Pulling the rug from under the Euro

January 6, 2012 — Mitul Kotecha

The USD was spurred by stronger US data and a further deterioration in EUR sentiment. The data including an improvement in consumer confidence and in particular a strong (+325k) ADP private sector jobs report, support the case for medium term USD outperformance amid growing evidence of relatively superior US growth.

While having a limited impact on interest rate expectations due to the Fed’s commitment to maintain very accommodative policy and thus also limiting the scope of USD gains, the data nonetheless, highlights the scope for a relative rise in US bond yields relative to bunds over the medium term and in turn a firmer USD versus EUR.

Whether the December ADP data translates into a similarly strong December payrolls outcome today is debatable but consensus forecasts have been likely revised higher. We look for a 190k increase, which ought to provide more evidence of US economic and USD outperformance.

Part of the explanation for USD strength is simply a weaker EUR. Although France’s debt auction yesterday was not particularly negative it did reveal an increase in borrowing costs while yields in peripheral bond markets continue to move higher. As noted, data releases in the Eurozone are providing little support to the currency and today’s November retail sales release will add to the evidence of weakening growth, with a further contraction expected.

Central banks and official investors in general appear to be pulling the rug from under the EUR’s feet, meaning that the usual support for the currency is disappearing fast while German bond yields have moved below US 2-year yields. Nonetheless, the market is heavily short EUR and further downside may not be as rapid. Technically, a break below EUR/USD support around 1.2767 will open the door to a drop to 1.2642.

Following yesterday’s slightly disappointing trade data markets will turn their attention to next week’s November retail sales, building approvals and January consumer confidence data in Australia. AUD has held up relatively well in the first week of the new year despite the ongoing tensions in the Eurozone and related rise in risk aversion.

Fortunately for the AUD its correlation with risk aversion is quite low, suggesting some resilience to higher risk aversion. Nonetheless, the market appears long of the AUD and it may extend yesterday’s pull back as investors take profits ahead of the US jobs report.

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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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Ecofin, ECB, US jobs report in focus

October 3, 2011 — Mitul Kotecha

The USD index remains close to its recent highs, maintaining a positive tone amid elevated risk aversion. Data releases have tended to take a back seat to events over recent weeks, but this week the all important US September jobs report may provide the bigger focus for US markets. The consensus expectation is for a 50k increase in payrolls and the unemployment rate remaining at 9.1% an outcome that would do nothing to assuage US growth worries. As usual markets will gauge clues to the jobs data from the ADP jobs data and employment components of the ISM data but an outcome in line with consensus expectations will likely keep risk aversion elevated and the USD supported unless the data is so bad that it results in an increase in expectations for Fed QE3.

There will be plenty of attention on the Ecofin meeting of European finance ministers today especially given that much of the reason for the stability in markets recently is the hope of concrete measures to resolve the crisis in the region. In this respect the scope for disappointment is high, suggesting that the EUR is vulnerable to a further drop if no progress is made at today’s meeting. While the extent of short market positioning has left open some scope for EUR short covering the absence of any good news will mean the impetus for short covering will diminish.

While attention in Europe will predominately remain on finding a resolution to the debt crisis and the saga of Greece’s next loan tranche, the European Central Bank (ECB) meeting will also be in focus this week especially given expectations that the ECB will cut interest rates. While hopes of a 50 basis points rate cut may have taken a knock from the firmer than expected reading for September flash CPI released at the end of last week the EUR could actually react positively to an easing in policy given that it may at least help to allay some of the growing growth concerns about the eurozone economy. However, any EUR will be limited unless officials in the eurozone get their act together and deliver on expectations of some form of resolution to the crisis in the region.

Strong words from Japan’s Finance Minister Azumi failed to have any lasting impact on USD/JPY. Japan will bolster funds to intervene in currency markets by JPY 15 trillion and extend the monitoring of FX positions until the end of December. Japan did not intervene during September but spent around JPY 4.5 trillion in FX intervention in August to little effect. For markets to be convinced about Japan’s conviction to weaken the JPY it will require putting intervention funds to active use, something that doesn’t seem to be forthcoming at present. A factor that may give some potential upside momentum for USD/JPY is the slight widening of US versus Japan bond yield differentials over recent days, which could finally result in a sustained move above 77.00 if it continues into this week.

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Awaiting US jobs data

September 1, 2011 — Mitul Kotecha

The USD continues to languish as market hopes/expectations of further US Federal Reserve stimulus including possibly more quantitative easing or QE3 weigh on the currency. There may also be some hesitation to buy USDs ahead of tomorrow’s August jobs report. The omens from the US ADP jobs data yesterday were not particularly positive, with a below consensus 91k private jobs reported.

As the Fed FOMC minutes earlier this week highlighted there are a few in the FOMC who are prepared to take more aggressive action which would equate to an even weaker USD. Ahead of the jobs data today’s August ISM manufacturing survey will offer some direction for markets but if our forecast of a sub 50 outcome proves correct it will only play into expectations of more Fed stimulus leaving the USD on the back foot.

EUR/USD struggled to sustain any move above 1.45 this week but has continued to withstand various peripheral bond concerns without too much difficulty, an ability it has managed to maintain for the past several months. Although it has pulled back EUR/USD may struggle to sustain a drop below its 100-day moving average at 1.4362.

Although there have been various fresh worries over recent days such as the collateral issues between Greece and Finland as well as well as questions about German demands for Greece’s bailout, the EUR is likely to remain unperturbed. Whether the EUR will be able to withstand growing evidence of slowing growth in the eurozone is another question altogether, especially as it is leading to a reassessment of European Central Bank (ECB) policy expectations, something that will likely be confirmed at next week’s ECB meeting.

GBP has had problems of its own to deal with and has failed to capitalise on any USD tone while losing ground against the EUR. Data yesterday did not help, with consumer sentiment falling for a third straight month according to the GfK confidence index. It appears that speculation of further Fed monetary stimulus may also be rubbing off on GBP, with potential for more UK QE likely to act as a weight on the currency.

Bank of England MPC member Posen added fuel to the fire in comments that he made supporting the need for central banks to undertake more QE. GBP looks destined for more weakness in the short term, with support around GBP/USD likely 1.6111 likely to be tested. A below 50 reading for the August manufacturing PMI today, will only add to downside pressure.

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US Economic Data Disappointments

June 2, 2011 — Mitul Kotecha

Risk gyrations continue, with a sharp shift back into risk off mood for markets driven in large part by yet more disappointing US economic data as the May ADP jobs report came in far weaker than expected at 38k whilst the ISM manufacturing index dropped to 53.5 in May, its lowest reading since September 2009. This was echoed globally as manufacturing purchasing managers indices (PMI) softened, raising concerns that the global ‘soft patch’ will extend deeper and longer than predicted.

The market mood was further darkened by news that Moodys downgraded Greece’s sovereign credit ratings to Caa1 from B1, putting the country on par with Cuba and effectively predicting a 50% probability of default.

The resultant jump in risk aversion was pretty extensive, with US Treasury yields dipping further, commodity prices dropping led by soft commodities, and equity volatility spiking although notably implied currency volatility has remained relatively well behaved.

Global growth worries led by the US have now surpassed Greek and eurozone peripheral country concerns as the main driver of risk aversion, especially as it increasingly looks as though agreement on a further bailout package for Greece is moving closer to being achieved. Moreover, it seems as though a ‘Vienna initiative’ type of plan is moving towards fruition involving a voluntary rollover of debt.

The lack of first tier economic data releases today suggests that it will be a case of further digestion or perhaps indigestion of the weak run of US data releases over recent weeks and the implications for policy. For instance, it is no coincidence that QE3 is now being talked about again following the end of QE2 although it still seems very unlikely.

Bonds may see some respite from the recent rally given the lack of data today although this may prove short-lived as expectations for the May US jobs report tomorrow are likely to have been revised sharply lower in the wake of the weak ADP jobs data and ISM survey yesterday, with an outcome sub 100k now likely for May US non-farm payrolls.

Meanwhile, FX markets are caught between the conflicting forces of higher risk aversion and weaker US data, leaving ranges to dominate. On balance, risk currencies will likely remain under pressure today and the USD may get a semblance of support in the current environment.

This may be sufficient to prevent EUR/USD from retesting its 1 June high around 1.4459 as markets wait for further developments on the Greek front. Once again the likes of the CHF and to a lesser extent JPY will do well in a risk off environment whilst the likes of the AUD and NZD will suffer.

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