Tag Archive: Chile

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...

Read More »

Is the Market Putting on Risk Ahead of the Weekend?

Overview: The US dollar is trading with a softer bias. Among the G10- currencies, only the euro and Swiss franc are the laggards and are nearly flat. In shifting expectations, the market sees the Reserve Bank of Australia as the most likely to hike rates again, while the swaps market appears to be bringing forward cuts by the European Central Bank and the Bank of Canada. The Australian dollar is the strongest G10 currency today and this week. After...

Read More »

The Dollar and Oil Steady After Yesterday’s Advance

Overview: Bonds and stocks are mostly heavier today and the dollar has turned mixed. Oil prices are consolidating after soaring to new highs since late last year on the longer than expected extension of Saudi Arabia's extra cut of one million barrels a day. Since July, it has been extending it by one month at a time. Yesterday, it extended it through Q4. Russia, who had previously indicated intentions on reducing its exports by 500k barrels,...

Read More »

US Dollar Punches Higher

Overview:  Disappointing data in Asia and Europe has sent the greenback broadly higher. The strong gains posted before the weekend were mostly consolidated yesterday when the US and Canadian markets were on holiday. The rally resumed today. The Antipodeans and Scandis have been hit the hardest (-0.7% to -1.25%) but all the G10 currencies are down. The Swiss franc and yen are off the least (-0.35%-0.45%), and the euro and sterling have taken out...

Read More »

The Greenback Continues to Struggle

Overview: There is a nervousness that hangs over the capital markets. Although US banks shares recovered at the end of last week, many continue to see the sector’s challenges as the harbinger of a dramatic reversal in the Fed’s stance. America’s debt ceiling looms large and could be a few weeks away. China led Asia Pacific bourses higher, and, ironically, its bank shares extended their rally. Japan, returning from last week’s holiday was notable...

Read More »

Bank of England Steps in to Buy Inflation-Linked Bonds for the First Time

Overview:  The dollar continues to ride high. It reached its highest level against the yen since the recent intervention. The Canadian dollar has fallen to its lowest level in two-and-a-half years and the New Zealand dollar is approaching the 2020 extreme.

Read More »

Weekly Market Pulse: The Real Reason The Fed Should Pause

The Federal Reserve has been on a mission lately to make sure everyone knows they are serious about killing the inflation they created. Over the last two weeks, Federal Reserve officials delivered 37 speeches, all of the speakers competing to see who could be the most hawkish.

Read More »

The Yen and Yuan Continue to Weaken

While the US dollar appears to be consolidating its recent gains, the Japanese yen and Chinese yuan remain under pressure. Officials seem more concerned about the pace of the move than the level it has reached. New and large fiscal initiatives that the new UK government has floated has failed to change sentiment toward sterling, which is the second weakest major currency today after the Japanese yen.

Read More »

What Happened Monday

The US and Canada may have been on holiday on September 5, but the world waits for no one and there were several significant developments. First, Gazprom's decision to indefinitely suspend gas shipments through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline announced before the weekend saw the European natgas benchmark soar 23.7.

Read More »

Euro Parity Holds ahead of US CPI

Overview: The US dollar is consolidating with a slight downside bias ahead of the June CPI report. The euro held above $1.00 but is still pinned in the trough. The rate hike by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand failed to have much impact.

Read More »

The Greenback Bounces Back

Overview: After modest US equity gains yesterday, the weaker yen and Beijing’s approval of 60 new video games helped lift most of the large markets in the Asia Pacific region.

Read More »

Calmer Markets: Hope Springs Eternal

Overview:  Interest rates continue to rise, but equities are looking through it today and the dollar is drawing less succor.  Asia Pacific equities were mostly higher.  With half of Shanghai in lockdown, Chinese equities were unable to join the regional advance.  Europe's Stoxx 600, led by energy and consumer discretionary sectors, is rising for the third consecutive sessions. US futures have a small upward bias. 

Read More »

FX Daily, January 26: Federal Reserve and Bank of Canada Meet as Risk Appetites Stabilize

After a slow and mixed start in Asia, where Australia and India are on holiday, equity markets have turned higher.  Europe's Stoxx 600 is up around 1.9% near midday in Europe, which if sustained would be the biggest gain of the year.  US futures are snapping backing too, with the S&P 500 popping more than  1% and NASDAQ by 2%. 

Read More »

No Turnaround Tuesday for Equities?

Overview:  Activity in the capital markets is subdued today, ahead of tomorrow's FOMC meeting conclusion and the ECB meeting on Thursday.  The MSCI Asia Pacific equity index fell for the third consecutive session.  European bourses are heavy after the Stoxx 600 posted an outside down day yesterday. Today would be the fifth consecutive decline. Selling pressure on the US futures indices continues after yesterday's losses.  Australia and New Zealand...

Read More »

Central Bank Fest

Next week is the last big week of the year, and what a week it will be:  Five major central banks meet and at least nine from emerging market countries.  Norway's Norges Bank is the most likely major central bank to hike its key (deposit) rate (December 16).  It would be the second hike of the year.  The economy is enjoying a solid recovery, and headline inflation rose to 4.6% in November, its fastest pace since 2008.  The underlying rate, which...

Read More »

FX Daily, October 11: Rate Expectation Adjustment Continues

Overview:  Equities are softer and yields higher to start the new week.  The dollar is mixed.  Oil and industrial metals are higher. There are several developments over the weekend, but the focus seems to be on central bank action, inflation reports by the US and China, and the start of the Q3 earnings season. 

Read More »

FX Daily, July 15: Strong Gains in US CPI and PPI Don’t Stop the Bond Market Rally

Strong inflation prints this week have not prevented the long-term US interest rates from tumbling. The 10-year yield is about 10 bp lower than where it closed on Tuesday after the lackluster 30-year auction. The 30-year yield itself is 11 bp lower.

Read More »

FX Daily, July 14: RBNZ Moves Ahead of the Queue, Will the Bank of Canada Maintain its Place?

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand jumped to the front of the queue of central banks adjusting monetary policy by announcing the end of its long-term asset purchases. New Zealand's s 10-year benchmark yield jumped seven basis points, and the Kiwi is up almost 1%, to lead the move against the greenback today.

Read More »

FX Daily, July 13: Headline US CPI may Decline for the First Time in a Year

New record highs in the US S&P 500 and NASDAQ coupled with China allowing Tencent to acquire a search engine helped lift Asia Pacific equities. It is the first back-to-back by MSCI's regional index for more than two weeks. Australia's market was a notable exception.

Read More »

FX Daily, July 12: Markets Adrift ahead of Key Events

The new week has begun quietly. The dollar is drifting a little higher against most major currencies, with the Scandis and dollar-bloc currencies the heaviest. The yen and Swiss franc's resilience seen last week is carrying over.

Read More »