Tag Archive: Mexico

Dollar Retreat Extended, but Turn Around Tuesday may have Already Begun

Overview:  Last week's dollar losses have been extended today. The yen is leading the move, encouraged by talk of a buying by a large US real money fund. The Dollar Index is off about 0.35% after sliding 1.8% last week. It is below the 200-day moving average for the first time since late August. As was the case last week, the Canadian dollar is the laggard. Emerging market currencies are also mostly higher. The Chinese yuan's 0.67% rise is the most...

Read More »

Food Prices Drive China’s CPI Lower while the Greenback is Mostly Firmer in Narrow Ranges

Overview: The dollar is mostly firmer against the G10 currencies and has been confined to tight ranges through the European morning. Outside of the China's deflation and Japan's monthly portfolio flow data that showed Japanese investors bought the most amount of US Treasuries (~$22 bln) in six months in September, the news stream is light. Most emerging market currencies are trading with a softer bias today. The Philippine peso is the strongest...

Read More »

The Dollar’s Recovery has been Extended, but it may Give North American Operators a Better Selling Opportunity

Overview: The dollar's sell-off last week was extreme and it recovered yesterday and through the European session today. The Australian dollar has been hit the hardest. It is off more than 1% today after the RBA lifted the cash rate by 25 bp (to 4.35%). Still, the US dollar's gains have stretched intraday momentum indicators, suggesting the upside correction may be nearly over. The greenback's moves appear to have been driven by interest rate...

Read More »

Japanese Fireworks Continue as the Market Turns to the FOMC

Overview: The FOMC meeting is today's highlight but the drama in Japan continues to rivet the market. The Ministry of Finance warned of the risk of material intervention in the foreign exchange market, and the BOJ bought bonds in an unscheduled operation a day after its downgraded the 1.0% cap to a reference rate, whatever that means. The yen is trading with a slightly firmer bias. The Swiss franc is also trading a little firmer, but the other G10...

Read More »

BOJ and China PMI Disappoint, While EMU Q2 Growth and October Inflation were Softer than Expected

Overview: The Bank of Japan softened its 1.0% cap on the 10-year, while lifting its core CPI forecast this fiscal year and next. This disappointed many who anticipated a bolder move to exit the extraordinary monetary policy. The yen was sold in disappointment and the dollar has returned to the JPY150.75 area. The eurozone contracted by 0.1% in Q3, while October CPI came in below expectations at 2.9%. The greenback is softer against most of the...

Read More »

Poor Flash PMI from Japan and Eurozone

Overview: Bonds and stocks are higher today, and the dollar is mixed. A weak PMI reading seemed to weigh on the euro, but the market shrugged the weak Australian PMI off and the Australian dollar is the G10 currencies while the euro is among the weakest. Yesterday, the North American session showed an appetite for foreign currencies and with some of their intraday momentum stretched to the downside, the stage is set for a possible repeat today. The...

Read More »

The Dollar Continues to Press Against JPY150; Risk Off Ahead of the Weekend

Overview: True to the market's penchant, it heard a dovish Fed Chair Powell yesterday. He seemed to suggest that the bar to another hike was high. This helped cap the 10-year yield just in front of 5.00% and allowed foreign currencies to recover against the dollar. The US two-year yield reversed lower after rising above 5.25%. It is now around 5.15%. Still, Powell appeared to cover similar ground as several other officials, including Fed governors...

Read More »

Greenback Consolidates Ahead of September CPI

Overview: The dollar is mixed against the G10 currencies. It is confined to narrow ranges ahead of today's CPI report. The Russian ruble is the strongest of the emerging market currencies following the imposition of new capital controls, forcing many exporters to repatriate their foreign earnings. After posting a key upside reversal at the end of last week, gold continues to recover. It nearly $1883 so far today, the best level in more than two...

Read More »

US Employment Data to Determine Whether the Greenback’s Rally since mid-July is Over…Maybe

Overview: One key issue for market participants is if the dollar's pullback is the beginning of something important or is largely position adjusting ahead of today's US jobs report. We suspect that the dollar's rally that began in mid-July is over, though a strong employment report that boosts the chances of a Fed hike before year-end could quickly demonstrate the folly of making claims ahead of what is still one of the most important reports in...

Read More »

US Yields and Dollar Rise After US Government Closure Averted

Overview: The US avoided a government shutdown, barely, and this eased one of the headwinds that were anticipated. In turn, this is spurring new gains in US interest rates and helping underpin the dollar at the start of the new quarter. The 10-year Treasury is holding above 4.60% and nearing last week's high (4.68%). The two-year yield gapped higher and is near 5.10%. The high from September 21 was almost 5.20%. The Swiss franc is the only G10...

Read More »

Dollar Sets Back into Month- and Quarter-End Ahead of likely US Government Shutdown

Overview: The dollar's surge stalled yesterday, and follow-through selling has pressed it lower against all the G10 currencies today. The dollar-bloc and Scandis are leading the move. Month-end, quarter-end pressures, coupled with a likely partial shutdown of the government beginning Monday, and after key chart levels were approached or violated earlier this week, serving as a bit a cathartic event. The Swiss franc snapped a 12-day losing streak...

Read More »

Looming US Government Shutdown Stems the Dollar’s Surge

Overview: The increasingly likely partial US federal government shutdown has spurred a bout of liquidation of long dollar positions. The psychologically important JPY150 level was approached, and the euro was sold through $1.05 yesterday, and the greenback has come back better offered today. It is lower against all the G10 currencies. It is mixed against the emerging market currency complex, with central European currencies and South African rand...

Read More »

Firmer Bonds and Stocks, but the Dollar Presses Ahead

Overview: The S&P 500 hit three-month lows yesterday, while the Conference Board's measure of consumer confidence fell to a four-month low. New home sales fell to their lowest level in five years. The US federal government appears headed for a partial shutdown on October 1. Still, the greenback rides high. It is extending its gains against several G10 currencies, including the euro and sterling. The Swiss franc is moving lower for the 12th...

Read More »

Yen Drops After BOJ Does Nothing and Says Little

Overview:  The BOJ's failure to do anything or further ideas that an exit of the negative target rate, despite the firm CPI report helped the dollar recover the ground lost yesterday against the yen. The focus has returned to "intervention watch" and the market continues to press for the official pain threshold. Sterling is the weakest of the G10 currencies, off another 0.5% today following the BOE's decision not to hike yesterday. The...

Read More »

Battle for $1.07 in the Euro

Overview: Despite disappointing German industrial output, where the 0.8% decline was twice expectations, the euro is holding above $1.07, where large options exist that are expiring over the next few sessions. The greenback is consolidating against the Japanese yen, where the fear of intervention has increased. Sterling remains on its back foot after yesterday's seemingly dovish comments by Bank of England Governor Bailey. Emerging market...

Read More »

The Dollar and Oil Steady After Yesterday’s Advance

Overview: Bonds and stocks are mostly heavier today and the dollar has turned mixed. Oil prices are consolidating after soaring to new highs since late last year on the longer than expected extension of Saudi Arabia's extra cut of one million barrels a day. Since July, it has been extending it by one month at a time. Yesterday, it extended it through Q4. Russia, who had previously indicated intentions on reducing its exports by 500k barrels,...

Read More »

US Dollar Punches Higher

Overview:  Disappointing data in Asia and Europe has sent the greenback broadly higher. The strong gains posted before the weekend were mostly consolidated yesterday when the US and Canadian markets were on holiday. The rally resumed today. The Antipodeans and Scandis have been hit the hardest (-0.7% to -1.25%) but all the G10 currencies are down. The Swiss franc and yen are off the least (-0.35%-0.45%), and the euro and sterling have taken out...

Read More »

China’s Measures Begin to Find Traction, US Employment Report on Tap

Overview: Beijing's seemingly steady stream of measures to support the economy and steady the yuan are beginning to produce the desired effect. The yuan is snapping a four-week decline and the CSI 300 halted a three-week drop. Some economists estimate that the bevy of measures may be worth as much as 1% for GDP. The dollar is narrowly mixed ahead of the US employment data, which is expected to see the pace of job growth slow to around 170k. Of...

Read More »

Position Squaring Ahead of US Data Helps the Dollar Recoup Some Recent Losses

Overview: Position-squaring ahead of today's US personal consumption data and perhaps tomorrow's jobs report is giving the dollar a firmer profile against most G10 and emerging market currencies. The Scandis have been the hit hardest and are off 0.75%-0.85%. The euro and sterling about 0.35%-0.45% lower. The yen is the only G10 currency that is slightly firmer. The dollar-bloc is nursing small losses (0.10%-0.15%). Despite the firmer than expected...

Read More »

Still No Follow-Through Dollar Buying After Last Week’s Surge

Overview: The dollar was threatening to break higher at the end of last week, and the euro and sterling closed below key supports. However, so far this week, the greenback is consolidating and has not seen follow-through buying. The key data this week, US consumption and jobs, and the eurozone's CPI still lay ahead. The Antipodeans and Norwegian krone enjoy a firmer today. A 0.8% contraction in Sweden's Q2 GDP was not as deep as had been feared,...

Read More »