USD pressured, limited gains for Asian currencies

November 26, 2012 — Mitul Kotecha

Risk assets registered a positive performance over the past week despite the plethora of events / issues that remain unresolved. However, it’s back to business today with talks over Greek’s debt sustainability and resolution towards distribution of its next loan tranche set to resume.

Meanwhile, markets will digest the results of elections in the Spanish region of Catalonia which have fuelled greater uncertainty in the wake of the gains in seats for pro-referendum parties who won 87 of the Catalan parliament’s 135 seats. However, the results did not provide the strength of support for pro independence parties as had initially been feared, suggesting some relief for the EUR.

Together with the failure to make any progress on the EU budget it is clear that there are still many layers of uncertainty lying ahead for European markets. Nonetheless, optimism appears to be winning the day as the EUR and peripheral bonds shake off such concerns. The risk going forward is that the market is hoping for too much, with the risk / reward dynamic skewed asymmetrically in the wake of any failure to reach agreement especially regarding Greece.

News of healthy US Thanksgiving spending will be followed by data releases this week that are set to provide further signs of improvement although markets will remain focussed on any progress towards resolving the fiscal cliff. An upward revision to US Q3 GDP, gains in durable goods orders, and new home sales in October will provide encouraging news contributing to a tone of firmer risk appetite. This will be echoed by the Fed’s Beige Book.

Economic news in Europe (expected lower economic sentiment index) and in Japan (fourth consecutive decline in industrial production) will highlight the comparative outperformance of the US economy while adding pressure for more aggressive policy measures elsewhere.

The net FX impact of the market’s optimism is to sell USDs leaving it vulnerable in an environment of improving risk appetite. Nonetheless, given that the market is now pricing in a resolution to several of the issues noted above, USD weakness may prove limited from current levels. EUR/USD is set to face resistance around the 1.3023 level while USD/JPY will face strong resistance around 83.20.

Asian currencies have benefitted from the firmer tone to risk appetite (most except IDR and INR are strongly correlated to risk) but gains have been limited over the past week as central banks in the region increasingly resist further strength. The lack of upward trajectory in the CNY has been a key driver for the slower pace of appreciation of Asian currencies over recent days and I expect this trend to continue.

China may even countenance some softening in the CNY into year end suggests limited upside for Asian currencies into year end despite a firmer risk tone. The INR remains the major underperformer, with the currency continuing to suffer from domestic considerations, and benefitting the least from any improvement in risk appetite.

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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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