Tag Archive: #USD

Gorilla or Elephant, Chinese Surplus Capacity is the Challenge

China's excess capacity is one of the most formidable challenges the China and the world face. Unexpectedly, China's steel industry reported a profit in H1 16. M&A for industry rationalization and foreign markets seem to be the main ways China is trying to address the excess capacity.

Read More »

FX Daily, August 02: Greenback Slides Despite RBA Rate Cut and 7-year Low in UK Construction PMI

The US dollar is offered against the major currencies, but appreciating against many emerging market currencies, include the South African rand and Turkish lira. Oil prices are trying to stabilize with Brent near $42 and WTI near $40, but the recent losses continue to weigh on the Malaysian ringgit and the Mexican peso.

Read More »

FX Daily, August 01: Dog Days of August Begin

The US dollar is trading with a small upside bias in narrow trading ranges. The main news has consisted of PMI reports, while investors continue to digest last week's developments. In particular the BOJ's underwhelming response to poor economic data and a missed opportunity to reinforce the fiscal stimulus, and the dismal US GDP.

Read More »

Great Graphic: Real Broad Trade-Weighted Dollar

The real broad trade-weighted dollar index rose in July for the third month. It peaked in January above trendline drawn through the Reagan and Clinton dollar rallies. Expect the trendline to be violated again before the end of the year.

Read More »

FX Weekly Preview: After this Week, Does August Matter?

RBA meeting is a close call. BOE meeting consensus on rate cut, maybe new QE and lending-for-funding. More details of Japan's fiscal policy. U.S. jobs data. After this week, and outside of RBNZ rate cut, August may be uneventful.

Read More »

FX Daily, July 29: Kuroda Hesitates, Yen Advances, Focus Turns to Europe and North America

Main events: Far Lower GDP Growth due to higher inflation and bigger trade deficit. Yen and Swissie advance and weaker dollar. Swiss economy remains on track based on the KOF economic barometer.

Read More »

FX Daily, July 28: Dollar Pulls Back Further Post-FOMC

After reversing lower yesterday after the FOMC statement, the US dollar has continued to move lower against the major currencies, save sterling. While the market is not fully confident of a rate cut by the Reserve Bank of Australia, indicative pricing in the derivative markets suggest a UK rate cut has been fully discounted (and a new asset purchase plan may also be announced).

Read More »

Fasten Your Seat Belts: Tomorrow Promises to be Tumultuous

Japan reports on labor, consumption, inflation and industrial output before the BOJ meeting. ECB reports inflation and Q2 GDP and the results of the stress test on banks. US reports first look at Q2 GDP.

Read More »

FX Daily, July 27: Yen Falls on Fiscal Stimulus, while Sterling and Aussie Can’t Sustain Upticks

Swiss Franc: The Euro kept on climbing, after yesterday's rapid rise. The Swiss consumption indicator by UBS shows improvements. The indicator is still distant from the highs in 2012. At the time stronger growth in Emerging Markets and the weaker franc helped the Swiss economy.

Read More »

FX Daily, July 26: Strange Day: Yen Soars , Swissie Falls

The Swiss Franc strangely depreciated on a day, when the other safe-haven, the yen strongly improved. The euro went up to 1.0899 by 0.54%. The reason seems to be technical.

Read More »

Fed to Stand Pat, but Statement may be More Constructive

The Fed's nervousness in June has likely largely eased on the back of better economic data and stable international climate. The Fed may reintroduce its risk assessment. Who are the possible dissents?

Read More »

FX Daily, July 25: Big Week Begins Slowly

What promises to be a busy week has begun off slowly. The US dollar has been largely confined to its pre-weekend ranges against most of the major currencies. Equity markets are mostly firmer following the new record highs on Wall Street. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index eked out a small gain (0.1%), with losses in Japan, Taiwan, and Singapore offsetting gains elsewhere.

Read More »

Great Graphic: OIl Breaks Down Further

With today's losses the Sept contract has retraced 50% of this year's rally. The oil glut has partly been transformed into a gasoline glut. US rig count is rising and output has increased two weeks in a row.

Read More »

FX Weekly Preview: BOJ and FOMC Meetings Featured in the Last Week of July

A recent Reuters poll found about half of the 100 economists surveyed expect a hike in Q4, which really means December since the November meeting is too close to the national election. The other half is split between a Q3 rate hike (September) and some time in 2017. That said, two primary dealers anticipate no hike until the end of 2017.

Read More »

Weekly Speculation Positions: Bullish on Dollar and Dollar-Bloc

Speculators made several significant position adjustments in the CFTC reporting period ending 19 July. They are more Bullish on Dollar and on the Dollar-Bloc currencies.

Read More »

FX Daily, July 22: Flash PMIs Show Brexit Impact Localized

As the week draws to a close, there are three main developments in the capital markets. First, the profit-taking seen in US equities yesterday has continued in Asia and Europe today. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index and the Dow Jones Stoxx 600 in Europe are both off around 0.5%.

Read More »

FX Daily, July 21: Monetary Policy Expectations are Driving Foreign Exchange

Monetary policy is said to have lost its impact on the foreign exchange market, as investors scratch their heads at the resilience of currencies with negative interest rates. Yet the price action in the action cannot be understood without recognizing the ongoing importance of monetary policy expectations.

Read More »

Effective Fed Funds and Money Markets

Fed funds have been trading firmly. There are several reasons and one of them is the shift that is taking place in the US money markets. Still the risk of a Fed hike has increased, just as speculation increases of easing in other major centers.

Read More »

FX Daily, July 20: Sterling’s Jump Slows Dollar’s Ascent

It is a bizarre turn of events. Just like the Game of Throne's Westeros is a map of the UK put on top of an inverted Ireland, so too do UK events seem to be a strange permutation of the pre-referendum views. Although sterling and interest rates have not fully recovered from the Brexit decision, equity markets have, and fear of contagion has died down.

Read More »

Great Graphic: Aussie Approaches Two-Month Uptrend

Australian dollar is the second heaviest currency this week after a key downside reversal at the end of last week. It is approaching an uptrend line near $0.7450. Many perceive an increased likelihood that the RBA eases and many are reassessing chance of a Fed hike later this year.

Read More »