Tag Archives: #riskon

Hawks Now Despair

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The imminent news of the day
Is President Joe will convey
His choice for Fed chair
As hawks now despair
Lael Brainerd will soon lead the way

Her bona fides highlight her views
More policy ease she would choose
Inflation? No worry
But she’s in a hurry
For banks to put under the screws

The word from Washington is that President Biden will be announcing his selection for Fed chair imminently.  The very fact that the news was released using that phraseology implies to some (this author included) that we will have a new Fed Chair going forward, Lael Brainerd.  It is widely known that the President interviewed both Brainerd and Powell last week and ostensibly, Ms Brainerd accorded herself quite well.  It is also widely known that the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, which continues to gain sway over policy decisions, hates Chairman Powell and believes that not only would a Chairwoman Brainerd maintain policies to pay for their wish list, but that she would also be much tougher on the banking industry on a regulatory basis.

Of course, the key question is, can Brainerd win approval from a split Senate?  However, it is not clear that Powell could win approval either.  In Brainerd’s case, the vote would almost certainly be a straight party-line vote with Vice-president Harris casting the tiebreaker if necessary, although, it is quite possible that one or two of the very centrist Republican senators vote yea for her.  Powell, on the other hand, has enemies on both sides of the aisle, as there is a contingent of Republicans who believe he is to blame for the current inflation, while we also know there is a contingent of Democrats, led by Senator Warren, who despise him.  In other words, it doesn’t appear either is a slam dunk despite the fact both are currently on the Fed board and have been approved in the past.

Given we already know how markets have responded to the Powell Chairmanship, let us consider how a Chair Brainerd might be viewed.  Whether it is true or not, the current narrative is that Ms Brainerd would be more dovish than Powell, far less likely to complete the current tapering initiative and potentially seek reasons to further expand the Fed’s balance sheet.  If that were to be the case, one would have to be bullish financial assets with both stocks and bonds benefitting from that policy mix.  In addition, given the current inflationary impulse, and the likelihood that a Chair Brainerd continues to believe in the transitory theory, commodity prices are likely to continue their climb higher.  As to the dollar, based on this thesis, the dollar’s recent rise would likely come to an end, as the ongoing decline in real rates would undermine its value proposition.  You may wonder why bond prices would perform well despite rising inflation and the answer is simple, the ongoing QE purchases would support them, and a change in view regarding the timing of any tightening would likely see the short end of the curve rally, driving rates there much lower as well.

Of course, this is speculation regarding speculation of a particular outcome.  However, based on the market’s previous responses to these types of policy stimuli, I would contend they are reasonable.  Regardless, this all depends on any announcement.

One thing to note is that the case for a dollar decline is relatively strong in the event the market perception changes regarding further Fed policy tightness.  The dollar has been benefitting from the perception that the Fed is leading the way among the major central banks, with respect to removing policy ease.  If that perception were to change, so will the trajectory of the greenback.

Turning to the markets this morning, after a lackluster day in the US yesterday, where the major indices barely moved, we saw a mixed performance in Asia (Nikkei +0.1%, Hang Seng +1.3%, Shanghai -0.3%) as China continues to feel downward pressure from the real estate sector there.  Europe, on the other hand, is having a better day (DAX +0.5%, CAC +0.4%, FTSE 100 +0.2%) despite growing concerns over NatGas supplies due to some delays in NordStream 2 approvals.  It seems that a combination of ongoing dovish comments from Madame Lagarde and a new analysis by Capital Economics indicating interest rates in Europe will not rise before 2025, have inspired more risk-taking.  Meanwhile, US futures, which had been lower earlier in the session, have now edged back to essentially unchanged on the day.

In the bond market, yesterday saw some very aggressive selling with Treasury yields rising 5 basis points and pretty much dragging the entire space with them.  This morning, however, things have reversed with Treasury yields (-1.9bps) down along with Bunds (-1.9bps), OATS (-2.0bps) and Gilts (-2.0bps).  As long as there is belief in the QE process, bonds will retain a bid.  As an aside, there was an interesting article yesterday from MNI reporting on the fact that Italy and the other PIGS are seeking a permanent change in EU lending rules to insure that they get more money with less strings, as has been occurring during the Covid inspired emergency.  This has all the signs of a new policy that will be enacted, permanently increasing the amount of support that Southern Europe receives from the EU, and likely, over time to build tensions.  I would look for PIGS spreads vs. Bunds to narrow on this conversation, but it will not help the euro.

As to commodities, this morning most are in the green led by oil (+0.4%) which is continuing yesterday’s late day rally although prices are still much lower on the week.  NatGas (+2.8%) is clearly rising in concert with the European story on Nordstream 2 while gold (+0.6%) and silver (+0.85%) continue to confound by rising sharply alongside the dollar.  Ags are a little softer as are base metals (Al -1.6%, Zn -0.9%), so the message from this market is just not clear.

Turning to the dollar, it is broadly stronger this morning with SEK (-0.3%) and CHF (-0.3%) the laggards in the G10 although GBP (+0.25%) and NOK (+0.2%) are both firmer.  Going backwards, NOK is clearly being supported by oil prices while the pound is benefitting from modestly positive employment news amid a spate of releases there.  As to the losers, there is really no news in either currency which implies the general dollar bullish framework continues to be the key driver.  In the emerging markets, TRY (-1.4%) is today’s worst performer as investors fear further rate cuts despite rapidly rising inflation.  Interestingly, RUB (-0.5%) is also under pressure despite oil’s rebound as concerns over rising inflation in Russia are also impacting investment decisions.  CLP (-0.5%) is the other laggard here as a combination of broad dollar strength and concerns over inflation seem to be undermining the peso.

On the data front, we see Retail Sales (exp 1.5%, 1.0% ex autos) as well as IP (0.9%) and Capacity Utilization (75.9%) this morning.  We get the Fed train rolling with five speakers this morning ranging from the most hawkish (George) to the most dovish (Daly).  However, I believe all eyes will be on the Chairmanship story, not comments from underlings.

The dollar broadly continues to rally with the euro having traded to its lowest level since July 2020 and there is nothing that indicates this trend is going to change soon.  While there are good reasons to expect the dollar to eventually decline, right now, higher is the direction of travel so keep that in mind for your hedging.  However, for those with a longer-term view, looking into 2023 and 2024, current levels may well look attractive if payables are the exposure.

Good luck and stay safe
Adf

Damnified

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The market has turned its attention
To Brainerd’s potential ascension
As Chair of the Fed
Thus, bond bulls imbed
The view QE gets an extension

This adds to the growing divide
Twixt nations who’ve identified
Inflation as bad
From those who are mad
Their laxness have been damnified

The dollar is under some pressure this morning as bonds rally (yields decline) and commodity prices pick up further.  If equity markets were higher this would be a classic risk-on session, alas, that picture is mixed, and anyway, whatever movement there is has been modest at best.  (It’s almost as if equity bulls are getting tired at all-time highs with record valuations.)

What, then, you may ask, is driving today’s price action?  I give you Lael Brainerd PhD, current Fed governor, former Under Secretary of International Affairs at the US Treasury, and the woman most likely to be our next Federal Reserve Chair.  The news broke that President Biden interviewed her for the role and there is a growing belief that in the current political zeitgeist, a Democratic woman favored by the progressive wing of the party will be much more palatable than a Republican man with a mixed track record on issues like FOMC membership trading improprieties.  It doesn’t hurt that she has been an unrequited dove since her appointment by President Obama in 2014, nor that she has been vocal on the need for more stringent regulatory control over the big banks.

As markets are discounting instruments, ostensibly looking forward a number of months to where things will be rather than where they currently sit, there is a growing belief that a Chairwoman Brainerd will be loath to continue tapering asset purchases and far more comfortable allowing inflation to run even hotter in her desire to achieve an even lower unemployment rate.  Hence, the idea that fed funds rate hikes will be coming sooner has been pushed back further.  In the wake of last week’s very surprising BOE meeting, where the widely anticipate rate hike was delayed, and the Fed’s own extremely dovish tapering message, the idea that a change at the Fed will lean even more dovish than now is music to bond bulls’ ears.  And so, as we survey the largest economies, the US seems to be turning more dovish, the Eurozone continues to burnish its dovish bona fides and the BOJ…well the BOJ is unlikely to ever tighten policy again.

However, as we look elsewhere in the world, the story is very different.  Central banks all over, from smaller G10 nations to large EMG group members have clearly articulated that inflation is a major concern with no clear end in sight and that tighter monetary policy is in order.  In the G10, Canada appears on the cusp of tightening, Norway has done so already and promised another hike next month.  New Zealand has ended QE and raised rates, Australia has given up on YCC and Sweden is hinting at a rate rise coming soon.  The noteworthy link is these are all small, relatively open economies with trade a key part of the mix and rising prices are very evident.

But do not forget the EMG space where we have seen far more dramatic moves already and are almost certain to see more of the same going forward.  The Czech Republic hiked rates 125bps last week, far more than expected, while Russia has already raised rates 2.50% in the past 9 months with no signs of slowing down.  Meanwhile, Polish central bankers are previewing more rapid rate hikes despite a larger than expected 75 basis point move last week.  In LATAM, Brazil has already raised rates 5.25% and is in no mood to stop with inflation running above 10% there.  Mexico, too, is up 0.75% from its lows while Chile (+2.25%), Colombia (+0.75%) and Peru (+1.75%) have all reacted strongly to rising inflation.

The point is this dichotomy between the G3 and the rest of the world seems unlikely to continue forever.  There seem to be two likely scenarios to close this interest rate gap, neither of them to be hoped for; either the G3 will finally blink, recognize inflation is real and raise rates far more rapidly than currently expected, or the transitory story will be correct as the economic imbalances will drive a massive crash with economic growth slowing dramatically into a severe recession and no reason to raise interest rates.  In the first case, financial assets will almost certainly suffer greatly while commodities should perform well.  In the second case, everything will suffer greatly with cash regaining its title as king.

Like I said, neither is a pleasant outcome, but neither is about to happen yet either.  So, looking at today’s activity, the growing assumption of a more dovish Fed (remember that vice-chairs Clarida and Quarles will be out within months as well) has led to lower yields and a somewhat softer dollar along with ongoing higher commodity prices.

Equities, however, remain mixed overall, albeit starting to edge higher in the session.  In Asia, the picture was mixed with the Nikkei (-0.75%) falling on the back of yen strength, while the Hang Seng (+0.2%) and Shanghai (+0.2%) both managed to edge higher.  Europe, which had been mixed to lower earlier in the session has started to turn green with the DAX (+0.2%), CAC (+0.3%) and FTSE 100 (+0.1%) all in positive territory. US futures are generally little changed ahead of this morning’s PPI data, (exp 8.6%, 6.8% ex food & energy) but really with the market focusing on tomorrow’s CPI data.

As mentioned, bonds are having a good day, with Treasuries (-3.1bps) falling back to Friday’s low yields, while European sovereigns (Bunds -3.5bps, OATs -3.7bps, Gilts -1.3bps) all rally as well.  In Europe, the curves are flattening pretty aggressively, hardly a vote of confidence in future activity.

Oil prices (+0.45%) are once again firmer although NatGas (-1.6%) has slipped as warm weather in the mid-Atlantic and Midwest states reduces near term heating demand.  Precious metals, which have been rallying nicely of late are little changed on the day but industrial metals (Cu +0.5%, Al +0.1%, Sn +0.3%) are all a bit firmer.  Agricultural products continue to rise as food inflation worldwide continues to grow.

Finally, the dollar, which had been broadly softer earlier in the session on the dovish discussion, has rebounded slightly, although is hardly rocking.  In the G10, the largest moves have been 0.25% in either direction (AUD -0.25%, JPY +0.25%) however, there have been limited stories to drive perceptions.  Given the yen’s recent bout of significant weakness, this appears to be a corrective move rather than a new direction.  As to Aussie, it too seems more technical than fundamental in nature.

Emerging markets, however, have seen more movement led by THB (+0.8%) and KRW (+0.5%) on the news that both economies are reopening amid a decline in Covid infections and the allowance of more inbound tourist traffic.  RUB (+0.45%) seems to be benefitting from oil’s rise as well.  On the downside, ZAR (-0.6%) fell after a report that foreign holdings of South African sovereign debt fell to its lowest level in 10 years.

On the data front, aside from the PPI, we have already received the NFIB Small Business Optimism number at a disappointing 98.2 (exp 99.5) indicating that the growth impulse in the US is still under pressure.  In addition, there are 4 more Fed speakers today after yesterday’s warnings from Vice-chair Clarida that inflation may be a problem going forward.

For now, the dollar seems to be under modest pressure as it consolidates the latest leg of a slow move higher.  If the Fed tapering is going to diminish, the dollar bulls are going to have a harder road to hoe going forward.  As such, much will depend on who is our next Fed chair.

Good luck and stay safe
Adf

Qui Vive!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: Bloomberg

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

Good luck and stay safe
Adf

Costs are Aflame

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The central banks of the G10
Are starting to realize the ‘when’
Of interest rate rises
To forestall a crisis
Is sooner than they thought back then

Inflation breakevens keep rising
While companies are proselytizing
That they’re not to blame
As costs are aflame
Thus CB’s, their plans, are revising

It is difficult to scan a news source these days without seeing a story of how some company or another is raising their prices by X% due to increased shipping/raw material costs/labor costs.  And the reporter doesn’t really have to look that hard for the typical anecdotes that accompany this type of story since the situation has become increasingly prevalent.  Just this morning I read about Unilever, WD-40 and P&G all explaining that prices have not only already risen but would be rising further in the months ahead.  Obviously, this does not bode well for the transitory narrative, which is in its death throes.  That being said, it is still not the universal opinion of all Fed members.  For instance, yesterday NY Fed president John Williams exclaimed that long-term inflation expectations have risen to levels “consistent with the 2% goal.”  Now, I’m not sure what long-term expectations he is looking at, but yesterday, the 5-year/5-year inflation rate in the US Treasury market closed at 2.915%, its highest level since the series began in 2002.  The 19-year history of this measure shows an average of 1.85%, which seems more in line with Williams’ comments.  But one must be willfully blind to look at the chart of this series and claim inflation expectations remain sedate.

The risk for the central banks that maintain inflation is not a growing issue is loss of whatever credibility they have remaining.  And the upshot is, markets are not listening to them anymore and have begun to price in more aggressive rate hikes around the world.  In the US, the first rate hike is priced for next July, right about the time the Fed previously expected to finish tapering.  And there is a second hike priced in before the end of 2022.  In the UK, the first hike is priced for this December with three more expected by next September.  Even in the Eurozone, a full hike is priced in by the end of next year, something that not a single ECB banker has expressed, and in fact, several have categorically denied.

At the same time, longer term yields are rising as well, with 10-year Treasuries up to 1.68% even after having fallen 2.1 bps in the overnight session.  German bunds, while still negative (-0.09%) are at their highest level since May 2019, which was the last time their yield was at 0.0%.  And we are seeing similar price action across Gilts, OATs and Australian GBs.  (The latter despite the fact that the RBA remains adamant that they will not be raising interest rates until 2024.  Methinks they will have some crow to eat on that subject.)

The problem for central banks, and their respective governments, is that given the extraordinary amount of debt outstanding, higher yields can quickly become a problem.  So, ask yourself how can a central bank prevent rising yields without raising front end rates or expanding their balance sheets further?  You will not like this answer but here is a taste of what could be coming our way; regulatory changes that force institutions to buy government bonds.  Consider the ease with which central banks could require commercial banks to expand the ratio of government bonds in their asset portfolio, or insurance companies or pension funds or all three.  Financial repression can take form in many ways, and this would likely be the first step.  After all, for the average person, this is a relatively esoteric process and would not likely be widely understood hence would not cause an uproar.  Of course, all those insurance company and pension fund portfolios that needed to replace stock holdings with bonds would result in some pretty big selling pressure in the equity market, which would get a little more press.  But central banks wouldn’t get the blame as they are one step removed from the process.  In their eyes, this would be a win-win.

The implication is not that this is imminent, just that it is a possible pathway in the future, and one that seems more and more likely as inflation drives yields higher.  However, for now, the market is still of the belief that central banks will be forced to raise rates and are pricing accordingly.  Given the widespread nature of this belief set, the relative impact on currencies remains muted.  However, if US rates continue to lead the way higher, I think the dollar will continue to see the most support.

Ok, a quick look at today shows that despite the gathering inflation clouds, risk is in vogue with equities generally higher and bonds generally softer.  Last night saw modest gains in the Nikkei (+0.35%) and Hang Seng (+0.4%) although Shanghai (-0.35%) continues to feel the pain of the property situation in China. (As an aside, Evergrande made a surprise partial payment on the USD bond coupon that had been overdue and was about to trigger a default. So, it lives to default another day.)  Europe, too, is having a generally positive session with the CAC (+1.1%) leading the way higher but strong gains in the DAX (+0.7%) and FTSE 100 (+0.55%).  Here, the data released was the preliminary PMI data, which was best described as mixed compared to forecasts, but broadly softer compared to last month, and continues to trend lower.  The outlier here was the UK, which had stronger PMI data, but much weaker than expected Retail Sales data, so perhaps offsetting news.  As to US futures markets, the are either side of unchanged at this hour after this week’s rally.

Bond markets throughout the continent are seeing selling pressure with yields rising (Bunds +1.7bps, OATs +1.6bps) but Gilts (-0.8bps) have a bid along with Treasuries (-2.1bps).  The trend, though remains for higher yields as investors respond to rising inflationary forecasts.  Central banks have their work cut out for them if they want to maintain control of these markets.

In the commodity markets, oil (+0.4%) and NatGas (+0.8%) are back in the green as are copper (+0.75%) and gold (+0.55%).  In fact, pretty much the entire complex including industrial metals and agricultural products are all firmer this morning.

Finally, the dollar is softer across the board in the G10, with AUD (+0.45%) the leading gainer on the back of the commodity picture, followed by SEK (+0.35%) and NOK (+0.35%) which are similarly well situated.  The pound (+0.05%) is the laggard as the Retail Sales data seems to have undermined some bullish views.  In the emerging markets, there are two outliers, one in each direction.  The only loser of the day is TRY (-1.0%) which continues to suffer from yesterday’s surprising 200bps rate cut.  Meanwhile, RUB (+1.4%) has been the leading gainer after the Bank of Russia surprised the market with a 75bp rate hike, much larger than the 25bp-50bp that had been forecast.  Adding that to the price of oil has been an unalloyed positive.  Away from those two, however, gains are modest with ZAR (+0.35%) the next best performer following commodity prices higher.

Preliminary PMI data is the only thing on the docket data wise this morning, but Chairman Powell speaks at 11:00 as the final speaker before the quiet period begins.  Given the differences we heard from Williams and Waller, it will be very interesting to see if Powell is more concerned about inflation or employment.

As such, I expect a muted morning ahead of Powell’s comments and then the opportunity for some activity if he substantially changes the narrative.  My sense is that any change would be hawkish and therefore a dollar positive.

Good luck, good weekend and stay safe
Adf

PS, I will be out of the office next week so no poetry again until November 1st.

Stop It

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There are several central banks which
Are starting to look at a switch
From policy ease
To tight, if you please
As QE they now want to ditch

The Old Lady and RBA
Are two that seem ready to say
Inflation’s too high
And so we must try
To stop it ere it runs away

The dollar is under pressure this morning as investors and traders start to look elsewhere in the world for the next example of policy tightening.  The story of tapering in the US is, quite frankly, getting long in the tooth as it has been a topic of discussion for the past six months and every inflation reading points to the fact that, despite their protestations, FOMC members realize they need to do something.  But in essence, that is already a given in the market, so short of Chairman Powell explaining in his Friday appearance that the FOMC is likely to end QE entirely next month, this is no longer market moving activity.  The dollar has already benefitted from the relatively higher yields that are extant in the Treasury market, and expectations for a further run up are limited.

However, the same is not true elsewhere in the world as central bank plans are only recently crystalizing alongside the universally higher inflation prints.  So, the BOE, which has been more vocal than most, seems to be working hard to prepare markets for a rate hike and the market has taken the ball and run with it.  Thus, UK yields in the short end of the curve have moved rapidly higher with 3-year gilt yields higher by 53 basis points in the past 6 weeks and 15 bps in the past three sessions.  On Sunday we heard from BOE Governor Bailey that they will “have to act” soon to address rapidly rising inflation, and traders continue to push UK yields higher and take the pound along with it.  This morning, pound Sterling is higher by 0.75% and amongst the leading FX gainers on this ongoing activity.

Perhaps more interesting is the market reaction to the RBA Minutes last night, where discussion regarding rising real estate prices and the need to do something about them has encouraged the investment community to push yields much higher, challenging the RBA’s YCC in the 3-year AGB.  In fact, despite the RBA explicitly reiterating that conditions for raising rates “will not be met before 2024”, yields continue to rise sharply as fears that inflation will outpace current RBA expectations grow widespread.  Given this price action, one cannot be surprised that the Aussie dollar (+0.85%) has also risen quite sharply this morning.

The thing is, there are a number of conundrums here as well.  For instance, the euro is performing well this morning, up 0.4%, and there has been absolutely zero indication that the ECB is considering tighter monetary policy.  It is widely known that the PEPP will expire in March, but it is also very clear that the previous QE program, the APP, is going to be expanded and extended in some manner to make up for the PEPP.  The only question here is exactly what form it will take.  Similarly, there is no indication that the BOJ is even considering the end of QE or NIRP or YCC, yet the yen has managed to gain 0.3% this morning as well.

In fact, today’s price action is looking much more like broad-based dollar weakness abetted by some other idiosyncratic features rather than other stories driving the market.  This becomes clearer when viewing the commodity markets where virtually every commodity price is higher this morning led by oil (+1.25%), gold (+0.75%), copper (+1.15%) and aluminum (+1.6%).  Today is very much a classic risk-on type session with the dollar under pressure and other assets performing well in sync.

For instance, equity markets are in the green everywhere (Nikkei +0.65%, Hang Seng +1.5%, Shanghai +0.7%, DAX +0.2%, FTSE 100 +0.1%) with US futures also pointing higher by roughly 0.4% across the board.  At the same time, bond yields are creeping higher (Bunds +1.8bps, OATs +2.1bps, Gilts +1.8bps) as investors jettison their haven assets in order to jump on the risk bandwagon.  Treasury yields, though, are unchanged on the day although still trending higher from the levels seen late last week.

Adding it up; rising equity prices, rising commodity prices, falling bond prices, and a weaker dollar (with EMG currencies also firmer across the board) results in a clear risk-on framework.  This will warm the cockles of every central bankers’ heart as they will all see it as a vote of confidence in the job they are doing.  Whether that is an accurate representation is another question entirely, but you can’t fight the tape.  Risk is clearly in vogue today.

It is, however, worth asking if this positive attitude is misplaced.  After all, the recent data has hardly been the stuff of dreams.  Yesterday’s US releases were uniformly awful (IP -1.3%, Capacity Utilization 75.2%) with both significantly worse than forecast.  The upshot is that the Atlanta Fed GDPNow number fell to 1.165%, another step lower and an indication that despite (because of?) high inflation, growth is slowing more rapidly.  Meanwhile, Eurozone Construction Output fell -1.3% in August, continuing the down trend that began in March of this year.

I recognize it is earnings season and the initial releases for Q2 have been quite positive.  But I ask, is slowing growth and rising inflation really a recipe for continued earnings growth?  History tells us the answer is no, and I see no reason to believe this time is different.  Today’s price action seems anomalous to the big picture ideas, so be cognizant of that fact.  While markets can remain irrational longer than we can remain solvent, that does not mean it is sensible to go ‘all-in’ on risk because there is one very positive market day.  Tread carefully.

This morning’s US data brings Housing Starts (exp 1613K) and Building Permits (1680K) and that is all.  Though these are unlikely to get the market excited, we also hear from four Fed speakers, Daly, Barkin, Bostic and Waller, where efforts at recapturing the narrative will be primary.  It is growing increasingly clear that the Fed is annoyed that the persistent inflation narrative is gaining traction as it may force their hand in tightening policy before they would like.  Just remember, as important as the Fed is (and every central bank in their own economy), the market is much bigger.  And if the market determines that the Fed is no longer leading the way, or will soon need to change tack, it will force the issue.  On this you can depend.

While today everything is coming up roses, the lesson is that the Fed’s control over markets is beginning to wane.  Eventually that will be quite a negative for the dollar, but for now, despite today’s decline, I think the trend remains for a higher dollar.

Good luck and stay safe
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Something Awry

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It’s not clear why there’s a concern
Inflation could cause a downturn
Cause stocks keep on rising
Though Jay’s emphasizing
The Fed, QE’s, set to adjourn

But still there is something awry
In how traders, every dip, buy
With growth clearly slowing
Though wages are growing
The value of stocks seems too high

One has to be remarkably impressed with the price action of risk assets these days and their ability to completely ignore growing signs that long-delayed problems are fast approaching.  The first of these problems is clearly inflation, something that has been ignored for decades by investors as long-term factors like globalization and demographics, as well as technological innovation, have served to suppress any significant inflationary impulse throughout the developed world.  Certainly, there were some EMG nations (Argentina, Venezuela, Zimbabwe) that managed to buck that trend and impose policies so horrendous as to negate the long-term benefits of stable prices, but generally speaking, inflation has not been a problem.

Then, Covid came along and the policy response was truly draconian dramatic, essentially shutting down much of the global economy for a number of months.  In hindsight, it cannot be surprising that the disruption to finely tuned supply chains that was imposed has been difficult to repair.  After all, it took years to achieve the true just-in-time nature of manufacturing and distribution across almost every industry.  While there are currently herculean efforts to get things back to the way they were, I suspect we will never again return to the previous situation.  A combination of policy decisions and population adaptations has altered the underlying framework thus there is no going back.

Consider the current energy situation (crisis?) as an example.  What is very clear now is that the price of energy is rising rapidly with both oil (+69% YTD, 0.85% today) and NatGas (+127% YTD, 1.0% today) continuing to climb with no end in sight.  Arguably, there have been a number of deliberate policy choices as well as some investing fashions which have dramatically reduced the investment in the production of these two key energy sources thus not merely reducing current supply but prospects for future supply as well.  Pressure from environmentalists to prevent this investment has done wonders for driving up prices, alas the mooted renewable replacements have yet to demonstrate their long-term effectiveness as uninterrupted power sources.  And this situation is manifest not only in the West, but in China as well, where they are currently suffering from major power shortages amid rapidly rising prices for LNG and coal as well as oil.  This morning’s WSJ has a lead article on how the rising price of NatGas is going to drive up winter heating bills substantially and the negative consequences for lower- and middle-income folks.

And yet…risk appetite remains robust.  You can tell because regardless of the news, equity prices consistently rise.  I grant it is not actually every day, but the trend remains quite clearly higher.  In traditional analysis, it would be difficult to rationalize this price movement as while the current situation may be working fine for companies, the fact is there are numerous issues that are coming, notably rising wages and a shrinking labor force, that are going to pressure margins, and arguably profits, going forward.  Clearly, however, that tradition is dead.  In its stead is the investor view that as long as the Fed keeps supplying liquidity to the markets economy, it will prevent any significant price dislocation.  Trickle Down theory remains alive and well on Wall Street.  This is evident today, where equity markets worldwide are higher, and has been evident in the fact that the recent Evergrande induced scare that resulted in a 5% correction was the first correction of that magnitude in more than a year.  The current investment zeitgeist remains; stocks only go up so buy more.  While I recognize I sound curmudgeonly on this topic, remember, reality is a b*tch and it will win out in the end.  Until then, though, it is unclear what type of catalyst is needed to change views, so risk assets are likely to remain in favor regardless of everything else.

And of course, today is a perfect example where equity markets are all green (Nikkei +1.8%, Hang Seng +1.5%, Shanghai +0.4%) in Asia and Europe (DAX +0.3%, CAC +0.4%, FTSE 100 +0.3%) as well.  Don’t worry, US futures are all pointing higher by 0.25%-0.35% at this hour, so all our 401K’s still look good.

Meanwhile, bonds are not required in a risk-on scenario so it should be no surprise that yields are rallying today with Treasuries (+3.3bps) leading the way but higher yields throughout Europe as well (Bunds +2.0bps, OATs +2.3bps, Gilts +3.7bps).  These price movements have been seen throughout the rest of the continent and in Asia last night with yields rising universally.

Commodity prices are broadly firmer, although with risk appetite robust, precious metals (Au -0.85, Ag -1.2%) are unwanted.  We discussed oil prices and we are seeing strength in the industrial metals (Cu +2.4%, Al +2.4%) as well as the Ags (corn +1.2%, wheat +1.4%, soybeans +0.7%).  In other words, risky assets are the place to be.

You should not be surprised that the dollar (and yen) are suffering on this movement given haven assets serve no purpose today!  In the G10 space, GBP (+0.6%) is leading the way higher followed by NOK (+0.55%) and then everything else is just modestly higher except JPY (-0.6%).  The sterling story seems to revolve around continued belief in BOE rate hikes coming early next year while NOK is simply following oil for now.

Of more interest, I believe, is the yen, which admittedly has been falling quite rapidly, down nearly 5% in the past three weeks, and quite frankly, shows no signs of stopping.  At this point, it doesn’t seem so much like Japanese investment outflows as it does like a speculative move that has discerned there is limited real demand for the currency.  Amazingly, last night, the new FinMin, Shunichi Suzuki, felt compelled to explain that, “stability in currencies is very important.” He further indicated that there was concern a weaker yen could cause prices to rise, especially energy prices.  Now, call me crazy but, BOJ policy for the past decade explicitly and the past three decades with less verve, has been to drive inflation higher.  Abenomics was all about achieving 2.0% inflation, something that had not been seen since before the Japanese bubble collapsed in 1989.  Now, suddenly, with inflation running at 0.2%, they are starting to get concerned that higher energy prices are going to be a problem?  Are they going to raise rates?  Are they going to intervene?  Absolutely not in either case.  Sometimes you have to wonder what animates policy maker comments.

As to EMG currencies, ZAR (+0.6%) and KRW (+0.4%) are the leaders this morning with the former benefitting from higher metals prices while the latter is responding to comments from the BOK governor that a rate hike could be coming at the November meeting.  On the downside here, TRY (-0.4%) continues to suffer from Erdogan’s capriciousness with respect to his central bankers, while THB (-0.3%) appears to be consolidating after a strong rally over the past week.

We have a bunch more data this morning led by Retail Sales (exp -0.2%, +0.5% ex autos) as well as Empire Manufacturing (25.0) and Michigan Sentiment (73.1).  There are two more Fed speakers, Bullard and Williams, but it seems unlikely that either will change the current narrative of a taper coming soon.

The reality is you can’t fight the tape.  As long as risk appetite remains buoyant, the dollar and yen are likely to remain on their back foot.  For the dollar, I see no long-term danger as I believe it will consolidate further before making its next move higher.  the yen, on the other hand, could be a bit more concerning.  If fear has gone missing, and with yields rising elsewhere in the world, a much weaker yen remains a real possibility.

Good luck, good weekend and stay safe
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Risks They Have Wrought

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Good luck and stay safe
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Raring to Spend

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Japan’s new PM
Fumio Kishida is
Raring to spend yen

The LDP elected Fumio Kishida as its new president, thereby assuring him of the job of Japan’s 65th Prime Minister.  Relacing Yoshihide Suga, Kishida-san has a tall task ahead of him in leading the nation back to a growth trajectory.  In addition, he must face the voters by November as well as rally his supporters in an upper house election next year.  Apparently, his plan is…spend more money!  He has promised to spend tens of trillions of yen (hundreds of billions of dollars equivalent) in order to help resuscitate the Japanese economy and bolster the middle class.

As refreshing as it is to have a new administration, it seems as though the policy playbook continues to consist of a single page…spend more yen.  Perhaps something will change in Japan, but it seems unlikely.  Rather, the nation will continue to struggle with the same macroeconomic issues that have plagued it for the past decades; excess debt driving slower growth amid an aging population.  The yen (+0.1%) has stabilized this morning but appears to be trending pretty sharply lower.  While support (USD resistance) is strong at 111.65-85, should we breech that level, a move toward 115.00 appears quite reasonable as well as likely.

As energy prices rise higher
Most governments seek a supplier
Of power that will
Completely fulfil
The orders that they all desire

In other news, it is becoming abundantly clear that the combination of energy policies that have been enacted recently are not having the desired outcome, assuming that outcome is to develop clean energy in abundance.  This is made evident by the dramatically rising prices of things like natural gas in Europe (+400% since 1Mar21) and the US (+130% YTD) and coal (+160% YTD).  Of course, the latter is rarely considered ‘clean’ but it is reliable.  And that is the crux of the matter.  Reliability of both wind and solar power has been called into question lately and reliance on baseload power sources like coal, which Europe, China, and India have in abundance, and NatGas, which they don’t, is driving policy decisions.

For instance, China is mulling energy price hikes for industry in an effort to reduce demand.  And if that doesn’t work, they will raise prices for residential users.  Go figure, a communist nation using price signals to adjust behavior!  At any rate, the immediate impact is likely to be downgraded growth prospects for China’s economy as rising energy prices will lead to rising export prices, lower exports, and lower growth.  We have already seen Chinese equity markets under pressure recently as the energy situation worsens.  Shanghai (-1.8%, -5.5% in past two weeks) is leading the way lower amid growing concern that Evergrande is not the biggest problem impacting China.  At some point, I expect the renminbi is going to suffer a bit more than its recent price action has shown.  Slowing growth and continued monetary expansion are going to add a great deal of pressure to the currency as it may be the only outlet available for the economy.  I fear it could be a “long cold lonely winter” in China this year.

Of course, it’s not just China where energy prices are rising, they are higher everywhere.  I’m sure you see it when you refill your gas tank, or when you pay your electric bill.  And this is a problem for economic growth as higher energy costs feed into product and service pricing directly, as well as reduce the amount of disposable income available for spending by the population.  Higher prices and slower growth (i.e. stagflation) are a very real risk, and by some measures have already arrived.

Beyond the direct discomfort we all will feel from its impacts, the policy questions are critical.  Consider, last time stagflation was upon us, then Fed Chairman Paul Volcker raised interest rates sharply in order to attack the inflation issue driving the US economy into a severe double-dip recession.  Oh yeah, the S&P 500 fell nearly 30% over the two-year period.  But ask yourself if, given the current zeitgeist as well as the current makeup of the Fed, there is any possibility that Chairman Powell (or his successor) will attack inflation in the same way.  It seems highly unlikely that would be the case.  Rather, it is a virtual certainty that the focus will be on the ‘stag’ part of the term and more money printing and spending will be recommended.  After all, given the increasing acceptance of the MMT mindset, that’s all that needs to be done.  Remember, policies matter, and if policies are designed to achieve short-term goals at the expense of longer-term needs, the ultimate outcome tends to be poor.  As in China, the currency is likely to be the relief valve for the economy which is what informs my view of longer-term USD weakness.  However, for now, the dollar is following 10-year Treasury yields, which seem to be trending higher, albeit not today when they have fallen 4.2 basis points.

Summing it all up, rising energy prices are starting to have deleterious effects on all parts of the global economy and the financial market implications are only going to grow.  In addition, the policy actions going forward are critical, and the chance of a policy error seem to grow daily.  The idea of short-term pain for long-term gain is obsolete in the year 2021.  Be prepared for more problems in the future.

Ok, a quick run around markets shows that after yesterday’s sharp US equity sell-off, Japan (Nikkei -2.1%) followed suit as did Shanghai although the Hang Seng managed to rally 0.7%.  Europe, on the other hand has decided that central banks will come to the rescue, as we are seeing a nice rebound from yesterday’s price action (DAX +1.1%, CAC +1.2%, FTSE 100 +1.0%).  US futures, too, are higher led by the NASDAQ (+1.0%) as declining yields are helping out.

But are yields really declining?  The fact that the bond market has bounced slightly after a dramatic 1-week decline is hardly a sign of a rebound.  Rather, it is normal trading activity.  While the trend remains for higher yields, today, all of Europe has seen yields slide on the order of 2 basis points alongside the Treasury yield declines.  This feels very much like a lull in the action, not a top/bottom in the market.

Commodity prices are behaving in a similar manner as oil (-0.8%) and NatGas (-1.2%) are leading the way lower, consolidating what has been an impressive rally.  Metals prices are mixed with gold (+0.6%) rebounding but base metals (Cu -0.4%, Al -0.2%, Sn -0.6%) all sliding.  Agricultural prices are mixed as the overall session seems to be one of position adjustments after a big move.

As to the dollar, it is mixed, albeit slightly firmer if anything.  In the G10, NOK (-0.35%) is falling alongside oil prices with NZD (-0.3%) the next worst performer on weakening commodity prices.  JPY (+0.1%) and CHF (+0.1%) are both modestly firmer, but here, too, things seem more position oriented than trend worthy.  EMG currencies are mixed with an equal number of gainers and losers, but the notable thing is that the biggest movers have only seen price adjustments of 0.3% or less.  In other words, there are precious few stories here to think about.

There is no data of note this morning, but we do hear from a lot of central bankers, notably Chairman Powell alongside Lagarde, Kuroda and Bailey (BOE) at an ECB forum.  We also hear from Harker, Daly and Bostic, but the narrative remains tapering is coming in November, and none of these three will be able to change that narrative.

In truth, I would have expected the dollar to soften today given the bond market, so the fact it remains reasonably well bid is a sign that there is further strength in this move.  The euro is pushing to critical technical support at 1.1650, a break of which is likely to see a much sharper decline.  Hedgers, keep that in mind.

Good luck and stay safe
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Far From Surreal

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The Fed explained that they all feel
A taper is far from surreal
The goal for inflation
Has reached satiation
While job growth ought soon seal the deal

Heading into the FOMC meeting, the consensus was growing around the idea that the Fed would begin tapering later this year, and the consensus feels gratified this morning.  Chairman Powell explained that, if things go as anticipated, tapering “could come as soon as the next meeting.”  That meeting is slated for November 2nd and 3rd, and so the market has now built this into their models and pricing.  In fact, they were pretty clear that the inflation part of the mandate has already been fulfilled, and they were just waiting on the jobs numbers.

An interesting aspect of the jobs situation, though, is how they have subtly adjusted their goals.  Back in December, when they first laid out their test of “substantial further progress”, the employment situation showed that some 10 million jobs had been lost due to Covid-19.  Since then, the economy has created 4.7 million jobs, less than half the losses.  Certainly, back then, the idea that recovering half the lost jobs would have been considered “substantial further progress” seems unlikely.  Expectations were rampant that once vaccinations were widely implemented at least 80% of those jobs would return.  Yet here we are with the Fed explaining that recovering only half of the lost jobs is now defined as substantial.  I don’t know about you, but that seems a pretty weak definition of substantial.

Now, given Powell’s hyper focus on maximum employment, one might ask why a 50% recovery of lost jobs is sufficient to move the needle on policy.  Of course, the only answer is that despite the Fed’s insistence that recent inflation readings are transitory and caused by supply chain bottlenecks and reopening of the economy, the reality is they have begun to realize that prices are rising a lot faster than they thought likely.  In addition, they must recognize that both housing price and rent inflation haven’t even been a significant part of the CPI/PCE readings to date and will only drive things higher.  in other words, they are clearly beginning to figure out that they are falling much further behind the curve than they had anticipated.

Turning to the other key release from the FOMC, the dot plot, it now appears that an internal consensus is growing that the first rate hike will occur in Q4 2022 with three more hikes in 2023 and an additional three or four in 2024.  The thing about this rate trajectory is that it still only takes Fed Funds to 2.00% after three more years.  That is not nearly enough to impact the inflationary impulse, which even they acknowledge will still be above their 2.0% target in 2024.  In essence, the dot plot is explaining that real interest rates in the US are going to be negative for a very long time.  Just how negative, though, remains the $64 trillion question.  Given inflation’s trajectory and the current school of thought regarding monetary policy (that lower rates leads to higher growth), I fear that the gap between Fed Funds and inflation is likely to be much larger than the 0.2% they anticipate in 2024.  While this will continue to support asset prices, and especially commodity prices, the impact on the dollar will depend on how other central banks respond to growing inflation in their respective economies.

Said China to its Evergrande
Defaulting on bonds is now banned
So, sell your assets
And pay dollar debts
Take seriously this command

CHINA TELLS EVERGRANDE TO AVOID NEAR-TERM DEFAULT ON BONDS

This headline flashed across the screens a short time ago and I could not resist a few words on the subject.  It speaks to the arrogance of the Xi administration that they believe commanding Evergrande not to default is sufficient to prevent Evergrande from defaulting.  One cannot help but recall the story of King Canute as he commanded the incoming tide to halt, except Canute was using that effort as an example of the limits of power, while Xi is clearly expecting Evergrande to obey him.  With Evergrande debt trading around 25₵ on the dollar, and the PBOC continuing in their efforts to wring leverage out of the system, it is a virtual guaranty that Evergrande is going under.  I wouldn’t want to be Hui Yan Ka, its Chairman, when he fails to follow a direct order.  Recall what happened to the Chairman of China Huarong when that company failed.

Ok, how are markets behaving in the wake of the FOMC meeting?  Pretty darn well!  Powell successfully explained that at some point they would begin slowing their infusion of liquidity without crashing markets.  No tantrum this time.  So, US equities rallied after the FOMC meeting with all three indices closing higher by about 1%.  Overnight in Asia we saw the Hang Seng (+1.2%) and Shanghai (+0.4%) both rally (Japan was closed for Autumnal Equinox Day), and we have seen strength throughout Europe this morning as well.  Gains on the continent (DAX and CAC +0.8%) are more impressive than in the UK (FTSE 100 +0.2%), although every market is higher on the day.  US futures are all currently about 0.5% higher, although that is a bit off the earlier session highs.  Overall, risk remains in vogue and we still have not had a 5% decline in the S&P in more than 200 trading days.

With risk in the fore, it is no surprise that bond yields are higher, but the reality is that they continue to trade in a pretty tight range.  Hence, Treasury yields are higher by 2.4bps this morning, but just back to 1.324%.  Essentially, we have been in a 1.20%-1.40%% trading range since July 4th and show no sign of that changing.  In Europe, yields have also edged higher, with Bunds (+1.6bps) showing the biggest move while both OATs (+0.9bps) and Gilts (+0.6bps) have moved less aggressively.

Commodity prices are mixed this morning with oil lower (-0.7%) along with copper (-0.25%) although the rest of the base metal complex (Al +0.6%, Sn +0.55%) are firmer along with gold (+0.3%).  Not surprisingly given the lack of consistency, agricultural prices are also mixed this morning.

The dollar, however, is clearly under pressure this morning with only JPY failing to gain, while the commodity bloc performs well (CAD +0.8%, NOK +0.6%, SEK +0.5%).  EMG currencies are also largely firmer led by ZAR (+0.9%) on the back of gold’s strength and PLN (+0.6%) which was simply reversing some of its recent weakness vs. the euro.  On the downside, the only notable decliner is TRY (-1.4%), which tumbled after the central bank cut its base rate by 100 basis points to 18% in a surprise move.  In fact, TRY has now reached a record low vs. the dollar and shows no signs of rebounding as long as President Erdogan continues to pressure the central bank to keep rates low amid spiraling inflation.  (This could be a harbinger of the US going forward if we aren’t careful!)

It is Flash PMI day and the European and UK data showed weaker than expected output readings though higher than expected price readings.  We shall see what happens in the US at 9:45. Prior to that we see Initial Claims (exp 320K) and Continuing Claims (2.6M) and we also see Leading Indicators at 10:00 (0.7%).  The BOE left policy on hold, as expected, but did raise their forecast for peak inflation this year above 4%.  However, they are also in the transitory camp, so clearly not overly concerned on the matter.

There are no Fed speakers today although we hear from six of them tomorrow as they continue to try to finetune their message.  The dollar pushed up to its recent highs in the immediate aftermath of the FOMC meeting, but as risk was embraced, it fell back off.  If the market is convinced that the Fed really will taper, and if they actually do, I expect it to support the dollar, at least in the near term.  However, my sense is that slowing economic data will halt any initial progress they make which could well see the dollar decline as long positions are unwound.  For today, though, a modest drift higher from current levels seems reasonable.

Good luck and stay safe
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Avoiding a Crash

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The Chinese have taken a stand
Regarding the firm, Evergrande
They’ve added more cash
Avoiding a crash
And now feel they’ve got things in hand

So, now all eyes turn to the Fed
And tapering timing, instead
The question at hand
Is can they withstand
Slow growth while still moving ahead?

Fear was palpable on Monday as China Evergrande missed an interest payment and concerns grew that a major disruption in Chinese debt markets, with the ability to spread elsewhere, was around the corner.  Yesterday, however, investors collectively decided that the world was not, in fact, going to end, and dip buyers got to work supporting equity markets.  The buyers’ faith has been rewarded as last night, the PBOC added net CNY70 billion to the markets to help tide over financing issues.  In addition, an oddly worded statement was released that Evergrande had addressed the interest payment due tomorrow via private negotiations with bondholders.  (Critically, that doesn’t mean they paid, just that the bondholders aren’t going to sue for repayment, hence avoiding a bankruptcy filing.)  As is always the case in a situation of this nature, nothing has actually changed at Evergrande so they are still bankrupt with a massive amount of debt that they will never repay in full, but no government, whether communist or democratic, ever wants to actually deal with the problem and liquidate.  This is the enduring lesson of Lehman Brothers.

Which means…it’s Fed day!  As we all know, this afternoon at 2:00 the FOMC will release the statement with their latest views and 30 minutes later, Chairman Powell will face the press.  At this time, the topic of most interest to everyone is the timing of the Fed’s reduction in asset purchases, aka tapering.  When we last left this story (prior to the Fed’s quiet period a week and a half ago, pretty much every Fed regional president (Kashkari excluded) and a few minor governors had indicated that tapering was appropriate soon.  On the other hand, the power center, Powell, Brainerd and Williams, had said no such thing, but had admitted that the conversation had begun.

You may recall that at the August FOMC meeting, the Fed indicated that the goal of “substantial further progress” had not yet been met with regard to the maximum employment mandate, although they begrudgingly admitted that the inflation side of the coin had been achieved.  (As an aside, while there has never been an answer to the question of how long an averaging period the Fed would consider with respect to their revamped average inflation target, simple arithmetic shows that if one averages the core PCE data from May 2020 through July 2021, the result is 2.0%.  If the forecast for the August core number, to be released on October 1, is correct at 3.6%, that means that one can head back to March 2020 and still show an average of 2.0%.  And remember, core PCE is not about to collapse back down to 2.0% or lower anytime soon, so this exercise will continue to expand the averaging period.)

Current expectations are that the initial tapering will start in either November or December of this year, and certainly by January 2022.  Clearly, based on the inflation mandate, we are already behind schedule, but the problem the Fed has is that the recent growth data has been far less impressive.  The August NFP data was quite disappointing at 235K, a 500K miss to estimates.  Not only that, while the July data was strong, the June data was also a major miss, which begs the question, was July the aberration or August?  Ask yourself this, will Chairman Powell, who is up for reappointment shortly, tighten policy into an economy where employment growth is slowing?  There is every possibility that tapering is put on hold for a few more months in order to be sure that monetary stimulus withdrawal is not premature.  The fact that a decision like that will only stoke the inflationary fires further will be addressed by an even more strident statement that inflation is transitory, dammit!  My point is, it is not a slam dunk that they announce tapering today.

For a perfect example as to why this is the case, look no further than the ECB, where today we heard another ECB member, the Estonian central bank chief, explain that when the PEPP runs out in March, it would be appropriate to expand the older APP program to pick up the slack.  In other words, they will technically keep their word and let the PEPP expire, but they will not stop QE.  The Fed, ECB and BOJ have all realized that their respective economies are addicted to QE and that withdrawal symptoms will be remarkably painful, so none of them are inclined to go through that process.  Can-kicking remains these central banks’ strongest talent.

OK, to markets ahead of the Fed.  Asia was mixed as the Nikkei (-0.7%) remains under pressure, clearly unimpressed by the BOJ’s ongoing efforts which were reiterated last night after their meeting.  However, Chinese equities (Hang Seng +0.5%, Shanghai +0.4%), not surprisingly, fared better after the liquidity injection.  In Europe, it is all green as further hints that the ECB will let the PEPP lapse in name only has investors confident that monetary support is a permanent situation.  So, the DAX (+0.55%), CAC (+1.1%) and FTSE 100 (+1.2%) are all poppin’.  US futures have also gotten the message and are firmer by about 0.5% this morning.

Bond markets are ever so slightly softer with yields edging up a bit.  Treasuries have been the worst performer although yields are only higher by 1.4bps.  In Europe, Bunds are unchanged while OATs and Gilts have risen 0.5bps each.

Commodity prices, on the other hand, have performed quite well this morning with oil (WTI +1.5%) leading energy higher and base metals (Cu +2.4%, Al +1.6%, Sn +3.6%) all much firmer although gold (0.0%) is not taking part in the fun.  Ags are also firmer this morning as the commodity space is finding buyers everywhere.

The dollar is somewhat softer this morning with NOK (+0.5%) leading the G10 and the rest of the commodity bloc also strong (CAD +0.3%, AUD +0.25%, NZXD +0.25%).  The one true laggard is JPY (-0.3%) which is suffering from the lack of a need for a haven along with general malaise after the BOJ.  In the EMG space, HUF (-0.75%) is the outlier, falling after the central bank raised rates a less than expected 15 basis points after three consecutive 30 basis point hikes, and hinted that despite inflation’s rise, less hikes would be coming in the future.  Away from that, though, there is a mix of gainers and loser with the commodity bloc strong (CLP +0.45%, ZAR +0.4%, RUB +0.4%) while commodity importers are suffering (INR -0.35%, PHP -0.25%, PLN -0.2%).

Ahead of the Fed we see Existing Home Sales (exp 5.89M), but really, look for a quiet market until 2:00 and the FOMC statement.  My view is they will be less hawkish than the market seems to expect, and I think that will be a negative for the dollar, but at this point, all we can do is wait.

Good luck and stay safe
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