Tag Archive: Australia
Japan Drives Home Message
Overview: The US dollar is mixed, but the
spotlight is on the Japanese yen. It appears that with the market challenging
Monday's intervention, Japanese officials entered the market shortly after the
US equity market closed yesterday, as the Asia Pacific session got underway and
sold dollars again. Initial estimates suggest the intervention amount was
two-thirds of Monday's. The timing caught the markets wrongfooted. Tokyo
markets are closed Friday...
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Yen Retreats, while Stronger EMU GDP Underscores Nascent Recovery and Lifts the Euro
Overview: Stronger than expected eurozone GDP
strengthened the sense that a nascent recovery may be taking hold and has given
the euro a bid in the European morning. The dollar, though, is enjoying a
firmer tone against the other G10 currencies today. Australia's unexpected
weakness in retail sales has weighed on the Antipodean currencies. The Aussie
and Kiwi are off slightly more than 0.5% today. Japanese data were mixed (a
recovery in industrial...
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US Employment Data to Set Dollar’s Course
Overview: The
focus is squarely on the US employment report. At the risk of oversimplifying,
given the position adjustment in the past 48 hours, a solid report can see the
greenback recover, while a disappointing report will likely see it deepen the
correction of the rally that began with the February jobs report. The dollar
recovered in the North American afternoon yesterday and many observers
attributed it to the bevy of Fed comments. Yet, the...
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Greenback Losses Extended, but Look for Consolidation in North America
Overview: The softer-than-expected ISM services report caught the market leaning the wrong way. Although interest rates had a muted reaction, the dollar was sold. In fact, the Dollar Index saw its second-biggest loss of the year, falling by about 0.50%. ISM services prices paid increases moderated to their slowest since March 2020. Supplier deliveries improved to their best since 2009, suggesting a supply chain improvement. Still, the Fed funds...
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Rate Adjustment Underpins Greenback
Overview: The adjustment to US interest rates
continues and this helps underpin the US dollar. The 10-year yield rose to
4.40% yesterday, the highest it has been since last November. It is trading
4.34%-4.38% today. The two-year yield is firm though holding below the Q1 high
set last month near 4.75%. This week, for the first time since last October,
the Fed funds futures do not have at least a quarter point cut discounted for
July. As recently as...
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Heightened Threat of Japanese Intervention Pushes Greenback Away from JPY152
Overview: The dollar neared JPY152, setting a new
34-year high. This appeared to spur a senior official meeting in Tokyo,
ostensibly to talk about the response. Previously, we suggested that Friday,
when most markets outside of Asia will be closed, could provide an interesting
opportunity for intervention. The implicit threat was enough to take the dollar
to JPY151.10 in the European morning. Most of the G10 currencies are softer
against the dollar...
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Market Hears a Dovish Fed and Sells the Greenback
Overview: The Federal Reserve triggered a dollar
sell-off yesterday and follow-through selling was seen in Asia before
profit-taking emerged. That created a new dollar selling opportunity in early European
turnover. The FOMC revised up this year's growth forecast, shaved the
unemployment projection, and while maintaining the PCE deflator forecast, and
the median dot remained for three cuts this year. The soft-landing scenario was
underscored and...
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Dollar Jumps
Overview: A less hawkish Reserve Bank of New Zealand and a slightly softer than expected January CPI from Australia appears to have sparked a broad US dollar rally.
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While the Greenback has Tended to be Sold in Asia this Week, it has Recovered in North America
Overview: Amid a light news stream,
the dollar is mostly in narrow ranges against the G10 currencies. Leaving aside
the Norwegian krone, the others in a +/- 0.15% against the dollar today. We
note that the technical tone of the euro and sterling have improved withe the
five-day moving averages crossing above the 20-day moving averages. On the
other hand, the dollar is approaching the year's low set last week near
JPY150.90. Emerging market...
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Risk On, Dollar Sold
Overview: The
post-close rally in US tech stocks after Nvidia's earnings has fueled risk-on
activity today. The Nikkei closed at record highs with a 2.2% rally. China's
CSI rose for the eighth consecutive session as official discourage sales at the
open and close, and short sales in general. Europe's Stoxx 600 is up more than
0.5% to recoup the small losses seen in the last two sessions. US indices are
poised to gap higher at the open. Benchmark...
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China’s CSI 300 Rises for Seventh Consecutive Session and Offshore Yuan Strengthens for the Sixth Session
Overview: The dollar is trading quietly
after being sold yesterday. It is still soft against the dollar bloc and the
Swiss franc but is firmer against the other G10 currencies. Narrow ranges have
dominated. Emerging market currencies are mixed, with central European
currencies and the Taiwan dollar trading softer. The offshore Chinese yuan is
firmer for the sixth consecutive session. The highlights of today's North
American session features minutes...
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Divergence Highlighted by Back-to-Back Quarterly Contractions in Japan and the UK but Little FX Reaction
Overview: There has been a string of disappointing economic news today. Japan's economy surprisingly contracted in Q4 23 and the Q3 contraction was a little deeper than initially estimates. Australia's jobs growth was weaker than expected and unemployment rose to 4.1%, matching the highest since November 2021.
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Japanese Officials Weigh-In and Help Yen Stabilize, while Euro and Sterling Extend Losses
Overview: The market's reaction to the firmer than expected
January CPI seems exaggerated. We do not think it was the game-changer for the
Federal Reserve that the market seemed to think. The dollar was driven higher,
and it is stabilizing today, though the euro and sterling extended their
losses, most of the other G10 currencies did not. After the yen's six-week
slide did not elicit a response from Japanese officials, yesterday's drop did,
and...
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Sterling Buoyed by Labor Market Report Ahead of US CPI
Overview: The US dollar is enjoying a mostly firmer bias ahead
of today's CPI report. Sterling is the strongest among the G10 currencies after
a more resilient than expected labor market report. The dollar extended its
gains against the Japanese yen to a new high since last November, but the
market seems cautious as it approaches JPY150, where large options expire today.
On the other hand, emerging market currencies are mostly faring better. The...
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The US Dollar and Rates Rise Further
Overview: The US dollar and interest rates have continued to
rise after the strong employment report before the weekend helped drive home the
Fed's message at last week's FOMC meeting. The greenback has been bid to new
highs for the year against the G10 currencies but the Canadian dollar. The
dollar also rose to a marginal new high for the year against the Chinese yuan. Interest
rates are jumping, and the market has downgraded the chances of a May...
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The Euro and Australian Dollar Take Out January Lows to Start the New Month
Overview: Federal Reserve Chair push against
speculation of a March rate cut as explicitly as could be imagined at
yesterday's press conference lifted the dollar, while weighing on stocks. US
regional banks sold off sharply yesterday, and challenges emanating from US
real estate adversely impacted a Japan's Aozora Bank and Deutsche Bank
quadrupled its loss provisions for such exposure. The greenback remains bid. The
euro and Australian dollar have...
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US Tech Sell-Off Challenges Risk Appetites Ahead of the FOMC
Overview: Ahead of the US Treasury's quarterly
refunding announcement and the outcome of the FOMC meeting, the dollar is
trading higher against all the G10 currencies. With US high-flying tech stocks
posting steep losses after disappointing earnings reports, the currencies most
sensitive to risk-appetites, the dollar bloc and the Norwegian krone are the
weakest. Emerging market currencies are mixed. The South African rand,
Philippine peso, and...
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EMU Q4 23 GDP Stagnates, Underscoring Divergence with the US
Overview: The US dollar is mixed ahead of the start
of the FOMC meeting and is mostly in its recent ranges. The euro, which was
sold below $1.08 yesterday for the first time since mid-December is holding
above it today. The less-than-expected projection of US Treasury borrowing
requirements for Q1 and Q2 weighed on US rates, which, in turn, dragged the
greenback lower against the yen. It is trading near a four-day low, a
little above JPY147.00. The...
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PBOC Cuts Reserve Requirements, but USD Pullback may offer New Buying Opportunity in North America
Overview: After a strong showing yesterday, the
dollar was sold in Asia and Europe. China announced a cut in reserve
requirements and took more informal action to support the stock market, which
encouraged risk-taking. Yet, the dollar's decline has stretched intraday
momentum indicators, which may provide early operators in North America a new
dollar buying opportunity. The ECB and Norway's central banks meet tomorrow,
and the US reports its first...
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Dollar Rally Pauses, but Fuel from Interest Rate Adjustment may not be Complete
Overview: This week's dollar surge is consolidating
today. Interest rates have steadied, but the adjustment, which involves pushing
the first rate from March toward June does not appear complete. This suggests
the dollar's recovery from last November-December's sell-off may not be
complete either. Today, though, it is a little firmer against all the G10
currencies but the Swiss franc. Most emerging market currencies are also
trading with a slightly...
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