Tag Archives: #dollarweakness

The Largesse They Bestow

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The status is clearly still quo
For central bank policy so
All rates are on hold
And markets consoled
By all the largesse they bestow

But Covid continues to spread
And Q1 growth seems to be dead
So, Christine and Jay
Will soon have to say
More QE is coming ahead

It has been an active week for central banks so far, at least with respect to the number of meetings being held.  By the end of today we will have heard from six different major central banks from around the world (Canada, Brazil, Japan, Indonesia, Norway and the ECB) although not one of them has changed policy one iota.  The implication is that monetary policy has found an equilibrium for now, with settings properly attuned to the current economic realities.

A summary of current central bank policies basically shows that whatever the absolute level of interest rates being targeted, it is almost universally at historically low levels, with 14 key banks having rates 0.25% or lower.  The point is, a central bank’s main tool is interest rate policy, and while negative nominal rates are clearly viable, after all the SNB, ECB and BOJ currently maintain them, central banks are clearly running out of ammunition.  (PS; the efficacy of negative rates has been widely argued and remains unproven.)  Interestingly, prior to this crisis, reserve requirements were seen as an important central banking tool, with a broad ability to inject more liquidity into the markets or remove it if so desired.  However, in the wake of the GFC, when banks worldwide were shown to be too-highly levered, it seems central banks are a bit more reluctant to open those floodgates.  Even if they did, though, it is unclear if it would make a difference.  Perhaps the lesson we should all learn from the Covid crisis, especially the central banks themselves, is that monetary policy is very good at slowing down economies all by itself, but when it comes to helping them pick up, they need help.

So, with interest rate policy basically at its limit, central banks have been forced to implement new and different tools in their quest to support their respective economies, with QE at the forefront.  Of course, at this point, QE has also become old hat, and has yet to be shown to support the economy.  It has, however, done a bang-up job supporting equity markets around the world, as well as other risk assets like commodities.  And that is exactly what it was designed to do.  QE’s transmission mechanism was to be a trickle-down philosophy, where the ongoing search for yield by investors pushed capital into riskier ventures, helping to support increased investment and more economic growth.  Alas, the only thing QE has really served to do is inflate a number of asset bubbles.  This was never clearer than when the data showed more money was spent by corporations on stock repurchases than on R&D.  Thus, if the stated goal of QE was to support economic growth, it is fair to say it has failed at that task.

At any rate, a recap of the central bank comments shows that economic forecasts and expectations have been tweaked lower for Q1 and higher for Q2 and Q3 with a universal assumption that the widespread inoculation of the population via the new vaccines will help reopen economies all over.  And yet, if anything, we continue to hear of more and more draconian measures being put into place to slow the spread of Covid.  This certainly confirms the idea of a weak Q1 growth pattern, but the leap to a stronger Q2 is harder to make in my mind.

Add it all up and it appears that central banks, globally, are pretty much all in the same position, promulgating extremely easy monetary policy with limited hope that it will, by itself, reignite economic growth.  In effect, until it is shown that the vaccines are really changing people’s behavior, assuming governments allow people back out of the house, central banks can do all they want, and it will not have much impact on the economy.  Markets, however, are a different story, as all that monetary largesse will continue to flow to the riskiest, highest yielding assets around.  Until they don’t!  It will not be pretty when this bubble deflates.

So, is that happening today?  Not even close.  Equity markets continue to rise almost universally, with the Nikkei (+0.8%) and Shanghai (+0.8%) leading the way in Asia.  Europe, meanwhile, is not quite as robust, but still largely in the green led by the DAX (+0.5%) and FTSE 100 (+0.25%) although the CAC (-0.1%) is lagging a bit.  And not surprisingly, US markets continue to power ahead on the ongoing belief that there will be yet more stimulus coming, so futures are all higher by roughly 0.3% or so.

Bond markets are playing their part as well, with 10-year yields higher in all the major markets, with Treasuries, Bunds, OATs and Gilts all seeing yields climb about 1 basis point.  The interesting thing about Treasuries, and truthfully all these markets, is that since the Georgia run-off election, when the market assumption for more stimulus was cemented, the yield has barely moved.  Let me say that the reflation trade seems to be on hold, at least for now.

For a change, oil prices have edged a bit lower this morning, with WTI down 0.6%, as it consolidates its spectacular gains since November.  Gold is little changed, although it had a big day yesterday, rising 1.5% as inflation concerns seem to be percolating.  And finally, as perhaps a harbinger of that deflating bubble, Bitcoin is lower this morning and has been falling pretty steadily, if with still spectacular volatility, for the past 2 weeks, and is now down 24% from its recent highs.

Finally, the dollar is under clear pressure this morning, falling against all its G10 peers and all but one of its EMG peers.  In G10, NOK (+0.8%) leads the way as the Norgesbank did not cut rates which some had expected and were less negative on the economy than expected as well.  But NZD (+0.7%) and SEK (+0.6%) are also putting in fine performances amid stronger commodities and hopes for more stimulus.  In fact, CAD (+0.15%) is the laggard, although it had a strong performance yesterday (+0.7%) after the BOC left rates on hold rather than performing a microcut (10 bps) as some analysts had expected.

In the EMG space, CLP (+1.15%) and BRL (+1.1%) lead the way with the former benefitting from strong investor demand in USD and EUR denominated government bonds, leading to a positive outlook, while the latter seems to be responding to hints that tighter policy may be coming soon given rising inflation forecasts.   But really, the dollar’s weakness is pervasive across all three major blocs.

We finally see some data today as follows: Initial Claims (exp 935K), Continuing Claims (5.3M), Housing Starts (1560K), Building Permits (1608K) and Philly Fed (11.8).  The Claims data has certainly deteriorated during the past several weeks given the renewed lockdowns around the country, which doesn’t bode well for the NFP report in 2 weeks’ time.  The housing market remains on fire given the ongoing exodus to the suburbs from large cities and the historically low mortgage rates.  Meanwhile, Philly Fed should show the strength of the manufacturing sector, which continues to far outperform services.

Still no Fed speakers, so beyond the data, which is all at 8:30, we will also hear from Madame Lagarde in her press conference at the same time.  The risk, to me, is that she comes off more dovish than the market anticipates, thus halting the euro’s modest rebound.  But otherwise, there is no obvious catalyst to stop the risk-on meme and dollar’s renewed decline.

Good luck and stay safe
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Desperate Straits

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When yield curve control was designed
Its goal was a rate be defined
Which can’t be exceeded
With bonds bought as needed
To help governments in a bind

Lagarde, though, when looking ahead
Must work at controlling the spread
So BTP rates
Don’t reach desperate straits
Vs. bunds, an outcome she would dread

Ahead of the inauguration of President Biden, the market has turned its focus to Europe and the ongoing situation in Italy.  Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has been struggling to lead a fractious coalition from the left and was just subject to no-confidence votes in both houses of the Italian government.  (They have a House and Senate similar to the US.)  This occurred when one of his former allies, Matteo Renzi, split from the coalition triggering the vote.  Renzi leads the Viva Italia party, a center-left group focused on progressive reforms to the Italian government, and it appears Conte has become a little too status quo for his taste.  While Conte was able to cobble together a majority in the lower house, today’s vote in the Senate was less successful, with a majority of votes cast, but no majority in the Senate overall.  This means he has a minority government whose stability has now been called into question.  Estimates are that he has two weeks to develop a majority or the President may call for parliament to be dissolved and new elections held.

As this story has unfolded, investors have been focused on the bond market, specifically the spread between Italian BTP’s and German bunds.  This spread is seen as a key metric, by both the market and the ECB, as to the health of the European economy overall.  The narrower that spread, the healthier the situation.  This is based on the idea that investors are not demanding as great a yield premium to fund Italy’s debt as they are Germany’s.

A quick history shows that for the first eight years of the euro’s existence, that spread hovered between 25 and 45 basis points, with investors not particularly concerned by Italy’s profligate ways.  The GFC awakened many to the potential risks in Italy and the spread ballooned as high as 160 basis points at that time.  But that was nothing compared to the Eurozone bond crisis in 2012, when Greece was on the ropes and the term PIGS was invented.  At that time, Italian yields peaked at 5.525% higher than German yields.  The second time this level was reached, in July 2012, led to Mario Draghi’s famous words, “whatever it takes” regarding the ECB’s will to save the euro.  Since that time, the spread has only ever edged below 1.0% briefly, lately reaching a peak of 2.8% at the beginning of the Covid crisis and currently trading around 1.14%.

The point here is that the ECB watches this spread very carefully.  But now, it appears they are interested in more than merely watching the spread.  Rather, they want to control it.  Yield curve control (YCC) is currently ongoing in both Japan and Australia and has generated a good deal of discussion in the US.  But those three central banks have a single government rate to manage.  The ECB has no such luck, and so they need to find other ways to control things.  Hence, their newest idea is Yield spread control (YSC), where the ECB will buy whatever amount of bonds are necessary to prevent a particular spread from rising above a particular level.  Obviously, this means they will be looking at the bonds of the PIGS, as those are the nations with the biggest outstanding issues.  The problem Lagarde has is the ECB, by law, is not allowed to finance government spending, and QE in Europe was designed to be implemented along the lines of the ECB buying bonds in proportion to national economic size.  But this will require something completely different, as in order to prevent that spread from widening beyond whatever level they choose, the ECB will need to purchase an unlimited number of Italian BTP’s.  As such, this idea is not without controversy, but do not be surprised to hear about it tomorrow when the ECB meeting ends.  While it may not be implemented right away, it does appear they are actively considering the idea.

At this point you are likely asking yourself why you care about this esoteric concept.  And the answer is because it will have an impact on the value of the euro, and therefore the dollar, going forward.  Given the current draconian lockdowns throughout Europe and the significant negative impact they will have on the Eurozone economy, and combine that with a political morass in the 3rd largest economy in the Eurozone, and you have a recipe for a more severe downturn in a double dip recession in Europe.  As the ECB has already used up its basic toolkit of extraordinary measures, it needs to develop new ones if it is to keep the money flowing.  And that is the point.  Especially after yesterday’s testimony by Janet Yellen, where it is clear that the Treasury is not going to slow down spending and the Fed will be right there buying up those new bonds, the ECB is growing concerned that the dollar could fall much further.  They have recently been reminding us that they are paying attention to the exchange rate, and while intervention is not likely in the cards, a new easing policy that results in lower yields and a correspondingly weaker euro just might be.  One has to be impressed with central bank creativity when it comes to spending/printing more money.

But for now, investors remain sanguine to the risk inherent in this strategy and continue to add risk to their portfolios.  This can be seen in the continued rallies in equity markets around the world.  For instance, last night saw strength throughout Asia, except for the Nikkei (-0.4%).  Europe, this morning is showing far more green than red (DAX +0.5%, CC +0.3%. FTSE 100 -0.1%) and US futures, following yesterday’s tech inspired rally, are all higher again this morning.

Bond markets are under pressure generally, with Treasury yields backing up 1.4bps, although still unable to break the recent highs of 1.15%, Gilts are also softer with yields higher by 1.2bps while bunds and OATs are little changed. BTP’s, however, have fallen ¼ point with yields higher by 2.5bps, which means that spread has risen by the same amount.  Keep an eye on this.

Oil (WTI +1.3%) and gold (+0.5%) are both firmer this morning while the dollar is broadly under pressure.  However, the magnitude of that weakness is fairly minimal, with AUD (+0.35%) the biggest gainer in the G10 on the back of firmer commodity prices, while SEK (-0.35%) is the laggard on what appears to be position unwinding.  The euro (-0.15%) is definitely not following a classic risk-on pattern here, with some reason to believe traders are beginning to take the YSC into account.  In the EMG space, the moves are also limited, with TRY (+0.4%) and BRL (+0.25%) the leading gainers while CE4 currencies (CZK and PLN both -0.1%) are the laggards.  But overall, the risk theme does not appear to be having an impact in FX.

Once again there is no data released today and we are still in the quiet period, so no Fedspeak.  And we don’t even have Yellen to testify, so the FX market is going to be paying attention to equity movements and the bond market, probably in that order.  If risk continues to be acquired, I expect the dollar will have difficulty gaining any traction, but if we start to see a reversal, don’t be surprised to see some of the massive dollar short positions unwound.

Good luck and stay safe
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Go Big

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This morning, a former Fed chair
Will speak and is set to declare
It’s time to “go big”
In order to dig
The nation out from its despair

After a quiet holiday shortened session yesterday, markets are showing modest positivity overall, although European equity markets seem to be lacking any oomph.  However, most other risk indicators are pointing to a resumption of risk appetite with haven assets declining, commodity prices rising and the dollar under pressure.

Though we await the outcomes from three key central bank meetings later this week, there is little in the way of data to consider otherwise, so market participants are looking for other potential catalysts.  Chief among those catalysts today is the testimony by former Fed Chair, Janet Yellen, in the Senate as she is being vetted for Treasury Secretary in the new administration.

According to the release of the prepared statement, ahead of questions, she will explain that the US has been suffering from a K-shaped recovery for many years (in fact since she exacerbated that situation as Fed chair) and therefore the government needs to support policies that will help more people.  On the subject of issuing more Treasury debt, it appears she has weighed the consequences of excessive government debt and will say, with rates so low, it is time to “go big” and issue even more in order to fund the new administration’s priorities.  One other key topic of market interest is the dollar, where she will explain that a market set exchange rate is the best possible outcome, and that should be true of all nations.

For our purposes, the question is how these policies will impact markets overall, and the dollar specifically.  It is abundantly clear from the Treasury market’s performance ever since the Georgia run-off elections (10-year yields have risen 20.6 basis points, including 3.6 today) that the market is already anticipating the Treasury ‘going big’ when it comes to further debt issuance.  In fact, that is part and parcel of the reflation trade that has come back into vogue, with the expected further steepening of the yield curve.  In other words, while there may be some pushback from specific Senators, it seems implausible that reconfirming there will be significant new debt issuance to fund deficits will be seen as a mainstream concern.  Rather, the question will be how the Fed will respond when interest rates continue to rise and the cost of funding all that new debt issuance increases.

As to the dollar, while it appears she will not explicitly state a preference with respect to a weak or strong dollar, it seems pretty clear that the combination of the new administration debt policies with a Fed that is unlikely to allow interest rates to rise to true market-clearing levels will result in significantly more negative real yields as inflation continues to rise.  The result of this process will inevitably be a much weaker dollar.  While the market is currently in a consolidation phase, the dollar’s weakness has been manifesting since last spring.  And though positioning in this trade is huge, it does not mean the idea underpinning those positions is wrong.  As well, I believe there will be a very clear signal for when the dollar will begin it next leg lower; the Fed hinting at   whatever rate mitigation strategy they choose will be clear evidence that the negative real yield structure will expand, and the dollar will henceforth decline more substantially.  However, it could well be several months before that is the case, as we will need to see a continued climb in inflation data as well as the increased debt issuance to drive nominal interest rates higher thus forcing the Fed’s response.

But, as I said, that dollar story is still several months into the future, so let us focus on today’s happenings.  Overall, risk appetite is continuing to improve.  Asian equity markets were mostly stronger (Nikkei +1.4%, Hang Seng +2.7%) although Shanghai (-0.8%) didn’t manage to join in the fun.  While money is flowing rapidly into Hong Kong, it seems there is some concern that the PBOC may be tapping the brakes on liquidity in the real estate market in China, thus removing some of the spare cash and hurting equities as a side effect.  Europe, though, has had a different type of session this morning, with the three main markets all just marginally higher (DAX +0.3%, CAC +0.1%, FTSE 100 +0.2%) and several continental exchanges in the red.  The most notable piece of data from the Eurozone was the German ZEW Expectations survey, which was released slightly better than expected at 61.8, which while historically low, does indicate continue confidence in a recovery there.  US futures, though, are all in for more government spending and are currently higher by between 0.65% (DOW) and 1.0% (NASDAQ).  Clearly, there is no concern over too much debt there.

Speaking of debt, bond markets are behaving as you would expect in a risk-on scenario, with haven bonds declining around the world.  While Treasury yields have risen the most on the day, we seen Bunds (+1.1bps), OATs (+0.5bps) and Gilts (+1.5bps) all under pressure this morning.  Similarly, the PIGS are seeing demand grow on the back of increasing risk appetite with yields in those four nations’ bonds declining between 1 and 2 basis points.

Commodity prices are firmer with oil higher by 0.4% and the ags al looking at gains of between 0.25% and 2.0%, with most of them at multi-year highs.  And finally, the dollar is under pressure almost universally, with only JPY (-0.3%) weaker in the G10, the classic risk-on price action.  SEK (+0.9%) and NOK (+0.8%) are leading the way higher here, with oil clearly supporting the latter while the former is simply demonstrating its high beta with respect to the euro (+0.45%).

In the EMG bloc, ZAR (+1.3%) leads the way on the stronger commodity story, while BRL (+0.85%) and HUF (+0.8%) are next in line.  The real seems to be responding to both firmer commodity prices as well as news that the Covid vaccination program, which had been delayed through bureaucratic misfires, is finally set to get going, which is especially important given the surge in cases there.  As to HUF, the story is more about the CE4 rallying with the euro than with any specific economic or political stories from the country.  But the entire EMG bloc is higher, with the worst performers simply unchanged on the day.

On the data front, there is no mainstream data today, and no Fed speakers either as we are in the quiet period ahead of next Wednesday’s FOMC meeting.  Which brings us back to Yellen’s testimony as the most significant potential new information we are likely to see.  As Fed chair, she was one of the most dovish in history and there is no reason to believe that she will have changed that stance as Treasury secretary.  Instead, I fear we will see a virtual combination of the Fed and Treasury, and the resultant monetization of US debt will be a long term drag on the economy amid rising inflation.  That is not a dollar positive, I assure you, but not today’s problem.

Good luck and stay safe
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Pending A-pocalypse

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Inflation’s on everyone’s lips
As traders now need come to grips
With data still soft
But forecasts that oft
Point to pending a-pocalypse

Is inflation really coming soon?  Or perhaps the question should be, is measured inflation really coming soon?  I’m confident most of us have seen the rise in prices for things that we purchase on a regular basis, be it food, clothing, cable subscriptions or hard goods.  And of course, asset price inflation has been rampant for years, but apparently that doesn’t count at all.  However, the focus on this statistic has increased dramatically during the past several months which is a huge change from, not only the immediate post-pandemic economy, but in reality, the past thirty years of economic activity.  In fact, ever since Paul Volcker, as Fed Chair, slew the inflationary dragon that lived in the 1970’s, we have seen a secular move lower in measured consumer prices alongside a secular move lower in nominal interest rates.

But the pandemic has forced a lot of very smart people (present company excluded) to reconsider this trend, with many concluding that higher prices, even the measured kind, are in our future.  And this is not a discussion of a short-term blip higher due to pent up demand, but rather the long-term trend higher that will need to be addressed aggressively by the Fed lest it gets out of hand.

The argument for inflation centers on the difference between the post GFC financial response and the post Covid shock financial response.  Back in 2009, the Fed cut rates to zero and inaugurated their first balance sheet expansion of note with QE1.  Several more bouts of QE along with years of near zero rates had virtually no impact on CPI or PCE as the transmission mechanism, commercial banks, were not playing their part as expected.  Remember, QE simply replaces Treasuries with bank reserves on a commercial bank balance sheet.  It is up to the commercial bank to lend out that money in order for QE to support the economy.  But commercial banks were not finding the risk adjusted returns they needed, especially compared to the riskless returns they were receiving from the Fed from its IOER program.  So, the banking sector sold the Fed their bonds and held reserves where they got paid interest, while enabling them to have a riskless asset on their books.  In other words, only a limited amount of QE wound up in the public’s pocket.  The upshot was that spending power did not increase (remember, wages stagnated) and so pricing pressures did not materialize, hence no measured inflation.

But this time around, fiscal policy has been massive, with the CARES act of nearly $2 trillion including direct payments to the public as well as forgivable small business loans via the PPP program.  So, banks didn’t need to lend the money to get things moving, the government solved that part of the equation. Much of that money wound up directly in the economy (although certainly some found its way into RobinHood accounts and Bitcoin), thus amping up demand.  At the same time, the lockdowns around the world resulted in broken supply chains, meaning many goods were in short supply.  This resulted in the classic, more money chasing fewer goods situation, which leads to higher prices.  This helps explain the trajectory of inflation since the initial Covid impact, where prices collapsed at first, but have now been rising back sharply.  While they have not yet reached pre-Covid levels, it certainly appears that will be the case soon.

Which leads us back to the question of, what will prevail?  Will the rebound continue, or will the long-term trend reassert itself?  This matters for two reasons.  First, we will all be impacted by rising inflation in some manner if it really takes off.  But from a markets perspective, if US inflation is rising rapidly, it will put the Fed in a bind with respect to their promise to keep rates at zero until the end of 2023.  If the market starts to believe the Fed is going to raise rates sooner to fight inflation, that will likely have a very deleterious effect on equity and bond prices, but a very positive effect on the dollar.  The combination of risk-off and higher returns will make the dollar quite attractive to many, certainly enough to reverse the recent downtrend.

Lately, we are seeing the beginnings of this discussion, which is why the yield curve has steepened, why stock markets have stalled and why the dollar has stopped sliding.  Fedspeak this week has been cacophonous, but more importantly has shown there is a pretty large group of FOMC members who see the need for tapering policy, starting with reducing QE, but eventually moving toward higher rates.  Yesterday, uber-dove Governor Lael Brainerd pushed back on that story, but really, all eyes will be on Chairman Powell this afternoon when he speaks.  To date, he has not indicated a concern with inflation nor any idea he would like to taper purchases, so any change in that stance is likely to lead to a significant market response.  Pay attention at 12:30!

With that as backdrop, a quick tour of the markets shows that risk appetite is moderately positive this morning.  While the Nikkei (+0.85%) and Hang Seng (+0.9%) both did well, Shanghai suffered (-0.9%) despite data showing record export performance by China last year.  Europe is far less exciting with small gains (DAX +0.2%, CAC +0.1% and FTSE 100 +0.7%) following Germany’s release of 2020 GDP data showing a full-year decline of “just” -5.0%, slightly less bad than expected.  US futures are mixed at this hour, but the moves are all small and offer no real news.

Bond markets show Treasury yields higher by 2bps, while European bonds have all seen yields slip between 1.0 and 1.7bps, at least the havens there.  Italian BTP’s are selling off hard, with yields rising 5.7bps, and the rest of the PIGS have also been under pressure.  Oil prices are little changed this morning, still holding onto their gains since November.  Gold prices are slightly softer and appear to be biding their time until the next big piece of news hits.

Finally, the dollar is somewhat mixed this morning, with the G10 basically split between gainers and losers, although the gains have been a bit larger (AUD +0.4%, SEK +0.3%) than the losses (CHF -0.2%, JPY -0.1%).  But this looks like position adjustments and potential order flow rather than a narrative driven move.  EMG currencies are also split, but there are clearly more gainers than losers here, with the commodity bloc doing best (ZAR +0.85%, RUB +0.65%, BRL +0.6%) and losses more random led by KRW (-0.25%) and CZK (-0.2%).  If pressed, one needs look past oil and gold to see agricultural commodities and base metals still performing well and supporting those currencies.  KRW, on the other hand is a bit more confusing given the growth in China, it’s main exporting destination.  Again, position adjustments are quite viable given the won’s more than 11% gain since May.

This morning’s data slate includes only Initial Claims (exp 789K) and Continuing Claims (5.0M), which if far from expectations could wiggle markets, but seem unlikely to do so as everyone awaits Powell’s speech.  Until then, I expect that the dollar will continue to remain supported, but if Powell reiterates a very dovish stance, we could easily see the dollar head much lower.  Of course, if he gives credence to the taper view, look for some real market fireworks, with both bonds and stocks selling off and the dollar jumping sharply.

Good luck and stay safe
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The UK’s Current Plight

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In England, the doves are in flight
Explaining that NIRP is alright
But hawks keep maintaining
That zero’s restraining
Despite the UK’s current plight

What we’ve learned thus far in 2021 is that Monday is risk-off day, at least, so far.  Yesterday, for the second consecutive week, risk was under pressure as equity markets everywhere fell, while the dollar rallied sharply.  But just like last week, where risk was avidly sought once Monday passed, this morning has seen a rebound in many equity markets, as well as renewed pressure on the dollar.

But aside from a very early assessment of a potential pattern forming, this morning brings a dearth of market-moving news.  Perhaps the most interesting is the battle playing out inside the BOE, where Silvana Tenreyo, one of the more dovish MPC members, has been making the case that in the current situation, the UK should cut the base rate into negative territory.  Her analysis, as well as that of other central banks like the ECB, SNB and Danish central bank, have shown that there are many benefits to the policy and that it has been quite effective.  Of course, those are three of four central banks (the BOJ is the other) that currently maintain negative rates, so it would be pretty remarkable if those studies said NIRP was a failure.  The claim is that NIRP increases the amount of lending that banks extend, thus encouraging spending and investment as well as weakening the currency to help the export industries in the various countries.  And the studies go on to explain that all these factors help drive inflation higher, a key goal of each of those central banks.

Now, there is no question that those are the theoretical underpinnings of NIRP, alas, it is hard to find the data to support this.  Rather, these studies tend to give counterfactual analyses, that indicate if the central banks had not gone negative, things would have been worse.  For instance, let’s look at CPI in the Eurozone (-0.3%), Switzerland (-0.8%) and Denmark (+0.5%).  Not for nothing, but those hardly seem like data that indicate inflation has been supported.  In fact, in each of these countries, inflation was going nowhere fast before the pandemic, although I will grant that Covid has depressed the numbers further to date.  And how about the currency?  Well, one of the biggest stories of the past six months has been how the dollar has declined nearly 10% against these currencies.  Once again, the concept of a weaker currency seems misplaced.

The point here is that the discussion is heating up in the UK, with the independent MPC members pushing for a move below zero, while the BOE insiders are far more reluctant, explaining that the banking system would see serious harm.  (I think if one looks at the banking system in Europe, it is a fair statement that the banks there are not performing all that well, despite (because of?) 6 years of NIRP.  The BOE counterpoint was made this morning by Governor Bailey who explained there were still many issues to be addressed and implied NIRP was not likely to be implemented in the near future.  With all this as background, it should be no surprise that the pound has been the best performer in the G10 today, rising 0.6%, after Bailey’s comments squashed ideas NIRP was on its way soon.

But the dollar, overall, is softer today, not nearly reversing yesterday’s gains (except vs. the pound), but generally under pressure.  However, there is precious little that seems to be driving markets this morning, other than longer term stories regarding fiscal stimulus and Covid-19.

So, a quick tour of markets shows that Asian equity markets shook off the weakness in the US yesterday and rallied nicely.  The Nikkei (+0.1%) was the laggard, as the Hang Seng (+1.3%) and Shanghai (+2.1%) showed real strength.  Europe, on the other hand, is showing a much more mixed picture, wit the DAX (+0.1%) actually the best performer of the big 3, while the CAC (0.0%) and FTSE 100 (-0.6%) are searching for buying interests.  The FTSE is likely being negatively impacted by the pound’s strength, as there is a narrative that the large exporters in the index are helped by a weak pound and so there is a negative correlation between the pound and the FTSE.  The problem with that is when running the correlation analysis, over the past two years, the correlation is just 0.08% and the sign is positive, meaning they move together, not oppositely.  But it is a nice story!  And one more thing, US futures are green, up about 0.25% or so.

Bond markets are selling off this morning as yields continue to rise on expectations that the future is bright.  10-year Treasury yields are up to 1.16%, which is a new high for the move, having rallied a further 1.2bps this morning.  But we are seeing the same type of price action throughout Europe, with yields higher by between 1.7 bps (Bunds) and 4.0bps (Italian BTP’s), with Gilts (+2.3bps) and OATs (+2.0bps) firmly in between.  What I find interesting about this movement is the constant refrain that H1 2021 is going to be much worse than expected, with the Eurozone heading into a double dip recession and the US seeing much slower than previously expected growth as many analysts have downgraded their estimates to 1.0% from 4.0% before.  At the same time, the message from the Fed continues to be that tighter policy is outcome based, and there is no indication they are anywhere near thinking about raising rates.  With that as background, the best explanation I can give for higher yields is concerns over inflation.  Remember, CPI is released tomorrow morning, and since the summer, almost every release was higher than forecast.  As I have written before, the Fed is going to be tested as to their tolerance for above target inflation far sooner than they believe.

The inflation story is supported, as well, but this morning’s commodity price moves, with oil higher by 1.3% and gold higher by 0.8%.  In fact, I believe that inflation is going to become an increasingly bigger story as the year progresses, perhaps reaching front page news before the end of 2021.

Finally, as mentioned above, the dollar is under broad-based, but generally modest pressure this morning.  After the pound, AUD (+0.35%) and CAD (+0.25%) are the leading gainers, responding to the firmer commodity prices, although NOK (0.0%) is not seeing any benefit from oil’s rise.  In the EMG space, it is also the commodity linked currencies that are leading the way, with ZAR (+0.9%), RUB (+0.8%) and MXN (+0.5%) topping the list.  Also, of note is the CNY (+0.3%) which is back to levels last seen in June 2018, as the strengthening trend their continues.

On the data front, the NFIB Small Business Optimism index showed less optimism, falling to 95.9, well below expectations, again pointing to a slowing growth story in H1.  The only other data point from the US is JOLT’s Job Openings (exp 6.4M), which rarely has any impact.  I would like to highlight, in the inflation theme, that Brazilian inflation was released this morning at a higher than expected 4.52% in December, which is taking it back above target and to levels last seen in early 2019.  If this continues, BRL may become a high yielder again.

Finally, we hear from 6 different Fed speakers today, but again, unless they all start to indicate tighter policy, not just better economic outcomes, in H2, while the dollar may benefit slightly, it will not turn the current trend.  And that’s really the story, the medium-term trend in the dollar remains lower, but for now, absent a catalyst for the next leg (something like discussion of YCC or increased QE), I expect a bit of choppiness.

Good luck and stay safe
Adf

Blue Wave at Last

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Psephologists have now decided
The run-off election provided
A blue wave at last
So laws can be passed
Republicans view as misguided

The market responded by sellin’
The 10-year, with traders foretellin’
Inflation to come
As Powell stays mum
While financing Treasury’s Yellen

While the election results from Georgia are not yet final, the indications at this time are that the Democratic party won one of the seats with the second one still too close to call.  However, the market has already made its decision, that both seats flipped to the Democrats and that the Senate will now be split 50:50, which means that the Vice President will be able to cast the deciding vote.  The clear implication is that, while hardly a mandate, the Democrats will control both the executive and legislative branches and be able to implement a great deal of their agenda.  In other words, the blue wave high tide has finally crested.

The initial reaction to this news has been seen in the sell-off of the 10-year Treasury, where the yield has risen to 1.02% as I type, its first foray above 1.00% since March 19th, during the first days of the Covid-19 market panic.  The reflation trade is back in vogue, with expectations now that the new administration will be aggressively adding fiscal stimulus, thus increasing Treasury issuance significantly and ultimately steepening the yield curve as demand for long-dated Treasuries will not be able to keep pace with the new supply.  However, given the already record levels of debt outstanding, the government simply cannot afford for interest rates to rise too far, as if they do, interest payments will soak up an ever-increasing proportion of available revenues.  It is for this reason that I continue to believe the Fed will increase their current activity, and whether tacitly, by expanding QE and extending the maturity of purchases, or explicitly, by setting a yield target, implement Yield Curve Control (YCC).

At the same time, the Fed has made it abundantly clear that higher inflation is of no concern to the committee.  The latest proof comes from Chicago Fed President Charles Evans, who explained to us yesterday, “Frankly, if we got 3% inflation, that would not be so bad.  It is very difficult to imagine out of control inflation, even with the large debt that fiscal authorities have been running up.”   Perhaps, as a Regional Fed President, he simply lacks imagination.  After all, just yesterday, almost at the same time he was recounting his views, the ISM Prices Paid index printed at 77.6, well above expectations and at a level seen only twice, briefly, in the past decade.  There is a strong correlation between this index and PPI, so the idea that inflation pressures are building is hardly unimaginable.

Which brings us back to the prospects for the dollar, as well as other markets.  While yields have climbed today, the prospect of inflation rising more rapidly and real rates falling further into negative territory still informs my view that the dollar has further to decline.  This will become more obvious when the Fed steps in to prevent the rise in nominal yields, which I am confident will occur sooner rather than later.  Again, while I don’t anticipate a dollar collapse, as other central banks will fight to prevent such an outcome, further dollar weakness is in the cards.

Speaking of other central banks fighting the dollar’s weakness, last night the PBOC started to do just that by establishing the CNY fix at a weaker renminbi rate than anticipated.  Since August 1st, CNY has appreciated by nearly 8% vs. the dollar, which for an economy that remains heavily reliant on exporting for GDP growth, is a growing problem.  As the PBOC makes no bones about directing the value of the currency, you can expect that they will be actively managing the renminbi’s value going forward in an effort to prevent too much further strength.  But, as long as both nominal and real yields remain positive in China, that will attract significant capital flows and continue to pressure the renminbi higher.

So, what has all this news done to other markets?  Well, most of Europe is ecstatic at the election outcome, at least that seems to be the case based on the rallies seen in equity markets there.  The FTSE 100 (+2.3%) is leading the way, but we are seeing strong gains in the DAX (+0.9%) and CAC (+0.8%) as well, despite the fact that the PMI Services data disappointed across the board.  The story in Asia was more mixed with the Nikkei (-0.4%) and Australia (-1.1%) underwhelmed by the outcome, although the Hang Seng (+0.2%) and Shanghai (+0.6%) both wound up in the green.  As to US futures, as I type, they are a mixed bag, with DOW futures higher by 0.2%, SPU’s lower by 0.4% while NASDAQ futures are down 2.0%.  The latter’s decline are a response to the election results as concerns grow that Big Tech will now be in the crosshairs of Congress for more regulation if not outright dismemberment.

While we have already discussed the Treasury market, European government bonds are mostly softer today as well, with yields rising as much as 4bps in the UK, although German bunds are unchanged on the session.

Another inflationary impulse comes from oil, where yesterday the Saudis surprised the market by unilaterally cutting production by 1 million barrels/day helping to take WTI above $50/bbl for the first time since late February.  If this rally continues, look for gasoline prices to creep higher, one of the key sentiment indicators regarding the perception of inflation.

And finally, the dollar remains broadly under pressure this morning, with NOK (+0.75%) the leading gainer in the G10 on the back of the oil rally, although both AUD (+0.6%) and NZD (+0.65%) are also having a good day as both commodity prices gain and they serve as a proxy for Asian growth.  Meanwhile, the euro (+0.35%) is trading at new highs for the move and back to levels not seen since April 2018.

Emerging market currencies are universally higher this morning, led by PLN (+0.85%), MXN (+0.8%) and HUF (+0.8%).  Those stories are easy to see, with oil helping the peso, while the CE4 currencies are tracking the euro’s strength.  Asian currencies, while all firmer, did not show nearly the enthusiasm, with gains between 0.1% and 0.2%, but of course, the election results were not fully known during their session.

On the data front, this morning brings ADP Employment (exp 75K) as well as Factory Orders (0.7%) and the PMI Services index (55.2).  Then, this afternoon, we see the FOMC Minutes of the December meeting, one where they disappointed many folks by not easing further. The first thing to note is that after yesterday’s ISM data, the ADP forecast increased from 50K.  Clearly, the manufacturing sector remains in better shape than expected.  At the same time, the Minutes ought to be interesting as perhaps we will learn more about attitudes regarding any prospects for what could change policy.  Of course, given the world was a different place then, and as Evans explained, inflation is of no concern, the real question from the Minutes will be what will the Fed do next to ease further.

As to the dollar, it is hard to see a short-term path in any direction other than lower, but I continue to expect the decline to be slow and orderly.

Good luck and stay safe
Adf

No Antidote

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In Georgia, today’s runoff vote
For Senate is no antidote
To nationwide fears
The quartet of years
To come, more unease, will promote

Investors expressed their dismay
By selling stocks all yesterday
As well, though, they sold
The buck and bought gold
Uncertainty’s with us to stay

Markets certainly got off to an inauspicious start yesterday as a number of concerns regarding upcoming events, as well as the possibility that some markets are overextended, combined to induce a bit of risk reduction.  Clearly, the top story is today’s runoff election in Georgia, where both US Senate seats are up for grabs.  The Republicans currently hold a 50-48 majority, but if both seats are won by the Democratic candidates, the resulting 50-50 tie will effectively give the Democrats control of the Senate as any tie votes will be broken by the Vice-President.  In that event, the Democrats should be able to institute their platform which, ostensibly, includes infrastructure spending, the Green New Deal, or parts thereof, and more substantial stimulus to address the impact of the coronavirus.

This blue wave redux has been a key topic in markets of late.  You may recall that heading into the election in November, when the polls were calling for the original blue wave, the market anticipated a huge amount of fiscal stimulus driving significantly larger Federal budget deficits.  The ensuing Treasury bond issuance required to fund all this spending was expected to result in a much steeper yield curve, a continuing rally in the stock market as the economy recovered (and this was before the vaccine) and a declining dollar.  As the runoff election approached, markets started to replay that scenario which has, until yesterday, led to successive new all-time high closes in equity indices as well as a steeper Treasury yield curve.  As well, the dollar has remained under pressure, as that remains one of the strongest conviction trades of 2021.

But yesterday, and so far this morning, we are seeing a potential change of heart, or perhaps just a note of caution.  Because if the Republicans retain one of the two seats, that will put paid to the entire blue wave hypothesis.

Of course, there is another possibility that is driving investor caution, and that is the idea that markets, especially equity markets, remain extremely frothy at current levels.  Certainly, on a historical basis, valuation indicators like P/E or Shiller’s CAPE, or Price/Book or even Total Market Cap/GDP are at historically high extremes.  Is it possible that the market has already priced in every conceivable positive event to come?  There are those who would make that argument, and if they are correct, then the required catalyst for a correction of some sorts is likely not that large.  For instance, if the Republicans win even one seat, the entire stimulus bandwagon may never get going, let alone any of the more widescale projects.  And that could well be enough to force a rethinking of the endless stimulus theory with a resultant revaluation of investment risks.

One of the things that always bothered me about the blue wave hypothesis was the idea that the Treasury yield curve would steepen, and the dollar would decline.  Historically, a steeper yield curve has indicated a strengthening US economy which has drawn investment and strengthened the dollar.  I don’t believe that relationship will change, however, a weaker dollar does make sense if you consider how the Fed is likely to respond to rising Treasury yields; namely with Yield Curve Control (YCC).  The US government cannot afford for interest rates to rise substantially, especially as the amount of debt issued continues to grow rapidly.  In fact, the only way it can continue to pay interest on the growing pile of debt is to make sure that interest rates remain at historically low levels.  The implication is that if the Treasury continues to flood the market with issuance, the Fed will be required to buy all of it, and then some, in order to prevent yields from rising.  And whether it is explicit, or implicit, that YCC is going to result in increasingly negative real yields in the US (as inflation is almost certainly going higher).  Now, if you wanted a catalyst to drive the dollar lower, increasing negative real yields is a perfect solution.  While that may not be such a benefit for investors and savers, it will help the Fed retain the upper hand in the global policy ease race, and with it, help undermine the value of the dollar.  It is, in fact, the basis for my views this year.  All that from the Georgia run-off elections!  Who would have thunk?

As to markets this morning, yesterday’s weakness remains fairly widespread in the equity space, as all European bourses are lower (DAX -0.4%, CAC -0.5%, FTSE 100 -0.1%) after a mixed Asian session (Nikkei -0.4%, Hang Seng +0.6%, Shanghai +0.7%).  In fact, Shanghai reached its highest level since August 2015, the previous bubble we saw there.  US futures, meanwhile, are little changed at this hour as traders await the first indications from the Georgia elections.

Bond markets are broadly lower this morning, with Treasury yields higher by 1.3bps and most European bonds showing similar rises in their yields.  On the one hand this is unusual, as bonds generally benefit from a risk off mood.  On the other hand, if I am correct about the move toward negative real yields, bonds will not be a favored investment either and could well underperform going forward, at least until the central banks increase their purchases.

Another beneficiary of negative real yields in the US is gold, which rallied sharply yesterday, more than 2%, and is up a further 0.3% this morning, back at $1950/oz.  Oil, meanwhile, is starting to move higher as well, up 1.8%, as some optimism over the outcome of the OPEC+ meeting is adding to the broad commodity rally.

And finally, the dollar is generally weaker this morning, down against all its G10 counterparts and many of its EMG counterparts as well.  In the G10, SEK (+0.6%) is the leader, which appears to simply be an example of its higher beta relative to the euro or pound vs. the dollar. But we are also seeing the commodity bloc perform well (AUD +0.5%, CAD +0.3%, NOK +0.3%) alongside their main exports.  However, this is clearly a dollar weakness story as the yen (+0.25%) is rallying alongside the rest of the bloc.

Interestingly, in the EMG group, ZAR (-1.35%) is the worst performer, followed by RUB (-0.6%), neither of which makes sense based on the G10 performance as well as that of commodities.  However, it is important to remember that short dollar is one of the most overindulged positions in markets, and the carry trade has been a favorite with both these currencies benefitting from that view.  This looks like a bit of position unwinding more than anything else.  On the positive side in this bloc, the CE4 remain solid and are leading the way, while LATAM currencies are little changed on the open.

On the data front, this week brings a lot of new information culminating in the payroll report on Friday.

Today ISM Manufacturing 56.7
ISM Prices Paid 65.0
Wednesday ADP Employment 50K
Factory Orders 0.7%
FOMC Minutes
Thursday Initial Claims 803K
Continuing Claims 5.1M
Trade Balance -$67.3B
ISM Services 54.5
Friday Nonfarm Payrolls 50K
Private Payrolls 50K
Manufacturing Payrolls 16K
Unemployment Rate 6.8%
Average Hourly Earnings 0.2% (4.5% Y/Y)
Average Weekly Hours 34.8
Participation Rate 61.5%
Consumer Credit $9.0B

Source: Bloomberg

Last Thursday saw a stronger than expected Chicago PMI and yesterday’s PMI data was strong as well, so the economy remains a bit enigmatic, with manufacturing still robust, but services in the dumps.  The payroll expectations are hardly inspiring, and with lockdowns growing in the States, as well as worldwide, it doesn’t bode well for Q1 at least, in terms of GDP growth.  We also hear from seven Fed speakers this week, which could well be interesting if anyone is set to change their tune regarding how long easy money will remain the norm.  However, I doubt that will happen.

The dollar remains on its back foot here, and I see no reason for it to rebound in the short run absent a change in the underlying framework.  By that I mean, something that will imply real yields in the US are set to rise.  Alas, I don’t see that happening in the near future.

Good luck and stay safe
Adf

The Dollar’s Fate (In the Coming Year)

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With apologies to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Listen, my children, and you shall hear
Of the dollar’s fate in the coming year
In the wake of a time that’s ne’er been seen
Since the Spanish Flu of Nineteen Eighteen
Perhaps Twenty-One will bring joy, not fear

Recapping Twenty shows that despite
A plague of biblical magnitude
The printing press revealed its might
As governments everywhere, debt, accrued
And flooded the markets with cash untold
(The better their citizens be controlled)
But all of that money was used, not for,
Increased production of goods onshore
Instead, for the purchase of stocks galore

Thus, equity markets at home rose higher
With Asia, too, on proverbial fire
Though Europe lagged, as the ECB
Was late to the party with more QE
Risk was embraced with a multiplier
Government bonds, though falling of late
Had seen yields tumble, year-to date
And lastly, the dollar, is now descending
As traders await this trend extending

Looking ahead, what can we expect?
Has Covid passed? Will ‘normal’ return?
Or are there surprises we’ve yet to learn?
Will stocks continue their flights of fancy?
Will bonds, inflation, at last detect?
Will dollars, everyone, start to spurn?
Will gold and bitcoin still seem chancy?

Regarding the virus, it’s not dead yet
Though hope springs eternal, and at last
The vaccines imply the worst has passed
But life, as we knew it, has been reset
Working from home (or living at work)
Is mainstream now, and not just a quirk
Office demand will certainly slide
And travel for business will lessen worldwide
Normal has changed, for boss and for clerk

Let us now speak of growth and inflation
Will growth improve on last year’s “success”?
Or will it instead fall flat and regress
Lockdown renewals bode ill for salvation
Policymakers constantly flail
As policy efforts constantly fail
Stimulus, fiscal, continues to flow
Interest rates are now forevermore low
Central banks tell us that this combination
Is perfect to counter a fearful stagnation
But in their efforts, good times to hail
The rising of prices will bypass their gaze
Leading to many more difficult days
GDP this year will struggle to One
Inflation, however, at Four, will not stun

How, then, will markets respond to this fate?
Equity prices at first will inflate
By spring, though, ‘twill be clear something’s amiss
Traders, their holdings, will start to truncate
While we shall not tumble into the abyss
Do not be shocked if the market does fall
Some twenty percent, at the least, is my call
What about bonds? How will they react?
Powell will ne’er let their prices contract
Yield Curve Control is the future we’ll see
Alongside the horror of pure MMT
Hence, ten-year bonds when December arrives
Will keep up their value, a cat with nine lives
One percent will be the height they attain
Implying the real yield most certainly dives
And so, the dollar will suffer great pain

Starting in Europe where Madame Lagarde
Is trying to keep up with Fed Chairman Jay
Sadly, what’s clear, at the end of the day
The ECB’s structure will make it too hard
While Fed and the Treasury work hand in hand
Pushing more money throughout all the land
Treaties in Europe have outcomes, unplanned
PEPP’s not enough for a rebound unscarred

Even though growth throughout Europe will sag
Even though prices will still be a drag
Nothing Lagarde can create will impact
The outcome, a euro that’s sure to move higher
Thus, if it’s something you need to acquire
At year-end, One-Thirty, you’ll need, that’s a fact

Tumultuous best describes last year’s UK
Twixt Covid and Brexit, the nation felt pain
Unhappily, this year, to Johnson’s dismay
Could worsen for every old bloke on the street
With growth in the toilet while prices show heat
It doesn’t seem much like Pound Sterling could gain

But real rates keep diving throughout the US
Offsetting those troubles, so if you need quid
Come Christmas, One-Fifty, if I had to guess
Is what they will cost as the dollar’s declined
Looking elsewhere, perhaps north of the border
Canada still seems a bit out of order
Oil’s rebounded but still seems confined
Meanwhile, housing there is quite well bid

However, again, it is Fed Chairman Jay
Who’s promised support for considerable time
Thus, when we get to our next Boxing Day
One-Fifteen for Loonies you’ll see on your screen
Eastward now, let’s turn our gaze as we glean
Whether the yen can continue its climb
Long-term, the dollar, its trend has been clear
Even before the debasement of late
Several percent, like a clock every year
Why would this year, something new, demonstrate?

Frankly, it won’t, as the Fed’s in control
Rather, the yen, will continue to roll
So, Winter Solstice this year will reveal
Dollar-Yen, Ninety-Six, where you can deal
Let us turn now to both future and past
Bitcoin and gold, which have both been amassed
Can both their prices continue to rise?
Certainly, as they’ve restricted supplies

For centuries, gold has defined what’s secure
Its glitter unblemished while paper’s debased
So, don’t be surprised if the relic’s embraced
As buyers pay Three Grand their wealth to insure
But youth has ideas which to many seem odd
And bitcoin is one such that’s been called a fraud
So, is it? Or is Bitcoin digital gold?
An updated version important to hold
As fiat debasement continues apace
This digital token gains further allure
And this year it seems Bitcoin’s making its case
As something that everyone needs to procure

It’s starting this year right around thirty grand
And hodlers believe that ‘tween here and the sky
Unless countries call for Bitcoin to be banned
A doubling or tripling’s the gain they’ll apply
One last thing I’ll highlight in digital space

The DCEP is now leading the race
This digital yuan, the first CBDC
Is coming soon courtesy of Mr Xi
It’s impact initially is quite unclear
But I guarantee that inside of a year
Nations worldwide will each roll out their own
And each will define a DC trading zone

While last year was filled with surprises galore
This year we’re likely to see many more
And finally, thank you, my readers and friends
For listening to all the twists and the bends
Now looking ahead to Twenty Twenty-One
Let’s all keep perspective and try to have fun.

Good luck, stay safe and have a wonderful new year
Adf

DCEP = Digital Currency / Electronic Payment
CBDC = Central Bank Digital Coin

Much Bluer Skies

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Ahead of the Fed, PMI’s
From Europe were quite a surprise
It seems that despite
The lockdowns in sight
The future has much bluer skies

Preliminary PMI data from around the world this morning is the market’s key focus, at least until 2:00 this afternoon when we hear from the Fed.  But, in the meantime, the much better than expected readings surprised the market and are driving yet another increase in risk appetite.  (One wonders if that appetite will ever be sated!)

Starting in Asia, Australian data was considerably stronger than last month, with the Composite figure printing at 57.0, its second highest print in the (short) history of the series.  On the other hand, Japanese data was the sole disappointment, with the Composite slipping 0.1 to 48.0, still pointing to a contracting economy.  The European numbers, however, were all much better than expected with Germany printing 2 points higher than expected at 52.5 on the Composite while France (49.6 Composite) actually beat expectations by 6.6 points.  As such, the Eurozone Composite PMI printed at 49.8, significantly better than expectations of a 45.7 print.  The point here is that while the Eurozone economy is hardly booming (other than German manufacturing), there is a clear sense that the worst may be behind it.

Of course, what makes this so surprising is that the German government has shuttered non-essential businesses until January 10th, with hints that could be extended, after the largest single day fatality count was recorded yesterday.  We are also hearing from other European countries, (France and Italy), that further lockdowns and restrictions on gatherings are being considered as the second (third?) wave of Covid-19 sweeps across the continent.  Yet, not only markets, but businesses have clearly grabbed hold of the idea that the vaccine is going to lead to a swift end to the government intervention in virtually every economy and allow economic activity to resume as it was before.

The spanner in the works, as it were, is that governments are loathe to cede power and control once it is obtained.  If this holds true again, then businesses need to be prepared to have far more rules and restrictions imposed on their operations, something which is typically not associated with an economic boom.  However, for now, it appears that the prospect of the tightest restrictions being lifted outweighs the potential longer-term negative impacts of intrusive government.  So, as Timbuk 3 explained back in 1986, “The Future’s So Bright (I Gotta Wear Shades).

With that in mind, a quick turn to the FOMC meeting today shows us that the market consensus is for no policy changes in scope or size, but rather, more clarity on what is required for the Fed to consider tighter policy in the future.  Expectations continue to center on achieving a specific Unemployment Rate or Inflation Rate or, probably, both in combination.  Perhaps Chairman Powell will resurrect the Misery Index (not the current show on TBS, but the original one defined by Ronald Reagan, when he was running for president in 1980, as the sum of inflation and unemployment.)  For instance, a target of 3.5% Unemployment and 2.0% Inflation would seem to be right where policymakers would be thrilled.  Alas, today we are looking at a reading of 7.9%, with a poor mixture to boot (Unemployment 6.7%, CPI 1.2%).  However, as long as Congress fails to pass a new fiscal stimulus bill, do not be too surprised if the Fed does change the program, with my bet being on Operation Twist redux, where they extend the maturities of their current purchases.  We will find out at 2.

Turning to the markets, all that hunger for risk has shown up in all markets today, with equities and commodities broadly firmer while bonds and the dollar are broadly weaker.  Last night, following the strong equity performance in the US yesterday, we saw less impressive, but still positive price action in Asia with the Nikkei (+0.3%) and Hang Seng (+1.0%) both rallying although Shanghai was flat on the day.  Europe, however, has embraced the PMI data, as well as word that a Brexit deal is approaching (told ya so!) and markets there are all much firmer; DAX (+1.6%), CAC (+0.7%), FTSE 100 (+1.0%).  Finally, US futures are actually the laggards this morning, with all three in the green but the magnitude of those gains more muted than one might have expected, in the 0.2%-0.3% range.

Bond markets have come under pressure as there is certainly no case to own a low yielding haven asset when one can be gorging on risk, but the price declines are far larger in Europe (Bunds and OATs +3.7bps, Gilts +2.7bps) than in the US (Treasuries +1.0bp).  Interestingly, even the PIGS bonds are selling off as it appears Portugal is not quite so interesting a place to hold your cash when the yield there is -0.04% on 10-year paper!

Commodities are firmer, with gold having a second strong performance in a row, up 0.4% this morning, and oil prices are also drifting higher, albeit barely so at this hour.  And finally, the dollar is under significant pressure this morning after breaking through several key technical levels, with only CAD (-0.4%) underperforming in the G10.  And in truth, I cannot find a good reason for the decline as there don’t appear to be either technical or fundamental reasons evident.  On the other side, though, NOK (+0.45%) and GBP (+0.4%) are the leading gainers, although the rest of the space is higher by about 0.3%.  Aside from the Brexit hopes, this is all really about the dollar and the ever-growing conviction that it has much further to fall as 2021 approaches and unfolds.

As to the emerging markets, the CE4, taking their cues from the euro, are leading the way with CZK (+0.75%) and PLN (+0.6%) at the head of the pack.  Beyond those, the gains are less impressive, on the order of 0.2%-0.3%, with APAC currencies little changed overnight and LATAM currencies opening with less oomph than we are seeing in Europe.

On the data front, ahead of the FOMC this afternoon, we see Retail Sales (exp -0.3%, +0.1% ex autos) and then the preliminary PMI data as well (55.8 Manufacturing, 55.9 Services).  My sense is stronger than expected data would have only a limited impact on the dollar, but if the data is weak, another wave lower seems quite possible.

And that is really what we have today.  For now, the dollar is under pressure and likely to remain so.  At 2:00, there is potential for an additional leg lower, if the Fed opts to increase QE or extend maturities, but I cannot make a case for the dollar to benefit from their announcement.  In fact, for now, the only thing that can help the dollar is the fact that it has already moved a long way, and it could be due for a simple trading correction.

Good luck and stay safe
Adf

Unrequited

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It cannot be very surprising
That Boris and friends keep devising
More reasons to talk
Yet both sides still balk
At genuinely compromising

For now, though, the market’s delighted
With risk appetite reignited
Pound Sterling has soared
With stocks ‘cross the board
Though bond love has been unrequited

Aahh, sweet temptation.  I’m sure most of us know, firsthand, how difficult it can be to impose self-control when it comes to something we really want, but know we shouldn’t have, like that extra cookie after dinner.  Or perhaps, it is the situation of something we really don’t want, but know we need, like that trip to the dentist.  In either case, getting ourselves to do the right thing can be an extraordinary struggle.  That is the best analogy I can find for the countless Brexit trade talk deadlines that have been made and passed since the actual Brexit agreement was signed on January 31, 2020.

You may recall last Thursday’s dinner date between Boris and Ursula, where the outcome was a declaration that if a deal could not be reached by the weekend’s close (yesterday), none would ever come.  The thing about Brexit deadlines, however, is that they only exist in the mind of the individual setting them.  It appears to be a tool designed to impose self-control on the speaker.  However, like so many of us, when we claim we will eat only one cookie, we find the temptation to eat another too great to ignore.  This appears to be the same situation when it comes to establishing Brexit talk deadlines, both sides really want a deal, and hope that a deadline will be the ticket to finding one that can be agreed.  But in the end, the only true deadline is the one inscribed in the Brexit agreement, which is December 31, 2020.  And with that as prelude, it is quite clear that the latest deadline has been ignored, and both sides have explained that a deal is within reach and they will continue talking, right up until New Year’s Eve if necessary.

This past Friday, there were rumors rampant that the whole situation would fall apart, and that risk would be jettisoned as soon as markets opened in Asia last night.  Expectations were for a huge Treasury rally, with sharp declines in stock markets.  But for now, that situation remains on hold, and the good news has inspired further risk acquisition, with most equity markets solidly higher along with oil while bonds are selling off along with the dollar.

As I have maintained for the past several months, despite all the rhetoric on both sides, the most likely outcome remains a successful conclusion to the talks.  It is unambiguously in both sides’ interest to agree a deal, and everything that we have seen has been for each sides’ domestic constituents as proof they fought to the last possible second and got the best deal possible.  In fact, part of me believes a deal has already been agreed, it just hasn’t yet been revealed as the timing is not propitious for both sides.  Whatever the situation, though, for now, the market has been satisfied that there is nothing imminent that is going to stop the risk rally.

And that pretty much sums up the session, there is nothing imminent that is going to stop the risk rally.  Looking ahead for the week, Retail Sales on Wednesday morning is arguably the most important data point, but of more importance is the FOMC meeting that same day, with the afternoon statement and press conference.  We will focus on that tomorrow and Wednesday, but as of now, there is no change expected in either the interest rate structure or quantity of QE, but there is some discussion of a change in tenor of QE purchases.

With all that in mind, then, let us look at markets overnight.  As discussed, risk appetite is growing as a combination of the positive Brexit story and the first rollouts of the Covid vaccine encourage the outlook that the timeline for reigniting economic growth is nearing.  Adding to this story is the news that a US fiscal stimulus bill may be close to being agreed, and, naturally, we know that every central bank will continue to add liquidity to the markets for as long as they deem fit, which currently seems to be indefinitely.  Interestingly, this is all occurring despite Germany imposing renewed harsh lockdowns through January, and word that we are going to see the same in Italy, Spain and the UK.

But here’s what we have seen.  Asian equity markets were generally positive (Nikkei +0.3%, Shanghai +0.7%) although the Hang Seng (-0.4%) lagged.  European markets are all higher, with some pretty good gains (DAX +1.25%, CAC +1.1%) although the FTSE 100 (+0.4%) is lagging on the strength of the pound, which negatively impacts so many companies in the index.  And finally, US futures are all green with gains between 0.6% and 0.9%.

Bond markets are selling off, which should be no surprise, with Treasury yields higher by 2.5 bps, although most of Europe has seen more moderate price declines, with yields higher by less than 2 basis points across the board.  With one exception, UK gilts have seen yields rise 6.7 basis points, as hopes for a Brexit deal have led to a lot of unwinding of Friday’s rally.

Meanwhile, oil prices are firmer (WTI +1.1%) but gold is actually softer (-0.7%) despite the dollar’s broad weakness.  In the G10 space, GBP (+1.5%) is the leader by far, as renewed hope has forced some short covering.  But the entire bloc is firmer with NOK (+1.1%) benefitting from oil’s rise, while the rest of the group has gained on a more general risk appetite with gains between 0.2% (CAD) and 0.6% (SEK).  The surprise here is JPY (+0.3%) which given the risk attitude, would have been expected to decline as well.

EMG currencies are mostly firmer, but the move seems to have ignored peripheral APAC currencies, where a group have seen very modest declines of 0.1% or so.  On the plus side, however, ZAR (+1.0%) leads the way, despite weaker gold prices, as Consumer Confidence data was released at a strong gain compared to Q3.  Elsewhere, BRL (+0.7%) and PLN (+0.7%) are the next best performers, with broad dollar sentiment the clear driver.  In fact, the entire CE4 is strong, as they demonstrate their ongoing high beta performance compared to the euro (+0.35%).

Data this week is really concentrated on Wednesday, but is as follows:

Tuesday Empire Manufacturing 6.9
IP 0.3%
Capacity Utilization 70.3%
Wednesday Retail Sales -0.3%
-ex autos 0.1%
FOMC Rate Decision 0.00% – 0.25%
Thursday Initial Claims 823K
Continuing Claims 5.7M
Philly Fed 20.0
Housing Starts 1533K
Building Permits 1558K
Friday Leading Indicators 0.4%

Source: Bloomberg

So, really, all eyes will be turned toward Washington and Chairman Powell as we await any indication that the Fed is going to change policy further.  Expectations are growing around new forward guidance, for explicit economic targets to be achieved before adjusting rates, but in any case, there is no expectation for rates to rise before the end of 2023.  Perhaps new forecasts and the new dot plot will add some new information, but I doubt it.

For now, risk remains in vogue, and as long as that remains the case, the dollar will remain under pressure.  But don’t expect a collapse, instead a modest decline, at least vs. the G10.  Certainly, there are some emerging currencies, notably BRL, which I think have room to run a bit more.

Good luck and stay safe
Adf