Spain downgraded

October 11, 2012 — Mitul Kotecha

Pressure on Spain has intensified in the wake of a two notch downgrade to the country’s debt to just one notch above junk at BBB-. S&P cited “the significant risks to Spain’s economic growth and budgetary performance, and the lack of a clear direction in euro-zone policy”. The slow progress towards a sovereign bailout for Spain will have likely played a role in the decision, a factor that is also weighing on general market sentiment. The debt downgrade may on the margin increase the pressure on the Spanish government to request a formal bailout.

Nonetheless, risk assets including peripheral Eurozone bonds do not appear particularly stressed although it may only be a matter of time before pressure escalates. Italian bond supply today may give some further direction on this front. US Q3 earnings will have some bearing on sentiment too as concerns have grown that they will disappoint. With little on the data front (highlights include Eurozone country September inflation and US trade data) attention will focus on comments from the IMF meetings against the background of growing global growth worries.

Against this background the EUR is likely to continue to drift lower, with the currency set to test support just under the 1.2800 level AUD will have got a boost from the relatively positive September jobs report released this morning, which revealed a 14.5k increase in employment. The positive impact may slightly be mitigated by a rise in the unemployment rate to 5.4% from 5.3%, which also gives further evidence supporting the RBA’s recent rate cut. The data will at least help to alleviate some of the concerns about the jobs market following last month’s surprise drop in employment. My preference is to play AUD via going long positions versus EUR.

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USD buffeted, JPY firming, AUD risks receding

October 9, 2012 — Mitul Kotecha

A lacklustre day for equity markets yesterday saw many indices close lower and risk aversion edge higher, with the VIX ‘fear gauge’ being a prime mover, Some encouraging signs for global activity continue to emerge from the rise in the Baltic Dry Index but market growth fears remain high. Attention remains firmly focussed on events in Europe, with the Ecofin meeting today likely to see further discussions on a wide range of issues. As yet there is no breakthrough regarding a Spanish bailout or next tranche of Greek loan disbursement, with the latter only likely to be confirmed in November. A visit by German Chancellor Merkel to Athens today is unlikely to result in any breakthroughs. US corporate earnings will also garner greater attention as the week goes on, with Alcoa set to begin the earnings season tomorrow.

The USD is being buffeted by conflicting factors at present. QE3 is likely to cap any gains in the currency but the expansion of balance sheets by other central banks suggests that a weaker USD outlook is by no means a foregone conclusion. Moreover, from a growth perspective the USD comes out on top. Even though US recovery is a weak one by historical standards the economic outlook still looks better than in Europe, notwithstanding the looming US fiscal cliff. Further evidence of recovery will be gauged from the release of the September small business optimism survey today. A likely third straight gain will provide encouraging news although the survey still remains lower than levels it was at earlier in the year. Over coming days I expect the USD to edge higher as it capitalizes on the various strands of uncertainty in the Eurozone.

As Japan returns from an extended weekend USD/JPY has reversed its recent break higher and is verging on another test of 78.00. There seems little in terms of directional influences to give any major impetus to the currency pair especially as many JPY correlations have broken down lately. JPY speculative long positions remain relatively high suggesting scope for some reduction and JPY selling but I suspect that USD/JPY will remain stuck in its current 77.77 – 79.00 range for some time to come. Nonetheless, JPY bears may be encouraged by recent signs of strong bond outflows adding to data showing equity outflows over recent weeks. Indeed, in the week to 28 September 2012 Japan registered its biggest net equity and bond outflows since early May.

AUD has been a major underperformer this month, with pressure intensifying following last week’s surprise RBA rate cut. Although a further sharp drop appears unlikely hefty long speculative positioning suggests that upside traction will be limited. Nonetheless, my quantitative models show that the AUD is looking increasingly oversold against the USD. The market is already pricing in another RBA rate cut by the end of the year suggesting that the reaction to upcoming data will be asymmetric. In other words the AUD will rally more in the wake of positive data than it will weaken in the wake of soft data. Business and consumer confidence indicators will provide further direction over coming days, but the main driver will come from the September jobs report on Thursday where a further drop in employment is expected. I continue to look for strong support for AUD/USD around the 1.0100 level, with 1.0285 a barrier to any upside break.

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Euro firmer, AUD vulnerable to risk gyrations

August 29, 2012 — Mitul Kotecha

A surprise drop in US August consumer confidence which dropped to its lowest since November last year put a dampener on markets and notably the VIX index edged higher. Consequently treasuries rose and equities slipped despite a firmer than expected increase in US house prices in June. The confidence data adds the pressure on Fed Chairman Bernanke to give some indication of a further round of quantitative easing during his speech at Jackson Hole on Friday.

An upward revision to US Q2 GDP and a bounce in July pending home sales today are unlikely to change this perspective although the Fed’s Beige Book will likely show some moderate improvement providing the Fed with useful information.

Separately decent debt auctions in Spain and Italy helped to calm Eurozone market nerves further amid hopes of European Central Bank (ECB) action next week despite the news that Spanish region Catalonia formally asked for EUR 5 billion in funding. As a result the EUR retained a firmer tone.

Contrary to expectations, EUR/USD continued to push higher. Just why the currency is strengthening given the significant event risk in the days and weeks ahead is questionable although in part the move is attributable to an ongoing short squeeze. Hopes of constructive ECB action next week taken together with Fed quantitative easing expectations have helped to put the USD on the back foot, allowing the EUR to take advantage.

Admittedly the drop in Eurozone peripheral bond yields is certainly helpful for the EUR, while my short term quantitative ‘fair value’ estimate for EUR/USD suggests more upside too. Nonetheless, given the risk that so much could go wrong in the weeks ahead I am loathe to get on the bullish EUR bandwagon. While EUR/USD and EUR on the crosses will likely remain firm ahead of Jackson Hole I expect the EUR to struggle to hold onto gains into next week.

AUD has lost ground since around 10 August. This has roughly coincided with a rise in risk aversion over recent weeks. Indeed, AUD maintains a strong correlation with risk aversion and is therefore highly susceptible to swings in risk appetite. Additionally renewed China worries have also dampened the attraction of the AUD given the increasing dependency of Australia’s economy to China both directly through trade and indirectly via commodity prices.

While I remain positive on the AUD over the medium term, the high level of speculative positioning in the currency suggests some vulnerability to profit taking over the short term, with AUD/USD vulnerable to a drop to technical support around 1.0282. Much will depend on news out of China in terms of AUD direction, with Chinese stock market gyrations also providing some influence.

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EUR to drift lower, AUD supported, JPY flatlines

August 7, 2012 — Mitul Kotecha

EUR/USD has failed to retake the 1.2400 handle and as noted yesterday looks set to gradually make its way lower again. News that the German government lent its support to the European Central Bank (ECB) bond buying plan helped to limit losses overnight, but there is likely to be little news on the policy front over coming weeks as Europe moves into full blown summer holiday mode.

No news is perhaps good news, but market patience continues to run thin and the EUR will eventually be punished should policy makers fail to deliver which has been so often the case. With only German factory orders in terms of data releases of note today, EUR/USD is set to settle into a range, but with a downside bias.

The RBA meeting today is likely to prove relatively uneventful. Almost all analysts polled expect a no change outcome from the Reserve Bank. As this is the largely priced in, the main influence on AUD will be the accompanying statement. The market is overly aggressive in pricing in 75 basis points of policy rate cuts over the coming months and in this respect it will require a particularly dovish statement to validate these expectations.

More likely, the RBA will sound neutral reflecting on relatively firm data (except the June jobs report) releases since the last meeting and a better global environment. Combined with strong attraction to ‘carry’ trades and a firmer tone to risk appetite, AUD looks well supported, with technical support seen around 1.0437.

USD/JPY continues to flat line just above the 78.00 level ahead of this week’s Bank of Japan meeting. There is unlikely to be much excitement from the BoJ meeting but the pressure to take more aggressive steps to reach their 1% inflation goal as well as to weaken the JPY remains strong. The 78.00 level appears to be an uncomfortable equilibrium for markets and Japanese policymakers.

Although low implied FX volatility suggests that there is little expectation of a move in either direction Japanese officials continue to remain concerned about the strength of the JPY. Similarly, the US Treasury bond versus Japanese JGB yield differential (2 year) remains relatively steady, suggesting little directional impetus in the short term. Given hopes / expectations of more Fed quantitative easing it seems unlikely that USD/JPY will make much traction on the upside over coming weeks.

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USD under pressure, AUD well supported

August 1, 2012 — Mitul Kotecha

Despite comments by the German Finance Ministry that it sees no need to give the ESM bail out fund a banking license, market hopes of European Central Bank (ECB) action tomorrow remain in place, helping to give some support to markets and the EUR. However, the Fed is unlikely to deliver fresh stimulus measures following the conclusion of its two day meeting today.

Sentiment slipped slightly overnight although any weakness was limited by stronger than expected data releases in the US in the form of July consumer confidence and Chicago PMI. US and European equities ended lower but overall its appears to be a case of treading water until the policy decisions over coming days as well as Friday’s US jobs report.

There is perhaps less expectation of Fed action than the ECB but nonetheless, recent press reports suggest that the Fed is shifting closer to pulling the trigger for more balance sheet expansion. This in turn has put some restraint on the USD.

Although it is more likely that the Fed will want to wait to assess more economic data (the Fed will not be privy to the July jobs report before its release on Friday) there is a chance that the Fed could extend its guidance tonight. This will be less important from a USD perspective but if the Fed opens the door even wider to a third round of quantitative easing the USD will find little solace from a lack of QE today as the Fed will merely be seen to delay such a move until September.

Combined with the impact of firmer risk appetite over recent days and consequently reduced safe haven demand the USD will struggle to make any headway in the near term, with the USD index to find it difficult to break above 83.000.

AUD has been the best performing major currency in July. Yield attraction has increased and the AUD has been a key beneficiary. While my forecasts remain among the most bullish this year (1.08 by year end) I am cognisant of the risks of a pull back in the interim.

AUD has benefited to some extent from expectations of further policy stimulus in China as well as a generally more favourable tone to risk appetite. Reports that China is interested in buying Australian regional government bonds will also help buoy AUD.

While external conditions hold various risks to the AUD the domestic picture does not look too adverse and various domestic economic indicators have beaten expectations. Consequently I believe that market expectations for a bigger 75bp of Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) policy easing are overdone and an eventual correction in the markets’ overly dovish stance will help to support the AUD.

Meanwhile, speculative AUD positioning is well below the all time high reached in April 2011, suggesting scope for more gains. AUD/USD looks well supported around 1.0374.

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