Tag Archives: #riskoff

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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Doves in Retreat

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It seems the transition’s complete
As every Fed dove’s in retreat
From Powell to Daly,
And like Andrew Bailey,
They want to end QE tout de suite

Regarding the Fed’s hawks, Mester, George, Bostic and Bullard, we already knew they were ready to end QE.  They have been saying so since much earlier this year, before two of their kettle were forced to resign in disgrace (you remember Rosengren and Kaplan).  Just yesterday, Cleveland’s Loretta Mester reiterated she was “very open” to quickening the tapering process in order to give the Fed the option to raise rates early next year if they deem it necessary.  But of more interest has been the transition of the erstwhile dovish contingent with Mary Daly’s apparent desire to quicken the taper amongst the most surprising given her consistently dovish leanings.  In fact, the only holdout that I can determine is Neel Kashkari from Minneapolis, who has yet to agree inflation is a problem.  However, no one is more important than Chairman Powell, who over the past two days, in testimony to Congress, made it clear that come the FOMC meeting on December 15th, the pace of tapering will be increased.

At least, that is the view to which the market is turning.  Equity market weakness, a flattening yield curve and rising volatility all demonstrate that investors and traders are beginning to adjust the strategies they have been following since QE1 in the wake of the GFC.  This helps explain how the stock market could decline more than 1% two days in a row (!) and why it has fallen, already, nearly 5% from its all-time-high set back on November 22.  While I am being somewhat facetious with respect to dramatizing the recent declines, there are many in the market who seem to believe these are unprecedented moves.

And it is this last issue which is likely to become a major concern for the Fed going forward.  More than a decade of Fed easy money has taught people to buy every dip in asset prices.  Post Covid Fed policy has encouraged people to lever up when they buy those dips and so margin debt has reached historic highs on both a nominal ($581 billion) and percentage of GDP (2.5%) basis.  The problem here arises if when stock prices decline, and margin calls are made. Just like the Fed is a price insensitive buyer of Treasuries, and index funds are price insensitive buyers of equities, margin calls result in price insensitive selling of equities.  When this happens, equity prices can decline VERY quickly.  Know, too, that exchanges can raise margin requirements intra-day, so if a decline starts at the open, they can raise margin requirements by lunchtime to protect their members.  All this matters because the sudden hawkish tilt by the Fed could cause a very severe reaction in the financial markets.  And if there is one thing about which we should all be sure, it is that a very sharp decline, anything over 10% in a short period, will be met with a change in behavior by those very same Fed hawks.  Talk is cheap.  Sticking to their guns because they are trying to address rampant inflation will make them all very unpopular, something which the current denizens of the Marriner Eccles building seem unlikely to be able to handle very well.

Is this the beginning of the end?  I don’t believe so, especially as nothing has actually changed yet.  However, when it comes to sentiment shifts, they can occur in a heartbeat, so do not rule anything out.  Of more importance, though, is what we can expect if the shift comes.

In a classic risk-off scenario, where margin selling is rampant and equity prices are falling sharply, there is very likely to be contagion, so equities worldwide will decline.  We are very likely to see Treasuries, Bunds and Gilts in demand, with yields there declining sharply.  However, I would expect that the sovereign debt of the PIGS nations will more likely follow the equity market than Bunds, so spreads will widen.  Commodity prices will come under severe pressure as this will be seen as a precursor to a recession. And the dollar will rise sharply vs. its EMG counterparts as well as the commodity bloc of the G10.  JPY and CHF are both likely to do very well while the enigma is the euro, although my sense is the single currency would decline, just not as aggressively as, say, SEK.  We are not at that point but be aware that the current market setup is such that the opportunity for a move of that nature is quite real.  If you read Mark Buchanan’s terrific book, Ubiquity, you will recognize the “fingers of instability” described there as being present in every market.  It just seems that those fingers are more prevalent currently. (If you haven’t read the book, I cannot recommend it highly enough.)

Ok, let’s take a tour of markets today.  Yesterday’s late day US equity decline saw a continuation in Tokyo (Nikkei -0.65%) although the Hang Seng (+0.55%) managed to rally while Shanghai (-0.1%) was roughly flat.  I believe HK benefitted from the word that China was going to force the tech companies listed in the US to delist likely driving them to the HK market.  Europe, too, has been following that late day sell-off with the DAX (-1.3%) leading the major exchanges lower, followed by the CAC (-1.0%) and FTSE 100 (-0.8%).  However, US futures are all pointing higher led by the DOW (+0.9%) as it seems two down days in a row are enough.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the bond market is behaving in a split fashion as well, with Treasury yields (+3.4bps) rising while European sovereigns (Bunds -1.2bps, OATs -2.0bps, Gilts -1.4bps) all slipping as risk is shed on the Continent.

The rebound thesis is alive and well in oil markets with WTI (+0.4%) edging higher, although it is off its early session highs.  NatGas (+0.15%) is a touch firmer while precious metals are mixed (Au -0.3%, Ag +0.4%).  Mixed also defines the industrial space with copper (+0.5%) doing well while aluminum (-0.6%) is under a bit of pressure.  One thing that is universal today, though is the ags, all of which are higher by between 0.5% and 1.5%.

Finally, mixed describes the dollar as well, with half the G10 rising and the other half falling on the session.  NOK (-0.35%) is the laggard, while GBP (+0.3%) is the leader.  However, given the relatively modest movement, and the lack of news or data, there can be many things leading to these movements.  In the EMG bloc, ZAR (+1.1%) is the leader despite (because of?) the omicron variant spreading so rapidly there.  Information on the issue of omicron’s impact remains very difficult to come by, but the market appears to be taking the stance that it will not be a very big deal as the rand has rallied 3.5% from its lows seen last week when the news first hit.  Away from that, RUB (+0.7%) and MXN (+0.7%) are the next best performers although both are outperforming their key export, oil.  On the downside, TRY (-1.2%) continues to fall with no end in sight.  Yesterday, President Erdogan sacked his FinMin and replaced him with a new, more pliant deputy, in order to be certain the central bank will continue cutting interest rates in the face of quickly rising inflation.  This currency has much further to fall.  Away from this, the decliners have been far less impressive led by THB (-0.4%) as local traders see concerns over the impact of the omicron variant.

On the data front, Initial (exp 240K) and Continuing (2003K) Claims are on the docket as all eyes turn to tomorrow’s NFP report.  Yesterday’s ADP data was right on expectations which will give comfort to those looking for 545K in the NFP tomorrow.

Bostic, Quarles, Daly and Barkin take the stage today on behalf of the Fed and I would expect to hear more about a faster taper from all of them as this is clearly the new message.  Looking at the dollar with all this in mind, it still appears to be following the 10-year trade more than the 2-year trade.  As such, if the curve continues to flatten, I would look for the dollar to continue to consolidate its recent gains.

One last thing, I will be out tomorrow so there will be no poetry.  However, my take is the NFP data is likely to be in line with expectations so not have much impact overall.

Good luck, good weekend and stay safe
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Before Omicron

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There once was a narrative told
Explaining the Fed still controlled
The market’s reaction
Preventing contraction
Thus, making sure stocks ne’er got sold

But that was before Omicron
Evolved and put more pressure on
The future success
Of Fed’ral largesse
With no real conclusion foregone

So, later this morning we’ll hear,
When Janet and Jay both appear,
In front of the Senate
If they’ve still the tenet
That all will be well by next year

Perhaps all is not right with the world.  At least that would be a conclusion easily drawn based on market activity this morning.  Once again, risk is being shed rapidly and across the board.  Not only that, but the market is completely rethinking the idea of tighter monetary policy by the Fed with the growing conclusion that it is just not going to happen, at least not on the timeline that had been assumed a few short days ago.

It seems that the Omicron variant of Covid is proving to be a bigger deal in investor’s eyes than had been originally assumed.  When this variant was first identified by South African scientists, the initial belief was it was more virulent but not as acute as the Delta variant.  So, while it was spreading quite rapidly, those who were infected displayed milder symptoms than previous variants.  (If you think about the biology of this, that makes perfect sense.  After all, every organism’s biologic goal is to continue to reproduce as much as possible.  If a virus is so severe that its host dies, then it cannot reproduce very effectively.  Thus, a more virulent, less severe strain is far more likely to remain in the world than a less virulent, more deadly strain, which by killing its hosts will die off as well.)

In the meantime, financial markets have been trying to determine just what type of impact this new strain is going to have on economies and whether it will induce another series of lockdowns slowing economic activity, or if it will be handled in a different manner.  And so far, there is no clear conclusion as evidenced by the fact that we saw a massive sell-off in risk assets Friday, a major rebound yesterday and another sell-off this morning.  If pressed, I would expect lockdowns to come back into vogue as despite questions over their overall efficacy, their imposition allows government officials to highlight they are ‘doing something’ to prevent the spread.  Additional bad news came from the CEO of Moderna, one of the vaccine manufacturers, when he indicated that the nature of this variant would likely evade the vaccines’ defense.

So, story number one today is Omicron and how this new Covid variant is going to impact the global economy.  Ironically, central bankers around the world must be secretly thrilled by this situation as the focus there takes the spotlight off their problem, rapidly rising inflation.

For instance, after yesterday’s higher than expected CPI prints in Spain and Germany, one cannot be surprised that the Eurozone’s CPI printed this morning at 4.9%, the highest level since the Eurozone was born in 1997, and far higher than any of the 40 economist forecasts published.  Madame Lagarde wasted no time explaining that this was all temporary and that by the middle of next year inflation would be back to its pre-pandemic levels, but it seems fewer and fewer people are willing to believe that story.  Do not mistake the run to the relative safety of sovereign bonds as a vote of confidence in the central bank community.  Rather that is simply seen as a less risky place to park funds than the equity market, which by virtually every measure, remains significantly overvalued.

This leads to the third major story of the day, the upcoming testimony by Chairman Powell and Treasury Secretary Yellen in front of the Senate Banking Committee.  The pre-released opening comments focus on Omicron and how it can be a risk for both growth and inflation thus once again trying to divert attention from Fed policies as a problem by blaming exogenous events beyond their control.  Of course, this story will resolve itself starting at 10:00, so we will all listen in then.

Ok, with all that as prelude, a quick tour of markets shows just how much risk is in disfavor this morning.  Overnight in Asia we saw broad weakness (Nikkei -1.6%, Hang Seng -1.6%) although once again Shanghai was flat.  Europe is completely in the red (DAX -1.45%, CAC -1.25%, FTSE 100 -1.0%) and US futures are also pointing lower (DOW -1.2%, SPX -1.0%, NASDAQ -0.5%).

Meanwhile, bond markets are ripping higher with Treasuries (-5.1bps) leading the way as yields fall back to levels last seen in early September.  In Europe, Bunds (-2.1bps), OATs (-2.2bps) and Gilts (-4.0bps) are all seeing demand pick up with the rest of the Continent all looking at lower yields despite rising inflation.  Fear is clearly a powerful motivator.  Even in Asia we saw JGB’s (-1.9bps) rally as did Australian and New Zealand paper.

Commodity markets are having quite a day with some really mixed outcomes.  Oil (-2.5%) is back in the red after yesterday’s early morning rebound faded during the day, and although oil did close higher, it was well of the early highs.  NatGas (-5.0%) is falling sharply, which at this time of year is typically weather related.  On the other hand, gold (+0.5%) is bouncing from yesterday and industrial metals (Cu +1.4%, Al +1.6%, Sn +2.7%) are in clear demand.  It seems odd that on a risk-off day, these metals would rally, but there you have it.

Finally, the dollar can only be described as mixed this morning, with commodity currencies under pressure (NOK -0.4%, CAD -0.25%) while financial currencies (EUR +0.5%, CHF +0.5%, JPY +0
4%) are benefitting on receding expectations for a tighter Fed.  PS, I’m sure the risk off scenario is not hurting the yen or Swiss franc either.

Emerging market currencies are demonstrating a broader based strength with TRY (-1.6%) really the only major loser as further turmoil engulfs the central bank there and expectations for lower interest rates and higher inflation drive locals to get rid of as much lira as possible.  Otherwise, PLN (+0.8%) is leading the way higher as expectations for the central bank to raise rates grow with talk now the rate hike will be greater than 50 basis points.  But MYR (+0.8%) and CZK (+0.75%) are also showing strength with the ringgit simply rebounding after a 10-day down move as bargain hunters stepped in, while the koruna has benefitted from hawkish comments from the central bank governor.  It appears that most EMG central banks are taking the inflation situation quite seriously and I would look for further rate hikes throughout the space.

Aside from the Powell/Yellen testimony, this morning brings Case Shiller House Prices (exp 19.3%), Chicago PMI (67.0) and Consumer Confidence (111.0).  As well, two other Fed speakers, Williams and Clarida, will be on the tape, but it is hard to believe they will get much notice with Powell front and center.

The dollar appears to be back following the interest rate story, which means that if expectations of Fed tightening dissipate, the dollar will likely fade as well, at least versus the financial currencies.  Commodities have a life of their own and will continue to dominate those currencies beholden to them.  The tension between potential slower growth and rising inflation has not been solved, and while my view is the Fed will allow inflation to burn still hotter, keep in mind that if they do act to tighten policy, the dollar should find immediate support.

Good luck and stay safe
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The Kicker

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Whatever we all used to think
‘Bout how growth might rapidly shrink
If Covid spread quicker
Prepare for the kicker
A new strain that spreads in a blink

While the plan was to let you all digest your Thanksgiving meals in peace, unfortunately, the news cycle is not prepared to cooperate.  Risk is waaaayyyyy off this morning as news of a new strain of Covid, B.1.1.529, has been identified in South Africa, but also in Botswana and Israel, albeit only a literal handful of cases so far, but whose attributes may be that it is not going to be able to be addressed by vaccines.  So the market reaction has been to sell any risk asset they hold, which has resulted in a serious risk-off session with equity markets around the world much lower (Nikkei -2.5%, Hang Seng -2.7%, Shanghai -0.6%, DAX -3.0%, CAC -3.75% and the FTSE 100 -2.9%), bond markets ripping higher with yields tumbling (Treasuries -9.6bps, Bunds -5.5bps, OATs -5.1bps, Gilts -10.5bps and even JGBs -1.5bps) and oil getting trashed (-5.3%).  Aside from bonds, the only other things higher this morning are gold (+1.0%) and the yen (+1.1%).  That’s not strictly true, the euro has performed better than you might have expected, rallying 0.7%, although most EMG currencies are under real pressure, as are the commodity linked G10 currencies like CAD (-0.9%), AUD (-0.55%) and NOK (-0.4%).

US futures are also pointing sharply lower (DOW -2.0%, SPX -1.6%, NASDAQ -1.0%), so be prepared for some red on the screens here as well.  The emerging consensus is that lockdowns are coming back, with Belgium imposing some overnight already, and travel bans are back with Israel and the UK already banning flights from South Africa.

Aside from the obvious health concerns that we will all be reevaluating; the point of this note is to discuss the impact on markets.  Well, the idea that the Fed is going to be raising rates more rapidly has been tossed aside, with talk that tapering is not only not going to accelerate, but potentially stop.  So, they will have reduced purchases by $15 billion/month and that will be it.  Recall, just Wednesday there were two 25 basis point rate hikes priced into Fed funds futures curves by the end of 2022, with a third due for February 2023.  Already one of those rate hikes has been priced out and if the news doesn’t improve soon, I would look for the others to go away as well.  If we are entering a new phase of Covid restrictions, the question will be how much more money governments around the world are going to throw at the problem, not when they are going to start removing accommodation.

So, the quick analysis is that inflation will quickly fall to the wayside as a concern around the world as governments everywhere react to this latest medical risk.  Of course, at this point, it no longer matters why prices are rising, it is simply the fact they are rising and that expectations for them to continue get further entrenched that is the problem.  Reading through comments from various companies in their recent earnings calls shows that most of them are anticipating raising prices to cover costs as frequently as quarterly.  Once again, this implies that holding ‘stuff’ rather than paper assets is going to be the best protection one can have for a while yet.

It is still too early to estimate how this new Covid strain will ultimately impact economies which is entirely dependent on government responses.  But if recent history is any guide, I would expect that the playbook remains; more fiscal spending, more monetizing of debt and higher inflation amidst platitudes of just how much those governments care about you, their citizens.

Also, do not be surprised if all those best laid plans of companies returning to offices get waylaid once again.

In the end, the reason companies hedge their FX exposure is to help reduce the variance in earnings, whether by moderating cash flow swings or balance sheet revaluation.  It is because markets respond to news of this nature in such extreme measures that hedging makes sense and that is not about to change.

But also, B.1.1.529 is yet another nail in the coffin of just-in-time manufacturing processes.  Just-in-case is going to become the new normal, with higher inventories in order that manufacturers and retailers can satisfy client demand, and that is a permanent change in pricing.  Any thoughts that inflation is going to go back down to sub 2% for an extended period are going to run headlong into reality over the next year, and it won’t be pretty.

To sum it up; risk is worthless today, hold havens.  As to all the tomorrows, prices will tend higher for a much longer time regardless of what bond markets seem to indicate.  Those markets no longer offer signals as in the past due to central bank interference.

And with those cheery thoughts, enjoy Black Friday and a full edition will be out on Monday.

Good luck, good weekend and stay safe
Adf

Unchecked

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In Europe, the maximum nation
Is facing the scourge of inflation
And so, they are calling,
To help it start falling,
For less money accommodation

But others in Europe reject
The idea inflation’s unchecked
T’would be premature
To tighten, they’re sure
As QE they want to protect

It appears there is a growing rift in the ECB as we are beginning to hear more opposing views regarding the nature of inflation and correspondingly as to the prescription to address the issue.  On the one hand, the hawks have been sharpening their talons with Germany’s Schnabel, Slovenia’s Vasle and Spain’s de Guindos having all warned of inflation’s surprising persistence and explaining that the risk is to the upside for higher inflation still.  Meanwhile, this morning we had an erstwhile Hawk, Austria’s Holzmann, and an uber-dove, Italy’s Panetta pushing back on that view and insisting that the inflation that has been afflicting Europe is being driven by “purely temporary factors” and that premature withdrawal of stimulus would be a mistake.

The surprising feature of this discussion is that the Spanish voice is hawkish while the Austrian is dovish.  Perhaps what that tells us is that, just like in the US, inflation has become a bigger political problem in Spain and the Socialist PM, Pedro Sanchez, is feeling the heat from the population there.  This would not be surprising given inflation is running at 5.4%, the highest level since the introduction of the euro in 1999.  Arguably, the fact that Robert Holzmann seems to be siding with the transitory camp is also quite the surprise, but as they say, politics makes strange bedfellows.  In the end, as long as Madame Lagarde remains at the helm, the doves remain in control.  As such, these comments sound very much like posturing for particular audiences.

Turning to other news, Germany is at the center of the most interesting stories today as local politics (the formation of a new government…finally) as well as data (IFO Expectations fell to 94.2) seem to be driving the euro bus, and with the euro, the rest of the markets.  A brief look at the proposed government shows a coalition of the Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) which is a pro-growth, free markets group.  This unprecedented grouping of 3 parties remains tenuous, at best, if only because the underlying belief sets are very different.  It remains unclear how a party whose focus is on less government (FDP) is going to work effectively with a party whose focus is on bigger government (SPD).  Olaf Scholz will be the new PM, a man with long experience in politics and a widely respected name.  As I said before, politics makes strange bedfellows!

On the economic side, this morning’s IFO data was quite disappointing, with Expectations falling back to levels seen in the beginning of the year and reaching a point that foretells of a recession coming.  Adding this to the imminent lockdown scenario (Germany’s Covid caseload jumped by 54K yesterday, with a significant surge ongoing), leaves quite the negative impression for the German economy.  In fact, given this news, it becomes harder for the hawks to make their case as the central bank model continues to believe that slowing growth will slow inflation.  (And while that would be true for demand-pull inflation, the whole cost-push framework is different.)  At any rate, the result is a day where risk is being shed and havens sought.  This is especially so in Germany, where the DAX (-0.6%) is the weakest performer in Europe, while Bunds (-1.7bps) have rallied despite a terrible auction outcome as investors adjust asset mixes.  And the euro?  Down a further 0.3%, trading just above 1.1200, although it appears that there is further to run.

What about the rest of markets?  Well, the Nikkei (-1.6%) fell sharply as investors in Japan expressed concern that the Fed would begin to tighten, and it would have negative impacts throughout the world.  At least that is what they claim.  China, on the other hand saw much less movement with the Hang Seng (+0.1%) and Shanghai (+0.1%) seeing a mix of gainers and losers internally thus offsetting for the index as a whole.  The rest of Europe is generally softer (CAC -0.2%, Spain’s IBEX -0.3%), although the FTSE 100 is basically unchanged on the day.  And after a mixed day yesterday, US futures are pointing modestly lower, -0.2% or so across the board.

As to the rest of the bond market, Treasuries (-2.4bps) are finally rallying after seeing a dramatic 12 basis point rise in the past three sessions.  We have also seen OATs (-0.7bps) rally slightly and Dutch bonds (-1.6bps) all the havens.  It should not, however, be surprising that Italian BTPs (+1.2bps) and Greek bonds (+3.9bps) are being sold as they remain risk assets in full.

On the commodity front, oil, which has been suffering from the SPR release story, seems to have absorbed that risk and after rebounding yesterday is flat this morning.  While still below $80/bbl, my sense is this has further to run higher.  NatGas (-0.25%) is a touch lower in the US as is gold (-0.1%).  However, the industrial metals are performing far better (Cu +0.7%, Al +0.7%, Sn +0.4%).

Lastly, the dollar is generally having a good day again, as risk appetite wanes.  NZD (-0.6%) is the weakest G10 currency after the market was disappointed in their actions last night, only raising the base rate by 0.25% while the whisper number was 0.5%. SEK (-0.4%) is the next laggard, with the krona continuing to suffer on the view that the Riksbank will remain reluctant to tighten policy at all in the face of actions by the Fed and potentially the BOE.  The rest of the bloc is generally softer with only the haven, JPY (+0.1%), showing any strength.

In the EMG space, we need to look away from TRY (+5.6%) which is retracing some of yesterday’s remarkable decline, as it is destined for extreme volatility in the near future.  But elsewhere, there is actually a mixed result with BRL (+0.6%) and PHP (+0.5%) leading the gainers while THB (-0.7%) and RUB (-0.3%) lag the space.  The real is benefitting from the central bank announcement it will be auctioning off 14K contracts in the FX markets, part of their intervention process, while the Philippine peso has benefitted from further investment inflows to the local stock market.  On the flipside, the baht seems to be suffering from concerns that the lockdowns in Europe will reduce tourism there during the high season, while the ruble continues to suffer from concerns over potential military activity and the further negative impacts of sanctions that could follow.

Given tomorrow’s Thanksgiving holiday, all the rest of the week’s data will be released today:

Initial Claims 260K
Continuing Claims 2033K
GDP Q2 2.2.%
Durable Goods 0.2%
-ex Transport 0.5%
Personal Income 0.2%
Personal Spending 1.0%
Core PCE 0.4% (4.1% Y/Y)
Michigan Sentiment 67.0
New Home Sales 800K
FOMC Minutes

Source: Bloomberg

As the GDP data is a revision, it will not garner much attention.  Rather, all eyes will be focused on Core PCE, as if recent form holds, it will print higher than expectations, further forcing the Fed debate.  And of course, the Minutes will be parsed intently as traders try to divine just how quickly things may change next month, especially since Chairman Powell and Governor Brainerd have both been clear that inflation is their primary concern now.

At this point, there is nothing to stand in the way of the dollar and I expect that it will continue to grind higher for a while.  The hallmark of the move so far this month, where the single currency has fallen 3.0%, is that it has been remarkably steady with a majority of sessions showing modest declines.  That pattern seems likely to continue for now unless there is a change from either the Fed or the ECB, neither of which seems likely.  Hedge accordingly.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and poetry will return on Monday November 29th.

Good luck, good weekend and stay safe
Adf

Sang the Blues

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The President’s finally decided
That Lael and Jay have now divided
The tasks at the Fed
And both of them said
Inflation just won’t be abided

The bond market took in the news
And quickly adjusted its views
Thus, interest rates rose
While gold felt the throes
Of pain as goldbugs sang the blues

By now, we all know that Chairman Powell has been reappointed to his current role as Fed Chair and Governor Brainerd has been elevated to Vice-Chair.  The underlying belief seems to be that the Biden administration was not prepared for what would likely have been a much more difficult confirmation fight to get Brainerd as Chair and decided to husband whatever political capital they still have left to fight for their spending legislation.  Arguably, the most interesting part of the process was that both Powell and Brainerd, in their remarks, indicated that fighting inflation was a key priority.  As Powell said, “We will use our tools both to support the economy and strong labor market, and to prevent higher inflation from becoming entrenched.”  Now that is a wonderful sentiment, and of course, directly in line with the Fed’s Congressional mandate to “promote effectively the goals of maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long term interest rates.”  Alas for them both, the tools necessary for the different pieces of the mandate tend to be opposite in their nature.

However, the market response was clear as to its broad belief that tighter Fed policy is on the horizon.  Between those comments and what we heard last week from Governor Waller, vice-Chair Clarida and St Louis Fed President Bullard, it seems clear that the meeting in December is going to be all about the timing of the tapering.  While the progressive wing of the Democratic party remains steadfast in their belief in the power of MMT to deliver prosperity for all, it appears that the reality on the ground, namely that inflation is exploding higher, has become too big a problem to ignore for President Biden.

Here’s the thing.  The traditional tool for fighting rising inflation is to raise interest rates above the rate of inflation to create positive real yields.  Now, depending on how you define inflation; CPI, PCE, the core version of either, or the trimmed mean version of either, given where all of those measures currently stand, the minimum amount of rate increases is going to be 300 basis points, with a chance that it could be 400 or more.  Now, ask yourself how an economy that is leveraged to the hilt (total debt/GDP > 895%) will respond to interest rates rising by 300 or 400 basis points.  How about the stock market, with its current Shiller CAPE (cyclically adjusted P/E) above 39 compared to a median of 15.86 over the past 150 years?  How do you think that will respond to the interest rate curve rising by 300 or 400 basis points?  The picture is not pretty.

It remains to be seen just how much pain the Fed and the Administration can stand if the Fed actually does start to tighten policy more aggressively in the face of rapidly rising inflation.  Consider that in Q4 2018, the last time the Fed was trying to ‘normalize’ policy by allowing the balance sheet to run down slowly while also raising interest rates, stocks fell 20% and the result was the ‘Powell Pivot’ on Boxing Day that year, where the Chairman explained that tightening policy wasn’t actually that critical at the time and would end immediately.  At that time the same measure of debt/GDP was ‘merely’ 763% and the CAPE was 29.  We have much further to fall today, and I expect that when/if that starts to happen, the Fed will not blithely continue tightening policy to fight inflation.  Remember the idea that the Fed has painted themselves into a corner?  Well, this is the corner in which they have painted themselves.  They need to raise rates to fight inflation but doing so is likely to provoke a severely negative market, and potentially economic, reaction.

Now, while we are all waiting for that shoe to drop, let’s take a look at how markets responded to the news.  The first thing to note is the bond market, where 10-year yields rose 9 bps yesterday and that trend has continued this morning with yields higher by another 2.3bps.  With the 10-year currently yielding 1.65%, all eyes are on the 1.75% level, the peak seen in March, and the level many see as a critical technical level, a break of which could open up much higher yields.  It should not be surprising that we have seen higher yields elsewhere as well, with European sovereigns (Bunds +5.9bps, OATs +5.7bps, Gilts +4.8bps) responding to three factors this morning; the US market movement, better than expected preliminary PMI data across the continent and hawkish comments from both Isabel Schnabel and Klaas Knot, two ECB members. You may recall last week when I described some Schnabel comments as apparently dovish, and a potential capitulation of the remaining hawks on the ECB.  Apparently, I was mistaken.  Today she was much clearer about the risks of inflation being to the upside and that they must be considered.  If the hawks are in flight, bonds have further to decline.

In the equity markets, yesterday’s news initially brought a rally in the US, but by the end of the day, as bond yields rose, the NASDAQ, which is effectively a very long duration asset, fell 1.25%, although the rest of the US market fared far better.  The overnight session saw a more modest reaction with the Nikkei (+0.1%) and Shanghai (+0.2%) edging higher although the Hang Seng (-1.2%) suffered on weaker consumer and pharma stocks.  Europe has rebounded from its worst levels but is still lower (DAX -0.7%, CAC -0.25%, FTSE 100 0.0%) despite (because of?) the PMI data.  I guess hawkish monetary policy trumps good economic data, a harbinger of what may be on the horizon.  At this hour, US futures are little changed, so perhaps there is good news in store.

News that the Biden administration is releasing 30 million barrels of oil from the SPR along with releases by India and South Korea has weighed on oil prices (WTI -1.5%) although NatGas (+4.8%) is not following along for the ride.  Gold (-0.5%) got clobbered yesterday and is down 2.7% from Friday’s closing levels.  Clearly, inflation fighting by the Fed is not seen as a positive.  As to the rest of the metals complex, it is generally higher as expectations grow that demand around the world is going to pick back up.

Finally, in the FX market, the truly notable mover today is TRY (-11.2%!) which appears to be starting to suffer from a true run in the wake of President Erdogan’s praise of the recent interest rate cut and claiming that Turkey is fighting an “economic war of independence.”  It seems he’s losing right now.  Relative to that movement, nothing else seems substantial although MXN (-0.8%) is feeling pressure from declining oil prices while other EMG currencies slid on the broad strong dollar theme.  In the G10, NZD (-0.5%) is the weakest performer as long positions were cut ahead of the RBNZ meeting next week, but the bulk of the bloc is modestly lower as US interest rates continue to power ahead.

On the data front, we see the preliminary PMI data (exp 59.1 Mfg, 59.0 Services) and that’s really it.  Yesterday’s Existing Home Sales were better than expected, but really, today’s markets will continue to be driven by interest rates and views on how the Fed is going to behave going forward.  Taking Powell at his word means that tighter policy is coming which should help the dollar amid a broader risk-off sentiment.  Plan accordingly.

Good luck and stay safe
Adf

Risk’s In Retreat

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In Germany, Covid’s widespread
And lockdowns seem likely ahead
But that hasn’t stopped
Inflation which popped
To levels the people there dread

The upshot is risk’s in retreat
As equities, traders, excrete
But bonds and the buck
Are showing their pluck
And havens now look mighty sweet

While Covid has obviously not disappeared, for a time it seemed much less important to investors and traders and so, had a lesser impact on price action.  But that was then.  During the past few weeks, Covid has once again become a much bigger problem despite the inoculation of large portions of the population in most developed countries.  Exhibit A is Austria, where they have imposed a full-scale vaccine mandate and have the police checking papers randomly to insure that anyone outside their home is vaccinated.  If you are found without papers, the penalty is prison.  However, Germany seems determined to catch up to Austria on this count, as the infection rate there climbs rapidly, and the healthcare system is getting overwhelmed.  There is talk that a nationwide lockdown is coming there as well, and soon.

Of course, what we learned during the first months of Covid’s spread was that when lockdowns are imposed, economic activity declines dramatically.  After all, in-person services all but end, and without government financial support, many people are unable to maintain their levels of consumption.  As such, the prospect of the largest economy in Europe going into a total lockdown is a pretty negative signal for future economic activity.  Alas for the authorities, the one thing that does not seem to be in retreat is inflation.  While Germany is contemplating a national lockdown, this morning it released its latest PPI data and in October, Producer Prices rose 3.8%, which takes their year-on-year rise to…18.4%!  This is the highest level since 1951 and obviously greatly concerning.  While some portion of these increased costs will be absorbed by companies, you can be sure that a substantial portion will be passed on to customers.  CPI is already at 4.6% and there is no indication that it is about to retreat.

And folks, this is Germany, the nation that is arguably the most phobic regarding inflation of any in the developed world.  Sure, Turkey and Argentina and Venezuela have bigger inflation problems right now.  So does Brazil, for that matter.  And many of these latter nations have long histories of inflation ruling the roost.  But ever since 1924, when the newly established Rentenbank helped break the Weimar hyperinflation, sound money and low inflation have been the hallmarks of German policy and politics.  So, the idea that any price index is printing in double digits, let alone nearly at 20% per annum, is extraordinary.  In fact, this is what makes yesterday’s comments from Isabel Schnabel, a German PhD economist and member of the ECB’s Executive Board, so remarkable.  For any German with sway over monetary policy to pooh-pooh the current inflation levels is unprecedented.  Even more remarkably, with Jens Weidmann leaving the role of Bundesbank President, Schnabel is on the short list to replace him.

This drama in Germany matters because if the Bundesbank, traditionally one of the most hawkish central banks, and the biggest counterweight to the ECB as a whole, is turning dovish, then the implications for the euro, as well as Eurozone assets, are huge.  If the Bundesbank will not be holding back Madame Lagarde’s push to do more, we can expect an expansion in QE from here and overall higher inflation going forward.  Both bonds and stocks will rally, as will the price of commodities in euros, while the euro itself will fall sharply.  In fact, this may be enough to offset any incipient dovishness from the Fed should Lael Brainerd wind up as Fed Chair.  It would certainly change medium and long-term views on the EURUSD exchange rate.  And you thought that the week before Thanksgiving would be quiet.

And so, it is a risk-off type day today.  While Asian equity markets managed more winners than losers (Nikkei +0.5%, Hang Seng -1.1%, Shanghai +1.1%), Europe is completely in the red (DAX -0.2%, CAC -0.3%, FTSE 100 -0.5%) and US futures are pointing down as well, with DJIA futures (-0.6%) leading the way.

Bond markets are behaving exactly as would be expected on a risk-off day, with Treasury yields falling 4.6bps while European Sovereigns (Bunds -5.5bps, OATs -5.4bps, Gilts -5.8bps) have rallied even further.  In fact, German 30-year bunds have fallen into negative territory again for the first time since August.

If you want to see risk being shed, look no further than oil (-3.1%) which is lower yet again and seems to have found a short-term top.  It seems the news of SPR releases as well as slowing growth prospects has been enough to halt the inexorable rally seen since April 2020.  Interestingly, a number of other commodities are performing quite well with NatGas (+1.1%), copper (+0.9%) and aluminum (+0.7%) all nicely higher.  Gold (+0.2%) continues to edge up as well, with more and more inflows given its haven status.  Somewhat surprisingly, Bitcoin (-4.7%, -10.5% in the past week) is not similarly benefitting, although the narrative of it being digital gold remains strong.  Perhaps it was simply massively overbought!

Finally, the dollar is clearly king this morning, rallying strongly vs all its G10 peers except the yen (+0.35%), with NOK (-1.1%) the biggest laggard on the back of oil’s decline, although the SEK (-0.9%) and EUR (-0.7%) are no slouches either.  The funny thing about the euro was it spent all day yesterday climbing slowly after touching new lows for the move.  However, this morning, it is below 1.13 and pressing those lows from Wednesday with no end in sight.

EMG currencies are also under pressure across the board with HUF (-1.6%) the worst performer as it has unwound the gains seen from yesterday’s surprising large rate hike, and is now suffering as Covid spreads rapidly and it may soon be a restricted zone for travel from Europe.  CZK (-1.1%) is next in line, as it too, is in the crosshairs of authorities to prevent travel there due to Covid.  In fact, the entire CE4 is the worst bloc, but we are also seeing further weakness in TRY (-0.6%) after yesterday’s rate cut, and RUB (-0.5%) with oil’s slide as the cause.

There is no data to be released today and only two Fed speakers, Waller and Clarida, with the latter losing his clout as he will soon be exiting the FOMC.  There continues to be a wide rift between the hawks and doves on the Fed, but as long as Powell, Brainerd and Williams remain dovish, and they have, the very modest steps toward tapering are all we are likely to see.  The problem is that while we are all acutely aware of inflation and the problems it brings, the FOMC is lost in its models and sees a very different reality.  Not only that, inflation diminishes the real value of the US’s outstanding debt and so serves an important purpose for the government.  While there continues to be lip service paid to inflation as a problem, policy actions show a willingness to tolerate higher inflation for a much longer time.  Alas, it will be topic number one with respect to markets for a long time to come.

For now, the dollar is performing well against all the major currencies, but there are many potential twists in our future.  As I have said before, payables hedgers should be picking levels to add to their hedges.

Good luck, good weekend and stay safe
Adf

Shocked

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The surge in inflation has shocked
Officials who’ve tried to concoct
A tale that high prices
Don’t mean there’s a crisis
But lately those views have been mocked

Just yesterday, CPI showed
Inflation’s begun to explode
Will Powell respond?
Or is he too fond
Of QE, his bonds to unload?

I am old enough to remember when rising used car prices and their impact on inflation were considered an aberration, and thus transitory.  Back in the summer of…’21, better known as the good old days, when CPI prints of 5.4% were allegedly being distorted by the temporary impact of the semiconductor shortage which significantly reduced new car production and drove demand into used vehicles.  However, we were assured at the time that this was an anomaly driven by the vagaries of Covid-19 inspired lockdowns and that it would all soon pass.  In fact, back in the day, the Fed was still concerned about deflation.

Well Jay, how about now?  Once again, I will posit that were I the current Fed Chair, I wouldn’t accept renomination even if offered as I would not want to be at the helm of the Fed when inflation achieves 1970’s levels while growth slows.  And, as inflation has become topic number one across the country, so much so that President Biden stated, “Reversing inflation is a top priority,” the Fed is set to be in the crosshairs of every pundit and politician for the next several years.  One can’t help but consider that both vice-chairs, Clarida and Quarles, leaving ASAP is analogous to rats fleeing a sinking ship.  The Fed, my friends, has a lot of problems ahead of them and it remains unclear if they have the gumption to utilize the tools available to stop the growing momentum of rising inflation.

And that is pretty much the entire market story these days; inflation – how high will it go and how will central banks respond.  Every day there is some other comment from some other central banker that helps us evaluate which nations are serious about addressing the problem and which are simply paying lip service as they allow, if not encourage, rising inflation in order to devalue the real value of their massive debts.

As such, we get comments from folks such as Austria’s central bank chief, and ECB Governing Council member, Robert Holzmann, who explained that all ECB asset purchases could end by next September.  While that is a wonderful sentiment, at least for those who believe inflation is a serious problem, I find it very difficult to believe that the rest of the ECB, where there reside a large cote of doves, are in agreement.  In fact, the last we heard from Madame Lagarde was her dismissal of the idea that the ECB might raise rates anytime soon, admonishing traders that their pricing for rate hikes in the futures markets was incorrect.

The takeaway from all this is the following; listen to what central bank heads say, as a guide to their actions.  While not always on target (see BOE Governor Andrew Bailey last week), generally speaking if the central bank chief has no urgency in their concern over an issue like inflation, the central bank will not act.  Given the pace of inflation’s recent rises, essentially every central bank around the world is behind the curve, and while some EMG banks are trying hard to catch up, there is no movement of note in the G10.  Look for inflation to continue to rise to levels not seen since the 1960’s and 1970’s.

So, how are markets digesting this news?  Not terribly well.  At least they didn’t yesterday, when equity markets fell around the world along with bond markets while gold and the dollar both soared.  However, this morning we have seen a respite from the past several sessions with equity markets rebounding in Asia (Nikkei +0.6%, Hang Seng +1.0%, Shanghai +1.1%) and Europe (DAX +0.1%, CAC +0.1%, FTSE 100 +0.4%) albeit with Europe lagging a bit.  US futures are also firmer led by the NASDAQ (+0.7%) but with decent gains in the other indices.  Of course, the NASDAQ has been the market hit hardest by the sharp rally in bond yields, so on a day where the Treasury market is closed thus yields are unchanged, that makes a little sense.

Speaking of bonds, yesterday saw some serious volatility with 10-year Treasuries eventually settling with yields higher by 11bps.  Part of that was due to the 30-year Treasury auction which wound up with a more than 5 basis point tail and saw 30-year yields climb 14bps on the day.  But not to worry, 5-year yields also spiked by 13bps, so it was a universal wipe-out.  This morning, in Europe, early bond losses (yield rises) have retreated and the big 3 markets, Bunds, OATs and Gilts, are little changed at this hour.  But the rest of Europe is not so lucky, especially with the PIGS still under pressure.  I guess the thought that the ECB could stop buying bonds at any time in the future is not a welcome reminder for investors there.

Commodity prices, too, were whipsawed yesterday, with oil winding up the day lower by more than 4% from its morning highs.  This morning, that trend continues with WTI (-0.9%) continuing lower on a combination of weakening growth expectations and rising interest rates.  NatGas has rebounded slightly (+2.5%) but is now hovering around $5/mmBTU, which is more than $1 lower than we saw during October.  It seems that some of those fears have abated.  Gold, however, continues to rally, up another 0.4% today and about 4% in the past week.  Perhaps it has not entirely lost its inflationary magic.

And finally, the dollar continues to perform very well after a remarkable performance yesterday.  For instance, yesterday saw the greenback rally vs every currency, both G10 and EMG, with many seeing declines in excess of 1%.  ZAR (-2.6%) led the EMG rout while NOK (-1.65%) was the leader in the G10 clubhouse.  But don’t discount the euro having taken out every level of technical support around and falling 1%.  This morning that trend largely continues, with CAD (-0.55%) the worst performer on the back of oil’s continued weakness, but pretty much all of the G10 under the gun.  In the emerging markets, however, there are some notable rebounds with ZAR (+1.5%) and BRL (+1.0%) both rebounding from yesterday’s movements.  The South African story has to do with the budget, which forecast a reduction in borrowing and maintaining a debt/GDP ratio below 80%, clearly both positive stories in this day and age.  The real, on the other hand, seems to be benefitting from views that the central bank is going to tighten further as inflation printed at a higher than expected 10.67% yesterday, and the BCB has been one of the most aggressive when it comes to responding to inflation.

With the Veteran’s Day holiday today (thank you all for your service), banks and the Fed are closed, but markets will remain open until 12:00 and then liquidity will clearly suffer even more greatly.  There is no data nor speakers due, so I expect the FX market to follow equities for clues about risk.  In the end, the dollar is on a roll right now, and I don’t see a reason for that to stop in the near term.  Later on?  Perhaps a very different story.

Good luck and stay safe
Adf

Prices Rise in a Trice#CPI, #inflationexpectations

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There once was a world where the price
Of stuff stayed the same…paradise
But then central banks
Were born, and now thanks
To them prices rise in a trice

Now, worldwide the story’s the same
As these banks, inflation, can’t tame
They’re all terrified
That stocks might just slide
And they would come in for the blame

“I’d expect price increases to level off, and we’ll go back to inflation that’s closer to the 2% that we consider normal.  In the 70’s and 80’s inflation expectations became embedded in the American psyche.  That isn’t happening now.”  So said Treasury Secretary Yellen yesterday in an interview on NPR.  One has to wonder on what she bases these expectations.  Certainly not on any of the evidence as per the most recent data releases.

For instance, the NY Fed’s latest Inflation expectation survey was released yesterday with 1-year (5.7%) and 3-year (4.2%) both at the highest level in the series’ history since it began in 2013.  She cannot be looking at yesterday’s PPI data (8.6%, 6.8% core) as an indicator given both of these are at their highest level on a final demand basis since PPI started being measured in this manner in 2011.  However, a look a little deeper at the intermediate levels, earlier in the supply chain, show inflation running at levels between 11.8% and 27.8% Y/Y.  While all of these costs are not likely to flow into the price of finished goods, you can be sure that the pressure to raise prices throughout the chain for both goods and services remains great.  And of course, later this morning we will see the CPI data (exp 5.9% Y/Y, 4.3% ex food & energy) with both indicators forecast to show substantial increases from last month.  Secretary Yellen continues to try to sell the transitory story and twelve months of increasing prices later, it is wearing thin.

The US, though, is not the only place with this problem, it is a global issue.  Last night China released its inflation readings with PPI (13.5%) rising far more than expected and touching levels not seen since 1995.  CPI there rose to 1.5%, a tick higher than expected which indicates that either there is a serious lack of final demand in the country or they are simply manipulating the data to demonstrate that the government is in control.  (In fact, it is always remarkable to me when a Chinese data point is released that is not exactly as expected given the control the government exerts on every aspect of the process.)  Regardless, the fact is that price pressures continue to rise in China on the back of rising energy costs and shortages of available energy, and ultimately, given China’s status as the world’s largest exporter, those costs are going to feed into other nations’ import prices.

How about Europe?  Well, German CPI rose 4.5% Y/Y in October, the highest level since September 1993 in the wake of the German reunification which dramatically shook up the economy there.  Remember, too, the German’s have a severe phobia over inflation given the history of the Weimar Hyperinflation, so discontent with the ECB’s performance is growing apace in the country.

Essentially, it is abundantly clear that rising prices have become the norm, and that any idea that we are going to ease back to moderate inflation in the near-term are fantasy.  Naturally, with inflationary pressures abundant, one might expect that central banks would be out to address them by tightening policy.  And yet, while peripheral nations have already done so, the biggest countries remain extremely reluctant to tighten as concern over economic output and employment growth continue to dominate their thoughts.

Historically, central bank decision making always required balancing the two competing goals of pumping up supporting the economy while preventing prices from running away.  Between the GFC and the pandemic, though, there was no need to worry as measured inflation never reared its ugly head, so easy money supported growth with no inflationary consequences.  But post-pandemic fiscal largess has changed the equation and now central banks have to make a decision, with significant political blowback to either choice.  Yet the biggest risk is the lack of a decisiveness may well lead to the worst of all worlds, rising prices and slowing growth, i.e. stagflation.  I promise you a stagflationary environment will be devastating to financial assets all over.

Now, as we await the CPI data, let’s take a look around the markets to see how traders and investors are responding to all the latest news and data.

Equity markets are mostly following the US lead from yesterday with declines throughout most of Asia (Nikkei -0.6%, Hang Seng +0.7%, Shanghai -0.4%) and most of Europe (DAX -0.2%, CAC -0.3%, FTSE 100 +0.4%).  US futures are all pointing lower at this hour as well (DOW -0.3%, SPX -0.3%, NASDAQ -0.5%) so there is little in the way of joy at the current moment.  Risk is definitely under pressure.

What’s interesting is that bonds are not seen as a viable replacement despite declining stock prices as yields in Treasuries (+2.7bps) and throughout Europe (Bunds +0.8bps, OATs +2.1bps, Gilts +3.4bps) are higher.  So, stocks are lower and bonds are lower.  Did I mention that stagflation would be negative for financial assets?

On this very negative day, commodity prices, too, are under pressure with oil (-0.6%), NatGas (-1.8%), gold (-0.35%), copper (-0.3%) and tin (-1.1%) all suffering.  In fact, throughout the entire commodity complex, only aluminum (+2.0%) and corn (+0.5%) are showing gains.  At this point, oil remains in a strong uptrend, so any pullback is likely technical in nature.  NatGas continues to respond to the glorious weather in the northeast and Midwest with reduced near-term demand.  Even in Europe, Gazprom has finally started to let some more gas flow hence reducing price pressures there although it remains multiples of the US price.

Turning to the dollar, it is today’s clear winner, gaining against 9 of its G10 brethren, with CAD (flat) the only currency holding its own.  SEK (-0.6%) and NOK (-0.5%) lead the way lower with the latter tracking oil’s declines while the former is simply showing off its high beta characteristics with respect to dollar movement.  In the EMG bloc, TRY (-1.1%) is the laggard as traders anticipate another interest rate cut, despite high inflation, and there is concern over the fiscal situation given significant foreign debt payments are due next week.  ZAR (-0.9%) is slumping on the commodity story as well as concerns that the budget policy may sacrifice the currency on the altar of domestic needs.  But the weakness extends throughout the space with APAC currencies under pressure as well as LATAM currencies.  This is a dollar story today, with very little holding up to the perceived stability of the buck.

As well as the CPI data, given tomorrow’s holiday, we see Initial (exp 260K) and Continuing (2050K) Claims at 8:30.  There are actually no further Fed speakers today with Bullard yesterday remarking that two rate hikes were likely in 2022.  We shall see.

With the inflation narrative so strong, this morning’s data will be key to determining the short-term direction of markets.  A higher than expected print is likely to see further declines in both stocks and bonds with the dollar benefitting.  A weaker outcome seems likely to unleash yet another bout of risk acquisition with the opposite effects.

Good luck and stay safe
Adf

Extinct

Posted on by

Down Under the RBA blinked
Regarding their policy linked
To Yield Curve Control
Which seemed, on the whole
To crumble and now is extinct

The question’s now how will the Fed
Address what’s become more widespread?
As prices keep rising
The market’s surmising
That rate hikes will soon go ahead

Here’s the thing, how is it that the Fed, and virtually every central bank in the developed world, have all been so incredibly wrong regarding inflation’s persistence while virtually every private economist (and markets) have been spot on regarding this issue?  Are the economists at the Fed and the other central banks really bad at their jobs?  Are the models they use that flawed?  Or, perhaps, have the central banks been knowingly trying to mislead both markets and citizens as they recognize they have no good options left regarding policy?

It is a sad situation that my fervent desire is they are simply incompetent.  Alas, I fear that central bank policy has evolved from trying to prevent excessive economic outcomes to trying to drive them.  After all, how else could one describe the goal of maximum employment other than as an extreme?  At any rate, as the saying goes, these chickens are finally coming home to roost.  The latest central bank to concede that their previous forecasts were misguided and their policy settings inappropriate was the RBA which last night ended its 20-month efforts at yield curve control while explaining,

“Given that other market interest rates have moved in response to the increased likelihood of higher inflation and lower unemployment, the effectiveness of the yield target in holding down the general structure of interest rates in Australia has diminished.”

And that is how a central bank cries ‘uncle!’

Recall, the RBA targeted the April 2024 AGB to keep it at a yield of, first 0.25%, and then after more lockdowns and concerns over the impact on the economy, they lowered that level to 0.10%.  Initially, it had success in that effort as after the announcement, the yield declined from 0.55% to 0.285% in the first days and hovered either side of 0.25% until they adjusted things lower.  In fact, just this past September, the yield was right near 0.0%.  But then, reality intervened and inflation data around the world started demonstrating its persistence.  On October 25, the yield was 0.125%, still behaving as the RBA desired.  By October 29, the end of last week, the yield had skyrocketed to 0.775%!  In truth, last night’s RBA decision was made by the market, not by the RBA.  This is key to remember, however much control you may believe central banks have, the market is still bigger and will force the central bank’s hand when necessary.

Which of course, brings us to the FOMC meeting that starts this morning and whose results will be announced tomorrow afternoon at 2:00pm.  Has the market done enough to force the Fed’s hand into adjusting (read tightening) policy even faster than they have expressed?  Will the Fed find themselves forced to raise rates immediately upon completing the taper or will they be able to wait an extended length of time before acting?  The latter has been their claim all along.  Thus far, bond traders and investors have driven yields in the front end higher by 25bps in the 2-year and 35bps in the 3-year over the past 6 weeks.  Clearly, the belief is the Fed will be raising rates much sooner than had previously been considered.

The problem for the Fed is that the economic data is not showing the robust growth that they so fervently desire in order to raise interest rates.  While inflation is burning, growth seems to be slowing.  Raising rates into that environment could easily lead to even slower growth while having only a minimal impact on prices, the worst of all worlds for the Fed.  If this is the outcome, it also seems likely that risk assets may suffer, especially given their extremely extended valuations.  One must be very careful in managing portfolio risk into this situation as things could easily get out of hand quickly.  As the RBA demonstrated last night, their control over interest rates was illusory and the Fed’s may well be the same.

With those cheery thoughts in our heads, a look at markets this morning shows that risk is generally being shed, which cannot be that surprising.  In Asia, equity markets were all in the red (Nikkei -0.4%, Hang Seng -0.2%, Shanghai -1.1%) as the euphoria over the LDP election in Japan was short-lived and the market took fright at the closure of 18 schools in China over the increased spread of Covid.  In Europe, equity markets are mixed with the DAX (+0.5%) and CAC (+0.4%) both firmer on confirmation of solid PMI Manufacturing data, but the FTSE 100 (-0.5%) is suffering a bit as investors grow concerned the BOE will actually raise the base rate tomorrow.

Speaking of interest rates, given the risk-off tendencies seen today, it should be no surprise that bond yields are lower.  While Treasury yields are unchanged as traders await the FOMC, in Europe, yields are tumbling.  Bunds (-3.5bps) and OATs (-5.6bps) may be the largest markets but Italian BTPs (-10.7bps) are the biggest mover as investors seem to believe that the ECB will remain as dovish as possible after last week’s ECB confab.  Only Gilts (-0.4bps) are not joining the party, but then the BOE seems set to crash it with a rate hike, so there is no surprise there.

Once again, commodity prices are mixed this morning, with strong gains in the agricultural space (wheat >$8.00/bushel for the first time since 2008) and NatGas also firmer (+3.0%), but oil (-0.35%). Gold (-0.1%), copper (-0.5%) and the rest of the base metals softer.  In other words, there is no theme here.

Finally, the dollar is having a pretty good day, at least in the G10 as risk-off is the attitude.  AUD (-0.85%) is the worst performing currency as positions get unwound after the RBA’s actions last night.  This has dragged kiwi (-0.7%) down with it.  But NOK (-0.6%) on lower oil prices and CAD (-0.3%) on the same are also under pressure.  In fact, only JPY (+0.35%) has managed to rally as a traditional haven asset.  In emerging markets, the outlier was THB (+0.6%) which has rallied on a sharp decline in Covid cases leading to equity inflows, while the other currency gainers have all seen only marginal strength.  On the downside, RUB (-0.5%) is feeling the oil heat while ZAR (-0.2%) and MXN (-0.2%) both suffer from the metals’ markets malaise.

There is absolutely no data today, nor Fed speakers as all eyes now turn toward ADP Employment tomorrow morning and the FOMC statement and following press conference tomorrow afternoon.  At this point, my sense remains that the market perception is the Fed will be the most hawkish of all central banks in the transition from QE infinity to the end of QE.  That should generally help support the dollar for now.  however, over time, the evolution of inflation and policy remains less clear, and if, as I suspect, the Fed decides that higher inflation is better than weakening growth, the dollar could well come under much greater pressure.  I just don’t think that is on the cards for at least another six months.

Good luck and stay safe
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