Asian currencies running into resistance

October 10, 2012 — Mitul Kotecha

As the US Q3 earnings season gets underway caution is prevailing as reflected in the losses in US and European equity markets overnight. The VIX jumped as risk aversion increased in the wake of lower revised growth estimates from the IMF and worries that earnings will be far less flattering than in previous quarters. Nonetheless, stronger than forecast earnings from Alcoa helped to kick of the earnings season in positive mode.

In Europe the visit by Chancellor Merkel to Athens was accompanied by reassuring statements from the German leader but this was to little avail as demonstrations in the Greek capital continued. Reports that lenders are discussing extending Greece’s bailout program by two years may provide some relief, however.

Spain remains the major focal point and in this regard there is no progress in the country moving forward with a bailout request much to the chagrin of peripheral debt markets and the EUR. There are few data releases of interest today of which the Fed’s Beige Book will be the main highlight. The market tone will continue to remain cautious but we don’t expect a major relapse in risk appetite.

The USD continues to make good headway in an environment of higher risk aversion, as the USD index continues to maintain a strong correlation with risk. We see little reason for this to reverse although EUR/USD may run into some support around the 1.2824 area. Our preferred crosses include playing short EUR/AUD given that our model indicators show that AUD is oversold at current levels.

Asian currencies will run into some resistance against the background of a firmer USD and the ADXY index is struggling to break higher. The PHP and THB have been the major outperformers so far this month, with most other Asian currencies have weakening.

India has been the biggest beneficiary of renewed portfolio flows to the region, unsurprising in the wake of recent reform announcements registering around $1.3 billion of equity flows month to date. USD/KRW looks like it will struggle to break below 1110 having failed on its attempts to break through this level. Equity capital inflows to Asia are on par with the inflows registered in 2009 and 2010.

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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.

Posted in central banks, Currencies, ECB, Economics, Economy, Europe, eurozone, Financial crisis, Fiscal/Budget, France, FX, Germany, Greece, IMF. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Plenty of event risk

October 17, 2011 — Mitul Kotecha

This week is heavy with event risk, with a lot expected from EU leaders. So far the risk on tone to markets has held up, with for example the VIX fear gauge resting below the key 30.0. The G20 meeting over the weekend set the deadline for action for concrete solutions to the eurozone debt crisis for the October 23 EU Summit.

However, there will be little detail on issues such as banking sector recapitalisation, private sector involvement in any debt restructuring or ‘leveraging’ the EFSF bailout fund until the report on Wednesday night by the Troika on Greece. The reward to EU leaders would be the potential for more aid from the IMF but even now it seems that a German government official has poured cold water of a plan being announced at the EU Summit which will disappoint markets.

There are also plenty of data releases for markets to digest over coming days including inflation releases, manufacturing surveys and industrial production data in the US while in Europe the German IFO and ZEW surveys are scheduled for release. The data will follow on from the better than expected September US retail sales releases at the end of last week continuing to dampen expectations that the global economy is falling in recession though there will be a marked deceleration in European data.

Meanwhile the US Q3 earnings season rolls. The risk on tone will likely continue to weigh on the USD and weigh on bonds but unlike a few weeks ago when a lot of bad news was priced in, the scope for disappointment is becoming increasingly high.

Many currencies remain highly correlated with gyrations in risk and in this respect the improvement in risk appetite is good news for high beta / commodity. AUD, NZD, CAD and JPY are amongst the most sensitive currencies and therefore prone to a bigger reaction as risk improves, with the former three strengthening and the JPY weakening. Asian currencies poised to benefit from firmer risk appetite include INR and KRW, both with relatively high correlations with risk.

EUR/USD has made a solid recovery over recent days from its lows around 1.3146 spurred by hopes of action by European officials. Such hopes may yet be dashed but the EUR looks supported over coming days ahead of the EU summit Speculative positioning also reflects a slight improvement in EUR sentiment as IMM short positions have declined in the last week but its worth noting that this week’s European data are unlikely to be supportive for the EUR.

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Euro fails too hold on to gains

September 19, 2011 — Mitul Kotecha

Any improvement in sentiment following the USD liquidity support announcement by various central banks last week is already filtering away against the background of European Union (EU) officials’ failure to make any headway at the Ecofin meeting over the weekend, a delay in the approval of the next bailout tranche for Greece and ongoing collateral dispute between Greece and Finland. On top of all of this German Chancellor Merkel suffered a further setback in regional elections over the weekend.

Greece will remain in focus this week and markets will look for signs that the country is back on track on its austerity plans and its next loan tranche. Prime Minister Papandreou cancelled a trip to the US while the Greek cabinet are apparently deciding on new fiscal measures. Attention will turn to a teleconference today from the Greek Finance Minister with EU and IMF officials.

Speculative sentiment for the EUR has already soured further and according to the latest CFTC IMM report, positioning in EUR is at its lowest since the end of June 2010. EUR/USD will continue to look very vulnerable having already dropped sharply from a high of around 1.3899 in Asian morning trading as the bad weekend news hit the currency. EUR/USD will find some technical support just below 1.3500 this week but any upside is set to prove limited unless some concrete announcements are delivered relating to Greece over coming days.

In contrast to the EUR, USD speculative appetite has turned net long for the first time since July 2010. The extended Fed FOMC meeting will help to dictate USD sentiment as markets wait for further measures to stimulate the economy. The Federal Reserve has already committed to hold rates steady until at least mid 2013 and the extended two day meeting this week will likely discuss further options. However, more quantitative easing (QE3) appears unlikely at this stage while an ‘Operation Twist’ type approach is more probable. The USD will benefit from a lack of further quantitative easing but this is largely already priced in.

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