Tag Archive: federal-reserve

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 »

Everyone Knows The Gov’t Wants A ‘Controlled’ Weimar

2020-05-09

by

2020-05-09

There are two parts behind the inflation mongering. The first, noted yesterday, is the Fed’s balance sheet, particularly its supposedly monetary remainder called bank reserves. The central bank is busy doing something, a whole bunch of something, therefore how can it possibly turn out to be anything other than inflationary?The answer: the Federal Reserve is not a central bank, not really.

Read More »

We All Know Who’s On First, But What’s On Second?

2020-05-08

by

2020-05-08

It wasn’t entirely unexpected, though when it was announced it was still quite a lot to take in. On September 1, 2005, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported that the nation’s personal savings rate had turned negative during the month of July. The press release announcing the number, in trying to explain the result was reduced instead to a tautology, “The negative personal saving reflects personal outlays that exceed disposable personal...

Read More »

FX Daily, April 30: ECB Takes Center Stage

2020-04-30

by

2020-04-30

Overview: Equities continue to recover even as deep economic contractions are reported. Yesterday, the US said Q1 GDP contracted at an annualized pace of 4.8%, while the eurozone reported today that output fell 3.8% quarter-over-quarter in Q1.  Hong Kong and South Korea were closed, but the rest of the Asia Pacific bourses rallied strongly with several, including Australia and India, rising more than 2%.

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 »

FX Daily, April 24: Markets Limp into the Weekend

2020-04-24

by

2020-04-24

Overview:  The reversal in US equities yesterday set the stage for today's losses.  All the Asia Pacific bourses fell today but Australia.  For the week, the regional index is off more than 2%.  Europe's Dow Jones Stoxx 600 was flat for the week coming into today's sessions.  It is off around 0.5% in late morning activity. 

Read More »

The Global Engine Is Still Leaking

2020-04-16

by

2020-04-16

Federal Reserve: Liabilities & Capital, 1984-2019
An internal combustion engine that is leaking oil presents a difficult dilemma. In most cases, the leak itself is obscured if not completely hidden. You can only tell that there’s a problem because of secondary signs and observations.If you find dark stains underneath your car, for example, or if your engine smells of thick, bitter unpleasantness, you’d be wise to consider the possibility.

Read More »

FX Daily, April 10: Eight Things to Know about Global Capital Markets on Good Friday

2020-04-10

by

2020-04-10

Most of the financial centers in Europe and North America are closed today for the Good Friday holiday.  Many markets in Europe will also be closed on Monday. Here is a summary of key developments.

Read More »

FX Daily, April 9: Three Deals Needed ahead of Holiday Weekend

2020-04-09

by

2020-04-09

Overview: Three deals need to be struck. First, the Eurogroup of finance ministers needs to reach an agreement of proposals for joint action to the heads of state. Second, oil producers need to cut output if prices are to stabilize. Third, the US Congress needs to strike a deal to provide more funding. Investor seems hopeful, and risk appetites are have lifted equities.

Read More »

FX Daily, April 03: Oil Firm, Greenback Extends Gains

2020-04-03

by

2020-04-03

Overview:  Global equities are finishing the week on a soggy tone despite the 2%+ gains seen in the US yesterday. The extension of shutdowns, rising contagion and fatality rate, and imploding economies weigh on prices. In Asia, Korea and Indonesia bucked the trend to most minor gains.  Europe is giving back yesterday's gains, and the Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is nearly flat on the week.

Read More »

FX Daily, April 1: Hemorrhaging Resumes

2020-04-01

by

2020-04-01

Overview: There is no reprieve for investors. Equities are falling sharply. Nearly all the Asia Pacific markets slumped but Australia. Chinese markets fared better than most, but the Nikkei was off 4.5%, and India was down almost as much in late dealings. Europe's Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is off more than 3% near midday, led by a sell-off in banks that are suspending dividends and share buybacks.

Read More »

Conference Call Replay

2020-03-24

by

2020-03-24

Here is the link for the replay of the conference call I hosted earlier today.  I shared two ways in which this crisis is different from what we have seen in the last generation.  Unlike the Great Financial Crisis, the tech bubble, and the S&L Crisis, the current crisis did not begin in the financial sector, but the real economy.   

Read More »

FX Daily, March 23: Greenback Demand Not Satisfied by Swap Lines

2020-03-23

by

2020-03-23

Overview: In HG Wells' "War of the Worlds," the common cold repelled a Martian invasion. Now, a novel coronavirus is disrupting everything and everywhere. Global equities continue to get hammered, though the apparent relative resilience of Japan may have spurred some buying of Japanese equities.

Read More »

FX Daily, March 19: ECB’s Bazooka Support Bonds but not the Euro

2020-03-19

by

2020-03-19

Overview: It is not just that the dollar soared while stocks and bonds continued to plunge. The dollar's strength is, in effect, a powerful short-covering rally. It was used to fund a great part of the global circuit of capital. The circuit of capital is in reverse now, and the funding currency is being bought back. The dollar's strength is a function of the sell-off of other assets.

Read More »

FX Daily, March 18: Bonds Join Equities in the Carnage

2020-03-18

by

2020-03-18

Overview: A new phase of the market turmoil is at hand. Bonds are no longer proving to be the safe haven for investors fleeing stocks. The tremendous fiscal and monetary efforts, with more likely to come, have sparked a dramatic rise in yields. Meanwhile, equities are getting crushed again.

Read More »

FX Daily, March 16: Monday Blues: Fed Moves Bigly and Stocks Slump

2020-03-16

by

2020-03-16

Overview: The Federal Reserve and central banks in the Asia Pacific region acted forcefully, but were unable to ease the consternation of investors. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand cut key rates by 75 bp. The Bank of Japan appears to have doubled its ETF purchase target to JPY12 trillion, and the Reserve Bank of Australia is preparing for new measures that will be announced Thursday.

Read More »

FX Daily, March 9: Monday Meltdown

2020-03-09

by

2020-03-09

Overview: Equities plunged, and yields sank as the coronavirus threatens a global recession. The oil price war signaled by Saudi Arabia and Russia aggravates the desperate situation. Equities markets in the Asia Pacific region slumped 3-7%. The Shanghai Composite was fell 3%. The Nikkei was off by 5%, and Australia was hit among the hardest with a 7.3% loss.

Read More »

FX Daily, March 4: Equities Trade Higher, While Yields Continue to Fall

2020-03-04

by

2020-03-04

Overview:  The G7 delivered up a nothing burger than was shortly followed by a 50 bp Fed cut.  The equity market seemed to enjoy it briefly and extended Monday's dramatic gains, before falling out of bed.  The S&P 500 lost about 2.2%, while the Dow Industrial slumped 3%, but shortly after the markets closed, equities began recovering, and the recovery carried over to the Asia Pacific region and Europe.

Read More »