Tag Archives: #ECB

Every Reason

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While prices in Europe are leaping
According to Christine’s bookkeeping
She’s got “every reason”
To keep on appeasin’
The ECB doves who are sleeping

So, rather than look to the Fed
She’s focused on China instead
Where they just cut rates
As growth there stagnates
And Covid continues to spread

One has to wonder exactly what Christine Lagarde is looking at when she makes comments like she did this morning.  Specifically, she said the following in a radio interview in France, [emphasis added] “We have every reason to not react as quickly and as abruptly as we could imagine the Fed might, but we have started to respond and we, of course, stand ready to respond with monetary policy if figures, data, facts, require it.”  Remember, the ECB has a single mandate, achieving price stability which they define as 2% inflation over the medium term.  With this in mind, let me recount this morning’s data, which clearly has Madame Lagarde nonplussed: German Dec PPI +5.0% M/M and +24.2% Y/Y, the highest figures ever in the history of German record keeping back to 1949.  Eurozone Dec CPI +0.4% M/M and 5.0% Y/Y, also the highest since the creation of the Eurozone.  I realize I am a simple FX salesman, but to my uneducated eye, those indications of inflation seem somewhat above 2.0%.  Perhaps mathematics in France is different than here in the US, but I would challenge Madame Lagarde to explain a bit more carefully why, despite all evidence to the contrary, she thinks the ECB is acting in accordance with their mandate.  I suspect there are about 83 million people in Germany who may be wondering the same thing.

Certainly, traders do not believe her or her colleagues when they say, as Pablo Hernandez de Cos did “an increase in interest rates is not expected in 2022.”   De Cos is the head of the Spanish central bank and a Governing Council member and clearly not a hawk.  Yet, the OIS market in Europe is pricing in 0.20% of rate hikes by the end of 2022 (the ECB has been moving in 10 basis point increments), so two rate hikes.  I also realize that there appear to be many econometric models around that are forecasting a return to much lower inflation within the next twelve months, certainly those are the models the central banks themselves are using.  It seems that the real question is at what point will the central banks, specifically the Fed and ECB, recognize that their models may not be a very accurate representation of reality?  And I fear the answer is, never!

Perhaps Madame Lagarde was channeling Yi Gang, the PBOC’s Governor, although the situation on the ground in China is clearly different than that in Europe.  For instance, after cutting two important interest rates last Friday, the PBOC cut two different interest rates last night, the 1-year loan prime rate by 0.10% down to 3.70%, and the 5-year rate was cut by 5 basis points to 4.60%.  China continues to struggle with their zero covid policy.  They continue to fall behind the curve there as the omicron variant is so incredibly transmissible.  But what is clear is that China is growing increasingly concerned over the pace of growth in the economy and so the PBOC has begun to act even more aggressively.  While 5 and 10 basis point moves may not seem like a lot, given how infrequently the PBOC has been willing to cut interest rates, they are an important signal to market participants that support is at hand.  This was made clear by the equity markets last night where the Hang Seng, home to so many property companies, exploded higher by 3.4% although Shanghai’s market was quite subdued, actually slipping 0.1%.

In the end, it is clear that global synchronicity is not an appropriate way to think about the current macroeconomic situation.  Given the dramatically different ways that different nations approached the Covid pandemic, it should be no surprise that there are huge differences in rates of growth and inflation around the world.  The hedging implications of this outcome are that it will require more specific analysis of each country in which there is an exposure to determine the best way to mitigate risks there.

With that in mind, let us take a look at markets this morning.  Despite Shanghai’s lackluster performance, the rest of Asia was actually quite solid with the Nikkei (+1.1%) rounding out the top markets.  Europe, on the other hand, has been less positive with the DAX (+0.1%) edging higher while both the CAC (-0.1%) and FTSE 100 (-0.1%) are slipping a bit.  I guess more promises of ongoing policy ease were not enough to overcome the soaring inflation story on the continent.  US futures are all pointing higher at this hour, with NASDAQ (+0.9%) leading the way although that index has fallen by 10% from its highs, so has more room to catch up.

Looking at the bond market, I can’t help but wonder if we have seen peak hawkishness earlier this week, at least for the Fed.  After the long weekend, we saw the 10-year Treasury yield trade up to 1.88%, but since then it has slipped back with today’s price action seeing yields fall an additional 2.7 basis points and placing us 4bps off those highs.  Now, this could simply be a short-term correction, but with the Fed announcement next week, it really does feel like the market has gotten way ahead of itself.  At this point, the only way next week’s FOMC could be seen as hawkish would be if they actually raised rates, something to which I ascribe a zero probability.  One other thing to recall is that recent surveys continue to show a large contingent of fund managers believe that inflation is transitory which implies that they are likely to take advantage of the current rise in yields and prevent things from running away.

On the commodity front, oil (-0.4%) has stopped running higher, although this pause seems much more like a consolidation than a change in views.  NatGas (-1.5%) is also a bit softer today in both the US and Europe as seasonal or higher temperatures continue to reduce marginal demand.  Turning to metals markets, gold (-0.2%) is slightly softer this morning, but overall, despite rising interest rates, has held up quite well lately and remains well above the $1800/oz level.  Interestingly, silver (0.0% today +4.6% this week) seems to be having a much better time of things and technically looks to have broken out higher.  Arguably, this information blends well with the thought that bond yields may have peaked, but we shall see.

As to the dollar, it is mixed this morning with both gainers and losers in both the G10 and EMG spaces.  The funny thing is, other than RUB (-0.6%) which is leading the way lower today on the back of threats of more substantial sanctions in the event Russia does invade the Ukraine, the rest of the story is much harder to pin down.  For instance, from a news perspective Bank Indonesia met last night and left rates on hold, as expected, but indicated that it would begin normalizing monetary policy in March, returning its RRR to its pre-covid levels, but the rupiah only rose 0.2%.  In fact, today’s leading gainer is ZAR (+0.75%), but given the dearth of either data or news, the best bet here seems to be a response to precious metals strength.  One other thing to remember is that despite easing by the PBOC, the renminbi continues to edge higher.  Frankly, I see no reason for it to weaken anytime soon, especially with my view the dollar will be suffering going forward.

On the data front, Initial Claims (exp 225K), Continuing Claims (1563K), Philly Fed (19.0) and Existing Home Sales (6.43M) are on the calendar.  Remember, Empire Manufacturing was a huge bust earlier this week, so watch the Philly Fed number for any indication of weakness and slowing growth here at home.  In fact, it is that scenario that will allow the Fed to remain on the dovish side, although I fear it will not slow down the inflation train.

If there are any inklings that the Fed is not going to be as hawkish as had seemed to be believed just a few days ago, I expect that the dollar will come under further pressure.  In fact, in order to change that view we will need to see a very hawkish outcome from next Wednesday’s FOMC, something I do not anticipate.  Payables hedgers, I fear the dollar may be near its peak, so don’t miss out.

Good luck and stay safe
Adf

Walking the Walk

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Two central banks managed to shock
The market by walking the walk
The Old Lady jacked
By fifteen, in fact
Banxico then doubled the talk

So, now that it’s all said and done
C bankers, a new tale have spun
The virus no longer
Is such a fearmonger
Inflation’s now job number one

Talk, as we all know, is cheap, but from the two largest central banks, that’s mostly what we got.  While Chairman Powell got a positive market response from his erstwhile hawkish comments initially, yesterday investors started to rethink the benefits of tighter monetary policy and decided equity markets might not be the best place to hold their assets.  This is especially true of those invested in the mega-cap tech companies as those are the ones that most closely approximate an extremely long-duration bond.  So, the NASDAQ’s -2.5% performance has been followed by weakness around the globe and NASDAQ futures pointing down -0.9% this morning.  As many have said (present company included) the idea that the Fed will be aggressively tightening monetary policy in the face of a sharp sell-off in the stock market is pure fantasy.  The only question is exactly how far stocks need to fall before they blink.  My money is on somewhere between 10% and 20%.

Meanwhile, Madame Lagarde continues to pitch her view that inflation remains transitory and that while it is higher than the target right now, by next year, it will be back below target and the ECB’s concerns will focus on deflation again.  So, while the PEPP will indeed be wound down, it will not disappear as it is always available for a reappearance should they deem it necessary.  And in the meantime, they will increase the APP by €40 billion/month while still accepting Greek junk paper as part of the mix.  Even though inflation is running at 4.9% (2.6% core) as confirmed this morning, they espouse no concern that it is a problem.  Perhaps the most confusing part of this tale is that the EURUSD exchange rate rallied on the back of a more hawkish Fed / more dovish ECB combination.  One has to believe that is a pure sell the news result and the euro will slowly return to recent lows and make new ones to boot.

One final word about the major central banks as the BOJ concluded its meeting last night and…left policy unchanged as universally expected.  There is no indication they are going to do anything different for a long time to come.

However, when you step away from the Big 3 central banks, there was far more action in the mix, some of it quite surprising.  First, the BOE did raise the base rate by 15 basis points to 0.25% and indicated that it will be rising all throughout next year, with expectations that by September it will be 1.00%.  The MPC’s evaluation that omicron would not derail the economy and price pressures, especially from the labor market, were reaching dangerous levels led to the move and the surprise helped the pound rally as much as 0.7% at one point.  Earlier yesterday, the Norges Bank raised rates 25bps, up to 0.50%, and essentially promised another 25bp rise by March.  Then, in the afternoon, Banco de Mexico stepped in and raised their overnight rate by 0.50%, twice the expected hike and the largest move since they began this tightening cycle back in June.  It seems they are concerned about “the magnitude and diversity” of price pressures and do not want to allow inflation expectations to get unanchored, as central bankers are wont to say.

Summing up central bank week, the adjustment has been significant from the last round of meetings with inflation clearly now the main focus for every one of them, perhaps except for Turkey, where they cut the one-week repo rate by 100 basis points to 14.0% and continue to watch the TRY (-7.0%) collapse.  It is almost as if President Erdogan is trying to recreate the Weimar hyperinflation of the 1920’s without the war reparations.

Will they be able to maintain this inflation fighting stance if global equity markets decline?  That, of course, is the big question, and one which history does not show favorably.  At least not the current crop of central bankers.  Barring the resurrection of Paul Volcker, I think we know the path this will take.

This poet is seeking his muse
To help him define next year’s views
Thus, til New Year’s passed
Do not be aghast
My note, you’ll not have, to peruse

Ok, for my final note of the year, let’s recap what has happened overnight.  As mentioned above, risk is under pressure after a poor performance by equity markets in the US.  So, the Nikkei (-1.8%), Hang Seng (-1.2%) and Shanghai (-1.2%) all fell pretty sharply overnight.  This morning, Europe has also been generally weak, but not quite as badly off as Asia with the DAX (-0.65%) and CAC (-0.7%) both lower although the FTSE 100 (+0.3%) is bucking the trend after stronger than expected Retail Sales data (+1.4%).  Meanwhile, Germany has been dealing with soaring inflation (PPI 19.2%, a new historic high) and weakening growth expectations as the IFO (92.6) fell to its lowest level since January and is trending sharply lower.  US futures are also pointing lower at this hour.

Bond markets, meanwhile, are generally firmer although Treasury yields are unchanged at this time.  Europe, though, has seen declining yields across the board led by French OATs (-2.6bps) and Bunds (-1.8bps) with the peripherals also doing well.  Gilts are bucking this trend as well, with yields unchanged this morning.

In the commodity space, oil (-1.75%) is leading the energy sector lower along with NatGas (-1.9%), but metals markets are going the other way.  Gold (+0.5%, and back above $1800/oz) and silver (+0.7%) feel more like inflation hedges this morning, and we are seeing strength in the industrial space with copper (+0.45%), aluminum (+2.1%) and tin (+1.8%) all rallying.  

Lastly, looking at the dollar, on this broad risk-off day, it is generally stronger vs. its G10 counterparts with only the yen (+0.2%) showing its haven status.  Otherwise, NZD (-0.5%) and AUD (-0.4%) are leading the way lower with the entire commodity bloc under pressure.  As to the single currency, it is currently slightly softer (-0.1%) but I believe it has much further to run by year end.  

In the EMG bloc, excluding TRY’s collapse, the biggest mover has actually been ZAR (+0.6%) after it reported that the hospitalization rate during the omicron outbreak has collapsed to just 1.7% of cases being admitted.  This speaks to the variant’s less pernicious symptoms despite its rapid spread.  Other than that, on the plus side KRW (+0.25%) benefitted from central bank comments that they would continue to support the economy but raise rates if necessary.  On the downside, CLP (-0.4%) is opening poorly as traders brace for this weekend’s runoff presidential election between a hard left and hard right candidate with no middle ground to be found.  However, beyond those moves, there has been much less activity.

There is no economic data today and only one Fed speaker, Governor Waller at 1:00pm.  So, the FX market will once again be seeking its catalysts from other markets or the tape.  At this point, if risk continues to be shed, I expect the dollar to continue to recoup its recent losses and eventually make new highs.

As I mention above, this will be the last daily note for 2021 but the FX Poet will return with his forecasts on January 3rd, 2022, and the daily will follow afterwards.  To everyone who continues to read, thank you for your support and I hope everyone has a happy and healthy holiday season.

Good luck, good weekend and stay safe
Adf

Til ‘flation Responds

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Apparently, Powell has learned
Why everyone’s been so concerned
With prices exploding
The sense of foreboding
‘Bout ‘flation seemed very well earned

So, Jay and his friends at the Fed
Said by March, that they would stop dead
The buying of bonds
Til ‘flation responds
(Or til stocks fall deep in the red)

By now you are all aware that the FOMC will be reducing QE twice as rapidly as their earlier pace, meaning that by March 2022, QE should have ended.  Chairman Powell was clear that inflation has not only been more persistent than they had reason to believe last year but has also moved much higher than they thought possible, and so they are now forced to respond.  Interestingly, when asked during the press conference why they will take even as long as they are to taper policy rather than simply stop buying more assets now if that is the appropriate policy, Powell let slip what I, and many others, have been saying all along; by reducing QE gradually, it will have a lesser impact on markets.  In other words, the Fed is more concerned with Wall Street (i.e. the stock market) than it is with Main Street.  Arguably, despite a more hawkish dot plot than had been anticipated, with the median expectation of 3 rate hikes in 2022 and 3 more in 2023, the stock market rallied sharply in the wake of the press conference.  If one is seeking an explanation, I would offer that Chairman Powell has just confirmed that the Fed put remains alive and well and is likely struck far closer to the market than had previously been imagined, maybe just 10% away.

One other thing of note was that Powell referred to the speed with which this economic cycle has been unfolding, much more rapidly than the post-GFC cycle, and also hinted that the Fed would consider reducing the size of its balance sheet as well going forward.  Recall, however, what happened last time, when the Fed was both raising the Fed funds rate and allowing the balance sheet to run off by $50 billion/month back in 2018; stocks fell 20% in Q4 and the Powell Pivot was born.  FWIW my sense is that the Fed will not be able to raise rates as much as the dot plot forecasts.  Rather, the terminal rate will be, at most, 2.00% (last time it was 2.50%), and that any shrinkage of the balance sheet will be minimal.  The last decade of monetary policy has permanently changed the role of central banks and defined their behavior in a new manner.  While not described as such by those “independent” central banks, debt monetization (buying government bonds) is now a critical role required to keep most economies functioning as debt/GDP ratios continue to climb.  In other words, MMT is the reality and it will require a much more dramatic, and long-lasting, negative shock for that to change.

One last thing on this; the bond market has heard what Powell said and immediately rallied.  The charitable explanation is that bond investors are now comforted by the Fed’s recognition that inflation is a problem and will be addressed.  Powell’s explanation about foreign demand seems unlikely, at least according to the statistics showing foreign net sales of bonds.  Of more concern would be the explanation that bond investors are concerned about a policy mistake here, where the Fed is tightening too late and will drive the economy into a recession, as they always have done when they tighten policy.

With Jay and the Fed finally past
The market will get to contrast
The Fed’s hawkish sounds
With Europe’s shutdowns
And watch Christine hold rates steadfast

But beyond the Fed, this has been central bank policy week with so many other central bank decisions today.  Last night the Philippines left policy on hold at 1.50%, as did Indonesia at 3.50%, both as expected.  Then, this morning the Swiss National Bank (-0.75%) left rates on hold and explained the franc remains “highly valued”.  Hungary raised their Deposit rate by 0.30% as expected and Norges Bank raised by 0.25%, also as expected, while promising another 0.25% in March.  Taiwan left rates unchanged at 1.125%, as expected and Turkey continue their unique inflation fighting policy by cutting the one-week repo rate by 1.00%, down to 14.00% although did indicate they may be done cutting for now.  As to the Turkish lira, if you were wondering, it has fallen another 3.8% as I type and is now well through 15.00 to the dollar.  YTD, TRY has fallen more than 51% vs. the dollar and quite frankly, given the more hawkish turn at the Fed, seems like it has further to go!

Which of course, brings us to the final two meetings today, the ECB and the BOE.  Madame Lagarde and most of her minions have been very clear that they are not about to change policy, meaning they will continue both the PEPP and APP and are right now simply considering how they are going to manage policy once the PEPP expires in March.  That is another way of saying they are trying to figure out how to continue to buy as many bonds as they are now, while losing one of their programs.  I’m not worried about them finding a way to continue QE ad infinitum, but the form that takes is the question at hand.  While European inflation pressures have certainly lagged those in the US, they are still well above their 2.0% target, and currently show no signs of abating.  If anything, the fact that electricity prices on the continent continue to skyrocket, I would expect overall prices to only go higher.  But Madame Lagarde is all-in on MMT and will drag the few monetary hawks in the Eurozone down with her.  Do not be surprised if the ECB sounds dovish today and the euro suffers accordingly.

As to the BOE, that is much tougher to discern as inflation pressures there are far more prevalent and members of the MPC have been more vocal with respect to discussing how they need to respond by beginning to raise the base rate.  But with the UK flipping out over the omicron variant and set to cancel Christmas impose more lockdowns, it is not clear the BOE will feel comfortable starting their tightening cycle into slower economic activity.  Ahead of the meeting, the futures market is pricing in just a 25% probability of a 0.15% rate hike.  My money is on nothing happening, but we shall see shortly.

Oh yeah, tonight we hear from the BOJ, but that is so anticlimactic it is remarkable.  There will be no policy shifts there and the yen will remain hostage to everything else that is ongoing.  Quite frankly, given the yen has been sliding lately, I expect Kuroda-san must be quite happy with the way things are.

And that’s really the story today.  Powell managed to pull off a hawkish turn and get markets to embrace risk, truly an impressive feat.  However, over time, I expect that equity markets will decide that tighter monetary policy, especially if central bank balance sheets begin to shrink, is not really a benefit and will start to buckle.  But right now, all screens are green and FOMO is the dominant driver.

In the near term, I think the dollar has further to run higher, but over time, especially when equity markets reverse course, I expect the dollar will fall victim to the impossible trilemma, where the Fed can only prop up stocks and bonds simultaneously, while the dollar’s decline will be the outlet valve required for the economy.  But that is many months away.  For now, buy dollars and buy stocks, I guess.

Good luck and stay safe
Adf

Dire Straits

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In Europe, the UK, and States
The central banks face dire straits
Inflation’s ascending
But omicron’s trending
So, what should they do about rates?

First Jay will most certainly say
More tapering is on the way
But Andrew is stuck
With Covid amok
While Christine, a choice, will delay

It is central bank week and all eyes are on the decisions and statements to be made by the Fed on Wednesday and the BOE and ECB on Thursday.  In fact, the BOJ will be meeting Friday, but by that time, given the fact that markets are likely to be exhausted from whatever occurs earlier in the week and the assumption nothing there will change, that news seems unlikely to matter much.

By this time, the market narrative (as opposed to the Fed’s preferred narrative) has evolved to the Fed must taper QE even more rapidly with doubling that rate seen as the bare minimum.  You may recall that in November, the Fed announced it would be reducing its QE purchases by $15 billion / month until such time as QE ended.  At that point, they would then consider the idea about raising interest rates assuming inflation remained a concern.  Of course, since then, no matter how you measure inflation, (CPI, core PCE, Trimmed Mean, Sticky) it has risen to levels not seen since the early 1980’s.  This has resulted in a near hysterical call by the punditry for much faster tapering and nearly immediate interest rate hikes.  The longer the Fed delays the process, the fact that rising inflation forces real yields lower means that monetary conditions are easing during a period of extraordinary fiscal policy led demand.  This simply exacerbates the inflation situation feeding this self-reinforcing loop.  Quite frankly, I believe the punditry is correct on this issue, but also expect that the Fed will do less than has become widely believed is necessary because inaction is their default setting.

The dollar, which is largely firmer across the board this morning, continues to benefit from the anticipated hawkishness that this new narrative has evoked.  Arguably, that sets up the opportunity for a sell-off in the greenback if Powell doesn’t deliver the goods, and realistically, even if he does on a ‘sell the news’ outcome.

Turning to the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street, Governor Andrew Bailey has already drawn the ire of financial markets (and some members of Parliament) with his comments from October that many took as a ‘promise’ to raise the base rate then in an effort to address rising inflation in the UK.  But he didn’t do so, and blamed market participants for hearing what he said as such a promise.  That led to investors and traders assuming the rate hike would be coming this week, with more to follow, and that the base rate, currently at 0.10%, would be raised to 1.25% by the end of 2022.  However, omicron has thrown a wrench into the works as the Johnson government is now considering Plan B, or C or D (I lose count) as their newest lockdown strictures to prevent the spread of the latest variant.  Arguably, raising interest rates into a period where the economy is shutting down would be categorized as a policy mistake, and one easily avoided.  Thus, the BOE finds itself in a difficult spot, wait to find out more about omicron despite inflation’s rapid and persistent rise, or address inflation at the risk of tightening into a slowing economy.

The pound, despite expectations which had been focused on the BOE leading the interest rate cycle amongst the big four central banks, has traded back down to its lowest level in a year, although realistically to its average over the past five years.  The trend, though, is clearly lower and any reasonable hawkishness by the Fed is likely to see Sterling test, and break below, 1.30, in my view.  At this point, I feel like the pound is completely beholden to Powell, not Bailey.

Finally, the ECB also announces their policy decisions on Thursday, just 45 minutes after the BOE.  Here the discussion has been around what happens when the PEPP, which is due to expire in March 2022, ends and what type of additional support will they be pumping into the economy.  It has already become clear that the original QE program, the APP, will be expanded in some form, but one of the things about that was the requirement that the ECB stick to the capital key with respect to its purchases, and the inability of that program to purchase non-IG debt.  The problem there is that Greece remains junk credit, but also the Greek government bond market remains entirely dependent on the ECB’s purchases to continue to function.  At the same time, Germany, where inflation is running the hottest (Wholesale Prices rose 16.6% in November, the highest level ever in the series back to June 1968) is where the largest proportion of bonds is purchased, easing local financial conditions even further thus exacerbating the inflation story there.  In many ways, it is understandable as to why there is less clarity on the ECB’s potential actions.  As many problems as the Fed has created for themselves, the ECB probably has more, and Madame Lagarde is not a central banker by trade, but rather a politician.  As such, she is far more likely to push for a politically comfortable solution than an economically sound one.

The euro had been trending steadily lower until Thanksgiving when we saw a bounce and it has been consolidating ever since.  However, my take is the ECB is likely to be more dovish, rather than less, and in the wake of a Fed that is clearly tightening policy and will be seen to have to tighten further going forward, the euro is likely to feel more pressure to decline going forward.  Look for a test of 1.10 sometime early in Q1.

OK, now that we’ve set the stage for the week ahead, let’s quickly tour the overnight activity.  After yet another rally in the NY afternoon, Asia was mostly higher (Nikkei +0.7%, Hang Seng -0.2%, Shanghai +0.4%) with Europe showing a similar type of performance (DAX +0.9%, CAC +0.15%, FTSE 100 -0.1%).  US futures are all pointing a bit higher, but only about 0.2%.  Net, risk appetite seems to be modest today ahead of the meetings this week.

Interestingly, despite decent equity market performance, and despite no end in sight for inflation pressures, bond markets have generally rallied today with yields edging lower.  Treasury yields have slipped by 1.4bps, while Bunds (-1.0bps), OATs (-1.5bps) and Gilts (-1.7bps) all show similar yield declines.  This seems a little odd given the inflation narrative remains strong, but perhaps is a response to concerns over a policy mistake, or three, amongst the central banks.

Commodity prices are mixed this morning with oil (-0.7%) under pressure while NatGas (+1.5%) is making gains based on colder weather.  (PS, European NatGas is up 9.3% this morning to $38.33/mmBTU, compared to US NatGas at $3.98/mmBTU).  That is NOT a typo, almost 10x the price.  It seems that colder weather and the ongoing Russia/Ukraine/Belarus issues are having a big impact.  Metals prices are generally firmer with precious (Au +0.4%, Ag +0.4%) looking solid while industrial (Cu +0.3%, Al +1.2%) also perform well although some of the lesser metals like Ni (-0.6%) and Sn (-0.2%) are underperforming.

As to the dollar, it is universally stronger vs. the G10 with NOK (-0.6%) and AUD (-0.5%) the laggards although CAD (-0.3%) is also under the gun.  It seems oil is an issue as well as the Chinese economy with respect to the Aussie.  EMG currencies are broadly softer, but other than TRY (-2.0%) which continues to trade to new historic lows amid policy blunders, the movement has not been excessive.  MYR (-0.4%) is the next worst performer, consolidating recent gains as traders await presumed hawkish news from the Fed, with most other currencies showing similar types of losses on the same story.  The exceptions to this rule are ZAR (+0.5%) which rallied on the strength of the metals complex and IDR (+0.2%) which benefitted based on a reduced borrowing plan for the government.

On the data front, ahead of the Fed we see PPI and Retail Sales plus a bit more stuff later in the week.

Tuesday NFIB Small Biz Optimism 98.4
PPI 0.5% (9.2% Y/Y)
-ex food & energy 0.4% (7.2% Y/Y)
Wednesday Empire Manufacturing 25.0
Retail Sales 0.8%
-ex autos 0.9%
Business Inventories 1.1%
FOMC Meeting
Thursday Initial Claims 195K
Continuing Claims 1938K
Housing Starts 1566K
Building Permits 1660K
Philly Fed 29.6
IP 0.7%
Capacity Utilization 76.8%

Source: Bloomberg

The demand story certainly seems robust based on Retail Sales, and that has to continue to influence the Fed.  I find the inventories data interesting as firms evolve from just-in-time to just-in-case models, another inflationary process.  But in the end, this week is all about the Fed (and BOE and ECB) so until we know more from there, look for choppy markets with no real direction.

Good luck and stay safe
Adf

A Mishap

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When most of us think of an APP
It’s something on phones that we tap
But Madame Christine,
The ECB queen,
Fears PEPP’s end would be a mishap

So, word is next week when they meet
Expansion of APP they’ll complete
Thus, PEPP they’ll retire
But still, heading higher
Are PIGS debt on their balance sheet

Over the next seven days we will hear from the FOMC, ECB and BOE with respect to their policies as each meets next week.  Expectations are for the Fed to increase the speed at which they are tapering their QE purchases, with most pundits looking for that to double, thus reducing QE by $30 billion/month until it is over.  Rate hikes are assumed to follow shortly thereafter.  However, if they sound quite hawkish, do not be surprised if the equity market sells off and all of our recent experience shows that the Fed will not allow too large a decline in stock prices before blinking.  Do not be envious of Chairman Powell’s job at this point, it will be uncomfortable regardless of what the Fed does.

As to the ECB, recent commentary has been mixed with some members indicating they believe continued support for the economy is necessary once the PEPP expires in March, and that despite internal rules prohibiting the ECB from buying non IG debt, they should continue to support Greece via the Asset Purchase Program.  The APP is their original QE tool, and has been running alongside the PEPP throughout the crisis.  Both the doves on the ECB and the punditry believe that any unused capacity from the PEPP will simply be transferred to the APP so there is more buying power, and by extension more support for the PIGS.  However, we are hearing more from the hawks recently about the fact that QE has been inflating asset prices and inflation, and perhaps it needs to be reined in.  When considering ECB activity, though, one has to look at who is running the show, just like with the Fed.  And Madame Christine Lagarde has never given any indication that she is considering reducing the amount of support the ECB is providing to the Eurozone economy.  Rather, just last week she explained that inflation’s path is likely to be a “hump” which will fall back down to, and below, their 2.0% target in the near future, so there is no need to be concerned over recent data.

Finally, the BOE finds itself in a sticky situation because of the relatively larger impact of the omicron variant in the UK versus elsewhere.  While Governor Bailey had indicated back in October that higher rates were on the way, the BOE’s failure to act last month was a shock to the markets and futures traders are now far less certain that UK interest rates will be rising in order to fight rapidly rising prices there.  Instead, there is increased discussion of the negative impact of omicron and the fact that the Johnson government appears to be setting up for yet another nationwide lockdown, something that will clearly reduce demand pressure.  So, there is now only a 20% probability priced into the BOE raising rates to 0.25% next week from the current 0.10% level.  This is not helping the pound’s performance at all.

And lastly, the PBOC
Adjusted a rare policy
FX RRR
Was raised to a bar
Two points o’er its prior degree

One last piece of news this morning was the PBOC announcement that they were raising the FX Reserve Ratio Requirement from 7% to 9% effective the same day the RRR for bank capital is being cut.  This little-known ratio is designed to help the PBOC in its currency management efforts by forcing banks to increase their FX liquidity.  This is accomplished by local banks buying dollars and selling renminbi.  It is a clear sign that the PBOC was getting uncomfortable with the renminbi’s recent strength.  Today is the second time they have raised the FX RRR this year with the first occurring at the end of May.  Prior to that, this tool had not been used since 2007!  Also, if you look at the chart, following this move in May, USDCNH rose 2.25% in the ensuing three weeks.  Since the announcement at 6:10 this morning, USDCNH is higher by 0.5% already.  It can be no surprise that the Chinese are fighting the strength of the yuan as it remains a key outlet valve for economic pressures.  And while Evergrande is officially in default, as well as several other Chinese property developers, the PBOC maintains that is not a problem.  But it is a problem and they are trying to figure out how to resolve it without flooding the economy with additional liquidity and without losing face.

With all that in mind, let’s see how markets have behaved.  Yesterday’s ongoing rebound in US equity markets only partially carried over to Asia with the Nikkei (-0.5%) failing to be inspired although the Hang Seng (+1.1%) and Shanghai (+1.0%) both benefitted from PBOC comments regarding the resolution of Evergrande.  European bourses are in the red, but generally not by that much (DAX -0.35%, CAC -0.2%, FTSE 100 -0.2%).  There was little in the way of data released in the Eurozone or UK, but Schnabel’s comments about PEPP purchases inflating assets have put a damper on things.  US futures, too, are sliding this morning with all three major indices lower by about -0.4% or so.

One cannot be surprised that bonds are rallying a bit, between the large declines seen yesterday and the growing risk-off sentiment, so Treasuries (-2.2bps) are actually lagging the move in Europe (Bunds -3.6bps, OATs -3.8bps, Gilts -4.7bps) and even PIGS bond yields have slipped.  Clearly bonds feel like a better investment this morning.

After a 1-week rally of real significance, oil (-0.7%) is consolidating some of those gains and a bit softer on the day.  NatGas (-0.7%) is also lower and we are seeing weakness in metals prices, both precious (Au -0.2%. Ag -0.7%) and industrial (Cu -1.4%).  Foodstuffs are also under pressure this morning, but at this time of year that is far more weather related than anything else.

As to the dollar, it is broadly stronger this morning with the only G10 currency to gain being the yen (+0.1%) and the rest of the bloc under pressure led by NOK (-1.0%) and AUD (-0.45%) feeling the heat of weaker commodity prices.  I must mention the euro (-0.3%) which seems to be adjusting based on the slight change in tone of the relative views of FOMC and ECB policies, with the ECB dovishness back to the fore.

EMG currencies are also mostly softer although there are a few outliers the other way.  The laggards are ZAR (-1.0%) on the back of softer commodity prices and TRY (-0.9%) which continues to suffer from its current monetary policy stance and should continue to do so until that changes.  We’ve already discussed CNY/CNH and see HUF (-0.5%) also under pressure as the 0.2% rise in the deposit rate was not seen as sufficient by the market to fight ongoing inflation pressures.  On the plus side, the noteworthy gainer is CLP (+0.5%) which seems to be responding to the latest polls showing strength in the conservative candidate’s showing.  Also, I would be remiss if I did not highlight BRL’s 1.5% gain since yesterday as the BCB raised rates by the expected 1.50% and hawkish commentary indicating another 1.50% rate rise in February.

On the data front, Initial (exp 220K) and Continuing (1910K) Claims are really all we see this morning, neither of which seem likely to have an FX impact.  Tomorrow’s CPI data, on the other hand, will be closely watched.

The current narrative remains the Fed is quickening the pace of tapering QE in order to give themselves the flexibility to raise rates sooner given inflation’s intractable rise.  As long as that remains the story, the dollar should remain well supported, and I think that can be the case right up until the equity markets respond negatively.  Any sharp decline will be met with a dovish Fed response and the dollar will suffer at that point.  Be prepared.

Good luck and stay safe
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Prices Keep Rising

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In Europe, though prices keep rising
The central bank is emphasizing
No rate hikes are near
In this or next year
So, traders, their views, are revising

Meanwhile in the States the reverse
Is true with inflation much worse
Now traders believe
The Fed’s on the eve
Of trying to tighten their purse

It cannot be surprising that inflation remains topic number one in the markets as its existence is driving virtually every narrative.  For instance, the choice for next Fed Chair is seen as having a direct impact on inflation based on the relative dovishness of Lael Brainerd vs. Jay Powell.  Too, as oil prices have risen so sharply over the past year, driving up the price of gas at the pump and inflation in general, the Biden Administration is now exhorting all nations to release oil from their strategic reserves in order to damp down those price pressures.  And what about wages, you may ask?  As per the WSJ this morning, here is the latest on the just agreed wage deal at Deere & Co, whose workers had been on strike for the past 5 weeks,

“Deere workers returning to assembly plants and warehouses will get an immediate 10% raise, and each worker will receive an $8,500 bonus. Additional 5% pay raises will be provided in 2023 and 2025, and lump-sum bonuses amounting to 3% of workers’ annual pay will be awarded in the three other years.
The deal approved Wednesday also will increase the base pay level for Deere’s continuous-improvement program by about 4%, giving workers more weekly pay from the program if their productivity meets the company’s goals. About two-thirds of UAW-represented Deere workers receive production-based compensation on top of their regular wages, according to the company.”

Apparently, the cost of the settlement is on the order of $3.5 billion, a very substantial portion of their forecast 2021 earnings estimates of $5.8 billion.  It strikes that either Deere is going to be raising prices (likely) to offset that margin compression, or its earnings numbers are going to diminish (also likely) thus putting pressure on its stock over time.  Recall, Chairman Powell has been adamant, and we have heard from numerous other Fed speakers as well, that wage inflation is not imminent and thus recent price rises are likely to be temporary.  This appears to be one more data point that makes the Fed story less plausible.

In Europe, however, there is a full-court press by ECB members to convince the investment and trading communities that they are not going to raise rates anytime soon as inflation there, too, is still transitory.  While it should be no surprise that Mario Centeno, the Portuguese central bank head and ECB member is all-in for never raising rates again, it is a huge surprise that Germany’s Isabel Schnabel is talking about the need to avoid premature tightening as deflation risks still haunt the Eurozone.  Her comments come despite CPI in Germany running at 4.5%, the highest since the reunification in the early 90’s and causing significant domestic strife.  If one was looking for a sign that the ECB doves have coopted the hawks to their side, there is no better indication than this!  As such, traders, who had been pricing for a 10bp rise in the deposit rate by the end of 2022 have pushed that view back nearly 12 months.

In sum, the battle between the central bank narratives and reality continues apace with the central banks, remarkably, holding their own in the face of growing evidence to dispute their claims.  And it is this battle that will continue to drive markets and help maintain volatility as each data point or comment has the ability to alter things at the margin.

So, as we look at markets this morning, remember the backdrop remains, Inflation, friend or foe?

Ok, how has risk appetite been affected by the latest news?  Well, US equities all moved lower yesterday and that carried over into Asia with the Nikkei (-0.3%), Hang Seng (-1.3%) and Shanghai (-0.5%) all in the red.  Part of that is because the Chinese property sector continues to weigh on sentiment there with the latest news that several large property companies, including Evergrande, are set to unload stakes in other companies to raise cash.  While these sales will be at great losses, the imperative for the cash is obvious.  Not surprisingly, selling large stakes of publicly held companies tends to weigh on their stock price and thus the market as a whole.

In Europe, the picture is more mixed (DAX +0.1%, CAC +0.2%, FTSE 100 -0.2%) with the UK seeming to suffer from growing concerns the Johnson government may invoke Article 16 from the Brexit deal which would suspend part of the Northern Ireland solution and could quickly evoke retaliation by the EU.  As to US futures, given it appears to be illegal for two consecutive down days in the equity markets, it should not be surprising that futures are pointing higher by between 0.2% and 0.5% at this hour.

Bond market price action is a very clear result of the central bank narrative as European sovereigns have all seen rallies (lower yields) while Treasuries remain under pressure as investors anticipate higher rates in the States.  This morning the 10-year Treasury yield is higher by 1 basis point while in Europe (Bunds -0.9bps, OATs -1.3bps, Gilts -2.7bps) the entire continent has seen demand pick up and yields decline.  Clearly, if the ECB remains full-bore on QE, it will support these prices for a long time.

Turning to the commodity markets, pretty much the entire space is softer today led by oil (-0.5%), gold (-0.2%) and copper (-0.7%).  But there is weakness across the rest of the industrial and precious metal space as well.  In fact, the only gainers on the day are NatGas (+1.8%) which looks very much like a rebound from its recent sharp sell-off, and the agricultural space, where the big 3 products are all firmer by a bit.

Turning to the FX markets, the dollar is under a bit of pressure this morning, which mostly seems like a pull-back from its recent strength.  Technically, it does seem overbought.  In the G10, NZD (+0.7%) is far and away the leading gainer after the RBNZ published their inflation expectations survey at the highest level in a decade and traders began to price in another 25 basis point rate hike at their meeting next week.  However, after that, the rest of the bloc has seen much more modest strength except for NOK (-0.1%) which is suffering from oil’s recent travails, and JPY (-0.1%) which may be reacting to news that the Kishida government is discussing yet more fiscal stimulus, this time to the tune of ¥78.9 trillion.

Emerging market currencies have a more mixed tone with the outlier continuing to be TRY (-2.1%) as the central bank remained true to form and cut its base rate to 15.0% despite runaway inflation.  Next worst is CLP (-0.7%) which has fallen as the finance ministry has stopped its regular dollar sales to maintain cash balances, but pulling support from the currency, and then we see both MXN (-0.55%) and ZAR (-0.5%) suffering on the back of commodity weakness.  On the plus side, HUF (+0.7%) is the big winner after the central bank raised rates by a more than expected 0.70% in their efforts to fight inflation.

On the data front this morning comes weekly Initial (exp 260K) and Continuing (2120K) Claims as well as the Philly Fed (24.0) and Leading Indicators (0.8%).  The Fed speaker onslaught slows a bit today with only four speakers, although despite yesterday’s plethora of speakers, it doesn’t appear we learned anything new.

For now, the broad narrative remains the Fed is going to be the first large central bank to tighten and that is driving the dollar higher.  While today we seem to be pausing for a bit, this story does not yet appear to have run its course.  Hence, I reiterate for payables hedgers, pick your levels and take advantage of the dollar’s strength for now.  orders are an excellent way to manage this risk.

Good luck and stay safe
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Qui Vive!

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“Inflation, inflation, inflation”
Lagarde explained might have duration
That’s somewhat extended
Before it has ended
But truly tis an aberration

Yet traders have come to believe
That Madame Lagarde is naïve
Though she’s been dogmatic
That rates will stay static
Investors are shouting qui vive!

It appears that, if anything, the gathering storm of interest rate hikes has done nothing but strengthen in my absence.  Inflation continues to be THE hot topic in markets, and central banks are finding themselves in uncomfortable positions accordingly.  Some, like the RBA, BOC and BOE, have either given up the ghost on the transitory idea and are moving or preparing to do so in order to address what has clearly become a much bigger problem.  Others, notably the ECB, remain ostrich-like and refuse to accept the idea that their policy responses to the pandemic induced government shutdowns and fiscal policy boosts have actually been quite inflationary.  In the face of the ever-increasing inflation numbers around the world, investors are flattening yield curves aggressively, with 2-year yields skyrocketing while 10-year and beyond yields drift lower.  At this point, yield curve inversion remains only a distant possibility, but one that is far more likely than had been the case just two weeks ago.  Ultimately, the market’s collective concern is that despite a slowing growth impulse, central banks will be forced to respond to the inflation data thus crimping future growth.  The major risk is they will ultimately slow growth with only a limited impact on prices thus exacerbating the situation.  Right now, it is not that much fun to be a central banker.

A quick recap shows that last week, Madame Lagarde pooh-poohed the idea that the market knew what it was doing by driving rates higher.  She whined that traders were not listening to the ECB’s forward guidance, which she claims shows rates are in no danger of being raised anytime soon.  However, futures traders in Europe are pricing in a 10bp rate hike by next summer, shortly after the PEPP expires.  Meanwhile, 10-year Bund yields, which have been negative since May 2019, have rallied to -0.10% and seem on the verge of returning to positive territory.  Of course, 2-year Bund yields have risen 30bps in the past 3 months as that curve flattens as well.  (As an aside, the FX market had a little hiccup here as well, with the euro rallying sharply after the Lagarde comments, only to give all that back and then some on Friday in the wake of higher than forecast PCE data from the US which has traders betting on more than 50bps of Fed Funds hikes in 2022 and another 100 basis points in 2023.

With that as backdrop, we have two major and one lesser central bank meetings this week, the RBA tonight, the FOMC on Wednesday and the BOE on Thursday.  While we will discuss the latter two at further length over the next several days, the current thinking is that the Fed will announce the timing of the tapering of QE while the market has the BOE as a 50-50 proposition to actually raise the base rate by 0.15%, returning it to 0.25%.

Beyond the central bank drama, we continue to see troubling economic statistics with US GDP growth slowing to 2.0% in Q3, a far cry from its 6.7% Q2 rate, while Chinese Manufacturing PMI fell to 49.2 and German Retail Sales fell -2.5% in September.  On the whole, the stagflation story continues to be the hottest ticket around both anecdotally and based on Google Trends.

As you can see, there is much to be discussed as the week progresses, but for now, let’s take a look at today’s markets.  Despite all the concerns over stagflation, which should theoretically be awful for equities, the US stock market knows no top and that continues to pull most other markets along for the ride.  In fact, last night, the only real issues were in China where the Hang Seng (-0.9%) and Shanghai (-0.1%) suffered as yet another Chinese real estate development company (Yango Group) is on the verge of defaulting on its debts.  However, the Nikkei (+2.6%) rallied strongly on the back of the LDP’s surprising retention of a majority (albeit reduced) of the Diet in weekend elections.  In Europe, though, there is nothing holding back equity investors with all markets in the green (DAX +0.85%, CAC +1.0%, FTSE 100 +0.5%) as bad data is ignored.  While Q3 earnings have been solid, it does seem that prospects going forward are more limited, however investors seem unconcerned for now.  And don’t worry, US futures are all firmly in the green, higher by around 0.4% at this point in the morning.

Given the risk on attitude that we have seen this morning, it is no surprise that bonds are selling off with yields backing up a bit.  Treasury yields (+2.3bps) are a bit higher but still well off the highs seen two weeks’ ago.  Across Europe, sovereign yields (Bunds +1.4bps, OATs +1.7bps and Gilts (+3.0bps) are also firmer in sync with the risk attitude as we see the entire continent’s bonds come under pressure.  One other noteworthy mover were Australian bonds (-18.3bps) which retraced 2/3 of the yield spike from last week as the market prepares for the RBA meeting tonight. You may recall that the RBA had been implementing YCC in the 3yr, seeking to hold that yield at 0.10%.  However, as inflation rose, so did that yield, finally spiking last week as market participants decided the RBA would change tactics, and the RBA did not push back.  Governor Lowe has his work cut out for him this tonight in explaining what the RBA will be doing next.

Turning to commodities, oil prices (+0.5%) are rising this morning and seem to be getting set to break the recent highs and start a new leg toward, dare I say it, $100/bbl.  Overall, however, the commodity complex is directionless today with NatGas (-1.4%) lower, gold (+0.2%) higher, copper (-0.1%) lower, the ags mixed as well as the other non-ferrous metals.  In other words, today seems to be far more noise than signal.

Finally, the dollar, too, seems confused today, with both gainers and losers abounding in both the G10 and EMG spaces.  In the G10, NOK (+0.25%) is the leader as it responds to oil’s rally, while JPY (-0.3%) is the laggard, I assume responding to the election results and the broader positive risk sentiment.  The rest of the bloc is well within those bounds and other than the data mentioned, doesn’t seem to have much short-term direction.

EMG currencies have shown a bit more movement, with TRY (+0.7%) the leader followed by CZK (+0.45%).  The Turkish story seems confused as the two data points showed PMI falling compared to last month and Inflation rising, neither of which would seem to benefit the lira, but there you go!  Meanwhile, the Czech budget deficit is expected to shrink somewhat as traders push the currency higher.  On the downside, there are a few more from which to choose as THB (-0.8%) is the worst performer followed by KRW (-0.7%) and ZAR (-0.6%).  The baht suffered as international investors sold stocks and bonds locally and repatriated currency.  Korea’s won seemed to suffer on broader based dollar strength despite decent export data, but talk is the future looks dimmer as growth around the world slows.  Meanwhile, the rand fell over ongoing concerns that the SARB, when it meets later this month, will disappoint on the rate rise front.

It is, of course, a big data week between the Fed and Friday’s NFP report:

Today ISM Manufacturing 60.5
IS Prices Paid 82.0
Wednesday ADP Employment 400K
ISM Services 62.0
Factory Orders 0.0%
FOMC Rate decision 0.00%-0.25%
Thursday Initial Claims 275K
Continuing Claims 2136K
Nonfarm Productivity -3.2%
Unit Labor Costs 6.9%
Trade Balance -$79.9B
Friday Nonfarm Payrolls 450K
Private Payrolls 400K
Manufacturing Payrolls 28K
Unemployment Rate 4.7%
Average Hourly Earnings 0.4% (4.9% Y/Y)
Average Weekly Hours 34.8
Participation Rate 61.8%

Source: Bloomberg

Obviously, the FOMC on Wednesday is the primary focus closely followed by Friday’s payroll report.  Before then, tonight’s RBA meeting will have the market’s attention and we cannot forget the BOE on Thursday.  All in all, it could be quite an eventful week.  As to the dollar, for now, especially against the euro, it feels like there is further room for appreciation as the market continues to see the Fed as far more hawkish than the ECB.  Quite frankly, I think both sides of that discussion will be comfortable with the outcome as a stronger dollar should help check inflation while a weaker euro can help rekindle the export engine.  Look for it to continue.

Good luck and stay safe
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A Fad that is Passing

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Said central banks, stop your harassing
Inflation’s a fad that is passing
By next year we see
(Or by ‘Twenty-three)
More bonds you will all be amassing

But lately some central bank hawks
Explained that the recent price shocks
Could well last much longer
With wage growth much stronger
And that might not be good for stocks

As we walk in on this Columbus Day holiday, where US banks and the Federal Reserve are closed, although equity markets remain open, the most notable price movement has been in oil where WTI (+2.8%) has rallied to its highest price since October 2014 and now sits well above the $80/bbl level.  Fortunately, we’ve been constantly reassured that this is a temporary transitory phenomenon by numerous central bankers around the world, most frequently by Chairman Powell and ECB President Lagarde.  The claim continues to be that the only reason prices keep rising is as a result of constricted supply chains amid a massive recovery (due to their actions) from the Covid pandemic economy-wide shutdowns.  Soon enough, they also exhort, these supply chain snafus will have been corrected and then shortages of stuff will be a distant memory as we revert to the steady growth and low inflation economies we have all come to know and love.  It’s such a nice, neat story and I’m confident that they both tell themselves constantly that it is true.

Alas, reality has a nasty way of intruding upon a good storyline and recent energy price action is pretty clearly pointing to a different story than the one being peddled by Powell and Lagarde.  In fact, some of their own colleagues, as well as brethren from other key central banks like the BOE, are singing a different tune, one much more in line with reality.  For instance, last night, Klaas Knot, the Dutch Central bank president and ECB member warned investors not to underestimate inflation risks, “This risky behavior [excessive leverage] is only sustainable at low inflation and interest rates.  From the perspective of healthy risk management, it is also important to take other scenarios into consideration.”  I wonder what other scenarios he is considering.  Refreshingly, he followed that comment with this, “There is more in the inflation process we don’t understand than we do understand,” as humble a comment as one can ever expect from a central banker!

However, given Knot’s constant hawkish rhetoric, markets did not really react to his comments, as they were not terribly new.  Of more interest were comments from two separate BOE members, Governor Andrew Bailey and Michael Saunders, the most hawkish member of the MPC.  In both cases, they commented that the market was quite right to begin pricing in higher interest rates as inflation was becoming more problematic and could be “very damaging” if policymakers don’t act.  Traders did not need much prompting beyond this to reprice interest rate futures such that a first hike of 15 basis points (to 0.25%) is now expected by December, while by the end of 2022, the market is pricing a base rate of 0.75%, so two more hikes after that.  Given that UK CPI is forecast to hit 4.0% in Q4 this year, that still seems awfully far behind the curve, but then compared to the US, where inflation is already well above 4%, even on the PCE measure, and Fed Funds remained pegged at 0.00%-0.25%, that counts as tight policy.  When the comments were first published, the pound did jump as much as 0.45%, however, that has already largely faded and as I type, the pound is only 0.1% higher on the day.

Perhaps these are the first real signs that the central bank community is recognizing inflation may not be as transitory as their models (and political needs) had indicated was likely (and necessary) respectively.  Instead, its persistence is becoming more evident, even to them, and calls for tighter monetary policy to address inflation are likely to grow.  Of course, given the extraordinary levels of leverage in the global monetary system, higher rates are going to be very difficult to achieve without an ensuing dramatic decline in asset prices.  This is the corner into which the Fed (and the ECB) have painted themselves.  (As I’ve said before, if I were Chairman Powell, I would be happy to step down allowing my successor to deal with the mess that is surely coming.)  Even if the Fed does begin to taper QE purchases, they will remain behind the curve for a very long time, and those vaunted ‘tools’, which they keep describing as available, will likely not be used to full effect.  Not only is inflation going to continue to rise, but central banks are going to continue to remain behind the curve for a long time to come.  Be prepared.

Ok, with that in mind, let’s look at markets overnight.  Equities in Asia had a pretty good session, with the Nikkei (+1.6%) and the Hang Seng (+2.0%) both performing well, although Shanghai was unchanged on the day.  Europe (DAX -0.5%, CAC -0.4%), on the other hand, is a little less optimistic.  The outlier here is the UK (FTSE 100 +0.15%) where it seems investors are happy to hear of a central bank willing to address incipient inflation.  US futures are all pointing lower, however, led by the NASDAQ (-0.7%) but -0.4% losses elsewhere.

The Treasury bond market is closed in the US today, but in Europe, the trend is clear, higher yields across the board, which is exactly what we saw in Asia as well.  So, Bunds (+3.5bps), OATs (+3.0bps) and Gilts (+5.0bps) are all selling off sharply with similar movement seen across the continent.  Asia, too saw sharp declines in bond prices with Australia (+8.0bps) leading the way but even China (+6.0bps) falling sharply despite ordinary efforts to prevent volatility in that market.

In the commodity space, while oil is leading the way, pretty much everything except gold is higher with NatGas (+3.8%), copper (+1.4%) aluminum (+2.3%) and the agricultural products all firmer on the day.  Remember this, the longer food and energy prices continue to climb, the more likely those price rises bleed into “core” inflation and drive that higher as well.

Turning to the dollar, the biggest loser today is JPY (-0.6%) as the widening yield differential in favor of the dollar has reached a point where Japanese investors have started to move money more actively into USD investments on an unhedged basis.  At this point, there doesn’t seem to be much reason for JPY to rally, so a test of 115 seems to be far more likely in the near term.  After that, we shall see.  On the plus side, AUD (+0.5%) has been the biggest beneficiary of the commodity rally while surprisingly, neither NOK nor CAD, both unchanged on the day, have seen a boost from the much higher oil prices.

In the EMG bloc, INR (-0.5%) and PHP (-0.4%) are the laggards of note with RUB (+0.3%) the only notable gainer.  Oil is obviously supporting the ruble while the rupee and peso both suffer on the same story, as both India and the Philippines are major oil importers.

On the data front, nothing is released today due to the holiday, but we get some important things this week:

Tuesday NFIB Small Biz Optimism 99.5
JOLTS Job Openings 10.934M
Wednesday CPI 0.3% (5.3% Y/Y)
-ex food & energy 0.2% (4.1% Y/Y)
FOMC Minutes
Thursday Initial Claims 320K
Continuing Claims 2686K
PPI 0.6% (8.7% Y/Y)
-ex food & energy 0.5% (7.1% Y/Y)
Friday Empire Manufacturing 25.0
Retail Sales -0.2%
-ex autos 0.5%
Business Inventories 0.6%
Michigan Sentiment 73.5

Source: Bloomberg

Aside from critical CPI and Retail Sales data, we hear from ten different Fed speakers across more than a dozen events this week, including Governor Brainerd on Wednesday, someone we should be listening to very closely given the rising probability she is named the new Chair.

Right now, the dollar is consolidating its recent gains, but showing no signs of giving any of them back.  I expect that we will see another leg higher in the near future as there is no evidence that either inflation or US yields are going to decline soon.  And right now, I think those are the drivers.  At some point, inflation may become detrimental to the dollar, but for now, buy dollars on dips.

Good luck and stay safe
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Risks They Have Wrought

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It’s not clear why anyone thought
The ECB ever would not
Continue to buy
More bonds as they try
To safeguard ‘gainst risks they have wrought

So, when PEPP, next March, does expire
A new plan we’ll get to admire
As Christine will ne’er
Be set to foreswear
Her drive to push bond prices higher

If ever anyone was talking their own book, it was Greek central bank president Yannis Stournaras this morning on the subject of the ECB’s potential actions post-PEPP.  “Asset purchases aim at favorable financing conditions, at smooth transition of monetary policy to prevent any kind of fragmentation in jurisdictions in the euro area.  I’m sure that the Governing Council will continue to aim at this.” [author’s emphasis] These comments were in response to a report that the ECB is considering instituting a new asset purchase program when the emergency PEPP expires in March.  This is certainly no surprise as I posited this exact outcome a month ago (Severely Distraught – Sep 7) and the idea has gained credence since then.

One of the features of the ECB’s APP (original QE program from 2015) is that they are required to purchase bonds based on the so-called capital key in order to give the illusion they are not monetizing national debt.  This means that they must buy them in proportion to the relative size of each economy.  Another feature is that the bonds they purchase must be investment grade (IG).  This rules out Greek debt which currently is rated BB-, 3 notches below IG.  The PEPP, however, given the dire emergency created by governments shutting down their economies when Covid-19 first appeared, did away with those inconveniences and was empowered to buy anything deemed necessary.  Not surprisingly, purchases of bonds from the PIGS was far above their relative economic weight which has served to narrow credit spreads across the entire continent.  If the PEPP simply expires and is not replaced, it is unambiguous that PIGS’ debt would fall sharply in price with yields rising correspondingly, and those nations would find themselves in far worse fiscal shape.  In fairness, the ECB can hardly allow that to happen to just a few nations so they will continue their PEPP purchases in some manner or other.  And I assure you they will continue to purchase Greek debt regardless of its credit rating.

It is useful to compare this future to that of the Fed, where Chairman Powell has indicated that as long as the payroll number this Friday is not a complete disaster (currently expected 500K), a reduction in the pace of QE is appropriate. On the surface, it would be quite reasonable to expect the euro to decline further given what is likely to be a divergence in relative yields.  Yesterday’s ADP Employment report (568K) was better than expected and certainly seems to be of sufficient strength to support the Chairman’s view of continued strength in the labor market.  Thus, if the Fed does begin to taper while the ECB discusses its next version of QE, I would look for the euro’s recent decline to continue.

Of course, the big question is, will the Fed continue to taper if the economic situation in the US starts to show much less impetus?  For instance, the Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow forecast is estimating Q3 GDP growth at 1.333%, MUCH weaker than it had been in the past and a MUCH sharper slowdown than the Fed’s own forecasts.  While the number may well be higher than that, it does speak to a run of weaker than expected economic data in the US.  Inflation, meanwhile, shows no signs of abating soon.  The Fed looks set to find themselves in a very uncomfortable position with the following choices: tighten into slowing growth or let inflation run much hotter than targeted for much longer than anticipated.  (If I were Powell, given the trainwreck that is approaching, I don’t think I would accept the offer of reappointment should it be made!)

In sum, while the decision process in Europe is much easier with slower growth and lower inflation, extending monetary largesse still seems appropriate, in the States, some tough decisions will need to be made.  The problem is that there is not a single person in any Federal position who appears capable of making (and owning) a tough decision.  In fact, it is this lack of demonstrated decision-making prowess that leads to the idea that stagflation is the most likely outcome going forward.

But it is still a few weeks/months before these decisions will need to be made and, in the meantime, Buy Stonks!  Well, at least, that seems to be the investor mindset as fleeting fears over contagion from China Evergrande’s slow motion bankruptcy and comments from Vladimir Putin that Russia would, of course, supply the necessary NatGas for Europe, have been sufficient to remind the equity crowd that a 5% decline from an all-time high price level is an amazing opportunity to buy more stocks.  Hence, yesterday morning’s fears have abated and all is once again right with the world.

(As an aside, it strikes me that relying on a key geopolitical adversary to supply the life’s blood of your economy is a very risky strategy.  But Putin would never use this as leverage for something else, would he?  I fear it could be a very long cold winter in Europe.)

OK, with that in mind, let’s look at markets this morning.  Equity markets are green everywhere ranging from the Nikkei (+0.5%) to the Hang Seng (+3.1%) with all of Europe in between (DAX +1.2%, CAC +1.35%, FTSE 100 +1.0%) while China remains closed.  US futures are also firmer, currently pointing to a 0.75% rise on the open.

Bond markets are in pretty good shape as well.  Yesterday, after substantial early session weakness, they rebounded, and this morning are continuing on that trend.  While Treasuries are only lower by 0.2bps, in Europe we are seeing much better buying (Bunds -1.7bps, OATs -2.1bps, Gilts -1.2bps) with PIGS bonds (Italy -5.1bps, Greece -3.0bps) showing even more strength.

Commodity prices are consolidating after what has been a significant run higher with oil (-1.6%) and NatGas (-2.0%) both off highs seen yesterday morning.  Gold is unchanged on the day while copper (+1.1%) has bounced along with other base metals.  Ags, too, are a bit firmer this morning.

This positive risk attitude has seen the dollar cede some of its recent gains with AUD (+0.35%) leading the way in the G10 on the back of stronger commodity prices, followed by SEK (+0.3%) and NZD (+0.3%) both benefitting from better risk appetite as well.  Only NOK (-0.1%) is under pressure on the back of the oil price decline.  EMG currencies are universally stronger led by ZAR (+0.7%), PHP (+0.6%) and RUB (+0.5%).  ZAR is clearly benefitting from the commodity rally while PHP was higher on some positive growth comments from the central bank there.  The ruble seems to be benefitting from the view that a higher than expected CPI print there will force the central bank to raise rates more than previously anticipated.

On the data front, today brings only Initial (exp 348K) and Continuing (2762K) Claims.  Given tomorrow is payroll day, these are unlikely to move the market.  We also hear from Cleveland Fed president Mester, one of the more hawkish voices, discussing inflation, but my sense is all eyes are on tomorrow’s NFP to make sure that the taper is coming.  As such, today is likely to continue to see risk appetite with higher stock prices and a soft dollar.  But large moves seem unlikely.

Good luck and stay safe
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Recalibrate

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Christine said she’d recalibrate
The PEPP, but she clearly did state
No taper’s occurring
Because we’re still spurring
Inflation to reach our mandate

I felt it was important for all of us to be reminded of what tapering means, hence this definition from the Merriam-Webster dictionary:

taper   verb

1               : to become progressively smaller toward one end
2               : to diminish gradually (emphasis added)

But perhaps there is a better source to explain Madame Lagarde’s dissembling comments yesterday; Lewis Carrol.

“I don’t know what you mean by ‘glory,’ ” Alice said.
Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. “Of course, you don’t—till I tell you. I meant ‘there’s a nice knock-down argument for you!'”
“But ‘glory’ doesn’t mean ‘a nice knock-down argument’,” Alice objected.
“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.”
“The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.”
“The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master—that’s all.”

Apparently, Madame Lagarde was channeling Humpty Dumpty in her press conference yesterday when she said that while the ECB would be gradually reducing the rate of purchases in the PEPP program in the coming quarter, it was definitely not tapering.  One of the problems this author has with centralbankspeak is that my education taught me based on the plain meaning of the words used.  Hence, claiming that a reduced rate of purchases is not tapering is simply dishonest.  However, central bankers everywhere, led by the Fed and ECB, have come to rely on redefining terms in order to placate both of their masters, markets and governments, who frequently require opposing policies to achieve their goals.

Remember, too, what happened to Humpty Dumpty, a lesson I daresay has been lost on Powell, Lagarde and their comrades-in-arms:

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
All the King’s horses and all the King’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again.

As economist Herbert Stein explained in 1986, “if something cannot go on forever, it will stop.”  Central bank balance sheets cannot grow indefinitely, at least not without other repercussions.  The most likely relief valve will be the currency, but do not be surprised if there is significant damage to all financial assets at the time investors and markets cease to accept centralbankspeak as a valid guide to the future.

Ever since the GFC, central banks around the world have been aggressively adding liquidity to economies at a far faster pace than those economies create goods and services.  For the first decade of this process, that liquidity mostly found its way into financial markets resulting in the longest bull market in history.  But lately, that liquidity has begun to seep into the real economy on the back of a massive uptick in fiscal stimulus.  The result, you may have noticed, is that financial markets have stopped rising at their previous rate, but the price of stuff you buy every day/week, has started to rise much more rapidly. It is this fact that was the genesis of the ‘transitory’ inflation story, as central banks, notably the Fed, recognize they cannot afford to be blamed for rising consumer inflation, but also cannot afford to fight inflation in the traditional manner of raising interest rates as they are terrified adjusting their current policy will result in a massive market decline.  Hence, I fear the Humpty Dumpty metaphor will wind up being very accurate.  However, he hasn’t fallen yet.

And so, Madame Lagarde did exactly what she set out to do; she was able to explain the ECB would be slowing their PEPP purchases without the market responding in a knee-jerk sell-off.  She placated the hawks on the ECB Council, and watched as Italian BTPs outperformed German bunds thus reducing pressure on the biggest potential problem in Europe.  In the end, kudos are due, at least for now.  I sure hope it lasts, but fear there is much turmoil in our future.

In the meantime, the overall market response to Lagarde has been…buy risk!  Equity markets everywhere are in the green with Asia (Nikkei +1.25%, Hang Seng +1.9%, Shanghai +0.3%) charging ahead and Europe (DAX +0.3%, CAC +0.3%, FTSE 100 +0.3%) following, albeit at a bit slower rate.  US futures, after two lackluster sessions in NY, are pointing higher by 0.4% to start the day.

Of course, with risk appetites whetted, there is no need to hold havens like bonds and so prices there have fallen everywhere with corresponding rises in yields.  Treasuries (+2.9bps) are leading the way but we are seeing Europe (Bunds +1.8bps, OATs +1.9bps, Gilts +1.1bps) all under some pressure as well.  As long as risk is in the ascendancy, I expect that bond yields will continue to edge higher.

Commodity prices are also firmer this morning led by oil (+1.7%) and the entire energy complex.  But metals, too, are up, at least industrial metals with copper (+1.9%), aluminum (+1.6%) and tin (+1.2%) all much stronger and with the latter two pushing to multi-year highs.  While gold is flat on the day, and has been doing very little lately, broadly speaking, the commodity complex continues to perform well.

Finally, the dollar, not surprisingly, is under significant pressure this morning, down versus most of its G10 counterparts, notably the commodity bloc.  NZD (+0.6%), NOK (+0.45%) and AUD and CAD (+0.4%) are all looking strong today bolstered by broad dollar weakness and strong commodity price action.  On the flip side, JPY (-0.2%) is the only real decliner as haven assets are sold, although CHF is also modestly softer.  In the emerging markets, the screen is entirely green led by ZAR (+0.75%), CZK (+0.5%) and IDR (+0.35%).  Rand is clearly in thrall to commodity prices while the koruna is rallying on the back of a much higher than expected CPI print of 4.1%, which has traders looking for a central bank rate increase at the next meeting at the end of the month.  As to the rupiah, it seems this is entirely a result of the risk-on attitude in markets this morning.

On the data front, early this morning the UK released its monthly GDP print at a worse than expected 0.1%, blamed now on the increase of the delta variant.  German CPI was confirmed at 3.9% in August, and Italian IP managed to rise 0.8% in July, a bit better than expected.  Here at home we will see PPI (exp 8.2%, 6.6% ex food & energy) which will continue to challenge the transitory narrative but will not have nearly the impact of next Tuesday’s CPI release.  As well, we hear from the Cleveland Fed’s Loretta Mester this morning, but she has already explained she is ready to taper QE purchases, so unless that story changes, I don’t foresee any impact.

While the dollar is softer this morning, there is no indication it is going to decline substantially at any point in the near future.  Rather, we remain in the middle of the 1.17/1.20 trading range that has capped movement since June.  I see no reason for anything to change here and expect the week to finish in a quiet manner.

Good luck, good weekend and stay safe
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