Caution ahead of EU Summit

June 25, 2012 — Mitul Kotecha

Risk appetite has continued to firm over the last few weeks although notably risk is still elevated compared to the the levels seen in May, suggesting that there is some way to go before risk appetite normalises. Improving risk appetite perhaps reflects rising expectations of a credible set of solutions to the Eurozone crisis but various summits and official meetings including the G20 meeting have failed to deliver anything of this nature.

Attention will turn to the EU Summit on 28-29 June where various issues ranging from debt mutualisation to fiscal and banking union as well as a potential renegotiation of Greece’s bailout terms, will be discussed. Markets are likely to remain relatively range bound ahead of the Summit.

There are also plenty of data releases to contend with over coming days including new home sales, consumer confidence and durable goods orders in the US as well as flash CPI inflation estimates, economic confidence gauges and Italian debt auctions in the Eurozone. Japan will release inflation data too and industrial production data.

On balance US data will continue to outperform although consumer confidence is likely to slip in June. In Europe, confidence indices will reveal some further deterioration in June, while in Japan weak industrial production and a drop in monthly inflation will maintain the pressure on policymakers to act in the country.

The USD will continue to find support from the fact that the Fed did not implement more quantitative easing but firmer risk appetite will cap the ability of the USD to strengthen much from current levels. It is notable that the USD long positions dropped sharply according to IMM data ahead of the Fed meeting but it is likely that Fed QE inaction will result in some rebuilding of USD longs.

In any case, given the uncertainty ahead of the EU Summit it is unlikely that the EUR will break out of its current ranges. Notably there was a major bout of EUR short covering last week, with EUR/USD shorts dropping sharply according to the IMM data. Hopes ahead of the EU Summit may encourage more short covering but as usual scope for disagreement and disappointment on many fronts, suggests that investors should not become overly bullish. EUR/USD will find some initial resistance around 1.2583 to any upside.

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Risk currencies under pressure

May 9, 2012 — Mitul Kotecha

Risk aversion continues to edge higher. This spells more bad news for risk/high beta currencies including many highly correlated currencies such as AUD, NZD and emerging market currencies.

Greece’s travails have come back to haunt markets and the inability to form a government puts at risk the whole bailout programme and possibly Greece’s ability to stay within the Eurozone. A failure to form a government will mean fresh elections in mid June and a delay in aid disbursements.

EUR/USD began the European session below the 1.30 level but I’m not convinced its heading much lower in the short term. The fact that the market is highly short (looking at the CFTC IMM data) means that positioning has already become very negative. Moreover, as in past months, there is plenty of inherent demand for EUR below this level. The better option is to play EUR weakness on the crosses.

UK economic news was soft overnight with the BRC retail sales survey plunging by 3.3%. GBP has acted as a semi safe haven against the background of the current Eurozone malaise but the data highlights that the job of the Bank of England is not particularly clear cut. No action is expected at tomorrow’s policy meeting leaving GBP reasonably well supported.

Safe haven currencies remain favoured, leaving the likes of the USD, JPY and CHF well supported. My quant models point to more short term downside for USD/JPY with a further decline below 80 remaining in place. One other currency that looks relatively attractive is the CAD. Relatively favourable fundamentals highlight the potential for CAD outperformance on the crosses

AUD downside remains intact and a drop below parity with the USD looms. A relatively austere budget after Prime Minister Gillard dropped a corporate tax cut has opened the door to potentially bigger easing from the RBA. While a lot of easing is already priced in the market will react by pricing in more cuts. Moreover, with a likely soft jobs report expected tomorrow and AUD’s susceptibility to risk aversion it all spells more weakness for AUD.

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Euro decline limited, AUD under pressure

March 23, 2012 — Mitul Kotecha

EUR looks like it’s going nowhere fast, with the currency failing to break above 1.33 versus the USD. Nonetheless any drop will be limited as there will be plenty of support for EUR/USD around the 1.30 level. Such support may be required following the disappointing reading for the Eurozone March flash purchasing managers index (PMI) and renewed growth worries even in Germany.

Moreover, there have been plenty of scare stories about ongoing problems in the Eurozone, centring on Portugal and Spain and even speculation of a third Greek bailout being needed at some point.

However, the reality is that the market has reduced its attention on Eurozone debt issues for the time being. Once the latest bout of risk aversion passes, this ought to allowing the EUR some room to push higher, with my short term models highlighting the scope for EUR/USD to edge back towards 1.35 over coming weeks.

AUD has been pummelled this week, alongside its neighbour NZD. Growth worries in China compounded by a weaker than expected March China PMI has piled on the pressure, especially on AUD where economic conditions are increasingly linked with China. My quantitative models highlight ongoing short term downside risks to both AUD and NZD.

However, declines in these currencies will provide better levels to eventually buy as I remain bullish in the medium term even though my valuation metrics reveal that both currencies remain overvalued. My view is built on the prediction that risk appetite will improve further this year, a boon to high beta currencies such as AUD and NZD. Additionally as yield gains importance and carry trades gain attraction AUD will look particularly attractive.

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US dollar on a firm footing

March 12, 2012 — Mitul Kotecha

The stronger than expected US February jobs report (227k versus 210k consensus) and the Greek debt swap should by rights have set a positive tone to markets this week. Unfortunately this is not the case and cautious is set to prevail, with sentiment dampened in part by China’s wider than expected $31.5 billion trade deficit posted in February.

Officials in Europe are set to finalise Greece’s second bailout today but sentiment is unlikely to be boosted as various concerns creep into the market. Growing scepticism about the fact that the Greek bailout fails to correct the country’s underlying problems, worries about whether Portugal will follow in Greece’s wake, fiscal slippage in Spain and the Irish referendum, all point to ongoing tensions in the weeks ahead.

The Federal Reserve FOMC meeting takes centre stage over coming days while data releases including retail sales, industrial production and manufacturing surveys will also prove important for USD direction. The USD reacted positively to the lack of quantitative easing (QE) hints by Fed Chairman Bernanke recently and the stronger than expected February jobs report has reinforced this view.

The USD starts the week on a firm footing but could face renewed pressure if the FOMC statement proves to be more ambiguous on the issue of QE. US data releases will reinforce signs of economic recovery and if they play into a ‘risk on’ tone the USD could suffer. We believe this is unlikely however, with risk assets set to correct lower over coming weeks, playing positively for the USD.

Having rallied following the growing optimism over the Greek PSI debt swap the EUR will find limited support in the days ahead. News of 85.8% participation will have come as relief but the use of collection action clauses (CAC) is not so positive. At least finalisation of the second Greek bailout will now move ahead, with officials set to rubber stamp the deal today.

Data releases such as the March German ZEW survey tomorrow will highlight the sharp turnaround in investor confidence following the ECB’s LTRO and progress on Greece. This would usually bode well for the EUR. However, it is already proving to be a case of buy on rumour, sell on fact outcome for the currency. Potential for a drop below support around EUR/USD 1.3055 is growing as the USD builds momentum.

Following February’s surprise decision by the Bank of Japan to expand its asset purchases and set an inflation goal, the outcome of the policy meeting on Tuesday will deliver few punches. Having weakened in the wake of the last BoJ meeting, partly as a result of higher US bond yields relative to Japan, the JPY threatens to pull back against the USD to support around 80.50.

Improved risk appetite has helped to maintain some pressure on the JPY but this impact ought to prove limited unless yield differentials continue to widen. While the BoJ’s actions will likely keep Japanese government yields supressed, JPY direction will continue to be dictated by the gyrations in US bond yields.

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The case for Swiss franc weakness

March 2, 2012 — Mitul Kotecha

EUR/CHF has continued to hug the 1.2000 ‘line in the sand’ enforced by the Swiss National Bank. CHF currently shows little sign of weakening although we continue to see risks of a higher EUR/CHF. Against the USD the CHF has been similarly stable but we look for USD/CHF to move higher eventually. The main imponderable is the timing of CHF weakness. Ongoing Eurozone doubts even after the agreement of a second bailout for Greece mean that the CHF remains a favoured destination for European money.

The outlook for EUR/CHF will depend on how the situation in the Eurozone develops. The recent agreement for a second Greek bailout received a muted reaction from markets, and there is a long way to go before confidence towards a resolution of the debt crisis can be fully restored. Assuming that there will be an eventual improvement in risk appetite, CHF will weaken given the strong correlation between EUR/CHF and risk over the past three months.

EUR/CHF has enjoyed a strong relationship with movements in interest rate differentials over the past few months, with both bond yields and interest rate futures. This implies that it will take a relative rise in German yields versus Swiss yields for EUR/CHF to move higher. This is certainly viable given the deterioration in Swiss economic data over recent months. Indeed, as reflected in the KoF Swiss leading indicator and manufacturing PMI data, the economy is heading downwards.

The threat of deflation has also increased in the wake of unwelcome CHF strength, which has left the currency extremely overvalued according to our measures of ‘fair value’. Growth will be weak this year but the economy may just avoid a negative GDP print. Against this background Swiss bond yields will remain low, along with policy rates. While the outlook for the Eurozone economy is not much better, bond yield differentials between the Eurozone and Switzerland are likely to widen, which will eventually help lead to a higher EUR/CHF exchange rate.

My blog posts will be less frequent over coming days as I am on a business trip to New York. Happy trading.

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