Brexit Developments Sharply In Focus

October 21, 2019 — Mitul Kotecha

Two major market risks have been sidelined, though admittedly not taken off the table.  Firstly the prospects of an intensification of the US-China trade war appears to have diminished and secondly the risks of the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal have lessened.  This presents a calmer and less volatile backdrop for markets even as global growth continues to remain under pressure.  Separately markets are hoping and expecting for some icing on the cake in the form of Fed easing later this month. As long as US Q3 earnings are not too bad, this suggests a period of calm ahead.

US-China trade developments are likely to take a back seat in the run up to the APEC meeting on 16-17 November in Chile where a ‘Phase 1’ trade deal may be signed by both US and Chinese leaders.  Talks rumbling in the background appear to progressing well, with US Treasury Secretary Mnuchin and Trade Representative Lighthizer scheduled to speak to China’s Vice Premier Liu He this week by phone.  Markets will carefully eye what the prospects are for a delay of the $156bn of US tariffs on China that are due to take effect on December 15.

Brexit developments will move sharply back into focus today, with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson set to make a fresh attempt at passing a ‘meaningful vote’ today or gaining a majority in a vote on legislation implementing the deal tomorrow.  This follows having to jettison a vote on Saturday and being forced to write to the EU requesting a three-month delay to the Article 50 exit process.  The government thinks it has the number of votes necessary to pass the vote and the fact that GBP has only lost a little ground today (at the time of writing) suggests that markets think the chances are high.

Other than this, the European Central Bank meeting on Thursday will garner attention although President Draghi is unlikely to offer any further changes in policy, having come under criticism from hawks in the ECB governing council who opposed the renewed bond buying from the ECB.  Expect Draghi to maintain a dovish stance at this meeting.  Other central banks in focus this week include Norway, Sweden, Turkey and Indonesia.  The former two are likely to leave policy unchanged while both Turkey and Indonesia are likely to ease policy.

 

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Limited Relief

October 16, 2019 — Mitul Kotecha

Now that the dust has settled on the US-China limited ‘Phase 1’ deal formulated at the end of last week markets can look to other events/data this week.  Prominent among these are Brexit discussions, which look as though they are carrying over to today as discussions towards a final deal intensify (more on this in another post).  However, casting a shadow over markets today is the news that China has threatened retaliation against the US after the House of Representatives passed a bill on reviewing the preferential treatment for HK.

Stepping back, regarding the trade deal it was probably the easiest one on the table from China’s perspective.  The US agreed to hold back on raising tariffs on $250bn of Chinese goods while China agreed to increase agricultural purchases and give limited access to its financial markets.

However, it was no “love fest”.  It is very narrowly focused, doesn’t role back previous tariffs, does little to change the growth narrative, nor does it deal with the tougher structural issues and enforcement mechanisms etc.  It is also vague on the Chinese currency, renminbi. In any case China had already highlighted and strongly hinted at increased agricultural purchases over recent weeks

Yes, there was some vague commitment to address intellectual property (IP) issues, something that hawks in the US administration have been pushing for but this is akin to closing the barn door after the horse has bolted. China has already tightened up IP regulations at home and in fact is now keen to protect its own IP so it has a big incentive to tighten up IP rules.

The US administration was probably more than happy to avoid another increase in tariffs on China given the desire not to fuel more market instability, growing focus on elections next year and to show some form of progress to take the attention away from the impeachment inquiries.  Implementation of the next tariffs round on December 15 is unclear but given the above it could be delayed or scrapped.  That would be more substantial progress.

Over the short term markets will be relieved that tensions on trade are not worsening though the passage of the bill on Hong Kong by the US House of Representatives threatens to increase tensions on another front.  The bottom line is that there is some breathing space on the trade front, with the President Trump stating that it may take up to five weeks to complete the deal.  Some form of signing may take place at the Apec Summit in Chile in mid-November.

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US-China Trade Talk Hopes Begin To Fade

October 7, 2019 — Mitul Kotecha

Attention this week will be very much centered on a few key events, most prominent of which is US-China trade talks scheduled to begin on Thursday in Washington.   A speech by Fed Chair Powell at the annual NABE conference tomorrow and Fed FOMC minutes  will also garner plenty of attention for clues to the Fed FOMC meeting at the end of this month.   In the UK, as the end October deadline approaches attention turns to whether Prime Minister Johnson can seal a deal with European officials.

Starting with US-China trade talks, reports (Bloomberg) today suggest that China is unwilling to agree to a comprehensive trade deal with the Trump administration.   The report states that senior Chinese officials have indicated that the range of topics they are willing to discuss has narrowed considerably.  The implication is that major structural issues such as intellectual property theft, technology transfers, state subsidies, and other issues are off the table, limiting the scope of any agreement emerging from meetings this week.   Markets have unsurprisingly reacted negatively to the reports.

If China is indeed unwilling to enter into a broader trade discussion, prospects for even an interim trade deal look slim especially considering that US officials were last week talking down the prospects of a narrow deal.  Markets have been pinning their hopes on some progress on trade talks and any failure to advance talks this week will cast a heavy shadow over markets in the days ahead.

Separately European leaders appear to have poured cold water on the UK government’s proposals for a deal to end the Brexit impasse.  The main sticking point is the removal of the Irish backstop and proposal to implement a customs border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.  If no deal is reached an extension seems likely given the passage of the Benn Act, which requires the PM to ask the EU for a delay if parliamentary approval has not been given to a withdrawal agreement or a no deal exit.  Nonetheless, Johnson continues to warn the EU that he will take the UK out of Europe at the end of October. The uncertainty is unsurprisingly once again hurting the pound.

In  the US the release of US September CPI, speech by Fed Chair Powell and FOMC minutes will provide further clues to the Fed’s thinking ahead of the FOMC meeting this month.  Market pricing for an October rate cut increased in the wake of a recent run of weaker data (especially the September ISM surveys, which weakened) though the September jobs report (non farm payrolls increased by 136k while the unemployment rate fell to a record low of 3.5%) released at the end of last week did not provide further ammunition for those expecting a more aggressive Fed rate cut.  A 25bp cut sees likely at the October meeting.

 

 

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Bumpy Ride Ahead

October 3, 2019 — Mitul Kotecha

Just as it looked as though there was some hope of stabilisation in global economic conditions, the September US ISM (Institute of Supply Management) Index released on Monday was not only weak but it was a lot worse than expected at 47.8 (below 50 means contraction).  Markets clearly took fright, with the sell off in stocks intensifying yesterday in the wake of the US ADP jobs report for September, which recorded an increase of 135k jobs by private sector employers, its weakest reading in three months.

This all sets up for a nervous wait ahead of tomorrow’s September jobs report in which markets will be on the look out for any slowing in nonfarm payrolls and/or increase in the unemployment rate.  The consensus expectation is for a 148k increase in payrolls in September and for the unemployment rate to remain at 3.7%, but risks of a weaker outcome have grown.  The US dollar has also come under pressure as US economic risks increase.

Rising geopolitical risks are adding to the market malaise, with the impeachment enquiry into President Trump intensifying and risks of a hard Brexit in the UK remaining elevated.  On the latte front UK Prime Minister Johnson published his plans for a Brexit strategy yesterday replacing Theresa May’s “backstop” plan with two new borders for Northern Ireland.

If the proposal isn’t agreed with the EU, there is a strong chance that Johnson will be forced to seek another extension to Article 50 from the end of October, prolonging the three and a half years of uncertainty that the UK has gone through.  GBP didn’t react much to the new plan, and surprisingly did not fall despite the sharp sell off in UK equities yesterday, with the FTSE falling by over 3%.

The fact that the US has now been given the green light to impose tariffs on EU goods after the EU lost a World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruling adds a further dimension to the trade war engulfing economies globally.  The US administration will now move ahead to impose 25% tariffs on a range of imports from the EU, with the tariffs implementation likely to compound global growth fears.  If the EU wins a similar case early next year, expect to see an onslaught of EU tariffs on EU imports of US goods.

This is taking place just as hopes of progress in trade talks between the US and China in talks scheduled for next week have grown.  But even these talks are unlikely to be smooth given the array of structural issues that remain unresolved including technology transfers, Chinese state subsidies, accusations of IP theft, etc.  Additionally, the fact that the US administration has reportedly discussed adding financial restrictions on Chinese access to US capital suggests another front in the trade way may be about to open up.

The bottom line is that there is a host of factors weighing on markets at present and adding to global uncertainty, none of which are likely to go away soon.  Now that fears about the US economy are also intensifying suggests that there is nowhere to hide in the current malaise, implying that risk assets are in for a bumpy ride in the weeks ahead while market volatility is likely to increase.

 

 

 

 

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