EUR falls, JPY retraces after intervention

November 1, 2011 — Mitul Kotecha

Risk aversion has come back in full force, with various concerns weighing on markets. Once again attention is firmly fixed on the eurozone and worryingly last week’s European Union (EU) rescue agreement has failed to prevent a further widening in eurozone peripheral bond spreads. This will come as a blow to eurozone officials as the agreement was aimed to prevent exactly this.

A lack of detail in the plans announced last week has come back to haunt markets. Moreover, given the event risk of the RBA, ECB and Fed central bank meetings this week plus the US October jobs report at the end of the week, nerves will likely remain frayed over coming days. Overall, the tone will likely be on of selling risk assets on rallies over the short term.

The EUR has unwound a significant part of its gains from last week as various doubts about the eurozone rescue package have surfaced. The measures announced by EU officials have failed to prevent a jump in Italian and Spanish bond yields. News that MF Global has filed for bankruptcy while the Greek Prime Minister has called for a referendum on the EU’s debt deal dealt markets a blow overnight.

As it was doubts had been creeping in due to the lack of detail in the rescue package including but not limited to the lack of specifics on the leveraging of the EFSF bailout fund. The pattern appears to have followed the reaction to previous EU announcements to stem the crisis, namely short lived euphoria followed by a sell off in risk assets. The EUR is likely to struggle further over the near term, with the current pull back likely to extend to around the 21 October low of 1.3705.

Japanese officials had blamed the strength of the JPY on speculative flows and have threatened more FX intervention following yesterday’s Judging by the price action this morning the threat has been followed up by action. In order for USD/JPY to sustain a move higher it will require both a widening in yield differentials and easing risk aversion. Neither are guaranteed to happen any time soon as was evident overnight with risk aversion rising. US data has improved but it is insufficient to provoke a sharp back up in US bond yields.

Consequently in the coming weeks USD/JPY topside momentum will be limited. A break above USD/JPY’s 200 day moving average level of 79.89 could prove decisive in terms of JPY long capitulation and once above this level USD/JPY will target the 11 July high of 80.83. However, this will require further intervention otherwise the underlying trend in JPY will continue to remain positive.

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Euphoria fades, risk currencies weaker

October 31, 2011 — Mitul Kotecha

The euphoria emanating from last week’s eurozone agreement will likely fade into this week as renewed doubts creep in. Details of how the EFSF bailout fund will be leveraged or how the special purpose vehicle will be utilised have yet to emerge while the firewall to protect countries such as Italy and Spain may still be insufficient given that the use of the European Central Bank (ECB) to provide unlimited support has been ruled out.

With more questions than answers markets will be hungry for further details over coming weeks and until then it is difficult to see risk appetite stretching too far. One indication of such concern was the fact that Italy’s borrowing costs climbed to euro-era highs the day after the European Union (EU) plan was agreed. The G20 meeting on 3-4 November will be eyed for further developments as well as further reaction to the EU agreement.

There are plenty of events to digest this week that could add to any market nervousness. In terms of central banks we do not expect to see any change in policy stance from the ECB, Federal Reserve or Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) this week but the decisions may be close calls. The ECB under the helm of new President Draghi will be under pressure to ease policy as growth momentum has clearly weakened but the Bank will likely hold off for the December meeting when new growth and inflation forecasts will be released.

The RBA may also take some solace from a better global economic and market climate but the market disagrees having priced in a cut this week. The Fed will look to see how ‘Operation Twist” is faring before moving again but recent indications from some Fed officials suggest growing support for purchases of mortgage backed securities.

On the data front eurozone inflation today will be the key number in Europe while the US jobs report at the end of the week will be the main release in the US. Ahead of the payrolls data, clues will be garnered from the ISM manufacturing data and ADP jobs report. The consensus is for a 95k increase in non-farm payrolls and the unemployment to remain at 9.1% maintaining the trend of only gradual improvement in the US jobs market.

Recent data releases have turned less negative, however, and at the least have helped to alleviate renewed recessionary concerns. Overall, I suspect that markets will come back down to the reality of slow growth and unanswered questions this week, with risk assets likely to lose steam over coming days.

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European agreement at last

October 27, 2011 — Mitul Kotecha

Following a drawn out period of discussions European officials have finally agreed on a haircut or debt write off of around 50% of Greek debt versus 21% agreed in July. In addition the EFSF bailout fund will be leveraged up to about EUR 1.4 trillion, with the new EFSF scheduled to be in place next month. The haircut for Greek debt is aimed at ensuring that Greece’s debt to GDP ratio drops to 120% by 2012.

The reaction of markets was initially favourable with EUR/USD breaching 1.40 and risk / high beta currencies bouncing. I doubt that the upward momentum in EUR can be sustained, however, with plenty of questions on the mechanics of the deal, especially about leveraging the EFSF fund, remaining. I suspect that the EUR may have already priced in some of the good news.

Data releases, especially in the US are offering markets more positive news. Following on from firm readings for US durable goods orders and new home sales, today’s US Q3 GDP expected to reveal an acceleration in growth to a 2.5% annual rate, will help to alleviate recession fears to some extent. The USD may benefit if the data reduces expectations of further Fed quantitative easing especially given the recent comments from some Fed officials indicating that the door is open to more QE.

In Japan attention was firmly fixed on the Bank of Japan policy meeting and the prospects for FX intervention to weaken the JPY. In the event the BoJ kept its overnight rate unchanged at 0.1% as expected and expanded its credit program by JPY 5 trillion and asset purchase fund to JPY 20 trillion.

The measures are aimed to easing deflation pressure but the real focus in the FX market is whether there is any attempt to the weaken the JPY. I am currently in Tokyo and here there is plenty of nervousness about possible FX intervention being imminent. Speculation of such intervention will likely help to prevent USD/JPY sustaining a drop below the 75.00 over coming days.

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USD, EUR and JPY Outlook This Week

October 24, 2011 — Mitul Kotecha

The USD lost more ground last week extending its drop from the early October. Interestingly its latest drop has occurred despite an uptick in risk aversion suggesting other factors are at work. Mixed US data and earnings have not given the USD much direction with a downbeat Beige Book counterbalanced by a firmer Philly Fed manufacturing survey and housing starts.

The data have not been sufficiently weak to fuel expectations of more Fed quantitative easing but some Fed officials including Yellen, Tarullo, Evans and Rosengren in indicating that further QE could be considered. The USD has therefore been somewhat undermined but will take its cue from data releases and events in Europe this week.

This data slate will be mixed but on balance will not support more Fed QE. In particular, Q3 Real GDP is expected to come in sharply higher than in Q2, with a 2.5% annual rate expected to be revealed. Other indicators will be less positive, with October consumer confidence set to slip further and remain at a recessionary level, while September durable goods orders will decline by around 1%.

Despite an expected increase in new home sales in September the overall picture of the US housing market will remain very weak. Overall, the USD may find some respite from the GDP report but the data will be seen as backward looking, with the jury still out on the issue of more quantitative easing.

The EUR struggled to make any headway last week amid a barrage of rumors about the outcome of Sunday’s EU Summit. In the event the summit failed to deliver concrete details although there appeared to be some progress in key areas. Attention will now turn to Wednesday’s summit but once again the risk of disappointment is high. EUR/USD will only extend gains if markets are satisfied at the result but this is by no means guaranteed.

Data releases will not be supportive for the EUR this week, with a further deterioration in ‘flash’ eurozone purchasing managers indices (PMIs) and European Commission confidence surveys expected in October but hopes of a concrete resolution at Wednesday’s EU Summit will keep the EUR/USD supported early in the week although it will find strong resistance around 1.3915.

The sensitivity of the JPY to risk aversion has actually fallen over the last three months while the influence of bond yield differentials also appears to have slipped. The fact that USD/JPY continues to remain in a very tight range with little inclination to break in either direction despite gyrations in risk and yield differentials almost appears if the currency pair has been pegged.
Obviously this is not the case but a break out of the current range does not look imminent.

Speculative JPY positioning has dropped over recent weeks while equity and bond flows have overall been negative but this has not been reflected in JPY weakness resulting in increased frustration by Japanese officials. We continue to look for the JPY to weaken over coming months but much will depend on a widening in US / Japan yield differentials and easing risk appetite as both will regain their hold on the currency. In the meantime, the currency will continue to offer little to get excited about.

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Euro looking rich at current levels

October 21, 2011 — Mitul Kotecha

Markets continue to be rumour driven with little concrete news to provide direction. The news that a comprehensive deal by European officials at this Sunday’s EU Summit is now very unlikely has come as a further blow to hopes of a swift resolution to the crisis.

So it seems that Sunday’s meeting will provide a forum to thrash out ideas before a second summit next Wednesday. As a reminder the issues at hand are leveraging the EFSF, banking sector recapitalisation and the extent of private sector participation in Greek debt write downs.

The main disagreement appears to be between Germany and France on method of additional funding the EFSF bailout fund (which has EUR 280billion of firepower left), with Germany and the European Central Bank (ECB) opposed to French demands to utilise the ECB to help back the EFSF with France wanting the facility being turned in a bank. In terms of write downs for Greek bond holders there is a push for at least a 50% reduction compared to the 21% agreed in July.

Separately speculation of the amount of new capital needed for banking sector recapitalisation now revolves around a figure of EUR 80 billion. One spanner in the works is that Chancellor Merkel will have to gain approval from the German parliament before agreeing on further changes to the EFSF, which may delay the process further.

Clearly as this week has gone on the air has continued to seep out of the balloon as the market braces for disappointment. Surprisingly the EUR has held up well and while it has failed to extend gains, hitting a high earlier in the week around 1.3915 but still pricing in some scope for success, at current levels.

Helping the EUR was the fact that the market was very short, and while it could still move higher next week if European officials agree on a plan it still looks like a sell on rallies, with the scope for further gains limited from current rich levels. Good news from Europe next week could see a test of EUR/USD 1.40 but this will prove to be a good selling area further out.

At least there was some good news from Greece for a change as the Prime Minister won a vote to pass further austerity measures to help secure the next tranche (delayed from September) of the bailout despite ongoing protests in the country. The near term focus will be on a meeting of Finance Ministers today ahead of Sunday’s summit.

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