Said Brussels to Italy, No
Your budget is not apropos
Go fix it and then
Come back here again
Said Italy, just let it go

In England, meanwhile, PM May
Is finding she can’t get her way
A challenge is forming
With more Tories warming
Up to the thought she shouldn’t stay

The world seems to be getting messier by the day. Despite the ongoing vitriol in the US election process, the dollar continues to benefit from the fact that problems elsewhere seem to be worse. For example, the euro is under pressure this morning with two key stories driving the market. First, in an unprecedented move, the EU rejected Italy’s draft budget by claiming that it’s deficit targets were not in line with EU directives of reducing debt. Not surprisingly, the populist government in Italy simply said that fiscal stimulus was required to get the economy growing again, and they were going to enact it anyway. There are two issues here impacting the euro, the first being that markets are likely to drive Italian interest rates higher and add significant pressure to the Italian economy, notably the banking sector, which is tightly tied to those rates. The second is that if a major country is willing to ignore EU guidance on an important issue like this, what does that say about the credibility of the entire EU construct and the euro by default.

The other key issue was the release of much weaker than expected Flash PMI data for Germany, France and the entire Eurozone. Remember yesterday the Bundesbank indicated that GDP growth in Q3 would be flat in Germany, undermining markets there. Well, today, we learned that growth in Q4 isn’t exactly shining either, with the Manufacturing PMI printing at 52.3, its lowest level since early 2016. This data added to the pressure on the euro, which has fallen 0.6% on the day and is now touching 1.1400 for the first time since mid-August. It appears that regardless of the ongoing structural concerns in the US, the cyclical growth and interest rate story remains the market’s driver for now.

Turning to the UK, yesterday saw a rally in the pound after a story circulated that the EU was going to offer a compromise on how to treat the UK after Brexit, allowing them to stay within the customs union. However, this morning, there appears to be a growing insurgency within the Tory party and a challenge to PM May appears to be coming. If she were ousted, that would become quite problematic with regards to the ongoing negotiations as Cabinet members would change, and policy direction would likely as well. Given the late date, just five months left before the split is finalized, it would speak to a much higher probability of a hard Brexit with no deal, and a much lower pound. With this in mind, it is not surprising that the pound has ceded yesterday’s gains and is down 0.6% as well this morning.

Away from those two stories, the dollar is generally, but not universally, stronger. It is noteworthy that USDCNY is higher by 0.2%, pushing back to the top of its recent range just above 6.95, and starting to move into the area where many are counting on the PBOC to intervene. There are a number of analysts who continue to believe that a move above 7.00 will lead to a significant increase in capital outflows from China, and a much bigger risk-off movement. This is something about which the Chinese are extremely concerned. However, looking around APAC currencies overnight, both INR (+0.5%) and KRW (+0.25%), arguably the next most important ones, showed strength vs. the dollar as yesterday’s sharp decline in oil prices was seen as a positive for both of these large oil importers.

On the rate front, the Riksbank in Stockholm left interest rates on hold, as expected, but basically promised to raise them in either December or February. SEK is modestly weaker vs. the dollar, but almost unchanged vs. the euro, perhaps a better measure of the impact. This morning, the Bank of Canada will also announce its rate decision with expectations nearly universal that they will raise rates by 25bps to 1.75%. Ahead of the announcement, the Loonie is flat.

And those are really the FX stories of the day. Equity markets around the world seem to be rebounding from yesterday’s US led sell-off, although US equity futures are still pointing lower as I type. Treasury yields have fallen from yesterday’s closing levels, but remain in the vicinity of 3.15%. As mentioned, oil prices tumbled yesterday by more than 4% after Saudi Arabia indicated they would make up for any reduction in Iranian crude exports due to the US sanctions that are to begin in earnest next week. And gold, the traditional safe haven, is basically flat on the day, although about 1% lower than the peak of $1240/oz it reached during the nadir of yesterday’s equity market movement.

This morning we see our first real data of the week, with New Home Sales expected to print at 625K. We also get the Fed’s Beige Book at 2:00pm. Speaking of the Fed, yesterday Atlanta Fed President Bostic reiterated that the Fed was on the right path and that gradual rate increases were appropriate. Today we hear from Bullard, Mester and Bostic again. While the housing data has softened lately, and even some of the earnings data has been a bit softer than expected, there is no strong rationale for any of these regional presidents to change their views. In fact the one thing I would mention about earnings is how many companies are raising prices to cover increased materials costs or tariff impacts. If anything, that sounds pretty inflationary to me, and I would guess to the Fed as well.

If US equity markets follow through on the opening and continue to decline, the dollar should remain well bid overall. But my sense is that we are going to see some bargain hunters coming in here, help the stock markets bounce and see the dollar decline by the time NY goes home.

Good luck
Adf