Recap of the Latest Global News
By Cory Vi & Andrew Su on Feb 6, 2012
Markets rallied on Friday after the release of much better than expected US employment data. The non-farm payrolls data showed an increase of 243,000 in January which was well over the median economist’s forecast of 140,000. Furthermore, the unemployment rate dropped to a three year low at 8.3%. Market analysts, who were extremely bearish at the beginning of the year are now making grand announcements such as ‘the stars are aligning’ to push markets higher. The contrarian in us is now extremely cautious and we expect the USD to make a comeback after losing ground last week as the better than expected data has seen the likelihood of further quantitative easing fall. The EURO has retraced lower during the European trading session to as low as 1.3030 after opening in Asia above 1.3115.
In more sobering news, the situation is coming to a head in Greece with the government there expected to respond to the troika and demands by its international creditors for increasingly severe austerity measures within the next couple of days. It has become apparent that Greece is finding it difficult to come to an agreement with its creditors. The IMF has said that a worsening debt crisis in Europe could cut China’s growth in half. In China, Chinese Lunar New Year sales grew at the slowest pace since the 2009 financial crisis and a full 3% lower than last year at 16%. There are increasing signs of slowing consumer spending in China which does not bode well for the increasing numbers of foreign retailers rushing into the Chinese market. The Australian dollar has eased off highs at 1.0796 on Friday to fall more than a cent to as low as 1.0685 today.
US equity markets rose to their fifth weekly gain last week after the release of the much better than expected US employment data. The Dow Jones is now trading at its highest levels since May 2008 as financial and technology companies gained more than 3%. The S&P 500 closed 1.45% higher at 1,344. Stocks in Asia were largely higher while the continuing Greek tragedy has seen European bourses trading down about 0.5%.
USD/JPY continued its five-day losing streak in early London time as it tests the 76.00 big figure. At the time of writing USD/JPY is 76.05 which is today’s low so far. We hear there are stop losses (large) below this figure but margin traders are holding the support line at the moment in the hope of grabbing a bargain. Since the US announced last week that it would keep interest rates near zero at least until late 2014, long term traders are slowly pricing in this factor by selling dollars across the board including selling dollars and buying the yen. Specifically for today, Japanese exporters and model funds were doing most of the selling. Again 75.76 wasn’t tested yesterday but the chances are extremely high today, then 75.55 (Oct low). Watch out for the 75.35 post war low and also watch out for BOJ intervention – real or rumoured. If that happens expect to see 77.12 in a hurry otherwise the trend is strongly bearish.
Recap of the Latest Global News
By Cory Vi & Andrew Su on Jan 31, 2012
Chancellor Merkel indicated yesterday that there may be a delay in finalisation of a debt deal for Greece by saying “we won’t have a thorough discussion of Greece because the troika is in Greece and we don’t have a result of the talks with the banks.” Fundamental cracks are appearing between Greece, where opposition is growing to German led calls for increased oversight and veto powers for Greek budget decisions, and other European leaders. European leaders want to be able to enforce budget decisions on the Greeks while the nation see such moves as an attack on their sovereignty.
President Nicolas Sarkozy of France said yesterday that “Europe is no longer at the edge of the cliff.” The question has to be ‘what has changed since Europe was at the edge of the cliff?” We fear not much. Certainly markets have been less volatile in response to news developments in the new year. However, even as European leaders work towards rules that are designed to bring about greater fiscal union and budgetary control, member states such as Greece want to play by their own rules. The talk is becoming increasingly tough with the the economic spokesman for Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union saying, “The free lunch is over: no external controls, no money.” European history shows that the continent is least united when nations try to exert their influence on each other. Attempts to “unify” the continent have always led to conflagration.
Yet markets have been once again been gripped by europhoria surrounding EU summits and more announcements surrounding plans to save Europe. European Union leaders meeting in Brussels have agreed on a fiscal treaty that will allow for action against high deficit states and calls for members to introduce legislation to limit budget deficits. Markets have rallied on the news even though these reforms actually do nothing to resolve the current debt crisis. Britain and the Czech Republic have declined to sign the pact. The EUR has rallied above 1.3200 after having traded closer to 1.3100 in early Asian trade.
Equity markets have recovered from a soft start to the week with Asian shares rising on optimism surrounding the latest EU summit. After falling yesterday over Greek resistance to outside influence in its budgetary affairs, rising bond yields and the collapse of Spanair, European bourses are now higher by 1% mid session today. After losing ground yesterday for the third day as European leaders lectured to Greece over the nation’s second rescue package, S&P 500 futures are signalling a rise in trade today.
Recap of the Latest Global News
By Cory Vi & Andrew Su on Jan 27, 2012
In a week that the Federal Reserve announced it would keep interest rates low through till at least 2014 and Bernanke said that policymakers are considering further bond purchases to boost growth, markets continued to celebrate as it appears that more free money is about to be pumped into the financial system. Treasury yields dropped to an all time record low as PIMCO’s Bill Gross predicted a third, fourth and fifth round of quantitative easing. The USD has, not surprisingly, taken a pounding over the week as the QE junkies got the fix they had all prayed for. The EUR is trading higher at above 1.3150.
The surprise news by the Federal Reserve had markets reprice the likelihood of further quantitative easing and sparked a flurry of activity by investors to revalue assets. In our opinion, the reaction in the markets has been overdone and we will likely see a retracement of the USD move in the coming sessions. The impact on riskier currencies such as the Australian dollar has seen it rally to as high as 1.0665 in trade today.
US equities fell yesterday after the Dow Jones rose to its highest levels since May 2008 during the day. Financial stocks where hit by worse than expected new homes sales data which showed a fall in December, for the first time in 4 months. US jobless claims rose while orders for durable goods rose more than expected. Asian stocks closed marginally higher while European stocks are soft as the Greek debt swap negotiations continue.
Recap of the Latest Global News
After the U.S. Dollar sold off across the board late in North American trading yesterday, it appeared that some relief was on the horizon, with the Greenback clawing back in early Asian trading on Thursday. This was merely a short-term correction, and by the time European markets opened up, the higher yielding currencies continued to surge.
Ahead of yesterday, the U.S. Dollar was primed for a strong year; after the ill-advised policy decision, one that does little more than buy time for banks to shore up their balance sheets, the U.S. Dollar is poised to be one of the worst performing majors in 2012. The implications of the Fed’s decision go beyond this year, however. Now, with low rates indicated for the next two years, the groundwork for the American Lost Decade – no different than Japan’s – has been laid.
Of interest has been the price action displayed by gold, which has surged through the $1700 per ounce mark and maintained its gains ahead of trading in New York. To me, this is a clear indication that market participants are worried about the U.S. Dollar losing its value substantially over the next few months. The key to watch would be the short-end of the U.S. Treasury yield curve: if these rates turn negative, the demand for precious metals will pick up.
EUR/USD traded within a narrow range during Asian session (1.3014 – 1.3041) today perhaps due to the Lunar Year celebration. The same could be expected for the rest of the week for Asia if no surprises hit the market. At the time of writing, euro spiked up to 1.5050 as German IFO was released. Market was expecting 107.6 but actual came out as 108.3 (last 107.3). But the spike was very short-lived as it pulled back to the comfortable 1.3020 – 1.3040 zone awaiting for the US FOMC rate decision. Economists expect no change from 0.25% but the risk may be that if the Fed is more dovish than what the market thinks, then you may see dollar selling in the pipeline. For the rest of London and New York session, we are still waiting for 1.3145 and support at 1.2983.
Recap of the Latest Global News
By Cory Vi & Andrew Su on Jan 25, 2012
Investor optimism was dented yesterday after European finance ministers failed to agree on the Greek debt swap deal and called for a greater contribution from debt holders. Finance ministers are pushing bondholders for greater debt relief by asking them to accept lower interest returns in the proposed debt swap deal. The stalling of negotiations has fuelled concerns that Greece will fail to make a bond payment due in late March. The EUR fell from a high of 1.3065 during the Asian session yesterday to as low as 1.2948 in early European trade today.
In more sobering news, the IMF has cut global growth forecasts and warned that the “epicentre of the danger is Europe but the rest of the word is increasingly affected.” It cut global growth for 2012 from a September forecast of 4 percent to 3.3 percent and predicted a recession in Europe. The IMF called for an increase in the eurozone’s rescue fund and a more active role from the ECB to address the crisis. In a dire warning, the IMF warned of a 1930′s style worldwide depression unless more countries play their part and identified a possible global financing need of over $1 trillion in the next few years. Inflation in the UK for December fell to its lowest level in 6 months at an annual rate of 4.2% and the economy contracted in the fourth quarter which saw the GBP fall to as low as 1.5528.
Yesterday, US equities fell after advancing for five consecutive sessions as negotiations stalled in the proposed Greek debt swap deal. Furthermore, the IMF warned that there was potential for “political paralysis” in the United States that could lead to an unwinding of stimulus spending. Asian markets there were opened today closed higher while European shares are down about 1% mid session, falling for the second day, as Ericsson and Novartis missed earnings estimates.
Commodities News
USD/JPY finally broke Jan high (77.34) today hitting 77.39 at the time of writing. This may be on the back of news that Bank of Japan cut its growth outlook. Governor Shirakawa and board members lowered the economic forecast to 2 percent from an October estimate of 2.2 percent for fiscal 2012. In addition we heard funds bought large in the run up hoping to trigger stops above 77.40. We think this resistance will not be easy to break hence going short with a tight stop is worth considering if the risk/reward for you makes sense. Technically 76.50 should be quite solid now if not for anything other than the chance of BOJ intervention. The next level on the top side is 78.25.
Recap of the Latest Global News
By Cory Vi & Andrew Su on Jan 24, 2012
The EUR staged a rally yesterday as European finance ministers met in Brussels to discuss new budget rules and the Greek debt swap plan. In a familiar pattern, Europhoria seems to grip the markets every time officials meet to discuss the debt crisis and the EUR rallies. Our expectation that history would repeat itself and the EUR would once again fall after the optimism surrounding the meetings dissipates is eventuating. The region’s finance ministers have failed to agree on the Greek debt swap deal and are calling on a greater contribution from debt holders. The EUR has fallen from a high of 1.3065 during the Asian session to as low as 1.2988 during the European morning.
Germany has proposed the idea of combining the temporary and permanent rescue funds in an effort to reinforce the funds and boost resources to them. Meanwhile, a move by European finance ministers to provide greater debt relief to Greece by calling on investors to accept a lower interest rate on exchanged bonds is setting up a possible fiery situation at the next EU Summit on January 30. All the event risk in the markets has finally caught up with the riskier currencies with the Australian dollar falling more than a cent from yesterday.
Equity markets in the US closed flat yesterday as investors took time to evaluate the reasons for three consecutive weekly rises in stocks and caution still surrounds the debt crisis in Europe. The S&P 500′s 14 day relative strength index has stayed above 65 since mid January and recording its strongest run in almost a year. Asian markets were largely subdued with many closed for Chinese New Year celebrations. The Nikkei closed 0.22% higher while the ASX 200 closed flat. European bourses have lost 1% mid session as negotiations over the Greek debt swap deal stall.
Commodities News
Recap of the Latest Global News
By Cory Vi & Andrew Su on Jan 23, 2012