Tag Archives: #riskoff

Narrative Drift

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Today it is more of the same
As energy traders proclaim
No price is too high
For NatGas, to buy
With policy blunders to blame

As such it is not too surprising
Inflation concerns keep on rising
Prepare for a shift
In narrative drift
Which right now CB’s are devising

Perhaps the most interesting feature of markets since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic is the realization that prices for different things, be they equities, bonds, commodities, or currencies, can move so much faster and so much further than previously understood.  The simple truth is that markets as a price discovery mechanism are unparalleled in their brilliance.  Recall, for instance, back in April 2020, when crude oil traded at a negative price.  The implication was that crude oil holders were willing to pay someone to take it off their hands, something never before seen in a physical commodity market.  (Of course, in the interest rate markets, that had become old hat by then.)  Well, today European natural gas markets have gone the other way, rising 40% in both Amsterdam and London and taking prices to levels previously unseen.  Now, much to the chagrin of European policymakers, there is no upper limit on prices.  As winter approaches, with NatGas inventories currently just 74% of their long-term average, and with most of the EU reliant on Russia for its gas supplies, it is not hard to foresee that these prices will go higher still.

The first issue (a consequence of policy decisions) is that deciding to allow a geopolitical adversary to control your energy supply is looking to be a worse and worse decision every day.  Gazprom’s own data shows that they have reduced the flow of gas to Europe via Belarus and Poland by 70% and via Ukraine by 20% in the past week.  It cannot be surprising that prices in Europe continue to rise.  And the knock-on effects are growing.  You may recall two weeks ago when a fertilizer company in the UK shuttered two plants because the NatGas feedstock became so expensive it no longer made economic sense to produce fertilizer.  One consequence of that was there was a huge reduction in a byproduct of fertilizer production, pure CO2, which is used for refrigeration and has impaired the ability of food processors to ship food to supermarkets and stores.  Empty shelves are a result.  Just today, a major ammonia producer shuttered its plants as the feedstock is too expensive for profitable production as well.  The point is that NatGas is used as more than a heating fuel, it is a critical input for many industrial processes.  Shuttering these processes will have an immediate negative impact on economic activity as well as push prices higher.  If you are wondering why there are concerns over stagflation returning, look no further.

The bigger problem is that there is no reason to believe these prices will sell off anytime soon.  Arguably, we are witnessing the purest expression of supply and demand working itself out.  As a consequence of these earlier decisions, the EU will now be forced to respond by spending more money and reducing tax income in order to support their citizens and businesses who find themselves in more difficult financial straits due to the sharp rise in the price of NatGas.

Now, a trading truth is that nothing goes up (or down) in a straight line, so there will certainly be some type of pullback in prices in the short run.  However, the underlying supply-demand dynamic certainly appears to point to a supply shortage and consistently higher prices for a critical power source in Europe.  Slower economic growth and higher prices are very likely to follow, a combination that the ECB has never before had to address.  It is not clear that they will be very effective at doing so, quite frankly, so beware the euro as further weakness seems to be the base case.

The other main story of note
Concerns a new debt ceiling vote
Majority wailing
The other side’s failing
May yet, a default, soon promote

Alas, we cannot avoid a quick mention of the debt ceiling issue as the clock is certainly winding down toward a point where a technical default has become possible.  Political bickering continues and shows no sign of stopping as neither side wants to take responsibility for allowing more spending, but neither do they want to be responsible for a default.  (Perhaps that sums up politicians perfectly, they don’t want to take responsibility for anything!)  This is more than a technical issue though as financial markets are failing to see the humor in the situation and starting to respond.  Hence, today has seen a broad sell-off in virtually every asset, with equities down worldwide, bonds down worldwide and most commodities lower (NatGas excepted).  In fact, the only thing that has risen is the dollar, versus every one of its main counterparts.

The rundown in equities shows Asia (Nikkei -1.05%, Hang Seng -0.6%, Shanghai closed) failing to take heart from yesterday’s US price action.  European investors are very unhappy about the NatGas situation with the DAX (-2.2%), CAC (-2.15%) and FTSE 100 (-1.8%) all sharply lower.  It certainly hasn’t helped that German Factory Orders fell a much worse than expected -7.7% in August either.  US futures are currently lower by about 1.25% as risk is clearly not today’s flavor.

Funnily enough, bond markets are also under pressure today, with Treasuries (+1.6bps), Bunds (+1.6bps), OATs (+2.2bps) and Gilts (+3.0bps) all seeing heavy selling.  It seems that inflation concerns are a more important determinant than risk concerns as the evidence of rising prices being persistent continues to grow.

In the commodity space, pretty much everything, except NatGas (+0.6% to $6.33/mmBTU) is lower as well, although this appears to be consolidation rather than the beginning of a new trend.  So, oil (-0.6%), gold (-0.5%), copper (-1.0%) and aluminum (-0.85%) are all under pressure.  Given the dollar’s strength, this should not be that surprising, although overall, I continue to expect a rising dollar and rising commodity prices.

As to the dollar, it is king today, rising 1.1% vs NZD, despite a 0.25% interest rate increase by the RBNZ last night, 1.0% vs. NOK and 0.85% vs SEK with the latter seeing a negative monthly GDP outcome in a huge surprise, thus marking down growth expectations significantly for the year.  But the rest of the G10 is much softer save JPY, which is essentially unchanged on the day.  Meanwhile, the euro has fallen a further 0.5% and is now approaching modest support at 1.1500.  Look for further declines there.

As to emerging market currencies, all that were open last night or today are lower with MXN (-1.2%) leading the way on a combination of lower oil and higher inflation, but HUF (-0.9%), ZAR (-0.8%) and CZK (-0.8%) all suffering on either weaker commodity prices are concerns over insufficient monetary tightening in an inflationary economy.  Even INR (-0.7%) is feeling the heat from rising inflationary pressures.  It is universal.

On the data front, only ADP Employment (exp 430K) is due this morning and there are no Fed speakers scheduled.  Right now, it feels like the dollar is primed to continue to move higher regardless of the data, or anything else.  Fear is growing among investors and they are searching for the safest vehicles they can find.  The steepening of the yield curve indicates the demand is in the 2yr, not the 10yr space, which makes sense, as in an inflationary environment, you want to hold the shortest duration possible.  Beware the FAANG stocks as they are very long duration equivalents.  Instead, it feels like the dollar is a good place to hang out.

Good luck and stay safe
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At All Costs#

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Ahead of the winter’s white frosts
The Chinese told firms, “at all costs”
Get oil and gas
And coal, so en masse
Our energy never exhausts

In Europe, as prices keep rising
For Nat Gas, most firms are revising
The prices they charge
Which has, by and large
Helped CPI keep on surprising

Ostensibly, the reason that the Fed, and any central bank, looks at prices on an -ex food & energy basis is because they realize that they have very little control over the prices of either one.  The only tool they have to control them is extremely blunt, that of interest rates.  After all, if they raise interest rates high enough to cause a recession, demand for food & energy is likely to decline, certainly that of energy, and so prices should fall.  Of course, precious few central bankers are willing to cause a recession as they know that their own job would be on the line.

And yet, central banks cannot ignore the impact of food & energy prices on the economy.  This is especially so for energy as it is used to make or provide everything else, so rising energy prices eventually feed into rising prices for non-energy products like computers and washing machines and haircuts.  As has become abundantly clear over the past months, energy prices continue to rise sharply and alongside them, we are seeing sharp rises in consumer prices as well.

Protestations by Lagarde and Powell that inflation is transitory do not detract from the fact that energy prices are exploding higher and that those charged with securing energy for their country or company are willing to continue to pay over the odds to do so.  Yesterday, an edict from the Chinese government to all its major companies exhorted them to get energy supplies for the winter “at all costs.”  This morning, they followed up by telling their coal mining companies to produce at maximum levels and ignore quotas.  Clearly, there is concern in Beijing that with winter coming, there will not be enough energy to heat homes and run factories, an unmitigated disaster.  But this price insensitive buying simply drives the price higher.  (see Federal Reserve impact on bonds via QE for an example.)

And higher these prices continue to go.  Nat Gas, which is the preferred form of fossil fuel, continues to rise dramatically in both Europe and Asia.  In both geographies, it has risen to nearly $35.00/mmBTU, almost 6x as expensive as US Nat Gas.  On an energy equivalent basis, that comes out to $190/bbl of oil.  And you wonder why the Chinese want to dig as much coal as possible.  The problem they are already having, which is adding to their overall economic concerns, is that they have run into an energy shortage and have been restricting power availability to the industrial sector in order to ensure that households have enough.  Of course, starving industry is going to have a pretty negative impact on the economy, hence the call for obtaining energy at all costs.  But that has its own problems, as driving prices higher will divert spending to energy from both investment and consumption.  In other words, as is often the case, there is no good answer to this problem.

If you are wondering how this impacts foreign exchange, let me explain.  First, energy is priced in dollars almost everywhere in the world, at least at a wholesale level.  So, buying energy requires having dollars to spend to do so.  I would contend one reason we have seen the dollar maintain its strength recently, and break out of a medium-term range, is because countries are panicking over their winter energy needs and need dollars to secure supplies.  Second, as energy prices rise, so too does inflation.  And while Mr Powell continues to refuse to accept that is the case, the market is not so stubborn on the issue.  We have seen the yield curve steepen sharply over the past several weeks, something which is historically a dollar positive, and with expectations for the taper firmly implanted into the market’s collective conscience, the strong view is interest rates in the US are going higher.  This, too, is very dollar supportive.  While I remain unconvinced that the Fed will ultimately be willing to tighten policy in any significant manner, that remains the current market narrative.  We shall see how things evolve, but for now, the dollar has legs alongside interest rates and energy prices.

Ok, to today’s price action.  The notable thing is the reduction in risk appetite that has been evident for the past several sessions.  For instance, yesterday we finally achieved a 5% correction in the S&P 500 for the first time in more than 200 sessions.  While prices remain extremely overvalued on traditional measures, it is not yet clear if the ‘buy the dip’ mentality will prevail as we enter a new fiscal quarter.  We shall see.

Overnight, Asia was mostly lower (Nikkei -2.3%, Hang Seng -0.4%) but Shanghai (+0.9%) managed to rally.  Of course, remember, Shanghai has been massively underperforming for quite a while.  Other than China, though, the rest of Asia was all red.  Europe, too, is bright red this morning (DAX -0.8%, CAC -0.8%, FTSE 100 -1.0%) as the broad risk-off sentiment combines with modestly weaker than expected PMI data and higher than expected Eurozone CPI data.  As to the latter, the 3.4% headline print is the highest since Sept 2008, right at the beginning of the GFC.  Yesterday, German CPI printed at 4.1%, which is the highest level since the wake of the reunification in 1993.  For a culture that still recalls the Weimar hyperinflation, things must be pretty uncomfortable there.  It is a good thing this inflation is transitory!

Not surprisingly, with risk being jettisoned, bonds are in demand this morning and although Treasuries are unchanged in this session, they did rally all day yesterday with yields declining nearly 5bps.  As to Europe, Bunds (-3.2bps) and OATs (-3.2bps) are firmly higher with the rest of the continent while Gilts (-1.5bps) are not seeing quite as much love despite an underperforming stock market.  I think one reason is that UK PMI data was actually better than expected and higher than last month, an outlier versus the continent.

Commodity prices are mixed this morning as despite my opening monologue, oil (WTI -0.9%) and Nat Gas (-0.7%) are both under pressure.  Of course, both have been rallying sharply for months, so nothing goes up in a straight line.  Precious metals are little changed on the day, but industrial metals are strong (Cu +1.6%, Al +0.5%, Sn +1.2%).  Ags, on the other hand, are mixed with no pattern whatsoever.

As to the dollar, it is under modest pressure this morning in what appears to be a consolidation at the end of the week.  The one noteworthy mover in the G10 is NOK (+0.75%) which is rallying despite oil’s decline as the market reacted to a surprisingly large decline in the Unemployment rate there to 2.4%.  But otherwise, GBP (+0.3%) is the next best performer and the rest of the bloc is +/-0.2%, with CAD (-0.2%) the laggard on weak oil prices.

EMG currencies have many more gainers than losers this morning with only RUB (-0.6%) on oil weakness, and KRW (-0.35%) on a smaller than expected trade surplus, declining of note, while THB (+0.6%), PLN (+0.6%) and HUF (+0.4%) all have shown some strength.  In Bangkok, the central bank vowed to monitor the baht, which has been falling steadily over the past 9 months to its weakest point in more than 4 years.  PLN saw higher than expected CPI data (5.8%) which has the market looking for higher rates from the central bank, while HUF was the beneficiary of central bank comments that the monetary tightening campaign was “far from the end.”

There is a veritable trove of data to be released this morning starting with Personal Income (exp 0.2%), Personal Spending (0.7%) and the Core PCE (3.5%) at 8:30.  Then at 10:00 we see ISM Manufacturing (59.5) and Prices Paid (78.5) as well as Michigan Sentiment (71.0).  If the PCE number prints on plan, the Fed will be crowing about how it, too, is falling and has peaked.  However, that is crow they will ultimately have to eat, as the peak is not nearly in.

The underlying picture for the dollar remains quite positive on both a technical and fundamental basis, but it appears today is a consolidation day.  Perhaps, a good time to buy dollars still needed to hedge.

Good luck, good weekend and stay safe
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QE Galore

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With Kaplan and Rosengren out
The hawks have lost much of their clout
This opens the door
For QE galore
With tapering now more in doubt

As well, has Jay’s rep now been stained
So much that he won’t be retained
As Chair of the Fed
With Brainerd, instead
The one that progressives ordained?

All the action is in the bond market these days as investors and traders focus on the idea that the Fed is going to begin tapering its asset purchases in November.  Not surprisingly, demand for Treasuries has diminished on these prospects with the yield curve bear steepening as 10-year and 30-year yields climb more rapidly than the front end of the curve.  In fact, this morning, 10-year Treasury yields have risen a further 3.5 basis points, which makes 22bps since the FOMC meeting, and is now trading at 1.52%, its highest level since June.  Yields are rising elsewhere in the world as well, just not quite as rapidly as in the US.  For instance, Bunds (+3.2bps today, +13bps since Wednesday), OATs (+3.1bps today, 15bps since Wednesday) and Gilts (+4.8bps today, +20bps since Wednesday) are also under severe pressure.  While the BOE has absolutely discussed the idea of tapering, the same is not true with the ECB, which instead is discussing how it is going to replace PEPP when it expires in March 2022.

By the way, there is another victim to these rate rises, the NASDAQ, (futures -1.6%) where the tech sector lives and whose valuations have moved to extraordinary heights based on their long duration characteristics.

But let us consider how recent, sudden, changes in the makeup of the Fed may impact the current narrative.  It seems that two of the more hawkish Regional Fed presidents, Boston’s Rosengren and Dallas’ Kaplan, were actively trading their personal accounts at the same time they were privy to the inside discussions at the FOMC.  I can’t imagine more useful information short of knowledge of an acquisition, with respect to how to position my personal portfolio.  When this news broke last week, there was an initial uproar and then a slow boil rose such that both clearly felt pressured to step down.  (Of course, they had already sold out their positions ahead of the tapering discussion, so don’t worry, they kept their gains!)

There are a couple of things here which I have not yet seen widely discussed, but which must be considered when looking ahead.  First, the two of them were amongst the more hawkish FOMC members, with Kaplan the first to talk about tapering and Rosengren climbing on that bandwagon several months ago with vocal support.  So, will their replacements be quite as hawkish?  It would not surprise if Dallas goes for another hawk but given the progressivity of the bulk of New England, the new Boston Fed president seems far more likely to lean dovish in my view.  So, the tone of the FOMC seems likely to change.

Perhaps of more importance, though, is that this went on under Chairman Powell’s nose with no issues raised until it became public.  That is hardly a sign of strong leadership, and the very idea that two FOMC members were trading their personal accounts on the back of inside information is a huge black mark on his chairmanship.  You can be certain that when he sits down before the Senate Banking Panel today, Senator Warren is going to be tenacious in her attacks.  The point is, the idea that Powell will be reappointed may just have been squashed.  This means that Lael Brainerd, currently a Fed governor, may well get the (poison) chalice.  Governor Brainerd, just yesterday, explained that she was not nearly ready to taper, rather that the labor market was still “a bit short of the mark” of the “substantial further progress” threshold.  In fact, she is convinced that the economy will revert to its pre-pandemic characteristics soon after the delta variant dissipates.

If you consider the implications of this new information, we could well wind up with a more dovish FOMC generally with a much more dovish Fed chair.  Ask yourself if that scenario is likely to produce a consensus to taper asset purchases?  While Jay may get the process started, assuming economic activity holds up through November, they will never end QE with that type of FOMC bias.  In fact, it would not be surprising if the Biden administration nominated someone like Professor Stephanie Kelton, the queen of MMT, for one of the open governorships.

Summing up, recent surprising actions have now opened the door for a much more dovish Fed going forward.  This means that the fight against inflation, which even Powell has begun to admit could last a bit longer than initially anticipated, is of secondary, if not tertiary, importance.  For now, the dollar is following US rates higher as spreads widen in the dollar’s favor, but if the Fed gets reconstructed in a more dovish manner, which seems far more likely this morning than last week, I would expect the dollar to find a top sooner rather than later.

However, that is all prognostication of what may happen.  What is happening right now is that yields are rising on the taper talk and risk is being jettisoned as a result.  So, equity markets are generally under pressure.  Last night saw the Nikkei (-0.2%) slip a bit while the bulk of the rest of the region suffered more acutely (Australia -1.5%), although Shanghai (+0.5%) and the Hang Seng (+1.2%) were the positive outliers.  However, that seemed more like dip buying than fundamentally led activity.  Europe is really under the gun (DAX -1.15%, CAC -1.75%, FTSE 100 -0.5%) as yields, as discussed above, rise everywhere.

Commodity prices continue to show mixed behavior as oil (WTI +0.95%) and Nat Gas (+7.5%), rise sharply on supply concerns while metals (Au -0.9%, Cu -1.3%) all suffer on the back of concerns over economic growth and the dollar’s strength.

Speaking of the dollar, it is universally higher this morning against both G10 and EMG counterparts.  NZD (-0.8%) and GBP (-0.7%) are the downside leaders this morning, with kiwi feeling pressure from falling iron ore prices while the pound turned tail recently on position adjustments as traders await a dovish BOE speaker’s comments later in the session.  But, AUD (-0.6%) is also feeling the pressure from declining metals prices and in a more surprising outcome, NOK (-0.5%) is floundering despite rising oil prices and the fact that the Norgesbank was the First G10 central bank to actually raise rates!  As well, don’t forget JPY (-0.4%) which is now pushing to its highest levels of the year and not far from multi-year highs.  Remember, high energy prices are a distinct yen negative.

EMG currencies are being led lower by ZAR (-1.0%) on weaker metals prices and THB (-0.75%) which is continuing to feel pressure from its fiscal accounts.  But here too, the weakness is widespread (KRW -0.65%, MXN -0.6%, PLN -0.6%) as the dollar is simply in substantial demand on the back of the yield benefit.

On the data front, yesterday’s Durable Goods numbers were much stronger than expected, clearly helping the rate/dollar story.  This morning brings Case Shiller House Prices (exp 20.0%) as well as Consumer Confidence (115.0) and the Advanced Goods Trade Balance (-$87.3B).  But the feature event will be the 10:00am sit down by Powell and Yellen at the Senate.  We do hear from four other FOMC members, but none will garner the same attention.  It will be interesting to hear how he parries what are almost certain to be questions about the insider trading scandal as well as more persistent inflation.  Stay tuned!

The correlation of the dollar to the 10-year yield has risen sharply in the past several sessions and is now above 60%.  I see no reason for that to change, nor any reason for yields to stop climbing right now.  While I doubt we even get back to the March highs of 1.75%, that doesn’t mean we won’t see some more fireworks in the meantime.

Good luck and stay safe
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Flames of Concern

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The story is still Evergrande
Whose actions last night have now fanned
The flames of concern
‘Til bondholders learn
If coupons will be paid as planned

Though pundits have spilled lots of ink
Explaining there’s really no link
Twixt Evergrande’s woes
And fears of new lows
The truth is they’re linked I would think

It must be very frustrating to be a government financial official these days as despite all their efforts to lead investors to a desired outcome, regardless of minor details like reality, investors and traders continue to respond to things like cash flows and liquidity, or lack thereof.  Hence, this morning we find ourselves in a situation where China Evergrande officially failed to pay an $83.2 million coupon yesterday and now has a 30-day grace period before they can be forced into default on the bond.  The concern arises because China Evergrande has more than $300 billion in bonds outstanding and another $300 billion in other liabilities and it is pretty clear they are not going to be able to even service that debt, let alone repay it.

At the same time, the number of articles written about how this is an isolated situation and how the PBOC will step in to prevent a disorderly outcome and protect the individuals who are on the hook continue to grow by leaps and bounds.  The true victims here are the many thousands of Chinese people who contracted with Evergrande to build their home, some of whom prepaid for the entire project while others merely put down significant (>50%) deposits, and who now stand to lose all their money.  Arguably, the question is whether or not the Chinese government is going to bail them out, even if they allow Evergrande to go to the wall.  Sanguinity in this situation seems optimistic.  Remember, the PBOC has been working very hard to delever the Chinese property market, and there is no quicker way to accomplish that than by allowing the market to reprice the outstanding debt of an insolvent entity.  As well, part of President Xi’s calculus will be what type of pain will be felt elsewhere in the world.  After all, if adversaries, like the US, suffer because of this, I doubt Xi would lose any sleep.

But in the end, markets this morning are demonstrating that they are beginning to get concerned over this situation.  While it may not be a Lehman moment, given that when Lehman was allowed to fail it was truly a surprise to the markets, the breadth of this problem is quite significant and the spillover into the entire Chinese property market, which represents ~25% of the Chinese economy, is enormous.  If you recall my discussion regarding “fingers of instability” from last week (Wednesday 9/15), this is exactly the type of thing I was describing.  There is no way, ex ante, to know what might trigger a more significant market adjustment (read decline), but the interconnectedness of Chinese property developers, Chinese banks, Chinese shadow financiers and the rest of the world’s financial system is far too complex to parse.  However, it is reasonable to estimate that there will be multiple knock-on effects from this default, and that the PBOC, no matter how well intentioned, may not be able to maintain control of an orderly market.  Risk should be off, and it is this morning.

It ought not be surprising that Chinese shares were lower last night with the Hang Seng (-1.3%) leading the way but Shanghai (-0.8%) not that far behind.  Interestingly, the only real winner overnight was the Nikkei (+2.1%) which seemed to be making up for their holiday yesterday.  European shares are having a rough go of it as well, with the DAX (-0.8%), CAC (-1.0%) and FTSE 100 (-0.3%) all under the gun.  There seem to be several concerns in these markets with the primary issue the fact that these economies, especially Germany’s, are hugely dependent on Chinese economic growth for their own success, so signs that China will be slowing down due to the Evergrande mess are weighing on these markets.  In addition, the German IFO surveys were all released this morning at weaker than expected levels and continue to slide from their peaks in June.  Slowing growth is quickly becoming a market meme.  After yesterday’s rally in the US, futures this morning are all leaning lower as well, on the order of -0.3% or so.

The bond market this morning, though, is a bit of a head-scratcher.  While Treasuries are doing what they are supposed to, rallying with yields down 2.6bps, the European sovereign market is all selling off despite the fall in equity prices.  So, yields are higher in Germany (Bunds +1.4bps) and France (OATs +2.2bps), with Italy (BTPs +5.0bps) really seeing some aggressive selling.  Gilts are essentially unchanged on the day.  But this is a bit unusual, that a clear risk off session would see alleged haven assets sell off as well.

Commodity markets are having a mixed day with oil unchanged at this hour while gold (+0.75%) is rebounding somewhat from yesterday’s sharp decline.  Copper (+0.1%) has edged higher, but aluminum (-1.4%) is soft this morning.  Agricultural prices are all lower by between 0.25% and 0.5%.  In other words, it is hard to detect much signal here.

As to the dollar, it is broadly stronger with only CHF +0.1%) able to rally this morning.  While the euro is little changed, we are seeing weakness in the Antipodean currencies (AUD, NZD -0.4%) and commodity currencies (CAC -0.2%, NOK -0.15%).  Granted, the moves have not been large, but they have been consistent.

In the EMG bloc, the dollar has put on a more impressive show with ZAR (-1.3%) and TRY (-0.9%) leading the way, although we have seen other currencies (PHP -0.6%, MXN -0.4%) also slide during the session.  The rand story seems to be a hangover from yesterday’s SARB meeting, where they left rates on hold despite rising inflation there.  TRY, too, is still responding to the surprise interest rate cut by the central bank yesterday.  In Manila, concern seems to be growing that the Philippines external balances are worsening too rapidly and will present trouble going forward.  (I’m not sure you remember what it means to run a current account deficit and have markets discipline your actions as it no longer occurs in the US, but it is still the reality for every emerging market economy.)

On the data front, we see only New Home Sales (exp 715K), a number unlikely to have an impact on markets.  However, we hear from six different Fed speakers today, including Chairman Powell, so I expect that there will be a real effort at fine-tuning their message.  Three of the speakers are amongst the most hawkish (Mester, George and Bostic), but of this group, only Bostic is a voter.  You can expect more definitive tapering talk from these three, but in the end, Powell’s words still carry the most weight.

The dollar remains in a trading range and we are going to need some exogenous catalyst to change that.  An Evergrande collapse could have that type of impact, but I believe it will take a lot more contagion for that to be the case.  So, using the euro as a proxy, 1.17-1.19 is still the right idea in my view.

Good luck, good weekend and stay safe
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Would That, Fear, Provoke?

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Remember when everyone said
That Jay and his friends at the Fed
Would taper their buying
While still pacifying
Investors, lest screens all turn red?

Well, what if before the Fed spoke
That Evergrande quickly went broke?
Would traders still bet
The buying of debt
Will end? Or would that, fear, provoke?

Fear is in the air this morning as concerns over the status of China Evergrande’s ability to repay its mountain of debt seriously escalate.  Remember, Evergrande is the Chinese property developer with more than $300 billion in debt outstanding, and that has said they will not be repaying an $84 million loan due today, with the prospect for interest payments due this Thursday also gravely in doubt.  One cannot be surprised that the Hang Seng (-3.3%) reacted so negatively this morning, after all, that is the Evergrande’s main listing exchange.  Other property developers listed there came under substantial pressure as well, with one (Sinic Holdings Group) seeing its price fall 87% before trading was suspended.

Of equal interest to the fact that equity markets are trembling on the Evergrande story is the plethora of press that continues to explain that even if Evergrande goes bust, any fallout will be limited.  Columnists and pundits point to the damage that occurred when the Fed allowed Lehman Brothers to go bust and explain that will never be allowed again.  And while I’m certain they are correct, financial officials have exactly zero interest in allowing that type of situation to repeat, it remains far from clear they can prevent it.  That is, of course, unless the Chinese government is going to step in and pay the debts, something that seems highly unlikely.  As I continue to read and hear how this situation is nothing like Lehman, having had a front row seat to that disaster, I cannot help but see a great many parallels, including many assurances that the underlying cause of that contagion, subprime mortgage loans, was a small portion of the market and any fallout would be controlled.  We all know how well that worked out.

Remember, too, that Chinese President Xi Jinping has been aggressively attacking different sectors of the Chinese economy, specifically those sectors where great wealth (and power) was amassed and has implemented numerous changes to the previous rules.  This is the key reason the Shanghai stock market has underperformed the S&P 500 by 25% over the past year.  One of Xi’s problems is that property development has been a critical part of the growth of China’s economy and a source of significant income to all the provinces and cities.  Proceeds from the sales of property have funded infrastructure as well as helped moderate taxes.  If Evergrande goes under, the impact on the entire Chinese economy seems likely to be significant.  And all this is happening while the growth in China’s credit impulse has been declining rapidly, portending slower growth there anyway.

History has shown that situations of this nature are rarely effectively contained and there is usually fallout across numerous different areas.  Consider that global equity market indices have been hovering just below all-time high levels with stretched valuations on any measure on the basis of TINA and FOMO.  But between the two key emotions evident in investing, fear and greed, I assure you, fear is by far the more powerful.  While anything can still happen, fear is starting to spread more widely today than last week as evidenced by the sea of red across all equity markets today.

If you think that the Fed is going to taper their asset purchases into a period of market weakness, you are gravely mistaken.  The combination of slowing growth and market fear will induce a call for more support, not less, and history has shown that ever since October 1987 and Alan Greenspan’s response to Black Monday, the Fed will respond with more money.  The question this time is, will it be enough to stop the fall?  Interesting times lie ahead.

Most of Asia was on holiday last night, with only Hong Kong and Australia (ASX 200 -2.1%) open.  But Europe is open for business and the picture is not pretty.  The FTSE 100 (-1.55%) is the best performing market today with the continent (DAX -2.15%, CAC -2.1%) emblematic of every market currently open.  US futures, meanwhile, are the relative winners with losses ‘only’ ranging from the NASDAQ (-1.1%) to the Dow (-1.6%).  Now, don’t you feel better?

It can be no surprise that bonds are in demand this morning as risk is undeniably ‘off’ across all markets.  Treasury yields have fallen 3.6bps amid a flattening yield curve, while European sovereigns have all seen price gains as well with yields there slipping between 2.6bps (OATs) and 3.2 bps (Bunds).  In every case, we are seeing yield curves flatten, which tends to imply an increasing expectation of weaker economic activity.

Commodity prices are broadly under pressure as well this morning, with oil (-2.0%) leading the way but weakness across industrial metals (Cu -2.0%, Al -0.65%, Sn -1.2%) and agriculturals (corn -1.6%, wheat -0.9%, soybeans -1.0%) as well.  Gold (+0.2%) on the other hand, seems to have retained some of its haven status.

Speaking of havens, the dollar, yen and Swiss franc remain the currencies of choice in a crisis, so it should be no surprise they are today’s leaders.  Versus the dollar, the yen (+0.4%) and franc (+0.2%) are the only gainers on the day.  Elsewhere in the G10, AUD (-0.55%), SEK (-0.5%), CAD (-0.5%) and NOK (-0.4%) are the worst performers.  Obviously, oil’s decline is weighing on the krone and Loonie, but AUD is feeling it from the rest of the commodity complex, notably iron ore (Australia’s largest export by value) which has fallen to $105/ton, less than half its price on July 15th!

In the emerging markets, RUB (-0.8%) is feeling the heat from oil, while ZAR (-0.55%) has metals fatigue.  But every EMG currency that was open last night or is trading right now is down versus the dollar, with no prospects of a rebound unless risk attitude changes.  And that seems unlikely today.

On the data front, aside from the Fed on Wednesday, it is a housing related week.

Tuesday Housing Starts 1550K
Building Permits 1600K
Wednesday Existing Home Sales 5.88M
FOMC Rate Decision 0.00%-0.25%
Thursday Initial Claims 320K
Continuing Claims 2630K
Flash PMI Manufacturing 60.8
Friday New Home Sales 710K

Source: Bloomberg

As well as the Fed, on Thursday the Bank of England meets and while there is no expectation of a policy move then, there is increasing talk of tighter policy there as well.  Again, if fear continues to dominate markets, central banks are highly unlikely to tighten, and, in fact, far more likely to add yet more liquidity to the system.  Once the Fed meeting has passed, the FOMC members will get back out on the circuit to insure we understand what they are trying to do.  so, we will hear from five of them on Friday, and then a bunch more activity next week.

Today’s watchword is fear.  Markets are afraid and risk is being tossed overboard.  Absent a comment or event that can offset the China Evergrande led story, I see no reason for the dollar to do anything but rally.

Good luck and stay safe
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Dissatisfaction

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The Chinese would have us believe
Their growth targets, they will achieve
Alas, recent data
When looked at pro rata
Shows trust in their words is naïve

Meanwhile, in the UK, inflation
Is rising across that great nation
The market’s reaction
Is dissatisfaction
Thus, Gilts have seen depreciation

Just how fast is China’s GDP growing?  That is the question to be answered after last night’s data dump was distinctly worse than expected.  The big outlier was Retail Sales, which grew only 2.5% Y/Y in August, down from 8.5% in July and far below the expected 7.0% forecast.  But it was not just the Chinese consumer who slowed down their activity, IP rose only 5.3% Y/Y, again well below the July print of 6.4% and far below the forecast of 5.8%.  Even property investment was weaker than forecast, rising 10.9%, down from 12.7% in July and below the 11.3% forecast.  So, what gives?

Well, there seem to be several issues ongoing there, some of which may be temporary, like lockdowns due to the spreading delta variant of Covid, while others are likely to be with us for a longer time, notably the fallout from the bankruptcy of China Evergrande on the property market there.  The Chinese government is walking a very fine line of trying to support the economy without overstimulating those areas that tend toward speculation, notably real estate.  This is, however, extraordinarily difficult to achieve, even for a government that controls almost every lever of power domestically.  The problem is that the Chinese economy remains hugely reliant on exports (i.e. growth elsewhere in the world) in order to prosper.  So, as growth globally seems to be abating, the impact on China is profound and very likely will continue to detract from its GDP results.

Adding to the Chinese government’s difficulties is that the largest property company there, Evergrande, is bankrupt and will need to begin liquidating at least a portion of its property portfolio.  Remember, it has more than $300 billion in USD debt and the government has already said that interest and principal payments due next week will not be made.  A key concern is the prospect of contagion for other property companies in China, as well as for dollar bonds issued by other Chinese and non-US entities.  History has shown that contagion from a significant bankruptcy has the ability to spread far and wide, especially given the globalized nature of financial markets.  While we will certainly hear from Chinese officials that everything is under control, recall that the Fed assured us that the subprime crisis was under control, right before they let Lehman Brothers go under and explode the GFC on the world.  The point is, there is a very real risk that investors become wary of certain asset classes and risk overall which could easily lead to a more severe asset price correction.  This is not a prediction, merely an observation of the fact that the probability of something occurring has clearly risen.

Speaking of things rising, the other key story of the morning is inflation in the UK, which printed at 3.2%, its highest level since March 2012, and continues to trend higher.  This cannot be surprising given that inflation is rising rapidly everywhere in the world, but the difference is the BOE may have a greater ability to respond than some of its central bank counterparts, notably the Fed.  For instance, the UK debt/GDP ratio, while having risen recently to 98.8%, remains well below that of the rest of the G7, notably the Fed as the US number has risen to around 130%.  As such, markets have begun to price in actual base rate hikes by the BOE, looking for the base rate to rise to 0.50% (from 0.10% today) by the end of next year with the first hike expected in May.  While that may not seem like much overall (it is not really), it is far more than anticipated here in the US.  And remember, our CPI is running above 5.0% vs. 3.2% in the UK.

The upshot of the key stories overnight is that taking risk is becoming harder to justify for investors all over the world.  While there has certainly not yet been a defining break from the current ‘buy the dip’ mentality, fingers of instability* seem to be developing throughout financial markets globally.  The implication is that the probability of a severe correction seems to be growing, although the timing and catalyst remain completely opaque.

So, how has the most recent news impacted markets?  Based on this morning’s price action, there is clearly at least some concern growing.  For example, equity markets in Asia were all in the red (Nikkei -0.5%, Hang Seng -1.8%, Shanghai -0.2%) as the fallout of slowing Chinese growth and the China Evergrande story continue to weigh on sentiment there.  In Europe, the continent is under some pressure (DAX -0.1%, CAC -0.5%) although the UK (FTSE 100 +0.1%) seems to be shaking off the higher than expected CPI readings.  As to US futures, as I type, they are currently marginally higher, about 0.2% each, but this follows on yesterday’s afternoon sell-off resulting in lower closes.  Nothing about this performance screams risk-on, although it is not entirely bad news.

The bond market seems a bit more cautious as Treasury yields have fallen further and are down 1.3bps this morning after a 4bp decline yesterday.  This is hardly the sign of speculative fever.  In Europe at this hour, yields are essentially unchanged except in Italy, where BTP yields have risen 1.6bps as concerns grow over the amount of leeway the Italian government has to continue supporting its economy.

Commodity markets show oil prices continuing to rise (WTI +1.35%) after inventory numbers continue to show drawdowns and Gulf of Mexico production remains reduced due to the recent hurricane Nicholas.  While gold prices are little changed on the day, both copper (+0.6%) and aluminum (+1.6%) are firmer on supply questions.  Certainly nothing has changed my view that the price of “stuff” is going to continue higher in step with the ongoing central bank additions of liquidity to markets and economies.

Finally, the dollar is under pressure this morning, which given the risk-off sentiment, is a bit unusual.  But against its G10 brethren, the greenback is lower across the board with NOK (+0.85%) the clear leader on the strength of oil’s rally, although we are seeing haven assets CHF (+0.4%) and JPY (+0.4%) as the next best performers.  The rest of the bloc has seen much lesser gains, but dollar weakness is clear.

The same situation obtains in the EMG markets, where the dollar is weaker against all its counterparts, although the mix of gainers is somewhat unusual.  ZAR (+0.5%) is the top performer on the back of strengthening commodity prices and it is no surprise to see RUB (+0.4%) doing well either.  But both HUF (+0.45%) and CZK (+0.4%) are near the top of the list as both have seen higher than forecast inflation readings recently and both central banks are tipped to raise rates in the next two weeks.  As such, traders are trying to get ahead of the curve there.  The rest of the bloc is also firmer, but the movement has been much less pronounced with no particular stories to note.

On the data front this morning, Empire Manufacturing (exp 17.9), IP (0.5%) and Capacity Utilization (76.4%) are on the docket, none of which are likely to change many opinions.  The Fed remains in their quiet period until the FOMC meeting next week, so we will continue to need to take our FX cues from other markets.  Right now, it appears that 10-year yields are leading the way, so if they continue to slide, look for the dollar to follow suit.

Good luck and stay safe
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*see “Ubiquity” by Mark Buchanan, a book I cannot recommend highly enough

Anything But Preordained

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Some pundits think Madame Lagarde
Is ready, the PEPP, to retard
But others believe
She’ll never achieve
Her goals sans her bank’s credit card

Meanwhile data last night explained
That factory prices had gained
The idea inflation
Is due for cessation
Is anything but preordained

Two noteworthy stories this morning are the ECB meeting, where shortly we will learn if the much-mooted reduction in PEPP purchases is, in fact, on the way and Chinese inflation data.  Similar to the Fed, despite a more lackluster economic performance across the Eurozone as a whole, the hawkish contingent of the ECB (Germany, Austria, Finland and the Netherlands) have been extremely vocal in their calls for tapering PEPP bond purchases.  While the Germans have been the most vocal, and are also seeing the highest inflation readings, this entire bloc has a history of fiscal prudence and the ongoing ECB asset purchase programs, which essentially fund fiscal policy in the PIGS, remains a significant concern.  However, the majority of nations in the Eurozone appear quite comfortable with the ongoing purchase programs.  At times like this, one cannot think along the lines of the economic logic of tapering; instead one must consider the political logic.  Remember, Lagarde is a politician, not a true central banker steeped in policy and economics.  To the extent that enough of her constituents believe the current purchase rate of €80 billion to €85 billion per month is appropriate, that is the rate she will maintain.

Markets are generally, I believe, looking for a modest reduction in PEPP purchases, so if the ECB does not adjust purchases lower, I would expect European sovereign bonds (currently slightly firmer with yields lower by about 1 basis point) to rally and the euro (+0.15% this morning) to decline.  European bourses, currently all lower by between 0.25% and 0.75%, are also likely to perform well on the news.

On a different note, China reported its inflation data last night and while CPI there remains muted (0.8% Y/Y), PPI (9.5% Y/Y) is absolutely soaring.  This is the highest reading since August 2008, right before the GFC began, and is the product of rising commodity prices as well as increases in shipping costs and shortages of labor.  The reason this matters so much to the rest of the world is that China continues to be the source of a significant portion of “stuff” consumed by most nations.  Whether that is tee-shirts or iPhones, rising prices at the Chinese factory gate imply further price pressures elsewhere in the world, notably here in the US.  Several studies have shown a strong relationship between Chinese PPI and US CPI, and the logic behind the relationship seems impeccable.  Perhaps a key question is whether or not Chinese PPI increases are also transitory, as that would offer some hope for the Fed.  Alas, history has shown that the moderation of Chinese PPI is measured in years, not months.

Before we turn to today’s markets, I believe it is worthwhile to mention the latest Fedspeak.  Yesterday we heard from NY Fed president John Williams who stayed on message, explaining that substantial further progress had been made on the Fed’s inflation goal, but not yet on the employment goal.  He followed that up by telling us that if things go according to his forecasts, tapering could well begin before the end of the year.  The theme of tapering before the end of 2021, assuming the economy grows according to plan, has been reiterated by numerous Fed speakers at this point, with both Kaplan and Bostic adding to Williams’ comments yesterday.  But what happens if growth does not achieve those lofty goals?  After all, the Atlanta Fed’s own GDPNow data is now forecasting 1.943% growth in Q3.  That seems quite a bit lower than FOMC forecasts.  And yesterday’s JOLTS data showed nearly 11 million job openings are extant, as the supply of willing workers continues to shrink.  A cynic might believe that the current Fedspeak regarding the potential for tapering shortly, assuming data adheres to forecasts, is just a ruse as there is limited expectation, within the Fed, that the data will perform.  This will allow the Fed to maintain their easy money with a strong rationale while sounding more responsible.  But that would be too cynical by half. Do remember, however, Fed forecasts are notoriously inaccurate.

OK, markets overnight are continuing down a very modest risk-off path.  Equities in Asia were generally lower (Nikkei -0.6%, Hang Seng -2.3%) with Shanghai (+0.5%) a major exception.  Ongoing crackdowns on on-line gaming continue to undermine the value of some of China’s biggest (HK listed) companies, while the debt problems at China Evergrande continue to explode.  (China Evergrande is the second largest real estate company in China with a massive debt load of >$350 billion and has been dramatically impacted by China’s attempts to deflate its real estate bubble.  It has been downgraded multiple times and its stock price has now fallen well below its IPO price.  There are grave concerns about its ability to remain an ongoing company, but given the size of its debt load, a failure would have a major impact on the Chinese banking sector as well as, potentially, markets worldwide.  Think Lehman Brothers.)  Alongside the previously mentioned weakness in Europe, US futures are all currently lower by about 0.25%.

Treasury prices are continuing their modest rally, with yields falling another 1.2bps as risk appetite generally wanes.  Given the FOMC meeting is still two weeks away, investors remain comfortable that Treasuries are still a better buy than other securities.  Interestingly, the debt ceiling question does not seem to have reached the market’s collective consciousness yet, although it does offer the opportunity for some serious concern.  However, history shows that despite all the huffing and puffing, Congress will never allow a default, so this is probably the correct behavior.

Commodity prices are rebounding with oil (+0.8%), gold (+0.45%) and copper (+1.3%) leading the way.  The rest of the industrial space is generally firmer although foodstuffs are all softer this morning in anticipation of upcoming crop reports (“sell Mortimer!”)

As to the dollar, it is on its heels this morning, down versus all its G10 counterparts led by NOK (+0.35%) and GBP (+0.3%).  Clearly the former is benefitting from oil’s rise while the pound seems to be benefitting from BOE comments indicating a greater concern with inflation and the fact the Old Lady may need to address that sooner than previously anticipated.  In the EMG bloc, there are far more winners than losers, but the gains have been muted.  For instance, PHP (+0.4%) has been the biggest winner, followed by ZAR (+0.3%) and RUB (+0.25%).  While the latter two are clear beneficiaries of firmer oil and commodity prices, PHP seems to have gained on the back of a potential reversal of Covid lockdown policy by the government, with less restrictions coming.  On the downside, only KRW (-0.25%) was really under pressure as the Asian risk-off environment continues to see local equity market sales and outflows by international investors.

On the data front, this morning brings only Initial (exp 335K) and Continuing (2.73M) Claims.  However, we do hear from four more Fed speakers, with only Chicago’s Evans having yet to say tapering could be a 2021 event.  In truth, at this point, given how consistent the message has been, I feel like data is more likely to drive markets than comments.  Given today’s calendar is so light, I expect we will see another day of modest movement.  The one caveat is if the ECB surprises in some manner, with a greater risk of a more dovish stance than the market assumes.

Good luck and stay safe
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Could Be Dead

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The tapering talk at the Fed
Continues as they look ahead
Though growth’s clearly slowing
Inflation is growing
So, QE, next year, could be dead

In Europe, though, it’s not the same
As price rises largely are tame
But plenty of squawks
From ECB hawks
Have feathered the doves with great shame

Central bank meetings continue to be key highlights on the calendar and this week is no different.  Thus far we have already heard from the RBA, who left policy unchanged, as despite inflation running at 3.8% Q/Q, are unwilling to tighten policy amid a massive nationwide lockdown.  After all, how can they justify tighter policy as growth continues to sag?

This morning the BOC meets, and the universal view is that the Overnight Lending rate will be left unchanged at 0.25%.  However, you may recall that the BOC has actually begun to taper its QE purchases, reducing the weekly amount of purchases to C$2 billion from its peak setting of C$4 billion.  Most of the punditry believe that there will be no change in the rate of QE at this meeting as the bank will want to evaluate the impact of the delta variant on the Canadian economy more fully, but most also believe that the next step lower will occur in October.  In either event, though, it seems the currency markets remain far more focused on the US half of the equation than on what the other central bank is doing.  After all, since the BOC began to taper policy in April, the Loonie has weakened by more than 1%, although it did show initial strength in the wake of the surprise announcement.

Turning to tomorrow’s ECB meeting, there has also been a clear delineation between the hawks and doves as to the proper steps going forward.  Given the macroeconomic situation in Europe, where growth is slowing from relatively modest levels and inflation remains far below levels seen in either the US or Canada (or Australia or the UK), it would seem that the doves should retain the upper hand in the discussion.

But one of the key, inherent, flaws in the Eurozone is that different countries tend to have very different economies as well as very different fiscal policies, and so the individual economic outcomes vary greatly.  Thus, while Spain remains mired with excessively high unemployment and lackluster growth prospects, as does Italy, Germany has seen rising prices in a much more sustained fashion, with CPI there running a full percentage point above the Eurozone as a whole.  Given that German DNA is vehemently anti-inflation (a result of the suffering of the Weimar Hyperinflation of the 1920’s), this situation has resulted in Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann and some of his closest colleagues (Austria’s Holtzmann and the Netherlands’ Knot) vociferously calling for a reduction in the rate of purchases in the PEPP.  However, most of the rest of the committee sees no need to slow things down.  The question tomorrow is whether or not Madame Lagarde will be able to tether the hawks.  While there is market talk that tapering will occur, my money is on no change in the pace of purchases.  The direct impact of this should be further modest weakness in the euro and a rebound in European sovereign bond market prices.

As to the Fed, they meet in two weeks’ time and after Powell’s Jackson Hole performance, I think there are vanishingly few players who believe they are going to even announce the tapering schedule then.  However, that does not mean that the segment of the FOMC who are adamantly pro-taper will be quiet, and so expect to hear a steady stream of tapering talk until the quiet period begins on Saturday.  In fact, just last night St Louis President Bullard was interviewed by the FT and reiterated his vocal stance that tapering needs to begin right away.  As well, we will hear from Dallas’ Kaplan later today with his message guaranteed to be the same.  Of more interest will be NY’s Williams, who speaks this afternoon at 1:10pm, and who has yet to voice his tapering opinion.  If he does say tapering is necessary, that would be an important signal, so we must pay close attention.

With all that in mind, markets overnight have started to take a somewhat dimmer view of risk, especially in Europe.  In fact, looking around, only the Nikkei (+0.9%) has been able to see any positivity as the rest of Asia (Hang Seng -0.1%, Shanghai -0.1%) edged lower while Europe (DAX -0.7%, CAC -0.4%, FTSE 100 -0.5%) are seeing much greater selling.  That said, the situation on the Continent was worse earlier in the session with losses everywhere greater than 1.0%.  US futures, meanwhile, are essentially unchanged on the morning, although leaning slightly lower.

In the bond market, buyers have returned with Treasury yields falling 2.4bps, reversing half of yesterday’s climb.  But Europe, too, is seeing demand for havens with Bunds (-1.2bps), OATs (-1.5bps) and Gilts (-1.0bps) all decently bid this morning.  Certainly, if the ECB does reduce its PEPP purchases you can expect yields across the board in Europe to rise.  And, in fact, that is why I don’t expect that to occur!

In a bit of a conundrum, commodity prices are generally higher, alongside the dollar.  Looking at WTI (+1.4%), it seems that energy is on the rise everywhere.  (Pay attention to Uranium, which has rallied 32% in the past month and is structurally bullish as current demand is significantly greater than the run rate of production.)  But weirdly, other than copper (-0.8%) every other key commodity is higher this morning with Au (+0.3%), Al (+0.5%) and Soybeans (+0.7%) leading the way.

This is strange because the dollar is broadly, albeit generally modestly, higher this morning.  In the G10, EUR, CAD and DKK are all softer by 0.2% while only NZD (+0.1%) has managed any gains on the back of the strength in commodity prices.  In the emerging markets, the situation is far more pronounced with TRY (-1.0%) leading the way lower after the central bank indicated rate cuts were coming, although we also saw weakness overnight in KRW (-0.75%), THB (-0.5%) and TWD (-0.4%).  All of these Asian currencies suffered on a pure risk-off viewpoint as equity markets in these nations fell as well.  But it’s not just APAC currencies as we are seeing weakness in EMEA with HUF (-0.5%) and PLN (-0.3%) also under pressure.

On the data front, today brings the JOLTS Job Openings report (exp 10.049M) which continues to indicate the labor market is quite tight despite the payroll data last week.  And after that we get the Fed’s Beige Book at 2:00.  To my mind, Williams’ speech at 1:10pm is the most important story of the day, so we will need to pay close attention when he starts speaking.

Overall, it appears that the dollar bulls have regained the upper hand and are slowly pushing the greenback higher versus most counterparts.  If Williams does agree tapering is needed, I expect the dollar to take another leg higher.  But if he is clear that there is no rush, especially with the delta variant impact, look for the dollar to cede some of its recent gains and equity markets to regain a little spring in their step.

Good luck and stay safe
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Starting to Wane

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The rebound is starting to wane
In England, in France and in Spain
But prices keep rising
With German’s realizing
They’ve not yet transcended their pain

First, some housekeeping, I will be on my mandatory two-week leave starting Monday, so there will be no poetry after today until September 7.

Meanwhile, this morning’s market activity is bereft of interesting goings-on, with very few stories of note as the summer holiday season is clearly in full swing.  Perhaps the three most notable events were UK Retail Sales, German PPI and new Chinese legislation.  Frankly, none of them paint a very positive picture regarding either the economy or markets going forward.

Starting at the top, UK Retail Sales (-2.4% in July) fell short of expectations, with the Y/Y reading back down to +1.8% from a revised +6.8% and the universal description of the situation as the reopening rebound is over.  The spread of the delta variant continues to add pressure as closures are dotted throughout the country, and sentiment seems to be turning lower.  It ought be no surprise that the pound (-0.15%) has fallen further, taking its month-to-date losses to 2.5%.  Too, the FTSE 100 (-0.2%) is under pressure, although it does remain in a broader uptrend, unlike the pound.  However, the first indication here is that risk is being sold off, which seems a pretty good description of the day.

Next, we turn to Germany’s PPI reading (10.4% Y/Y, 1.9% M/M) which is actually the largest annual rise since January 1975, where prices were impacted by the oil crisis!  While we have all been constantly reassured that inflation is a fleeting event and there is absolutely no indication that the ECB will see this number and consider tightening policy in any way, shape or form, I suspect that the good people of Germany may see things a bit differently.  The chatter from Germany is a growing concern over rapidly rising prices with a real chance of political fallout coming.  Remember, Germany goes to the polls next month in an effort to replace Chancellor Merkel, who has been running the country for the past 16 years.  Currently no candidate looks particularly strong, so a weak coalition seems a very possible outcome.  It is not clear that a weakened Germany will be a positive for the euro, which while unchanged on the day has been trending steadily lower for the past two months and yesterday broke below, what I believe is, a key support level at 1.1704.  Look for further declines here.

And finally, the Chinese passed a stricter personal data protection law prohibiting private companies from collecting and keeping data on their customers without explicit permission, a practice that had heretofore been commonplace. This appears to be yet another attack on the tech sector in China as President Xi ensures that the Chinese tech behemoths are disempowered.  After all, similarly to the US, the value of the big platforms comes from these companies’ abilities to compile and monetize the meta-data they collect by using it for targeted advertising.  Of course, the law says nothing about the Chinese government collecting that data and maintaining it, as that is part and parcel of the new normal in China.  One cannot be surprised that Chinese equity markets continue to decline on the back of these ongoing attacks against formerly unsullied companies, with the Hang Seng (-1.85%) now lower by 21% from its peak in February, and showing no signs of stopping as international funds flow out of the country.  Shanghai (-1.1%) also fell sharply, but given this index has more SOE’s and less tech, its decline from its February peak is only 9%.  As to the renminbi, it softened a bit further and is pushing slowly back above 6.50 at this time, its weakest level since April.

Otherwise, nada.  Equity markets are in the red everywhere, with the Nikkei (-1.0%) also slipping and we are seeing losses throughout Europe (DAX -0.4%, CAC -0.3%, FTSE 100 -0.2%) as well.  US futures, too, are pointing lower, with all three indices looking at 0.4% declines.  Of course, yesterday, things looked awful at this hour and both the NASDAQ and S&P 500 managed to close higher on the day, albeit only slightly.

Bonds are definitely in the ascendancy with yields continuing to slide.  Treasury yields are lower by 1.5 bps, Bunds and OATs by 0.5bps and Gilts by 2.0bps.  The question to be asked here, though, is, does this represent confidence that inflation is truly transitory?, or is this a commentary on future economic activity?, or perhaps, is this simply the recognition that central banks have distorted these markets so much they no longer give useful signals?  Whatever the underlying driver, the reality of bonds’ haven appeal remains and given the signals from the equity market, falling bond yields are not a big surprise.

Commodity prices remain under pressure generally, with oil (-0.8%) continuing its recent decline.  After a massive rally from last November through its peak in early July, crude has fallen 17% as of this morning.  In this case, while I understand the story regarding weakening economic growth, it seems to me the long term picture here remains quite positive as the Biden administration’s efforts to end oil production in the US, or at the very least starve it of future growth, means that supply is going to lag demand for years to come.  That implies higher prices are on the way.  As to the rest of the space, gold (+0.25%) continues to trade in its 1775-1805 range since mid-June with the exception of the two-day blip lower that was quickly erased.  Copper’s recent downtrend remains intact although it has bounce 0.3% this morning, and the rest of the industrial metals are either side of unchanged.

The dollar is broadly stronger this morning, with CAD (-0.7%) the weakest of the G10 currencies, clearly suffering from oil’s decline but also, seemingly, from self-inflicted wounds regarding its draconian Covid policies.  The Loonie has now fallen 4.25% this month with half of that coming in just the last two sessions.  But we are seeing continued weakness throughout the commodity bloc here with NOK (-0.45%) and AUD and NZD (both -0.3%) continuing their recent declines.  On the plus side, only CHF (+0.2%) has shown any strength of note.

Emerging market currencies are also under pressure this morning led by ZAR (-0.6%) and MXN (-0.4%) as softer commodity prices weigh heavily here.  We also continue to see weakness in some APAC currencies, with IDR (-0.35%) and KRW (-0.3%) suffering from concerns over the ongoing spread of the delta variant and the corresponding investor funds outflow from those nations.  On the flipside, PHP (+0.35%) was the only gainer of note in the region after the government loosened some Covid restrictions.

There is no economic data today and only one Fed speaker, Dallas Fed President Kaplan.  Of course, Kaplan has been the most vocal calling for tapering, so we already know his view, and after the Minutes from Wednesday, it seems he has persuaded many of his colleagues.  But once again I ask, if the economy is slowing, which I believe to be the case, will the Fed really start to remove accommodation?  I don’t believe that will be the case.  However, for now, the market is likely to bide its time until next week’s Jackson Hole speech by Powell.  Beware summer choppiness due to lack of liquidity and look for the current dollar uptrend to continue while I’m away.

Good luck, good weekend and stay safe
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To Taper’s Ordained

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The Minutes on Wednesday explained
That QE would still be sustained
But ere this year ends
Some felt that the trends
Implied that, to taper’s, ordained

But ask yourself this, my good friends
What happens if tapering sends
The stock market down
Will they turn around
And restart QE as amends?

Remember all the times the Fed tried to tell the world that their current policy stance, notably the massive amount of QE purchases, were not the driving force in the equity market?  Stock market bulls played along with this as well, explaining that historically high valuation measures were all appropriate given the huge corporate profit margins, and had nothing to do with the Fed’s suppression of interest rates along the entire yield curve.  The bulls would point to 30-year interest rates below 2.00% and explain that when you discounted future cash flows at such low levels, it was only natural that stock valuations were high.  The fact that it was the Fed that was simultaneously buying up all the net Treasury issuance, and then some, thus driving rates artificially lower, as well as promising to do so for the foreseeable future was seen as a minor detail.

Perhaps that detail was not as minor as the bulls would have you believe!  Yesterday, the FOMC Minutes were released and the part that garnered all the attention was the discussion on the current asset purchase framework and how it might change in the future.

“Most participants judged that the Committee’s standard of “substantial further progress” toward the maximum-employment goal had not yet been met. At the same time, most participants remarked that this standard had been achieved with respect to the price- stability goal. (my emphasis) A few participants noted, however, that the transitory nature of this year’s rise in inflation, as well as the recent declines in longer-term yields and in market-based measures of inflation compensation, cast doubt on the degree of progress that had been made toward the price-stability goal since December.”

So, it seems they are in sync on the fact that the employment situation has room to run, and they don’t want to act too early because of that.  But what I find more interesting is that they can use the term ‘price stability’ when discussing inflation running in the 4.0%-5.0% range.  As well, it is apparent that many of the committee members are drinking their own Kool-Aid on the transitory story.

“Looking ahead, most participants noted that, provided that the economy were to evolve broadly as they anticipated, they judged that it could be appropriate to start reducing the pace of asset purchases this year because they saw the Committee’s “substantial further progress” criterion as satisfied with respect to the price-stability goal and as close to being satisfied with respect to the maximum employment goal. Various participants commented that economic and financial conditions would likely warrant a reduction in coming months. Several others indicated, however, that a reduction in the pace of asset purchases was more likely to become appropriate early next year because they saw prevailing conditions in the labor market as not being close to meeting the Committee’s “substantial further progress” standard or because of uncertainty about the degree of progress toward the price-stability goal.” (my emphasis)

But this was the money line, the clear talk that most of the committee expected tapering to begin before the end of the year.  While we have not yet heard any of the three key leaders (Powell, Williams and Brainerd) say they were ready to taper, it seems that most of the rest of the committee is on board.  Jackson Hole suddenly became much more interesting, because if Powell discusses tapering as likely to occur soon, it will be a done deal.  But if he doesn’t explain that tapering is coming soon, it is possible that we see four dissents, at the next meeting.  And how about this for a thought, what if those three are the only votes to stand pat, and the other six voting members want to start the taper?  That would truly be unprecedented and, I think, have major negative market ramifications.  I don’t expect that to occur, but after everything that has occurred over the past 18 months, I wouldn’t rule out anything anymore.

At any rate, the tapering talk remains topic number one in every market, and one cannot be surprised that the market’s reaction has been a clear risk-off response.  Equity markets around the world are lower, substantially so in Europe; bond markets are rallying as risk is jettisoned; commodity prices are falling, and the dollar is king!

So, let’s take a tour and see where things are.  Starting in Asia, we saw equities decline throughout the region with the Nikkei (-1.1%), Hang Seng (-2.1%) and Shanghai (-0.6%) all under pressure.  But the real pressure was felt in Korea (KOSPI -1.9%) and Taiwan (TAIEX -2.7%).  In fact, the only markets in the region to hold their own were in New Zealand.  Turning to Europe, it is a uniform decline with the DAX (-1.6%), CAC (-2.5%), and FTSE 100 (-2.0%) all falling sharply, with the lesser known indices also completely in the red.  I guess the prospect of less Fed largesse is not seen as a positive after all.  Meanwhile, ahead of this morning’s opening, US equity futures are all sharply lower, on the order of 0.75%.

Turning to the bond market, the prospect of less Fed buying is having an interesting outcome, bonds are rallying.  Of course, this is because Treasuries remain the ultimate financial safe-haven trade and as investors flee risky assets, bonds are the natural response.  So, 10-year Treasury yields have fallen 3.5bps, and we are seeing yields decline in the European market as well, at least those countries that are deemed solvent.  So, Bunds (-1.4bps), OATs (-1.1bps) and Gilts (-3.4bps) are all seeing demand.  Yields for the PIGS, however, are unchanged to higher on the day.

Commodity prices are uniformly lower, except for gold, which is essentially unchanged on the day.  Oil (-3.7%) leads the way down, but we are seeing weakness in base metals (Cu -3.3%) as well as the Agricultural space (Wheat -1.5%, Soybeans -1.2%).

Finally, the dollar is on top of the world this morning, as investors are buying dollars to buy bonds, or so it seems.  In classic risk-off fashion, only the yen (+0.1%) has managed to hold its own vs. the dollar as the rest of the G10 bloc is weaker led by NOK (-0.95%) and AUD (-0.95%).  NZD (-0.7%) and CAD (-0.7%) are also suffering greatly given the commodity weakness story.  But do not ignore the euro (-0.15%) which while it hasn’t moved very far, has managed to finally trade below the key 1.1704 support level, and is set, in my view, to head much lower.

In the EMG space, ZAR (-1.3%) is the leading decliner, falling alongside the commodity complex.  KRW (-0.7%) has given back all of yesterday’s gains as equity outflows continue to dominate the market there, but we are seeing weakness across the board with most currencies falling between 0.3%-0.6% purely on the dollar’s overall strength.

On the data front, this morning brings the weekly Initial Claims (exp 364K) and Continuing Claims (2.8M) as well as Philly Fed (23.1) and Leading Indicators (+0.7%).  There’s no scheduled Fedspeak, but what else can they say after yesterday’s Minutes anyway?  If you recall, Monday’s Empire Mfg was quite weak, so I would not be surprised to see Philly follow suit.  In fact, I think the biggest problem the Fed is going to have is that the data is rolling over and looking like a slowing economy, despite high inflation.  If they keep seeing economic weakness, are they really going to taper into a weakening economy?  They may start, but I doubt they get two months in before they stop, especially if equities continue to revalue (fall).  As to the dollar, for now, I like its prospects and suspect that we are going to trade to levels not seen since June of last year.

Good luck and stay safe
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