Tag Archive: Germany

After Strong Demand for US Three-Year Notes, Treasury will Sell $38 bln 10-year Notes

Overview: The first leg of the US refunding was well received, with the three-year note being scooped up by investors, driving the yield below it was trading in the when-issued market. Today, the Treasury sells $38 bln 10-year notes, whose auctions have been less than stellar recently. The US 10-year yield reached 4.20% last week and is now straddling 4%. Italian bonds are also firm as the Italian government clarifies the new tax on banks' windfall...

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Dollar Comes Back Bid

Overview: The US dollar is recovering today after it was sold following the jobs report before the weekend. It is enjoying a firmer bias against nearly all the G10 currencies. The dollar-bloc is faring best, while the Scandis are off close to 0.5%. Most emerging market currencies are also softer, with only a few Asian currencies edging higher today, including the South Korean won, Indian rupee, and Taiwanese dollar. With a stronger dollar and...

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Markets Remain Unsettled, Bonds and Stocks Retreat, Dollar Gains Ahead of BOE

Overview: The global capital markets remain unsettled. The combination of the BOJ adjustment of its monetary policy, Fitch's downgrade of the US to AA+, ahead of a flood of supply, and new measures by China have injected volatility into the summer markets. The US dollar has extended it gains today against the G10 currencies and most emerging market currencies. The yen has recovered a bit after the BOJ stepped in and bought JGBs for the second time...

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Powerful Short Squeeze Continues to Lift the Yen

Overview: The greenback remains under pressure. The yen's short squeeze continues, and strong wage growth has helped lift sterling to new highs since last April. Among the G10 currencies, only the Australian and New Zealand dollars are unable to sustain gains through the European morning. Emerging market currencies are also advancing, with a couple of exceptions, including the Turkish lira despite reports on foreign equity inflows. The weaker...

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Yen Extends Recovery on Wage Data, Yuan Ticks Up Too

Overview: A powerful short squeeze has lifted the yen by the most in two months this week. The dollar's push today below JPY143 was encouraged by the stronger than expected wage growth. The US jobs report will test its strength. The PBOC fixed the yuan sharply higher today and it is the only emerging market currency that is higher on the day, ahead of the Latam open. The dollar has not drawn much support for the surge in US yields. The 10-year...

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Yen and Yuan Lead Move Against the Dollar

Overview: Stocks and bonds ae selling off today. The greenback is also trading heavily. Ironically, the yen is the strongest among the G10 currencies and the Chinese yuan is the strongest among emerging market currencies. The dollar is firmer against the Scandis and Canadian dollar. Most emerging market currencies, including the Mexican peso, which traded at its best level yesterday since 2015. While nearly all the bourses but India fell in the...

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What Happened Today

The US dollar was mostly softer. The New Zealand dollar was the strongest (~0.85%) helped by cross rate gains against the Australian dollar, following the RBA’s decision to stand pat. The Australian dollar fell to one-month lows below NZD1.08. There is scope for another 0.5%, or so to the next target near NZD1.0750. The RBA’s decision to leave its cash target at 4.10% was not surprising, and despite the hawkish rhetoric, the market downgraded the...

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Calm Start to the Week, with Little Impact from Russia’s Drama

Overview:  The drama in Russia captured the imaginations but failed to have much impact on the capital markets. Conventional wisdom sees it as a sign of Putin's weakness, but he has been underestimated, including by many Ukrainians who did not think Russia was going to invade despite America's repeated warnings. It may take some time for the implications for the two main protagonists, Wagner head Prigozhin and Defense Minister Shoigu. The war in...

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RBA Surprises with a Quarter-Point Hike and German Factory Orders Disappoint

Overview: The Reserve Bank of Australia surprised many with a quarter-point hike and German factory orders unexpectedly fell. Reports suggest that China has asked banks to cut deposit rates. The next result is the Australian dollar is the strongest currency in the G10 and helped lift the Canadian dollar ahead of the Bank of Canada meeting tomorrow. Australian stocks sold off (~1.2%) while large markets outside of China rose in the region. Europe's...

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Fitch Puts US on Negative Credit Watch and the Dollar Extends its Gains

Overview: Concerned about the political wrangling over servicing US debt, Fitch put the US on negative credit watch. Besides chin wagging and finger pointing, it has had little perceptible impact. The dollar is mostly higher, reaching new highs for the year against the Japanese yen, Chinese yuan, and the Antipodean currencies. The euro and sterling met retracement objective we have targeted (~$1.0735 and $1.2435, respectively). The greenback is...

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RBNZ Delivers a Dovish Hike and UK Inflation Surprises to the Upside

Overview: Equities in the Asia Pacific region and Europe are being led lower by the sell-off in the US yesterday. All the large Asia Pacific markets fell with Hong Kong and mainland shares setting the pace. Europe's Stoxx 600 is off nearly 1.5%, which would be the largest loss in two months. Consumer discretionary, financials and real estate sectors are off nearly 2%. US equity futures have a softer bias. European 10-year yields are mostly 2-3 bp...

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Key Chart Points Hold and the Dollar’s Rally Stalls Ahead of the Weekend

Overview: Hawkish comments from Fed officials and the first decline in continuing unemployment claims below 1.8 mln in two months boosted US rates and the odds of a June rate hike rose to about 37%. This represents a near tripling of the probability in the past week. It has been a trend with the odds rising in 9 of the past 11 sessions. The two-year note yield has risen for the past five sessions coming into today for a cumulative gain of about 35...

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Biden to Go to G7 Summit with Debt Ceiling Unresolved

Overview:  The US debt ceiling talks resume at the White House today but a deal is unlikely to be announced. President Biden will attend the G7 summit in Hiroshima with the debt ceiling still looming. The dollar is mostly softer as last week's gains are pared. The Swiss franc and Japanese are the strongest in the G10. The Thai baht and South African rand, among the market's favorites yesterday are seeing those gains retraced. The JP Morgan Emerging...

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Frankfurt University Forms Master in Blockchain & Digital Assets

Frankfurt School of Finance Center and its Blockchain center designed a new four semester long post-experience master program (MSc) last year. The Frankfurt School’s goal is to provide the expert knowledge necessary to students looking to shape and lead blockchain innovation around the globe and in all industries. Technical and economical understanding on the topics of blockchain, digital assets (including Bitcoin and Ethereum), DeFi, Web3,...

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The Greenback Continues to Struggle

Overview: There is a nervousness that hangs over the capital markets. Although US banks shares recovered at the end of last week, many continue to see the sector’s challenges as the harbinger of a dramatic reversal in the Fed’s stance. America’s debt ceiling looms large and could be a few weeks away. China led Asia Pacific bourses higher, and, ironically, its bank shares extended their rally. Japan, returning from last week’s holiday was notable...

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The Greenback Remains Heavy Ahead of the Employment Report

Overview: The US dollar is weaker against all the G10 currencies today but the Swiss franc. The backdrop seems fragile even though a few regional bank shares have done better in after-hours trading and Apple's earnings were received well by the markets. Due to seasonal factors and other considerations, many are warning about a US jobs report, even though ADP's estimate surprised to the upside earlier this week. Equities were mixed in the Asia...

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Dollar Pares Gains but is Poised to Recover in North America

Overview:  A rise in US yields, with the two-year Treasury closing yesterday at its best level in more than three weeks help fuel follow-through dollar buying yesterday after an upside reversal at the end of last week. Key levels were approached, like $1.09 in the euro, $1.2345 in sterling, and JPY135 held, and the dollar has consolidated in Asia and Europe. The euro and sterling recouped around half of the losses seen from the Friday's high to...

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Fragile Calm Casts a Pall over the Capital Markets

Overview: There is a fragile calm in the capital markets today ahead of the long holiday weekend for many. The poor US economic data yesterday and third consecutive decline in the KBW bank index weighed on risk sentiment. Most of the large bourses in the Asia Pacific region fell, with Hong Kong and India notable exceptions. In Japan, the Topix bank index fell 1.1% after a 1.9% decline yesterday and is now lower on the week. Europe's Stoxx 600 is...

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RBA Holds Fire, Sterling Reaches Best Level since last June, and the Dollar Struggles to Find Much Traction

Overview: The jump in oil prices is the newest shock and the May WTI contract is holding above $80 a barrel as it consolidates yesterday's surge. A week ago, it settled near $73.20. Australian and New Zealand bond yields moved lower, partly in catch-up and partly after the RBA stood pat. South Korean bonds also rallied on the back of softer inflation (4.2% vs. 4.8%). But European and US benchmark yields is 2-4 bp higher. The large equity markets...

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Dollar Soft but Stretched

Overview: While bank stress seems to continue to ease, the dollar languishes against most of the major currencies. The Japanese yen is the notable exception. It is off about 1.5% this week. The Dollar Index has given back the gains scored at the end of last week but remains inside the range set last Thursday and Friday (~101.90-102.35). Perhaps the participants are waiting for Friday. In addition to month-, quarter, and fiscal-year ends, it is...

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