US dollar soft ahead of retail sales

February 13, 2014 — Mitul Kotecha

The USD has lost a fair bit of ground in February failing to benefit from a renewed rise in US Treasury yields. A more positive risk environment recently has undermined some of the demand for USDs while some negative data surprises such as the ISM manufacturing survey and non farm payrolls have also weighed on demand for the USD.

The release of January retail sales data today will give another opportunity to gauge the path of consumption at the turn of the year but unfortunately for the USD a relatively flat outcome for sales will provide little rationale to buy the currency. The consensus expectation is for headline retail sales to post a 0% monthly reading, while sales ex autis is likely to rise by a measly 0.1%.

In the near term this implies little potential for a USD rebound but over but over coming weeks I expect the USD to rally in line with higher US yields. USD index (DXY) is likely to flatline around the 80 level in the coming sessions before rallying over coming weeks.

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A further blow to risk appetite

February 4, 2014 — Mitul Kotecha

Amid a market that is already very nervous the much weaker than expected US ISM manufacturing confidence index (51.3 versus 56.0 consensus) taken together with the weaker Chinese non manufacturing purchasing managers index (53.4 versus 54.6 prior) dealt another blow to risk appetite.

Consequently the VIX fear gauge has spiked to its highest level since the end of 2012 and our risk barometer has moved swiftly into risk hating territory. US Treasury yields have continued to drop, with the 10 year yield having slid by around 45 basis points so far this year.

Suffice to say investors should steer clear of risk assets over the short term as the turmoil does not look like it will be over anytime soon. A combination of tapering, a confluence of country specific emerging market country concerns and weaker growth in China provide the backdrop for a volatile few weeks if not longer, ahead.

The main event today is the Reserve Bank of Australia meeting where we look for no change in policy. However, the key events of the week are yet to come, with the European Central Bank and Bank of England policy decisions and US January jobs report all on tap over coming days. In brief, no change in policy is expected from either central bank and payrolls are expected to come in around 200k.

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USD finding support, AUD slipping

March 6, 2012 — Mitul Kotecha

US bond yields look relatively well supported and in turn this is providing a degree of support for the USD. In this respect the firmer than consensus reading in a gauge of service sector activity, the February US ISM non-manufacturing survey (57.3 versus 56.8 in January) which contrasted with relatively weak service sector purchasing managers’ indices (PMI) in Europe, helped to maintain the healthy yield differential between the US and German bunds.

Combined with the generally ‘risk off’ sentiment pervading markets, in part due to the weaker PMI data, the USD looks to be in good form early in the week. The next market mover will be Wednesday’s ADP jobs report (a measure of jobs growth in the services sector), which will provide clues to Friday’s February non-farm payrolls outcome. In the meantime the fact that the speculative market (IMM) is positioned short USD (for the first time since September 2011) suggests that the room for further USD selling looks limited, with the USD index looking well supported above 79.00.

AUD and other high beta currencies lost more ground in the wake of the drop in the Chinese non-manufacturing PMI in February. AUD remains highly reactive to Chinese data releases given the high and growing exposure of Australia’s economy to China. Given the likelihood of a soft landing in China this year, the medium term damage to the AUD will be limited and I stil look for AUD/USD to reach 1.10 by year-end.

Over the near term however, there is scope for more AUD downside but much will depend on the outcome of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) policy meeting. Expectations of rate cuts have diminished following recently better data and a less dovish statement at the last RBA meeting. A relatively benign statement will offer the AUD little support, leaving AUD exposed to a drop to technical support to just under 1.06 versus the USD.

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US dollar remains under pressure

January 30, 2012 — Mitul Kotecha

Hopes of progress on the Eurozone debt crisis and encouraging data in the US have helped boost market confidence. However, the slightly disappointing US Q4 GDP report (2.8% Qoq annualised growth) revealed the markets continued vulnerability while Fitch’s downgrade of six Eurozone countries’ sovereign ratings brought a dose of reality back to the region.

Nonetheless, the Eurozone Central Bank (ECB) unlimited 3-year loans to banks and Fed hints at quantitative easing (QE3) have provided markets with a fillip and will help underpin risk assets over coming weeks. If Greek debt talks are wrapped up this week markets will take further solace but the European Union (EU) Summit beginning today will need to deliver on rubber stamping recent agreements for positive sentiment to be maintained.

This is a big week for US data releases and in turn the USD. Heavy weight data including January non-farm payrolls, ISM manufacturing confidence and consumer confidence readings are on tap over coming days. Although payrolls will not be as strong as in December the trend of data releases will continue to be one of improvement as likely to be revealed in the forward looking confidence surveys this week.

The USD may not benefit as much as it would otherwise have done given that the Fed has committed to easy monetary policy for a long while to come to end 2014. It is becoming increasingly clear that firmer activity data may still not prevent a further round of quantitative easing and attendant USD downside risks. Against this background a cautious stance on the USD over coming days is warranted, with the USD index likely to remain under near term pressure.

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IMF Hopes For Italy

November 28, 2011 — Mitul Kotecha

Following a week in which risk aversion increased further and equity markets fell sharply the start of this week looks a little steadier. Reports in the Italian press that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is readying a EUR 600 billion loan for Italy in the event of a worsening in the debt crisis may help to support markets as the week kicks off.

Moreover a report in the German press that German Chancellor Merkel and French President Sarkozy are preparing a fast track “Stability Pact” for euro countries similar to the Schengen agreement, that may be announced this week, will also help to steady market nerves. However, neither report has been confirmed suggesting that as usual the scope for disappointment is high. The sell on risk on rallies environment is likely to persist for a while longer despite such reports.

Liquidity is likely to thin further this week and scope for volatility is high given that there are plenty of events and data on tap. Included among these are debt auctions in Belgium and Italy today and France and Spain later in the week against the background where Germany’s failed bond auction last week has fuelled even more nervousness in bond markets. A European Finance Ministers meeting beginning tomorrow will also come under scrutiny, especially given the lack of progress so far on many issues including the issue of Eurobonds.

The key data of the week will arrive from the US, with the November jobs report, ISM manufacturing survey, Beige Book and consumer confidence reports scheduled for release. Following what appears to be strong Thanksgiving holiday weekend spending the US data will continue to show improvement although this may not be enough to stem speculation that the Fed is verging on buying of mortgage backed securities in a third round of quantitative easing.

Risk currencies have commenced the week in strong firm, with the EUR and AUD rallying. Any gain in the EUR will prove limited and unsustainable unless the weekend press reports are confirmed. EUR/USD will find upside resistance around the 1.3412 level, while the risk of a downside test of support around its October 4 low at 1.3146 remains high over coming days.

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