Tag Archive: federal-reserve

Cool Video: A Quick Review of the the FOMC and a Look to Next Week

2020-06-13

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2020-06-13

Sometimes the news drives the price action, but sometimes the price action drives the news.  If the initial rally in US stocks after the FOMC meeting had been sustained and if the dollar had continued to decline, observers would drawing a different conclusion.  

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FX Daily, June 11: Are Risk Appetites Satiated, or Simply Taking the Day Off?

2020-06-11

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2020-06-11

Many observers are attributing the sell-off in risk assets today to the Federal Reserve's pessimistic outlook, yet, as we note below, the Fed's median GDP forecast this year is better than many international agency forecasts, including the OECD's that was issued yesterday.  Moreover, some near-term trends were already in place.

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FX Daily, June 10: Corrective Forces Still Seem in Control Ahead of the FOMC Outcome

2020-06-10

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2020-06-10

The pullback ins US shares yesterday has not derailed the global advance. Japanese and Chinese markets were mixed, the Hang Seng slipped, and Indonesia was hit with profit-taking, but the MSCI Asia Pacific Index eked out a small gain. It has fallen once past two and a half weeks. The Dow Jones Stoxx 600 opened higher but is falling for the third consecutive session.

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FX Daily, June 9: Profit-Taking Gives Turn Around Tuesday Its Name

2020-06-09

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2020-06-09

Overview: The S&P 500 turning higher on the year was the last straw before an arguably overdue bout of profit-taking kicked-in and is the dominant feature today in the capital markets.  It began slowly in the Asia Pacific region. Equities were mixed, and Australia's 2.4% rally and the 1.6% gain in Hong Kong stood out.  Europe's Dow Jones Stoxx 600 was off for a second day (~1.3%), and US stocks are trading heavily, warning that the S&P 500 may give...

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FX Daily, May 27: China and Hong Kong Pressures are Having Limited Knock-on Effects

2020-05-27

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2020-05-27

Overview: The S&P 500 gapped higher yesterday, above the recent ceiling and above the 200-day moving average for the first time since early March. The momentum faltered, and it finished below the opening level and near session lows. The spill-over into today's activity has been minor. The heightened tensions weighed on China and Hong Kong markets, but Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Indian equity markets rose.

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So Much Dollar Bull

2020-05-27

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2020-05-27

TIC - US Banking Data, 2006-2020
According to the Federal Reserve’s calculations, the US dollar in Q1 pulled off its best quarter in more than twenty years – though it really didn’t need the full quarter to do it. The last time the Fed’s trade-weighed dollar index managed to appreciate farther than the 7.1% it had in the first three months of 2020, the year was 1997 during its final quarter when almost the whole of Asia was just about to get clobbered.In second place (now third)...

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FX Daily, May 22: US-China Escalation Sinks Hong Kong and Hits Risk Appetites

2020-05-22

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2020-05-22

Overview: The US has ratcheted up pressure on China on several fronts and has sapped risk appetites ahead of the weekend.  Equity markets are lower across the world.  Even in India, where the central bank unexpectedly cut the repo rate 40 bp, shares fell 0.7%.  It was Hong Kong's 5.5% that led the region lower.  Europe's Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is off around 1% in late morning turnover to pare this week's gain to about 2.5%. 

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FX Daily, May 21: Markets Pull Back after Flirting with Breakouts

2020-05-21

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2020-05-21

Overview: New two and a half month highs in the S&P 500 yesterday failed to have much sway in the Asia Pacific region and Europe today as US-China tensions escalate and profit-taking set in. Perhaps it is a bit of "buy the rumor sell the fact" type of activity on the back of upticks in the preliminary PMI reading and hesitancy about pushing for what appeared to be breakouts.

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FX Daily, May 14: Risk Appetites Wane

2020-05-14

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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.

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

2020-05-09

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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.

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

2020-05-08

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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...

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FX Daily, April 30: ECB Takes Center Stage

2020-04-30

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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%.

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FX Daily, April 29: Heavy Dollar amid Month-End Pressure

2020-04-29

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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.

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FX Daily, April 24: Markets Limp into the Weekend

2020-04-24

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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. 

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The Global Engine Is Still Leaking

2020-04-16

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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.

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

2020-04-10

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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.

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

2020-04-09

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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.

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

2020-04-03

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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.

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