Tag Archives: #FOMC

No Bonds Will They Shed

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Chair Powell explained that the Fed
Cared not about bubbles widespread
Employment’s the key
And ‘til he can see
Improvement, no bonds will they shed

Meanwhile, cross the pond, Ollie Renn
Repeated the mantra again
The ECB will
Not simply stand still
And let euros outgain the yen

At the first FOMC meeting of 2021, Chairman Powell was very clear as to what was in focus, employment.  To nobody’s surprise, they left policy rates on hold and did not change the purchase metrics of the current QE program.  However, in the statement, they downgraded their outlook for the economy, which given the ongoing vaccination program seemed somewhat surprising.  However, the fact that vaccinations are taking longer to be administered than had been expected, seems to be driving their discussion.  He was also explicit that the Fed was set to continue their current program until such time as they achieve their twin goals of maximum employment and 2% average inflation.  Based on the recent rising trajectory of Initial Claims (expected today at 875K) and given even Powell described the fact that the Unemployment Rate likely significantly understates the true situation, it will be a very long time before the Fed even considers reducing their program.

When asked at the press conference following the meeting about potential bubbles in asset markets, with several questions specifically about GameStop stock (a truly remarkable story in its own right), the Chairman was also clear that employment was the thing that mattered, and the Fed was not focused on things like this.  He even explained that the Fed fully expected inflation data to rise this summer but would not waver from their course until maximum employment is achieved.  So, the message is clear, the balance sheet will continue to grow regardless of any ancillary issues that arise.

Keeping our focus on central banks, we turn to the ECB, where this morning it was Finnish Central Bank president Ollie Renn’s turn to explain to the markets that the ECB was carefully watching the exchange rate and its impact on inflation, and would use all the tools necessary to help boost inflation, including addressing a ‘too strong’ euro.  Kudos for their consistency as this was exactly the same message we heard yesterday from Klaas Knot, the Dutch central bank chief.  As well, during yesterday’s session there was an ECB statement that “markets [are] underestimating rate-cut odds.”  You may recall the Knot specifically mentioned the possibility of cutting interest rates by the ECB as well.  All told, there is a consistent message here as well, the euro is a key focus of the ECB and they will not allow it to trade higher unabated.  I have made this point for months, as the dollar bearish views became more entrenched, that the ECB would not sit idly by and allow the euro to rally significantly without responding.  This is the first response.

What are we to conclude from these two messages?  The conclusion I draw is that beggar thy neighbor policies continue to be at the forefront of monetary policy discussions within every major central bank.  While I’m sure they are not actually described in that manner, the results, nevertheless are just that, every central bank is committed to continuing to expand their balance sheet while adding accommodation to their respective economies, and so the relative impact remains muted.  In the end, nothing has changed my view that the Fed will cap yields, which right now are doing a good job of that all by themselves (10-year Treasury yields are -1bp today and back to 1.00%, their lowest level since the break higher on the Georgia election results), and that the dollar will suffer as real yields in the US plummet.  But again, that is Q2 or Q3, not Q1.

Perhaps, what is more interesting is that despite all this promised central bank largesse, yesterday was a massive risk-off session and today is following right in those footsteps.  Starting with equity markets, the bloodbath is universal.  Asia saw sharp declines (Nikkei -1.5%, Hang Seng -2.6%, Shanghai -1.9%) following the US selloff.  And it wasn’t just the main indices, literally every Asian market that was open yesterday fell, most by more than 1%.  European bourses are also all red this morning, but the magnitude of losses has been more muted.  Of course, they got to participate in yesterday’s sell-off, so perhaps that is not too surprising.  As I type, the CAC (-0.1%) is the best performer, with the DAX (-0.6%) and FTSE 100 (-1.0%) suffering more acutely.  Here, too, every market is in the red.  Interestingly, US futures are mixed, with DOW futures actually higher by 0.1%, but NASDAQ futures are down 0.7% after weaker than expected earnings and guidance from some of the Tech megacaps last night.

Bond markets are pretty much all in the green, with yields lower, but essentially, the entire space has seen yields decline just 1 basis point.  That is not really a sign of panic.  Perhaps, with yields so low, investors are beginning to understand that bonds no longer offer the hedge characteristics for risk that they have historically held.  In other words, is earning -0.64% to hold 10-year bunds really hedging negative outcomes in your equity portfolio?  A key part of the thesis that bonds are a haven is that you earn a stable return during tough times.  These days, that is just not the case, and the risk that yields normalize means the potential losses attendant to holding a bond portfolio at current yields is quite substantial.

Commodity prices are generally softer, but not by very much.  WTI (-0.4%) continues to consolidate its gains from Q4 but has basically gone nowhere for the past two weeks.  Gold (-0.2%), too, is treading water lately, although the technicians are starting to say it is in a mild downtrend.

And finally, the dollar is basically stronger once again this morning.  This is true vs. every G10 currency, with AUD (-0.7%) the worst performer, but all the commodity currencies (NZD -0.5%, CAD -0.4%) under pressure along with the havens (JPY -0.2%, CHF -0.2%).  This is simply another dollar up day, with risk still in question.  In the emerging markets, KRW (-1.35%) is by far the worst performer, suffering from the changing risk appetite as well as weaker than expected earnings from Samsung, the largest company in the country.  Capital exited the KOSPI and drove the won to its lowest level since early November.  But we are seeing weakness in the usual suspects with RUB (-0.6%), MXN (-0.4%) and BRL (-0.3%) all under some pressure.  The outlier here is ZAR (+0.2%) which after a very weak start alongside other commodity linked currencies, has rebounded on the news that the first Covid vaccines would be arriving by the end of the week.

There is a bunch of data this morning led by Initial Claims but also Q4 GDP (exp 4.2%), Leading Indicators (0.3%) and New Home Sales (870K).  This is the first reading for Q4, but the market is more intently focused on Q1 and Q2, so it is not clear the print will matter much.  Housing we know continues to perform extremely well, so the Claims data is likely the most important release, especially given Powell’s focus on employment.

As of now, risk remains on its heels, but it would not be that surprising if things turned around as Powell’s message of non-stop stimulus should encourage the bulls.  If that is the case, I would look for the dollar to cede some of its gains, but it is certainly not a signal to sell aggressively.

Good luck and stay safe
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You’d Better Think Twice

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If you thought Lagarde doesn’t care
About how her euros compare
To dollars in price
You’d better think twice
‘Cause she is acutely aware

This morning, her colleague, Klaas Knot
Was clear when explaining they’ve got
The tools they may need
To help them succeed
In cooling a euro that’s hot

With the FOMC meeting on tap for later today, the market is mostly biding its time until they hear if anything will be changing at the Mariner Eccles Building.  However, that seems highly unlikely at this time given the following factors:  first, the last we heard from Chairman Powell was that now is not the time to consider removing any policy accommodation, even if things seem to be looking up; and second, it is not clear that things are looking up.  While certainly there are some parts of the economy that are doing well, notably housing and manufacturing, the service sector remains under severe pressure as lockdowns pervade the country.  True, it appears that some of the more draconian lockdowns may be coming to an end, but the hit to the employment situation has been turning much worse.  Recall, the December NFP data printed at a much worse than expected -140K, and Initial Claims data has been running higher lately than back then.  Too, remember that the Fed modified their mandate to seek to achieve “maximum employment” which means declining NFP data is more likely to drive further policy ease than tightness.

So, in truth, today’s FOMC meeting is likely to be a pretty dull affair, with limited market expectations for any movement of any sort.  On the other hand, the ECB, which met last week and took no further action, remains concerned about the euro’s strength.  I have been quite clear in my warnings that the ECB would not allow the euro to trade higher without a response as they simply cannot afford that outcome.  Remember, the ECB’s playbook (and in truth, most central bank playbooks) defines the reaction function for specific conditions.  According to the book, too low inflation requires lower interest rates and a weaker exchange rate.  In fact, one of the primary reasons to lower interest rates is to weaken the exchange rate.  The idea is that a weak currency can help import inflation while simultaneously helping the competitive stance of that nation’s export community.  The problem with this strategy is that it was designed to be used in isolation.  So, if one country is behaving in that manner, it has a chance to succeed.  Unfortunately, the Covid pandemic has resulted in virtually every country trying to use these tools at the same time, thus canceling out each other’s efforts.

Of course, one player is much larger than the others, namely the Fed.  The Fed’s ability to ease policy seems to be outstripping that of the ECB, and every other country as well.  Adding to that has been the extraordinary fiscal policy ease we have seen here, which has been larger than elsewhere, and with the still robust expectations of another $1.9 trillion of fiscal support coming, has been one of the defining features of the bearish dollar outlook.

Which brings us to this morning’s comments from Klaas Knot, the Dutch Central Bank President and ECB Governing Council member.  He was quite clear in explaining the ECB has the necessary tools, including interest rate cuts, to prevent any further strengthening of the euro which could undermine inflation.  “That is something we, of course, monitory very, very carefully.  It’s one of the factors, not the exclusive factor, but one of the factors we take into account when arriving at our assessment of where inflation is going.”  In other words, euro bulls need to understand the ECB is not going to sit by and watch the single currency rally unabated.  It should be no surprise that the market responded to these comments by selling off the single currency, which is now down 0.4% on the day.  Adding to the bearish euro scenario was the release of the German GfK Consumer Confidence survey, which printed at -15.6, its third lowest reading in history, trailing only the May and June readings post the start of the Covid crisis last year.  Once again, I will reiterate my view, while eventually the dollar will decline more sharply as real yields in the US fall into further negative territory later this year, for now, the dollar’s decline seems to be on hold.

Ok, let’s quickly look at markets.  Risk is starting to become more suspect as the morning wears on, with European equity markets now all sharply in the red vs. their earlier little changed price action.  In the wake of the Knot comments, the DAX (-1.55%), CAC (-1.0%) and FTSE 100 (-0.8%) have all sold off hard.  Asian markets, which had closed before the comments, had a more mixed day, with the Nikkei (+0.3%) recouping a little of yesterday’s losses, but the Hang Seng (-0.3%) and Shanghai (+0.1%) doing little overall.  As to US futures, the DOW (-0.9%) and SPU (-1.0%) lead the way down with the NASDAQ (-0.25%) still outperforming after some pretty good earnings data last night from Microsoft.

It should be no surprise that bond markets have found a bid, with Treasury yields lower by 1.4bps, while Bunds (-1.4bps) and OATs (-1.0bps) are also now trading higher.  Again, earlier in the session, yields had actually crept a bit higher, so this reversal of risk attitude is growing.

Commodity markets are being impacted as well, with oil back to flat on the day from early session gains of 0.5% and gold is actually lower by 0.5%.  Only the ags remain well bid, as I guess everyone needs to eat, even during a pandemic.

Finally, the dollar is stronger across the board, with the strength becoming more evident after the Asian close.  In the G10, NOK (-0.9%) is the leading decliner as oil prices have turned, but we are seeing weakness throughout the commodity bloc (AUD -0.6%, NZD -0.4%, CAD -0.4%) as well.  In fact, even the havens are weaker today with both JPY and CHF off by 0.2%.  Today is just a dollar positive day.  In the EMG bloc, the few green spots on the chart are all APAC currencies with very modest gains (KRW +0.2%, TWD +0.1%).  On the other hand, all the markets that are currently open are showing sharp declines led by ZAR (-0.9%), MXN (-0.85%) and RUB (-0.8%).  It is remarkable how closely these three currencies trade to each other.  But really, everything else is weak as well.  There are no specific stories of note here, it is just a day to reduce risk.

On the data front, this morning brings Durable Goods (exp 1.0%, 0.5% ex transport) and then the FOMC statement at 2:00 followed by the Powell press conference at 2:30.  It seems unlikely that the market will react to the Durables data, so things seem to be shaping up as a dollar up day, at least until we hear from Jay.  However, I don’t foresee the dollar exploding higher, just continuing this drift, at least vs. the G10.  EMG is always a different story, so be careful there.

Good luck and stay safe
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No Bubble’s Detected

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While Jay and his friends at the Fed
Claim when they are looking ahead
No bubble’s detected
So, they’ve not neglected
Their teachings and won’t be misled

But China views markets and sees
Their policy has too much ease
So, money they drained
As they ascertained
Investors, they need not appease

Perhaps there is no clearer depiction of the current difference between the Fed (and truly all G10 central banks) and the PBOC than the fact that last night, the PBOC drained liquidity from the market.  Not only did they drain liquidity, they explained that they were concerned about bubbles in asset markets like stocks and real estate, inflating because of current conditions.  Think about that, the PBOC did not simply discuss the idea that at some point in the future they may need to drain liquidity, they actually did so.  I challenge anyone to name a G10 central banker who could possibly be so bold.  Certainly not Chairman Powell, who tomorrow will almost certainly reiterate that this is not the time to be considering the removal of policy support.  Neither would ECB President Lagarde venture down such a road given the almost instantaneous damage that would inflict on the PIGS economies.

One cannot be surprised that stock markets fell in Asia after this action, with the Hang Seng (-2.6%) leading the way, while Shanghai (-1.5%) also fared poorly.  By contrast, the Nikkei’s -1.0% performance looked pretty good.  It should also be no surprise that the stock markets of the APAC nations whose trade relations with China define their economies saw weak outcomes.  Thus, Korea’s KOSPI (-2.1%) and Taiwan’s TAIEX (-1.8%) suffered as well.  And finally, it cannot be surprising that the Chinese renminbi traded higher (+0.15%) and is pushing back to levels last seen in June 2018.

Arguably, the key question here is, what does this mean for markets going forward?  Despite constant denials by every G10 central banker, it remains abundantly clear that equity market froth is a direct result of central bank policy.  The constant addition of liquidity to the economic system continues to spill into financial markets and push up equity (and bond and other asset) prices.  If the PBOC action were seen as a harbinger of other central bank activity, I expect that we would see a very severe repricing of risk assets.  However, a quick look at European equity markets shows that no such thing is occurring.  Rather, the powerful rally we are seeing across the board on the continent today (DAX +1.5%, CAC +1.1%, FTSE MIB +0.85%) indicates just the opposite.  Investors are not merely convinced that the ECB will never remove liquidity, but we are likely seeing some of the money that fled Asia finding a new home amid the easy money of Europe.

If the PBOC continues down this road, it is likely to have a far greater impact over time.  In fact, if they are successful in deflating the asset bubbles in China without crushing the economy, something that has never successfully been done by any central bank, it would certainly bode well for China going forward, as global investors would beat a path to their door.  While that is already happening (in 2020, for the first time, China drew more direct investment than the US), the speed with which it would occur could be breathtaking, especially in the current environment when capital moves at a blinding pace.  And that implies that Western equity markets might lose their allure and deflate.  The irony is that a communist nation firmly in the grip of the government would be deemed a better investment opportunity than the erstwhile bastion of free markets.  Ironic indeed!

However, that will only take place over a longer time frame, while we want to focus on today.  So, don’t ignore this occurrence, but don’t overreact either.

In the meantime, a look at today’s activity shows that there is little coherence in markets right now.  As you’ve seen, European equity markets are rallying nicely despite the fact that the Italian government just fell as PM Giuseppe Conte resigned.  A few months ago, this would have been seen as a significant negative for Italian assets, but not anymore.  Not only are Italian stocks higher, but BTP’s have seen yields decline another 3 basis points, taking their rally since Friday to 10 basis points!  As I have often written, BTP’s and the bonds of the other PIGS countries trade more like risk assets than havens, so it should be no surprise they are rallying.  In fact, haven assets all over are declining with Treasuries (+2.2bps), Bunds (+1.4bps) and Gilts (+1.6bps) all being sold today.

Recapping the action so far shows APAC stocks falling sharply, European stocks rallying sharply and haven bonds falling.  Is that risk-on?  Or risk-off?  Beats me!  Commodity prices point to risk-on, with oil rising 0.55% and most agricultural products higher by between 0.4%-1.0%.

Finally, looking at the dollar gives us almost no further information.  While the SEK (-0.25%) is under pressure on a complete lack of news, and the NZD (+0.2%) has moved higher after PM Arcern explained that the country would remain closed to outside travelers until the pandemic ended, the rest of the bloc is +/- 0.1% or less.  In the EMG bloc, the picture is also mixed, with KRW (-0.5%) the worst performer followed by IDR (-0.3%).  Given China’s monetary move last night, this should be no surprise.  On the plus side, TRY (+0.7%) leads the way followed by BRL (+0.4%), with the former benefitting from the IMF raising its GDP growth forecast to 6% in 2021, from a previous estimate of 5%. Meanwhile, the real has benefitted from the news that the BCB meeting last week contained discussions of raising interest rates from their current historically low level of 2.0%.  Concern over inflation picking up has some of the more hawkish members questioning the current policy stance.  Certainly, given that BRL has been one of the worst performing currencies for the past year, having declined 26% since the beginning of 2020, there is plenty of room for it to rise on the back of higher interest rates.

On the data front, this morning brings Case Shiller Home Prices (exp +8.7%) and Consumer Confidence (89.0).  On the former, this reflects historically low mortgage rates and a lack of inventory.  As to the latter, it must be remembered that this reading was above 120 for the entire previous Administration’s tenure until Covid came calling.  Alas, there is no indication that people are feeling ready to head back to the malls and movies yet.

With the FOMC on tap for tomorrow, I expect that the FX market will take its cues from equities.  If the US follows Europe, I would expect to see the dollar give up a little ground, but as I type, futures are little changed with no consistent direction.  While the dollar’s medium-term trend lower has been interrupted, for now, it also appears that the correction has seen its peak.  However, it could take a few more sessions before any downward pressure resumes in earnest, subject, naturally, to what the Fed tells us tomorrow.

Good luck and stay safe
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Covid Comes Calling

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The German economy’s stalling
In Q1, as Covid comes calling
But still there’s belief
That fiscal relief
Will stop it from further snowballing

Consensus is hard to find this morning as we are seeing both gains and losses in the various asset classes with no consistent theme.  Perhaps the only significant piece of news was the German IFO data, which disappointed across the board, not merely missing estimates but actually declining compared with December’s data.  This is clearly a response to the renewed lockdowns in Germany and the fact that they have been extended through the middle of February.  The item of most concern, is that the manufacturing sector, which up until now had been the brightest spot, by far, is also seeing softness.  Now part of this problem has to do with the fact that shipping has been badly disrupted with insufficient containers available to ship products.  This has resulted in higher shipping costs and reduced volumes, hence reduced sales.  But part of this issue is also the fact that since virtually all of Europe is in lockdown, economic activity on the continent is simply slowing down.  It is the latter point that informs my view of the ECB’s future activities, namely non-stop monetary ease for as far as the eye can see.

When combining that view, the ECB will continue to aggressively ease policy, with the fact that the Fed is also going to continue to ease policy, it becomes much more difficult to estimate which currency is going to underperform.  Heading into 2021, the strongest conviction trade across markets was that the dollar was going to decline sharply, continuing the descent from its March 2020 highs.  And that’s exactly what we saw…for the first week of the year.  However, since then, the dollar has reversed those losses and currently sits higher on the year vs. most currencies.  My point is, and has consistently been, that in the FX market, the dollar is a relative game, and the policies of both nations are critical in establishing its value.  Thus, if every nation is aggressively easing policy, both monetary and fiscal, then the magnitude of those policy efforts are critical.  Perhaps, the fact that Congress has yet to pass an additional stimulus bill, especially given the strong belief that the Blue Wave would quickly achieve that, has been sufficient to change some views of the dollar’s future strength (weakness?).  Regardless, the one thing that is clear is that the year has just begun and there is plenty of time for more policy action as well as more surprises.  In the end, I do believe that as inflation starts to climb in the US, and real interest rates fall to further negative levels, the dollar will ultimately fall.  But that is a Q2-Q3 outcome, not really a January story.

And remarkably, that is basically the biggest piece of news from overnight.  At this point, traders and investors are turning their attention to the FOMC meeting on Wednesday, although there are no expectations for policy shifts yet.  However, the statement, and Chairman Powell’s press conference, will be parsed six ways to Sunday in order to try to glean the future.  Based on what we heard from a majority of Fed speakers before the quiet period began, there is no current concern over the backup in Treasury yields, and there is limited sentiment for the Fed to even consider tapering their policy of asset purchases, with just four of the seventeen members giving it any credence.  One other thing to remember is that the annual rotation of voting regional presidents has turned more dovish, with Cleveland’s Loretta Mester, one of the two most hawkish members, being replaced by Chicago’s Charles Evans, a consistent dove.  The other changes are basically like for like, with Daly for Kashkari (two extreme doves) and Barkin and Bostic replacing Harker and Kaplan.  These four are the minority who discussed the idea that tapering purchases could be appropriate by the end of the year, so, again, no change in voting views.

With this in mind, we can see the lack of consistent message from overnight activity.  Asian equity markets were all firmer, led by the Hang Seng (+2.4%), with the Nikkei (+0.7%) and Shanghai (+0.5%) trailing but in the green.  However, Europe has fared less well after the soft IFO data with all three major markets (DAX, CAC and FTSE 100) lower by -0.6%.  As to US futures, they are the perfect embodiment of a mixed session with NASDAQ futures higher by 0.8% while DOW futures are lower by 0.2%,

Bond markets, though, have shown some consistency, with yields falling in Treasuries (-1.0bp) and Europe (Bunds -1.7bps, OATs -1.5bps, Gilts -2.2bps).  The biggest winner, though, are Italian BTPs, which have rallied more than half a point and seen yields decline 5.3 basis points.  It seems that concerns over the government falling have abated.  Either that or the 0.70% yield available is seen as just too good to pass up.

On the commodity front, oil prices have edged up by the slightest amount, just 0.1%, as the consolidation of the past three months’ gains continues.  Gold has risen 0.4%, but there is a great deal of discussion that, technically, it has begun a downtrend and has further to fall.  Again, consistent with my view that real interest rates are likely to decline sharply in Q2, when inflation really starts to pick up, we could easily see gold slide until then, before a more emphatic recovery.

And lastly, the dollar, where both G10 and EMG blocs show a virtual even split of gainers and losers.  Starting with the G10, NZD (+0.3%) is today’s “big” winner, with SEK (+0.25%) next in line.  Market talk is about the reduction of restrictions in Australia’s New South Wales state as a reason for optimism in AUD (+0.15%) and NZD.  As for SEK, this is simply a trading move, with no obvious catalysts present.  On the flip side, the euro (-0.1%) is the worst performer, arguably suffering from that German IFO data, with other currencies showing little movement in either direction.

The EMG bloc is led by TRY (+0.4%), as it seems discussions between Turkey and Greece to resolve their competing claims over maritime boundaries is seen as a positive.  After the lira, though, no currency has gained more than 0.2%, which implies there is nothing of note to describe.  On the downside, ZAR (-0.4%) is the worst performer, which appears to be a positioning move as long rand positions are cut amid concerns over the spread of Covid and the lack of effective government response thus far.

On the data front, the week is backloaded with Wednesday’s FOMC clearly the highlight.

Tuesday Case Shiller Home Prices 8.65%
Consumer Confidence 89.0
Wednesday Durable Goods 1.0%
-ex transport 0.5%
FOMC Meeting 0.00%-0.25% (unchanged)
Thursday Initial Claims 880K
Continuing Claims 5.0M
GDP Q4 4.2%
Leading Indicators 0.3%
New Home Sales 860K
Friday Personal Income 0.1%
Personal Spending -0.4%
Core PCE 1.3%
Chicago PMI 58.0
Michigan Sentiment 79.2

Source: Bloomberg

So, plenty of stuff at the end of the week, and then Friday, two Fed speakers hit the tape.  One thing we know is that the housing market continues to burn hot, meaning data there is assumed to be strong, so all eyes will be on the PCE data on Friday.  After all, that is the Fed’s measuring stick.  The other thing that we have consistently seen during the past six months is that inflationary pressures have been stronger than anticipated by most analysts.  And it is here, where the Fed remains firmly of the belief that they are in control, where the biggest problems are likely to surface going forward.  But that is a story for another day.  Today, the dollar is wandering.  However, if the equity market in the US can pick up its pace, don’t be surprised to see the dollar come under a little pressure.

Good luck and stay safe
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Infinite Easing

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Until “further progress” is made
On joblessness, Jay won’t be swayed
From infinite easing
Which stocks should find pleasing
Explaining how he will get paid

As well, one more time he inferred
That Congress was being absurd
By not passing bills
With plenty of frills
So fiscal relief can be spurred

“We’re going to keep policy highly accommodative until the expansion is well down the tracks.”  This statement from Chairman Powell in yesterday’s post-meeting press conference pretty much says it all with respect to the Fed’s current collective mindset.  While the Fed left the policy rate unchanged, as universally expected, they did hint at the idea that additional QE is still being considered with a subtle change in the language of their statement.  Rather than explaining they will increase their holdings of Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities “at least at the current pace”, they now promise to do so by “at least $80 billion per month” in Treasuries and “at least $40 billion per month” in mortgages.  And they will do this until the economy reaches some still unknown level of unemployment alongside their average 2% inflation target.

What is even more interesting is that the Fed’s official economic forecasts were raised, as GDP growth is now forecast at 4.2% for 2021 and 3.2% for 2022, each of these being raised by 0.2% from their September forecasts.  At the same time, Unemployment is expected to fall to 5.0% in 2021 and 4.2% in 2022, again substantially better than September’s outlook of 5.5% and 4.6% respectively.  As to PCE Inflation, the forecasts were raised slightly, by 0.1% for both years, but remain below their 2% target.

Put it all together and you come away with a picture of the Fed feeling better about the economy overall, albeit with some major risks still in the shadows, but also prepared to, as Mario Draghi declared in 2012, “do whatever it takes” to achieve their still hazy target of full employment and average inflation of 2%.  For the equity bulls out there, this is exactly what they want to hear, more growth without tighter policy.  For dollar bears, this is also what they want to hear, a steady supply increase of dollars that need to wash through the market, driving the value of the dollar lower.  For the reflatonistas out there, those who are looking for a steeper yield curve, they took heart that the Fed did not extend the duration of their purchases, and clearly feel better about the more upbeat growth forecasts, but the ongoing lack of inflation, at least according to the Fed, means that the rationale for higher bond yields is not quite as clear.

After all, high growth with low inflation would not drive yields higher, especially in the current world with all that liquidity currently available.  And one other thing argues against much higher Treasury yields, the fact that the government cannot afford them.  With the debt/GDP ratio rising to 127% this year, and set to go higher based on the ongoing deficit spending, higher yields would soak up an ever increasing share of government revenues, thus crowding out spending on other things like the entitlement programs or defense, as well as all discretionary spending.  With this in mind, you can be sure the Fed is going to prevent yields from going very high at all, for a very long time.

Summing up, the last FOMC meeting of the year reconfirmed what we already knew, the Fed is not going to tighten monetary policy for many years to come.  For their sake, and ours, I sure hope inflation remains as tame as they forecast, because in the event it were to rise more sharply, it could become very uncomfortable at the Mariner Eccles Building.

In the meantime, this morning brings the last BOE rate decision of the year, with market expectations universal that no changes will be forthcoming.  That makes perfect sense given the ongoing uncertainty over Brexit, although this morning we heard from the EU’s top negotiator, Michel Barnier, that good progress has been made, with only the last stumbling blocks regarding fishing to be agreed.  However, in the event no trade deal is reached, the BOE will want to have as much ammunition as possible available to address what will almost certainly be some major market dislocations.  As I type, the pound is trading above 1.36 (+0.8% on the day) for the first time since April 2018 and shows no signs of breaking its recent trend.  I continue to believe that a successful Brexit negotiation is not fully priced in, so there is room for a jump if (when?) a deal is announced.

And that’s really it for the day, which has seen a continuation of the risk-on meme overall.  Looking at equity markets, Asia saw strength across the board (Nikkei +0.2%, Hang Seng +0.8%, Shanghai +1.1%), although Europe has not been quite as universally positive (DAX +0.8%, CAC +0.4%, FTSE 100 0.0%).  US futures markets are pointing higher again, with all three indices looking at 0.5%ish gains at this time.

The bond market is showing more of a mixed session with Treasuries off 2 ticks and the yield rising 0.7bps, while European bond markets have all rallied slightly, with yields declining across the board between 1 and 2 basis points. Again, if inflation is not coming to the US, and the Fed clearly believes that to be the case, the rationale for higher Treasury yields remains absent.

Commodity markets are feeling good this morning with gold continuing its recent run, +0.7%, while oil prices have edged up by 0.3%.  And finally, the dollar is on its heels vs. essentially all its counterparts this morning, in both G10 and EMG blocs.  Starting with the G10, NOK (+1.0%) is the leader, although AUD and NZD (+0.8% each) are benefitting from their commodity focus along with the dollar’s overall weakness.  In fact, the euro (+0.3%) is the laggard here, while even JPY (+0.4%) is rising despite the risk-on theme.  This simply shows you how strong dollar bearishness is, if it overcomes the typical yen weakness attendant to risk appetite.

In the emerging markets, it is also the commodity focused currencies that are leading the way, with ZAR (+0.9%) and CLP (+0.75%) on top of the leaderboard, but strong gains in RUB (+0.7%), BRL (+0.6%) and MXN (+0.5%) as well.  The CE4, have been a bit less buoyant, although all are stronger on the day.  But this is all of a piece, stronger commodity prices leading to a weaker dollar.

On the data front, I think we are in an asymmetric reaction function, where strong data will be ignored while weak data will become the rationale for further risk appetite.  This morning we see Initial Claims (exp 815K), Continuing Claims (5.7M), Housing Starts (1535K), Building Permits (1560K), and Philly Fed (20.0).  Yesterday saw a much weaker than expected Retail Sales outcome (-1.1%, -0.9% ex autos) although the PMI data was a bit better than expected.  But now that the Fed has essentially said they are on a course regardless of the data, with the only possible variation to be additional easing, data is secondary.  The dollar downtrend is firmly entrenched at this time, and while we will see reversals periodically, and the trend is not a collapse, there is no reason to believe it is going to end anytime soon.

Good luck and stay safe
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Much Bluer Skies

Posted on by

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
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Not Whether but When

Posted on by

The question’s not whether but when
The Fed adds more money again
With Congress unable
To reach cross the table
It’s up to Jay and his (wo)men

For the first time in months, the top stories today are simply a rehash of the top stories yesterday.  In other words, there is nothing new under the sun, at least with respect to market activities.  There has been nothing new regarding Brexit (talks continue but no word on an outcome); nothing new regarding US fiscal stimulus (talks continue but no word on an outcome);  and nothing new regarding Covid-19 (vaccines have begun to be administered, but lockdowns continue to be the primary tool to fight the spread of the infection).

True, we received some data from China overnight describing an economy that continues to recover, but one whose pace of recovery is barely accelerating and certainly not exceeding expectations.  We saw some data from the UK that described the employment situation as less dire than forecast, but still a mess.  And we saw some inflation data from both Italy and France describing the complete lack of an inflationary impulse on the Continent.  The point is, none of this could be called new information, and so investor response has been extremely muted.

Rather, the story that is developing traction seems to be the question of what the FOMC is going to do when they meet tomorrow.  There seem to be two questions of note; first, will they leave everything just as it is, reiterating their current forward guidance to continue to support the economy until it is deemed capable of recovering on its own, or will they start to attach some metrics to their views; and second, will they leave their current asset purchase program unchanged, or will they alter either the size or tenor?

The bigger picture on this issue needs to consider what we have heard from various Fed speakers prior to the quiet period.  To a (wo)man, they all explained that more fiscal stimulus was critical in helping the economy to recover, and so the fact that none has been forthcoming must be weighing on their views of the future.  This would seem to bias a call for action, not inaction.

Regarding the first question, if we learned anything from the FOMC Minutes three weeks’ ago, it was that there seemed to be movement in the direction of applying metrics to their hitherto vague statements regarding when they will act.  The concern with this approach is that in the wake of the financial crisis, they did just this, explaining that rates would remain near zero until the Unemployment Rate reached their then-current view of full employment, which initially was pegged at 5.0%.  That target was changed several times until it was finally abandoned, as it turned out their models weren’t all that accurate.  Which begs the question, do they want to put themselves in the same position of defining a position and subsequently finding out their initial assumptions were wrong, so they need to change that position?  Remember, credibility is one of a central bank’s most crucial assets and moving targets on policy because of model or forecast errors does not enhance credibility.  In the end, it seems more likely they will not apply hard numbers to their targets, rather much softer views like, full employment rather than a specific unemployment rate; or trend inflation rather than a specific average inflation rate with a timeline attached.

As to the second question, based on positioning indicators, current expectations are pretty evenly distributed as to a change (either more purchases or a Twist) or standing pat.  Again, based on the commentary that fiscal stimulus is crucial and its failure to be agreed, I would lean toward the side of more stimulus to be announced now, perhaps stoking the Christmas rally in equities.  (After all, half the time it seems stoking equity rallies is their entire focus.)

But away from that conversation, there is precious little else to discuss today.  A quick tour of markets shows that after yesterday afternoon’s US equity selloff, Asian equities followed suit with modest declines across the board (Nikkei -0.2%, Hang Seng -0.7%, Shanghai -0.1%).  European bourses, which had been modestly higher earlier, are starting to fade a bit, although the DAX (+0.6%) and CAC (+0.3%) remain in the green.  However, the FTSE 100 (-0.3%) has turned lower as the pound has recently started to edge higher.  US futures are all pointing higher, though, with gains of around 0.6% across the board.

Bond prices are mixed, with Treasuries very slightly softer and yields there higher by less than 1 basis point, but European markets starting to find a bid with yields declining modestly across the board.  The outperformers right now are the PIGS, with yield declines of between 1.5 and 4 basis points, while the rest of Europe’s markets are looking at smaller price gains.

Commodities are reversing yesterday’s price action with oil virtually unchanged while gold has rallied 1.0% this morning.  And finally, the best way to describe the dollar is modestly, but not universally, softer.  In the G10, as I write, GBP (+0.4%) has rallied in the past hour although there has been nothing on the tape that would seem to account for the price action.  But most of the bloc is modestly firmer, between 0.1% and 0.2%, with only two laggards, AUD and NZD (both lower by -0.1%) which have responded to China’s announcement they would be banning shipments of coal from Australia going forward.

EMG currencies are also somewhat firmer in general, led by LATAM (BRL, MXN and CLP all +0.50%) with two others showing similar strength (ZAR and RUB).  As to the rest of the bloc, gains and losses are less than 0.2%, which is another way of saying there is no new information there either.  Broadly speaking, this bloc is going to take its cues from the G10 space, and while the consensus for 2021 remains a much weaker dollar, today that is not taking shape.

On the data front, we see Empire Manufacturing (exp 6.3), IP (0.3%) and Capacity Utilization (73.0%) this morning, although none of these seem likely to change any views.  As such, at this point, it seems the best bet is the FX market will follow the broad risk theme, assuming one develops, or will respond to news, perhaps a fiscal stimulus breakthrough will come today, which is likely to lead to further dollar weakness.  But we will have to wait for that.

Good luck and stay safe
Adf

Haven’t a Doubt

Posted on by

The Fed, yesterday, made the case
That fiscal support they’d embrace
But even without
They haven’t a doubt
The dollar they still can debase
Their toolbox can help growth keep pace

As of yet, there is no winner declared in the Presidential election, although it seems to be trending toward a Biden victory.  The Senate, as well, remains in doubt, although is still assumed, at least by the market, to be held by the Republicans.  But as we discussed yesterday, the narrative has been able to shift from a blue wave is good for stocks to gridlock is good for stocks.  And essentially, that remains the situation because the Fed continues to support the market.

With this in mind, yesterday’s FOMC meeting was the market focus all afternoon.  However, the reality is we didn’t really learn too much that was new.  While universal expectations were for policy to remain unchanged, and they were, Chairman Powell discussed two things in the press conference; the need for fiscal stimulus from the government as quickly as possible; and the composition of their QE program.  Certainly, given all we have heard from Powell, as well as the other FOMC members over the past months, it is not surprising that he continues to plea for a fiscal response from Congress.  As I have written before, they clearly recognize that their toolkit has basically done all it can for the economy, although it can still support stock and bond markets.

It is a bit more interesting that Powell was as forthright regarding the discussion on the nature of the current asset purchase program, meaning both the size of purchases and the tenor of the bonds they are buying.  Currently, they remain focused on short-term Treasuries rather than buying all along the curve.  Their argument is that their purchases are doing a fine job of maintaining low interest rates throughout the Treasury market.  However, it seems that this question was the big one during the meeting, as clearly there are some advocates for extending the tenor of purchases, which would be akin to yield curve control.  The fact that this has been such an important topic internally, and the fact that the erstwhile monetary hawks are on board, or seem to be, implies that we could see a change to longer term purchases in December, especially if no new fiscal stimulus bill is enacted and the data starts to turn back lower.  This may well be the only way that the Fed can ease policy further, given their (well-founded) reluctance to consider negative interest rates.  If this is the case, it would certainly work against the dollar in the near-term, at least until we heard the responses from the other central banks.

But that was yesterday.  The Friday session started off in Asia with limited movement.  While the Nikkei (+0.9%) managed to continue to rally, both the Hang Seng (+0.1%) and Shanghai (-0.25%) had much less interesting performances.  Europe, on the other hand, started off with a serious bout of profit taking, as early on, both the DAX and CAC had fallen about 1.5%.  But in the past two hours, they have clawed back around half of those losses to where the DAX (-0.9%) and CAC (-0.6%) are lower but still within spitting distance of their recent highs.  US futures have shown similar behavior, having been lower by between 1.5% and 2.0% earlier in the session, and now showing losses of just 0.5% across the board.  One cannot be surprised that there was some profit taking as the gains in markets this week have been extraordinary, with the S&P up more than 8% heading into today, the NASDAQ more than 9% and even the DAX and CAC up by similar amounts.

The Treasury rally, too, has stalled this morning with the 10-year yield one basis point higher, although we are seeing continued buying interest throughout European markets, especially in the PIGS, where ongoing ECB support is the most important.  Helping the bond market cause has been the continued disappointment in European data, where for example, German IP was released at a worse than expected -7.3%Y/Y this morning.  Given the increasingly rapid spread of Covid infections throughout Europe, with more than 300K new infections reported yesterday, and the fact that essentially every nation in the EU is going back on lockdown for the month of November, it can be no surprise that bond yields here are falling.  Prospects for growth and inflation remain bleak and all the ECB can do is buy more bonds.

On the commodity front, oil is slipping again today, down around 3% as the twin concerns of weaker growth and potentially more supply from OPEC+ weigh on the market.  Gold however, had a monster day yesterday, rallying 2.5%, and is continuing this morning, up another 0.3%.  This is one market that I believe has much further to run.

Finally, looking at the dollar, it is definitely under pressure overall, although there are some underperformers as well.  For instance, in the G10, SEK (+0.6%), CHF (+0.5%) and NOK (+0.5%) are all nicely higher with NOK being the biggest surprise given the decline in oil prices.  The euro, too, is performing well, higher by 0.45% as I type.  Arguably, this is a response to the idea that Powell’s discussion of buying longer tenors is a precursor to that activity, thus easier money in the US.  However, the Commonwealth currencies are all a bit softer this morning, led by AUD (-0.15%) which also looks a lot like a profit-taking move, given Aussie’s 4.2% gain so far this week.

In the emerging markets, APAC currencies were all the rage overnight, led by IDR (+1.2%) and THB (+0.95%) with both currencies the beneficiaries of an increase in investment inflows to their respective bond markets.  But we are also seeing the CE4 perform well this morning, which given the euro’s strength, should be no surprise at all.  On the flipside, TRY (-1.2%) continues to be the worst performing currency in the world, as its combination of monetary policy and international gamesmanship is encouraging investors to flee as quickly as possible.  The other losers are RUB (-0.5%) and MXN (-0.3%), both of which are clearly feeling the heat from oil’s decline.

This morning, we get the payroll data, which given everything else that is ongoing, just doesn’t seem as important as usual.  However, here is what the market is looking for:

Nonfarm Payrolls 593K
Private Payrolls 685K
Manufacturing Payrolls 55K
Unemployment Rate 7.6%
Average Hourly Earnings 0.2% (4.5% Y/Y)
Average Weekly Hours 34.7
Participation Rate 61.5%

Source: Bloomberg

You may recall that the ADP number was much weaker than expected, although it was buried under the election news wave.  I fear we are going to see a decline in this data as the Initial Claims data continues its excruciatingly slow decline and we continue to hear about more layoffs.  The question is, will the market care?  And the answer is, I think this is a situation where bad news will be good as it will be assumed the Fed will be that much more aggressive.

As such, it seems like another day with dollar underperformance is in our future.

Good luck, good weekend and stay safe
Adf

Most Pundits Agree

Posted on by

No matter what skeptics might say
The Old Lady didn’t delay
They boosted QE
So, Sunak, Rishi
Can spend more each night and each day

But here, when the FOMC
Meets later, most pundits agree
They will not arrange
A policy change
Instead, for more fiscal they’ll plea

As markets are wont to do, they have effectively moved beyond the uncertainty of the US election outcome to the next big thing, in this case central bank activity.  You may recall that on Tuesday morning we learned the RBA cut interest rates again, down to 0.10% and installed a QE program of A$100 billion.  And while these days, A$100 billion may not seem like much, it does represent more than 5% of the Australian economy.  Of course, that action was mostly lost in the election fever that gripped markets at that time.  However, that fever has broken, and the market has come to terms with the fact there is no blue wave.  This has forced participants to collectively create a new narrative which seems to go as follows: gridlock in the US is good for markets because the Fed will be required to do even more, and thus monetary policy will remain easy for an even longer time.  This, as well as the expected lack of a massive stimulus package, is the driver behind the Treasury rally, which is continuing this morning as 10-year yields have fallen a further 3 basis points (30-year yields have fallen even more as the curve continues to flatten.)

Helping along the new narrative, and right on cue, the Bank of England stepped in and increased their QE program by a more than expected £150 billion this morning, allowing Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, the leeway to expand fiscal support for the economy as the government there imposes a month long lockdown to try to arrest the spread of Covid-19.  Thus, in the UK, the monetary and fiscal policies are aligned in their efforts to prevent an economic collapse while fighting the effects of Covid.  Naturally, markets have voted in favor of further central bank largesse, and as expectations grow for even more support to come, equity investors are buying as quickly as they can.

Which leads us to the FOMC meeting today.  Cagily, they arranged for this meeting to be two days after the election, as they clearly don’t want to become the big story.  Rather, I’m certain that despite each members’ penchant to speak constantly, this is one time they will be as quiet as possible.  Part of this is due to the fact that there is exactly zero expectation that there will be any change in policy.  Rates are already at the effective lower bound, and thus far the Fed has not been willing to countenance the idea of negative rates.  Not only that, their forward guidance has been clear that rates will not be ‘normalized’ until at least 2023, and then, only if it makes sense to do so.  As to QE, they are already engaged in an unbounded program, purchasing $80 billion of Treasuries and $40 billion of Mortgage-backed securities each month.  Certainly, they could increase those numbers, but given the US Treasury has just significantly revised their expected issuance lower, (given the lack of a stimulus bill to fund), the Fed is already scooping up a huge percentage of the paper that exists.  With all that in place, what more can they do?  After all, if they say they won’t raise rates until 2024, will that actually matter?  I think not.  Instead, the one thing on which we can count is that the Statement, and Chairman Powell in the press conference, will repeat the point that more fiscal stimulus is what is needed.

The upshot is that, the most important par of the election outcome, is with regards to the Senate, which while it seems clear the Republicans have held their majority, could possibly turn blue.  But unless that happens, at this stage, the market has clearly turned its attention beyond the election and is voting favorably for more central bank support.  So, let’s see how things are behaving this morning.

After a strong US rally yesterday, especially in the NASDAQ, Asia took the baton and sprinted ahead as well with the Nikkei (+1.7%), Hang Seng (+3.25%) and Shanghai (+1.3%) all having strong sessions.  In fact, as I look through every APAC market, only Vietnam and Laos had negative days, otherwise every Asian nation rallied across every one of their indices.  Europe is no different, with every market in the green (DAX +1.7%, CAC +1.25%, FTSE 100 +0.5%, as well as all the sundry others), and US futures (DOW +1.4%, SPX +1.9%, NASDAQ +2.6%) are pointing to another big day here.

Bonds, as mentioned above, are also still feeling the love as only the UK appears to be adding to the fiscal mix and so central bank support will continue to drive activity until that changes.  This means that while Bunds, OATS and Gilts are all only marginally changed, the PIGS are seeing substantial demand with yields falling 3 basis points for all of them

Gold is doing well, up $15/oz on what seems to be the idea that fiat currencies will continuously be devalued and so something else will serve as a better store of value.  (Bitcoin, by the way, is also rallying sharply, +5% this morning, as many continue to see it as an alternative to gold.)  Oil, on the other hand, is a bit lower this morning, -1.0%, although that is after having rallied nearly 16% so far this week, so a modest correction doesn’t seem out of order.

Finally, the big loser today has been the dollar, which is weaker vs. essentially every other currency.  In the G10, NOK (+1.1%) is the leader, despite the fact that oil is correcting.  More interestingly, EUR (+0.7%) is rallying despite the fact that there is no expectation for Fed activity, and the relative stances of the Fed and ECB remains unchanged.  Now if there is not going to be a blue wave, and therefore no massive fiscal expansion in the US, I’m at a loss as to why the dollar should be sold.  Today, however, selling dollars is the story.

The same is true in the EMG bloc, with RUB (+2.2%) the runaway leader, but 1% or greater gains seen throughout EMEA and LATAM currencies.  Even IDR (+1.3%) which last night posted worse than expected GDP growth, has seen strength.  As long as the narrative continues to be that election uncertainty is a dollar negative, it appears the dollar has further to fall.  That said, I see no cause for a collapse of any type.

Aside from the FOMC today, we see some data as follows: Initial Claims (exp 735K), Continuing Claims (7.2M), Nonfarm Productivity (5.6%) and Unit Labor Costs (-11.0%).  Yesterday, amidst the election discussion, we missed the fact that ADP Employment rose a much less than expected 365K, and the ISM Services number printed at a worse than expected 56.6.  Perhaps, belatedly, that negative news has been impacting the dollar.  But my sense is this is narrative driven and unless the Fed truly shocks one and all, I expect the dollar can drift lower still for the rest of the session.

Good luck and stay safe
Adf

Remarkable

Posted on by

The week ahead’s certain to be
Remarkable, as we shall see
Election reports
More Fedspeak, of sorts
And data on jobs finally

There should be no lack of excitement this week as (hopefully) the election season finally winds down and we can all try to begin planning for the next four years of policy.  At this point, most of the polls continue to show there will be a change in the White House, with a fair number of polls predicting a blue wave, where the Democrats retake the Senate, as well as the Presidency.  The thing about pollsters is they are very much like economists; they take the data they want and extrapolate the information in a linear fashion going forward.  The problem with this approach, both for economists and psephologists, is that very little about life or the human condition is linear.  If anything, my observation is that life is quite cyclical, with the key being to determine when the cycle is changing.  As Yogi Berra is reputed to have said, “it’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.”  But predictions galore are certainly being made these days.

For our purposes, however, it is important to continue to game out the potential outcomes, and for hedgers, ensure that proper hedge protection is in place.  Regarding fiscal policy, it seems quite clear that a blue wave will usher in unprecedented levels of additional fiscal stimulus, with numbers of $3 trillion – $5 trillion being bandied about.  If the status quo remains, with President Trump being reelected and the Senate remaining in Republican control, I expect a much smaller stimulus bill, something on the order of the $1.8 trillion that had been discussed up until last week.  Finally, in the event the Republicans hold the Senate, but Mr Biden wins, we are likely to see the reemergence of fiscal conservatism, at least in a sense, and potentially any bill will be smaller.

With that as our backdrop, the consensus view remains that a Biden victory will see a weakening of the dollar, a steepening of the yield curve and an equity market rally.  Meanwhile a Trump victory will see a strengthening of the dollar, a more modest steepening of the yield curve and an equity market rally.  It is quite interesting to me that the consensus is for stocks to continue to rise regardless of the outcome, and for the long end of the bond market to sell off, with only the degree of movement in question.  I have to ask, why is the dollar story different?  The one conundrum here is the expectation of a weaker dollar and a steeper yield curve.  Historically, steep yield curves, implying strong future growth, lead to a stronger dollar.  And after all, it is not as though, the dollar is at excessively strong levels that could lead one to believe it is overbought.  Regardless, this seems to be what is built in at this stage.

Moving on to the FOMC, Thursday’s meeting, two days after the election, is likely to be the least interesting meeting of the year.  It strains credulity that the Fed will act given what could well be a lack of clarity as to the winner of the election.  And even if it is clear, they really have nothing to do at this time.  They are simply going to reiterate the current stance; rates will not rise before 2023, they will continue to purchase bonds ad infinitum, and please, Congress, enact some more fiscal stimulus!

As to Friday’s employment report, it will depend on whether or not the election is settled as to whether the market views the numbers as important.  If the results are known and it is the status quo, then investors will pay attention to the data.  However, if either there is no clear result, or there is a change at the top, this will all be ancient history as the market will be preparing for the new Administration’s policies, so what happened before will lose its significance.  This is especially so given the expectations for a significantly larger fiscal stimulus outcome, and therefore a significant change in economic expectations.

So, that is how we start things off.  Equity markets have shaken off last week’s poor performance and are rebounding nicely.  Asia started things on the right foot (Nikkei +1.4%, Hang Seng +1.5%) although Shanghai was flat on the day despite a better than expected Manufacturing PMI print (53.6).  Europe, meanwhile, is rocking as well, with the DAX (+1.85%) and CAC (+1.8%) both ripping higher while the FTSE 100 (+1.2%) is also having a solid day.  US futures are all pointing sharply higher as well, around 1.5% as I type.

Bond markets are actually mixed this morning, with Treasuries rallying slightly, and yields lower by 1.5 basis points.  However, in Europe, we are seeing bonds sell off (risk is on, after all) although the movement has been quite modest.  After all, with the ECB promising they will be adding new programs come December, why would anyone want to sell bonds the ECB is going to buy?  Of more interest is the fact that Treasury prices are rallying slightly, but this is likely to do with the fact that the market is heavily short Treasury bond futures, and some lightening of positions ahead of the election could well be in order.

On the commodity front, oil prices are falling further, as the renewed wave of lockdowns in Europe has depressed demand, while Libya simultaneously announced they have increased production to 1 million bbl/day, the last thing the oil market needs.  Gold, meanwhile, is moving higher, which strongly suggests it is behaving as a risk mitigant, given the fact neither rates are falling nor is the dollar.

As to the dollar, arguably, the best description today is mixed.  With so much new information yet to come this week, investors and traders seem to be biding their time.  In the G10, it is an even split, with three currencies modestly firmer, (CAD, NZD and AUD all +0.2%) and three currencies modestly weaker (NOK and GBP -0.2%, CHF -0.1%) with the rest essentially unchanged.  The one that makes the most sense is NOK, with oil continuing its slide.  Surprisingly, the pound is weaker given the story circulating that the EU and UK have essentially reached a compromise on the fisheries issue, one of the key sticking points in Brexit negotiations.

Emerging market currencies have a stronger bias toward weakness with RUB (-1.25%) and TRY (-1.0%) leading the way lower.  Clearly, the former is oil related while the lira has been getting pummeled for weeks as investors continue to vote on their views of Turkish monetary policy and the economic potential given new sanctions from the West.  But after those two, most APAC currencies were under pressure, somewhat surprisingly given the Chinese data, however, INR and TWD (-0.45% each) also underperformed last night.  On the plus side, CZK (+0.35%) is the leader, benefitting from a better than expected PMI print.

Speaking of data, Manufacturing PMI’s from Europe were all revised slightly higher, but had little overall impact on the FX markets.  This week, of course brings a great deal of info:

Today ISM Manufacturing 56.0
ISM Prices Paid 60.5
Construction Spending 1.0%
Tuesday Factory Orders 1.0%
Wednesday ADP Employment 650K
Trade Balance -$63.9B
ISM Services 57.5
Thursday Initial Claims 740K
Continuing Claims 7.35M
Nonfarm Productivity 5.2%
Unit Labor Costs -10.1%
FOMC Rate Decision 0.00% – 0.25%
Friday Nonfarm Payrolls 580K
Private Payrolls 680K
Manufacturing Payrolls 51K
Unemployment Rate 7.6%
Average Hourly Earnings 0.2% (4.6% Y/Y)
Average Weekly Hours 34.7
Participation Rate 61.5%
Consumer Credit $7.5B

Source: Bloomberg

Adding to the mix is the BOE meeting on Thursday as well, while the RBA meets tonight.  To me, this is just trying to level set as we await this week’s extraordinary possibilities.  Nothing has changed my view that the dollar is likely to strengthen as the situation elsewhere in the world, especially in Europe, is pointing to a terrible Q4 outcome economically (and, I fear in the health category) which will continue to weigh on the euro, as well as most emerging markets.  But one thing is clear, is there is a huge amount of uncertainty for the rest of this week.

Good luck and stay safe
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