Tag Archives: #Brexit

Much Dissension

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The market has turned its attention
To Draghi to see if he’ll mention
More buying of bonds
Or if he responds
To those who expect much dissension

While there were fireworks galore yesterday in London, where the UK Parliament had their last meeting before prorogation, this morning sees a much calmer market attitude overall. In brief, Boris did not fare well yesterday as he was unable to achieve his goal of a snap election while Parliament passed a law requiring him to ask for an extension on Brexit if there is no deal at the deadline. (I wonder what will happen if he simply chooses not to do so as that seems entirely feasible given the situation there). The market has absorbed the past several days’ activities with increasing amazement, but ultimately, FX traders have started to price out the probability of a hard Brexit. This is clear from the pound’s nearly 3.0% rally in the past week. While much will certainly take place during the next five weeks of prorogation, notably the party conferences, it would seem the only true surprise can be that a deal has been agreed, at which point the pound will be much higher. I don’t foresee that outcome, but it cannot be ruled out.

With Brexit on the back burner, the market is moving on to the trio of central bank meetings over the next nine days. This Thursday we hear from Signor Draghi while next week brings Chairman Powell on Wednesday and then Governor Carney on Thursday. What makes the ECB meeting so interesting is the amount of pushback that Draghi and his fellow doves have received lately from the northern European hawks. While it is never a surprise that the Germans or Austrians remain monetary hawks, it is much more surprising that Franҫois Villeroy de Galhau, the French ECB member and Governor of the Bank of France, has also been vocal in his rejection of the need for further QE at this time. The issue breaks down to whether the ECB should use its very limited arsenal early in an effort to prevent a broader economic downturn, or whether they should wait until they see the whites of recession’s eyes before acting. The tacit admission from this argument is that there is only a very limited amount of ammunition left for the ECB, despite Draghi’s continuous comments that they have many things they can do if necessary.

Unlike the FOMC or most other central banks, the ECB tries not to actually vote on policy, but rather come to a consensus. However, in this case, it may come to a vote, which would likely be unprecedented in and of itself. It would also highlight just how great the split between views remains, and implies that Madame Lagarde, when she takes the reins on November 1st, will have quite a lot of work ahead if she wants to continue along the dovish path.

In the doves’ favor is this morning’s data releases which showed French IP rebounding less than expected from last month’s disastrous reading (0.3%, -0.2% Y/Y) and Italian IP falling more sharply than expected (-0.7%). Meanwhile, after better than expected GDP data yesterday, the UK employment situation also showed a solid outcome with the Unemployment Rate falling back to 3.8% while earnings rose 4.0%, their highest rate since 2008.

And what did this do for currencies? Well, in that respect neither of these data points had much impact. The euro is lower by a scant 0.1% while the pound is essentially unchanged on the day. In fact, that is a pretty good description of the day overall, with the bulk of the G10 trading +/-0.20% from yesterday’s closing levels although the Skandies have seen more substantial weakness (SEK -0.8%, NOK -0.6%). In both cases, CPI was released at softer than expected levels (SEK 1.4%, 1.6% core; NOK 1.6%, 2.1% core) for August, which puts a crimp in the both central banks’ goal to push interest rates higher by the end of the year.

Turning to emerging markets, the largest movers have been ZAR which gained 0.5% after Factory Output fell a less than expected 1.1% and hope springs eternal for further stimulus driving bond investment. In second place was the renminbi, which has gained 0.25% overnight after the government there, in the guise of SAFE, removed barriers for investment in stocks and bonds. Clearly China has been trying to increase the importance of the renminbi within global financial markets, and allowing freer capital flow is one way to address that concern. However, this process has been ongoing for more than 20 years which begs the question, why now? It is quite reasonable to estimate that the continued pressure being applied by the US via the tariffs and trade war are forcing China to change many things that they would have preferred to keep under their own control. And while it is certainly possible they would have done this anyway, history suggests that the Chinese do not willingly reduce their control over any aspect of the economy. Just a thought. At any rate, initially this freedom is likely to see an inflow of assets as most investors and fund managers are underweight Chinese assets. The newfound ability to move funds in and out is likely to see an inflow to start, with corresponding CNY strength.

Beyond those stories though, it has been pretty dull. Treasury yields are lower by just 1bp, hardly the stuff of a risk assessment, while equity markets are slightly softer after a mixed, but basically flat, day yesterday. At this point, the market is looking toward Signor Draghi, who given futures markets are pricing a 100% chance of a 10bp cut and a 50% chance of a 20bp cut, along with a strong probability of the restarting of QE, has the chance to significantly disappoint. If that is the case, look for the euro to rally quickly, although a move of more than 1.0%-1.5% seems unlikely.

As for today, the NFIB Small Business Optimism Index was released at a bit worse than expected 103.1, perhaps indicating the peak is behind us (certainly my view) and at 10:00 we see the JOLTS Job Opening report (exp 7.331M). But it is really shaping up to be a quiet one with everyone thinking about the ECB until Thursday morning.

Good luck
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Not Making Hay

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In China, despite what they say
The ‘conomy’s not making hay
Their exports are lagging
With industry gagging
On stuff manufactured each day

The upshot’s the PBOC
Released billions of renminbi
Reserve rates are shrinking
And everyone’s thinking
They’ll shrink further ere ought twenty

Long before trading started last evening, Chinese trade data set the tone for the markets as exports there shrank by 1.0% in USD terms, a clear indication that the trade war is starting to bite. Imports fell further (5.6%), but overall, the trade surplus was significantly smaller than expected. In the current market environment, it cannot be a surprise that the response was for a rally in Asian equity markets as the weak data presages further policy ease by the Chinese. In fact, there are numerous articles discussing just what options they have. Friday afternoon they cut the reserve ratio by a full percentage point, and analysts all over are expecting at least one more cut before the end of the year. As to direct interest rate cuts, that is far less clear given the still problematic bubble tendencies in the Chinese real estate market. The PBOC is quite concerned over allowing that bubble to blow up further, so any reductions in the benchmark rate are likely to be modest…at least until the renminbi starts to strengthen again.

Speaking of the currency, while it has remained quite stable overall, -0.2% this morning, +0.65% in the past week, it remains one of the easiest tools for the PBOC to utilize. The government there has also sought to stimulate via fiscal policy, with significant tax cuts proposed and some implemented, but thus far, those have not been effective in supporting economic growth. While I am confident that when the next GDP number prints in mid-October it will be above 6.0%, there are an increasing number of independent reports showing that growth there is much slower than that, with some estimates more in line with the US at 3.0%. At any rate, equity markets continue to believe that a trade deal will happen sooner rather than later, and as long as talks continue, look for a more positive risk attitude across markets.

The other big news this morning is from the UK, where British PM Boris Johnson met with his Irish counterpart, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, to discuss how to overcome the Irish backstop conundrum. It is interesting to see the two attitudes; Boris quite positive, Leo just the opposite, but in the end, nothing was agreed. In this instance, Ireland is at far more risk than the UK as its much smaller economy is far more dependent on free access to the UK than vice versa. But thus far, Varadkar is holding his ground. Another Tory cabinet member, Amber Rudd, quit Saturday night, but Boris is unmoved. There was an interesting article over the weekend describing a possible way for Boris to get his election; he can call for a no-confidence vote in his government, arguably losing, and paving the way for the election before the Brexit deadline. Certainly it seems this would put parliament in an untenable position, support him to prevent the election, but that would imply they support his program, or defeat him and have the election he wants.

Of course, while all this is ongoing, the currency market is looking at the pound and trying to decide the ultimate outcome. For the past two weeks, it is clear that a belief is growing there will be no Brexit at all as the pound continues to rally. This morning it is higher by 0.6% and back to its highest level in over a month. Part of that, no doubt, was the UK GDP data, which surprised one and all by showing a 0.3% gain in July, which virtually insures there will be no technical recession yet. But the pound is a solid 3.5% from its lows seen earlier this month. I continue to believe that the EU will blink and a deal will be cobbled together with the pound rebounding much further.

Elsewhere, the dollar is softer in most cases. The continuation of last week’s risk rally has reduced the desire to hold dollars and we continue to see yields edge higher as well. Beyond the pound’s rally, which is the largest in the G10 space, AUD and NZD have pushed back up by about 0.3% on the China stimulus story, but the rest of G10 is quite dull. In the EMG bloc, ZAR is today’s big winner, +0.8%, as hopes for more global stimulus increase the relative attractiveness of high yielding ZAR denominated bonds. But otherwise, here too, things are uninteresting.

Looking to the data this week, it is an Inflation and Retail Sales week with no Fed speak as they are now in their quiet period ahead of next week’s meeting.

Today Consumer Credit $16.0B
Tuesday NFIB Small Biz Optimism 103.5
  JOLT’s Job Openings 7.311M
Wednesday PPI 0.0% (1.7% Y/Y)
  -ex food & energy 0.2% (2.2% Y/Y)
Thursday Initial claims 215K
  CPI 0.1% (1.8% Y/Y)
  -ex food & energy 0.2% (2.3% Y/Y)
Friday Retail Sales 0.2%
  -ex autos 0.1%
  Michigan Sentiment 90.5

Aside from this, we hear from both the ECB and BOJ this Thursday with expectations for a rate cut and potentially more QE by Signor Draghi, while there are some thoughts that Kuroda-san will be cutting rates in Japan as well. Ultimately, nothing has changed the broad sweep of central bank policy ease. As long as everybody is easing, the relative impact of monetary policy on the currency market will be diminished. And that means that funds will continue to flow to the best performing economies with the best prospects. Despite everything ongoing, the US remains the choice, and the dollar should remain supported overall.

Good luck
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Run Off The Rails

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In England and Scotland and Wales
The saga has run off the rails
So Boris is gambling
A vote will keep scrambling
Dissent and extend his coattails

Meanwhile market focus has turned
To data, where much will be learned
When payrolls are shown
And if they have grown
Watch stocks rise as havens are spurned

The Brexit story remains front page news as the latest twists and turns create further uncertainty over the outcome. Boris is pushing for an election to be held on October 15 so that he can demonstrate he has a sufficient majority to exit with no deal when the EU next meets on October 17-18, thus forcing the EU’s hand. However, parliament continues to do what they can to prevent a no-deal Brexit and have passed a bill directing the PM to seek an extension if there is no deal agreed by the current Halloween deadline. With that in hand, they will agree to a vote on October 29, thus not allowing sufficient time for a new government to do anything ahead of the deadline.

But Boris, being Boris, has intimated that despite the extension bill, he may opt not to seek that extension and simply let the UK leave. That would really sow chaos in the UK as it would call into question many constitutional issues; but based on the current agreement with the EU, that action may not be able to be changed. After all, even if the EU offers the extension, the UK must accept it, which seemingly Boris has indicated he won’t. Needless to say, there is no clarity whatsoever on how things will play out at this time, so market participants remain timid. The recent news has encouraged the view that there will be no hard Brexit and has helped the pound recoup 2.0% this week. However, this morning it is slipping back a bit, -0.3%, as traders and investors are just not sure what to believe anymore. Nothing has changed my view that the EU will seek a deal and cave-in on the Irish backstop issue, especially given the continuous stream of terrible European data.

To that point, German IP was released at a much worse than expected -0.6% this morning, with the Y/Y outcome a -4.2% decline. I know that Weidmann and Lautenschlager are ECB hawks, but it is starting to feel like they are willing to sacrifice their own nation’s health on the altar of economic fundamentalism. The ECB meeting next Thursday will be keenly watched and everything Signor Draghi says at the press conference that follows will be parsed. But we have a couple of things coming before that meeting which will divert attention. And that doesn’t even count this morning’s surprise announcement by the PBOC that they were cutting the RRR by 0.5% starting September 16 in an effort to ease policy further without stoking the real estate bubble there.

So let’s look at today’s festivities, where the US payroll report is released at 8:30 and then Chairman Powell will be our last Fed speaker ahead of the quiet period and September 18 FOMC meeting. Here are the current expectations:

Nonfarm Payrolls 160K
Private Payrolls 150K
Manufacturing Payrolls 5K
Unemployment Rate 3.7%
Average Hourly Earnings 0.3% (3.0% Y/Y)
Average Weekly Hours 34.4

Yesterday’s ADP number was much stronger than expected at 195K, but the employment data from the ISM surveys has been much weaker so there is a wide range of estimates this month. In addition, the government has been hiring census workers, and it is not clear how that will impact the headline numbers and the overall data. I think the market might be a little schizophrenic on this number as a good number could serve to reinforce that the economy is performing well enough and so drive earning expectations, and stocks with them, higher. But a good number could detract from the ongoing Fed ease story which, on the surface, would likely be a stock market negative. In a funny way, I think Powell’s 12:30 comments may be more important as market participants will take it as the clear direction the Fed is leaning. Remember, futures are pricing in certainty that the Fed cuts 25bps at the meeting, with an 11% probability they cut 50bps! And the comments we have heard from recent Fed speakers have shown a gamut of viewpoints exist on the FOMC. Interesting times indeed! At this point, I don’t think the Fed has the gumption to stand up to the market and remain on hold, so 25bps remains the most likely outcome.

As to the rest of the world, next week’s ECB meeting will also be highly scrutinized, but lately there has been substantial pushback on market and analyst expectations of a big easing package. Futures are currently pricing in a 10bp cut with a 46% chance of a 20bp cut. Despite comments from a number of hawks regarding the lack of appetite for more QE, the majority of analysts are calling for a reinstitution of the asset purchase program as soon as October. As to the euro, while it has edged higher this week, just 0.35%, it remains in a long-term downtrend and has fallen 1.6% this month. The ECB will need to be quite surprisingly hawkish to do anything to change the trend, and I just don’t see that happening. Signor Draghi is an avowed dove, as is Madame Lagarde who takes over on November 1. Look for the rate cuts and the start of QE, and look for the euro to continue its decline.

Overall, though, today has seen a mixed picture in the FX market with both gainers and losers in G10 and EMG currencies. Some of those movements have been significant, with ZAR, for example, rallying 0.75% as investment continues to flow into the country, while CHF has fallen 0.6% as haven assets are shed in the current environment. Speaking of shedding havens, how about the 10-year Treasury, which has seen yields rebound 15bps in two days, a truly impressive squeeze on overdone buyers. But for now, things remain generally quiet ahead of the data.

Given it is Friday, and traders will want to be lightening up any positions outstanding, I expect that this week’s dollar weakness may well see a modest reversal before we go home. Of course, a surprise in the data means all bets are off. And if Powell sounds remotely hawkish? Well then watch out for a much sharper dollar rally.

Good luck
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No Longer Afraid

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This morning twixt Brexit and trade
The market’s no longer afraid
More talks are now set
Though there’s no deal yet
And Parliament’s built a blockade

Yesterday saw a risk grab after the situation in Hong Kong moved toward a positive outcome. This morning has seen a continuation of that risk rally after two more key stories moved away from the abyss. First, both the US and China have confirmed that trade talks will resume in the coming weeks, expected sometime in early October, when Vice-premier Liu He and his team visit Washington. While the current tariff schedules remain in place, and there is no certainty that either side will compromise on the outstanding issues, it is certainly better that the talks continue than that all the news is in the form of dueling tweets.

It should be no surprise that Asian equity markets rallied on the news, (Nikkei +2.1%, Shanghai +1.0%), nor that European markets are following in their footsteps (DAX +0.85%, CAC +0.9%). It should also not be surprising that Treasury yields are higher (+5bps) as are Bund yields (+5bps); that the yen and dollar have suffered (JPY -0.2%, DXY -0.25%) and that gold prices are lower (-0.7%).

Of course, the other big story is Brexit, where yesterday PM Boris Johnson suffered twin defeats in his strategy of ending the mess once and for all. Parliament passed a bill that prevents the government from leaving the EU without a deal and requires the PM to ask for a delay if no deal is agreed by mid-October. Then in a follow-up vote, they rejected the call for a snap election as Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn would not support the opportunity to become PM himself. While Boris plots his next move, the market is reducing the probability of a hard Brexit in the pound’s price thus it has rallied further this morning, +0.7%, and is now higher by more than 2% since Tuesday morning.

However, while the news on both fronts is positive right now, remember nothing is concluded and both stories are subject to reversal at any time. In other words, hedgers must remain vigilant.

Turning to the rest of the market, there have been two central bank surprises in the past twenty-four hours, both of which were more hawkish than expected. First, the Bank of Canada yesterday left rates on hold despite the market having priced in a 25bp rate cut. They pointed to still solid growth and inflation near their target levels as reason enough to dissent from the market viewpoint. The market response was an immediate 0.5% rise in the Loonie with a much slower pace of ascent since then. However, all told, CAD is stronger by a bit over 1.1% since before the meeting. If you recall, analysts were less convinced than the market that a cut was coming, but they still have one penciled in by the end of the year. Meanwhile, the market is now 50/50 they will cut in October and about 65% certain it will happen by December.

The other hawkish surprise came from Stockholm this morning, where the Riksbank left rates on hold, as expected, but reiterated their view that a hike was still appropriate this year and that they expected to get rates back to positive before too long (currently the rate is -0.25%). While analysts don’t believe they will be able to follow through on this commitment, the FX market responded immediately and SEK is today’s top performer in the G10 space, rallying 0.9%.

The only data we have seen today was a much weaker than expected Factory Orders print from Germany (-2.7%), simply reinforcing the fact that the country is heading into a recession. That said, general dollar weakness on the risk grab has the euro higher by 0.25% as I type.

In the EMG space, we continue to see traders and investors piling into positions in their ongoing hunt for yield now that overall risk sentiment has improved. In the past two sessions we have seen LATAM, in particular, outperform with BRL higher by 1.8%, MXN up 1.65% and COP up 1.35%. But it is not just LATAM, ZAR is higher by 2.0% in that time frame, and KRW is up 1.3%. In fact, if you remove ARS from the equation (which obviously has its own major problems), every other EMG currency is higher since Tuesday’s close.

On the data front, yesterday’s US Trade deficit was a touch worse than expected at -$54.0B, but still an improvement on June’s data. This morning we see a number of things including ADP Employment (exp 148K), Initial Claims (215K), Nonfarm Productivity (2.2%), Unit Labor Costs (2.4%), Durable Goods orders (2.1%, -0.4% ex transport) and finally ISM Non-manufacturing (54.0). So there’s plenty of updated information to help ascertain just how the US economy is handling the stresses of the trade war and the global slowdown. As to Fed speak, there is nobody scheduled for today although we heard from several FOMC members yesterday with a range of views; from uber-dove Bullard’s call for a 50bp cut, to Dallas’s Kaplan discussing all the reasons that a cut is not necessary right now.

Despite the data dump today, I think all eyes will be on tomorrow where we not only get the payroll report, but Chairman Powell speaks at lunchtime. As such, there is no reason, barring a White House tweet, for the current risk on view to change and so I expect the dollar will continue to soften right up until tomorrow’s data. Then it will depend on that outcome.

Good luck
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The Fun’s Just Begun

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In Hong Kong, the protestors won
In England, the fun’s just begun
But as of today
Bremain’s holding sway
And risk has begun a new run

As New York walks in this morning, there have been significant changes in several of the stories driving recent price action with the upshot being that risk is clearly in favor today. Things started in Hong Kong, where Carrie Lam, the territory’s Chief Executive, formally withdrew the extradition bill that had prompted three months of increasingly violent protests there. The quick back story is that this bill was presented in June as a response to a situation where a man accused of murder in Taiwan could not be returned there for trial due to the lack of formal extradition mechanisms in the existing legal framework. However, the bill they crafted was quite open-ended and would have allowed for extradition to the mainland for minor infractions, a situation seen as fraught with danger for Hong Kong’s shrinking independence. That is what begat the protests, and although they have grown in scope as well as size, it is seen as a significant first step to restoring order. It is hard to believe that Beijing is happy with this outcome as they were strong supporters of the bill, but thus far, they have made no comment.

As it happens, financial markets saw this as a significant change in the tone for the future and there was a massive equity rally in HK, while risk assets generally performed well at the expense of haven assets. So the Hang Seng rose nearly 4.0% with other APAC stock markets also gaining, albeit not to the same extent. European markets are also on the move this morning, with gains ranging from the FTSE 100’s +0.4% to the FTSE MIB (Italy) up 1.65%. And don’t worry, US equity futures are all pointing higher as well, on the order of 0.75%. Meanwhile, Treasuries have sold off modestly, with the 10-year yield higher by 3bps, Bunds have fallen further, with yields there up by 6bps, and the yen has bucked the trend in currencies, falling 0.25% amid a broad dollar decline. Finally, gold is lower by 0.65%, although remains near the top of its recent trading activity.

The other story that has seen significant changes comes from London, where PM Boris Johnson has not only lost a vote regarding his ability to deliver Brexit, but also has lost his slim majority in parliament after a single member defected to the LibDems. Subsequent to that, there was a vote on a bill brought to the floor to prevent the PM from forcing a no-deal Brexit, one which Boris opposed but passed 328-301 with 21 Tories voting against the PM. Johnson summarily fired those rebels from the party and now leads a minority government. His current tactic is to push for a snap election on October 14 or 15 so that a new government will be available to speak to the EU at a formal meeting on October 18. However, he needs two-thirds of all members of parliament to vote for that, meaning he needs the Labour party to agree. If you are confused by this back and forth, don’t feel too badly, I think pretty much everyone is, and there is certainly no clarity as to what will come next.

With that convoluted process in mind, from a markets perspective the result is clear, the probability of a no-deal Brexit has receded for the moment and the pound has been the biggest beneficiary, rallying 0.9% this morning and is now more than two cents above yesterday’s depths. While this move certainly makes sense given the current understanding of the situation, it is by no means the end of the story. If anything, it is the end of chapter one. Later today we should know if there is going to be another election and then it will take a little time before the market understands the odds of those outcomes. Remember, if there is an election and Jeremy Corbyn is seen with a chance to win, it will not be a positive for the pound or the UK economy either. For now, the market is focused on a somewhat lower probability of a hard Brexit and the pound is benefitting accordingly. However, I don’t think the binary nature of the problem has disappeared, simply been masked temporarily. For hedgers, implied volatility has fallen sharply on the back of this news and the ensuing move, but I would argue uncertainty remains quite high. Options still make a lot of sense here.

Past those two stories, there is no further news on the trade front, although that will certainly become the topic du jour again soon. In the meantime, recent data has continued to paint a mixed picture at best for the G10 economies. For example, yesterday’s ISM data printed at 49.1, well below expectations and the worst print since January 2016. While one print below 50.0 does not indicate a recession is upon us, it is certainly a harbinger of slower growth in the future. Then this morning we saw Service PMI’s from Europe with Italy’s much weaker than expected while France, Germany and the Eurozone as a whole printed at expectations. However, expectations still point to slowing growth, especially in combination with the manufacturing surveys which are mostly sub 50.0. In the UK, the PMI was also weak, 50.6, and there is talk that Q3 is going to result in modest negative GDP performance causing a technical recession in the UK joining Germany and Italy in that regard. In the end, while the trade war may be negatively impacting both the US and China, it is also clearly having a big impact throughout Europe and the rest of the world.

As to the rest of the FX market, the risk on behavior has led to broad based dollar weakness, with the euro rebounding 0.35%, Aussie and Kiwi up similar amounts and the Skandies rallying even further, +0.7%. Canada is a bit of an outlier here as oil prices have been under pressure lately, although have bounced 1.0% this morning, but more importantly, the BOC meets with great uncertainty as to whether they will cut rates or not. Markets are pricing in a 92% chance they will do so, but the analyst community is split about 50/50 on the prospects for a cut today. That said, those same analysts are looking for cuts later this year, so this seems more about timing than the ultimate result.

In the EMG bloc ZAR has had another winning day, rising 1.4% as international bond buyers continue to aggressively buy South African paper after the country averted a recession. But broadly, the dollar is lower against virtually all EMG currencies due to risk-on sentiment.

On the data front, this morning brings the Trade Balance (exp -$53.4B) a modest decline from last month’s outcome, and then the Beige Book comes at 2:00 but that’s all. We will hear from a plethora of Fed speakers today, five in all, ranging from uber doves Kashkari and Bullard to moderate Robert Kaplan from Dallas. Yesterday, Bullard in another speech said the Fed should cut 50bps at the upcoming meeting while Boston’s Rosengren said there didn’t seem to be the need to do anything right now. A full cut plus some is still priced in at this point.

In the end, broad risk sentiment is today’s driver. As long as that remains positive, look for the dollar to remain under pressure.

Good luck
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The Result Europe’s Fearing

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The dollar, like art and fine wine
Continues, its peers, to outshine
Like Veblen explained
The more it has gained
The more buyers want to say, “Mine!”

Has the dollar become a Veblen Good? Given its recent performance and the underlying drivers of dollar strength, it certainly seems to behave like one, even if the rationale behind the dollar demand is not quite what Thorstein Veblen imagined in 1899. For those unfamiliar with the term, a Veblen Good is one where demand increases as its price rises, completely opposite to most items. It was defined by Dr Veblen in his 1899 book; The Theory of the Leisure Class, explaining that certain items saw increased demand based on the idea of exclusivity, thus the higher the price the more demand shown.

Now, the dollar is certainly not a rare item given the trillions of them that are currently circulating around the globe. Yet the price of dollars, at least in terms of other currencies, continues to climb despite the numerous studies that demonstrate it is overvalued at current levels. This behavior leads to the question of why, if the dollar is so overvalued, is demand increasing? At this point it seems pretty clear that the rationale is twofold. First is the fact that the financial markets definition of a safe haven begins with US Treasury paper and to buy Treasuries one needs to first buy dollars. So in the current environment, where uncertainty over trade policy, politics and Brexit are constant headlines, havens are in great demand. In fact, the more concern there is, the more demand regardless of the price of the dollar. The second issue is that because the dollar is the funding currency of choice globally, given the deepest and most liquid capital markets exist in the US, there has been a significant amount of issuance by non-US entities, both companies and foreign governments, in USD. As the dollar rises, these borrowers are forced to scramble to obtain as many dollars as they can in order to repay their loans. This simply adds to the demand for dollars, actually increasing that demand the higher the price of the buck. In the end, almost regardless of the relative interest rate structures in different countries, the dollar is destined, for now, to continue rising. Hedgers need to keep that in mind.

In England a showdown is nearing
Which Brexiteers are loudly cheering
By later today
If Boris holds sway
Look for the result Europe’s fearing

In more specific news, the pound has plumbed new depths for the move, trading below 1.20 for the first time since the flash crash in October 2016, as Parliament returns from their summer holiday. Bremainers are trying to pass legislation that takes the Brexit decision out of PM Johnson’s hands and requires a deal to be in place before leaving. Meanwhile, Boris is adamant that he has to have the ability to ‘threaten’ a no-deal in order to win any concessions. In fact, Johnson has said he will call for an election on October 14 if the legislation passes. This would prevent any further parliamentary activity, although negotiations would be ongoing.

Of course, one of the market’s key concerns is an election could wind up with a PM Jeremy Corbyn, the socialist leader of the Labour party , and someone greatly feared by financial markets given his stated desire to nationalize entire swathes of the economy. At this point, there appear to be three possible outcomes; Boris stays in power and despite best efforts oversees a no-deal Brexit; an election where Corbyn becomes the new PM; or the EU caves on the Irish backstop and a deal is verbalized so the hard edges are removed. Arguably in either of the first two situations the pound has further to fall, while clearly the last situation will result in a sharp rebound of the pound, and the euro. My money remains on a deal as the EU cannot look at their economic situation and believe they can withstand the stress of a hard Brexit right now. Consider this, if the EU holds firm and the economy suffers greatly, politicians throughout the EU will find themselves under huge pressure, and likely many will lose their next elections, because of this decision. And that is probably the only thing about which politicians really care.

So with that as a backdrop, what else do we have to look forward to this week? The China trade talks have still not even agreed on a date, so that remains on the back burner for now, although every day without some concrete positive news indicates a longer and longer time before anything positive can happen. Meanwhile, new tariffs were imposed on $115 billion of Chinese imports starting Sunday. Hong Kong is still simmering with the Chinese claiming they can invoke emergency powers (read martial law) if necessary. Argentina is on the cusp, having imposed very strict capital controls last Friday to try to husband whatever hard currency they still have. And sentiment around the world continues to move toward a recessionary outcome.

Looking ahead to this week, there is much Fedspeak and some quite important data, culminating in the payroll report on Friday.

Today ISM Manufacturing 51.3
  ISM Prices Paid 46.8
  Construction Spending 0.3%
Wednesday Trade Balance -$53.4B
  Fed’s Beige Book  
Thursday ADP Employment 149K
  Initial Claims 215K
  Nonfarm Productivity 2.2%
  Unit Labor Costs 2.4%
  Factory Orders 1.0%
  Durable Goods 2.1%
  -ex Transport -0.4%
  Ism Non-Manufacturing 54.0
Friday Nonfarm Payrolls 160K
  Private Payrolls 150K
  Manufacturing Payrolls 5K
  Unemployment Rate 3.7%
  Average Hourly Earnings 0.3% (3.0% Y/Y)
  Average Weekly Hours 34.4

So obviously, everyone will be waiting for Friday’s payroll report, but before then we hear from five speakers and Chairman Powell speaks Friday at 12:30pm.

The RBA left rates on hold last night, as expected but further cuts are coming, especially as China’s economy slows further. That said, AUD is the top G10 performer overnight. Meanwhile, the other piece of positive news we saw was South African GDP rising at 3.1% in Q2, much better than expected and enough to help the rand rally 0.7%. Other than those two pieces of news though, it has really been all about Brexit and the pound. For now, that makes sense as the market awaits the outcome of this afternoon’s parliamentary vote. Until then, risk is under pressure and havens will likely perform well.

Good luck
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The EU Will Succumb

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Said Boris, the time has now come
To exit ‘neath Parliament’s thumb
I spoke to the Queen
She sees what I mean
And soon the EU will succumb

Prorogue: verb
1: defer, postpone
2: to terminate a session of (something, such as a British parliament) by royal prerogative

I thought it would be useful to offer a definition of this word as it will certainly be in the news for the next few weeks. In fact, every year there is a prorogation of parliament in September as MP’s, after returning from their summer holidays need time to prepare for and attend their party conferences. The idea is that parliament is officially closed, but it has not been dissolved, thus there is no requirement for a new election.

What makes things different this year, of course, is Brexit. Boris has asked the queen to prorogate parliament for one additional week, until October 14 when she is slated to give the Queen’s Speech, which traditionally opens the new session. If this request is granted, the result is that parliament will not be in session, and therefore unable to create legislation to block a no-deal Brexit, until just two weeks before the deadline. Naturally MP’s are up in arms over the decision as those seeking to block a no-deal Brexit suddenly find themselves with fewer options. Personally, however, I think it is a brilliant move to put more pressure on the EU. Undoubtedly the EU is counting on parliament to override Boris’s stated intention of leaving with no deal if one cannot be found by the current deadline. Suddenly, this avenue has been closed off and the EU is now that much closer to feeling significant pain for which they have not planned.

To highlight the situation, the German Institute for Economic Research, or DIW, has just put forth its latest forecast for Q3 GDP growth in Germany at -0.2%. If correct, and they have an excellent track record, that means the last four quarters of GDP in Germany will have been -0.1%, 0.0%, -0.1% -0.2%. I don’t know about you, but that looks like a recession to me. With that as the backdrop, a hard Brexit, where German autos would suddenly be subject to a 10% tariff in the UK thus resulting in reduced demand in Germany’s third largest market, will be very tough to swallow. While there are those who claim Boris would be irresponsible to allow the damage to the UK economy by leaving with no deal, it is just as easy to describe Chancellor Merkel as irresponsible to not drive forward a deal rather than subject Germany to further, unnecessary pain. As I said, I think it is a brilliant move on PM Johnson’s part.

Of course, FX traders being what they are, see only the trees, not the forest, and so the pound has sold off sharply this morning, at one point trading lower by 1.1% although as I type it is down 0.7% at 1.2200. Nothing has changed regarding the pound’s reliance on the Brexit outcome and a hard Brexit will almost certainly result in a sharp, short-term decline, likely toward 1.10, while a deal will result in a sharp rebound, possibly back to the 1.35 level. My money is on a last minute deal and a rebound.

Away from Brexit, the other really big story is the more definitive instance of the 2yr-10yr yield curve inversion. Prior to yesterday’s session, that inversion had been, at most, 1bp and only for a few hours intraday. However, last night we closed at a 5bp inversion and we are watching overall yields fall sharply. This morning 30yr Treasury yields have reached new historic lows at 1.92%. Bunds are also seeing significant demand with the 10yr there seeing its yield fall to -0.72%, also a new historic low. Arguably, yesterday’s late equity market decline was a response to the steeper inversion and if the inversion goes further, I imagine equity markets will decline as well.

With risk being set aside across most markets, the dollar continues to be a main beneficiary. Looking at the dollar’s performance this month, only three currencies have outperformed the greenback, the yen (+1.5%), the Swiss franc (+1.0%) and the pound (+0.7%). The first two are clearly haven assets, while the pound happens to be slightly higher based on the fluctuations in thought around the Brexit outcome. Otherwise, the dollar reigns supreme against both G10 and EMG currencies. In fairness, though, the euro is essentially unchanged on the month as market participants are still trying to decide whether it exhibits haven characteristics and can be a substitute for the dollar, or whether it should be considered part of the masses. Given the interest rate structure in the Eurozone, my view remains weakness ahead, but certainly that is not a given.

An interesting aside has been the beginnings of a discussion by pundits and policymakers that the dollar’s strength is hurting other nations as well, and that a concerted effort to push it down may be appropriate. Consider that there are trillions of outstanding USD debt issued by countries and companies throughout the emerging markets and as the dollar rises, their ability to repay and refinance that debt is made increasingly difficult. Large scale debt defaults will not be a boon for global economic activity and so one solution is to drive the dollar lower and prevent those defaults from occurring. While it is still early days, listen closely as this idea gains credence, because if it does it will certainly help slow the dollar’s rise.

As to the rest of today’s session, there is no US data today, although tomorrow starts a run of important info. We do, however, hear from two Fed speakers, Daly and Barkin, the former being quite the dove while the latter is more middle-of-the-road. And we cannot forget about the Italian political negotiations as 5-Star and the Democratic Party (funnily enough it is a center right party in Italy) try to agree on the terms of a government to prevent new elections. Trade? Yeah, it’s still there but there is nothing new on that front to move things. In the end, I see no reason for the dollar to retreat yet.

Good luck
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No Solutions Are Near

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There is a group that’s quite elite
And every six months they all meet
In France this weekend
They tried to pretend
That problems, worldwide, they could treat

Alas what was really quite clear
Is that no solutions are near
The trade war remains
The source of most pains
And Brexit just adds to the fear

It has been a pretty dull session overnight with the dollar somewhat softer, Treasuries rallying and equities mixed. With the G7 meeting now over, the takeaways are that the US remains at odds with most members over most issues, but that those members are still largely reliant on the US as their major trade counterparty and overall security umbrella. In the end, there has been no agreement on any issue of substance and so things remain just as they were.

And exactly how are things? Well, the US economy continues to motor along with all the indications still pointing to GDP growth of 2.0% annualized or thereabouts in Q3, continuing the Q2 pace. This contrasts greatly with the Eurozone, for example, where German GDP was confirmed at -0.1% in Q2 this morning as slowing global trade continues to weigh on the economy there. Perhaps the most remarkable thing is that Jens Weidmann, the Bundesbank president, remains firm in his view that negative growth is no reason for easier monetary policy. While every other central bank in the world would be responsive to negative output, the Bundesbank truly does see things differently. As an aside, it is also interesting to see Weidmann revert to his old, uber-hawkish, self as opposed to the show of pragmatism he displayed when he was vying to become the next ECB President. You can be sure that Madame Lagarde will have a hard time convincing him that once the current mooted measures (cutting rates further and more QE) fail, extending policy to other asset purchases or other, as yet unconsidered, tools will be appropriate.

And the rest of Europe? Well, Italy continues to slide into recession as well while the country remains without a government. Ongoing talks between Five-Star and the center-left PD party remain stuck on all the things on which weird coalitions get stuck. But fear of another election, where League leader, Matteo Salvini, is almost certain to win a ruling majority will force them to find some compromise for a few months. None of this will help the economy there. Meanwhile, France is muddling along with an annualized growth rate below 1.0%, better than Germany and Italy, but still a problem. Despite the fact that the Fed has much more monetary leeway than the ECB, the problems extant in the Eurozone are such that buying the euro still seems quite a poor bet.

Turning to the UK, PM Johnson was quite the charmer at the G7, but with just over two months left before Brexit, there is still no indication a deal is in the offing. However, I remain convinced that given the dire straits in the Eurozone economic outlook, the willingness to allow a hard Brexit will fall to zero very quickly as the deadline approaches. A deal will be cut, whether a fudge or not is unclear, but it will change the tone completely. While the pound has edged higher this morning, +0.4%, it remains quite close to its post-vote lows at 1.2000 and there is ample room for a sharp rebound when the deal materializes. For hedgers, please keep that in mind.

The other story, of course, remains the trade war, where the PBOC is overseeing a steady deterioration in the renminbi while selectively looking for places to ease monetary policy and support the economy. Growth on the mainland has been slowing quite rapidly, and while I don’t expect reported data to surprise on the downside, indicators like commodity inventories and electricity usage point to a much weaker economy than one sporting a 6.0% growth handle. Of course, the G7 did produce a positive trade story, the in-principal agreement between the US and Japan on a new trade deal, but that just highlights the other pressure on the EU aside from Brexit, namely the need to make a deal with the US. Bloomberg pointed out the internal problem as to which constituency will be thrown under the bus; French farmers or German automakers. The US is seeking greater agricultural access, and appears willing to punish the auto companies if it is not achieved. (Once again, please explain to me how the EU can possibly allow a hard Brexit with this issue on the front burner).

And that is really today’s background news. The overnight session saw modest dollar weakness overall, and it would be easy to try to define sentiment as risk-off given the strength in the yen (+0.3%), gold (+0.2%) and Treasuries (-3bps). But equities are holding their own and there is no palpable sense in the market that fear has been elevated. Mostly, trading desks remain thinly staffed given the time of year, and I expect more meandering than trending in FX today. Of course, any tweet could change things quickly, but for now, yesterday’s modest dollar strength looks set to be replaced by today’s modest dollar weakness.

Good luck
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Not a Clue

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The thing that we learned from the Fed
Was they’ve not a clue what’s ahead
A few wanted fifty
But others more thrifty
Suggested a quarter instead

The thing that has Powell perplexed
Is what to do when they meet next
That’s why when he speaks
Near Jackson Hole’s peaks
Investors all fear some subtext

Once again the market has wandered aimlessly ahead of tomorrow’s Jackson Hole speech by Chairman Powell. Equity markets have generally edged lower (Hang Seng -0.85%, DAX -0.1%, FTSE -0.6%) although a few managed to scrape out a gain (Nikkei +0.05%, Shanghai +0.1%). Bond markets have also been mixed with most Asian markets rallying while Europe has seen small losses. I guess it’s only fitting that 10-year Treasuries are essentially unchanged on the day. Meanwhile, the dollar continues its broad winning ways with mostly modest gains against both G10 and EMG currencies.

At this point, all eyes are on tomorrow’s Powell speech to discern the Fed’s next move. Yesterday afternoon’s FOMC Minutes painted a picture of a group with significant differences in views. We know of the two dissenters, who didn’t want to cut rates at all, and it turns out that a “couple of participants” were looking for a fifty basis point cut. In the end, it is no surprise that twenty-five was the result, although the rationale, given their stated views that downside risks to the economy had diminished, seem shaky. The market response to the Minutes was, therefore, largely nonexistent, with almost no movement subsequent to their release in any market, which, given the proximity of the new information coming from Powell ought not be that surprising. In fact, it seems unlikely that today will bring too much activity either given that the important data has already been released (European PMI’s) and Initial Claims (exp 216K) and Leading Indicators (0.3%) are unlikely to change any opinions.

A quick look at those Eurozone PMI’s shows that they were marginally better than expected although continue to paint a picture of a weakening economy with no inflationary impulse. The biggest concern was that the new orders survey in Germany fell even further, a sign that there is no recovery in sight. At their release, the euro managed to rally about 0.35%, however it has given all of those gains back in the past four hours and seems more likely to wander aimlessly than take on a direction. The release of the ECB’s Minutes did nothing to change any views, merely confirming that they are preparing further easing for next month, with a growing chance of both an interest rate cut and the restarting of Large Scale Asset Purchases, better known as QE.

Other news of note comes from Djakarta, where Bank Indonesia (BI) surprised one and all and cut 25bps last night. However, the rupiah managed to eke out a small gain on the session as investors and traders seem more focused on the positive growth story, a true rarity these days, than on the interest rate situation. Most analysts are convinced that BI is done cutting unless the global economy really tanks, rather than merely continues its recent slowdown. In China we saw the renminbi soften some 0.3% and fall to levels not seen since 2008 in the onshore market. However, there has been no obvious further deterioration of the trade situation so I don’t anticipate a significant extension unless the PBOC acts more aggressively to ease policy. And arguing in favor of less movement is the fact that the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic is coming up on October 1st. Historically, the PBOC will go out of their way to insure financial markets are stable during that celebration and frequently they start the process several months beforehand.

Brexit is the final story that seems to be having an impact as PM Johnson is visiting Paris today after meetings in Berlin yesterday. At this point the EU continues to talk tough, but nothing has changed regarding the desperate need for the EU to prevent a shock to a weakening economy. In fact, the pound is bucking today’s dollar trend, currently trading higher by 0.15%, as traders are beginning to read between the lines and realize that a deal is more likely than currently priced. I maintain that we will see something in October that will avoid a no-deal outcome and the pound will rally sharply as that becomes a reality.

And that’s really all for today. Bloomberg will be interviewing several FOMC members in Jackson Hole, so that should offer some background color, but at this point, it is all about Chairman Powell tomorrow. Until then, tight ranges are the most likely outcome.

Good luck
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They Just Might

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This afternoon traders will learn
About how the Fed did discern
A rate cut was right
And how they just might
Keep cutting despite no downturn

As we look forward to the first truly interesting information of the week, this afternoon’s release of the FOMC Minutes from the July meeting, markets have a better attitude this morning than they did yesterday. As has been the case for the past decade, all eyes remain on central bank activity with the Fed in the lead. If you recall, at the July meeting when the Fed cut the Fed funds rate by 25bps, there were two dissenting votes, Boston’s Rosengren and Kansas City’s George. Monday, Eric Rosengren reiterated that he saw no reason to cut rates given the recent economic data and the outlook for continued solid growth. At the same time, yesterday we heard from San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly, a non-voter, that the cut was the right thing to do despite the growth prospects as continued low inflation and the opportunity to improve the labor market further called for more action. Of course, Chairman Powell will be on the wires Friday morning from Jackson Hole and the market is quite anxious to hear what he has to say, but until then, this afternoon’s Minutes are the best thing available for the market to try to discern the FOMC’s overall attitude.

With that as a backdrop, this morning’s market activity can more readily be described as risk-on as opposed to yesterday’s risk-off flavor. At this point, though, all we have seen is a retracement of yesterday’s losses in equities and gains in the bond market. As to the dollar, it is modestly softer this morning, but that too is simply a retracement of yesterday’s price action.

Clearly it has not been the data which is fueling market movements as there was just not much to see overnight. The little bit released showed continued weakness in Japanese consumer activity (Department Store Sales -2.7%) while UK public finances were modestly less worrisome than forecast. But neither one of those was ever going to move the market. Instead the stories that are of most interest have included Germany’s failed 30-year bund auction, where only €824 million of the €2 billion offered were bought. The interesting thing here was that the coupon was set at 0.00% and the yield that cleared was -0.11%. So the question being asked is; have we reached a limit with respect to what bond investors are willing to buy? While I am surprised at the poor outcome, given my view, as well as the growing consensus, that the ECB is going to restart QE next month and absorb up to €50 billion per month of paper, I believe this will be seen as a temporary phenomenon, and that going forward, we will see far more interest at these levels and even lower yields.

On a different note, Brexit has seen a little more headline activity as yesterday German Chancellor Merkel seemed to start the concessionary talk on behalf of the EU by explaining they need “practical solutions” to solve the Irish impasse. As soon as those words hit the tape the pound rebounded sharply from its lows rallying more than a penny and closed higher on the day by 0.3%. However, this morning, Irish Deputy PM Coveney complained that British PM Johnson was trying to ‘steamroll’ Ireland into accepting new terms and that the result of this was a hard Brexit was far more likely. Funnily enough I don’t remember the Irish complaining when the EU was ‘steamrolling’ former PM May into a completely unacceptable deal for the Brits. At any rate, the latest comments have taken a little steam out of the pound’s rally and it has given back yesterday’s gains. In the end though, I think Germany’s word is going to be far more important than Ireland’s and if Johnson and Merkel have a successful discussion today, the Irish are going to have to accept any deal that is brokered. If anything, yesterday’s commentary and price action have simply reinforced my view that the EU will blink and that the pound is destined to trade much higher before the end of the year.

And in truth, away from those stories it is hard to find anything of interest in the G10 space. In the emerging markets, this morning sees strength virtually across the board as risk appetite everywhere improves. ZAR is leading the way, up 1.1% after a better than expected CPI print of just 4.0%, well below the 4.3% market expectation encouraged inflows to the local bond market where 10-year yields have fallen by 10bps this morning (to a still robust 8.96%). But we have also seen a stronger RUB (+0.95%) on firmer oil prices; and KRW (+0.5%), as traders reduce long dollar positions despite weaker than expected trade data, where exports fell a troubling -13.3% in the first 20 days of the month.

It should be no surprise that European equity markets are firm (DAX and FTSE 100 +1.1%) and that US equity futures are firmer as well, with all three indices seeing gains on the order of 0.6%.

Ahead of the Minutes we will see Existing Home Sales (exp 5.39M) but remember this has been the one area of the economy that has suffered recently. Given the continued decline in yields, and correspondingly in mortgage rates, one would think the housing market would stabilize, but we shall see. And then it is a collective breath-holding until 2:00pm when the Minutes come out. Ahead of that I don’t anticipate much movement at all. After that…

Good luck
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