G20, Fed and Iran

June 24, 2019 — Mitul Kotecha

Market attention this week will focus on Fed speakers, the G20 meeting and tensions between the US and Iran.  Here are my thoughts on all three:

Federal Reserve Chairman Powell and Vice Chair Williams are both scheduled to speak tomorrow.  Investors will be looking for any further clues on the path, timing and magnitude of Fed interest rates in the months ahead and whether they validate market expectations of easing at the July FOMC meeting.   Markets are already pricing in several cuts and a result the USD has weakened sharply over recent months, suggesting that the bar to an even more dovish stance is high.  Nonetheless, the Fed is at least likely to deliver a 25bp rate cut at the July meeting followed by at least one or two further hikes this year.

The main event this week (Fri-Sat) is the G20 meeting in Japan and in particular the potential meeting between Presidents Trump and Xi on the sidelines.  Expectations/optimism towards some form of progress on trade talks appears high.  Markets are set to remain upbeat heading into the G20, suggesting that risk assets will maintain their rally this week, which will bode well for equities. However, the reality is that the gap between both sides remain wide and there may be some positive noises emanating from the G20 on trade, concrete progress is likely to be limited.

Trump and Xi are likely to discuss a range of issues, with trade teams from both sides preparing the topics for discussion, after talks broke down last month.  It is likely that both Trump and Xi will agree to continue more formal talks, with both leaders sounding positive in the run up to the G20.  However, the threat of additional 25% US tariffs on the remaining $300bn of Chinese exports to the US, remains in place and it is unlikely that this will be taken off the table without some major concessions from China.  As I’ve previously stated it could take months before a concrete deal is agreed upon.  In the meantime global trade will continue to deteriorate.

Elsewhere geopolitical tensions remain in focus as President Trump threatens Iran with additional sanctions in an effort to force Iran to renegotiate the 2015 nuclear accord, as early as today. This follows Trump’s decision to call off planned air strikes in response to Iran’s shooting down of an unmanned drone.  Iranian oil exports have plunged as a result of sanctions and oil prices continue to react, rallying by around 8.7% in just under a week.  Markets will remain nervous over the risks of any further escalation, leaving oil prices susceptible to a further push higher.

 

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Catch Me On CNBC Asia

June 24, 2019 — Mitul Kotecha

I’ll be guest hosting for one hour on CNBC Asia at 9am to 10am Singapore time today to discuss a host of issues including the the Fed and G20 meeting….

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Dovish Fed Hits The US Dollar

June 20, 2019 — Mitul Kotecha

The US Federal Reserve shifted towards a dovish stance yesterday and asset markets applauded.   Against the background of signs of slowing growth, intensifying trade tensions and growing “uncertainties” about the economic outlook, the Fed removed the previous “patient” stance and instead noted that “act as appropriate to sustain the expansion”.   The bottom line is that the Fed is priming the market for easing as early as July, though the market had already primed itself by moving sharply in terms of pricing in rate cuts over recent weeks.   The market is now pricing in three rate cuts this year and at least one next year, which seems reasonable.

Clearly there are a huge number of uncertainties ahead, making the Fed’s job particularly difficult and the picture could look quite different should the upcoming G20 meeting in Japan (28-29 June) deliver some form of trade agreement between the US and China.  This would likely result in less need for Fed easing.  As I have noted previously there are still a huge number of challenges and obstacles to any such agreement, suggesting that market hopes of an agreement stand a good risk of being dashed.   Until then, risk assets will remain upbeat, with equity markets rallying in the wake of the Fed decision even as bond yields moved lower and gold prices reached a 5-year high.

The USD remains under pressure and took another blow in the wake of the FOMC meeting.  The USD has now lost ground against almost all G10 currencies except GBP amid Brexit concerns over the last month.  This has extended today and the currency looks set to remain under pressure in the short term as markets continue to price in Fed rate cuts.  The tension between President Trump and Fed Chairman Powell is not doing the USD any good either.  The USD index (DXY) is now threatening to break below its 200-day moving average (96.710) though this has proven to provide strong support in the past.  A sustained break below this level could see the USD extend losses against major and many emerging market currencies.

Posted in Brexit, central banks, China, Economics, Economy, Federal Reserve, FX, Interest rates, Monetary Policy, Trump, US, US administration. Tags: , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Central Banks Galore

June 17, 2019 — Mitul Kotecha

It’s a big week for central banks.  Several central banks globally meet to decide upon monetary policy this week.  The biggest focus will be on the Fed FOMC but this week also sees Norges Bank, Bank of England, Bank of Japan and central banks in Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, and Brazil meet.

Markets are already aggressive in pricing in Fed rate cuts.  As US-China trade tensions have worsened markets have intensified their expectations of Fed easing, with around 75bps of easing already priced in.  Given how much is priced in in terms of Fed easing, if the Fed does not validate this with a dovish statement and/or shift in the dot plot there could be a significant risks of disappointment, which could weigh on equities, but leave the USD on a firmer footing.

Admittedly the Bank of Japan is more constrained than the Fed in terms of policy room, but their rhetoric has become more dovish.  I don’t expect easing anytime soon but the BoJ is likely to sound dovish and could offer some enhanced forward guidance.  BoJ governor Kuroda outlined four options in terms of more policy stimulus, with one being a further cut in the deposit rate.  However, BoJ would need to outline how they plan to alleviate the pressure on bank profits from such a move.

Bank of England is unlikely to move.  Data in the UK has been mixed, with softening in Q2 growth but ongoing pressure on inflation given the tightness of the labour market.  It’s also difficult for the BoE given the large amount of Brexit uncertainty. GBP risks remain to the downside over the short term especially given the heightening political noise in the UK.  The Norges Bank is likely to stand out amongst the crowd, with a rate hike expected, its second in just three months.

Elsewhere in Asia I expect no change from Bank Indonesia, BSP in the Philippines, and CBC in Taiwan. Bank Indonesia is edging towards a rate cut amid low inflation and slowing activity, but will likely want to see further signs of IDR stability before pulling the trigger to begin reversing the 175bp of hikes implemented in 2018.

Weaker activity in Taiwan calls for some sort of stimulus but the reality is that a rate cut will do little to alleviate the pain given that much of the problem is due to external factors.  Instead much of the adjustment may take place on the currency front.

I expect the BSP in the Philippines to maintain its overnight borrowing rate at 4.50% at this week’s meeting while signalling more RRR cuts ahead. Although CPI came in above expectations in May, at 3.2% y/y, it remains close to the midpoint of the BSP’s 2-4% band and I don’t expect it to stand in the way of further easing, but think BSP may wait until at least August to move again.

 

 

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Are Recession Risks Rising?

June 4, 2019 — Mitul Kotecha

It is incredible that just a few months ago most analysts were expecting at least two if not three interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.  How quickly things change.  Markets are pricing in at least a couple of rate cuts by the FOMC while US Treasury yields have fallen sharply as growth concerns have intensified, even as the hard economic has not yet turned that bad.  Recession risks are once again being actively talked about as trade fears intensify, with President Trump threatening increased tariffs on both Mexico and China.  As I noted earlier this week, trade tensions have escalated.

Reflecting this, core bond markets have rallied sharply, with 10 year US Treasury yields dropping by around 60bps so far this year, while bund yields are negative out to 10 years.  Historically such a plunge would be associated with a sharp weakening in growth expectations and onset of recession.  However, equity markets are holding up better; the US S&P 500 has dropped around 6.8% from its highs but is still up close to 10% for the year.  Even Chinese equities are up close to 20% this year despite falling close to 13% from their highs.  Equities could be the last shoe to fall.

In currency markets the US dollar has come under pressure recently but is still stronger versus most currencies this year except notably Japanese and Canadian dollar among major currencies and the likes of Russian rouble and Thai baht among emerging market currencies.  On the other end of the spectrum Turkish lira and Argentine peso have fallen most, but their weakness has largely been idiosyncratic.  In a weaker growth environment, and one in which global trade is hit hard, it would be particularly negative for trade orientated EM economies and currencies.

The US dollar has a natural advantage compared to most major currencies at present in that it has a relatively higher yield. Anyone wishing to sell or go short would need to pay away this yield.  However, if the market is increasingly pricing in rate cuts, the USD looks like a much less attractive proposition and this is what appears to be happening now as investors offload long USD positions build up over past months.  Further USD weakness is likely at least in the short term, but it always hard to write the USDs resilience off.

Going forward much will of course depend on tariffs.  If President Trump implements tariffs on an additional $300 billion of Chinese exports to the US as he has threatened this would hurt global growth as would tariffs on Mexico.  Neither is guaranteed and could still be averted.  Even if these tariffs are implemented fears of recession still appear to be overdone.  Growth will certainly slow in the months ahead as indicated by forward looking indicators such manufacturing purchasing managers’ indices, but there is little in terms of data yet to suggest that recession is on the cards.

 

Posted in Asia, Canada, China, Currencies, Economics, Federal Reserve, FX, Trump, Turkey, US, US administration. Tags: , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »
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