Uncertainty Reigns

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Concerns over trade still remain,
For bullish investors, a bane
They want to believe
That Trump will achieve
His goals, so investments can gain

But right now uncertainty reigns
Resulting in stock market pains
When risk is reduced
Then bonds get a boost
While euros and pounds feel the strains

The one thing we know for sure is that the trade situation continues to be a major topic on investor minds, whether those investors are of the equity or fixed income persuasion. Despite the ostensible good news that Chinese vice-premier Liu He would still be coming to Washington later this week to continue the trade talks with Mnuchin and Lighthizer, it seems the market has become a bit less convinced that a deal is coming soon. As I have written several times over the past few weeks, it seems clear the market had fully priced in a successful completion of the trade talks and an (eventual) end to tariffs. But the President’s tweets on Sunday has caused a serious reconsideration of that pricing. Arguably, the 2% decline we have seen in US equity indices over the past two sessions is not nearly enough to offset the full risk, but it is a start. Ironically, I think the constant reiteration by financial heavyweights like Christine Lagarde and Mario Draghi, of how important it is to avoid a trade war, has set up a situation where in the event no deal is reached, the market reaction will be worse than if they had never piped up in the first place.

At any rate, the increased tensions have certainly reduced risk appetites across the board. Not only have equity markets suffered (Nikkei -1.5%, Shanghai -1.1% after yesterday’s US declines) but Treasury yields continue to fall. This morning 10-year Treasury yields have fallen to 2.43%, their lowest since late March and essentially flat to the 3-month T-Bill. Expect to hear more discussion about an inverted yield curve and the omens of a recession in the near future.

Away from the trade situation, it seems most other market stories are treading water. For example, the Brexit situation has been back page news for the past two weeks. PM May continues to negotiate with opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, but there is no consistency to the reports of progress. Labour wants to join the customs union which is something the pro-Brexiteers are fiercely against. Depending on the source of the article you read, a deal is either imminent or increasingly unlikely, which tells me that nobody really knows anything. The pound, which had seen some strength last week, especially on Friday when rumors of a deal were rife, has fallen a further 0.45% this morning and is back near the 1.30 level. It seems increasingly likely to me there will be no solution before the EU elections, and that there will be no solution before the October 31 deadline. Parliament remains riven and leadership there has been completely absent. I expect this to be exhibit A in the long tradition of muddling through by European nations.

Elsewhere in the FX markets, the RBNZ did cut rates last night by 25bps, unlike their Australian brethren who stayed on hold. Kiwi is softer by 0.25% this morning on the back of the news and has helped drag the Aussie with it. Of course, part of the malaise in these currencies is the ongoing uncertainty over the trade talks, as well as the suspect Chinese data.

Speaking of that data, last night China released much worse than expected trade results with exports falling 2.7% and imports rising just 4.0% resulting in a trade surplus of ‘just’ $13.8B, well below expectations. It seems that the tariffs are starting to have a real impact now that inventories need to be replenished. Aside from the impact on the Shanghai exchange noted above, the renminbi also drifted modestly lower, -0.1%, and continues to push toward levels last seen in January. One thing of which I am confident is that if the trade talks fall apart completely, CNY will weaken sharply and test the 7.00 level in short order. Part of the recent stability in the currency has been due to a general malaise in the FX market as evidenced by the extremely low volatility across the board. But part of it, no doubt, is the result of the PBOC managing the currency and absorbing any significant selling in order to demonstrate they are not manipulating the currency lower to enhance their trade. But that will surely end if the talks end unsuccessfully.

Away from those stories it is much more about a modest risk-off scenario today with both JPY and CHF stronger by 0.2%, while EMG currencies are suffering (MXN -0.4%, TRY -0.5%). However, the overall market tone is, not unlike the Fed, one of patience for the next catalyst to arrive. Given the dearth of important data until Friday’s CPI, that should be no real surprise.

In fact, this morning there are no data releases in the US although we do hear from Fed Governor Lael Brainerd at 8:30. Yesterday’s comments from Governor Clarida were generally unenlightening, toeing the line that waiting was the best idea for now and that there were no preconceived notions as to the next rate move. As such, I expect Brainerd to be on the same page, and the FX market to continue to tread water at least until Friday’s CPI.

Good luck
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Cold Sweats

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The President’s tactic of threats
On trade talks gave some the cold sweats
So equities fell
But then by the bell
Those sellers had many regrets

Stock prices rebounded with verve
But bonds, if you look at the curve
Continue to price
A fools’ paradise
And cuts by the Federal Reserve

One of the most interesting dichotomies that we see these days is the completely different views of the global economy by stock markets and bond markets. Stock prices continue to see every glass as at least three-quarters full, willing to look past any potential bad news and rally. Yesterday saw a rout in the Far East after the President’s tweets regarding the raising of tariff rates by the end of this week. Europe continued the trend, closing down sharply as concerns grew that a change in tactics by the US could result in a renewed focus on the European auto sector and, not surprisingly, US equity markets opened sharply lower. But within a few hours, buyers emerged as the story morphed from ‘the US-China trade talks were about to collapse’ to ‘this is just a negotiating tactic by President Trump and everything is still on track for a successful (and fully priced) completion of these negotiations.’ And overnight, equity markets in Asia steadied with generally modest gains, although not nearly enough to offset Monday’s price action. Overall, equity markets remain quite optimistic.

At the same time, Treasury yields have fallen further and are back below 2.50% in the 10-year for the first time in a month. The implication is that bond investors and traders are now far less sanguine over the outcome of these talks. Certainly, if the trade talks do collapse, markets would be severely impacted with equity prices likely to see sharp declines and risk assets, in general under pressure. Treasuries (and Bunds) however, would very likely see a significant uptick in demand and it would not be hard to envision another period of a yield curve inversion. My point is it almost appears as if equity investors and bond investors are reading different stories about current events. I guess the reality is that bond investors are inherently more risk averse, so any hint of trouble forces a response. And of course, equity investors are the ones who continue to highly value ‘zombie’ companies, those firms whose profits cannot cover interest payments and who stay in business by the grace of Federal Reserve largesse.

The upshot is that risk seeking behavior remains the dominant theme in markets. As long as central banks continue to add liquidity to the mix (which despite the Fed having stopped, the BOJ and ECB continue to add as does the PBOC), that money needs to find a home somewhere. And stock markets have been the primary destination for the past ten years.

The interesting thing about the willingness to seek risk is that the dollar continues to outperform most other currencies. For the longest time, during periods of strong global growth, the dollar would soften as investment flowed to other nations and drove economic activity. However, the current situation shows a willingness to take risk and yet a simultaneous desire to hold dollars. For instance, a look at the Dollar Index (DXY) which is a broad measure against a number of currencies, shows that the dollar remains near its highest level in two years and the trend remains higher. All I’m saying is that there seems to be a disconnect between the three key global markets with both FX and bonds seeing a much darker future than equity markets.

Looking at the overnight activity, the RBA left rates on hold, which was mildly surprising as at least half the analyst community was looking for a rate cut. In the end, AUD rallied 0.4% and is, by far, the best performer of the day. As it happens, the RBNZ meets tonight and is widely expected to cut rates by 25bps thus the kiwi is lower by 0.25%. The euro and pound are essentially unchanged as there has been precious little in the way of new information either data wise or regarding the ongoing Brexit fiasco. And the rest of the G10 seems to be under very modest pressure with CAD and CHF both softer by about 0.15%.

In the emerging market space, CNY continues to fall, down a further 0.15% this morning and we continue to see pressure on LATAM currencies (MXN -0.2%). TRY is also under pressure (-1.0%) as the investors exit both stock and bond markets there in the wake of the decision to rerun the Istanbul mayoral election and the further erosion of democracy in Turkey. In APAC, MYR is little changed in the wake of the widely anticipated 25bp rate cut by the central bank there, although it has been falling steadily for the past two weeks in anticipation. But otherwise, in truth, it has been quiet.

Data today brings just the JOLTs Jobs Report (exp 7.24M) and we hear from Randal Quarles, the Fed governor overseeing regulations. Yesterday’s Fed talk was largely in line with the view that the recent dip in inflation is ‘transitory’ and that they continue to watch the data for information to help them make their next move. Overall, it is shaping up as a pretty dull session, and unless we hear something else on the trade front, I expect limited movement in most markets.

Good luck
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10%’s Not Enough

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Said Trump, 10%’s not enough
It’s time that we really get tough
So starting next week
A quarter we’ll seek
Believe me, this ain’t just a bluff

If there was any question as to whether or not markets had fully priced in a successful conclusion of the US-China trade talks, last night’s price action should have answered it in full. President Trump is clearly feeling his oats, as his approval rating rises alongside the stock market and the economy, and so he changed the landscape once again. With Chinese Vice-premier Liu He, the chief negotiator in the trade talks, scheduled to arrive in the US later this week to continue, and in the market’s view conclude, those discussions, the President, last night, threatened to increase tariffs on $200 billion of goods to 25% from the current 10%, and to impose 25% tariffs on another $325 billion of goods, which is essentially everything else the US imports from China. In a heartbeat, views changed from rainbows and unicorns to Armageddon. Equity markets around the world plunged, commodity prices tumbled and the dollar and yen both rallied. Interestingly, Treasury prices have not moved much yet, although with the UK and Japan on holiday, overseas Treasury markets are extremely thin, so it could be there just hasn’t been any trading. Of course, it also could be that Treasury prices had already incorporated a less rosy future than equity markets, and so have less need to adjust.

One of the most common themes espoused lately has been the remarkable decline in asset price volatility this year, with measures in equities, bonds and currencies all pushing to cyclical lows. While there is a contingent of analysts (present company included) who believes that this is the calm before the storm, it is also true that market activity has been unidirectional since January, with that direction higher.

With respect to volatility, nothing has yet changed regarding the view that volatility increases when prices fall in both equity and bond markets although the relationship between volatility and the dollar is far less structured. In fact, there has been a significant increase in the amount of short volatility bets being made in the market, similar to the situation we saw at the beginning of 2018. Of course, I’m sure we all remember the disintegration of the XIV ETF (really it was an ETN), when a spike in volatility reduced its value by more than 85% in two days. Well, currently, records show that there is an even larger short volatility position now than there was last February when things went pear-shaped. The point is it is worthwhile to be careful in the current environment.

As to the dollar, historically volatility has increased in both rising and declining dollar environments depending on the circumstances. Given the dollar’s overall strength lately has been accompanies by a decline in volatility, it seems a fair bet to assume that if the dollar were to reverse lower, it would do so in a volatile manner rather than as a steady adjustment. Remember, too, currencies tend to overshoot when large moves occur. However, at this point, I would expect that fear in other markets will continue to support the dollar, and hence keep volatility at bay.

A recap of price movement overnight shows that the Shanghai Composite fell 5.5% and the Hang Seng fell 2.9% (the Nikkei was closed). Europe is currently trading with both the DAX and CAC falling 2.0% (FTSE is also closed) and US futures are pointing to nearly 2.0% losses on the open as well.

Meanwhile, the dollar is broadly higher. It has rallied 0.5% vs. the pound, offsetting a large part of Friday’s GBP rally that was based on the rumor PM May and Labour leader Corbyn were soon going to announce agreement on a Brexit deal. While nothing has come of it yet, that does explain the pound’s sharp Friday movement. AUD and NZD are both lower by 0.5% as the market looks to this evening’s RBA meeting with a 50% probability of a rate cut priced and the belief that the RBNZ will need to match that tomorrow if it occurs. Aussie is back below 0.70, and my sense is it has further to fall, especially if the trade situation deteriorates. Elsewhere in the G10, the euro is little changed after slightly better than expected PMI data seems to have been enough to offset trade concerns. And finally, the yen, as would be expected of a haven asset, is higher by 0.25%.

Versus emerging market currencies, the dollar has had an even stronger performance. It should be no surprise that CNY has fallen sharply (-0.75%) especially since the PBOC cut the RRR for small and medium sized banks by another 1.0% in an effort to stabilize markets. Elsewhere in Asia both INR and KRW fell 0.65% with other currencies having a slightly less negative result. EEMEA has seen ZAR fall 1.0% and TRY -1.20% although the latter has more to do with the possibility that the recent election in Istanbul, where President Erdogan’s party lost, would be overturned and a new one held thus undermining the concept of democracy in Turkey even further. Finally, LATAM markets are waking up under modest pressure, but have not yet fallen sharply.

Turning to this week’s data, there is not much overall, but we do see CPI data Friday.

Tuesday JOLTs Job Openings 7.24M
Thursday Initial Claims 220K
  Trade Balance -$50.2B
  PPI 0.2% (2.3% Y/Y)
  -ex food & energy 0.2% (2.5% Y/Y)
Friday CPI 0.4% (2.1% Y/Y)
  -ex food & energy 0.2% (2.1% Y/Y)

We also will hear a lot of Fed speaking, with eleven speeches from eight different FOMC members including Chairman Powell on Thursday. This week’s talks could well be market moving as last week’s press conference was not as smooth as it might have been. Look for lots of nuance as to what the Fed is looking at and why they think it is appropriate to be patient. As of now, it doesn’t seem that there is any leaning toward an “insurance” rate cut in the near term, but, especially if Friday’s CPI data is softer than expected, that theme could well change. As such, for now, I don’t see a good policy reason for the dollar to retreat, and if the trade situation deteriorates, it should help the buck, but given the mercurial dynamics of the President’s negotiating tactics, I wouldn’t rule out a complete reversal of things before long.

Good luck
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The Chaff from the Wheat

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As markets await the report
On Payrolls they’re having to sort
The chaff from the wheat
From Threadneedle Street
As Carney, does rate hikes exhort

The gloom that had been permeating the analyst community (although certainly not the equity markets) earlier this year, seems to be lifting slightly. Recent data has shown a stabilization, at the very least, if not the beginnings of outright growth, from key regions around the world. The latest news was this morning’s surprising Eurozone inflation numbers, where CPI rose a more than expected 1.7% in April, while the core rate rose 1.2%, matching the highest level it has seen in the past two years. If this is truly a trend, then perhaps that long delayed normalization of monetary policy in the Eurozone may finally start to occur. Personally, I’m not holding my breath. Interestingly, the FX market has responded by selling the euro with the single currency down 0.2% this morning and 1.0% since Wednesday’s close. I guess that market doesn’t see the case for higher Eurozone rates yet.

In the meantime, the market continues to consider BOE Governor Carney’s comments in the wake of yesterday’s meeting, where he tried to convince one and all that the tendency for UK rates will be higher once Brexit is finalized (and assuming a smooth transition). And perhaps, if there truly is a global recovery trend and policy normalization becomes a reality elsewhere, that will be the case. But here, too, the market does not seem to believe him as evidenced by the pound’s ongoing weakness (-0.3% and back below 1.30) and the fact that interest rate futures continue to price in virtually no chance of rate hikes in the UK before 2021.

While we are discussing the pound, there is one other thing that continues to confuse me, the very fact that it is still trading either side of 1.30. If you believe the narrative, the UK cannot leave the EU without a deal, so there is no chance of a hard Brexit. After all, isn’t that what Parliament voted for? In addition, according to the OECD, the pound at 1.30 is undervalued by 12% or so. Combining these two themes, no chance of a hard Brexit and a massively undervalued pound, with the fact that the Fed has seemingly turned dovish would lead one to believe that the pound should be trading closer to 1.40 than 1.30. And yet, here we are. My take is that the market is not yet convinced that a hard Brexit is off the table or else the pound would be much higher. And frankly, in this case, I agree. It is still not clear to me that a hard Brexit is off the table which means that any true resolution to the situation should result in a sharp rally in the pound.

Pivoting to the rest of the FX market, the dollar is stronger pretty much across the board this morning, and this is after a solid performance yesterday. US data yesterday showed a significant jump in Nonfarm Productivity (+3.6%) along with a decline in Unit Labor Costs (-0.9%), thus implying that corporate activity was quite robust and the growth picture in the US enhanced. We also continue to see US earnings data that is generally beating (quite low) expectations and helping to underpin the equity market’s recent gains. Granted the past two days have seen modest declines, but overall, stocks remain much higher on the year. In the end, it continues to appear that despite all the angst over trade, and current US policies regarding energy, climate and everything else, the US remains a very attractive place to invest and dollars continue to be in demand.

Regarding this morning’s data, not only do we see the payroll report, but also the ISM Non-manufacturing number comes at 10:00.

Nonfarm Payrolls 185K
Private Payrolls 180K
Manufacturing Payrolls 10K
Unemployment Rate 3.8%
Participation Rate 62.9%
Average Hourly Earnings 0.3% (3.3% Y/Y)
Average Weekly Hours 34.5
ISM Non-Manufacturing 57.0

One cannot help but be impressed with the labor market in the US, where for the last 102 months, the average NFP number has been 200K. It certainly doesn’t appear that this trend is going to change today. In fact, after Wednesday’s blowout ADP number, the whisper is for something north of 200K. However, Wednesday’s ISM Manufacturing number was disappointingly weak, so there will be a great deal of scrutiny on today’s non-manufacturing view.

Adding to the mix, starting at 10:15 we will hear from a total of five Fed speakers (Evans, Clarida, Williams, Bowman, Bullard) before we go to bed. While Bullard’s speech is after the markets close, the other four will get to recount their personal views on the economy and future policy path with markets still open. However, given that we just heard from Chairman Powell at his press conference, and that the vote to leave rates was unanimous, it seems unlikely we will learn too much new information from these talks.

Summing up, heading into the payroll report the dollar is firm and shows no signs of retreating. My take is a good number will support the buck, while a weak one will get people thinking about that insurance rate cut again, and likely undermine its recent strength. My money is on a better number today, something like 230K, and a continuation of the last two days of dollar strength.

Good luck and good weekend
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Rather Wrong

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While Powell said growth may be strong
He still thinks it seems rather wrong
That prices won’t rise
So it’s no surprise
That rates will go lower ‘ere long

After the FOMC left policy largely unchanged yesterday (they did tweak the IOER down by 5bps) and the statement was parsed, it appeared that the Fed’s clear dovish bias continues to drive the overall tone of policy. Growth is solid but inflation remains confusingly soft and it appeared that the Fed was moving closer to the ‘insurance’ rate cut markets have been looking hoping for to prevent weakness from showing up. Stocks rallied and so did bonds with the yield on the 10yr falling to 2.45% just before the press conference while stock markets were higher by 0.5% or so. But then…

According to Powell the story
Is price declines are transitory
So patience remains
The thought in Fed brains
With traders stuck in purgatory

Powell indicated that the majority view at the Fed was that the reason we have seen such weak price data lately is because of transitory issues. These include reduced investment management fees in the wake of the sharp equity market declines in Q4 of last year and the change in the way the Fed gathered price data at retail stores where they now collect significantly greater amounts of data digitally, rather than having ‘shoppers’ go to stores and look at price tags. The upshot is that while he was hardly hawkish in any sense of the word, trying to maintain as neutral a stance as possible, he was far more hawkish than the market had anticipated. Not surprisingly, markets reversed their earlier moves with 10yr yields shooting higher by 6bps, closing higher than the previous day’s close, while equity markets ceded all their early gains and wound up falling about 0.7% on average between the three major indices.

What about the dollar? Well, it followed the same type of trajectory as other assets, softening on the dovish ideas throughout the session before rallying a sharp 0.55% in the wake of Powell’s press conference opening statement. Since then, it has largely maintained the rebound, although this morning it is softer by about 0.1% across the board.

Looking ahead, markets are going to continue to focus on the interplay between the data releases and the central bank comments. Nothing has changed with regard to the overarching dovish bias evident in almost all central banks, but in order for them to act, rather than merely talk, the data will have to be clearly deteriorating. And lately, the best description of the data releases has been mixed. For example, yesterday saw a huge ADP Employment number, 275K, boding well for tomorrow’s NFP report. However, ISM Manufacturing fell sharply to 52.8, well below last month’s 55.3 reading as well as far below the 55.0 market expectation. So, which one is more important? That’s the thing. As long as we see strength in some areas of the economy along with weakness in others, the Fed is almost certainly going to sit on the sidelines. That is, of course, unless the inflation data starts to move more aggressively in either direction. I think it is far better than even money that Fed funds are 2.25%-2.50% on December 31.

But what about other places? Well, the ECB seems stuck between a rock and a hard place as Q1 data has been disappointing overall and they are running out of tools to fight a slowdown. Given the current rate structure, the question being debated in the halls in Frankfurt is just how low can rates go before having a net detrimental impact on the economy. If we see any further weakness from the Eurozone, we are going to find out. That brings us to this morning’s PMI data, where Bloomberg tried hard to put a positive spin on what remains lousy data. Germany (44.4), Italy (49.1) and France (50.0) remain desultory at best. The Eurozone print (47.2) is hardly the stuff of dreams, although in fairness, it was better than analysts had been expecting. So perhaps we are seeing the beginnings of a stabilization in the decline, rather than a continuing acceleration of such. But that hardly gives a rationale for tighter policy. The ECB remains stuck on hold on the rate front and is certainly going to see significant uptake of their new TLTRO’s when they come out. It remains difficult to see a reason for the euro to rebound given the underlying economic weakness in the Eurozone, especially with the ECB committed to negative rates for at least another year.

What about the UK? Well, the BOE met this morning and left rates on hold by a unanimous vote. They also released new economic forecasts that showed reduced expectations for inflation this year, down to 1.6%, with the out years remaining essentially unchanged. They indicated that the delay in Brexit would have a limited impact as they continue to plan on a smooth transition, and their growth forecasts changed with 2019 rising to 1.5% on the back of the inventory led gains in Q1, although the out years remain unchanged. Here, too, there is no urgency to raise rates, although they keep trying to imply that slightly higher rates would be appropriate. However, the market is having none of it, pricing a 30% chance of a 25bp rate cut before the end of next year. The pound chopped on the news, rallying at first, but falling subsequently and is now sitting at 1.3050, essentially unchanged on the day.

Of course, Brexit continues to influence the pound’s movements and recent hints from both PM May and Labour Leader Corbyn indicate that it is possible they are going to agree a deal that includes permanent membership of a customs union with the EU. Certainly, verification of that will help the pound rally back. But boy, if I voted for Brexit and this is what they delivered, it would be quite upsetting. In essence, it destroys one of the main benefits of Brexit, the ability to manage their own trade function. We shall see how it plays out.

This morning brings more data, starting with Initial Claims (exp 215K), Nonfarm Productivity (2.2%) and Unit Labor Costs (1.5%) at 8:30, then Factory Orders (1.5%) at 10:00. The onslaught of Fed speakers doesn’t start until tomorrow, so that’s really it for the day. Equity futures are rallying this morning as the idea that the markets fell yesterday seems more like a mirage than a market response to new information. In the end, you cannot fight city hall, and though Powell tried to sound tough, I didn’t see anything to change the view that the Fed remains biased toward cutting rates as their next move.

Good luck
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Biding Their Time

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While markets in Europe are closed
For May Day, the Fed is disposed
To biding their time
Til prices do climb
Or else til slow growth is exposed

As Fed day dawns in NY, market activity has been muted around the world for two reasons. First, it happens to be May Day, an official holiday in 66 nations around the world, including most of Europe, honoring labor solidarity. While May Day was initially a pagan rite of spring (the origin of the Maypole) it was coopted in the mid 1800’s by the International Labor movement as a day to recognize its demands for better working conditions, including the beginning of the eight-hour workday norm. To this day, it remains a labor holiday, with large marches overnight throughout Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan and other Asian nations as well as in Europe, where the French, specifically, are concerned given the recent history of violent protests by the gilets jaunes.

But of more interest is the other reason market activity has been muted, the FOMC meeting ends this afternoon and the market will hear the latest words of wisdom from Chairman Powell at 2:30pm.

There are currently no expectations that Fed policy is going to change at this meeting, at least not by the Wall Street analyst community. Instead, all eyes are on the tone of the statement as well as Powell’s responses to the Q&A at his press conference.

Ever since the Fed’s pivot to patience in January, financial conditions in the US (and worldwide) have eased considerably. After all, government bond yields have tumbled (Treasuries -25bps, Bunds -25 bps, JGB’s -7bps) while equity markets have soared (S&P +21%, DAX +18%, Nikkei +16%). This combination has reduced corporate bond yields in both the investment and non-investment grade sectors, thus freeing up further cash flow and helping to prime the economy’s collective pump. At the same time, as evidenced by Monday’s data, PCE inflation, the number the Fed uses in their models, has fallen back well below their 2.0% symmetrical target, printing at 1.5% in March. The problem for the Fed is that their go to move of preemptive rate hikes when growth starts to pick up has been increasingly called into question. And not just by President Trump, who laughably suggested a 1.0% rate cut for today, but by economists of all stripes who are still at a loss as to why their cherished econometric models no longer represent economic reality.

‘Patience’ seems to be the Fed’s way of explaining that since they don’t have a clue as to what to expect from the economic data going forward, they have decided to sit on their hands. Arguably, that is a pretty good move, although I’m sure they are not keen to admit they are clueless right now. But in the end, it has become clear that throughout the central bank community, the idea of raising interest rates simply because growth numbers improved, if there is no concurrent rise in inflation has become discredited. As long as inflation remains quiescent, at least on a measured basis, the pressure to maintain or cut rates will be enormous. And while every central banker will explain they are apolitical, there is no question that they respond to political pressure like everyone else in government.

So the real question is at what point will central banks start easing further if inflation continues to stagnate? Ironically, I would argue that central banks have painted themselves into a different corner lately, continuously making the claim that 2.0% inflation, or thereabouts depending on the country, is necessary to insure a healthy economy. But if growth is solid and inflation is falling, are they going to cut rates further, to the extent possible given current levels, in order to revive inflation at the risk of blowing asset bubbles? And that doesn’t even consider the issue for Japan, Sweden, Switzerland and the Eurozone, where interest rates are already negative, and how those central banks will respond if either growth or inflation weakens more aggressively. The point is, despite all its warts, it continues to be clear that the US economy remains the most attractive place to invest capital. And with that, the dollar will continue to be supported.

Recapping the most recent data shows that yesterday’s Chicago PMI was quite disappointing at 52.6, well below expectations and the lowest print in more than two years. A harbinger of the future or an outlier? We will find out more this morning when the national ISM number is released (exp 55.0). The other data point of note in the US yesterday was Case-Shiller Home prices, which rose only 3.0%, reinforcing the idea that the housing market continues to cool. Meanwhile, Canadian GDP for February printed at -0.1%, with forecasts for Q1 now falling down to stagnation north of the border. So even though the housing market in the US is under modest pressure, the broad economy here continues to outperform just about everywhere else in the world.

This morning we also see ADP Employment (exp 180K) and then the Fed speaks. Overall, the dollar has been under modest pressure for the past several sessions, but all told, the movement has barely been a 1% decline. And while choppy, the trend remains in the dollar’s favor at this point. I have yet to see an argument that supports a much weaker dollar, at least on a cyclical basis, and as such, see no reason to change my views of further dollar strength ahead.

Good luck
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Still Feeling Stressed

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The overnight data expressed
That China is still feeling stressed
But Europe’s reports
Showed growth of some sorts
Might finally be manifest

The dollar is on its heels this morning after data from Europe showed surprising strength almost across the board. Arguably the most important data point was Eurozone GDP printing at 0.4% in Q1, a tick higher than expected and significantly higher than Q4’s 0.2%. The drivers of this data were Italy, where Q1 GDP rose 0.2%, taking the nation out of recession and beating expectations. At the same time Spain grew at 0.7%, also better than expectations while France maintained its recent pace with a 0.3% print. Interestingly, Germany doesn’t report this data until the middle of May. However, we did see German GfK Consumer Confidence print at 10.4, remaining unchanged on the month rather than falling as expected. Adding to the growth scenario were inflation readings that were generally a tick firmer than expected in Italy, Spain and France. While these numbers remain well below the ECB target of “close to but just below” 2.0%, it has served to ease some concerns about Europe’s future. In the end, the euro has rallied 0.25% while European government bond yields are all higher by 2-5bps. However, European equity markets did not get the memo and remain little changed on the day.

Prior to these releases we learned that China’s PMI data was softer than expected, with the National number printing lower at 50.1, while the Caixin number printed at 50.2. Even though both remain above the 50.0 level indicating future growth, there is an increasing concern that China’s Q1 GDP data was more the result of a distorted comparison to last year’s data due to changed timing of the Lunar New Year. Remember, that holiday has a large impact on the Chinese economy with manufacturing shutdowns amid widescale holiday making, and so the timing of those events each year are not easily stabilized with seasonal adjustments to the data. As such, it is starting to look like Q1’s 6.4% GDP growth may have been somewhat overstated. Of course, China remains opaque in many ways, so we may need to wait until next month’s PMI data to get a better handle on things. One other clue, though, has been the ongoing decline in the price of copper, a key industrial metal and one which China represents approximately 50% of global demand. Arguably, a falling copper price implies less demand from China, which implies slowing growth there. Ultimately, while it is no surprise that the renminbi is little changed on the day, Chinese equities edged higher on the theory that the PBOC is more likely to add stimulus if the economic slowdown persists.

Of course, the other China story is that the trade talks are resuming in Beijing today and market participants will be watching closely for word that things are continuing to move in the right direction. You may recall the President Xi Jinping gave a speech last week where he highlighted the changes he anticipated in Chinese policy, all of which included accession to US demands in the trade talks. At this point, it seems the negotiators need to “simply” hash out the details, which of course is not simple at all. But if the direction from the top is broadly set, a deal seems quite likely. However, as I have pointed out in the past, the market appears to have already priced in the successful conclusion of a deal, and so when (if) one is announced, I would expect equity markets to fall on a ‘sell the news’ response.

Turning to the US, yesterday’s data showed that PCE inflation (1.5%, core 1.6%) continues to lag expectations as well as remain below the Fed’s 2.0% target. With the FOMC meeting starting this morning, although we won’t hear the outcome until tomorrow afternoon, the punditry is trying to determine what they will say. The universal expectation is for no policy changes to be enacted, and little change in the policy statement. However, to me, there has been a further shift in the tone of the most recent Fed speakers. While I believe that Loretta Mester and Esther George remain monetary hawks, I think the rest of the board has morphed into a more dovish contingent, one that will respond quite quickly to falling inflation numbers. With that in mind, yesterday’s readings have to be concerning, and if we see another set of soft inflation data next month, it is entirely possible that the doves carry the day at the June meeting and force an end to the balance sheet roll-off immediately as a signal that they will not let inflation fall further. I think the mistake we are all making is that we keep looking for policy normalization. The new normal is low rates and growing balance sheets and we are already there.

As Powell and friends get together
The question is when, it’s not whether
More policy easing
Will seem less displeasing
So prices can rise like a feather

Looking at this morning’s releases, the Employment Cost Index (exp 0.7%) starts us off with Case-Shiller home prices (3.2%) and then Chicago PMI (59.0) following later in the morning. However, with the Fed meeting ongoing, it seems unlikely that any of these numbers will move the needle. In fact, tomorrow’s ADP number would need to be extraordinary (either high or low) to move things ahead of the FOMC announcement. All this points to continued low volatility in markets as players of all stripes try to figure out what the next big thing will be. My sense is we are going to see central banks continue to lean toward easier policy, as the global focus on inflation, or the lack thereof, will continue to drive policy, as well as asset bubbles.

Good luck
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Mere Nonchalance

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On Friday we learned the US
Grew faster, but not to excess
The market response
Was mere nonchalance
In stocks, but the buck did depress

This morning in Europe, however,
The outcome did not seem as clever
Growth there keeps on slowing
Thus Mario’s going
To need a new funding endeavor

If you needed a better understanding of why the dollar, despite having declined ever so modestly this morning, remains the strongest currency around, the contrasting data outcomes from Friday in the US and this morning in the Eurozone are a perfect depiction. Friday saw US GDP in Q1 rise 3.2% SAAR, significantly higher than expected, as both trade and inventory builds more than offset softer consumption. Whatever you make of the underlying pieces of the number, it remains a shining beacon relative to the rest of the G10. Proof positive of that difference was this morning’s Eurozone sentiment data, where Business Confidence fell to 0.42, its weakest showing in nearly three years while Economic Sentiment fell to 104, its sixteenth consecutive decline and weakest since September 2016.

It is extremely difficult to look at the Eurozone data and conclude that the ECB is not going to open the taps again soon. In fact, while the official line remains that no decisions have been made regarding the terms of the new TLTRO’s that are to be offered starting in June, it is increasingly clear that those terms are going to be very close to the original terms, where banks got paid to borrow money from the ECB and on-lend it to clients. The latest comment came from Finnish central bank chief Ollie Rehn where he admitted that hopes for a rebound in H2 of this year are fading fast.

With that as the backdrop, this week is setting up for the chance for some fireworks as we receive a great deal of new information on both the economic and policy fronts. In fact, let’s take a look at all the information upcoming this week right now:

Today Personal Income 0.4%
  Personal Spending 0.7%
  PCE 0.2% (1.6% Y/Y)
  Core PCE 0.1% (1.7% Y/Y)
Tuesday Employment Cost Index 0.7%
  Case-Shiller Home Prices 3.2%
  Chicago PMI 59.0
Wednesday ADP Employment 181K
  ISM Manufacturing 55.0
  ISM Prices Paid 55.4
  Construction Spending 0.2%
  FOMC Rate Decision 2.5% (unchanged)
Thursday BOE Rate Decision 0.75% (unchanged)
  Initial Claims 215K
  Unit Labor Costs 1.4%
  Nonfarm Productivity 1.2%
  Factory Orders 1.5%
Friday Nonfarm Payrolls 181K
  Private Payrolls 173K
  Manufacturing Payrolls 10K
  Unemployment Rate 3.8%
  Participation Rate 62.9%
  Average Hourly Earnings 0.3% (3.4% Y/Y)
  Average Weekly Hours 34.5
  ISM Non-Manufacturing 57.0

So, by Friday we will have heard from both the Fed and the BOE, gotten new readings on manufacturing and prices, and updated the employment situation. In addition, on Friday, we have four Fed speakers (Evans, Clarida, Williams and Bullard) as the quiet period will have ended.

Looking at this morning’s data, the PCE numbers continue to print below the Fed’s 2.0% target and despite recently rising oil prices, there is no evidence that is going to change. With the employment situation continuing its robust performance, the Fed is entirely focused on this data. As I wrote on Friday, it has become increasingly clear that the Fed’s reaction function has evolved into ‘don’t even consider raising rates until inflation is evident in the data for a number of months.’ There will be no more pre-emptive rate hikes by Jay Powell. Inflation will need to be ripping higher before they consider it. And in fact, as things progress, it is entirely possible that the Fed does cut rates despite ongoing solid GDP growth, if they feel inflation is turning lower in a more protracted manner. As of Friday, the futures market had forecast a 41% probability of a Fed rate cut by the end of 2019. In truth, I am coming around to the belief that we could see more than one cut before the year ends, especially if we see any notable slowing in the US economy. (At this point, the Fed’s only opportunity to surprise the market dovishly is if they do cut rates on Wednesday, (although in the wake of the GDP data, that seems a little aggressive.)

The real question is if the Fed turns more dovish, will that be a dollar negative. One thing for certain is that it won’t be an equity negative, and it is unlikely to have a negative impact on Treasuries either, but by rights, the dollar should probably suffer. After all, a more dovish Fed will offset the dovishness emanating from other nations.

The problem with this thesis is that it remains extremely expensive for speculators to short the dollar given the still significantly higher short-term rates in the US vs. anywhere else in the G10. And so, we are going to need to see real flows exiting the US to push the dollar lower. Either that, or a change in the narrative that the Fed, rather than being on hold, is getting set to take rates back toward zero. For now, neither of those seem very likely, and so significant dollar weakness seems off the table for the moment. As such, while it was no surprise that the dollar fell a bit on Friday as profit taking was evident after a strong run higher, the trend remains in the dollar’s favor, so hedgers need to take that into account. And for all you hedgers, given the significant reduction in volatility that we have witnessed during the past several months, options are an increasingly attractive alternative for hedging. Food for thought.

Good luck
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A Victimless Crime

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Investors are biding their time
Til GDP data sublime
But what if it’s weak?
Will havoc it wreak?
Or is that a victimless crime?

In general, nothing has really happened in markets overnight. Perhaps the only exception is the continued weakness in the Shanghai Composite, which fell another 1.2%, taking the week’s decline beyond 5%. But otherwise, most equity markets are little changed, currencies have done little, and bond yields are within 1 bp of yesterday’s closes as well. The blame for this inactivity is being laid at the feet of this morning’s US GDP data, where we get our first look at Q1. What is truly interesting about this morning’s number is the remarkably wide range of expectations according to economist surveys. They range from 1.0% to 3.2% and depending on your source, I have seen median expectations of 2.0% (Tradingeconomics.com), 2.2% (Bloomberg) and 2.5% (WSJ). The problem with such a wide range is it will be increasingly difficult to determine what is perceived as strong or weak when it prints. However, my view is that we are in the middle of a market narrative which dictates that a strong print (>2.5%) will see equity and dollar strength on the back of confidence in the US economy continuing its world leading growth, while a weak number (<2.0%) will lead to equity strength but dollar weakness as traders will assume that given the Fed’s recent dovish turn, expectations for rate cuts will grow and stocks will benefit accordingly while the dollar suffers. We’ll know more pretty soon.

Returning to the China story, there are actually two separate threads of discussion regarding the Chinese markets and economy. The first, which has been undermining equities there this week, is that the PBOC is backing off on its recent easing trajectory, slowing the injection of short-term funds into the market. The massive equity market rally that we have seen there so far this year has been fueled by significant margin buying, however, if easy money is ending then so will the rally. While I am certain the PBOC will do all it can to prevent a major correction in stock prices, the tone of discussion there is that the PBOC is no longer supporting a further rise.

The second part of the story was a speech last night by President Xi regarding the Belt and Road Initiative. In it, he basically acceded to the US demands for honoring IP, ending forced technology transfer and maintaining a stable currency. Adding to that was the PBOC’s fix at a stronger than expected rate of 6.7307, reinforcing the idea that they would not seek advantage by weakening their currency. Given that the renminbi has been weakening steadily for the past seven sessions and reached its weakest point in more than two months, the PBOC’s actions have served to reinforce their desire to maintain control of the currency.

But arguably, the more important part of the speech was that it cleared the way, at the highest levels, for the Chinese to agree to numerous US demands on trade, and thus successfully conclude the trade talks. Those talks get going again next week when Mnuchin and Lighthizer travel back to Beijing. Look for very positive vibes when they meet the press.

Given that one of the key constraints in the global economy lately has been trade concerns, led by the US-China spat, a resolution will be seen as a harbinger to deals elsewhere and the removal of at least one black cloud. Will central banks then return to their tightening efforts? I sincerely doubt that we will see anything of the sort in the near term. At this point, I expect the reaction function for the central banking community is something along the lines of, ‘we will raise rates after we see inflation print at high levels for several consecutive months, not in anticipation that higher inflation is coming because of growth in another variable.’

So despite my earlier concerns that the market had already priced in a successful conclusion of the trade deal, and that when it was signed, equity markets would retreat, it now seems more likely that we have further to run on the upside. Central banks are nowhere near done blowing all their bubbles.

And those are the big stories for the day. As well as the GDP data at 8:30 we get Michigan Sentiment at 10:00 (exp 97.0), although that seems unlikely to have any impact after GDP. The dollar has had a hell of a week, rallying steadily as we continue to see weak data elsewhere (Japanese IP -4.6% last night!), and some emerging markets, notably ARS and TRY have come under significant new pressure. It wouldn’t surprise if there was some profit taking after the data, whether strong or weak, so I kind of expect the dollar to fade a little as we head into the weekend.

Good luck and good weekend
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Spring Next Year

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Interest rates shan’t
Rise ere spring next year. But might
They possibly fall?

This morning’s market theme is that things look bad everywhere, except perhaps in the US. Starting in Tokyo, the BOJ met last night and, to no one’s surprise, left their policy rate unchanged at -0.10%. They maintained their yield curve control target of 0.00% +/- 0.20% for 10-year JGB’s and they indicated they would continue to purchase JGB’s at a clip of ¥80 trillion per year. But there were two things they did change, one surprising and one confusing.

First the surprise; instead of claiming rates would remain low for an “extended period”, the new language gave a specific date, “at least through around spring 2020”. Of course, this gives them the flexibility to extend that date specifically, implying an even more dovish stance going forward. Market participants were not expecting any change to the language, but interestingly, the yen actually rallied after the report. Part of that could be because there was significant weakness in Asian equity markets and a bit of a risk-off scenario, but I also read that some analysts see this as a prelude to tighter policy. I don’t buy the latter idea, but it does have adherents. The second thing they did, the confusing one, was they indicated they would create a lending facility for their ETF portfolio. The unusual thing here is that generally, lending securities is a way to encourage short-selling, although they did couch the idea in terms of added liquidity to the market. Given they own more than 70% of the ETF market, it is clear that liquidity must be suffering, but I wouldn’t have thought bringing short-sellers to the party would be their goal.

In South Korea, Q1 GDP shrank -0.3%, a much worse outcome than the expected 0.3% growth, and largely caused by a sharp decline in exports and IP. This is an ominous sign for the global economy, and also calls into question the accuracy of the Chinese data last week. Given the tight relationship between Korean exports and Chinese growth, something seems out of place here. The market impact was a decline in the KOSPI (-0.5%), falling Korean yields and a decline in the KRW, which fell a further 0.6% and is now at its weakest point in two years. Look for the Bank of Korea to ease policy going forward.

Turning to Europe, the Swedish Riksbank left policy rates unchanged at -0.25%, as expected, but their statement indicated that there would be no rate hike later this year, as previously expected, given the slowing growth and lack of inflation in Sweden. While I foreshadowed this earlier this week, the market response was severe, with SEK falling 1.4%, although the Swedish OMX (stock market) rallied 1% on the news. You know, bad news is good because rates remain low.

One last central bank note, the Bank of Canada has thrown in the towel on normalizing policy, dropping any reference to higher rates in the future from their statement yesterday. Upon the release of the statement, the Loonie fell a quick 1%. Although it has since recovered a bit of that, it is still lower by 0.6% from before the meeting. It seems concerns over slowing growth now outweigh concerns over excess leverage in the private sector.

The other market note was the sharp decline in Chinese stocks with the Shanghai Composite falling 2.4% as traders and investors there lose faith that the PBOC is going to continue to support the economy, especially after the better than expected GDP data last week. Even the renminbi fell, -0.3%, although it has been especially stable for the past two months as the US-China trade talks continue. Speaking of which, the next round of face-to-face talks are set to get under way shortly, but there has been little in the way of news, either positive or negative, for the past two weeks.

One other thing about which we have not heard much lately is Brexit, where the internal political machinations continue in Parliament, but as yet, there has been no willingness to compromise on either side of the aisle. Of note is that the pound continues to fall, down a further 0.2% this morning and now firmly below 1.29. While there is no doubt that the dollar is strong across the board, it also strikes that some market participants are beginning to price in a chance of a no-deal Brexit again, despite Parliament’s stated aim of preventing that. As yet, there is no better alternative.

Finally, the euro is still under pressure this morning as well, down a further 0.2% this morning, which makes 1.5% in the past week. This morning’s only data point showed Unemployment in Spain rose unexpectedly to 14.7%, another sign of slowing growth throughout the Eurozone. At this point, the ECB is unwilling to commit to easing policy much further, but with the data misses piling up, at some point they are going to concede the point. Easier money is coming to the Eurozone as well.

This morning brings Initial Claims data (exp 200K) and Durable Goods (0.8%, 0.2% ex Transport). It doesn’t seem that either of these will change any views, and as we have seen all week, I expect that Q1 earnings will be the market’s overall focus. A bullish spin will continue to highlight the different trajectories of the US and the rest of the world, and ultimately, continue to support the dollar.

Good luck
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