Tag Archive: EMU

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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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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Fragile and Consolidative Tone Starts the Week in FX

Overview: The US dollar has begun the new week consolidating in a mixed fashion against the G10 currencies. Bank of Japan Governor Ueda remains circumspect and did not provide guidance about next month's central bank meeting. Without positive guidance, the market sold the yen, but the swaps market shows about 13 bp of tightening has been discounted, up a couple of basis points from a week ago. Leave aside the New Zealand dollar, which is also under...

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Dollar Bulls Catch Breath

Overview: Surging US yields helped send the dollar higher but wobbled the stock market yesterday. A fragile consolidative tone has emerged today for the foreign currencies. The greenback remains mostly within yesterday's ranges. All but a few emerging market currencies are trading with a firmer bias. Beijing's weaker dollar fix may have been the first protest of the yuan's weakness since the election. The highlight of the North American session is...

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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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US Polls Spur Position Adjusting Ahead of Tomorrow’s Election

Overview: Weekend polls in the US made it seem that the Trump victory, which many large pools of capital, had discounted, was not so inevitable after all. The most dramatic market response was taking US yields and the dollar lower. The US 10-year yield is off about nine basis points to straddle 4.30% and the two-year yield down four basis points to around 4.16%. The greenback is also against all the G10 currencies. Most emerging market currencies...

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Ueda Lifts Yen, Stocks Slump, Gilts Under Pressure Post-Budget

Overview: The main move in the foreign exchange market today is the recovery of the yen following what was seen as hawkish comments by BOJ Governor Ueda. Otherwise, the tone is one of consolidation. The equity market sell-off today may be weighing on the Scandis and dollar-bloc currencies amid risk-off impulses. Emerging market currencies are mixed. The Mexican peso, which fell to a new low for the year yesterday, is stabilizing today and is among...

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Consolidative Tone in FX Ahead of Key Events and Data

Overview: A consolidative tone is emerging in the foreign exchange market as the week's key events begin tomorrow:  UK budget, eurozone and US Q3 GDP, and the US ADP private sector jobs estimate, and quarterly refunding. Outside of the Norwegian krone, which is up nearly 0.5%, the other G10 currencies are largely +/- 0.1%. The yen, Swiss franc, and antipodeans are trading with a slightly heavier bias. Among emerging market currencies, most from the...

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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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Turn Around Tuesday Comes Late

Overview:  It is ironic that a few months ago, many wanted to sell the dollar because the Republican president and vice president candidates said they wanted a weaker dollar. With the election drawing near and the race very tight, there has been a surge in the betting markets of a Trump-Vance victory, and this has corresponded with the dollar's dramatic rise. US rates held on the lion's share of their gains despite the sharpest loss in the S&P...

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Greenback Consolidates

Overview:  US interest rates remain firm and the dollar is mostly consolidating against the G10 currencies, in a muted "Turn Around Tuesday." The greenback is straddling the JPY151 area, its best level since the end of July. Despite bearish price action yesterday, the euro, sterling, and Australian dollar have seen limited follow-through selling and modest …

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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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CSI 300 Drops 7%, Oil Steadies, and the US Dollar Remains Firm

Overview: We suspect the market overreacted to the US jobs data, which was tainted by the lowest "establishment" response in over two decades and seasonal adjustments were likely thrown off by Hurricane Helene and the 33k strike at Boeing. We think Fed officials, and more speak today, have confirmed that it was not the game changer than many market participants think, which was likely influenced by positioning. It did help facilitate the...

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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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