the region. Europe's Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is a little more than 1% lower on the day. 

Read More »

FX Daily, January 22: Faltering Friday

Fear that social restrictions may have to be broadened and extended is helping spur a wave of profit-taking and de-risking, which has also been encouraged by disappointingly high-frequency data. The equity rally seemed to falter a bit in the US, as the S&P 500 eked out a minor 0.03% gain yesterday.

Read More »

FX Daily, January 21: It is the ECB’s Turn but Little New to be Said or Done

Overview:  The S&P 500 and NASDAQ gapped higher yesterday to record-levels, and the reflation theme lifted Asia Pacific shares for the third session today.  South Korea, Taiwan, and China led the advance. 

Read More »

FX Daily, January 11: Greenback Extends Recovery

Julius Ceasar is said to have "crossed the Rubicon" on January 10, 49 BCE, taking the 13th Legion into Rome, defying orders from the Senate, and precipitating the Roman Civil Wat that marked the end of the republic and the birth of the empire.

Read More »

FX Daily, December 11: Brexit Fears Weigh on Sterling

Overview:  The odds of a UK-EU agreement and new stimulus before year-end in the US have faded and are sapping risk appetites ahead of the weekend.  Although most Asia Pacific equity markets gained, China and Australia were notable exceptions, European shares are heavy, and the Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is near three-week lows. 

Read More »

FX Daily, December 10: Brexit and US Stimulus are Unresolved as Attention Turns to the ECB

Overview:  US threats to break-up Facebook and the stalled stimulus talks spurred profit-taking in US shares yesterday and is dampening enthusiasm today.  The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell for the third time this week, and Europe's Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is little changed. 

Read More »

FX Daily, November 30: Equities are Heavy and the Dollar Softer to Start New Week

Overview: Month-end profit-taking saw Asia Pacific shares tumble earlier today.  Most markets are off 1-2.5% today after the MSCI Asia Pacific Index rose 2.25% last week.  European shares are mixed, but little changed.  US shares are also trading lower. 

Read More »

Meanwhile, Outside Today’s DC

With all eyes on Washington DC, today, everyone should instead be focused on Europe. As we’ve written for nearly three years now, for nearly three years Europe has been at the unfortunate forefront of Euro$ #4. We could argue about whether coming out of GFC2 back in March pushed everything into a Reflation #4 – possible – or if this is still just one three-yearlong squeeze of a global dollar shortage.

Read More »

FX Daily, October 30: Investors Scared Before Halloween

Investors punished US tech giants for not delivering perfection as prices apparently had discounted, and the subsequent sell-off coupled with month-end dynamics has rocked global equities.  Asia Pacific bourses were a sea of red, led by a 2.5% decline in the tech-heavy South Korean Kospi, but most major markets were off more than 1%. 

Read More »

FX Daily. October 29: Markets Continue to Struggle

The spreading virus that is shutting down large parts of Europe, while the US is reluctant to return to lockdowns and refuses to have a nationwide requirement for masks in public hit risk assets yesterday.  The S&P posted its largest decline in four-months yesterday (~3.5%), and the selling carried into the Asia Pacific region.

Read More »

FX Daily, October 27: Markets Take Collective Breath and Beijing Tweaks Fixing Mechanism

The surging pandemic sapped the risk-taking appetites as some investors hunker down for what could be a volatile period ahead.  The S&P 500 lost nearly 3% at its lows before rebounding 1% in late dealings.

Read More »

FX Daily, October 16: Deja Vu All Over Again

It was like deja vu all over again. First, the market reacted immodestly to headlines indicating there was little chance of pre-election fiscal stimulus in the US. It was hardly new news. Then the market seemed to react with surprise that there was no last-minute breakthrough in the UK-EU trade negotiations.

Read More »

FX Daily, October 14: UK Blinks on Threat to Walk Away on Eve of EU Summit

Overview: Turn around Tuesday saw the dollar bounce, particularly against the Australian dollar and European currencies, among the majors.  Sterling pared earlier losses on reports that the UK would not walk away from the talks just yet, while the euro remains on its back foot.

Read More »

FX Daily, October 08: Markets Catch Collective Breath

The S&P 500 and NASDAQ closed at their highest levels in around a month yesterday, recouping Tuesday's presidential tweet-driven drop. We thought the market overreacted to the end of the fiscal talks as many had already recognized that a stimulus agreement was unlikely before the election, but the near round-trip seen in stocks and bonds was surprising.

Read More »

FX Daily, September 29: Consolidation Still Featured

A consolidative tone continues across the capital markets. Equities have lost their momentum. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index was mixed, while Europe's Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is paring yesterday's sharp 2.2% gain. US shares are little changed but mostly softer. 

Read More »