Peripheral debt concerns intensify

November 10, 2010 — Mitul Kotecha

European peripheral debt concerns have allowed the USD a semblance of support as the EUR/USD pullback appears to have gathered momentum following its post FOMC meeting peak of around 1.4282. The blow out in peripheral bond spreads has intensified, with Greek, Portuguese and Irish 10 year debt spreads against bonds widening by around 290bps, 136bps and 200bps, respectively from around mid October.

The EUR appears to have taken over from the USD, at least for now, as the weakest link in terms of currencies. EUR/USD looks vulnerable to a break below technical support around 1.3732. Aside from peripheral debt concerns US bonds yields have increased over recent days, with the spread between 10-year US and German bonds widening by around 17 basis points in favour of the USD since the beginning of the month.

The correlation between the bond spread and EUR/USD is significant at around 0.76 over the past 3-months, highlighting the importance of yield spreads in the recent move in the USD against some currencies. Similarly high correlations exist for AUD/USD, USD/JPY and USD/CHF.

Data today will offer little direction for markets suggesting that the risk off mood may continue. US data includes the September trade deficit. The data will be scrutinized for the balance with China, especially following the ongoing widening in the bilateral deficit over recent months, hitting a new record of $28 billion in August. Similarly an expected increase in China’s trade surplus will add to the currency tensions between the two countries. FX tensions will be highlighted at the Seoul G20 meeting beginning tomorrow, with criticism of US QE2 gathering steam.

Commodity and Asian currencies are looking somewhat precariously perched in the near term, with AUD/USD verging on a renewed decline through parity despite robust September home loan approvals data released this morning, which revealed a 1.3% gain, the third straight monthly increase.

However, the NZD looks even more vulnerable following comments by RBNZ governor Bollard that the strength of the Kiwi may reduce the need for higher interest rates. As a result, AUD/NZD has spiked and could see a renewed break above 1.3000 today. Asian currencies are also likely to remain on the backfoot today due both to a firmer USD in general but also nervousness ahead of the G20 meeting.

Posted in Asia, Australia, Bond markets, central banks, China, Commodities, Currencies, Economics, Economy, emerging markets, Europe, eurozone, Federal Reserve, Fiscal/Budget, FX, Interest rates, Ireland, Monetary Policy, Portugal, South Korea, US. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment »

All eyes on G20

November 8, 2010 — Mitul Kotecha

Although we move from feast to famine this week in terms of data there are still a few events that are noteworthy. In the US the September trade balance (Wed) will be of interest with a narrowing expected. Net exports negatively impacted GDP in Q3 but this is likely to reverse in Q4. Michigan confidence at the end of week is also likely to reveal better news with a rebound expected in October in the wake of firming equities, whilst the October budget statement is likely to reveal a sharp narrowing compared to October last year. Several Fed speakers over the week will be also be in focus as markets try to gauge the level of support within the FOMC for the QE2 announced last week.

There are a few data releases of interest in the eurozone including the preliminary estimate of Q3 GDP. Worryingly the divergence across the eurozone between healthier northern Europe and weaker performing in Southern Europe is becoming increasingly stark, a big headache for the Eurozone Central Bank with its one size fits all policy. Elsewhere, in the UK the Bank of England Quarterly Inflation Report will be scrutinized to determine whether recently firmer data and sticky inflation has pushed the BoE away from following the Fed into QE2. Japan’s volatile machinery orders data marks the highlight of its calendar, with a sharp drop expected in September following two strong months.

The main event of the week is the G20 leaders meeting in Seoul at the tail end of the week. Rhetoric going into the meeting suggests little support for the US plan to limit current account surpluses to 4% of GDP and even US officials appear to have cooled on the idea. Moreover the G20 meeting will probably elicit further reaction to the Fed’s QE2 announcement. Reaction was highly critical initially but seems to have softened lately. Currencies will nonetheless, remain the major topic of discussion although expectations of a global agreement are likely to be disappointed.

The Fed’s QE2 announcement helped provide a prop to risk assets and weighed on the USD last week despite the amount of asset purchases being within expectations. The USD will remain a sell on rallies this week and once again the best way to play USD weakness is likely via the higher yielding commodity currencies, especially AUD and NZD. Scandinavian currencies also offer a good way to capitalize on USD weakness.

The EUR may also struggle this week given worries about peripheral Europe and widening in peripheral bond spreads. Ireland’s budget cuts announced last week have so far failed to shore up confidence whilst political uncertainties are also rising. Greece’s regional elections revealed that the ruling socialist party narrowly retained control allowing the government to continue with reforms suggesting a modicum of support for its debt. Nonetheless, with Irish and Portuguese sovereign worries continuing, the EUR will continue to lag. Notably the CFTC IMM data revealed that speculative EUR sentiment deteriorated in the latest week to its lowest in over a month. EUR/USD is likely to target 1.3864 after dropping swiftly below the 1.4000 level.

Perhaps best way to play EUR vulnerability is versus the AUD, with a further decline through 1.3800 likely to pave the way for a drop below the 13 September low around 1.3660. AUD/JPY may also be another cross worth exploring especially as Japan’s new fund begins buying JGBs today, which could limit JPY upside. A test of AUD/JPY 83.65 is on the cards shortly. If Australia’s October employment report on Thursday reveals another strong reading it will likely give the currency further support into the end of the week.

Posted in Asia, Australia, Bond markets, central banks, Commodities, Currencies, Economics, Economy, equity markets, Europe, eurozone, Fiscal/Budget, FX, Greece, Interest rates, Ireland, Monetary Policy, Portugal, South Korea, UK, US, US administration. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments »

What QE2 means for currencies

November 5, 2010 — Mitul Kotecha

The sweeping gains for the Republican party in the US mid term elections has sharply changed the political dynamic in the US, with the prospects of further fiscal stimulus looking even slimmer than before although the chances of the Bush tax cuts being extended have likely increased.

The onus is on monetary policy to do the heavy lifting and the Fed delivered on its end of the bargain, with the announcement of $600 billion of purchases of long-term securities over 8-months through June 2011.

Given the likelihood that the economic impact of the asset purchases is likely to be limited and with little help on the fiscal front the Fed has got a major job on its hands and $600 billion may end up being a minimum amount of purchases necessary for the Fed to fulfil its mandate.

The decline in the USD following the Fed decision is unlikely to mark the beginning of a more rapid pace of USD decline though further weakness over coming months remains likely. The USD remains a sell on rallies for now and an overshoot on the downside is highly probable as the Fed begins its asset purchases.

The bottom line is that the Fed’s program of asset purchases implies more USD supply and in simple economic terms more supply without an increase in demand implies a lower price. The USD will remain weak for some months to come and the Fed’s actions will prevent any USD recovery as the USD solidifies its position as the ultimate funding currency.

Nonetheless, with market positioning close to extreme levels, US bond yields unlikely to drop much further, and the USD already having sold off sharply in anticipation of QE2, (USD index has dropped by around 14% since June) those looking for a further sharp drop in the USD to be sustained are likely to be disappointed.

It is difficult however, to fight the likely further weakness in the USD even if turns out not to be a rapid decline. The path of least resistance to some likely USD weakness will be via the likes of the commodity currencies, scandies and emerging market currencies. There will be less marked appreciation in GBP, CHF and JPY against the USD.

The Fed’s actions will continue to fuel a rush of liquidity into emerging markets, particularly into Asia. This means more upward pressure on Asian currencies but will likely prompt a variety of responses including stronger FX intervention as well as measures to restrict and control such flows.

There have been various comments from central banks in the region warning about the Fed’s actions prompting further “hot money” flows into the region and even talk of a coordinated response to combat such flows.

This suggests more tensions ahead of the upcoming G20 meeting in Seoul. Assuming that at least some part of the additional USD liquidity flows into Asia, the implications of potentially greater FX intervention by Asian central banks to prevent Asian currencies from strengthening, will have a significant impact on major currencies.

Already it is apparent that central banks in Asia have been strongly using the accumulated USDs from FX intervention to diversify into EUR and other currencies including AUD and even JPY. Perversely this could end up exacerbating USD weakness against major currencies.

Posted in Asia, Australia, central banks, Currencies, Economics, Economy, emerging markets, Europe, eurozone, Federal Reserve, Fiscal/Budget, FX, Interest rates, Japan, Monetary Policy, Sweden, US. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment »

USD pressure, EUR resilience, GBP whipsawed

September 29, 2010 — Mitul Kotecha

Speculation the Fed will begin a new program of asset purchases or QE2 as soon as November is intensifying. The weaker than expected reading for US consumer confidence in September released on Tuesday has only added to this expectation as sentiment continues to be hit by job market concerns. Against this background the USD remains under strong downward pressure, with little sign of any turnaround.

The prospects of further USD debasing as well as intervention in many countries to prevent their currencies from strengthening against the USD continues to power gold prices which hit a new record high having breezed through the $1300 per troy ounce mark. In the current environment it is hard to see gold prices turning much lower although there may be some risk of profit taking in the weeks ahead.

The EUR remains a key beneficiary of USD weakness but this currency has problems of its own to contend with. Indeed, peripheral debt concerns, especially with regard to Ireland and to a lesser extent Portugal have increased, with borrowing costs rising as the yield on their debt widens against core eurozone debt. The stronger EUR will only make it harder for these countries to achieve any sort of recovery and could also damage the stronger exporting countries of Northern Europe led by Germany.

So far however, the EUR has managed to show some impressive resilience to renewed peripheral country sovereign debt concerns including comments by S&P about the high costs of rescuing an Irish Bank. Perhaps the knowledge that there is a still a huge bailout fund from the EU and IMF available if needed and also the prospect that the ECB will increase its buying of eurozone debt, has provided a buffer for the EUR.

At some point the ECB may be forced to join the battle in at least attempting to talk its currency lower but at this stage the central bank is showing no inclination to either talk down the currency or physically intervene to weaken the EUR. In the meantime, EUR/USD is likely to strengthen further despite the likely negative impact on European growth, with the currency likely to set its sights on an eventual break above 1.40.

One currency that may struggle in the wake of expectations of Fed QE2 is GBP. Uncertainty over whether the Bank of England will follow the Fed in implementing further quantitative easing could see GBP lag the gains in other currencies against the USD. Conflicting comments from MPC members Posen who noted that there may be a need for further QE in the UK to support the faltering economy were countered by Sentance who noted that there was no need for more QE. GBP/USD is likely be whipsawed as the debate continues and is set to lose further ground against the EUR.

Posted in Bond markets, central banks, Commodities, Currencies, Economics, Economy, Europe, eurozone, Federal Reserve, Fiscal/Budget, FX, Germany, IMF, Interest rates, Ireland, Monetary Policy, Portugal, UK, US. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

FX Tension

September 27, 2010 — Mitul Kotecha

On September 22 1985 the governments of France, West Germany, Japan, US and UK signed the Plaza Accord which agreed to sharply weaken the USD. At this time it was widely agreed that the USD was overly strong and needed to fall sharply and consequently these countries engineered a significant depreciation of the USD.

It is ironic that 25 years later governments are once again intervening in various ways and that the USD is once again facing a precipitous decline as the Fed moves towards implementing further quantitative easing. This time central banks are acting unilaterally, however, and there is little agreement between countries. For instance Japan’s authorities found no help from the Fed or any other central bank in its recent actions to buy USD/JPY.

So far Japan’s FX interventions have been discreet after the initial USD/JPY buying on 15 September. The fact that Japan is less inclined to advertise its FX intervention comes as little surprise given the intensifying pressure from the US Congress on China for not allowing its currency, the CNY to strengthen. Tensions have deepened over recent weeks and the backing of a bill last week by an important Congressional committee to allow US companies to seek tariffs on Chinese imports suggests that the situation has taken a turn for the worse.

The softly softly approach to Japan’s FX intervention and US/China friction reflects the fact that unlike in 1985 we may be entering a period in which currency and in turn trade tensions are on the verge of intensifying sharply against the background of subdued global economic recovery.

The Fed’s revelation that it is moving closer to implementing further quantitative easing has shifted the debate to when QE2 occurs rather than if, with a November move moving into focus. Clearly the USD took the news negatively and will likely remain under pressure for a prolonged period as the simple fact of more USD supply weighs heavily on the currency. Markets will be able to garner more clues to the timing of QE2, with a plethora of Fed speakers on tap over coming days.

This week the US economic news will be downbeat, with September consumer and manufacturing confidence surveys likely to register declines, with consumer sentiment weighed down by the weakness in job market conditions. Personal income and spending will also be of interest and gains are expected for both. There will be plenty of attention on the core PCE deflator given that further declines could give clues to the timing of QE2.

Attention in Europe will centre on Wednesday’s recommendations for legislation on “economic governance” from the European Commission. Proposed penalties for fiscal indiscipline may include withholding of funding and/or voting restrictions but such measures would be politically contentious. Measures to enforce fiscal discipline ought to be positive for markets given the renewed tensions in peripheral bond markets in the eurozone.

The EUR was a major outperformer last week benefiting from intensifying US QE speculation and will set its sights on technical resistance (20 April high) around 1.3523 in the short-term. Notably EUR speculative positioning has turned positive for the first time this year according to the CFTC IMM data, reflecting the sharp shift in speculative appetite for the currency over recent weeks. The EUR has been surprisingly resilient to renewed sovereign debt concerns and similarly softer data will not inflict much damage to the currency this week.

Posted in central banks, Currencies, Economics, Economy, Europe, eurozone, Federal Reserve, Fiscal/Budget, FX, Germany, Interest rates, Japan, Monetary Policy, US, US administration. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »
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