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Inflation Be Damned

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The Minutes revealed that the Fed
Cares not about outlooks, instead
Inflation be damned
They now are programmed
To wait until growth is widespread

There is a conundrum in markets today, one that when considered thoughtfully can only force you to scratch your head and say, huh?  Economic growth in 2021 is going to be gangbusters, that much is virtually assured at this time.  We heard it from the IMF, we heard it from the Fed and basically from every central bank and government around.  And that’s great!  Equity markets have certainly gotten the message, as we achieve new all-time highs across numerous indices on a regular basis.  Bond markets are also buying the message, or perhaps selling the message is more apropos, as sovereign bond markets have sold off pretty sharply this year with the concomitant rise in yields being quite impressive.  And yet, those same central banks who are forecasting significant economic growth this year remain adamant that monetary policy support is critical, and they will not be withdrawing it for years to come.  A cynic might think that those central banks don’t actually believe their own forecasts.

Yesterday’s FOMC Minutes revealed this exact situation.  “Participants noted that it would likely be some time until substantial further progress toward the committee’s maximum-employment and price-stability goals would be realized.”  In other words, they are nowhere near even thinking about thinking about tapering asset purchases, let alone raising interest rates.  On the subject of inflation, they once again made it clear that there was virtual unanimous belief that short-term rises in PCE would be transitory and that the dynamics of the past decade that have driven inflation lower would soon reassert themselves.  After the Minutes were released, uber-dove Lael Brainerd made all that clear with the following comment, “Our monetary policy forward guidance is premised on outcomes, not the outlook.”

It is also critical to understand that this is not simply a US phenomenon, but is happening worldwide in developed nations.  For example, in Sweden, Riksbank Governor Stefan Ingves explained, “It’s like sitting on top of a volcano.  I’ve been sitting on that volcano for many, many years.  It hasn’t blown up, but it’s not heading in the right direction,” when discussing the buildup in household debt via mortgages in Sweden due to rising house prices.  Recently released data shows that household debt there has risen to 190% of disposable incomes, as housing prices in March rose 17% over the past year, to the highest levels ever.  And yet, Ingves is clear that the Riksbank will not be raising rates for at least three years.

Thus, the conundrum.  Explosive growth in economic activity with central banks adamant that interest rates will remain near, or below, zero and QE will continue.  Certainly every central banker recognizes that monetary policy adjustments work with a lag, generally seen to be between 6 months and 1 year, so if the Fed were to raise rates, it would be September at the earliest when it might show up as having an impact on the economy.  But every central bank has essentially promised they will be falling behind the curve to fight the current battle.

So, let’s follow this line of thought to some potential conclusions.  Economic activity continues to expand rapidly as governments everywhere pump in additional fiscal stimulus on top of the ongoing monetary largesse.  Central banks allow economies to ‘run hot’ in order to drive unemployment rates lower at the expense of rising inflation.  (Perhaps this is the reason that so many central bank studies have declared the Phillips Curve relationship to be dead, it is no longer convenient!)  Equity markets continue to rise, but so do sovereign yields in the back end of the curve, such that refinancing debt starts to cost more money.  Pop quiz: if you are a central banker, do you; A) start to raise rates in order to rein in rising inflation? Or B) cap yields through either expanded QE or YCC to insure that debt service costs remain affordable for your government, but allow inflation to run hotter?  This was not a difficult question, and what we continue to hear from virtually every central bank is the answer is B.  And that’s the point, if we simply listen to what they are saying, it is very clear that whether or not inflation prints higher, policy interest rates are stuck at zero (or below).  Oh yeah, as inflation rises, and it will, real rates will be heading lower as well, you can count on it.

So, with that in mind, let’s take a quick tour of the markets.  Equities in Asia showed the Hang Seng (+1.15%) rising smartly, but both the Nikkei (-0.1%) and Shanghai (+0.1%) relatively unchanged on the day.  In Europe, the picture is mixed with the DAX (-0.2%) lagging but both the CAC (+0.35%) and FTSE 100 (+0.35%) moving a bit higher.  As to the US futures market, there is a split here as well, with the NASDAQ (+0.9%) quite robust, while the SPX (+0.3%) and DOW (0.0%) lag the price action.

As to the bond market, Treasury yields continue to back off from their highs at quarter-end, and are currently lower by 3 basis points, although still within 12bps of their recent highs.  European markets are a little less exuberant this morning with yields on Bunds (-0.7bps), OATs (-0.6bps) and Gilts (-0.5bps) all lower by less than a full basis point.  A quick discussion of Japan is relevant here as well, given the budget released that indicates the debt/GDP ratio there will be rising to 257% at the end of this year!  Despite the fact that the BOJ has pegged yields out to 10 years at 0.0%, debt service in Japan still consumes 22% of the budget.  Imagine what would happen if yields there rose, even 100 basis points.  And this perfectly illustrates the trap that governments and central banks have created for themselves, and why there is a case to be made that policy rates will never be raised again.

Commodity markets are mixed as oil (-0.85%) is softer but we are seeing strength in the metals (Au +0.6%, Ag +0.9%, Cu +0.7%) and the Agricultural sector.  And lastly, the dollar is generally weaker on the day, with only NOK (-0.15%) lagging in the G10 space under pressure from oil’s decline.  But JPY (+0.5%) is the leading gainer after some positive data overnight, with a widening current account and rising consumer confidence underpinning the currency. Otherwise, we are seeing AUD (+0.3%) and NZD (+0.3%) firmer as well on the back of the non-energy commodity strength.

In emerging markets, PLN (+0.6%) is the leading gainer, which seems a bit anomalous given there was no new news today.  Yesterday the central bank left rates on hold at 0.10% despite a much higher than expected CPI print last week.  As described above, inflation s clearly not going to be a major policy driver in most economies for now.  But away from the zloty, movements show a few more gainers than laggards, but all the rest of the movement being relatively small, +/- 0.3%, with no compelling narratives attached.

On the data front, this morning brings us Initial (exp 680K) and Continuing (3638K) Claims at 8:30, and then a few more Fed speakers including Chairman Powell at noon.  But what can the Fed tell us that we don’t already know?

As to the dollar, I continue to look to the 10-year yield as the key driver so if it continues to slide, I expect the dollar to do so as well.  And it is hard to make a case for some new piece of news that will drive Treasury selling here, so further USD weakness makes sense.

Good luck and stay safe
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Will a New Normal Emerge?

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Recovery this year is set
To be best in decades, and yet
The central bank’s thumb
Will drive the outcome
By buying quadrillions in debt

The question is, after this surge
Will there be a natural urge
For things to go back
To pre-Covid’s track
Or will a new normal emerge?

The Wall Street aphorism, buy the rumor, sell the news, remains as valid today as it ever was.  The idea behind this concept, something to which I regularly point, is that by the time a particular piece of information has been released, the market has already absorbed the information in the price and is looking forward to the next price driver.  The result is that markets rally into good news and fall upon the release, and vice versa.  The most recent evidence that this remains a key to price action was Friday’s payroll report, where the outcome, in an illiquid market, was a much better than expected 916K NFP number with upward revisions of the previous two months.  And yet Treasury yields, which might have been expected to rise further on the news, have done nothing but decline since then.  Including today’s 1 basis point decline, the 10-year yield is lower by 6bps from the release and is now 10bps lower than the peak hit on March 30.  Is this the end of the yield rally?  Almost certainly not, but no market moves in a straight line.

I highlight this idea to discuss the latest forecast by the IMF and how this news may impact markets going forward.  Yesterday the IMF raised its global growth forecasts again, this time up to 6.0% in 2021 and 4.4% in 2022, representing increases of 0.5% and 0.2% respectively from their January analysis. The leadership in this growth is the US, now forecast to grow 6.4% by the IMF, and China, now forecast to grow 8.4% this year.  These are the fastest GDP growth numbers for the US since 1984, and we certainly all hope they are accurate.  After all, life is certainly better for everyone when the economy is growing rapidly.

But we have now seen a wave of higher forecasts for US GDP from official sources, like the Fed and IMF, and from private forecasters like Wall Street firms, with a strong consensus that the US is looking at GDP expansion this year well in excess of 6.0% and possibly as high as 7.0% or more.  And so I ask, isn’t that already in the price of most assets?

The broad bullish argument for risk is that global GDP growth is going to be much stronger in 2021 as the world’s economy rebounds from the Covid inspired recession of 2020.  And we have seen remarkable rallies in risk assets during this time, with the S&P 500 rising just a bit more than 80% in the twelve months following its nadir on March 24 last year.  All that occurred during a period where the virus was rampant but hopes for a vaccine would lead to an end to the government ordered shutdowns and a return to pre-covid type of economic activity.  While I grant that we have not seen all the shutdowns ended, the vaccine rollout has been impressive and is speeding up every day.  In fact, despite a pretty horrendous start to the process for Europe, the European Commission now believes that the continent will achieve herd immunity by the end of June!

So, if we know that all this is going to happen, haven’t risky assets already priced in this good news?  The other question that hangs over the current situation is the fact that this growth is entirely a product of the multiple trillions of dollars of government stimulus led by the US $5 trillion of fiscal injections, but also inclusive of QE, PEPP and QQE from the Fed, ECB and BOJ respectively, which totaled trillions more dollars of support.  Again, it begs the question, how much better can things be expected to get?

For instance, it is not unreasonable to expect that there will be permanent changes in the economy, specifically in the types of jobs that are available, especially for lower skilled workers.  If anything, the pandemic and resulting government lockdowns will have accelerated this process.  Remember, Chairman Powell has been clear that the Fed’s task will not be complete until the 10 million jobs that were lost as a result of government edicts are replaced. But what if that takes 5 years due to the structural changes in the economy?  Can the Fed maintain ZIRP while GDP growth is surging and inflation is rising alongside?  Historically, the answer would be no, but in the post-Covid world, that is no longer clear.  In fact, the one thing that has been truly consistent is that every government and supranational organization has warned every central bank to make sure they do not remove policy ease too soon.  The entire global political leadership is ‘all-in’ on the idea that printing money and spending it has no negative consequences.  In other words, it is no longer appropriate to worry we might wind up in an MMT world, we are already there!

This leads to the final question, will risk acquisition be unstoppable as a result of this new global thesis?  The famous American economist, Herbert Stein (Ben Stein’s father) made the statement, “if something cannot go on forever, it will stop.”  My observation is that printing money and the illusory growth that it brings cannot go on forever.  When this music stops, it will be a devastating fall.  But, as policymakers will do everything they can to prevent the stopping, this can go on for a while longer.  Simply be careful to not fall into the trap of believing stock prices are at “a permanently high plateau,” a comment another famous economist, Irving Fisher, made just weeks before the Wall Street Crash of 1929.

Ok, a super brief recap of markets shows that both Asia (Nikkei +0.1%, Hang Seng -0.9%, Shanghai -0.1%) and Europe (DAX -0.1%, CAC 0.0%, FTSE 100 +0.6%) were mixed with modest movement.  US futures are essentially unchanged at 8:00 as I finish typing.  Sovereign yields in Europe have edged lower by roughly 1 basis point, matching the Treasury market, but really not showing much in the way of activity.  Commodity prices are mixed with oil (+0.9%) rallying while metals (Au -0.6%, Cu -1.0%) are softer.

Finally, the dollar is showing little direction today with G10 currencies showing gains (NOK +0.3%) on oil’s rally and losses (AUD -0.5%) on metals price weakness.  But there is no dollar trend here.  In emerging markets, INR (-1.5%) was the biggest loser after the RBI left policy rates on hold, but not merely increased QE, but put a number on it where they will be buying INR1 trillion over the next quarter, driving Indian bond yields lower along with the rupee.  But away from that story, here, too, there is nothing of note with a mixed picture in the space.

On the data front, we see the Trade Balance (exp -$70.5B) this morning and then the FOMC Minutes are released at 2:00.  Today also brings a great deal of Fedspeak, but I remain highly confident that nothing from that story is going to change.

The dollar is wandering aimlessly today but remains closely tied to Treasury yields.  If yields resume their rally, look for the dollar to rebound.  However, if this correction in yields continues, the dollar has further to fall.

Good luck and stay safe
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Central Bank Dreams

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The story that’s now being told
Is growth worldwide’s now taking hold
So real rates are rising
And it’s not surprising
That havens are now being sold

Thus, this explains why sovereign debt
Is being sold, and is a threat
To central bank dreams
Or really, their schemes
Inflation to truly beget

Treasury yields, or perhaps more accurately, sovereign yields, remain the top story in markets as their movement continues to underpin most other action.  The very sharp rise in yields seen year-to-date had been driven by rising inflation expectations.  This is clear when looking at breakevens where the 5yr-5yr has climbed from 1.93% at the beginning of the year to 2.60% as of yesterday.  This rise makes up the bulk of the rise in the 10-year Treasury yield, which has gone from 0.91% to 1.70% during the same time frame.  And it has been the rise in inflation expectations that has been a key feature in many of the forecasts for rising inflation beyond the next several months, where base effects from the initial pandemic shutdowns will be seen.

Given the run of very strong data that has been recently released, with yesterday’s ISM Services print of 63.7 being the highest in the series’ 25-year history as the latest example, the narrative is starting to adjust slightly. Recently there have been a number of analyst reports discussing the idea that rising yields represent rising growth expectations and not rising inflation expectations.  If this is true, it certainly alters the calculus of future market activity.  It is also likely to alter the reaction functions of central banks.

Consider what we have heard from the major central banks since the GFC; the greatest threat to economic activity is deflation and each and every one of them has gone out of their way to try to stoke inflation.  Of course, the underlying reason for a central bank to stoke inflation is to help debase the value of their government’s outstanding debt.  This concept has grown dramatically in importance as the amount of government debt outstanding has skyrocketed during the past decade while trend growth has slowed.  Thus, the only way to escape this debt trap was to inflate away the real value of that debt.  This logic is part and parcel of the current central bank guidance regarding maintaining ZIRP or NIRP until inflation and employment goals are actually met, rather than acting when they are anticipated to be met.

Understand, monetary policy acts with a lag, generally considered to be in the 6mo-1yr time frame, so if a central bank does not adjust policy until a target is reached, the likelihood is that variable will continue on its recent trend for many months once the central bank acts.  For example, if the Fed waits for inflation to average 2.0% for a period of time before tightening policy, inflation is likely to continue rising beyond that target for upwards of a year or more before beginning to slow down.  It is for this reason that central banks pay such close attention to expectations data as it gives them clues to potential market responses to their actions.  And it is for this reason that a change in the underlying driver of increasing yields will alter so much.

A key feature of the equity market rally has been the fact that real yields have been negative for quite a while driving investors to seek positive real returns.  This is the TINA concept, there is no alternative.  But if real yields start to climb because growth expectations are climbing with less concern over potential inflationary effects, suddenly there is an alternative to owning equities, especially for pension-type investors who generally seek the least risk available for a return.  If there is an alternative, then a rethinking of the current multiples for equity markets is quite reasonable.  In other words, stock prices could easily fall a fair amount.  Now, declining stock prices have been a key signal to central banks that policy ease is in order, at least since October 1987 in the aftermath of Black Monday.  But this begs the question, what if this process unfolds before central banks have begun raising rates?

As you can see, if this change in the narrative is accurate, and real yields begin climbing, central banks will simply find themselves in a different predicament but with the same tools available.  In other words, policy ease may have a different nominal rationale, but that doesn’t help the fixed income investor.  And how will this impact the FX market?  That is probably the easiest short-term answer, the dollar will follow real yields higher, and if the Fed steps in to cap those yields, via YCC or expanded QE, then the dollar will reverse course lower.  So, watch the movement in real yields for clues as to the dollar’s next steps.

Enough of that and on to markets.  Risk is largely in vogue this morning, at least in Europe, although Asian equities had a more mixed session.  Last night saw the Nikkei (-1.30%) soften while Shanghai (0.0%) went nowhere.  The Hang Seng was closed, although we did see the ASX 200 rise 0.8% Down Under.  Europe, however, is all green all the time, with the DAX (+1.2%) and FTSE 100 (+1.1%) leading the way while the CAC (+0.6%) is lagging but still having a good time. Interestingly, after more record highs yesterday in the US, futures markets are all pointing slightly lower, with the three main indices showing declines of -0.1% to -0.2%.

Bond markets, as would be expected in a risk-on session, are mostly declining, with European sovereigns trading with yields higher by about 2.5 basis points in the big three markets.  Treasury yields are little changed at this time but remain right on that 1.70% yield level.  There is much discussion as to whether the next leg higher in yields is coming soon, or if we have exhausted the drive higher.  Arguably, if growth expectations continue to increase, the case for higher Treasury yields will be inexorable.

In the commodity space, oil prices (+1.35%) are rebounding but WTI has had trouble holding the $60/bbl level ever since its sharp decline two weeks ago.  Precious metals are a bit firmer (Au +0.3%, Ag +0.4%), although Cu (-1.5%) has softened a bit on the day.

Finally, the dollar is broadly stronger this morning despite the increased risk appetite in equity markets.  While the euro is little changed, we are seeing sharp declines in NZD (-0.6%), GBP (-0.5%) and NOK (-0.4%) with Kiwi simply retracing gains made in yesterday’s illiquid markets with similar price action seen in both Sterling and Nokkie.  There is little fundamental driving these moves right now.

Emerging market currencies had a more mixed performance with KRW (+0.7%) as the big winner benefitting from an increase in foreign inflows to both the KOSPI and Korean bond markets.  CNY (+0.25%) has responded to word from the PBOC that they are asking the major commercial banks to reduce their lending to prevent bubbles and other possible financial dislocations.  This helped push Chinese interest rates a touch higher supporting the currency.  On the downside, TRY (-0.4%) continues to be the worst performer in the space as inflation worries continue to grow in the country, but elsewhere, movement has been fairly tame.

On the Data front, we only see JOLTs Job Opening (exp 6.9M) which has not gained many market adherents as an important data point despite the Fed’s focus on employment, likely because the data is quite old, with this morning’s release describing February activity.  As to Fed speakers, only Richmond’s Thomas Barkin is on the tape today, but there still seems little chance of a change in Fed expectations.

Many are claiming the dollar has put in a short-term top, although as discussed above, if real US yields continue to rise, I expect the dollar will rise right alongside them.  And in truth, that remains the single key driver in the FX markets for now.  Higher Treasury yields still portend a higher dollar and vice versa.

Good luck and stay safe
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Clearly Reviving

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The positive news keeps arriving
Explaining the ‘conomy’s thriving
Last Friday’s report
Was of such a sort
That showed growth is clearly reviving

The Nonfarm data on Friday was a generally spectacular report that was released into a near vacuum.  All of Europe was closed for the Good Friday holiday as were US equity markets.  The Treasury market was open for an abbreviated session and there were some futures markets open, but otherwise, it was extremely quiet.  And the thing is, this morning is little different, as Europe remains completely closed and in Asia, only Japan, South Korea and India had market activity.  Granted, US markets are fully open today, but as yet, we have not seen much activity.

A quick recap of the report showed Nonfarm Payrolls rose by 916K with revisions higher to the past two months of 156K.  The Unemployment Rate fell to 6.0%, its lowest post pandemic print and the Participation Rate continues to edge higher, now at 61.5%, although that remains a far cry from the 64% readings that had existed for the previous decade.  Arguably, this is one of the biggest concerns for the economy, the fact that the labor force may have permanently shrunk.  This is key because, remember, economic growth is simply the product of population growth and productivity gains.  In this case, population growth means the labor force population, so if that segment has shrunk, it bodes ill for the future of the economy.  But that is a longer-term issue.

Let’s try to put the employment situation into context regarding the Fed and its perceived reaction functions.  It was less than two months ago, February 23 to be exact, when Chairman Powell testified to Congress about the 10 million payroll jobs that had been lost and needed to be recovered before the Fed would consider they have achieved their maximum employment mandate.  At that time, expectations were this would not be accomplished before a minimum of two more years which was what helped inform the Fed’s broad belief that ZIRP would be appropriate through the end of 2023.  And this was the FOMC consensus view, with only a small minority of members expecting even a single rate hike before that time.

But since then, 1.6 million jobs have been created, a remarkable pace and arguably quite a bit faster than anticipated.  The bond market has seen this data, along with the other US economic information and determined that the recovery is moving along far faster than previously expected.  This is evident in the fact that the 10-year yield continues to climb.  Even in Friday’s abbreviated session, yields rose 5 basis points, and as NY is waking up, they have maintained those gains and appear to be edging higher still.  Similarly, the Fed Funds futures market is now pricing in its first full rate hike in December 2022, a full year before the Fed’s verbal guidance would have us believe.

The point here is the tension between the Fed and the markets is growing and the eventual outcome, meaning how the Fed responds, will impact every market significantly.  So, not only will the bond market have an opportunity to gyrate, but we will see increased volatility in stocks, commodities and the FX markets.  The Fed, however, has made it abundantly clear they are uninterested in inflation readings as they strongly believe not only will any inflation be ‘transitory’, but that if it should appear, they have the tools to thwart it quickly (they don’t). More importantly, they have a very specific view of what constitutes maximum employment.  And they have been explicit in their verbal guidance that they will give plenty of warning before they start to alter policy in any way.  The problem with this thesis is that economic surprises, by their very nature, tend to happen more quickly than expected.

This combination of facts has created the very real possibility of putting the Fed in a position where they need to choose between acting in a timely fashion or giving all that warning before acting.  If they choose door number one, they risk impugning their credibility and weakening their toolkit while door number two leaves them even further behind the curve than normal with negative economic consequences for us all.  If you wondered why many pundits have used the metaphor of the Fed painting itself into a corner, this is exactly what they are describing.

For now, though, there is precious little chance the Fed is going to change their stance or commentary until forced to do so, which means that we are going to continue to hear that they believe current policy is appropriate and they will give plenty of warning before any changes.  I hope they are right, but I fear they are not.

Markets take less time to discuss this morning as most of them are closed.  Of the major equity indices, only the Nikkei (+0.7%) was open last night as Commonwealth countries were closed for Easter Monday while China was closed for Tomb Sweeping Day (the Chinese version of Memorial Day).  US futures are pointing higher, which given Friday’s data should be no surprise.  So right now, we are looking at gains between 0.4% and 0.7%, with both the Dow and S&P sitting at all-time highs.

Bond markets were similarly closed pretty much everywhere, with the US market now edging higher by 0.4bps as traders sit down at their desks.  The current 10-year yield of 1.725% is at its highest level since January 2020, but remember, it remains far below the average seen during the past decade and even further below levels seen prior to that.  The point is yields are not constrained on the high side in any real way.

Oil prices (-1.7%) are under pressure this morning after OPEC+ indicated they would be increasing production somewhat thus taking pressure off of supplies.  However, given the speed of recovery in the US and China, the two largest consumers of oil, I expect that there is more upside here as well.

As to the dollar, it is a pretty dull session overall.  That is mostly because so many financial centers have been closed, so trading volumes and activity has been extremely light.  In the G10 space, there is a mix of gainers (GBP +0.25%, AUD +0.2%) and losers (SEK -0.25%, NOK -0.15%) but as can be seen by the limited movement, this is really just a bit of position adjustment.  In the EMG bloc, TRY (+0.6%) is the leading gainer after a slightly higher than expected inflation print and more hawkish words from the new central bank governor.  Otherwise, these currencies are also trading in a range with limited movement in either direction.  We will need to wait until tomorrow to see how other markets react to the US data.

Speaking of data, this week sees a mix of indicators as well as the FOMC Minutes.

Today ISM Services 59.0
Factory Orders -0.5%
Tuesday JOLTs Job Openings 6.9M
Wednesday Trade Balance -$70.5B
FOMC Minutes
Thursday Initial Claims 690K
Continuing Claims 3638K
Friday PPI 0.5% (3.8% Y/Y)
-ex food & energy 0.2% (2.7% Y/Y)

Source: Bloomberg

Away from this data, we hear from a handful of Fed speakers, including Chair Powell.  Powell, however, will be speaking at the virtual IMF/World Bank meetings being held this week.  In fact, that should remind us to all be aware of the tape, as we will be hearing from many global financial policymakers this week, and you never know what may come from that.

In the end, the bond market continues to be the key driver of markets, and the US Treasury market remains the driver of global bond markets.  I see no reason for US yields to back off given the consistent data story and the increased price pressures.  And that, my friends, means the dollar has further room to rise.

Good luck and stay safe
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Kept at Bay

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The key for investors today
Is payrolls and how they portray
The jobs situation
Thus, whether inflation
Will rocket, or be kept at bay

It’s Payrolls day, generally a session where there is a great deal of anticipation leading up to the release, often followed by a burst of activity and then a very slow afternoon.  However, given today also happens to be Good Friday, with all European markets closed in observation, as well as US equity markets, it is likely the burst activity, assuming one comes, will be compressed into an even shorter timeline than usual.  Of course, what makes this potentially unnerving is that market liquidity will be significantly impaired relative to most sessions, and any surprising outcome could result in a much larger move than would normally be the case.

It is not a bank holiday, which means the bond market will be trading, and that is, in truth, the market that continues to drive the action.  As evidenced by yesterday’s price action, the bond rally, with 10-year Treasury yields sliding 7 basis points, led to a declining dollar and new record highs in the stock market.  We also saw gold and other commodities rally as the combination of strong data (ISM at 64.7) and lower yields was a double-barreled benefit.

With that in mind, here are the latest expectations:

Nonfarm Payrolls 660K
Private Payrolls 643K
Manufacturing Payrolls 35K
Unemployment Rate 6.0%
Average Hourly Earnings 0.1% (4.5% Y/Y)
Average Weekly Hours 34.7
Participation Rate 61.5%

Source: Bloomberg

All that seems fine, but it is worth a look at the individual forecasts that make up that NFP number.  There is a wide dispersion of views ranging from a gain of just 350K to eight forecasts greater than 900K and three of those at a cool million each.

Let’s consider, for a moment, if the optimists are correct.  Harking back to Chairman Powell’s constant refrain regarding the recovery of the 10 million lost jobs, the expected timeline for that to happen remains sometime in late 2023.  But if this morning’s release is 1000K or more, that would seem to potentially shorten the timeline for those jobs to return.  And following that logic, it seems likely that the Fed may find themselves in a situation where ZIRP is no longer appropriate somewhat earlier in 2023 than currently expected as inflation rises, and unemployment falls back to their new goal of 3.5%-4.0%.  The implication here is that the bond market will anticipate this activity and we could see the 10-year yield break through to new highs quite quickly.  Based on broad market behavior as seen yesterday, a sharp decline in the bond market would likely result in the dollar rebounding sharply and equity futures, which are trading, retreating.  And all this on a day when there is much less liquidity than normal.

Of course, a weak number is likely to have just the opposite effect, with the bond bulls making the case that we have seen the high in yields, and dollar bears back in the saddle making the case the dollar’s run higher has ended.

And that’s really what we have in store for the day.  The two markets that were open overnight saw equities rally on the heels of the US equity rally, with the Nikkei (+1.6%) and Shanghai (+0.5%) both performing well.  Every European market is closed for the holiday and will be on Monday as well.  Meanwhile, US futures are all pointing modestly higher, roughly 0.25%, ahead of the payroll report.

As NY is walking in, we are seeing the first movement in Treasury yields and they have edged higher by 1.1bps at this point.  But as I highlight above, this is all about the data today.

In the commodity markets, only precious metals are trading but both gold and silver are essentially unchanged at this hour ahead of the data.  This follows yesterday’s strong performance with both rallying more than 1% in the session.

And finally, in the FX market, except for TRY (+0.7%) and KRW (+0.4%) there is no movement more than 0.2%, which is indicative of the fact that some positions are being adjusted but there is no news driving things.  In the case of TRY, the new central bank governor, in a speech today, made clear that he was not going to cut rates and that he was likely to raise them again in an effort to combat the rising inflation in the country.  This was well received by the market and has helped TRY recover much of its initial losses upon the sacking of the previous central bank chief.  As to KRW, they released CPI data last night, 1.5%, which was the highest print since January 2020, indicating that growth was persistent, and the BOK would be more vigilant going forward.  This also encouraged equity inflows resulting in the won’s modest appreciation.

So, now we wait for the payroll data.  Based on the releases that we have seen during the past couple of weeks, where the economy is clearly pushing ahead, I suspect this number will be somewhere above 800K, although 1000K is clearly not out of the question.  As such, my view is we will see the bonds sell off and the dollar retest its recent highs, if not break through them.

Good luck, good weekend and stay safe
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Disinflation’s Deceased

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The plan that the Prez just released
Has taxes and spending increased
As well as what’s planned
There’s pent up demand
As such, disinflation’s deceased

Risk remains in vogue this morning as the details of the $2.3 trillion spending plan released last evening by President Biden were more than enough to keep the risk train rolling.  While there was no mention of ‘shovel ready’ projects, and expectations are that it won’t be until sometime in the summer that any bill will make it to the president’s desk, it is full speed ahead for the investor community.  Certainly, there are no concerns over either financing the new bill nor with the prospect that adding more stimulus demand is likely to drive up prices even more rapidly than currently seen.  In other words, everything is great!

But is it really that great?  It is hard to live in the real world and not have noticed that the cost of living is rising, and seemingly faster than the data indicates.  By now, we have all heard about the shortage of microprocessors causing a reduction in auto production and even iPhones.  I’m pretty sure that less supply in these products will not lead to lower prices.  And if you still drive at all, you are aware of how much the price of gasoline has risen during the past year.  But lately we have heard from a number of companies on more mundane products and how prices are being raised there as well.  Kimberly-Clark, General Mills, J.M. Smucker and Hormel Foods have all announced price hikes in the past week or two, and they all make things we buy in the supermarket each week.  So, while the rising price of a once every 3-6 year purchase of an automobile is not likely to impact any individual regularly, when your toilet paper goes up in price, you notice.  The Fed must be thrilled.

In that vein, I often wonder how the Fed considers its relationship with inflation.  Perhaps Powell rehearses discussions with an anthropomorphized version of inflation.  Maybe it would sound like this:

Inflation: Jay, I have to tell you, I’m feeling pretty strong lately.  I’ve been resting for the past 12 years and have a lot of energy available to jump pretty high.

Chairman Powell: That’s awfully nice, but let me warn you, ‘we have tools.’

Inflation: Tools?  What does that even mean?  Are you going to build a house?  (Nah, too expensive with prices rising 10% annually).  Repair the infrastructure?  (That will certainly drive up raw material prices even further.)

Chairman Powell:  Just what I said, we have tools.  My dear friend Paul Volcker, may he rest in peace, taught us how to deal with you 40 years ago.  We can stop you anytime we want.

Inflation:  Well, 40 years ago, was a different time and place.  The amount of outstanding debt was a fraction of where it is today.  Since you haven’t used those ‘tools’ in 40 years, I suspect they are rusty and ineffective now.  And even if you have them, I’m willing to bet you are either afraid to use them, or don’t know how.  I’m looking forward to our next conversation when I will be bigger, stronger and higher!

Chairman Powell:  Don’t mess with me, I told you, ‘we have tools!’

As Powell awakes shaking from this nightmare, he repeats to himself, we have tools, just like Christine has tools.  It will all be fine.

But seriously, it is very difficult to see the ongoing data releases, especially in the US, where GDP is clearly going to see a very big jump in Q2 and analysts are fighting to forecast the biggest GDP growth number in decades, and not wonder how prices are not going to rise even more rapidly.  In fact, we seem to be approaching a perfect storm, increased demand meets supply shortages.  The Fed is going to get their inflation, as will most central banks, and it is ultimately going to have a big impact on financial markets.  But not today.  Today, investors continue to see only the positives.

After yesterday’s Tech led rally in the US stock markets, Asia performed well (Nikkei +0.7%, Hang Seng +2.0%, Shanghai +0.7%) and Europe is largely green as well (DAX +0.3%, CAC +0.2%, FTSE 100 +0.4%).  As it is the first day of a new month and quarter, we saw PMI and Tankan data overnight, all of which continues to show positive vibes for the near future (although the Japanese data has been lagging that of the US and even Europe on these measures.)  US futures, meanwhile, are also looking good with the NASDAQ (+0.9%) once again leading things higher with lesser gains in the other two main indices.

Bond markets, interestingly, are also in fine fettle this morning, with yields declining in Treasuries (-2.1bps), bunds (-1.2bps), OATs (-1.2bps) and Gilts (-2.1bps).  But 10-year Treasury yields remain firmly above 1.7% and their spread to bunds and JGBs remain right at recent highs.  It appears to me as though bond traders are taking a rest ahead of tomorrow’s payroll report, which will be released on Good Friday, a day of limited liquidity.  If the economic bulls are right, and there is a print above 1 million jobs in NFP, I would expect that we will test 1.8% in the 10-year before the weekend arrives.  However, until then, it looks like the growing short position in bonds is getting adjusted.

Oil prices are firmer this morning with WTI up by 1.1%, alongside gains in gold (+0.25%) and the agricultural space.  Meanwhile, base metals are mixed with Cu (-0.65%) and Zn (-0.2%) softer while Al (+0.65%) and Ni (+0.8%) are firmer.

Lastly, the dollar is mixed today as well, with most of the G10 softer led by AUD (-0.4%) and CHF (-0.3%), although the euro has stopped its freefall, at least temporarily, and is currently 0.1% firmer on the session.  Aussie seems to be slipping on the view that the RBA’s first QE plan, A$100 billion, is complete but that there will be a second one announced next Tuesday.  The Swiss franc, on the other hand, seems to be developing some momentum on a technical view and is responding to market internals rather than fundamentals.

EMG currencies have had a much more mixed picture with both gainers and losers evident.  On the plus side, TRY (+0.8%) and ZAR (+0.5%) lead the way higher, while we are seeing RUB (-0.6%) and CNY (-0.3%) as the key laggards.  The rand seems to be benefitting from seasonal factors as technicians look at recent history when the ZAR has rallied consistently in April.  TRY is simply so volatile these days given the ongoing mess at the central bank, that it is difficult to ascribe any move less than 2% to a specific issue.  As to the negatives, RUB, despite oil’s gains, is suffering from news of a surprising new bond offering of RUB 1 trillion, while CNY seems to have been guided lower by the PBOC as the Chinese government has decided that a weaker currency is clearly going to be necessary to support their economy for now and the current US administration isn’t going to make a big deal about it.

Data this morning brings Initial Claims (exp 675K), Continuing Claims (3.75M) and ISM Manufacturing (61.5) and Prices Paid (85.0).  FYI, that Prices Paid index is back at levels seen during the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, all times when CPI inflation was far higher than 1.3%!

Frankly, with the payroll data tomorrow, I anticipate a generally quiet session, especially as much of Europe will be taking a long Easter holiday weekend starting quite soon.  The dollar’s trend remains firmly higher, but I don’t expect much movement today.

Good luck
Adf

As Much As They Want

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Said Madame Lagarde with some jaunt
“They can test us as much as they want”
We’ve exceptional tools
And we still make the rules
These are words that could come back to haunt

If there were any questions as to the key driver in the markets, Madame Lagarde answered them tacitly this morning in a televised interview.  The number one driver of all things financial continues to be the yield on the 10-year Treasury bond and its knock-on effects for other markets.  Hence, when asked about the rising yields in the European sovereign markets, where similar to the Treasury market, yields are broadly at or near one-year high levels, she uttered what almost seemed like a challenge, “They can test us as much as they want.  We have exceptional circumstances to deal with at the moment and we have exceptional tools to use at the moment, and a battery of those.  We will use them as and when needed in order to deliver on our mandate and deliver on our pledge to the economy.”  While this doesn’t quite rise to Signor Draghi’s famous “whatever it takes” comment, it is certain that Lagarde was trying for the same impact.

Perhaps, however, something is lost in the translation from Italian to French, as the bond market stifled a collective yawn at her comments and yields continue to climb higher this morning, albeit not quite as dramatically as yesterday. So, a quick tour of European bond markets shows yields on the Bunds, OATs and Gilts all about 1 basis point higher, following right along with Treasury yields which are 2.2bps above yesterday’s close as I type.  While there is no doubt that this move higher in yields is getting a bit long in the tooth, and it would not be surprising to see a short-term respite, the underlying drivers, which remain a combination of anticipated excess new supply and rising prices, are still very much in place.  In fact, later today apparently President Biden is going to introduce his newest spending bill with a $2.25 trillion price tag.  This merely adds fuel to that fire of excess supply expectations.

There is one other thing that seems to belie the image of strength put forth by Lagarde, as well as by Chair Powell; the fact that they both go out of their way to explain that if when the time ever comes that they are actually going to slow down monetary injections, let alone actually reverse them, they will do so only after having given ample warning well in advance of such actions.  In other words, they remain terrified that taper tantrums are going to occur if they ever stop expanding their balance sheet, with a resulting decline in asset prices.  Now, the one thing that is abundantly clear, especially in the US, is that while there is a great deal of Fedspeak about achieving maximum employment, the Fed’s key indicator is the S&P 500.  Thus, a falling stock market will bring about a change in Fed policy faster than anything else.  However, it seems to me advance notice of tapering would not change the market reaction, merely its timing, so it is not clear what benefit they see in the idea.

Nonetheless, it remains the working thesis of central banks everywhere, that they must give significant forward guidance in order to be effective.  Yet once the market perceives an inflection point in that guidance, it is going to react immediately, even if the promised policy change is not until some future date.  My personal belief is that central banks would be far better off simply changing policies as they deem necessary without forward guidance and allow markets to find a new equilibrium after the policy change.  But that is a radical idea in today’s world.

In any case, there has been nothing new to change the ongoing narrative which remains the reflationary story is driving yields higher and the dollar along with them.  meanwhile, equity prices are beginning to struggle in the face of those rising yields as fixed income has started to become a viable alternative investment to equities, and the discount factor for future growth continues to point to lower current prices.  Thus, while markets this morning are taking a pause on their recent trajectory, with the dollar modestly softer along with most equity markets and commodities, much of this can be attributed to the fact that it is month and quarter end (and fiscal year end for many Asian nations), so recent positions may be reduced for balance sheet purposes.

So, let’s take a look at markets today.  Equity markets in Asia were mostly under pressure with the Nikkei (-0.9%), Hang Seng (-0.7%) and Shanghai (-0.4%) all weaker on the close.  Europe has seen a more mixed picture as the DAX (0.0%) has recovered from mild early losses, but the CAC (-0.2%) and FTSE 100 (-0.3%) are both feeling a bit of pressure.  US futures, meanwhile, continue their bipolar activities, this time with the NASDAQ (+0.65%) rising while the DOW (-0.2%) is under the gun.  However, remember that much rebalancing is likely to be seen again today given the calendar, so do not be surprised if there are short-term reversals to recent trends.

As to commodities, oil prices (-0.4%) are a touch softer this morning while gold (+0.1%) and silver (+0.25%) seem to have stabilized for the time being.  The base metal story is more mixed with Cu (+0.7%) on the day, but the rest of the main trading metals generally softer by a similar amount.

Finally, the dollar is under some pressure today, although given its run over the past week, this appears merely to be a short-term corrective.  In the G10, NOK (+0.5%) is the leading gainer, despite oil’s modest decline, as the market continues to look at the Norwegian economy and forecast Norgesbank may be the first G10 bank to raise interest rates. Inflation pressures appear to be building in the country and growth remains on the upswing.  Away from the krone, the rest of the bloc is firmer by between 0.2% and 0.3% with modest impact from CPI data across Europe showing prices rising compared to February, but a tick less than forecast in the major countries.  The one exception is JPY (-0.25%) which is simply cratering of late and has now declined about 7.5% in 2021. It appears that we are beginning to see an increase in unhedged Treasury buying by Japanese investors, with the 10-year yield spread now above 165 basis points, a level that historically has seen significant interest from the Japanese investment community.  In fact, if drawing a long-term trend line from its recent peak in early 2017, USDJPY appears to be breaking higher with a target of 112.00 a very real near-term possibility.

Regarding EMG currencies, there is general strength there as well, led by ZAR (+0.7%) and RUB (+0.6%) which have been two of the overall better performers for the week.  But in a broader sense, we are seeing modest reversals of what had been EMG currency weakness for the past week or more.

On the data front, ADP Employment (exp 550K) is the first part of the employment picture this morning with some whisper numbers growing for the NFP on Friday to over 1 million new jobs as the economy reopens.  We also see Chicago PMI (61.0), which should show continued growth in the manufacturing sector.  Overnight, Chinese PMI data (Composite 55.3) was much better than expected and indicates that the Chinese economy has moved past the Lunar New year lull.  There are no Fed speakers, but really, people will be focused on the new spending package, and more importantly, the indications of how it will be funded.  The less tax discussion, the likelihood of the bigger negative impact on the bond market.

As to the dollar today, the current trend remains clearly higher, but with month-end rebalancing taking place here as well, a touch of further weakness is quite viable on the day.

Good luck and stay safe
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The Bottom’s Not In

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Attention this morning’s returned
To Treasuries, where we have learned
The bottom’s not in
As yields underpin
The dollar that once had been spurned

Plus ça change, plus ça même chose.

During the past several weeks, there have been a number of stories that seemed designed to shift our attention away from what has been the major market driver in 2021…the Treasury market.  But despite the Ever Given running aground, despite the forced liquidation of Archegos Capital Management and despite Covid’s resurgence throughout Europe and additional mooted lockdowns there, the clear driver of market activity remains US Treasury yields, specifically in the back end of the curve.  As I type this morning, the 10-year has risen 5.7bps on the session with the yield now 1.765%, its highest level since January 22, 2020.  This movement has dragged up yields across the US yield curve, with 5-year yields fast approaching 1.0% while even 2-year yields, which remain anchored by the Fed’s promises to keep the Fed Funds rate at its current level through at least 2023, has edged up by 1.4 basis points.

And this movement is not isolated to the United States, as sovereign yields across the board are higher today with European markets looking at gains of between 5.5bps and 7.5 bps, while overnight saw Australian yields climb 9.2 basis points.  But it is clearly the Treasury market in the lead.  The current story seems to revolve around the ongoing outperformance of the US economy vis-à-vis those of Europe and much of Asia, the success of the US vaccine program and the promise of yet another fiscal stimulus bill coming from the Biden administration.  That trifecta dwarfs all other nations’ activities and so has seen ongoing flows into US equity markets as well as into the dollar.  And the thing is, for now, it is hard to see what can derail this story in the short-term.  In fact, with the latest payroll data due to be released Friday and expected to show a substantial gain in the number of jobs, while more and more states reduce Covid inspired economic restrictions, things seem like they will only get better.

And perhaps things will only get better.  Perhaps we have passed the worst of the pandemic.  Perhaps all Covid inspired restrictions will be relaxed and people will head back out on vacations and to movies and theme parks. Perhaps shopping malls will regain their allure as people look for anyplace to go that is not inside their own home.  In this case, as the service sector reopens along with the jobs attendant to that process, the Fed would likely be able to justify a very gradual reduction in some of their stimulus.  And this could all happen.  But, so could we wake up tomorrow to learn that pigs really can fly.

Instead, while there is no doubt that the US remains the driving force in the economy right now, as it leads other nations out of the pandemic, the imbalances that have developed due to the policies implemented during the pandemic will take a very long time to unwind.  In addition, they pose a very real threat to the stability of markets and economies.  For instance, how will nations around the world address the issue of the massive rise in their debt/GDP ratios.  While servicing costs right now are tenable given the historically low level of interest rates, investors may well start demanding higher yields to compensate for the growing riskiness of those portfolios.  After all, we have seen many nations default on their debt in the past, with Greece and Argentina just the two latest on the list.

But rising yields will force governments to choose between honoring their debt promises, or paying for their activities, a choice no elected politician ever wants to make.  It is not unreasonable to assume that this choice will be forced on countries by the markets (and in fact, is starting to be forced as we watch yield curves steepen) with two potential outcomes; either the central bank caps yields to insure that debt service remains viable, or the debt is restructured by the central bank who will monetize it.  Either situation will almost certainly result in rising inflation, not of the asset kind, but will also result in a situation where those tools that central banks claim they have to fight inflation will not be available.  After all, if they are capping yields, they cannot very well raise rates to fight inflation.

It is this endgame that has some very thoughtful people concerned, as when this situation has arisen in the past, and after all, there is nothing new under the sun, the result has been a combination of much more significant inflation and debt defaults.  Now, in the US, the idea of a debt default seems quite impossible.  However, the idea of higher inflation, especially given the Fed’s stated desire to see inflation rise, is much easier to accept.  And after all, given the newly stated desire to achieve an average inflation rate, with a desire to see higher than 2.0% inflation readings for some indeterminate amount of time, how will the Fed know when they’ve seen enough?  The point is, the Fed, and every central bank, still has a very difficult task ahead of them to maintain stability while supporting the economy.  And there is no guarantee that their actions will work.

With that joyous thought in mind, a quick look at other markets beyond bonds shows that equities remain supported with widespread gains overnight (Nikkei +0.15%, Hang Seng +0.8%, Shanghai +0.6%), while European bourses are all green as well (DAX +0.6%, CAC +0.55%, FTSE 100 +0.25%).  US futures, however, are starting to fade, led by the NASDAQ (-0.8%) although SPX futures (-0.2%) have turned lower as well.  Remember, the NASDAQ, with its predominantly growth-oriented companies, is similar to a long-term bond, as higher yields reduce the current discounted value of its future growth.

Commodity markets are under pressure this morning as well with oil (-1.5%) falling back a bit further, and both base and precious metals all under the gun.  This commodity story is synchronous with the combination of rising yields and…a rising dollar.  And the dollar continues to rise, against all early year supposition.

Versus the G10, it is higher against all comers, with JPY (-0.5%) leading the way lower and breaking above 110 for the first time in a year.  However, this move looks far more sustainable than the price action seen in the immediate wake of the initial Covid panic.  Quite frankly, in the short-term, there is no reason to think USDJPY cannot rise to 115.00.  But the weakness is universal with SEK (-0.4%) and NOK (-0.3%) also continuing lower.  While the latter is undermined by the oil decline, the Swedish krona remains the highest beta G10 currency, and is simply leading the euro (-0.25%) on its downward path.

EMG currencies are not in any better shape with TRY (-2.2%) by far the worst performer as more bets get piled on that the new central bank governor will be cutting interest rates soon at the behest of President Erdogan.  INR (-1.2%) is the next worst performer, suffering as state-run banks were seen actively buying dollars in the market ahead of their fiscal year-end, cleaning up their balance sheets.  But pretty much the entire bloc is lower by between 0.2% and 0.4% on the simple fact that the dollar is growing in demand as US yields lead the way higher.

On the data front, two minor releases today, Case Shiller Home Prices (exp 11.2%) and Consumer Confidence (96.9) are unlikely to have much impact as the market looks forward to the employment situation starting with tomorrow’s ADP Employment report and then Friday’s NFP data.

Adding it all up comes to the idea that the current trends, higher yields and a higher dollar, remain firmly entrenched and I see no reason for them to change in the near future.

Good luck and stay safe
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The Grand Mal

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A very large family fund
Was clearly surprised and quite stunned
When bankers said, Pay
The money today
You owe, or you soon will be shunned

Turns out, though, no money was there
So bankers then went on a tear
They sold massive blocks
Of certain large stocks
And warned levered funds to beware

Meanwhile in the Suez Canal
The ship that had caused the grand mal
In trade supply chains
Is floating again
Though not near its final locale

There is a blend of good and bad news in markets today, at least with respect to broad ideas regarding risk.  On the plus side, the Ever Given is no longer completely wedged into the sand in the Suez Canal, with the stern of the ship back in the water.  While that is clearly a positive, the bow of the ship remains lodged in the bank and is the target of the salvage teams working to extract it.  Once that is accomplished, which may still take several more days, it will then need to undergo a series of tests to insure that no significant damage was done to the hull and that it won’t run into problems further along its journey.  In the meantime, more than 450 ships are waiting to pass through the canal in both directions, so it will take a few weeks, at least, for supply chains to get back to their prior working timelines.  But at least this is a step forward.

On the less positive side, stories about a remarkable liquidation of equity positions are filtering out of the market regarding a family office called Archegos, which was run by a former Tiger Investment fund manager and managed a huge long/short portfolio of equities on a highly levered basis.  (n.b. a long/short fund is a strategy where the manager typically selects specific companies in a sector, or sometimes sectors against each other, to bet on the relative performance of one vs. the other). It turns out that a number of these positions moved against the fund and margin calls were made for billions of dollars that could not be met.  The result was a massive liquidation of some individual stock positions, apparently in excess of $30 billion, with remarkable impacts on those names.

While only the funds brokers will mourn its passing, as it was a massive fee payer, it does highlight the potential disruption that can occur when leverage goes awry.  And of course, leverage going awry simply means that stock prices decline.  One of the things that central bank largesse has fomented that does not get a great deal of press, is the extraordinary growth in the amount of margin purchases that are outstanding.  According to FINRA data, since the nadir in the 2009 GFC, margin debt has grown 375% while the S&P 500 has risen just under 200% (both of these are in real terms).  While Archegos is only the first to break, do not be surprised if/when other funds run into similar problems because their particular set of investments didn’t pan out.  The takeaway here is that there is a great deal of risk embedded into the system, and much of it is hidden from view.  Risk management (aka hedging) remains a critical part of portfolio management, and that is true for corporate treasuries as well as for fund managers.

Now, on to the day’s price action.  Equity markets are mixed, though starting to look a bit better as early losses in Europe have turned around.  Asia saw modest gains (Nikkei +0.7%, Hang Seng 0.0%, Shanghai +0.5%) and now Europe is picking up, with the three main indices (DAX, CAC, FTSE 100) all higher by 0.5%.  However, in the US, there still appears to be some fallout from the Archegos mess, with futures all pointing lower by about 0.4%.

In the bond market, Treasury yields have slipped 2.5 basis points this morning as there is clearly some haven appeal, although European sovereigns, with those equity markets performing well, have seen yields edge higher, but by less than 1 basis point.  Clearly, the bond market is not a point of interest today given the activity in stocks.

Oil prices (+1.1%), which had briefly fallen on the initial reports of the refloating of the Ever Given, have since rebounded as it has become clear that ships will not be moving through the canal anytime soon.  Metals prices are mixed, with precious metals still under pressure, while base metals have shown more resilience as gains in Al and Sn offset losses in Cu and Zn.  (I’ll bet you didn’t think you would need to remember your periodic table to read about finance!)

As to the dollar, it is generally higher this morning, with gains across most currencies in both the G10 and EMG blocs.  In the developed world, SEK (-0.5%) is the laggard as concerns over the next wave of the Covid virus spread, which is becoming a theme on the Continent as well.  The euro (-0.2%) continues to slide slowly as the 3rd wave (4th wave?) of Covid makes its way through Germany and other nations, and further discussions of more restrictive lockdowns continue.  On the plus side, GBP (+0.35%) is the leading gainer as the UK takes yet another step toward reopening the economy, by relaxing a few more restrictions.

In the Emerging markets, MXN (-0.8%) and TRY (-0.75%) are the laggards with the former under pressure due to some legislative proposals that will tighten the government’s grip on PEMEX, while the lira is suffering as the market starts to build expectations for a rate cut under the new central bank governor.  But the CE4 are all weaker, showing their high beta relationship to the euro, and a number of APAC currencies, including CNY (-0.3%) are weaker as well.

On the data front, there is a great deal of info this week, culminating in the payroll report on Friday.

Tuesday Case Shiller Home Prices 11.35%
Consumer Confidence 96.8
Wednesday ADP Employment 550K
Chicago PMI 60.0
Thursday Initial Claims 680K
Continuing Claims 3775K
ISM Manufacturing 61.4
ISM Prices Paid 82.0
Friday Nonfarm Payrolls 643K
Private Payrolls 635K
Manufacturing Payrolls 37K
Unemployment Rate 6.0%
Average Hourly Earnings 0.1% (4.5% Y/Y)
Average Weekly Hours 34.7
Participation Rate 61.5%

Source: Bloomberg

So, plenty to learn and clearly, the latest stage of reopening of the economy has economists looking for a substantial amount of jobs growth.  Of course, even if this forecast is accurate, Chairman Powell is still going to be looking for the other 9 million jobs that have disappeared before he considers tightening policy.  It remains to be seen if the market will continue to tighten for him.  After a deluge of Fed speakers last week, each and every one explaining they would not be changing policy for a long time and that there was no concern over potential rising inflation, this week sees only a handful of Fed speakers, with NY’s John Williams arguably the most influential.  But I don’t expect any change of message, which has clearly been drilled into the entire committee.

While broad equity indices have not suffered greatly, I cannot help but believe that the Archegos situation will give some people pause in their ongoing accumulation of risk.  While not looking for a crash, I expect that we will see choppy markets amid reduced liquidity and would not be surprised to see a bit more risk reduction.  In that environment, the dollar should remain broadly bid.

Good luck and stay safe
Adf

No Need to be Austere

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From every Fed speaker we hear
That prices might rise some this year
But they all confirm
It will be short-term
So, there’s no need to be austere

I feel like today’s note can be very short as there really has been nothing new of note to discuss.  Risk is on the rise as market participants continue to absorb the Federal Reserve message that monetary stimulus is going to continue, at least at the current pace, for at least the next two years.  That’s a lot of new money, nearly $3 trillion more to add to the Fed balance sheet, and if things hold true to form, at least 60% of it will wind up in the equity market.

This was confirmed by four Fed speakers yesterday, including Powell and Vice Chair Clarida, who made it quite clear that this was no time to start tapering, and that rising bond yields were a vote of confidence in the economy, not a precursor to rising inflation.  What about inflation you may ask?  While they fully expect some higher readings in the short run due to base effects, they will be transitory and present no problem.  And if inflation should ever climb to a more persistent level that makes them uncomfortable, they have the tools to address that too!  I know I feel a lot better now.

Europe?  The big news was the German IFO Expectations index printing at a much better than expected 100.4, despite the fact that Covid continues to run rampant through the country.  While they have managed to avoid the massive Easter lockdown that had been proposed earlier this week, the ongoing failure to vaccinate the population remains a damper on activity, or at least the perception of activity.  Otherwise, we learned that Italy is struggling to pay its bills, as they need to find €15 billion quickly in order to continue the present level of fiscal support, but have a much tougher time borrowing, and have not yet received the money from the Eurozone fiscal support package.  In the end, however long the Fed is going to be expanding its balance sheet, you can be sure the ECB will be doing it longer.

The UK?  Retail Sales were released showing the expected gains relative to last month (+2.
1% M/M. -3.7% Y/Y) and excitement is building that given the rapid pace of vaccinations there, the economy may be able to reopen more fully fairly soon.  Certainly, the pound has been a beneficiary of this versus the euro, with the EURGBP cross having declined more than 5% this year, meaning the pound has appreciated vs. the euro by that much.  Perhaps Brexit is not as big a deal as some thought.

Japan?  The latest $1 trillion budget is being passed, which simply adds to the three supplementary budgets from last year totaling nearly $750 billion, with most observers expecting more supplementary budgets this year.  But hey, the Japanese have perfected the art of borrowing unfathomable sums, having the central bank monetize them and maintaining near zero interest rates.  Perhaps it should be no surprise that USDJPY has been rising, because on a relative basis, the Japanese situation does seem worse than that here in the US.

Other than these stories, things are just not that exciting.  The Suez Canal remains closed and we are starting to see ships reroute around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa, which adds more than a week to transit times and considerable expense.  But I’m sure these price rises are transitory too, just ask the Fed.

So, let’s take a quick tour of markets.  Equities are all green right now and were so overnight.  The three main Asian indices, Nikkei, Hang Seng and Shanghai, all rose 1.6% last night after US markets turned around in the afternoon.  European bourses are looking good, with the DAX (+0.6%), CAC (+0.4%) and FTSE 100 (+0.7%) all solidly higher on the day.  As to US futures, both Dow and S&P futures are a touch higher, 0.2% or so, but NASDAQ futures are under a bit of pressure at this hour, -0.3%.

In the bond market, 10-year Treasury yields are higher by 4.1bps in the wake of yesterday’s really mediocre 7-year auction.  While it wasn’t as bad as the last one of this maturity, it continues to call into question just how able the Treasury will be to sell sufficient bonds to fund all their wish list.  Even at $80 billion per month of purchases, the Fed is falling behind the curve here and may well need to pick up the pace if yields start to climb more.  I know that is not their current story, but oversupply is certainly at least part of the reason that Treasuries have been so weak.  And today, despite ECB support, European sovereign bonds are all lower with yields higher by 4.5bps or more virtually across the board.  Either the ECB has taken today off, or there are bigger worries afoot.  One little known fact is that alongside the ECB, European commercial banks had been huge buyers of their own country’s debt for all of last year.  However, that pace has slowed, so perhaps today’s movement is showing a lack of natural buyers here as well.

Commodity prices are pretty much firmer across the board with the exception of precious metals, which continue to suffer on the back of higher US yields.  But oil (+2.3%) is back at $60/bbl and base metals and agricultural prices are all firmer this morning.

Finally, the dollar is broadly weaker at this hour, with the commodity bloc of the G10 leading that group (NZD +0.5%), NOK (+0.4%), (AUD +0.4%), although the pound (+0.3%) is also doing well after the Retail Sales numbers.  Meanwhile, the havens are under pressure (JPY -0.5%), CHF (-0.15%), as there is no need for a haven when the central bank has your back!

EMG currencies are a bit less interesting, although the APAC bloc was almost uniformly higher by small amounts.  That was simply on the back of the risk-on attitude that was manifest overnight.  The one exception here is TRY (-1.1%) which continues to suffer over the change of central bank leadership and concerns that inflation will run rampant in Turkey.  Two other noteworthy things here were in LATAM, where Banxico left rates on hold at 4.0%  yesterday afternoon and reaffirmed they were entirely focused on data, and that S&P downgrade Chile’s credit rating to A from A+ on the back of the changes in government structure and concerns about the medium term fiscal position.

On the data front we see Personal Income (exp -7.2%), Personal Spending (-0.8%), Core PCE (1.5%) and then at 10:00 Michigan Sentiment (83.6).  To me, the only number that matters is the PCE print, but this is a February number, so not expected to be impacted by the significant base effects from last year’s events.  Of course, given the constant chorus of any rising inflation will be transitory, we will need to see a lot of high prints before the market gets nervous…or will we?  After all, the bond market seems to be getting nervous already.

At any rate, while the dollar is under pressure this morning, my take is that if US yields continue to climb, we are likely to see it retrace its steps.  At this point, I would argue the dollar’s trend is higher and will be until we see much higher inflation readings later this spring and summer.

Good luck, good weekend and stay safe
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