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Asian equities track Wall Street losses, ignores mildly firmer S&P 500 Futures, sluggish yields. China defends the zero covid policy while banks in Beijing intervene secretly. Light calendar, mixed concerns trouble traders but risk-off mood is likely to prevail. Equities in the Asia-Pacific region hold lower ground during the sluggish start to the week even as the market fears emanating from China, Indonesia and the US remain intact heading into Monday’s European session. While portraying the mood, the MSCI’s Index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan drops 1.42% whereas Japan’s Nikkei drops 1.31% by the press time. Among the many catalysts that drove the risk-off mood in Asia, headlines from China gained major attention as Chinese Prime Minister Xi Jinping defends his zero-covid policy and determination to add more artillery. On the same line could be the headlines suggesting the Chinese bank’s intervention. “China's major state-owned banks were spotted swapping yuan for U.S. dollars in the forwards market and selling those dollars in the spot market on Monday morning, six banking sources said,” per Reuters. With this, markets in China are mostly red, which in turn drags shares from Hong Kong, New Zealand and Australia. Elsewhere, Indonesia’s trade numbers came in mixed, mostly downbeat for September, but failed to impress the equity traders from Jakarta. Indonesia’s Exports for September came in at 20.28% compared to 27.91% market forecasts and 30.15% prior readings. Further details suggest that the Imports also dropped below 31.48% forecast and 32.81% previous readings to 22.02%. Even so, the Trade Balance improves to $4.99B compared to $4.84B market forecasts and $5.76B prior. On a broader front, S&P 500 Futures part ways from Wall Street losses while the Treasury bond yields seesaw around the multi-month high amid a light calendar and an absence of major data/events. It should be noted that oil prices also pare recent losses and weigh on the Asia-Pacific equities amid the White House pressure on the OPEC+ members to halt/delay the latest supply cut actions. Moving on, the US economic calendar is likely to remain empty throughout the week and may limit the market’s moves. However, pessimism surrounding China may exert downside pressure on the Asia-Pacific markets.

China's 20th Party Congress remains in focus - delays to data  In this article Macro outlook What to look out for: RBA minutes and China's Communist Party Congress Source: shutterstock Macro outlook Global markets: US stocks erased their losses from Friday’s session, opening higher and then trading quite flat until the close. The S&P500 rose 2.65% and the NASDAQ was up 3.43%. Falling bond yields may have helped restore some confidence, and this may have been helped by tailwinds from the UK Gilts market, where new Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, took an axe to the previous mini-budget and put the UK’s finances on a sounder footing. 30Y UK Gilt yields fell 40.2bp, the 10Y dropped 35.7bp and 2Y Gilt yields declined by 33.3bp. 10Y European government bond yields declined by about 8bp on average, while the 10Y US Treasury yield was down just 0.8bp. Equity futures suggest that the positive tone will persist into today’s trading, and this could help lift the EUR further. EURUSD rose to 0.9843 yesterday from about 0.972 and could be buoyed further if risk sentiment holds up. The AUD is trading just below 63 cents, after touching 0.6189 briefly yesterday. Cable has recovered all the way to 1.1356, though it looked as if it might hit 1.145 at one point yesterday. But the JPY seems to be looking at further weakness, missing out on the G-10 rallies, and edging ever closer to 150. The BoJ will be getting anxious after their recent jawboning seems to have fallen on deaf ears.  Asian FX has lagged behind the G-10 rally, and will likely pick up the slack today. Yesterday, the VND was the weakest of the Asia pack, dropping as the central bank widened the trading band to 5% (from 3%) on either side of the fixing rate. G-7 Macro: It is very quiet on the G-7 calendar today. Germany’s ZEW business survey is probably the main pick of the day. The expectations component of the survey is not far above the Global Financial Crisis low of -63.9, and could well push below that today. The consensus expects it to fall to -66.5. China: There are some delays to the economic data scheduled for release during the Party Congress. These include the customs export and import numbers, which were scheduled for release yesterday, as well as GDP, retail sales, industrial production, and fixed asset investment, which were previously scheduled for release today. We aren't concerned that the release in the data is because it is particularly weak. Although we don’t expect it to paint a particularly positive picture of the Chinese economy when it is eventually released. Rather, the delay suggests that the government believes that the 20th Party Congress is the most important thing happening in China right now and would like to avoid other information flows that could create mixed messages.   What to look out for: RBA minutes and China's Communist Party Congress New Zealand inflation (18 October) Australia RBA minutes (18 October) China GDP and activity data (18-31 October) US industrial production (18 October) Malaysia trade balance (19 October) US building permits and housing starts (19 October) Fed’s Bostic and Kashkari speak (19 October) Japan trade balance (20 October) Australia labour market data (20 October) China loan prime rate (20 October) Taiwan export orders (20 October) Bank Indonesia policy meeting (20 October) US initial jobless claims (20 October) Fed’s Evans, Bullard and Kashkari speak (20 October) New Zealand trade balance (21 October) Japan CPI inflation (21 October) South Korea advance trade data (21 October) Fed’s Jeferson, Cook and Bowman speak (21 October) TagsEmerging Markets Asia Pacific Asia Markets Asia Economics   Disclaimer This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more

Asian stocks were flashing green on the second day of trading, while Europe is poised to open in a similarly positive manner as sentiment continues to improve, albeit from very low levels. There’s still a strong feeling of a bear market rally about trading over the course of the last week. From the post-US-inflation rebound to what has now been a strong start to the week – in part driven by the UK’s decision to no longer shoot itself in the foot – nothing about this screams sustainable. Of course, the last couple of months have been tough for equity markets since peaking towards the end of the summer and a rebound of some kind was going to happen eventually. I’m just not convinced there’s much substance behind it as the economic landscape looks treacherous and we don’t even know if we’re at peak inflation and interest rate pricing yet. Those are substantial headwinds that will make any stock market rebound extremely challenging. RBA concerned about the outlook as it slows the pace of tightening The RBA minutes, along with comments from Deputy Governor Michele Bullock alluded to the outlook as contributing to the decision to slow the pace of tightening at the last meeting to 25 basis points. While the central bank will continue to hike rates in order to fight inflation – highlighting the broad-based pick-up in prices and higher wages – it’s clearly uneasy about the economic consequences and the lags in policy after hiking rates 2% over the course of four months since the summer. The Aussie dollar has not performed well in that time, falling around 15% from its June highs against the greenback, although it has rallied a little overnight. When will Japan intervene again? The yen remains under pressure despite desperate attempts by Japan to influence the currency markets through direct and verbal intervention. Last month’s intervention was substantial but short-lived and the commentary before and after has fallen on deaf ears. Overnight there was more of the same – “a high sense of urgency”, “will take appropriate action decisively” – and even a refusal to comment on whether the Ministry of Finance is conducting “stealth FX intervention”. If it is, it isn’t working particularly well, with the yen now very close to 150 against the dollar, a level that may make traders a little nervous. Another big intervention may soon be on the cards, although Japanese officials may be uneasy about the limited effectiveness of the last. What more can and will they do? The environment remains challenging Bitcoin has its sight set on $20,000 once more as it continues to bounce back from last week’s plunge. The sell-off occurred around the release of the US CPI data which could have sent it spiralling lower but risk appetite more broadly quickly bounced back and so did bitcoin. Whether it can continue to do so unless sentiment improves more sustainably is another thing. It continues to show resilience around $18,000 – $20,000 where it’s traded for most of the last couple of months but that may not be enough if risk appetite worsens again. For a look at all of today’s economic events, check out our economic calendar: www.marketpulse.com/economic-events/ This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.

Asian equities are displaying a mixed performance due to individual factors. Chinese investors are having anxiety ahead of PBOC’s monetary policy. Oil prices have printed a fresh two-week low amid escalating recession fears. Markets in the Asian domain are displaying a mixed response despite the strengthening of the risk-on mood in global markets. S&P500 futures have raised intermittent highs after two-consecutive bullish trading sessions. Rally in US markets is backed by a bumper start of the quarterly result season despite the headwinds of higher interest rates and soaring price pressures. At the press time, Japan’s Nikkei225 gained 0.63% and Nifty50 added 0.48% while ChinaA50 tumbled more than 1% and Hang Seng dived 1.20%. The US dollar index (DXY) has attempted a rebound move after sensing buying interest around the immediate cushion of 112.00. The rebound move seems less confident amid the absence of a risk-aversion theme. Further, investors are awaiting the release of the US Housing Starts data. The real estate catalyst could get impacted by soaring interest rates by the Federal Reserve (Fed). Meanwhile, Chinese investors have shifted their focus toward the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) monetary policy, which will be announced on Thursday. The central bank could adopt a dovish tone as economic prospects are deteriorating. The continuation of the zero Covid-19 policy by the Chinese administration to contain the epidemic and weak property sector needs monetary easing to get back on the growth track. On the oil front, oil prices have rebounded after printing a fresh two-week low at around $81.20. The rebound move could derail amid headwinds of the central bank's monetary policy tightening and escalating recession fears in the US. Rising US Treasury yields have bolstered the case of a recession situation in the coming months.

An escalation in the risk-off impulse has accelerated nervousness in Asian equities. An unchanged PBOC monetary policy has triggered a sell-off in China’s indices. Oil prices soar as EIA reported a decline in oil stockpiles by 1.725M barrels. Markets in the Asian domain are displaying a vulnerable performance following the weak trend from S&P500. Equities are facing an intense sell-off amid a firmer rebound in the risk-off sentiment. Upbeat returns on the US government bonds have dragged the risk-sensitive assets into a negative trajectory. The 10-year US Treasury yields have recorded a fresh 14-year high at 4.15%. Returns on US bonds have lured investors, which has resulted in the liquidation of equities. At the press time, Japan’s Nikkei225 tumbled 1.04%, ChinaA50 dropped almost 1%, Hang Seng plunged 1.66%, and Nifty50 eased 0.27%. When the mighty US sneezes other countries catch a cold. Weak economic prospects revealed in Federal Reserve (Fed)’s Beige Book triggered the risk-off market mood and a flight of safety to the US dollar index (DXY). The DXY pushed towards the round-level resistance of 113.00. At the time of writing, the DXY has slipped to near 112.80 as S&P500 futures have trimmed their losses, however, the sentiment has not turned positive yet. An announcement of an emergency bond-buying program worth $667 million by the Bank of Japan (BOJ) has triggered the risk of further weakness in the Japanese yen. The announcement followed commentary from Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in which he cited the risk of weaker economic prospects due to external demand shocks. Meanwhile, Chinese equities have witnessed an intense sell-off after the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) maintained the status quo by keeping Prime Lending Rate (PLR) unchanged. The one-year and five-year PLR remained steady at 3.65% and 4.30% respectively. On the oil front, oil prices have climbed above $85.00 firmly after the Energy Information Administration (EIA) disclosed in decline in oil stockpiles by 1.725M barrels last week ending October 16.

Gold rose during today's Asian trading session. This bullish momentum can be taken as basis when entering the market. Since a three-wave pattern (ABC) developed, where wave "A" represents the buying pressure, traders can enter the market by taking long positions to the 50% retracement level. Stop loss could be set at 1624, then exit the market on the breakdown of 1635 and 1683. This reversal is not accidental, but caused by USD/JPY testing the important psychological level of 150, which was prompted by the currency intervention of the Bank of Japan. This trading idea is based on the "Price Action" and "Stop Hunting" methods. Good luck and have a nice day! Don't forget to control the risks.   Relevance up to 10:00 2022-10-21 UTC+2 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/324831

Asia-Pacific equity markets grind lower amid lack of major data. China’s lockdown in Xi’an, multi-year high Treasury yields keep bears hopeful. Indian shares buck the trend amid strong earnings report. Wall Street closed lower on firmer US data, hawkish Fedspeak. Asian stock markets remain mostly lower as multi-year high Treasury bond yields join a lack of major data/events on Friday. Also negatively affecting the region’s equities are fears of higher inflation and central bank meddling to defend the respective currencies in Japan, China and India. Furthermore, fresh covid fears from China exert additional downside pressure on the market sentiment amid a sluggish session. While portraying the mood, MSCI’s Index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan prints 0.50% intraday gains whereas Japan’s Nikkei 225 drops to the same tune as we write. Elsewhere, India’s BSE Sensex adds 0.40% at the latest, following an upbeat start, amid firmer company earnings. “Indian shares opened higher on Friday, as strong earnings reports, including from Axis Bank, helped resist the weakness in global markets on fears of the impact of aggressive rate hikes from central banks on economic growth and corporate results,” stated Reuters. On the other hand, Chinese stock remains pressured after witnessing a corrective bounce the previous day as policymakers announce fresh covid-led lockdowns in Xi’an. “China locked down parts of the central metropolis of Xi’an, confining some of the city’s 13 million people to their homes for at least a week, and other major hubs are rolling out virus restrictions in a reinforcement of the country’s commitment to covid zero,” per Bloomberg. It should be noted that an eight-year high core Consumer Price Index (CPI) from Japan and looming fears of Tokyo’s meddling to defend the yen, as well as the same hopes from policymakers in China and India, keeps the risk appetite weak. Australia’s ASX 200 drops nearly 0.80% intraday as traders await the annual budget and expect downbeat growth and firmer inflation ahead. On the same line, New Zealand’s (NZ) NZX 50 also holds lower ground even as NZ trade numbers printed upbeat figures for September. On a broader front, the US 10-year Treasury bond yields refreshed a 14-year high the previous day, around 4.22% by the press time. Also, the two-year US Treasury yields rose to the highest levels since 2007 before recently taking rounds to 4.62%. It’s worth noting that Wall Street closed in the red following an initially upbeat performance while the S&P 500 Futures extend the previous day’s losses with 0.50% intraday downside at the latest. Also read: S&P 500 Futures pare weekly gains as yields dribble around multi-year high

Summary:  Equity markets feebly attempted another rally yesterday, but the headwinds of seemingly ever-rising yields proved too strong, sending the indices sharply back lower to the lowest close in three days. This is still a relatively firm performance, given the scale of the rise in yields. Elsewhere, the USDJPY 150.00 level only proved a barrier for about a day, as the weight of rising yields saw the price action spilling higher above this level, with no signs yet of fresh official intervention against JPY weakness.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Yesterday saw a session relatively like the prior one, as an early rally simply failed to find sustenance in the face of the ongoing grind higher in US treasury yields. Still, market sentiment seems remarkably quiet despite the strong headwinds of the 25-basis point jump in longer Treasury yields this week. Next week is an important one for equities as the earnings season hits its peak with most of the megacap companies in the US reporting earnings, with the price action currently buried in the middle of the two-week range ahead of today’s session. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIV2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index and CSI300 fluctuated in a narrow range and were down modestly. In Hong Kong, Chinese developers and China Internet stocks bounced. In mainland bourses, solar, wind power, education, nuclear power, and properties outperformed. General market sentiment is weak as U.S. bond yield risen to new highs and investors pondering the policy implications from the Chinese Communist Party’s National Congress. USD finds stride again on higher Treasury yields, USDJPY spilling above 150.00 The US dollar behaved rather oddly in recent sessions in trading sideways even as US treasuries continue to provide strong support for the currency. Hesitation yesterday from USD bulls may have been on concern that official intervention and choppy price action across USD pairs might await if USDJPY attempted to trade above the psychological 150.00 level. But that level fell late yesterday without any real fuss, trading nearly to 150.50. Still, while USDJPY moves are heavily correlated with the fresh rise in US Treasury yields, it’s interesting that another 50 basis point jump in long US treasury yields to new 14-year highs has not seen new cycle lows in EURUSD and many other USD pairs. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOZ2) Crude oil is among just a handful of commodities trading higher in a week that has seen another sharp jump in US bond yields drive down growth expectations. Crude and its related fuel products however continue to be supported by the risk of tightness driven by a period of supply uncertainty in the coming months as OPEC+ cuts supply, and the EU implements sanctions on Russian oil. In addition, uncertainty over Chinese demand as the zero Covid tolerance is being maintained and further incremental SPR sales of 15 million barrels will continue to weigh on prices in the short term. All developments, however, that are likely to keep crude oil rangebound for now, with Brent finding support below $90. Focus next week being earnings from six Big Oil companies, led by Exxon, Chevron and Shell. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold trades down 1.5% on the week close to key support at $1617, the September low and 50% retracement of the 2018 to 2022 rally. A second week of weakness being driven by an across the curve surge in US treasury yields with the ten-year yield rising 23 basis points on the week to 4.25%. Hawkish Fed comments and no signs of economic data showing the much-needed slowdown, has seen the market price in a Fed funds rate above 5% by early next year. The exodus from bullion backed ETFs has gathered pace this week as investors instead focus on increasingly attractive bond market yields, not least the two-year yield at 4.6% yield. Gold will likely continue to struggle until we reach peak hawkishness and/or the dollar starts to weaken. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields lifted all along the curve again yesterday, posting new highs for the cycle, with rises at the long end outpacing those at the short end, with the 2-10 inversion up to –37 basis points versus the cycle low below –50 bps in Sep and earlier this month. Traders are perhaps awaiting incoming data before trading shorter yields, now that the market has priced the Fed funds rate to reach above 5.00% by early next year (priced to do so at the March 2023 FOMC meeting). What is going on? UK Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned in a short statement yesterday … becoming the shortest serving Prime Minister in Britain’s history. She will stay in power until a new leader of the Conservative party can be chosen. The leading candidate is former Chancellor Rishi Sunak and other top contenders include Boris Johnson as the Conservative party has fallen to a record low in the polls against Labour. Japan inflation hits 3%, update to CPI forecasts expected next week Japan’s core inflation touched 3% levels for the first time in over 30 years, matching expectations. Headline inflation came in higher-than-expected at 3.0% y/y while core-core ex fresh food and energy) measure was up at 1.8% y/y from 1.6% y/y previously. The stark yen weakness can prompt further import price pressures in Q4 as well, and demand is likely to push higher as well with Japan reopening its borders from the pandemic restrictions. Bank of Japan meets next week, and while policy change is hard to expect, it is expected that the central bank will raise the CPI forecast for fiscal 2022 (year ending March) from 2.3% to high-2% range. UK Retail Sales volumes slide badly again in September Real (volume-based) sales were down for a second consecutive month at –1.4% MoM and –6.9% YoY, with the ex Petrol sales at –1.5% MoM and –6.2% YoY. China is considering reducing inbound quarantine The Chinese authorities are considering reducing the current 7 days in hotel plus 3 days at home quarantine requirement for people travelling into China to 2 days in hotel plus 5 days at home. While the move may be small in magnitude, and still not confirmed by the authorities, it may have signaling power in terms of more flexibility in the day-to-day implementation of the zero Covid policy which is constraining consumption, investment and tourism.Snap earnings send tech earnings fear soaringSnap (SNAP:xnys) plunged 26.5% in the after-hour trading, following the company reported Q3 revenues growth at 6% Y/Y, largely in line with street estimates, but said its internal forecast for the Q4 revenues growth is decelerating to about flat year on year (vs market expectations of +6% Y/Y). The social media company said that they are finding “advertising partners across many industries are decreasing their marketing budgets, especially in the face of operating environment headwinds, inflation-driven pressures, and rising costs of capital.” Gas prices in Europe and US see steep weekly declines US natural gas futures are heading for their longest stretch of weekly declines since 1991 as stockpiles continue to build at a faster than expected pace ahead of winter. The November (NGX2) front month contract trades down by 18% on the week and down 44% since the August peak, driven by mild autumn weather and rising production. In addition, the Freeport LNG export terminal explosion on June 8 has reduced exports, and the terminal will open in November at 85% capacity. In Europe, the TTF price trades down 10% has bounced strongly after almost reaching €100/MWh earlier in the week, a level we do not expect to be challenged until later in the winter when demand becomes more visible. With prices falling and almost full inventories, the political resolve to introduce a price cap has faded, hence the bounce. What are we watching next? US is considering national security reviews of Elon Musk business activities ... according to unnamed sources in a Bloomberg story. These would include the acquisition of Twitter and SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network. Musk has expressed his view on the war in Ukraine and investors in his Twitter takeover include Saudi and Chinese individuals. Tesla also has a strong presence in China, an awkward situation as the US has moved recently to cut off China’s access to advanced semiconductor tech. Market Fed rate expectations reach 5%, can they continue to rise? Early 2023 Fed rate expectations have now reached over 5%, with the Fed funds rate now fully pricing in a 75bps rate hike for the November meeting and a strong probability of another 75bps rate hike at the December meeting. While the Fed has reiterated it will continue to hike more next year before it pauses, market pricing is now running higher than the September FOMC dot plot forecasts. Some Fed speakers are starting to turn slightly cautious looking at the market pricing, with Charles Evans last night saying that if the Fed pushes its policy rate much further than planned it could start to weigh on the economy and says he is worried that at some point rate increases could have a non-linear impact with businesses becoming more pessimistic. Harker (2023 voter) and Cook reasserted that the Fed needs to continue to hike but will noted that the Fed can pause sometime next year to assess the impact of its tightening on the economy. Another fall in weekly jobless claims for the Oct 15 week continued to suggest labor market strength despite the disruptions from recent hurricanes. Earnings to watch Today’s earnings included the report from the world’s largest battery market CATL overnight, with a focus in the US session on consumer demand and consumption patterns in today’s American Express earnings report as well as the largest US oilfield services company Schlumberger. Today: CATL, American Express, Schlumberger, Verizon Communications, HCA Healthcare, Sika Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1230 – Canada Aug. Retail Sales 1340 – US Fed’s Evans to speak 1400 – Euro Zone Oct. Consumer Confidence Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-oct-21-2022-21102022

The third-term leadership of China’s XI Jinping has messed up Chinese and Hang Seng indices. S&P500 futures have extended their gains after an upbeat Friday. Oil prices have dropped amid escalating recession fears. Markets in the Asian domain are not tracking positive cues from S&P500 futures and are displaying terrible price movements. The risk-on sentiment has extremely firmed as 10-US Treasury yields have trimmed further to near 4.15%. Meanwhile, the US dollar index (DXY) is attempting to establish above 112.00 after a roller-coaster move. At the press time, Japan’s Nikkei225 gained 0.57%, ChinaA50 nosedived 2.93%, and Hang Seng witnessed a bloodbath. The index has erased 5.53%. Indian markets are closed on account of Diwali-Balipratipada. Chinese markets have witnessed an intense sell-off after the announcement of China’s XI Jinping's third leadership term.  Investors have dumped equities significantly amid soaring fears of economic slowdown as the Chinese leader could prefer ideology-driven policies even at the cost of economic growth. Apart from that, upbeat Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Trade Balance data have failed to fetch optimism for investors. Blood has spilled over the roads as indices in Hang Seng have witnessed a bloodbath. The continuation of China’s XI Jinping leadership has strengthened fears of an economic downturn. In Japan, gains in Nikkei225 are weak against the run-up recorded in S&P500. Potential intervention chatters from the Bank of Japan (BOJ) in the currency markets against disorderly yen moves have restricted the upside in Japanese equities. On the oil front, oil prices have dropped below the crucial support of $85.00 amid mounting global recession fears. In addition to the BOC, the BOJ and the European Central Bank (ECB) will announce their monetary policies. The BOJ may continue its ultra-loose stance while the ECB could tighten its monetary policy. An expectation of a fresh rate hike spell is weighing pressure on oil prices.

Summary:  Equities snapped back higher Friday to close the week on a positive note and near the highs for the week, perhaps as the persistent rise in US treasury yields finally reversed sharply intraday on Friday after posting new cycle highs. The positive mood carried over into the early Asian session overnight as yields fell further, but sentiment has soured again slightly ahead of the open of the European session today. The Japanese yen weakened after Friday’s wild rally from new multi-decade lows, a move that was likely intervention-driven. The week ahead will feature earnings reports from the largest US megacaps.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Strong equity session on Friday with S&P 500 futures closing at a weekly high and this morning the index futures briefly pushed above the 3,800 level which is quite startling given the price action out of China. Many of the large US companies have considerable revenue exposure to China, so there is a downside risk here to US companies as the increasing political risk premium on Chinese equities could impact valuation on US companies with large Chinse exposure. The falling US 10-year yield likely driven by safe-haven seeking flows is offsetting at the margin some of the headwinds for US equities, but the medium-term outlook remains negative. It is also a massive earnings season week in the US with most of the mega caps reporting earnings, so volatility could easily pick up during the week in the event that these earnings surprise to the downside. Hang Seng (HK50.I) In light of the events over the weekend in China with Xi Jinping drawing up a new leadership in China (see more in-depth analysis below), the Hang Seng Index is selling off 6.4% to price levels seen as far back as 2005; in the total return basis is not quite as bad. The equity valuation on Hang Seng Index has fallen to less than 8 on 12-month forward P/E ratio suggesting that a steep political risk premium is being built into Chinese equities. Chinese mainland shares are down 3.2% during the session likely reflecting the divergence in foreign ownership. Wild ride for JPY traders Friday, likely on intervention The yen spiked further to the downside as global bond yields continued to rise Friday, with USDJPY nearly reaching 152.00 before what may have been a powerful intervention from official Japanese sources took USDJPY as far south as sub-146.50 levels on Friday as bonds also found support. Japan’s finance minister Shunichi Suzuki said that the country is in a showdown speculators and can’t tolerate “excessive” moves in the JPY. The action has sprung back overnight, taking USDJPY back to the 149.00 area in early European trading today. Other USD pairs have moved in sympathy with the wild volatility in JPY, with sudden USD weakness late Friday following through in places overnight but reversing later in the session. Elsewhere in FX, sterling is bid on hopes of an orderly transition to a new prime minister, most likely Rishi Sunak. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOZ2) Crude oil has given back some of Friday’s weaker-dollar-driven gains as fears over the global economic outlook continues to offset OPEC+ production cuts and EU sanctions on Russian oil flows from early December. A batch of delayed economic data out of China and President Xi tightening his grip on the country also helped sour sentiment at the start of a new week. Overall, however, the oil market judging from the bullish curve structure remains tight signalling no easy path for those looking for lower prices. Focus this week on earnings from Exxon, Shell and their Big Oil peers. HG Copper trades near resistance in the $3.5lb area ... following an end of week rally that was triggered by a weaker dollar and softer yields (see below). A batch of data released by China overnight saw copper imports reach their second highest level this year and despite the current property market crisis, the metal is seeing rising demand in order to replenish low stock levels and from clean energy production which is taking hold even as China’s broader demand for commodities have seen a slowdown due to lower economic activity. Speculators have traded copper from the short side since April, and a break above $3.70 is likely to be the minimum requirement for that to change. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold reached $1670 overnight as Friday's rally extended into the Monday session, and apart from speculation about the timing of a peak-and-reversal in US treasury yields, it is the current wild ride in USDJPY that has got the algo’s going wild in both directions. While we maintain our long-term bullish view on gold and silver, the price action has yet to confirm a reversal. This despite the second failed attempt last week to break lower through key support at $1617. The exodus from bullion backed ETFs has gathered pace recently as investors instead focus on increasingly attractive bond market yields. Gold will likely continue to trade in a choppy fashion until we reach peak hawkishness and/or the dollar starts to weaken. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasury yields spiked further on Friday, with the 10-year treasury yield benchmark posting a remarkable 4.33% before treasuries finally found strong support, closing the day slightly below the prior day’s close of 4.22% and following through to 4.16% in early European trading today. Could this prove a climax peak-and-reversal in yields? We would need to see the yield work back down below 4.00% for a stronger indication. Noted “Fed whisperer” Nick Timiraos of the Wall Street Journal penned an article at the weekend suggesting that the Fed is preparing for a downshift in the pace of rate hikes by early next year (more below). US 2-year yields are also sharply lower from the Friday highs, having fallen some 20 basis points and trading near 4.43% this morning. What is going on? China’s Communist Party’s new leadership China’s General Secretary Xi lined up a team who deeply share his vision of the future of China and the blueprint of the governance model and development strategies that he had established to replace four of the seven members of the Chinese Communist Party’s Politburo Standing Committee, including Li Keqiang, Premier. The strategies of common prosperity, high-quality development, dual circulation, technology self-reliance, strengthening governance within the CCP, and deepening CCP’s leadership over all aspects of the country will continue. WSJ’s Nick Timiraos suggests the Fed is eyeing a slowdown in its pace of tightening Timiraos is widely considered to have solid access to Fed sources and in a piece released this Saturday, affirms the market view that the Fed may begin to downshift from the 75-basis point hike pace, perhaps already after the November meeting and eventually pause the tightening regime at some point early next year to offer time to assess the impact of the rapid pace of rate hikes, which took the Fed Funds rate from 0-0.25% as late as March of this year to a projected 4.25-4.50% after the December meeting. But he also notes the variety of opinions among Fed officials, some of whom are in favour of carrying on with the current pace of tightening and not wanting to signal any change in resolve as long as inflation persists anywhere near current levels. Philips in urgent restructuring laying off 4,000 employees The Dutch industrial conglomerate has been a mess for years and this morning the company is reporting revenue and EBITDA in line with estimates, but announcing a big restructuring of the company laying off 4,000 employees to improve profitability ahead of what the company expects to be more challenging times. What are we watching next? Former UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak may become next UK Prime Minister today Former PM Boris Johnson announced at the weekend that he will not run for leadership of the conservative party. The deadline to announce support from at least 100 Tory lawmakers is today at 14:00 UK time, with the only challenger to Sunak’s bid Penny Mordaunt, who may not have sufficient votes. Sunak has over 100 backers and will automatically become the next Prime Minister if Mordaunt can’t muster sufficient support for a run-off. Bank of Canada and ECB set to hike by 75 basis points this week On Wednesday, the Bank of Canada (BoC) is expected to hike interest rates by as much as 75 basis points, taking the policy rate to 4.00% if they do so, after a hotter than expected CPI print in September for Canada. On Thursday, the European Central Bank (ECB) will also further tighten its monetary policy to fight against widespread and persistent inflation. We think that the ECB will have no other choice but to send a hawkish message to the markets (meaning a 75-basis point interest rate hike) and signal further hikes to come, at least until February 2023. It is likely that the central bank will downshift interest rate hikes in December 2022 and in February 2023 to take into consideration the ongoing economic slowdown (which may end up in a recession). At this week’s meeting, the ECB governing council will also discuss two other matters: 1) Quantitative tightening and when/how it should start. But a final decision is not expected until December; 2) commercial banks’ early repayment of TLTRO (for Targeted Longer-term Refinancing Operations to provide financing at very low rates to credit institutions). Those two points are unlikely to be major market movers. Further pressure on Japan’s yield curve control? Last week, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) was forced to start emergency bond buying operations to maintain its yield curve control (YCC) policy. Pressure could remain high this week again. Several factors are pushing yields higher in Japan: highest inflation print since 1991, calls for very large wage increases and the continued upward migration in global yields, of course. Earnings to watch Around 430 earnings releases expected this week in the earnings universe that we cover during earnings seasons. Out of those more than 400 earnings releases, the most important ones are highlighted below. By the end of this week, we will have an adequate view into revenue growth, operating margin, and earnings growth on a both q/q and y/y basis. Today: Nidec, Philips, Cadence Design Systems Tuesday: First Quantum Minerals, Canadian National Railway, DSV, UPM-Kymmene, SAP, HSBC, ASM International, Norsk Hydro, Novartis, UBS, Kuhne + Nagel, Microsoft, Alphabet, Visa, Coca-Cola, Texas Instruments, UPS, Raytheon Technologies, General Electric, 3M, General Motors, Valero Energy, Biogen, Enphase Energy, Halliburton, Spotify Technology Wednesday: Dassault Systemes, Mercedes-Benz, BASF, Deutsche Bank, PingAn Insurance, CGN Power, UniCredit, Canon, Barclays, Standard Chartered, Heineken, Aker BP, Iberdrola, Banco Santander, SEB, Meta Platforms, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Bristol-Myers Squibb, ADP, Boeing, ServiceNow, Ford Motor, Twitter Thursday: ANZ, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Argenx, Shopify, Teck Resources, Neste, Kone, TotalEnergies, EDF, STMicroelectronics, PetroChina, China Life Insurance, CNOOC, Oriental Land, Shin-Etsu Chemical, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Hoya, FANUC, Shell, Lloyds Banking Group, Universal Music Group, Repsol, Ferrovial, Hexagon, Evolution, Credit Suisse, Apple, Amazon, Mastercard, Merck & Co, McDonald’s, Linde, Intel, Honeywell, Caterpillar, Gilead Sciences, Pioneer Natural Resources Friday: Macquarie Group, OMV, ICBC, China Merchants Bank, LONGi Green Energy Technology, Midea Group, Imperial Oil, Danske Bank, Sanofi, Airbus, Volkswagen, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of China, BYD, China Shenhua Energy, Eni, Keyence, Hitachi, Denso, Equinor, CaixaBank, Wilmar International, Swiss Re, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, AbbVie, NextEra Energy, Colgate-Palmolive, Royal Caribbean Cruises Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0715-0800 – Eurozone Oct. Flash Manufacturing and Services PMI 0830 – UK Oct. Flash Manufacturing and Services PMI 1230 – US Sep. Chicago Fed National Activity Index 1345 – US Oct. Flash Manufacturing and Services PMI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-oct-24-2022-24102022

Asian equities fail to track Wall Street amid mixed plays. Rishi Sunak’s victory in the UK PM race, softer PMIs allowed equity buyers to remain hopeful. Alleged meddling by Chinese officials to propel equities, BOJ’s “stealth intervention” fail to entertain traders. Yields remain pressured despite softer PMIs challenge hawkish central banks. Asia-Pacific equities seesaw around a 2.5-year low as fears emanating from China and Japan flash mixed signals to defend the stocks during early Tuesday. That said, a sharp jump in Chinese shares triggered fears of market intervention from Beijing, which in turn allowed traders to pare some losses. However, an absence of confirmation allowed equity bulls to pare some gains. Further, Japan’s stealth intervention also supported the Asia-Pacific equities. While portraying the mood, MSCI’s index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan drops 4.5% intraday to a 2.5-year low. However, Japan’s Nikkei 225 rises 1.2% while Chinese equities are on an average 1.0% up on a day. Amid these plays, Reuters stated that the Asian benchmark is nursing losses of nearly 32% so far this year, weighed by big falls in Hong Kong shares while emerging markets such as India and Indonesia have gained on improving growth prospects. The news also mentioned that reports of the size of transactions on Friday and Monday, and moves in USD/JPY, leave no doubt in the minds of most that intervention took place. That said, this new strategy leaves open the possibility of smaller, perhaps more frequent interventions, and could keep market participants cautious for longer. Elsewhere, the US Dollar Index (DXY) remains on the back foot around 111.85, taking rounds to intraday low while struggling to extend the week-start gains amid the mixed clues in the market and the downbeat US data, as well as an absence of Fedspeak. It should be noted that the US 10-year Treasury yields remain pressured around 4.21%, down two basis points (bps) while the US stock futures remain mildly offered. Also, stocks in the Asia-Pacific region are mostly negative led by China. Moving on, a light calendar could test equity traders amid an absence of the Fed speakers. Though, looming risks to the major economies and likely central bank aggression favors the gold sellers ahead of Thursday’s US Gross Domestic Product for the third quarter (Q3).

Asian indices have rebounded firmly despite the absence of support from S&P500 futures. The PBOC has intervened in currency markets to provide a cushion for the weakening yuan. The DXY is declining towards a two-week low at 110.76 while alpha on US government bonds has tumbled. Markets in the Asian domain have rebounded sharply after individual headwinds despite a vertical fall in the S&P500 futures. The 500-stock futures basket has tumbled 0.90% after a three-day buying spree as tech-giant Microsoft (MSFT) has trimmed its sales growth forecast by 5%. In the opinion of economists at Morgan Stanley, the rally in S&P500 could be extended well into the 4000/4150 area. Therefore, a decline in the US index could be considered a corrective move. At the press time, Japan’s Nikkei225 gained 0.84%, ChinaA50 jumped 1.15%, and Hang Seng soared 1.43%. Indian markets are closed on account of Diwali Balipratipada. Chinese markets have rebounded sharply as investors have shrugged off uncertainty that rose after China’s XI Jinping’s leadership for the third term got the green signal. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) intervened in currency markets to support the weakening yuan. Reports claim that Chinese state-owned banks sold U dollars both in onshore and offshore markets on Tuesday. Japanese investors have shifted their focus towards the interest rate decision by the Bank of Japan (BOJ), scheduled on Friday. BOJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda is expected to continue dovish tone on interest rates to safeguard the economy against external shocks. Prolonged weakness in the Japanese yen is impacting importers dramatically. Purchases of imported goods from oil to food products need US dollars for payouts, which are hurting firms that bank upon raw materials from foreign suppliers. On the US dollar index (DXY) front, the mighty DXY is displaying a sheer downside move after failing to sustain above the 111.00 hurdle.  The DXY is expected to surrender the two-week low of 110.76 amid overall optimism in market spirit. The 10-year US Treasury yields have dropped further to 4.08%.

Summary:  The ECB rose its key rate to 1.5% from 0.75% and signaled it is making progress in the fight against inflation. The US economy grew 2.6% on an annualized basis last quarter after two declines in a row, beating consensus as personal consumption rose more than forecast. The Nasdaq 100 & S&P 500 ended 1.6% and 0.6% lower, with Amazon falling 13% after hours, while the Dow Jones lifts, boosted by McDonald’s and Boeing. Crude oil climbs above $89, while iron ore falls to its lowest level since 2020. Asian equity futures mostly trade lower. Australia’s ASX200 opens 0.6% lower today, but tracks 2% higher this week, supported by commodity stocks and Macquarie beating forecasts. What’s happening in markets?     Need to know  The ECB rose its key rate to 1.5% from 0.75% and signaled it is making progress in the fight against inflation. Officials dropped a reference to hikes continuing for "several meetings," while saying they expect further action. Christine Lagarde emphasized that more increases were on the way: "We still have ground to cover." Money markets pared tightening wagers by as much as 20 bps, and European stocks erased losses. The US economy grew 2.6% on an annualized basis last quarter after two declines in a row, beating consensus as personal consumption rose more than forecast. The GDP report showed foreboding signs, as growth was almost entirely driven by trade, and residential housing investment plunged. As such, treasuries yields extended their fall, with 10-year yield pushing below 4%. The dollar was mostly higher, though the yen was barely up ahead of the BOJ meeting. Oil advanced and gold retreated. Asia-Pacific's equity futures are mostly in the red. The Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) & S&P 500 (US500.I) ended 1.6% and 0.6% lower, while the Dow Jones lifts, boosted by McDonald’s The US major indices fell on Thursday from continued weaker than expected earnings carnage with Facebook (META) falling 25%. In mega caps, Amazon (AMZN) was leading the losses, falling 4.1% on projecting slower growth and cutting its spending in the face of economic uncertainty, falling 13% after hours. Apple (AAPL) shares fell 3% on reporting weaker than expected iPhone and services sales in its latest quarter, however it gave an otherwise somewhat upbeat report, noting record sales spurred its active base of devices to hit an all-time high. Post market, Apple shares trade 0.4% higher. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones 30 blue-chip index ended 0.6% up on Thursday, supported by recession-stalwart McDonald’s (MCD) shares rising 3.3% on reporting sales that well surpassed analysts’ estimates, despite inflationary pressures. McDonald’s results were boosted by McRib sales, with the CEO saying they are “the GOAT of sandwiches on our menu,” using the acronym for greatest of all time. The fast-food chain will offer McRib nationwide in the US from the end of this month. Oct. 31. Boeing (BA) shares moved up 4.5% with the company releasing a bullish 20-year forecast for China’s commercial jet market, saying China will need to double its fleet in two decades and that China will be a major driver of Boeing sales. Boeing expects China to need 8,485 new passenger and freighter planes valued at $1.5 trillion through 2041.   Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOZ2) climbs above $89, while iron ore (SOCA) falls to its lowest level since 2020 Oil is trading higher for the third day, on tightness and heavy worry about the price of fuel products over the coming months as the northern hemisphere heads to winter. WTI climbed above $89 with US data showing an economic rebound last quarter. US natural gas futures steadied after the EIA reported stockpiles rose last week. European gas prices advanced. It’s also really important to note, tight diesel markets are taking the main stage at the moment, which you can read more on from our head of commodity strategy, just click here. As for other commodities, copper fell 0.7%, while iron ore (SCOA, SCOX2) fell 0.2% to $81.55, which is its lowest level since May 2020 on concerns that the iron ore market could be oversupplied. Yesterday Fortescue Metals (FMG) affirmed extra production will come to the market before March, (instead of June), with investors worried there is not enough demand from China. Most other commodities were lower, including Wheat and Corn while Cocoa rose 1.6%  Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) falls 0.6% on Friday, but tracks 2% higher this week, supported by commodity stocks. Macquarie beats forecasts  After the Aussie share market rose for four straight sessions putting on 2.5% Monday to Thursday supported by commodity stocks, including lithium, gold stocks and agricultural stocks, today’s focus is on tech stock carnage, following the Wall Street sell off. Brainchip (BRN) is down 15%. While iron ore shares are lower, with Fortescue (FMG) trading 7% lower after noting that its increasing its spending, while its margins are tightening. Plus Fortescue is ramping up production, at a time when iron ore demand is limited. On the upside, Macquarie Group (MGQ) shares trade up 3.5% after reporting profit that beat forecasts with market volatility buoying its commodities and global markets business. Macquarie’s net income for the six months to Sept. 30 rose to A$2.31 billion ($1.49 billion), up from A$2.04 billion in the prior year. That exceeded the A$2.15 billion average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Elsewhere, oil stocks are higher with the WTI price cleared $89, with Viva Energy (VEA) up the most in energy, up 1.6%. What to consider Markets, businesses, commodities with high exposure to China see heavy selling this week. Will it continue?   Assets with exposure to China are being heavily penalized as it seems investors are realigning their portfolios somewhat with the priorities of President Xi his policy on stronger state control over the economy and markets, which look set to continue unchallenged for years. The confirmation was made on Sunday and across the week, Hong Kong’s Heng Seng fell 7.5%, and the iron ore (SCOA, SCOX2) price fell to 15% $79.60 its lowest level since 2020 on concerns that the biggest iron ore consumer, China will further slow demand, all while iron ore seems oversupplied. The biggest pure play iron ore company in the southern hemisphere, Fortescue (FMG) shares fell almost 12% this week, as a result. Plus Fortescue company affirmed it is increasing its spending, while its margins are tightening. Fortescue plans to ramp up iron ore production at its expanded facility in March, instead of June, which will likely further push the iron ore market into greater oversupply. Australian exports trade prices stumble, imports prices rise   Australian exports prices fell last quarter, but less than expected, falling 3.6% vs the 7% fall consensus forecast. That said, export prices are still up 25.9% YoY. The quarterly drop in prices was driven by the fall in iron ore demand from China, and the drop in coal prices, as global steel demand weakens. That said, Australian gas and crude export prices rose amid surging global demand particularly from Europe. And lithium prices rose markedly, boosted by global electric vehicle sales. Inversely, Australian import prices rose more than expected, up 3%, vs the 0.9% consensus forecast. What contributed to this was price of imports of sodium hydroxide (used in bauxite refining) rose, while the price of importing plastics rose, coinciding with higher energy prices. All in all, import prices to Australia are up 19.3% YoY.    For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.     Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-28-oct-28102022

Asia-Pacific shares remain pressured amid firmer inflation data, downbeat growth forecasts and central bank inaction. Japan, Australia print strong inflation numbers, IMF cuts Asia growth outlook. BOJ defends status quo despite upwardly revising inflation forecasts. Asian shares hold lower ground while tracking global cues as fears surrounding inflation and growth prevail during early Friday. While portraying the mood, the MSCI’s index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan drops nearly 1.0% as bears attack the lowest levels since March 2020 whereas Japan’s Nikkei 225 loses 0.73% intraday heading into the European session. It’s worth noting, however, that the downbeat yields have earlier favored the equity buyers but the hawkish ECB and strong US Gross Domestic Product (GDP) drowned the stocks afterward. A 33-year high Tokyo inflation data joined strong Australia Producer Price Index (PPI) to keep bears hopeful as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) cut Asia's economic forecasts. “The IMF cut Asia's economic forecasts on Friday as global monetary tightening, rising inflation blamed on the war in Ukraine, and China's sharp slowdown dampened the region's recovery prospects,” said Reuters. The news also adds that the IMF cut Asia's growth forecast to 4.0% this year and 4.3% next year, down 0.9% point and 0.8 points from April, respectively. The slowdown follows a 6.5% expansion in 2021. Further details suggest that the Washington-based institute expects China's growth to slow to 3.2% this year, a 1.2-point downgrade from its April projection, after an 8.1% rise in 2021. The world's second-largest economy is seen growing 4.4% next year and 4.5% in 2024, the IMF said as per Reuters. On a broader front, Thursday’s US data weighed on the Fed wagers even as the headline US Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose 2.6% on an annualized basis, more than expected, in the third quarter (Q3). The reason could be linked to a fifth consecutive fall in private consumption that challenged the Fed hawks as it showed the policymakers are gradually nearing the target of slowing down private domestic demand, which in turn might favor the easy rate hike talks for December in the next week’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting. That said, the sluggish US Treasury yields and the risk-off mood could also be held responsible for the Asia-Pacific market’s sour conditions. That said, the US Dollar Index (DXY) retreats to 110.50, following Thursday’s recovery from the five-week-low, whereas commodities are slightly red amid the market’s indecision. Moving on, the US Core PCE Price Index for September, expected to rise to 5.2% versus 4.9% prior, will be crucial for traders to watch for clear directions. A firmer print of the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge could add strength to the yields and hawkish Fed bets, which in turn will be favorable for the risk-safe assets ahead of the next week’s FOMC.

Summary:  A rocky session for equity markets once again yesterday, which tried to find cheer on falling bond yields, only for a thorough thrashing after the close yesterday on Amazon issuing its weakest ever holiday sales outlook, which saw its shares knocked some 13% in the aftermarket. Elsewhere, Apple shares managed to stabilize after its earnings report in, as revenue and earnings topped estimates. What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) The recent string of US earnings have not done much to keep the recent momentum in US equities alive. Neutral earnings from Apple last night was topped with awful outlook from Amazon, the second largest stock in the US equity market, that saw its shares decline 13% in extended trading. S&P 500 futures are retreating this morning trading around the 3,790 level despite a sizeable readjustment lower in the US 10-year yield to 3.93%. Euro STOXX 50 (EU50.I) European equities saw more diverging price action yesterday but closed above the 3,600 level again, but this morning STOXX 50 futures are coming down 1% trading around the 3,570 level with 100-day moving average at 3,528 being the next support level to watch. There are no economic releases in Europe of importance today so it will be interest rate direction and sentiment on earnings that will drive price action into the weekend. FX: USD pulled in two different directions as falling yields negative, weak sentiment positive The further drop in US treasury yields fail to extend the US dollar sell-off yesterday, as a far less hawkish than expected ECB took EURUSD back below parity and the Bank of Japan sent no new signals on its terminally stuck policy mix of ongoing QE and yield-curve-control.  Weak risk sentiment seems to provide offsetting support from the greenback, but the dollar will find stronger support if US data remains resilient and the Fed is faced to stay on message with further tightening, especially now that the market has significantly downshifted expectations for peak Fed Funds rate beyond the 75 basis point move expected at next Wednesday’s FOMC meeting, with less than 100 basis points of further tightening now priced and a peak rate near 4.78% by next March. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold remains on track for a second week of gains although some caution has emerged ahead of next week's FOMC meeting. Yesterday, the positive sentiment received a knock as the dollar regained some ground, especially against the euro after the ECB stayed far less hawkish than expected. Countering this potential gold negative development, US bond yields continued lower with the US 10-year treasury yield benchmark falling below the important 4% level to record a +25-basis point drop on the week. While the FOMC is expected to deliver another bumper 75 basis points hike they may tilt towards slowing the pace at future meetings while assessing the impact of their rate and quantitative tightening actions. As a minimum gold needs to break above $1730 before an end to the month-long downtrend can be called. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOZ2) Crude oil remains on track for a second week of gains but for now without challenging resistance indicating a market still struggling for direction with no overriding theme being strong enough to set the agenda. Strength this week has been driven by a developing tightness in the fuel product market, US exports of crude and fuels setting a weekly record and the weaker dollar, as well as strong buying from China as refineries there plan to boost fuel exports through the end of the year. Diesel markets in Europe and the US continues to signal tightness ahead of winter with elevated refinery margins and prompt spreads signalling tight market conditions. Focus next week on the Nov 2 FOMC meeting and major OPEC producers beginning to cut their production. Additional technical upside in WTI above $89.25 while Brent’s next level of resistance is the October high at $98.75. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) The US 10-year treasury yield benchmark fell through the important 4.00% level yesterday, with the yield trading as low as 3.90% before treasuries found resistance. The 3.85% area is arguably a pivotal level if treasuries continue to rally. The entire yield curve dropped yesterday, in part on a less hawkish ECB continuing the trend recently of central banks delivering less than expected on guidance, as German 10-year Bunds dropped below 2.00% for the first time in weeks on the ECB meeting yesterday (more below). It looks like we’ll be heading into next week’s FOMC meeting with a fairly hard market lean for a significant downshift in the Fed’s hawkish message. What is going on? ECB the latest central bank to surprise dovish The ECB hiked its key rate 75 basis points to 1.5% from 0.75%. Officials dropped a reference to hikes continuing for "several meetings," in the statement, while saying they expect further action. Christine Lagarde said in the press conference that more rate hikes were on the way: "We still have ground to cover." The bank will continue to reinvest all maturing assets in its asset purchase program (QE) and QT won’t be discussed until the December meeting. The market read the meeting as a strong dovish surprise, as another 20 basis points of tightening were removed from forward expectations for 2023 (down some 50 basis points now from peak expectations just over a week ago.) Apple is a fortress FY22 Q4 revenue came out at $90.2bn vs est. 88.6bn up 8% y/y keeping up with inflation and EPS at $1.29 vs est. $1.26 driven by a new all-time high of active devices. The number of paid subscriptions, which Apple has recently announced will see price hikes, have doubled in three years to 900mn. Shares were unchanged in extended trading. Amazon shares plunged 13% on Q3 results Revenue in Q3 hit $127.1bn vs est. $127.6bn up 15% y/y but operating income hit $2.5bn vs est. $3.1bn. The weaker than estimated operating income was driven by a negative revenue surprise in their cloud business AWS with revenue of $20.5bn vs est. $21bn. The free cash flow in Q3 was still negative at $5bn with the combined negative free cash flow over the past year at $26bn. The change in cash generation for Amazon indicates that the pandemic turned out to be bad for the business as it spent too much on expanding capacity that could not be maintained. The outlook for Q4 was what terrified investors with the retailer guidance operating income in the range $0-4bn vs est. $4.7bn and revenue of $140-148bn vs est. $155.5bn. Japan announces massive fiscal stimulus Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kushida announced a ¥71.6 trillion (nearly $500 billion) stimulus package overnight, in a purported bid to “ease inflation” and shore up his government’s popularity. The new spending in the package is set at ¥39 trillion and will focus on incentivizing companies to raise wages, national security/defense and subsidies to reduce the impact of energy costs, especially electricity bills. With the Bank of Japan not allowing government bond yields to adjust, this risks adding to the yen’s weakness as long as other major central banks are not in easing mode. Caterpillar, McDonalds, and Boeing positive stories in the negative backdrop A few positive stories to highlight amidst the massive drop in marquee megacap names include Caterpillar, which soared a massive 7.7% on impressive results. Elsewhere McDonald’s (MCD) shares rose 3.3% on reporting sales that handily beat analysts’ estimates, despite inflationary pressures. McDonald’s results were boosted by McRib sales, and the fast-food chain will offer McRib nationwide in the US from the end of this month. Meanwhile, Boeing (BA) shares jumped a day after an ugly drop on its earnings report. Yesterday, shares rose 4.5% with the company releasing a bullish 20-year forecast for China’s commercial jet market, saying China will need to double its fleet in two decades and that China will be a major driver of Boeing sales. Boeing expects China to need 8,485 new passenger and freighter planes valued at $1.5 trillion through 2041. A tough week for coffee, cotton and sugar The Bloomberg Commodity Softs index trades down 5% on the week led by a 6% drop in Arabica coffee (KCH3) $1.79/lb, a 14-month low as money managers continue to exit long-held bullish bets, now turning increasingly sour amid concerns a global recession will hurt demand at a time where the outlook for the 2023/24 crop in Brazil is showing signs of improving. However, a combination of exchange monitored stocks lingering at a 23-year low and oversold condition may soon drive a technical bounce ahead of support at $1.73/lb. Sugar (SBH3) meanwhile has been hurt by a weaker Brazilian Real boosting incentives to export. Cotton (CTZ2), down 52% from its May peak has plunged to near a two-year low on weak demand for supplies as consumers around the world cut back on spending. Weekly export sales from top shipper, the US, plunged from a year earlier with overall sales for the current season being well behind last year and the long-term average. What are we watching next? Market leaning very hard now for a dovish downshift at next Wednesday’s FOMC After the Bank of Canada surprised with a smaller than expected hike this week and the ECB surprised with more dovish forward guidance, the market is now. But will the US data cooperate and is the maximum conceivable downshift from the Fed next week already in the price – given that the Fed itself has said that it will continue to hike even as the economy – including the labor market - weakens? After all, the market has removed nearly 25 basis points of tightening through the March FOMC of next year from the peak of just above 5.0% a bit more than a week ago to just under 4.8% now, and is more aggressively pricing the Fed to begin cutting rates by late next year (December ‘23 FOMC yield down almost 50 bps from peak).  Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is on the two oil and gas majors Exxon Mobil and Chevron expected to report strong earnings in Q3. Exxon Mobil is expected to grow revenue 44% y/y with the operating margin expanding further. NextEra Energy is also worth watching given the recently passed US bill on renewable energy because it may lift the outlook for the industry. Today: Macquarie Group, OMV, ICBC, China Merchants Bank, LONGi Green Energy Technology, Midea Group, Imperial Oil, Danske Bank, Sanofi, Airbus, Volkswagen, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of China, BYD, China Shenhua Energy, Eni, Keyence, Hitachi, Denso, Equinor, CaixaBank, Wilmar International, Swiss Re, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, AbbVie, NextEra Energy, Colgate-Palmolive, Royal Caribbean Cruises Earnings releases next week: Monday: Daiichi Sankyo, Stryker Tuesday: Toyota Motor, Sony Group, Mondelez, AMD, Airbnb, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, BP Wednesday: KDDI, Novo Nordisk, GSK, Booking, Qualcomm, CVS Health, Estee Lauder, Humana Thursday: Cigna, Amgen, PayPal, Starbucks, EOG Resources, ConocoPhillips, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Zoetis, Canadian Natural Resources, DBS Group Friday: Duke Energy, Enbridge Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0800 – Germany Q3 GDP0900 – Eurozone Oct. Confidence Surveys1200 – Germany Oct. Flash CPI1230 – Canada Aug. GDP1230 – US Sep. Personal Income/Spending1230 – US Sep. PCE Inflation1400 – US Oct. Final University of Michigan Sentiment   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-oct-28-2022-28102022

Today, a lot of information is contained in the word 'change'. Credit Suisse is planning a transformation and Twitter has changed hands. The change also affects developments, including cybersecurity. In this article: Cybersecurity Credit Suisse Motivating employees Financial Independence The Asia-Pacific situation The situation of Twitter Cybersecurity developments Morgan Stanley tweets about cybersecurity developments   The cybersecurity sector is rapidly growing and developing new ways to guard against sophisticated attacks. How can you take advantage of the long-term investment opportunity? Read here: https://t.co/14Auf7lio4 pic.twitter.com/BrqUjLz9v5 — Morgan Stanley (@MorganStanley) October 26, 2022 Currently, every user attaches great importance to online security. Strong passwords or anti-virus programs no longer excuse. As the world creates more data and accesses the web in more ways, cybercriminals find new vulnerabilities to exploit. For this reason, cybersecurity companies are constantly working on new methods of protection. Such a development is especially important for investors who spend their capital, usually quite large, on investments, and the protection of data and resources is the most important issue. For this reason, security in cyberspace is at the center of their attention. Transformation Credit Suisse in its tweet about its transformation.   Today, we unveiled our new strategy and transformation plan, which are based on a series of decisive actions to create a simpler, more focused and more stable Credit Suisse built around client needs. Find out more here: https://t.co/40CU4bUl6Q #CSresults pic.twitter.com/8xFjadtFsA — Credit Suisse (@CreditSuisse) October 27, 2022 Recently, the Swiss bank was full of negative news. Information about changes may evoke mixed emotions. But the company's efforts may prove helpful to its situation. How to motivate? In his tweet, Goldman Sachs promotes his podcast, which this time addresses the topic of motivating employees.   Chief CEO Carolyn Childers shares lessons on how founders motivate their teams on our latest #ExchangesGS podcast: https://t.co/s6hX5svc9c pic.twitter.com/JEDyvEw44n — Goldman Sachs (@GoldmanSachs) October 27, 2022 Motivating employees is a process and one of the management functions regulating the behavior of employed people, so that their actions contribute to the achievement of the company's goals. Thus, it is an important mechanism of every enterprise. new methods emerge with the development of the labor market and the environment of a given sector. Innovation in motivating employees is also important as well as in technology. Knowing what to motivate and what to avoid can bring positive results not only for the company but also for the individual employee. A sense of belonging and appreciation may turn out to be more important for such an entity than remuneration. How to become financially independent? Morningstar, Inc., in its tweet, informs about Kiersten and Julien Saunders’ the topic of the conversation.   ðŸÅ½™ï¸Â This week on The Long View: Kiersten and Julien Saunders, hosts of @richandregular, discuss their journey toward financial independence, the racial wealth gap, and getting off the social-media treadmill.Listen here: https://t.co/u1Z2TTxFlS — Morningstar, Inc. (@MorningstarInc) October 28, 2022 Recently, every young person is asking himself how to become financially independent and what to do to retire early. The life situation and finances are closely related in this type of conferences. Most people see obstacles to the achievement of such goals. Knowing the ways of people who have already achieved it can be information for others. Asia would be the biggest loser? CNBC tweets about the possible biggest loser in the markets - Asia.   Asia would be the biggest loser if the global economy splits up, IMF warns https://t.co/nPiXNEjOFY — CNBC (@CNBC) October 28, 2022 The IMF reports that Asia and the Pacific have more to lose than any other region. Growing geopolitical tensions (USA-China, Ukraine-Russia) mean that trade in Asia is significantly deteriorating. The fear of start-ups has increased not only in terms of GDP but also in the situation of individual companies. So can the IMF be right about the Asia-Pacific situation? Elon Musk is now responsible for Twitter CNBC Now informs about the situation of Twitter purchases by Elon Musk.   BREAKING: Twitter’s CEO and CFO are out as Elon Musk takes over the company, sources tell CNBC https://t.co/P8OaJAPMXg — CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) October 28, 2022 Recently, there is a lot of information about the takeover of twitter by Elon Musk. It turns out that there will be significant shortcomings of this. Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal and Finance Chief Ned Segal have both left the San Francisco headquarters and will not be back. Twitter is now in the hands of Elon Musk. The confirmation is added by the tweet of the CEO Of Tesla. Speaking of Elon Musk's purchases of Twitter, I mentioned it in an article in early October. the bird is freed — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2022 What could this mean for the plaform, will the acquisition be a benefit? Many questions arise about this. We can only know the answer when somethong heppen.

Summary:  Financial trading firms were going through a boom during the pandemic as trading activity accelerated, but since the economy reopened activity has been declining and the stocks of financial trading firms have underperformed. But last week was a strong rebound week for the industry driven by better than expected Q3 results and an improving outlook. While the industry generally was up 7% last week, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing had a terrible week down 15% extending the year's decline to 53% as the market is getting worried about the outlook for the participation of foreign investors in the Chinese equity market following the recent Chinese leadership shuffle. Financial trading firms in comeback as uncertainty drives activity Our financial trading basket was the best performing basket last week rising 7.1% outperforming other strong themes such as NextGen Medicine and Renewable energy. While it was a strong comeback week for financial trading firms the theme has still  had a tough year underperforming the MSCI World Index. Financial trading firms are keeping up with inflation so far growing revenue by 7% y/y although earnings down 3% y/y as wage pressures are impacting margins. Analysts are generally still positive on the industry and the rising interest rate environment should create a tailwind on earnings for these companies. The best performing stock in the basket last was Flow Traders that delivered better than expected Q3 earnings. The medium outlook for the industry is improving as higher volatility in currencies and bonds is typically good for trading activity and the rising interest rates make excess client funds more valuable. After the initial repricing of the equity market in the beginning of the year, the financial trading industry has got back on its feet outperforming the MSCI World Index by 5.7% since mid-July. Since early 2016, the industry has outperformed global equities by 60%. Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing was caught in the Chinese rout last week Last week was dramatic for Chinese equities due to the significant leadership shuffle in China which we covered in our Monday equity note. The market is judging the leadership shuffle to be long-term negative for the private sector and negative for earnings growth. For an exchange such as Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing (HKEC) the rout in Chinese equities was bad taking the stock price down 15% during the week. One thing is the short-term interpretation of the leadership shuffle, but the long-term impact on the Chinese equity business is seen quite obvious in the plunging share price of HKEC which is down 53% this year. One of the key drivers of future revenue is participation of foreign investors, but we see signs now that investors are pulling out capital in Chinese equities pushing up the Chinese equity risk premium. Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/weekly-update-saxo-thematic-investing-performance-31102022

Chinese equities are enjoying significant gains after upbeat Caixin Manufacturing PMI data. The market mood has turned cheerful which has weighed on the DXY. Oil prices have picked bids despite the soaring fears of a slowdown in overall demand. Markets in the Asian domain have extended their recovery on Tuesday amid positive cues from global markets. More traction in risk-perceived assets has trimmed the US dollar index (DXY) appeal. The DXY has slipped to near 111.30 as investors have shrugged off uncertainty ahead of the interest rate decision by the Federal Reserve (Fed). At the press time, Japan’s Nikkei225 added 0.10%, ChinaA50 soared 2.60%, Hang Seng jumped 2.37%, and Nifty50 gained 0.74%. Chinese equities are having a ball after the release of the upbeat Caixin Manufacturing PMI data. The economic data landed higher at 49.2 vs. the projections of 49.0 and the prior release of 48.1. The PMI data has remained solid despite the continuation of the no-tolerance approach to Covid-19 by the Chinese administration. Also, the official manufacturing data from the China National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) was weaker than projections. Outside Asia, Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Governor Philip Lowe hiked its Official Cash Rate (OCR) by 25 basis points (bps) for the second time to 2.85%. Australian central bank policymakers have adopted a less hawkish approach, keeping in mind that economic prospects could not be sacrificed entirely in achieving price stability. On the oil front, oil prices have rebounded firmly after sensing buying interest around $85.00. Black gold has witnessed demand despite a fresh rate hike cycle by western central banks. This week, the Bank of England (BOE) and the Fed will announce their monetary policies. As per the projections, the central banks will announce a rate hike of 75 bps. This may trigger fears of a slowdown in overall demand and may also dampen the demand for oil.

Summary:  Higher-than-expected US job openings data and a still-strong ISM manufacturing print pushed the US yields higher as terminal Fed pricing topped 5% again. This saw equity markets on the backfoot ahead of the Fed meeting scheduled for later today, and mixed earnings results from AMD and Airbnb also underpinned, while Sony jumped higher as FX effects supported better than expected results and improved guidance. Shares of Asian mining companies tied to nickel and copper may move after the metals rallied on speculation Beijing will make preparations to ease China’s stringent Covid rules. NZ jobs gains may support more RBNZ rate hikes but NZD remained cautious. What is happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) & S&P 500 (US500.I) fall on solid labor market data, which supports an aggressive Fed hike path The US major indices fell on Tuesday, with the S&P500 ending 0.4% lower, after erasing the 1% earlier gain, while the Nasdaq 100 met a similar fate before ending 0.9% lower. Two-year Treasury US yields , which are most sensitive to imminent Fed moves, topped 4.5% after sliding as much as eight basis points earlier in the day. The added volatility and risk-off mode came after US job openings unexpectedly rebounded in September amid low unemployment. This will likely fuel further wage gains (inflation), and it means the Fed will likely hike by 75-bp (0.75%). But keep in mind, any hint of a dovish pivot on Wednesday could perhaps prompt an outsized market reaction and risk on rally. Big tech weighed on equities, with Apple (AAPL) down almost 2%, and Amazon (AMZN) falling 5.5%, taking its value below $1 trillion for the first time since 2020. On the upside, investment banks did well include JP Morgan (JPM) up 1.8% and Goldman (GS) up 1.2%. While in the S&P500 Abiomed (ABMD) shares rose 50% with Johnson & Johnson, announcing it will takeover the firm for $17.3 billion, building on its portfolio of technology assisting heart function. After market, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) shares rose almost 5% after its profits beat expectations and it signaled that inroads in the server chip market will continue to bolster its finances. The Dow Jones traded near a resistance level, that saw the index halt a few rally attempts, in the past few months.  China/HK stocks surge on unofficial reports that China may be looking to exit Zero Covid The CSI300 surged over 3.5% on Tuesday and the HSI rose by over 5% on speculation that Beijing is preparing to phase out Covid Zero policies, even as the country’s Foreign Ministry said it was unaware of such a plan. Unverified social media posts circulated online on Tuesday showed a committee was being formed to assess scenarios on how to exit Covid Zero. Internet giants Meituan and Tencent were some of the biggest gainers. While the reports may be unconfirmed for now, it gives a signal on how strong a recovery can come through if China alters its Zero Covid policy stance at some point. Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) futures suggest a flat start, but focus will be on copper and nickel giants, and companies with USD exposure Focus will be on nickel and copper companies including Nickel Mines (NIC), Oz Minerals (OZL), and BHP (BHP), which are expected to gain attention and possibly move higher after the commodities prices rallied on speculation Beijing could make preparations to ease China’s stringent Covid rules, which have kept commodities prices underwater. BHP shares rose 3.7% in New York, and the listed entity in Australia is expected to likely follow. Focus will also be in Amcor (AMC) which has just reported financial results, declaring a stronger dividend that expected, stronger EPS than expected, but weaker than expected income, weighed down by the strength of the US dollar. The global packaging giant sees its full year financial results being negatively impacted by the US dollar by 5%, up from its prior 2% estimate. NZDUSD brushes off a broadly positive employment report NZ jobs data for Q2 was rather mixed with unemployment rate still near record lows, while rising slightly to 3.3% and wage growth of 2.6% YoY much higher than last month’s 2.3%. Employment change slowed slightly to 1.2% YoY but was far better than expectations of 0.3%, and also up 1.3% QoQ. While these numbers underscore a case for still-higher inflation and the need for further rate hikes from the RBNZ, NZD remained largely unchanged in early Asian trading hours after the release. NZDUSD eased from overnight highs of 0.5900 to trade around 0.584, while AUDNZD is testing the downside at 1.094 after breaking below 1.10 yesterday following a dovish RBA. While NZDUSD will continue to focus on what the Fed path brings, there may be more downside in store for AUDNZD amid the policy divergence of the RBA and RBNZ, unless one of the two things change: 1. RBNZ pivots to a pace of smaller rate hikes, or 2. China sends signals of opening up. This will bring the focus back on current account differentials which favour the AUD over the NZD. RBNZ’s financial stability report also highlighted some concerns from higher interest rates on consumption and new residential construction. Metals run higher on China speculation Copper and nickel led a surge in base metals on unconfirmed speculation Beijing is preparing to ease Covid rules, even as these reports were later denied by Chinese Foreign Ministry official. This also brought the focus back on supply issues in Copper, with inventories running low on exchanges. LME Nickel was over 8% higher as well, along with Zinc and Aluminium as well. Iron ore (SCOA) moved up slightly as a result, adding 0.3% to $78.35. Gold (XAUUSD) rose back towards $1650 but higher bond yields continue to haunt especially ahead of the critical Fed meeting. Silver, enjoying a trifecta of support from rising gold and copper as well as the weaker dollar, traded up to once again challenging resistance at $20/oz. A break may bring the key $21.14 back into focus. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOZ2) Oil prices also gained on the China news, while a weaker USD up until the release of the US job openings or the ISM data also supported gains in oil. OPEC+ production cuts continue to keep the supply outlook tight for the oil market, but the overall sentiment is muddled by weakening global demand concerns and also the EU sanctions on Russian crude that are set to begin in December. WTI futures were seen rising towards $89/barrel while Brent futures were close to $95.   What to consider? US job openings and ISM manufacturing complicate Fed’s message US job openings saw an unexpected rebound in September amid low unemployment, suggesting more wage gains could be in store. JOLTS job openings came in higher at 10.7 million in September from a revised 10.3 million in August. This likely thrashes expectations of any material downshift from the Fed after today’s widely expected 75bps increase. Meanwhile, October's ISM manufacturing index also remained in expansion at 50.2, albeit falling from last month’s 50.9. However, disinflationary trends were emphasised as the index of prices paid fell to an over 2-year low. Still, sticky shelter and services inflation remains materially high suggest still-higher interest rates remain on the horizon. Terminal rate pricing for Fed funds futures has picked up again to 5% levels, and it would be hard for the Fed to push it any higher at this point, but what it can clearly hint at today is pushing out of the rate cut expectations for next year. Read our full FOMC preview here for further insights. Lack of insurance halted UN Black Sea shipments, but progress being made The UN halted grain shipments from Ukraine's Black Sea ports on Wednesday, after Russia warned ships weren't safe using the route and demanded guarantees from Ukraine. However, reports suggested early on Wednesday that an agreement had been reached and ships will start to sail again from Thursday, as pressure on Russia continues to build. We continue to watch crop and fertilizer prices, as a meaningful reversal could come through if we see improving shipments across the Black Sea region. RBA ups inflation forecasts, downgrades GPD, remains dovish. Possibly market implications if rate hikes stop early, as they have historical The RBA hiked the cash rate by 25bps (0.25%) as expected to 2.85%, maintaining its dovish stance and bordering on restrictive, as it again acknowledged tighter financial conditions are yet to be felt in mortgage payments, but higher rates and inflation has put pressure on household budgets and caused a small amount of loan arrears and insolvencies. The RBA’s rate hike cycle since May, has been the second fastest in history and we also note the RBA was the first major central bank to under-deliver on rate hike expectations (last month). Also consider, what’s ahead. The RBA has a history of stopping rate hikes early, before CPI peaked in YoY terms. Over the last 30 years the RBA started easing ‘early’ and cut rates despite headline CPI staying above its 2-3% target. So, could the RBA replay this trend? We think so. The RBA rose its 2022 CPI forecast to around 8%, up from 7.8%. Meaning, the Q4 CPI read could print between 7.75% and 8.25%. The RBA downgraded its GDP forecasts, only expecting 3% this year and 1½ per cent in 2023 and 2024. If the RBA makes any hint of a becoming even more dovish at their next meeting, it could perhaps prompt an outsized market reaction in the ASX200 and fuel a risk on rally. Imminently, in FX, the AUDUSD is on watch ahead of the Fed’s hike on Wednesday, and could succumb to further selling if the Fed hikes by 0.75%. Another pair under pressure is the AUDNZD.  AMD earnings supported by servers despite weak PC sales Advanced Micro Devices rose in the after-hour trading as it reported better than estimated Q3 earnings, although issuing guidance that missed analysts’ expectations. EPS came in $0.67 vs estimated $0.65, revenue $5.57B vs estimated $5.62B. Guidance suggested AMD is expecting strong growth in its server chip business in the coming quarters. Q3 results were in-line with a warning issued by AMD on October 6 which helped to reset expectations, as weak PC sales continued to underpin. Airbnb drops on disappointing guidance Airbnb reported its highest revenue and most profitable quarter but a muted Q4 outlook as consumer preferences are shifting back to cities which tend to have lower rates based on smaller sized spaces. Q3 revenue rose 29% to $2.88B, estimated $2.84B. Net profit rose 45.6% to $1.21B. But the company said it expected bookings to moderate after a bumper third quarter. Sony surges on profit beat Weak yen propped up revenues for Sony and also nudged up the fiscal year profit outlook, pushing shares higher in early trading. Q2 sales came in at 2.75tr yen, est. 2.67 tr yen while operating income was 344bn yen vs. 280.66bn yen expected. Operating profit beat was broad-based, except in games.   For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-2-nov-02112022

Asia-Pacific shares waver as risk-positive headlines from China jostle with pre-Fed anxiety. NZX 50 bucks the trend amid increasing hawkish bets on RBNZ. Yields struggle as strong US data favor Fed hawkish but 75 bps rate hike is priced-in. Clues for Fed’s December rate hike will be crucial to watch during today’s FOMC. Asian equity traders remain cautiously optimistic even as the pre-Fed anxiety challenges the bulls during early Wednesday. The underlying reasons could be linked to the latest headlines from China and the chatters that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) will ease on rate hikes from December. The Governor of the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), Yi Gang, recently crossed wires and stated that China's economy remains broadly on track. “We hope the housing market can achieve a soft landing,” added the policymaker. Additionally, an official from the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) also helped improve the mood while saying that the property sector is now "stable". On the same line could be the Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Haruhiko Kuroda’s defense of the easy money policies. Amid these plays, MSCI’s index of Asia-Pacific shares ex-Japan rises 2.0% whereas Nikkei 225 remains indecisive at around 27,660. Moving on, Chinese equity benchmarks also print gains of around 1.0% and more, which in turn helps Australia’s ASX 200 print mild gains despite downside Aussie data. Elsewhere, New Zealand’s NZX 50 dropped 0.80% intraday after the nation’s third quarter (Q3) employment numbers came in stronger enough to keep the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) hawks on the table. On a broader front, The US 10-year Treasury yields remain sidelined near 4.05% at the latest as traders remain divided over the US central bank’s next move given the 75 bps rate hike and hopes favoring easy rate lifts from December. While portraying the mood, S&P 500 Futures snap a two-day downtrend to print a 0.20% intraday upside by the press time. It should be noted that the firmer US data and recent fears over Taiwan join the Fed policymakers’ readiness for a 75 bps rate lift to challenge the market sentiment, even if the US Dollar Index (DXY) remains pressured. Amid these plays, the prices of gold and crude oil remain firmer. Moving on, traders will pay attention to how well the Fed can defend the hawks even as the 75 bps rate hike is already priced in. Also, the clues for December’s rate lift will be closely observed for clear directions. Also read: Fed November Preview: Is it time for a dovish signal?

Jay Powell will probably hammer the dovish hopes, and the latest risk rally when he speaks following the FOMC decision today. Fed In preparation for an unpleasantly hawkish Fed statement today, the US 3-month yield spiked above the 4.20% mark, the level it was normally supposed to be in 18 months, the 2-year yield returned above the 4.50% mark, the US dollar index advanced and the US equities sold off, as yields jumped. The ADP report is due a couple of hours before the Fed decision, and is expected to have eased below 200’000 in October. Any positive surprise will likely further boost the Fed hawks, and dampen the mood in risk assets. China In China, stocks extend gains on an unverified social media post that China will end its Covid measures. The Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said he was unaware of the plan. Disneyland in Shanghai was shut with people in it, after a Covid case was found in the park… I wouldn’t cry victory just yet! UK In Britain, the first day of bond selling from the Bank of England was a success. The BoE sold 1$750 million worth of bonds, demand exceeded offer, gilt yields pulled lower and sterling was steady. Airbnb Airbnb fell 5% post-market on disappointing Q4 outlook, Sony jumped near 10% in NY as softer yen helped boosting sales, BP announced the second biggest quarterly results, while Abiomed jumped 50% after Johnson & Johnson announced to buy the company. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:18 Will Powell save the risk rally? 2:22 Market update 4:17 Oil stocks extend rally, BP announce strong profits 5:45 Airbnb down, Sony & Abiomed up 7:11 BoE starts selling bonds successfully 8:42 EUR, XAU faith in Powell’s hands… Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Fed #FOMC #rate #decision #USD #ADP #US #jobs #report #crudeoil #ExxonMobil #Chevron #BP #China #covidzero #UK #QT #GBP #BoE #Sunak #EUR #XAU #Sony #Abiomed #JohnsonJohnson #Airnbn #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary ___  Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr ___ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 ___ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH      

Summary:  A surprisingly strong survey of US job openings yesterday suggests that the US labor market remains extremely tight, potentially continuing to feed inflationary pressures. Today sees the latest FOMC meeting, at which the Fed will have to grapple with guidance and whether to flag the much-anticipated possible downshift from 75 basis point hikes at the December meeting. Given the recent easing of financial conditions and strong risk sentiment, the Fed may try to lean against the market and hawkishly keep all options on the table. Industrial metals run higher on speculation China is preparing to ease Covid rules.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) The fear of recession has eased quite a bit in October and as a result equities have rallied from their lows in October. S&P 500 futures are trading around the 3,868 level this morning as the US 10-year yield has moved higher above 4% again. The big event is tonight’s FOMC rate decision which will prove to be a delicate balancing act for the Fed keeping financial conditions tight enough but smooth the transition to this higher level of interest rates without breaking the market. If the market interprets a dovish tilt tonight the 4,000 level is quickly the main focus point in the S&P 500 futures. Euro STOXX 50 (EU50.I) STOXX 50 futures touched the 200-day moving average yesterday before retreating, but this morning the index futures are continuing higher trading around the 3,661 level, which is just below the 200-day moving average. The 3,800 level in STOXX 50 futures could be the next big level to watch if momentum continues. European equities are enjoying tailwinds from easing energy and electricity markets and better than expected GDP reports in Q3 showing that the European economy can absorb the input cost shocks for now. FX: USD rallies on very strong JOLTS survey, eyes FOMC The greenback rebounded yesterday on the very strong September JOLTS jobs openings survey, which jumped sharply from the large August dip (see more below), helping US treasury yields back higher. See the FOMC meeting preview under What are we watching next? below. Today and in the wake of the important US jobs data tomorrow, the pivotal areas for EURUSD are perhaps 0.9850 and parity on the daily/weekly close, for GBPUSD, the 1.1400-1.1500 area is the zone of contention, and in AUDUSD, 0.6350-0.6530. USDJPY will be sensitive to any sharp move in US treasury yields, leaning toward 150.00 if yields jump in the wake of tomorrow’s US jobs report or challenging 145.00 if the Fed fails to surprise hawkish today and the jobs data is weak. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold reached $1657 before running into sellers as bond yields rose following stronger US economic data. The dollar and yields developments continue to haunt the metal, especially ahead of today’s critical Fed meeting. Silver, initially enjoying a trifecta of support from rising gold and copper as well as the weaker dollar, traded up to once again challenge resistance at $20/oz before running out of steam. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOZ2) Crude oil trades higher for a second day with WTI challenging a recent high at $90 and Brent moving closer to $97.25 resistance. Oil prices initially received a boost from China reopening speculation, the weaker dollar and OPEC+ production cuts before extending gains after the API reported a bumper 6.5-million-barrel drop in crude inventories. Apart from today’s official inventory report from the EIA, crude oil traders will turn their attention to today’s FOMC meeting given the potential impact the rate decision and comments may have on the dollar and the general level of risk sentiment. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) The key US 10-year treasury yields pulled back above the important 4.00% level after the strong September jobs openings survey out of the US yesterday, but far more important are today’s FOMC meeting and further incoming data, discussed below. The recent price action makes it clear that the 3.90% area is important resistance for bond yields and at the shorter end of the curve, the 5.00% level will be an important focus, given that the market has been unwilling to take Fed expectations more than a couple of basis points beyond that level as it continues to see the Fed cutting rates by the end of next year. What is going on? Metals run higher on China speculation Copper and nickel led a surge in base metals on speculation - which was later denied - that Beijing is preparing to ease Covid rules. However, metals held gains after China’s outgoing premier Li Keqiang said China will strive for a "better" economic outcome and promote stable, healthy and sustainable development, saying China’s economy is showing signs of stabilizing, as well as “rebounding momentum" thanks to stimulus. Developments showing the potential support for industrial metals when restrictions are being lifted, and it brought the focus back on supply issues in Copper, with inventories running low on exchanges and major producers struggling to meet their production targets. The BCOM Metal index jumped 3.4% with steel and iron ore prices also receiving a bid. HG copper’s further advance will be challenged by multiple resistance levels between $3.55 and $3.78. European earnings This morning we have got strong results from Novo Nordisk, Maersk, and GSK, while the wind turbine maker Vestas misses big on revenue and EBIT. Vestas is also adjusting its FY EBIT to –5% from previously –5% to 0%. Novo Nordisk reports Q3 revenue of DKK 45.6bn vs est. DKK 44.4bn and EBIT of DKK 20.2bn vs est. DKK 19.2bn in addition to increase its sales forecast due to strong demand for its obesity drug Wegony. Maersk is still enjoying strong earnings beating estimates on EBIT in Q3, but the container shipping company is lowering its forecast for container volume and in general the market is expecting a slowdown in 2023. US job openings and ISM manufacturing complicate Fed’s message US job openings saw an unexpected rebound in September amid low unemployment, suggesting more wage gains could be in store. JOLTS job openings came in higher at 10.7 million in September from a revised 10.3 million in August. This likely thrashes expectations of any material downshift from the Fed after today’s widely expected 75bps increase. Meanwhile, October's ISM manufacturing index also remained in expansion at 50.2, albeit falling from last month’s 50.9. However, disinflationary trends were emphasised as the index of prices paid fell to an over 2-year low. Still, sticky shelter and services inflation remains materially high suggest still-higher interest rates remain on the horizon. Terminal rate pricing for Fed funds futures has picked up again to 5% levels, and it would be hard for the Fed to push it any higher at this point, but what it can clearly hint at today is pushing out of the rate cut expectations for next year. Read our full FOMC preview here for further insights. Lack of insurance halted UN Black Sea shipments, but progress being made The UN halted grain shipments from Ukraine's Black Sea ports on Wednesday, after Russia warned ships weren't safe using the route and demanded guarantees from Ukraine. However, reports suggested early on Wednesday that an agreement had been reached and ships will start to sail again from Thursday, as pressure on Russia continues to build. We continue to watch crop and fertilizer prices, as a meaningful reversal could come through if we see improving shipments across the Black Sea region. AMD earnings supported by servers despite weak PC sales Advanced Micro Devices rose in the after-hour trading as it reported better than estimated Q3 earnings, although issuing guidance that missed analysts’ expectations. EPS came in $0.67 vs estimated $0.65, revenue $5.57B vs estimated $5.62B. Guidance suggested AMD is expecting strong growth in its server chip business in the coming quarters. Q3 results were in-line with a warning issued by AMD on October 6 which helped to reset expectations, as weak PC sales continued to underpin. Airbnb drops on disappointing guidance Airbnb reported its highest revenue and most profitable quarter but a muted Q4 outlook as consumer preferences are shifting back to cities which tend to have lower rates based on smaller sized spaces. Q3 revenue rose 29% to $2.88B, estimated $2.84B. Net profit rose 45.6% to $1.21B. But the company said it expected bookings to moderate after a bumper third quarter. Sony surges on profit beat Weak yen propped up revenues for Sony and also nudged up the fiscal year profit outlook, pushing shares higher in early trading. Q2 sales came in at 2.75tr yen, est. 2.67 tr yen while operating income was 344bn yen vs. 280.66bn yen expected. Operating profit beat was broad-based, except in games. Australian home-lending falls more than expected in September House lending in Australia fell 8.2% YoY in September (far more than the market expected) while building construction lending fell 36.6% YoY, with the weaker data sets coming out just a day after the RBA remained dovish - raising Australia’s official cash rate by 25bps (0.25%) to 2.85%. Yesterday the RBA acknowledged tighter financial conditions and the ‘full effect’ of increased interest rates are yet to be felt in ‘mortgage payments’, but the rate hikes since May, combined with higher inflation have already put pressure on household budgets. What are we watching next? FOMC meeting – Fed may want to keep a low profile, but can’t afford to be seen dovish The September JOLTS jobs openings data point yesterday was the latest to suggest that the Fed will have a hard time pre-committing to any slowdown in the pace of its policy tightening after the 75-basis-point hike that is priced in for today’s meeting. The December 14 FOMC meeting odds have not shifted much over the last couple of weeks, as investors still favour a downshift to a 50-basis-point move then and another 50 basis points of tightening early next year over the space of a couple of meetings. To surprise hawkish today, the Fed may have to make it very clear that it is willing to continue tightening beyond current expectations and beyond its September forecasts to boost the greenback via rate guidance, but is probably also reluctant to pre-commit to anything. Pointing to high reactivity to further incoming data may be one way to achieve this. That will then mean extreme volatility on the next bits of Incoming data ahead of the December meeting, starting with the ISM Services tomorrow and then the October jobs report this Friday and two more CPI releases before December 14. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is Estee Lauder, Booking, Fortinet, and Albemarle. Analysts expect revenue to decline by 11% y/y at Estee Lauder but improving operating margin. The cosmetic business is facing headwinds from labour costs and transportation. Booking is expected to deliver strong earnings growth given the better-than-expected result from Airbnb yesterday. Analysts expect 26% y/y revenue growth and EPS growth of 35% y/y. Fortinet is one of the market leaders in the fast-growing cyber security industry and with the ongoing war in Ukraine we expect demand for cyber security solutions to be high; analysts expect Fortinet to grow revenue by 30% y/y in Q3. Albemarle is riding the demand for lithium as electric vehicle sales is seeing explosive growth. Albemarle is expected to deliver 168% y/y growth in revenue and EPS growth of 545% y/y. Today: Suncor Energy, Nutrien, Novo Nordisk, Maersk, Vestas Wind Systems, GSK, Qualcomm, CVS Health, Estee Lauder, Booking, Fortinet, Ferrari, Albemarle Thursday: Verbund, Barrick Gold, Orsted, Novozymes, BNP Paribas, BMW, Enel, ING Groep, DBS Group, ConocoPhillips, Amgen, PayPal, Starbucks, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, EOG Resources, Moderna, MercadoLibre, Block, Cloudflare, Coinbase Friday: Enbridge, Societe Generale, Intesa Sanpaolo, SoftBank, Amadeus IT Group, Duke Energy, Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0815-0900 – Eurozone Final Oct. Manufacturing PMI 0855 – Germany Oct. Unemployment Change/Rate 1215 – US Oct. ADP Employment Change 1430 – EIA's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 1800 – US FOMC Meeting 1830 – US Fed Chair Powell Press Conference 2000 – New Zealand RBNZ Governor Orr before Parliamentary Committee 0145 – China Oct. Caixin Services PMI  Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-nov-2-2022-02112022

The Asian stock market has gained up to 1.7%. China's Shanghai Composite and Shenzhen Composite grew by 0.88% and 1.17% respectively. The Hang Seng Index and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 advanced by 1.72% and 0.19% respectively. South Korea's KOSPI dropped by 0.05%, and Japan's Nikkei 225 lost 0.15%. Trading in Hong Kong was suspended due to the issuance of a typhoon warning signal number 8. Among the constituents of the Hang Seng Index, Country Garden Holdings Co., Ltd (+13.3%), Longfor Group Holdings, Ltd. (+13%), and CSPC Pharmaceutical Group, Ltd. (+12%) saw the biggest increase in their share value. Meanwhile, Sands China, Ltd. gained 6.7%, China Resources Beer (Holdings) Co., Ltd. grew by 6.6%, and Haidilao International Holding, Ltd. added 5.8%. The shares of Yum China Holdings Inc. were up by 4.1%, following a double increase in net profit and a 77% rise in operating profit in the previous quarter. KakaoBank's shares advanced by 16%, following the release of a strong Q3 report. Investors are now focused on the FOMC meeting, the regulator's interest rate decision, and the chairman's comments after the event. Investors want to know how long the central bank will be raising interest rates. Over 80% of analysts expect the rate to be lifted by 0.75% to 3.75–4%. Some experts anticipate a 0.50% rate hike. About half of analysts forecast an increase in rates to 4.25–4.5% in December. The other half suggests the rate will rise to 4.5–4.75%. Japanese companies are now on a losing streak with Kao, Corp. down by 8%, CyberAgent, Inc. by 7.2%, and Sumitomo Chemica Co. by 5,7%. At the same time, Sony Group, Corp. posted strong quarterly results and improved its growth forecast for the year. In this light, its shares soared by 7%. The share value of Nippon Steel, Corp. grew by 3.1%, following a 24.7% increase in net profit for the first six months of the fiscal year. With a 1.8% rise in first-half net profit, Yokogawa Electric, Corp. shares gained 5.1%. Consumer prices in South Korea accelerated by 5.7% year-on-year in October from 5.6% in September. Analysts had expected the inflation rate to remain at the same level. On a monthly basis, consumer prices grew by 0.3%. Samsung Electronics lost 0.8%, and Hyundai Motor was down by 0.3%. A 2.4% surge in the share value of BHP and Rio Tinto contributed to a rise in Australia's S&P/ASX 200.     Relevance up to 12:00 2022-11-03 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/326050

Summary:  The Nasdaq 100 & S&P 500 drop after the Fed made hawkish remarks post lifting rates 0.75%. Fed says ‘we still have some ways to go’. It will make ‘ongoing increases’ until rates are ‘sufficiently restrictive’. Provided the upcoming economic data is strong, and shows the US economy is, the Fed can keep hiking. However, it could pivot as early as December. Until the next major US eco data release it seems equites could remain in risk-off mode, especially with high PE stocks, like tech, while defensive and commodity plays with rising cash flows could continue to garner interest. China’s Li signals a potential economic recovery, fuelling commodities and China’s markets. Crude oil rocks up after OPEC raised its forecast for oil demand. a2 Milk gets FDA green light. What is happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) & S&P 500 (US500.I) drop after Fed made hawkish remarks post lifting rates 0.75% US major indices dropped on Powell's hawkish comments. The S&P 500 shed 2.5% and the Nasdaq plunged 3.4% with megacap tech stock copping the brunt of the selloff with Apple (AAPL) down 3.73% and Tesla (TSLA) down 5.6% with the EV giant reportedly shutting its flagship showroom in China, in Beijing as it shift strategy. What prompted high PE stocks being sold off was that Treasuries yields rose across the curve, with the 10-years up 4 bps to 4.08%. The dollar reversed course and rose against every G-10 peer save the yen. So, the bottom line is, the market will now be contending with a risk-off tone, until the next US economic data sets prove the Fed can pivot. Oil moved higher, while corn and wheat dropped on grain-corridor developments. Elsewhere, Boeing (BA) shares rose 2.8% with the plane maker saying it could generate $10 billion in cash annually by mid-decade, once it turns around its operations after years of setbacks. Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) futures suggest risk-off mode will be enacted with tech stocks on notice. Focus will be on milk Aussie tech stocks are likely to come under pressure with US bond yields rising again. However, there may be bright sparks today. Iron ore (SCOA) rose 0.4% sitting back above $80.85, which might support iron ore companies shares. That said, BHP closed 3.1% lower in NY. A2Milk (A2M) may garner attention after the US FDA gave approval for a2 Milk to be sold in the US. Bubs Australia (BUB) may likely 'piggyback' on any gains. That said, you could expect infant formula stocks to gain interest, particularly as China’s outgoing premier signal China is striving to build sustainable development. In other news; Rio (RIO) moved in on taking over a Canadian copper-gold company, Turquoise Hill Resources (TRQ). On Wednesday in Australia, Rio offered C$43 per share for the Canadian miner, saying that is its best and final offer. Rio is seeking to buy 49% of the Canadian miner, that it doesn’t already own, in a deal valued at around C$4.24 billion. Turquoise Hill Resources shares surged The Investor meeting to consider the takeover is set for November 8. Rio is also bidding to gain control of Mongolia’s Oyu Tolgoi, one of the world’s biggest copper mines. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOZ2) rocks up after OPEC raised its forecast for oil demand   Oil rallied for several reason; firstly OPEC rose its forecasts for world oil demand in the medium to longer term, saying that $12.1 trillion of investment is needed to meet this demand. Second, an EIA report showed US gasoline inventories fell to the lowest since 2014 and East Coast distillate stocks slide to a record low seasonally, which intensifies supply concerns. Crude supplies also fell. Natural gas rose in the US and in Europe. Fed says ‘we still have some ways to go’; and it will make ‘ongoing increases’ until rates are ‘sufficiently restrictive’. What to watch next, what it means for equities Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell stuck to his campaign to bring inflation under control, saying “we still have some ways to go”, before rates were ‘sufficiently restrictive’ but the path may soon involve smaller hikes. Still, Powell sees it may be appropriate to make smaller hikes, as soon as December, or at the meeting after. But, he also said it was very premature to be thinking about pausing. After the Fed raised rates by 75 basis points on Wednesday, Powell said “incoming data since our last meeting suggests that ultimate level of interest rates will be higher than previously expected.” He also mentioned rate hikes have a lag effect on the economy, and the Fed needs to take this into account. This means, the devil will be in the detail ahead, as in the upcoming economic data which the Fed will respond to. Provided the upcoming economic data is strong, shows the US economy is, then the Fed can essentially keep hiking. For equites this means the risk-off mode in high PE stocks, like tech can possibly continue, inversely, defensive and commodity plays with rising cash flows might continue to garner interest. Saxo’s Head of FX Strategy says, so cue tomorrow’s ISM Services, Friday’s US jobs report, the October CPI due out next week, November 11 next week, and the November CPI report due December 12. China’s Li Keqiang signals a potential economic recovery, fueling commodities and China’s markets China’s outgoing premier Li Keqiang said China will strive for a "better" economic outcome and promote stable, healthy and sustainable development, saying China’s economy is showing signs of stabilizing, as well as “rebounding momentum" thanks to stimulus. This has supported gains in iron ore (SCOA) and also supported optimism in Asian equites. Australian lending and building approvals fall more than expected, giving the RBA greater cause to remain dovish. Keeping AUDUSD on notice House lending in Australia fell 8.2% in September (far more than the market expected) while building construction lending fell 36.6%, with the weaker data sets coming out just a day after the RBA remained dovish - rising Australia’s official cash rate by 25bps (0.25%) to 2.85%. On Tuesday the RBA acknowledged tighter financial conditions and the ‘full effect’ of increased interest rates are yet to be felt in ‘mortgage payments’, but the rate hikes since May, combined with higher inflation have already put pressure on household budgets. We believe the RBA could increasingly become dovish despite inflation running away to the upside. We think the RBA may be forced to potentially pause on rate hikes sooner, as they have done in history, despite peak inflation continuing to rise YoY. The AUDUSD remains under pressure for this reason. Plus until the Fed has reason to pivot the US dollar remains supported. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-3-nov-03112022

Asia-Pacific equities remain mostly red as Fed’s Powell backs aggressive rate hikes. Off in Japan restricts bond market moves in Asia and hence DXY gets the chance to pare post-Fed gains. Downbeat China data, covid woes and North Korea’s test fire also weigh on sentiment. Upbeat service sector data from India favor markets ahead of RBI’s special meeting. Share markets in the Asia-Pacific region portray the typical moves after the hawkish Fed decision during early Thursday. The risk-aversion could also be linked to China’s covid woes and geopolitical fears emanating from North Korea. However, holiday in Japan and a light calendar elsewhere restricts the market moves of late. While portraying the mood, the MSCI’s index of Asia-Pacific shares ex-Japan reverses from a two-week high to print half a percent intraday loss heading into Thursday’s European session. It should be noted that equities in China remain in the red as covid fears escalate. A lockdown surrounding the area involving the world’s largest iPhone factory defied hopes of easing China’s zero-covid policy. Additionally, Reuters quotes China’s latest National Health Commission figures to suggest an uptick in coronavirus cases. The news states, “China reported 3,372 new COVID-19 infections on Nov. 2, of which 581 were symptomatic and 2,791 were asymptomatic.” Elsewhere, North Korea fired an unidentified ballistic missile toward the East Sea that has since been reported to have flown over Japan, per Reuters. Following the same, Japan warns residents to take shelter in the threat of the North Korean missile. Recently, the US warns Pyongyang over such an effort and raised market fears in Asia. It should be noted that the mixed Aussie trade numbers and downbeat China Caixin Services PMI exert downside pressure on the ASX 200. Further, markets in Hong Kong lead the bears as HKMA copies the Fed’s 0.75% rate hike. India’s BSE Sensex appears snapping the downtrend, even with mild gains, as the S&P Global India services Purchasing Managers' Index edged up to 55.1 in October from September's six-month low of 54.3, versus 54.6 expected, per Reuters. The news states that activity in India's dominant services industry gathered pace in October despite high inflationary pressures, underpinned by robust domestic demand, leading to the second fastest hiring pace in over three years, a private survey showed. On a broader front, S&P 500 Futures print mild gains whereas the US 10-year and 2-year Treasury yields seesaw around 4.10% and 4.62% by the press time. It should be noted that the Fed’s 75 bps increase in the benchmark rate initially triggered the market’s optimism as the rate statement highlighted the odds of a slower rate hike. The update stated, “Cumulative tightening of monetary policy, the lags with which monetary policy affects economic activity and inflation, and economic and financial developments.”  However, Powell’s speech propelled the fears as he cited the need to bring down inflation “decisively” while also suggesting a bit longer play for the restrictive policy. Moving on, the US ISM Services PMI, forecasted to ease to 55.5 in October compared to 56.7 in previous readings, could offer immediate directions but the pre-NFP trading lull is likely to challenge the momentum traders. Also read: S&P 500 Futures dribble near one-week low as yields fade post-Fed rally

Week starts with blurred sentiment on the back of mixed US jobs data, and soft Chinese trade figures. Previous data Chinese exports and imports unexpectedly shrank in October; this was the first synchronized drop since May 2020. US jobs data was mixed, and triggered mixed market reaction, a rally that may not last long into the inflation data. US events ahead This week, US midterm elections & latest CPI update will be the major talking point. Earnings On the corporate calendar, Disney, Occidental Petroleum and Rivian are among companies that are due to go to the earnings confessional this week. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:31 Chinese trade data disappoints 1:59 Over-optimistic reaction to the US jobs data’ 6:50 What to expect from US midterm elections? 8:39 Corporate calendar: Disney, Occidental, Rivian earnings Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #US #midterm #election #2022 #NFP #jobs #wages #inflation #data #Fed #hawks #Disney #Occidental #Petroleum #Rivian #earnings #China #trade #data #Covid #zero #policy #Foxconn #Apple #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary ___ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr ___ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 ___ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH

Summary:  Equities extended their rebound from post-Powell lows on Monday with China reopening reports not taking any clear direction. US treasury yields jumped higher, but more so on a heavy corporate calendar rather than macro-driven, and dollar continued to slip for a second consecutive day. Asian economic data sending some warnings signs with China export/import growth turning red and Australian confidence dropping to fresh lows. US midterms ahead, and a clean Republican sweep can be further dollar negative. Earnings focus on Walt Disney in the day ahead. What’s happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) rose with tech and energy leading gains Ahead of the U.S. midterm election, equity market sentiments maintained a risk-on tone. Both S&P 500 and NASDAQ rose about 1%.  Community services, energy, and information technology led gains while utilities were the largest loser in S&P 500. On corporate news, Meta (META:xnas) gained 6.5% after the company announced plans to cut staff. Viatris (VTRS:xnas) surged 13% after the pharma company agreed to acquire Oyster Point (OYST:xnas). Lyft (LYFT:xnas) plunged 15% in extended-hour trading after reporting weaker-than expected ridership growth. Tesla (TSLA:xnas), losing 5%, dragged the benchmarks indices most. US  treasury (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) edged higher on incoming supply Yields across the treasury curve rose around 6bps ahead of refunding auctions of the 3-year notes, 10-year notes, and 30-year bonds for a total of USD96 billion from Tuesday to Thursday. A rise of 16bps across the pond in the 2-year UK Gilt yield also added to the pressure on treasuries. Investors will be watching closely the U.S. mid-term election on Tuesday and CPI on Wednesday. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIX2) China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) continued to rally on China reopening hopes Stocks in Hong Kong shrugged off the headlines about China’s National Administration of Disease Control and Prevention reiterating adherence to the dynamic zero-Covid policy over the weekend. Investors took note that the health officials added that local governments should not unreasonably double down on the implementation and must ensure people’s livelihood and economic activities remain normal.  In addition, the resumption of large-scale sports events, relaxation of PCR test requirements, increases in international flights, cancellation of circuit breaker for international flights, and approval of BioNTech vaccine for foreigners living in mainland China were among the factors cited by street analysts in their reports anticipating gradual reopening in the coming months. The Hang Seng Index rose for the second day in a row, finishing 2.7% higher. Financials outperformed, with HKEX (00388:xhkg) up 5.4%, HSBC (00005:xhkg) up 3.7%, and AIA (01299:xhkg) up 3.3%,  China property names surged on better-than-expected home sales data from some tier-1 cities. Country Garden (02007:xhkg), up 11%, was the top gainer in the Hang Seng Index. Despite Apple (AAPL:xnas) cutting iPhone production, Sunny Optical (02382:xhkg) jumped 11%. MMG (01208:xhkg) surged 16%, following the removal of blockage by locals to the company’s copper mine in Peru. Zinjin Mining (02899:xhkg), up 10.3%, announced to buy a 20% stake in Zhaojin Mining (01818:xhkg), up 9.7%.  China’s October trade data came in weaker than expected but it did not have much impact on the market on Monday. FX: Dollar’s decline extends despite rise in 10-year yields The US 10-year yields rose to last week’s post-Powell highs at 4.20%+, but the dollar tumbled for a second day in a row to drop to over one-week lows. Dollar decline was broad-based, against all G10 currencies barring the loonie. Gains were led by sterling, with GBPUSD above 1.1500 and EURGBP also sliding lower to 0.8700. EUR benefitted from the weaker dollar which helped EURUSD rise above parity from lows of 0.9900 even as President Lagarde reiterated her usual tone noting inflation must be brought back down to 2%. Midterms bring further volatility risks to FX, with a clean Republican sweep likely being dollar negative as yields will likely plunge amid speculation of a hamstrung administration limiting scope for fiscal support.    Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOZ2) lower despite dollar weakness Oil prices ended lower as hopes of China easing its zero covid policy faded, even as near-term supply constraints continued to limit the slide. OPEC has begun reducing output in line with the agreement to reduce quotas by 2mb/d at its last meeting. The market is also facing the deadline for European imports of Russian oil before sanctions kick in on 5 December. This has left fuel inventories tight, with Brent crude oil futures still below $100 per barrel and WTI futures staying above $91. Meanwhile, US natural gas futures soared on cold weather fears in the West and the Northeast. December natural gas futures contracts climbed as much as 12.8% to $7.22 per MMBtu before trimming the advance later. Copper (HGZ2) trimmed last week’s gains Copper reversed back to $3.60 after racing to $3.70+ levels on Friday on China reopening optimism. However, reports that China would stick with its adherence to strict virus controls, made the metal reverse some gains. Weak economic data also weighed on sentiment with China’s imports of Copper ore down and overall imports also unexpectedly falling for the first time in more than two years. Gold (XAUUSD) held steady despite the lower USD, and it may still be quite early to call a reversal in the short-term downtrend.   What to consider US mid-term elections to spook market volatility Pundits suggest that the Republicans have very strong odds of flipping the House of Representatives in their favour, while the odds look finely balanced for whether the Senate ends retaining the slimmest of Democratic majorities. Republicans taking both houses has few immediate ramifications, as US President Biden has the presidential veto, but a stronger than expected Democratic showing that somehow sees them retaining the House and strengthening their Senate majority would be a game changer – opening for more policy dynamism from the US over the next two years rather than the expected lame-duck presidency. Uncertainty is high as pollsters have had a hard time gathering accurate indications for the election results since Trump’s victory in 2016. China’s October trade data disappointed China’s exports in USD terms declined 0.3% Y/Y in October, much worse than the growth of 4.5% expected in the Bloomberg survey and the 5.7% in September. It was the first decline in export growth since May 2020 and might point to a turning point of deceleration in exports as the global economy slowed. If adjusting for inflation in export prices, the decline of China’s exports would be even larger in the real term. Imports in USD terms declined 0.7% Y/Y (vs consensus 0.0%, Sept: +0.3%). Bank of Japan affirms easy policy, but not without some mention of a future exit The Bank of Japan released summary of opinions of the October policy meeting today, broadly reaffirming the easy monetary policy stance. Still some members stuck a slightly different tone, noting that Japan's inflation likely to remain fairly high as there are signs service prices starting to rise, and “cannot rule out chance prices will sharply overshoot forecasts.” Still, sustained wage gains remained the base case for Japan to achieve its price target and members agreed that there was no immediate need to tweak monetary policy. Importantly, one member noted that the Bank of Japan must continue examining how a future exit from ultra-low interest rates could affect financial markets, in a rare mention of an exit. Big slump in Australian business and consumer confidence Australia’s consumer sentiment tumbled to its lowest level in 2.5 years and business confidence also weakened as higher interest rates and surging inflation stoke caution over the economic outlook. NAB business confidence plunged to 0 from 5 in September, while the Westpac consumer confidence index was down to 78 for November from 83.7 previously. This bodes ill for spending ahead, suggesting RBA’s caution on rate hikes may continue to prevail despite the continued hot CPI reports. Walt Disney earnings ahead Walt Disney is scheduled to report on Tuesday with analysts expecting Q4 (ending 30 September) revenue growth of 15% y/y but EBITDA at $3bn down from $3.86bn in Q3 highlighting the ongoing margin pressure. Layoffs are coming to Meta and Apple cuts iPhone production The demand for iPhones is coming down and Apple is now announcing a cut of 3mn units as consumers are under pressure from inflation and might be extending the life of their old phones. Apple has recently hiked prices on some of its services aiming to offset the weakness in its hardware business. Meanwhile, investors have been frustrated with Meta following the Q3 earnings release as Mark Zuckerberg has reinforced the image that he does not listen to the concerns of investors that Meta is spending too much capital on its metaverse bets. According to Wall Street Journal, Meta might have listened after all as the technology company is expected to begin laying off thousands of employees. Read our equity strategist Peter Garnry’s note here.   For our look ahead at markets this week - Listen/watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-8-nov-08112022

Summary:  Markets are trying to build some positive energy as the volatility in the US treasury market has eased in recent days, although Fed tightening expectations remain near the peak for the cycle ahead of another important CPI release on Thursday, certainly the macro event of the week. Today is mid-term election day in the US, where the Republicans are expected to take back at least the House of Representatives.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities gained 0.8% pushing above the 3,800 level and the 50-day moving average. The resistance level is up at around the 3,900 level with the 3,724 level being the short-term support level to watch. For US equities the biggest event to watch is today’s Midterm elections in the US which could change the political landscape in favour of the Republicans flipping the House. But for years polls have been terrible in predicting anything on US politics, so we remain neutral on the outcome. The US 10-year yield is advancing to 4.22% adding headwinds on equity valuations. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) The China reopening trade took a pause in Hong Kong and the mainland bourses as domestically transmitted new cases in the mainland doubled to 7,455. Guangzhou, the capital city of the Southern Guangdong province reported 2,377 new cases and launched mandatory testing in 9 of the 11 districts of the city and extended the lockdown of Haizhu district to Friday. Hang Sang Index fell 0.7% and CSI300 dropped 1.3%. FX: USD near important support ahead of Thursday’s US CPI The US dollar traded in a narrow range yesterday, with EURUSD near parity this morning after trading solidly above yesterday, but not yet threatening the 1.1094 pivot high from late October. Elsewhere, GBPUSD has traded briefly above 1.1500 but is still bottled up below the key range high above 1.1600, while AUDUSD is closer to the cusp of a break-out as it has traded as high as 0.6491, just shy of the 1-month pivot high of 0.6522 and the AUD likely keying off developments in China (hopes for an easing of Covid restrictions, commodities following through higher after last week’s rally, etc.) It feels like the next move for the greenback will key off the Thursday October CPI release, as CPI releases have sparked considerable volatility in recent months. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) Crude oil remains in consolidatory mode after failing to find additional buying interest during Monday’s temporary break above the October high in Brent at $98.75 and $93.65 in WTI. The themes driving markets remain the same with supply worries driven by OPEC+ production cuts and EU sanctions against Russian oil from December 5 being offset by concerns about the health of the global economy and China’s prolonged battle with Covid with daily infections hitting a six-month high. Despite this latest acceleration in cases, the market has started to price in a lifting of restrictions sometimes early next year, an event Goldmans estimate could add between $6 and $15 upside risks to prices.  Today, the US Midterm elections is likely to steal some of the attention ahead of API’s weekly stock report tonight. Meanwhile, US natural gas (NGZ2) futures soared beyond $7/MMBtu on cold weather fears in the West and the Northeast before trimming the advance overnight. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) The MOVE index, a measure of the implied volatility of the US treasury market, has dipped sharply in recent days, posting its lowest levels since early September, perhaps as the market feels there are few surprises left in store from the Fed now that Fed funds expectations have reached above 5.00% and US yields at the longer end have remained bottled up in the 3.90%-4.30% range. The October US CPI release on Thursday is the next test for the US treasury market. What is going on? Bank of Japan affirms easy policy, but not without some mention of a future exit The Bank of Japan released summary of opinions of the October policy meeting today, broadly reaffirming the easy monetary policy stance. Still some members stuck a slightly different tone, noting that Japan's inflation likely to remain fairly high as there are signs service prices starting to rise, and “cannot rule out chance prices will sharply overshoot forecasts.” Still, sustained wage gains remained the base case for Japan to achieve its price target and members agreed that there was no immediate need to tweak monetary policy. Importantly, one member noted that the Bank of Japan must continue examining how a future exit from ultra-low interest rates could affect financial markets, in a rare mention of an exit. Tesla shares hit the lowest level since June 2021 Tesla shares were 5% lower yesterday as investors are getting more nervous about CEO Elon Musk intense focus on Twitter after he acquired the social media platform. Many advertisers have pulled back on advertising on Twitter leaving the company losing around $4-5mn a day with sizeable debt due. Investors are worried that Elon Musk is losing his focus but also that he will be forced to sell Tesla shares to fund Twitter operations. Nintendo still sees strong demand for Switch The gaming company lifts its FY net income projection to JPY 400bn from previously JPY 340bn on strong demand with the company seeing little impact on its sales from global inflation. Big slump in Australian business and consumer confidence Australia’s consumer sentiment tumbled to its lowest level in 2.5 years and business confidence also weakened as higher interest rates and surging inflation stoke caution over the economic outlook. NAB business confidence plunged to 0 from 5 in September, while the Westpac consumer confidence index was down to 78 for November from 83.7 previously. This bodes ill for spending ahead, suggesting RBA’s caution on rate hikes may continue to prevail despite the continued hot CPI reports. The Eurozone Sentix Index improved substantially, albeit from a awful level The Eurozone Sentix Investor confidence index was out at minus 30.9 in November versus 38.3 in October. This is a strong improvement. But the index was actually at its lowest level last month since March 2020. The other components increased too. The current situation improved to minus 29.5 while the expectations index jumped to minus 35.5. The uptick is clearly not a reversal trend. This is more of a rebalancing. Investors were too pessimistic in recent months regarding the evolution of the European energy crisis. The risk of energy rationing was overestimated, for instance. High gas storage and better weather will help avoid this nightmare scenario. This does not mean that the improvement in the Sentix index will continue, however. The eurozone recession will likely dampen investors’ hopes.  U.S. used car prices continue to move lower According to the Manheim index, used car prices continue to crash, with a year-over-year change at minus 10.4 % in October. This is the worst drop since December 2008. This matters because until the summer used car prices were one of the main contributors to U.S. inflation. Cryptocurrencies The crypto market is in negative territory today after growing concerns about the liquidity of the crypto exchange FTX - specifically tied to its hybrid investment fund/market maker Alameda Research. The selloff in cryptos was partly triggered by the nosedive of the FTX token, which together with the Solana token makes up a notable portion of Alameda's balance sheet. What are we watching next? US mid-term elections today Pundits suggest that the Republicans have very strong odds of flipping the House of Representatives in their favour, while the odds look finely balanced for whether the Senate ends retaining the slim Democratic majority or moves to Republican control, which would only require one more Republican seat. There are few immediate ramifications if Republicans take both houses, as US President Biden has the presidential veto, but a stronger than expected Democratic showing that somehow sees them retaining the House and strengthening their Senate majority would be a game changer – opening for more policy dynamism (and inflation from fiscal stimulus) from the US over the next two years rather than the expected lame-duck presidency. The latter is a very unlikely scenario, but uncertainty is high as pollsters have had a hard time gathering accurate polls, especially for specific states, for every election since Trump’s victory in 2016. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is Walt Disney which is expected to deliver revenue growth of 15% y/y but also significant margin pressure with gross margin expected at 32.5% the lowest Q1 2021. EPS is expected at $0.51 down from $0.91 in Q2. Monday: Westpac Banking, Coloplast, Ryanair (see earnings review above), Activision Blizzard, BioNTech, Palantir Technologies, SolarEdge Technologies Tuesday: Bayer, Deutsche Post, KE Holdings, Nintendo, Walt Disney, Occidental Petroleum, Lucid Group, DuPont Wednesday: National Australia Bank, KBC Group, Genmab, Siemens Healthineers, E.ON, Adidas, Honda Motor, Coupang, Rivian Automotive, Roblox, DR Horton, Trade Desk Thursday: Brookfield Asset Management, Fortum, Engie, Credit Agricole, Allianz, Merck, Hapag-Lloyd, RWE, SMIC, Nexi, AstraZeneca, ArcelorMittal, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, Becton Dickinson, NIO Friday: Richemont Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – UK Bank of England’s Chief Economist Huw Pill to speak 1100 – US Oct. NFIB Small Business Optimism 1600 – UK BoE’s Pill to speak 1700 – EIA's Monthly Short-term Energy Outlook (STEO) 2030 – API Weekly Report on US Oil Inventories 0130 – China Oct. PPI/CPI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher     Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-nov-8-2022-08112022

Summary:  Market sentiment improved further yesterday before dipping slightly overnight, as China Covid cases are on the rise, pushing back against hopes for a lifting of Covid restrictions. In the US mid-term elections, Democrats are slightly outperforming expectations, possibly set to retain control of the Senate even if Republicans look likely set to take narrow control of the House of Representatives.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities exhausted themselves yesterday pulling back from intraday highs to close around the 3,835 level. Sentiment has weakened overnight amid the ongoing impact from the US midterm elections, bad Disney and the fallout from the implosion of FTX in the crypto industry with S&P 500 futures trading down to the 3,829 level. Tesla shares continued lower yesterday, and Elon Musk announced overnight in a filing that he had sold 19.5mn shares in Tesla, and the negative momentum could broaden as many retail investors have sizeable exposure to the stock. The next big event for the US equity market is tomorrow’s October inflation figures which are expected to show core inflation is easing a bit. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) The China reopening continued to fade as new Covid cases surged further to 8,176 yesterday. Hang Seng Index retreated 1.6% and CSI 300 slid 0.8%. China’s PPI declined 1.3% Y/Y in October due to falls in energy and materials prices and weaknesses in metal processing. CPI inflation was also weaker than expected and fell to +2.1% in October from 2.8% in September on weak consumer demand and property prices. Share prices of Chinese developers however surged, following the Chinese authorities pledged to provide credit support, including credit insurance and bond buying, to private enterprise developers. FX: USD remains on back foot after testing important support. Thursday CPI key focus The US dollar fell sharply yesterday, with EURUSD testing the pivot high of 1.0094 before pulling back slightly into this morning and USDJPY had a look toward the pivotal 145.00 level without breaking through. Elsewhere, AUDUSD tested above the 0.6522 pivot late yesterday before pulling back again, likely on concerns that rising China Covid cases are frustrating hopes that a shift away from lockdowns will provide a further boost to the commodity market. Lower US treasury yields yesterday helped drive the US dollar lower and are a key focus over the Thursday October US CPI release, as CPI releases have sparked considerable volatility in recent months. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) slid on API inventory build and China’s Covid Challenges WTI futures trade back below $90 and Brent near $95 after a fresh surge in China’s Covid cases sparked concerns over whether China will part ways with its Zero Covid policy. Also weighing on prices was the API reporting a 5.6m build in crude and 2.6m build in gasoline stocks. On the supply the EIA made another downgrade to its forecast for US 2023 production, down 0.7m b/d since March to 12.3m b/d driven by labor shortages, high equipment costs, supply-chain constraints and not least commitment to profits over production. Precious and industrial metals pause following another upside push After pausing on Monday, gold, silver and copper all resumed their upside push yesterday with the moves being triggered by renewed dollar weakness and softer bond yields ahead of tomorrow’s US October CPI release. A selloff in cryptocurrencies potentially helped get the ball rolling, especially gold which found fresh momentum buying on the break above $1680/85 area. Technical resistance levels in silver at $21.50 and copper at $3.69 together with the EURUSD hitting resistance at the pivot high of 1.0094 paused the rally. Gold, up 83 dollars in three sessions, will be watching $1735 closely as a break above could be signalling an end to the month-long correction. Crypto market getting nervous After a weeklong dispute between crypto exchanges Binance and FTX, a letter of intent was signed yesterday for Binance to acquire FTX, stating a significant liquidity crunch for FTX. The announcement was initially a brief relief for the crypto market, but it was followed by a steep crypto sell-off, likely dragging major equity indices such as S&P 500 down as well. Nervousness is spreading throughout the crypto markets in fear of further contagion as we saw earlier this year, and a higher degree of volatility should be expected in the crypto markets. Read more here. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US Treasury yields fell yesterday all along the curve ahead of the macro data point of the week – tomorrow's US October CPI release. Focus on the 3.90% yield on the 10-year treasury yield to the downside and 4.3% area cycle high to the upside in the wake of that release. What is going on? Disney sees margin compression in Q4 Disney+ delivered Q4 subscribers of 164.2mn vs est. 162.5mn but EPS came in at $0.30 vs est. $0.51 as energy costs and wage pressures are pressuring the operating margin. Disney+ is still on track to be profitable in the FY24 (two years from now). Disney’s Q4 revenue was $20.2bn vs est. $21.3bn. Shares were 7% lower in extended trading. Tesla shares fall another 5% and Elon Musk sells $4bn of shares The rumours about the big losses at Twitter and that Elon Musk would be forced to fund its operations were true as he filed overnight that he had sold $4bn of Tesla shares pushing the price down by another 2% in extended trading. Negative momentum could easily extend here with Tesla shares sitting a crucial support area back from March and June 2021. US Mid-term elections avoid the “red wave” of Republican gains, although Dems likely to lose House The final results are too early to call, but the Democrats may possibly retain control of the US Senate, with one race in Georgia possibly requiring a run-off as was the case in the 2020 election before any final outcome is known. Final tallies are not available for the House of Representative results, but the lean in the results makes it likely that the Republicans will take control of the House by a fairly comfortable margin (NYT estimates 225-210 this morning). Democrats losing the House means that the last two years of the Biden presidency will be “lame-duck”, with no real ability to shape new policy. At the same time, given the situation coming into this election, with soaring inflation and poor popularity for the sitting president, the Republican performance looks quite weak. As well, if the Democrats do retain control of the Senate, Republican-driven legislation will be unlikely to reach Biden’s desk, meaning he won’t have to formally veto their bills. France’s housing market is cooling down The combination between high inflation across the board (CPI hovering close to 6 % on a year-on-year basis), lower purchasing power and higher interest rates is pushing housing prices down in France. According to the real estate promoter Century21 (one of the leading players in this market), real estate prices went down under the threshold of 10.000 Є per square meter in Paris. The deceleration in prices is, however, limited so far. Contrary to Tel Aviv, Amsterdam and Hong Kong, the Parisian housing market is not in a situation of a speculative bubble. Prices are overvalued, however. Expect prices to go down a bit more due to a drop in solvent demand. But we won't see a large decrease in prices as it is currently happening in several major cities in the United States, for instance. The French housing market is more resilient for mostly two main reasons: fixed interest rates and a comparatively low household debt (it represents about 124 % of net disposable household income versus a peak at 249 % in Denmark). What are we watching next? US October CPI release tomorrow is macro event of the week Many recent US CPI releases have sparked considerable market volatility, not least the September release last month which strongly surprised by showing core inflation reaching a new cycle high of 6.6% year-on-year. Tomorrow’s October CPI release, ex Fresh Food and Energy is expected to come in at +0.5% month-on-month and +6.5% year-on-year, with the headline expected at +0.6%/7.9%, which would be the first sub-8.0% year-on-year print since February. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus Rivian Automotive and DR Horton. The electric vehicle industry is in high growth phase and Rivian is also expected to report revenue of $561mn up from $1mn a year ago as the company ramps up production of its delivery vans. DR Horton is expected to deliver FY22 Q4 (ending 30 September) revenue growth up 25% as the tailwind from the backlog is still feeding through, but revenue growth y/y is expected to collapse to –6% y/y in the current quarter so the outlook is the key watch in this earnings release. Wednesday: National Australia Bank, KBC Group, Genmab, Siemens Healthineers, E.ON, Adidas, Honda Motor, Coupang, Rivian Automotive, Roblox, DR Horton, Trade Desk Thursday: Brookfield Asset Management, Fortum, Engie, Credit Agricole, Allianz, Merck, Hapag-Lloyd, RWE, SMIC, Nexi, AstraZeneca, ArcelorMittal, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, Becton Dickinson, NIO Friday: Richemont Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0800 – Hungary October CPI 0800 – US Fed’s Williams (Voter) to speak 0905 – Australia RBA’s Bullock to speak Poland Announces Interest Rate 1200 – Mexico Oct. CPI 1300 – UK Bank of England’s Haskel to speak 1530 – EIA's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 1630 – UK Bank of England’s Cunliffe to speak 1700 – World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) 0001 – UK Oct. RICS House Price Balance 0100 – US Fed’s Kashkari (Voter 2023) to speak Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-nov-9-2022-09112022

Asian stocks have been prey to sheer volatility ahead of the US inflation data. Massive sell-off at Facebook's helm brought a sell-off in S&P500. Long-term US yields have tumbled in anticipation of a 50 bps rate hike in the December policy meeting. Markets in the Asian domain have witnessed an intense sell-off after fetching negative cues from S&P500. A significant recovery in the risk-off market mood has forced investors to stay away from equities till the release of the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the outcome of mid-elections outcome. At the press time, Japan’s Nikkei225 tumbled 1.05%, ChinaA50 dropped 0.43%, Hang Seng plummeted 1.87%, and Nifty50 surrendered 0.70%. Massive lay-off announced at Facebook dented sentiment of market participants. This has triggered the risk of a slowdown in overall demand. Well, US equities are facing the consequences of accelerating interest rates by the Federal Reserve (Fed). Also, a majority win of Republicans would snap some command from Democratic in passing bills and laws. The US dollar index (DXY) is hovering around the day’s low at 110.20 as investors are restricting themselves ahead of the US CPI for making informed decisions. The 10-year US Treasury yields have tumbled to 4.07% as odds are not favoring a rate hike of 50 basis points (bps) in December monetary policy by the Federal Reserve (Fed). Going forward, the extent of deviation in inflationary pressure will provide meaningful cues about the likely monetary policy action by the Fed. Meanwhile, Nikkei225 has witnessed selling pressure despite the announcement of economic stimulus packages this week. To spurt the aggregate demand, the Japanese administration has decided to provide stimulus budgets and hike taxes for big pockets. On the oil front, oil prices have nosedived by more than 3% after the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Fatih Birol slammed OPEC+’s decision to cut oil production as it might worsen the outlook for developing countries that are sliding towards recession, reported Bloomberg. He further added that the move is fueling inflation, especially in developing countries, and may require a “rethink,”

Summary:  Perhaps reality set in that markets could perhaps have been a bit too euphoric after just one inflation print showed CPI had dropped. Investors took profits from the Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 seeing the indices fall 1% & 0.9% ahead of US PPI and following Fed officials’ remarks about ‘additional work to do’ and “a ways to go” to bring down inflation. Inflation expectations in a New York Fed consumer survey increased. Crude oil took a haircut, falling 4.2% after OPEC cut its oil demand outlook. Despite the US dollar rising against almost all major G-10 peers, The Aussie dollar nudged up to 0.67 ahead of the RBA meeting minutes. What’s happening in markets? Investors took profits from the Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) seeing the indices fall 1% and 0.9% as there’s ‘additional work to do’ to bring down inflation  Perhaps reality set in, that markets could perhaps have been a bit too euphoric after just one inflation print showed CPI had dropped. The major US indices snapped their two-day rally because US Federal Reserve speakers raised the alarm that the Fed had extra work to do to bring down inflation. Fed Governor Christopher Waller warned that “the market seems to have gotten way out in front over this one CPI report” and the Fed has “got a ways to go”.  Adding to that, Fed’s Vice Chair Lael Brainard said there is “additional work to do”. Putting it into perspective, the S&P500 has still managed to hold onto a gain of 10% from October 10. Given the rhetoric of ‘more work to do’ has been reinforced, it’s important to remember bear markets produce wild swings in markets, and volatility might be expected to pick up given the uncertainty. Ten of the 11 sectors of the S&P 500 declined with Real Estate, Consumer Discretionary, and Financials falling the most and Health Care being flat. Amazon (AMXN:xnas) dropped 2.3% as the company announced plans to layoff about 10,000 employees. Tesla (TSLA:xnas) declined 2.6% as Elon Musk said he had too much work to juggle and was running Tesla “with great difficulty”. Toll and board games maker, Hasbro (HAS:xnas) tumbled nearly 10% on analyst downgrades. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) as China rolling out financial support to the property sector Hang Seng Index climbed 1.7% and CSI 300 edged up 0.1% on the news that the People’s Bank of China and the Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission jointly issued a notice to financial institutions with 16 measures to address the liquidity squeeze faced by property developers through measures including the temporary relaxation of previously imposed redlines restricting banks from lending over certain ceilings to developers and calling for financial institutions to treat private enterprise developers equally with state-owned enterprises. Leading China private enterprise property developers listed in Hong Kong soared, with Country Garden (02007:xhkg) jumping 45.5% and Longfor (00960) surging 16.5%. US  treasury (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) pared some post-CPI gains on hawkish Fedspeak and higher surveyed inflation expectations. US treasury yields rose about 6bps across the curve, paring some of the post-CPI gains, after returning from a long weekend, with the 10-year yield rising to 3.86% and the 2-year yield back to 4.39%. Hawkish comments from Fed Governor Waller that the market has gotten too much ahead of itself on one CPI report and there is still a long way to go triggered selling in treasuries during Asian hours. To add to that, the usually dovish Fed Vice Chair Lael Brainard said there is additional work to do in fighting inflation. Higher inflation expectations from the New York Fed’s Survey of Consumer Expectations weighed on the bond markets. Median one- and three-year-ahead inflation expectations increased to 5.9% and 3.1% from 5.4% and 2.9%, respectively. The median five-year-ahead inflation expectations rose to 2.4% from 2.2%. Also weighing on the markets during the session as about 12 billion corporate bond issuance. Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) trades at its highest level since June; focus on CBA today   The biggest bank in Australia and the second biggest company on the ASX, Commonwealth Bank (CBA) reported its financial results today, with the bank reporting its net profit after tax (NPAT) from continuing operations grew just 2% compared to the prior quarter to A$2.5 billion. Its common equity Tier 1 ratio fell slightly to 11.1% vs. 11.5% q/q (showing its holding slightly less cash), and it also declared a loan impairment expense of A$222 million from bad debts, (showing Australians are feeling the pinch of the rate hikes). All in all, CBA’s income rose 9%, driven by higher margins and volume growth, which partly offset the reduced non-interest income. Meanwhile, CBA’s expenses rose, 4.5% (excluding remediation) with higher staff costs adding to the bill. CBA’s shares have risen 21% from their June low. And the technical indicators on the monthly chart suggest its slow grind up could perhaps continue, but the monthly and daily charts look somewhat mixed/choppy- it guess you could say, showing volatility may pick up. A lot can be taken by the RBA’s commentary, which has alluded to insolvencies rising up. Which we can see has been reflected in CBA’s results. Also remember the RBA said that the rate hikes from May have not fully been felt by Australians yet. That means, CBA’s margins could remain thin given inflationary pressures and rising rates. If you are looking for alpha, we still believe commodities offer the most potential over banks. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) took a haircut, falling 4.2% after OPEC cut its oil demand outlook WTI crude price fell 4.2% as OPEC cut its global oil demand outlook down 0.1million bpd to 99.6 million bdp for 2022 and down 0.1 million bdp to 101.8 million bdp for 2023.  In the natural gas market, Freeport LNG will likely extend an outage that began in June, curbing the much-needed supply to customers in Europe and Asia. AUDUSD holds steady at around 0.67 after balanced RBA meeting minutes Despite the US dollar rising against almost all major G-10 peers, the Aussie dollar has held its ground, thanks to fresh China stimulus (with China announcing a property sector rescue package, as well as relaxing some Covid restrictions). This has added to the AUDUSD rally, with the pair now gaining 6.2% this month, in anticipation that Australia’s trade surplus will bolster, with hopes that commodity demand will improve. In its minutes released this morning, it shows that the RBA considered the case for a 50bp rate hike but settled at raising 25bps as the RBA was mindful of the full impacts of prior hikes were yet to be fully felt.  What to consider? US PPI today to watch In the October CPI released last week, a decline in health insurance costs due to technical factors contributed to the deceleration in the service component of the core CPI. In the calculation of core PCE, which the Fed watches most closely, the healthcare services prices are estimated from the PPI dataset than the CPI database. As a result, investors are likely to pay more attention to the October PPI numbers scheduled to release on Tuesday than usual as they are trying to gauge the trend of the service component of the core CPI. Bloomberg consensus estimates for headline PPI are +04% M/M and +8.4% Y/Y and for core PPI are +0.3% M/M and +7.2% Y/Y. Biden and Xi stroke a conciliatory tone but key issues unresolved  The 3-hour long meeting between President Biden and President Xi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Bali showed some goodwill gestures from both sides. Nonetheless, key issues remain unresolved.  In a relatively conciliatory tone, the two leaders agreed to resume talks on climate change and economic issues between officials of the two countries. U.S. Secretary of State Blinken plans to visit China early next year. Japan’s Q3 GDP unexpectedly declined Japan reported Q3 GDP that unexpectedly declined by 1.2% on a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, contrary to the consensus expecting a 1.2% growth. Falling net exports and a decline in housing investment drove the weakness. China’s October activity data are expected to be weak October retail sales in China are expected to decelerate to +0.7% Y/Y according to the Bloomberg survey from +2.5% Y/Y in September as the surge in COVID cases and pandemic control restrictions took their toll on consumption. Industrial production is estimated to slow to +5.3% Y/Y in October from +6.3% Y/Y in September, amid Covid-related restrictions, slower auto production, and weak exports. Retail bellwether companies report Q3 results today Home Depot (HD:xnys) and Walmart (WMT) are scheduled to report Q3 results today. Investors will be monitoring the top-line growth figures and assessment of business outlooks to gauge the state of US consumers. For our look ahead at markets this week - Listen/watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-15-nov-2022-15112022

Asian equities continue making gains despite a sell-off in S&P500 on Monday. A contraction in GDP numbers has failed to weigh down Nikkei225. Chinese stocks are accelerating despite weaker Retail Sales and a resurgence in Covid-19 cases. Markets in the Asian domain are displaying positive moves despite the sell-off in S&P500 on Monday. The 500-stock basket was expected to face turbulence as US markets opened after an extended weekend, therefore, an enhancement in volatility was highly expected. In the Asian session, the S&P500 futures have recovered meaningfully while the US dollar index (DXY) is displaying a rangebound structure ahead of the US Retail Sales data. At the press time, Japan’s Nikkei225 added 0.13%, ChinaA50 jumped 1.03%, Hang Seng soared 3.60% and Nifty50 eased 0.15%. Nikkei225 is holding the reins despite reporting a contraction in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) numbers for the third quarter of CY2022. The Japanese economy has displayed a de-growth of 0.3% in the third quarter vs. expectations of expansion by 0.3% and the prior release of 0.9%. On an annualized basis, the GDP data has displayed a negative growth rate at 1.2% against an expansion of 1.1% as expected and the prior release of 3.5%. Meanwhile, Chinese equities are enjoying significant liquidity despite the release of downbeat Retail Sales data. The economic catalyst has turned negative at 0.5%. Prolonged follow-up of Covid-19 measures, weak real estate demand, and low inflation figures are responsible for a decline in Retail Sales. Also, Industrial Production landed lower at 5.0% against the consensus of 5.2%. On the oil front, an upthrust in Covid-19 cases in China has led to a resurgence in weaker economic projections. Therefore, the oil demand will eventually face struggles ahead. It is worth noting that the administration has eased Covid-19 measures. However, Time magazine said in a focus piece that “China just relaxed some pandemic measures, but experts suggest 'Zero-COVID’ probably won’t be going away anytime soon,”      

Summary:  Equity markets traded largely sideways, as did the US dollar after the wild sell-off late last week in the wake of the soft US CPI data. Markets in Asia traded on a strong note overnight after friendly headlines from the long Biden-Xi talk yesterday. The focus on incoming data in the days ahead will be on US PPI today and Retail Sales tomorrow, with the UK set to announce a much anticipated autumn budget statement on Thursday, likely to include new windfall taxes on power and fossil fuel companies.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Despite a strong session in China there is little spillover effect into developed market equities with S&P 500 futures still hovering just below the 4,000 level. Today’s key events are earnings from Walmart and Home Depot, or news coming out of the G20 meeting. US equities are tilted short-term in favour of an upside move with the 200-day moving average in the S&P 500 futures at 4,080 being the natural gravitational point for the market. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and China’s equity markets surged for the third day in a row, with Hang Seng Index soaring 3.4% and CSI 300 climbing 1.7%, as optimism returned to the markets due to favourable policy shifts in China regarding pandemic control and property developers’ access to funding and goodwill gestures shown by China’s President Xi and the US’ President Biden at their first face-to-face meeting after President Biden took office. China Internet companies were among the top gainers, with Alibaba (09988:xhkg) up 11%, Tencent (00700:xhkg) up 10%, and Meituan (03690:xhkg) up 6%. Investors brushed off the rise of new Covid cases to 17,772 in mainland China as well as weaker-than-expected retail sales (shrinking 0.5%) and industrial production (+5%) in October. FX: USD still on the mat after massive downdraft on lower October CPI After the massive two-day plunge last week on the release of the softer than expected US October CPI data on Thursday, the US dollar largely tread water in yesterday’s session, with traders unwilling to take it lower still after a huge, one-off adjustment to Fed expectations that will require more weak incoming data from the US if investors want to solidy their case for a coming Fed pivot. EURUSD continues to trade near the key 1.0350 area, which was the major low back in May and June and prior to that, back in early 2017. The first support is the 1.0200 area, the 38.2% retracement of the rally sprint, with the reversal level at 1.0100, the 61.8% retracement and near the prior important resistance. For USDJPY, while the market managed to briefly take out the 139.40, the prior major high in July, it has bounced back above 140.00 at times since yesterday. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) returned to the lower end of their current ranges ... after OPEC cut its forecasts for global oil demand in the fourth quarter, virus infections continue to climb in China. In addition, a monthly Drilling Productivity Report from the EIA cast doubt on US shale growth and as oil production per drilled well has fallen to the lowest since July 2020. Weaker than expected China data also highlighted the risk to oil demand during the final quarter before an expected tightening driven by OPEC+ production cuts and EU sanctions against Russian oil. Focus on US economic data given its impact on risk appetite as well as IEA’s Oil Market Report for November due later today. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold has so far seen three shallow corrections during the run up from the post-FOMC low at $1620 on November 3, highlighting an emerging “buy-the-dip" mentality as short positions are being reduced while others trade the current positive momentum. An attempt to reverse some of last week's drop in the dollar and yields initially supported a correction but gold did not get close to test key support at $1735 before receiving a bid after Fed Vice Chair Lael Brainard said it would be appropriate for the Fed to slow its monetary-tightening pace soon. Demand from ETF investors – net sellers for months – have yet to show any appetite while speculators cut their net short by 80% to –8k lots in the week to November 8.  Expect some consolidation and potentially a recheck of support at $1735 with resistance at $1789 and $1804. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasuries failed to consolidate much of last Thursday’s enormous slide in yields, with the 4.00-4.10% area the somewhat far away upside swing zone, while the next major focus lower will be on the major pivot high near 3.50% from June. What is going on? Xi-Biden summit sees positive headlines After a three-hour talk between the US and Chinese heads of state, both sides issued statement suggesting a friendly reset of the tone between the two countries. The two sides are set to resume cooperation on climate change and food security and both leaders criticized Russia for its threatening the use of nuclear weapons. The Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the talks represent a “new starting point” with both sides hoping “to stop the tumbling of bilateral ties and to stabilize the relationship.” Weak incoming data from China overnight Industrial Production rose 5% YoY in October, a slowing of the pace from the month before and below estimates of 5.3%. Retail Sales for the month were down –0.5%, far below expectations of a rise of +0.7%. Infineon Technologies blasts earnings estimates The German semiconductor manufacturer reports strong Q4 results (ending 30 September) with revenue at €4.14bn vs est. €3.93bn and segment profit of €1.06bn vs est. €970mn. For the current fiscal year, the company guides segment profit margin of 24% vs est. 22.2% and revenue of €15.5bn vs est. €15bn. Fed Vice Chair Brainard mentions slowing the pace of Fed rate hikes In an interview yesterday, Lael Brainard, widely considered the chief dove on this FOMC, confirmed forward market expectations for lowering the size of future rate hikes. After last Thursday’s softer US October CPI print, the market had already lowered expectations to a 50-bp move, so there was little market impact despite a flurry of headlines. Brainard said “It will probably be appropriate soon to move to a slower pace of increases...but I think what’s really important to emphasize, we’ve done a lot, but we have additional work to do.” Higher US inflation expectations ... from the New York Fed’s Survey of Consumer Expectations weighed slightly on bond markets. Median one- and three-year-ahead inflation expectations increased to 5.9% and 3.1% from 5.4% and 2.9%, respectively. The median five-year-ahead inflation expectations rose to 2.4% from 2.2%. Also weighing on the markets during the session was about $12 billion corporate bond issuance. What are we watching next? ECB’s TLTRO repayments on Friday This is usually a non-event for traders, only ECB watchers care about that. But this is before the European Central Bank (ECB) decided on 27 October to change the rules retroactively and increase the targeted longer-term refinancing operation (TLTRO) rates from 23 November onwards. The interest rate will be directly indexed on the ECB’s deposit rate (which could peak at 2.50 % next year) instead of being calculated over the entire life of the operation. This creates strong incentives for commercial banks to repay in advance (the bulk of the TLTRO was going to be repaid in June 2023). This is aimed to reduce the eurozone balance sheet and with that to contribute to the overall monetary policy normalisation. At this stage, it is still unclear what will be the exact consequences on the flow of credit in the eurozone. This is something to monitor, however. Incoming US data Traders will remain nervous around incoming US data after the wild reaction to last week’s Thursday October US CPI release. The US macro calendar highlights this week include today’s October PPI releases, the Oct. Retail Sales data on Wednesday and November NAHB Housing Market Index release the same day. Finally, the US reports October Housing Starts/Building Permits data on Thursday. Hints of new taxes for the coming UK Autumn Budget Statement on 17 November The new Prime minister Rishi Sunak needs to find savings worth about £30-40bn/year to convince the independent Office for Budget Responsibility that debt won’t rise across the medium-term as a percentage of GDP.  At the same time, Sunak was out yesterday promising the return of the “triple lock” he suspended for 2022-23 as Chancellor, under which pensions are adjusted higher by the highest of inflation, average earnings, or 2.5%. Current Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is considering a new 40% windfall tax on electricity producers. He may also extend the current windfall tax on oil and gas producers to 2028 and raise it to 35% from 25% in Thursday’s budget statement. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is Walmart and Home Depot which are both giants in the US consumer sector. Walmart is expected to deliver 5.2% y/y revenue growth and lower EBITDA margin at 5.5% down from 6.3% a year ago. Home Depot is expected to deliver revenue growth of 3% y/y and unchanged EBITDA margin at 17.5% compared to a year ago. Sea Ltd is also reporting today and was at one point the darling of the market delivering high growth rates and strong returns but the last year has been brutal. Analysts expect revenue growth of 12% y/y down from a revenue growth rate of 122% y/y a year ago as e-commerce, gaming and financial services have slowed down in Southeast Asia. Today: Infineon Technologies, Vodafone, Alcon, Walmart, Home Depot, Sea Ltd Wednesday: Siemens Energy, Tencent, Experian, SSE, Nibe Industrier, Nvidia, Cisco, Lowe’s, TJX, Target Thursday: Siemens, Alibaba, Applied Materials, Palo Alto Networks, NetEase Friday: JD.com Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – IEA’s Oil Market Report for November 1000 – Germany Nov. ZEW Survey 1000 – Eurozone Sep. Trade BAlance 1000 – Eurozone Q3 GDP estimate 1330 – US Oct. PPI 1330 – Canada Sep. Manufacturing Sales 1400 – US Fed’s Harker (voter 2023) to speak 1500 – US Fed’s Barr (Voter) to speak before Senate panel 2130 – API's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock report 0030 – Australia Q3 Wage Price Index  Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-nov-15-2022-15112022

Summary:  Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 ended higher, being lifted by softer-than-expected producer inflation. Walmart and Home Depot beat in earnings and topline. Chinese stocks surged on additional financial support to the property sector and a conciliatory tone from the Biden-Xi meeting. Hang Seng Index rose 4% to 18,343, more than 25% higher from its October low. What’s happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) gained on softer-than-expected US PPI Investors got a lift from the softer-than-expected PPI data which added to the post-CPI optimism that the US inflation may have peaked. S&P 500 gained 0.9% and NASDAQ 100 rose 1.5%. Stocks pared gains in the afternoon when the news of Russian missiles landing in Poland, a NATO member, hit the wires. Stocks nonetheless managed to recover from the missile news and finished the session higher.  Nine out of 11 S&P 500 sectors gained, with communication services, consumer discretionary, information technology and real estate led. On earnings, retail bellwether Walmart (WMT:xnys) surged 6.7% after reporting earnings and revenue beats and raising full-year outlook guidance. Home Depot (HD:xnys) gained 1.7% on earnings beating estimates and reaffirming full-year guidance. US  treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) rallied on PPI prints, with the 10-year yield falling 8bps to 3.77% US treasuries rallied, with yields falling 5-9 basis points across the curve. The 10-year yield fell 8bps to 3.77%. The market surged in price after the growth in PPI, both in headlines and core measures, slowed more than expected. A stronger Empire State manufacturing index, returning to the expansionary territory and Fedspeak from Bostic, Barr, and Harker reiterating the slower pace but still additional work to do message, did not tame market sentiment. Adding to the fuel was some safe-haven buying of treasuries after Russian missiles hit Poland and killed two people. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) on fire as risk-on sentiment returned Hong Kong and China’s equity markets surged for the third day in a row, with Hang Seng Index soaring 4.1 % and CSI 300 climbing 1.9%, as optimism returned to the markets due to favourable policy shifts in China regarding pandemic control and property developers’ access to funding and goodwill gestures shown by China’s President Xi and the US’ President Biden at their first face-to-face meeting after President Biden took office. In addition, the Chinese authorities announced that they will allow developers, after meeting some requirements in their financials and supports from their banks, to tap into some of the presale deposits now placed in escrow accounts. China Internet stocks and semi-conductor names were among the top gainers. Commodities lift; Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) rose more than 1% after Russian rockets hit, iron ore (SCOA,SCOZ2) extended its gain and wheat whipped up 1% Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) rose more than 1% after the EIA published a report saying inventories in developed nations sunk to an 18-year low of less than 4 billion barrels. The EIA says a potential EU ban on Russian supply will add further pressure, and its output may drop below 10 million b/d next year, from about 10.7 million so far this year. For the next technical indicators and levels to watch in oil, click here. Moving to metals, the Iron ore (SCOA) price rose 1.7%, continuing its rebound and has now risen 25% this month on the back of fresh China stimulus, however the iron ore price is still down 13% from its high. The question is, if China continues to ease restrictions, will the iron ore price continue its rebound, and support affiliated iron ore equities. Meanwhile in crop markets, wheat trades higher on concerns there could be a potential escalation of the war. What to consider Fed collects more evidence inflation is easing; US producer prices cool more than expected, clocking smallest gain in a year Investors got another piece of evidence the inflationary pressures are easing, with US producer price growth rising 8% Y/Y in October (below the 8.3% Bloomberg consensus expected and down from the 8.5% Y/Y in September), with prices rising 0.2% M/M (which was less than the 0.4% expected). Excluding volatile food, energy, and trade services, the core PPI grew 6.7% Y/Y in October- while the market expected the growth remains unchanged from the September level of 7.2%. After peaking in March at 11.7%, producer price growth has moderated from improving supply chains, softer demand, and weakening commodities prices. This means, following the softer-than-expected CPI print last week, the Fed has garnered more catalysts to slow its pace of hikes, which also provides further support to the equity market and bond market rallies. However, the next important data sets the Fed will be watching are due early next month; US jobs, and November CPI, which are ahead of the Fed’s next meeting (in the third week of December). RBA meeting minutes signal food and energy prices to rise, and property prices to fall Australia’s central bank sees food price inflation rising, along with energy prices, while the Unemployment rate is expected to rise as well off its lows. The RBA downgraded its outlook for the property market, expecting property prices to continue to fall, as they have in history when the RBA is in a rising cycle. It also sees housing loan commitments further falling. Yet the RBA affirmed it will keep rising rates till inflation is within its targets as the central bank wants underlying inflation to be within 2-3%. The RBA also hinted it may be close to its target, "in underlying terms, inflation was a little over 6% with most components of the CPI rising at annualized rates of more than 3%”. What are the investor takeaways from the RBA minutes? It could be worth looking for potential opportunities in investing in Food stocks, food ETFs, and the as well as wheat and corn. Secondly, it could be worth looking for potential opportunities in energy, like crude oil, or oil stocks such as Woodside Energy and Occidental Petroleum to name a few. And with property prices falling, along with lending, keep an eye on bank shares. Consider looking at CommBank (CBA) as a proxy. Will CBA continue to rally off its low on the back of the RBA's dovish stance, or will CBA and big banks take a haircut as banks’ profits are shrinking? Walmart and Home Depot earnings beat estimates Peter Garnry, Head of Equity Strategy wrote in his notes that Walmart showed a positive surprise on its operating margin and an upward revision to the FY results and Home Depot is delivering a decent Q3 result,= as well.  Walmart, the largest US retailer reported FY23 Q3 (ending 31 October) revenue of $152.8bn up 9% y/y beating estimates and adj. EPS of $1.50 vs est. $1.32 while announcing a $20bn buyback programme. The third quarter result is so strong that Walmart is increasing its FY outlook on adj. EPS to -6% to -7% y/y from previously -9% to -11%. The 12-month trailing revenue figure eclipsed $600bn for the first time in its history. As we have seen throughout this Q3 earnings season, retailers and consumer industries have been able to either preserve or expand operating margins. Walmart is valued at a 12-month forward EV/EBITDA of 11.6x compared to 12x for the S&P 500 Index.  The largest US home improvement retailer Home Depot reports FY23 Q3 (ending 31 October) revenue of $38.9bn vs est. $37.9bn up 6% y/y and EPS of $4.24 vs est. $4.13 as the US consumer remains in good shape despite inflation and higher cost of living. Home Depot is confirming its fiscal year guidance. Tencent (00700) is scheduled to report earnings on Wednesday Tencent is scheduled to report Q3 results today. Bloomberg survey shows the street is expecting revenues to edge down around 1% Y/Y with both advertisements and gaming down Y/Y. On adjusted EPS, the consensus is calling for an 8% year-on-year decline. For our look ahead at markets this week - Listen/watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-16-nov-2022-16112022

Summary:  Equity markets were in for a wild ride yesterday as the melt-up continued in early trading, only to violently reverse on an apparently errant missile killing two in a Polish town bordering Ukraine. The price action has since stabilized, with risk sentiment still strong in Asia on hopes for incoming stimulus from China. Important incoming US data up today includes the October Retail Sales data.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Big rejection in S&P 500 futures yesterday with the index futures coming off 1.3% from the intraday highs to close below the 4,000 level. Yesterday’s upside driver was a lower than estimated US PPI print and then later the downside move was triggered by news that a rumoured Russian missile had hit Polish territory killing two persons. This morning S&P 500 futures are attempting to push above the 4,000 level again, but we want to emphasize cautiousness here as geopolitical risks remain high and markets that seem fragile and trading on thin liquidity across many markets. Today’s key earnings event in the US is Nvidia reporting after the market close. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and China stocks consolidated and took a pause on the strong rally since last Friday, with Hang Seng Index losing 1% and CSI 300 Index sliding 0.7%. Chinese property names retraced. Leading private enterprise developer Country Garden (02007:xhkg) plunged 14% following the placement of new shares. Chinese EV makers underperformed, with leading names dropping by 2% to 6%. New Covid cases in mainland China went above 20,000 for the first time since April. FX: USD volatile on risk sentiment swings yesterday The US dollar was pummelled yesterday as the risk sentiment melt-up initially continued yesterday in early trading in the US before a missile hitting a Polish town (more below) sharply reversed sentiment. The situation has since stabilized, but the reversal of the spike put a considerable dent in tactical USD downside momentum. GBPUSD traded the most wildly ahead of today’s CPI and tomorrow’s Autumn Budget Statement, squeezing from 1.1750 early yesterday to all the way north of 1.2000 briefly before trading back to 1.1800 and closing the day south of 1.1900. The USD volatility was less pronounced elsewhere, particularly against Asian currencies. The incoming US data and risk sentiment swings around that data (or as we saw yesterday from other sources) will likely drive the next USD move. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) Crude oil ended lower on Tuesday following a volatile trading session that briefly saw prices spike on news a Polish border town had been hit by a Russian-made but probably Ukrainian fired missile (see below). Overall, the crude oil market remains rangebound with demand worries currently weighing a touch harder than supply concerns driven by OPEC+ production cuts and from next month, EU sanctions against Russian oil, a development that according to the IEA may drive a 15% reduction in Russian output early next year. In China the number of virus cases have surged to near 20,000 thereby testing local authorities' appetite for maintaining the covid-zero restrictions. Focus on EIA’s weekly stock report after the API reported a 5.8m barrel drop in crude and smaller increases in fuel stocks. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold touched resistance at $1788 on Tuesday as the dollar hit a fresh cycle low after US PPI showed the smallest increase since mid-2021. Later in the day, a brief safe haven bid quickly fizzled out after Biden said the rocket that hit Poland was unlikely to have been fired from Russia. Demand from ETF investors – net sellers for months – remain elusive with total holdings falling to a fresh 31-month low and with that in mind expect continued consolidation and potentially a recheck of support at $1735. Resistance at $1788, the 38.2% retracement of the 2022 correction and $1804, the 200-day moving average. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasuries punched to new local lows yesterday, with the 10-year treasury benchmark dipping below 3.80% after a likely errant missile hit a Polish town bordering Ukraine and on slightly softer than expected PPI data. But yields have rebounded today and are back to slightly below the close from last Thursday after that day’s surprisingly soft October US CPI release. Key levels are 3.50% to the downside, the pivot high around the June FOMC meeting when the Fed hiked 75 basis points for the first time for this cycle, while 4.00-4.10% is perhaps the upside swing area. What is going on? UK October CPI was out at 11.1% YoY, a new cycle high This was vs. 10.7% expected and 10.1% in September. Core CPI matched the cycle high from September at 6.5% YoY, versus 6.4% expected. Sterling trades a bit weaker after the initial reaction to the data point, as higher inflation will likely require more fiscal and monetary tightening that will make the coming UK recession deeper, a sterling negative. Missile comes down in Poland town bordering Ukraine, killing two The source of the missiles is a mystery, with US President Biden saying after an emergency meeting with other leaders that the missile was “unlikely” to have been launched in Russia, while Poland claimed that the missile was “Russian made” and convened an emergency security meeting yesterday afternoon. Markets reacted strongly to the development initially, as Poland is a member of NATO. Russian officials said that claims of an intentional missile firing are a “deliberate provocation with the goal of escalating the situation.” Donald Trump declares third bid for the White House in 2024 Trump was widely seen as the chief liability in a very poor Republican showing in the mid-term elections last week, with candidates strongly denying the results of the 2020 election losing badly in almost every case. The Democrats are set to gain a slightly larger majority in the Senate and the Republicans will only eke out the narrowest of majorities in the House of Representatives. As Trump still enjoys an unmatched “base” of personal popularity, it will be difficult for any Republican profile to rise up to challenge Trump, just as it is likely impossible that Trump can win independent voters and those that are not his base. It’s ideal ground for the formation of a new party. Apple set to shift to US-based chip production Apple shares rose over 2.1%, moving to their highest level since early November after the Apple CEO unveiled the company will be using US-made Chips from Arizona in 2024, as part of reducing its reliance on Asian chip manufacturers and shifting to producing its own. CEO Tim Cook also told staff Apple plans to expand its chip supply into European markets. The moves underscore the necessity for technology companies to reshoring semiconductors from Asia to reduce supply chain risks. These types of moves will add to inflationary pressures in the future. US earnings recap: Walmart, Home Depot, and Sea Ltd Yesterday’s earnings releases from these three consumer retailing companies were all better than expected with Walmart lifting guidance and beating on revenue growth. Home Depot had the most downbeat reaction from investors as the home improvement retailer’s revenue growth beat was only due to inflation and not higher volume. The biggest positive reaction was in Sea Ltd shares as the Southeast Asia gaming and e-commerce company posted a narrower operating loss and beat on revenue growth; however, the company took down guidance in its gaming division. Read more details in our earnings review note from yesterday. US producer prices cool more than expected, clocking smallest gain in a year Investors got another piece of evidence inflationary pressures are easing, with US producer price growth rising 8% Y/Y in October (below the 8.3% Bloomberg consensus expected and down from the 8.5% Y/Y in September). Excluding volatile food, energy, core PPI rose 6.7% Y/Y in October- when the market prices to rise 7.2%. After peaking in March at 11.7%, producer price growth has moderated from improving supply chains, softer demand, and weakening commodities prices. The Fed has therefore garnered more catalysts to slow its pace of hikes, which also provides further support to the equity market and bond markets. However, the next important data sets the Fed will be watching are due early next month; US jobs, and November CPI, which are ahead of the Fed’s next meeting (in the third week of December). Arabica coffee (KCc1) dropped 4.4% on Tuesday … thereby extending a rout that has seen the price retrace almost 61.8% of the 2019 to 2022 surge to a multi-year high above $2.50 per pound. Fast forward nine months and the global economic slowdown has led to a reduction in away-from-home consumption at a time where the production outlook from South America has improved. Stocks at ICE monitored warehouses have risen for the past seven days from a 20-year low and could more than double soon with more than half a million bags awaiting assessment. A new LNG exporter is born Mozambique is now officially a new LNG exporter after the first shipment on Monday left the Coral South floating liquefaction unit, which has a 4.4 bcm annual export capacity. This is positive news for Europe who is desperately looking for new energy suppliers since the Ukraine war has started. It was a long-decade process for Mozambique to get its first LNG supply out of the country. Based on official estimates, this is one of the largest LNG offshore fields in Africa. What are we watching next? Fed hawk Christopher Waller to speak on Economic Outlook tonight Waller is an FOMC voter as he sits on the Board of Governors and is widely considered one of the most hawkish Fed members and may unleash a blast of hawkish rhetoric, although it seems the market is more likely to listen only to Fed Chair Powell himself and more importantly, at incoming data. US October Retail Sales data today An interesting data release is up today, the US Retail Sales for October. This data series suggests rather sluggish US growth and is reported in nominal month-on-month terms, not real- or inflation-adjusted terms. The last three months of the headline data have averaged almost exactly 0.0%, while the “ex Food and Energy” series has averaged +0.36%. Today’s headline number is expected at +1.0% MoM and +0.2% for core sales. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is Nvidia which is expected to deliver a 18% decline in revenue y/y to $5.8bn and EPS of $0.70 down 31% y/y as the market for GPUs is cooling down as crypto mining is becoming less profitable from lower prices on cryptocurrencies. Tencent is expected to report earnings today following a new round of layoffs announced yesterday as revenue growth is expected to be down 1% y/y in Q3. Today: Siemens Energy, Tencent, Experian, SSE, Nibe Industrier, Nvidia, Cisco, Lowe’s, TJX, Target Thursday: Siemens, Alibaba, Applied Materials, Palo Alto Networks, NetEase Friday: JD.com Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – ECB Financial Stability Review 1300 – Poland Oct. CPI 1315 – Canada Oct. Housing Starts 1330 – US Oct. Retail Sales 1330 – Canada Oct. CPI 1330 – US Oct. Import & Export Prices 1415 – US Oct. Industrial Production 1450 – US Fed’s Williams (Voter) to speak 1500 – US Nov. NAHB Housing Market Index 1500 – US Fed’s Barr (Voter) to testify before House Panel 1530 – EIA's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 1935 – US Fed’s Waller (Voter) to speak 0030 – Australia Oct. Employment Change / Unemployment Rate Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source:https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-nov-16-2022-16112022

Asian equities have corrected significantly amid escalating geopolitical tensions. The DXY has been strengthened post the upbeat Retail Sales data. Accelerating Covid-19 cases in China have impacted oil prices significantly. Markets in the Asian domain are facing an intense sell-off amid mounting tensions between North Korea and the US. Rising drills by the US army along with South Korea and Japan in the Kim Jong-un region have received a fierce response. In the Asian session, North Korea warned on Thursday of "fiercer military responses" to U.S. efforts to boost its security presence in the region with its allies, says Reuters. This has strengthened the risk-off mood in the global markets and risk-perceived currencies are facing severe heat. At the press time, Japan’s Nikkei225 dropped 0.40%, ChinaA50 plunged 1.65%, Hang Seng nosedived 2.56%, and Nifty50 eased 0.23%. In addition to the cautious market mood, a release of better-than-projected US Retail Sales data has also supported the US dollar index (DXY). The economic data rose by 1.3% in October against the projections of 0.9% and flat performance in September. Despite higher payouts after adjusting for inflation impact, consumer demand has been ‘resilience’ due to higher dependency on credit card borrowing. Analysts at Wells Fargo are of the view that robust consumer demand gives businesses no incentive to forgo price increases, thereby making the task of getting inflation in check more difficult for Federal Reserve policymakers.” Meanwhile, sky-rocketing Covid-19 cases in China have dampened the market mood. The optimism derived from easing curbs has faded dramatically. Also, Gita Gopinath, the first Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), at the Caixin Summit, cited that “Calibrating China's zero-COVID strategy to mitigate the country's economic impact will be critical to sustain and balance the recovery,” On the oil front, rising numbers of Covid-19 infections have also weakened oil prices. It is worth noting that China is a leading importer of oil and weaker demand projections from the dragon economy are sufficient to impact oil prices.    

Summary:  The strong equity market rally eased yesterday as a very strong US Retail Sales report for October pushes back against the notion that the US economy is rapidly weakening. Today features a pivotal Autumn Budget Statement that will allow the market to make a vote of confidence on sterling on whether the new spending cuts and tax rises will inspire further confidence in sterling after its recent comeback.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures fell yesterday to close at 3,968 as investors are not following through on the momentum around the ‘peak rates’ narrative. This morning the index futures are trading higher with the 3,964 level being the key level to watch on the downside and 4,000 on the upside. Today’s macro events that can impact the equity market are US housing starts and permits, Philly Fed Business Outlook and initial jobless claims with the latter in focus given the latest mass layoffs in the technology sector. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and China stocks retreated for the second day in a row, with Hang Seng Index falling around 2% and CSI 300 declining 1%. Tencent (00700:xhkg) fluctuated between small gains and losses after reporting Q3 EPS beating analyst estimates but a 2% Y/Y decline in revenues, being dragged down by online gaming and advertisement. Meituan (03690:xhkg) however fell nearly 8%, following Tencent’s announcement to disburse its 17% stake in Meituan to shareholders. NetEase (0999:xhkg) tumbled 12% after US gaming company Blizzard Entertainment (ATVI:xnas) would not renew its expiring licensing agreement with NetEase. Also weighing on sentiment was the People’s Bank of China’s emphasizes on financial stability and warns against potential inflation risks in the central bank’s Q3 monetary report, as well as news reports about the temporary suspension of redemption in some investment products suffering losses from the recent rise in Chinese bond yields. In addition, new Covid cases surged to 23,132, a new high since April. FX: GBP focus today as USD stabilizes on very strong October US Retail Sales report Strong US data is at odds with the recent drumbeat of softer inflation numbers that have helped inspired the recent steep sell-off in the US dollar, and kept the 2-year yields and Fed rate expectations from falling any further yesterday, even if longer US yields dipped to new local lows yesterday. The USD edged higher, with the recent lows the key support for the greenback and with the currency trading more in line with risk sentiment now. The top-tier incoming data won’t arrive until the early-mid December time frame, save perhaps for the PCE data on November 30. The bigger focus today is on GBP as Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is set to deliver the Autumn Budget Statement and a chance for thje market to judge whether the UK is an attractive place to invest in addition to whether the moves ill stabilize the country’s finances as it also risks worsening the depth of the coming recession. 1.2000 appears a key in GBPUSD, while EURGBP is choppy in the 0.8700-0.8800+ range. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) Crude oil remains on the defensive trading near the lowest levels this month on continued concerns about the demand outlook in the world’s two largest consumers. The US yield curve has inverted the most since the early 1980’s underscoring concerns about the risk of recession next year while China continues to battle with rising covid cases, now nearing the all-time high seen earlier this year. Both developments leading to demand growth for next year being downgraded, thereby offsetting some of the tightness the EU embargo on Russian oil will help create into early 2023. WTI will be looking for support ahead of the recent low at $82 with Brent focusing on the $90-area. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold trades lower as the market pauses for breath following a 170-dollar run up in prices from the November 3 low. The metal is currently dealing with mixed signals as elevated recession worries, highlighted by the most inverted yield curve in almost four decades, are being offset by the biggest increase in US retail sales in eight months, indicating Fed tightening has further to run to bring inflation under control. Demand from ETF investors – net sellers for months – picked up a bit on Wednesday, but not enough to signal a change in their behaviour, and with that in mind expect continued consolidation and potentially a recheck of support at $1735. Resistance at $1788, the 38.2% retracement of the 2022 correction and $1804, the 200-day moving average. Copper (HGH3) and silver (XAGUSD) Copper and silver both extended their declines following a recent strong run up in prices. Copper ran out of steam ahead of major resistance in the $4/lb area and after breaking back below $3.78 the next line of support now comes in at $3.68. Industrial metal traders are keeping a watchful eye on covid developments in China, the US yield curve signalling an increased risk of a recession next year, extreme volatility in nickel market and in copper specifically, an emerging contango indicating a market with ample supply.  currently. Silver meanwhile trades back below its 200-day moving average with the first level of support in the $20.95 area. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US treasuries punched to new local lows again yesterday, supported by a strong 20-year auction result, and despite the strong US Retail Sales news, with the 10-year treasury benchmark dipping below 3.70% and within 20 basis points of the next psychologically important level and pivot high from mid-June near 3.50%, a level that was quickly reached in the context of the market realizing that the FOMC was set for its first 75 basis point rate hike since 1994. The much-watched yield curve inversion between the 2-year and the 10-year widened to 67bps, the most invested since February 1982, and heightened the growth scare among investors. The market has largely priced in a 50bps hike in December and is unwinding some of the post-CPI optimism that the Fed might do less next year, after Fed’s George, Daly, Waller, and Williams pushed back on the notion of pausing. What is going on? Strong October US Retail Sales, weak November housing Market survey After a string of weak reports, the US October Retail Sales report came in far stronger than expected, with a strong +1.3 % MoM rise (vs. +1.0% expected) for the headline and an even more impressive +0.9% MoM rise in the “ex Food and Energy” print, on top of a +0.3% revision to the September data point. Elsewhere, we can see the massive shift higher in US mortgage rates continue to weigh on housing activity, as the November US NAHB Housing Market Index plunged 5 more points to 33, the lowest reading since the very worst month of the pandemic outbreak shock in 2020 and before that since 2012. Siemens Q4 results beat estimates The German industrial giant reports FY22 Q4 (ending 30 September) revenue of €20.6bn vs est. €19.3bn and orders of €21.8bn vs est. €20.4bn. In addition, the company says that it sees higher operating margins in three divisions and that downside risks from Russia are minimal now. Target reports earnings miss and downgrades sales guidance Target’s Q3 adjusted EPS fell to $1.54, nearly 30% below the median of analyst estimates. The retailer is predicting a drop in comparable sales for the first time in five years and estimating operating margins will shrink to about 3%, which is half of its previous forecast. This indicates that the substitution effect is increasing as the consumer is increasingly under more pressure. Target is looking to reduce $3bn in costs but says there will be no mass layoffs. Nvidia earnings beat Software graphics giant Nvidia (NVDA) reported revenue for the third quarter that beat analyst estimates. Revenue fell 17% y/y to $5.9bn, beating the expected drop of 18% y/y to $5.8bn. NVIDIA’s outlook for the fourth quarter was vague citing revenue is expected to hit $6.0bn, plus or minus 2%, which will translate into a 20% drop in revenue in the important holiday quarter. Nvidia also said Microsoft will use its graphics chips, networking products, and software in Microsoft’s new AI products. The slowdown in demand for GPUs is driven by less profitable crypto mining and as a result GPU pricing is plummeting and inventories on the balance sheet rising to $4.45bn up from $2.23bn a year ago. EPS was $0.28 down 73% y/y. Australia’s unemployment falls, employment rises more than expected in October Australia’s jobless rate unexpectedly fell to 3.4%, from 3.5% last month, which now supports the RBA continuing to raise rates, and not pause on hikes at their next meeting in December (market priced at 50-50 odds of a 25-bp hike). Australian employment rose by 32,200 month-on-month in October, almost double the 15,000 jobs expected to be added to the economy. The AUDUSD is staying range bound for now after its recent sharp rally, consolidating a bit on weak risk sentiment in Asia overnight. The RBA has said it expects the jobless rate to rise. US Fed’s Waller, noted Fed hawk, says he is “more comfortable” with smaller hike It appears that Fed consensus is settling on lowering the pace of rate increases at the December FOMC meeting after one of the more hawkish FOMC voters, Governor Christopher Waller said he is “more comfortable” with a smaller hike in December after the Fed’s four 75-basis points moves since the June FOMC meeting, although he still declared the move is data-dependent. What are we watching next? UK Autumn Budget Statement to be announced today Ahead of the speech, the UK’s Office for Budget Responsibility told the treasury that by 2026-27, the budget deficit could grow to £100 billion from earlier projections of £32 billion. Several moves by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt have already been made to reverse the original budget laid out by former Chancellor Kwarteng under PM Truss’ leadership, including a shortening of the energy bill cap scheme to just six months. Corporate taxes are also set to be raised to 25 percent from 19 percent, and windfall taxes on electricity and oil and gas firms, together with more income earners set to pay tax at the top 45% rate and taxes on capitali gains and dividends set to rise. Still, the pension benefit will be set to rise at September’s 10.1% CPI rate in April of next year. Critics might suggest that much of the tax implementation will be “back-loaded” to beyond the 2024 election to avoid a further hit to Tory popularity. This statement will be critical for the direction of sterling from here. Earnings to watch In today’s US earnings focus we expect Applied Materials to report revenue growth of 4% y/y and lower operating margin from a year ago following the signs we observe in the semiconductors industry. In the cyber security industry, Palo Alto Networks is also reporting today with revenue growth expected to 24% y/y and EBITDA of $349mn up from $-8.8mn a year ago. The Chinese technology and consumer sectors have faced a lot of headwinds over the past year and Tencent’s result yesterday was not rosy either, so there might be a downside risk to Alibaba’s result today. Analysts expect Alibaba to report revenue growth of 4% y/y and EPS of CNY 11.21 up 65% y/y. Today: Siemens, Alibaba, Applied Materials, Palo Alto Networks, NetEase Friday: JD.com Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0955 – UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt presents Autumn Budget Statement 1000 – Eurozone Oct. Final CPI 1230 – UK Bank of England Chief Economist Pill to speak 1300 – US Fed’s Bullard (voter 2022) to speak 1330 – US Oct. Housing Starts and Building Permits 1330 – US Oct. Philadelphia Fed 1330 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1440 – US Fed’s Mester (Voter 2022) to speak 1530 – EIA's Weekly Natural Gas Storage Change  1540 – US Fed’s Jefferson and Kashkari (voter 2023) to speak 1600 – US Nov. Kansas City Fed Manufacturing Activity 1845 – US Fed’s Kashkari (voter 2023) to speak 2330 – Japan Oct. National CPI 0001 – UK Nov. GfK Consumer Confidence Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-nov-17-2022-17112022

The stock market crash is a moment that investors fear. It usually leads to the sale of the securities held. Flash Crash is a special kind of crash - unexpected and short-lived. Numerous universities around the world have studied the causes of the phenomenon. In this article, we will explore this type of crash and nail the SMA. Simple Moving Average (SMA) In the previous article EMA – Exponential Moving Average was discussed. Today we focus on Simple Moving Average (SMA). Definition: A simple moving average (SMA) is an arithmetic moving average calculated by adding recent prices and then dividing that figure by the number of time periods in the calculation average. Formula: The use Traders use simple moving averages (SMAs) to plot the long-term trajectory of a stock or other security while ignoring the noise associated with daily price movements. This allows traders to compare mid-term and long-term trends over a longer time horizon. Disadvantages The SMA may rely too heavily on outdated data as it treats the impact of the 10th or 200th day the same as the first or second day. Similarly, the SMA relies entirely on historical data. Many people (including economists) believe that markets are efficient - that is, current market prices already reflect all available information. If the markets are indeed efficient, using historical data should tell us nothing about the future direction of asset SMA vs EMA The major difference between an exponential moving average (EMA) and a simple moving average is the sensitivity each one shows to changes in the data used in its calculation. More specifically, the EMA gives a higher weighting to recent prices, while the SMA assigns an equal weighting to all values. The two averages are similar because they are interpreted in the same manner and are both commonly used by technical traders to smooth out price fluctuations. Flash Crash Definition: Flash Crash is called a flash crash, a collapse in the stock market. The crash itself is a short episode, followed by a recovery, heralded by a moment of complete calm on a given security - no orders. Flash Crash is not only a disturbing phenomenon, but also not fully explained - the reasons for it are still being researched. Flash Crash is observed on stock exchanges - securities and cryptocurrencies. At the beginning, the phenomenon concerned stock trading and was most visible on American stock exchanges. An intense phenomenon also concerned silver and the aforementioned cryptocurrencies. This does not mean, however, that it will not occur on currency or other commodity markets. Cause Numerous universities around the world have studied the causes of the phenomenon. For a long time, it was believed that machine errors were responsible for stock market crashes. This is about investing, which is HFT - instant trading where the entire process is carried out through computers. While it's still not clear what exactly causes Flash Crash, two voices dominate among researchers. One theory is that a flashy and short-lived stock market crash is caused by a single large order, which has been estimated to occur in as many as 60 percent of cases. cases. At the same time, it was established that this phenomenon most often concerns shares of financial companies. There were also suggestions that the stock market crash could be caused by investors' panic caused by, for example, false information in the media. Therefore, the human factor would be responsible for the crash, and therefore the wrong decision of the investor. It should be noted here that an order causing a sharp drop in the value of a security may be placed by mistake - an incorrect entry in the order is enough. An example can be cited here - in 2010, an investor intended to sell 16 million shares, but entered 16 billion in the spreadsheet, which caused a violent reaction and a drop in the stock market. Such erroneous Flash Crash orders are canceled after the exchange closes. But what happens after a sharp decline? The crash lasts a few minutes, sometimes several dozen seconds, then the situation returns to normal, and losses are made up in a fairly short time. Source: investing.com, investopedia.com

Summary:  Market sentiment managed to bounce mid-session yesterday in the US and was steady overnight, with the USD back lower but still very range bound and US treasury yields rising off their lows, with a new extreme for the cycle in the yield-curve inversion, suggesting the market remains worried that the Fed’s tightening will lead to recession. The market shrugged off yesterday’s budget statement from UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt as most of the measures were flagged ahead of his speech.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures extended their declines yesterday to the 100-day moving average at around the 3,916 level driven by comments from Fed’s Bullard saying the sufficiently restrictive zone on policy rate was in the range 5-7% spooking markets. It is obvious, that the Fed is out trying to dampen expectations following the rally on the lower than estimated US October inflation print. S&P 500 futures are bounced back after the initial shock but closing lower for the session and this morning they are trading around the 3,950 level. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index snapped a two-day decline and bounced about 0.3% as of writing. China interest stocks led the charge higher following Alibaba reporting earnings beating expectations and adding to its share repurchase programme. The Chinese authorities’ grant of a new round of 70 online game licences to firms including Tencent and NetEase also help the market sentiment. Hang Sent Tech Index climbed 2%. In mainland bourses, healthcare shares gained as new Covid cases surged to above 25,000, a new high since April. Online gaming stocks rose on the new game license approval. Financials however continued to trade weak as investors are troubled by recent incidents of retail investment products losing heavily as bond yields rising in China. CSI 300 gained 0.2%. FX: USD rally eases on risk sentiment bounce of the lows yesterday The US dollar eased lower after a bout of weak risk sentiment was turned mid-session yesterday in New York and despite US treasury yields lifting all along the curve (with a new multi-decade low in the yield curve inversion suggesting the market remains concerned that the Fed’s tightening regime will lead to a recession. After the very sharp move lower off the back of the October CPI data, the USD has traded in a rather tight range in most places, with EURUSD bottled up near the 200-day moving average (currently 1.0414) and GBPUSD still hugging the 1.1900 area after the market shrugged off the autumn budget statement yesterday. Next week has the Thanksgiving holiday in the US, which usually sees light trading from Wednesday through Friday and the first key data is not up until the week after, so upcoming catalysts are not readily evident. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) Crude dropped sharply yesterday to multi-week lows, trading as low as 89.53 in January Brent and 81.40 in December WTI. Concerns of weakening demand in China are purportedly behind some of the weakness yesterday, but with a new extreme in the yield curve inversion yesterday, rising market anticipation of an incoming recession is likely weighing on sentiment in oil. For the December WTI contract, the 81.30 level is the last significant pivot low ahead of the 75.70 September low for that contract. For January Brent, the  87.52 level is the last pivot low ahead of the 80.94 September low for that contract. Gold (XAUUSD) Pushed a bit lower yesterday on the rise in US treasury yields, trading above 1,760 this morning after the 1,786 high earlier this week. The 200-day moving average is near the important 1,800+ area. An extension of the recent rally likely requires further declines in yields and the US dollar or some other catalyst that sees a run to safety. US treasuries (TLT, IEF) US yields surged across the entire yield curve with yields rising the most in the front end. The 2-year yield jumped 10bps to 4.45% and the 10-year climbed 8bps to 4.77%. The 2-10 year spread inverted further hitting a new low of minus 71bps. Selling concentrated on the front end as St. Louis Fed President James Bullard referred to the “sufficiently restrictive level” being “5% to 5.25%” and “that’s a minimum”. In addition, Bullard showed a chart that suggested a range of terminal rates from 5% to 7%. Meanwhile, Minneapolis Fed President Kashkari said the Fed is “not there yet” to pause and it is an open question of how far the Fed needs to go. What is going on? Japan’s CPI increased more than expected in October Japan released its national CPI data which came in hotter than expected. Headline CPI grew 3.7% Y/Y (consensus: 3.6%, Sep: 3.0%). CPI excluding Fresh Food was 3.6% higher than last year (consensus: 3.5%, Sep: 3.0%) and CPI excluding Fresh Food and Energy increased 2.5% Y/Y in October (consensus: 2.4%, Sep: 1.8%). UK budget statement sees little market reaction, but huge Gilt issuance set for next year The mix of measures was more or less as anticipated, with many of the specific larger moves well flagged ahead of yesterday’s speech on the budget from UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt. After a strong surge in UK gilts (sovereign bonds), UK yields rose yesterday, as the Debt Management Office in the UK project that issuance of gilts in the 2023-24 financial year will rise almost 50% to £305 billion, with net issuance at £255 billion, almost double the previous high from 2011. Near term issuance to the end of the current fiscal year to April is expected somewhat lower than prior estimates. China urges local authorities to strike a better balance in pandemic control measures China’s National Health Commission urged local authorities to avoid “irresponsible loosening” of pandemic control measures. In a press briefing, health officials said local authorities “must continue to rectify the practice of excessive measures such as lockdowns and oppose the irresponsibility of evading a solution by loosening up”.The world’s second biggest lithium producer, SQM, sees lithium prices staying higher in 2023.SQM sees the Chinese electric vehicle market showing strong growth, buttressing solid demand for lithium. In its third quarter result, SQM’s income beat analyst estimates, rising by more than 10 times to $1.1 billion. The surge was fueled by the lithium price more than tripling over the past year, and rallying over 1,200% since 2020, amid tight supply and rising demand from EV makers. SQM sees the lithium market staying tight and higher prices for the rest of 2022 and into 2023. BHP (BHP) raised its takeover offer for copper giant, Oz Minerals (OZL) The offer was raised to $6.4 billion as global miners are hungry to boost copper production. Copper is a vital metal in electricity networks, electric vehicles, housing and renewable energy. BHP currently makes about 48.7% of its revenue from iron ore, 26.7% from copper, and 24.6% from thermal coal.What are we watching next? Earnings to watch today: JD.com Today’s earnings calendar is light with only the Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com reporting results. Analysts expect revenue growth of 11% y/y and EPS of $4.46 up 194% y/y on expanding EBITDA margin, but given the results from other Chinese companies we find it a bit unlikely that JD.com can deliver those types of results. Options expiry today in US to hit new record Options expire today on a notional $2.1 trillion in underlying instruments today as this month looks likely to set the record for options volume, with 46 million contracts in daily trading on average, up 12% from last month. Increasingly popular are contracts that expire within 24 hours, a phenomenon that may have driven the extreme volatility around the Thursday October CPI release last week. Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0830 – ECB President Lagarde to speak 1315 – UK Bank of England’s Catherine Mann to speak 1330 – Canada Oct. Home Price Index 1340 – US Fed’s Collins (non-voter) to speak 1500 – US Oct. Existing Home Sales 1500 – US Oct. Leading Index Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/market-quick-take-nov-18-2022-18112022

Stock Asia doesn't display any dynamics in today's trading. Only the S&P/ASX 200 in Australia and the Shanghai Composite in China registered growth at 0.29 and 0.39 percent, respectively. Other metrics revealed a decline. They include the Hong Kong Hang Seng Index, which lost 0.79%, the Shenzhen Shenzhen Composite, which fell by 0.53%, the Japanese Nikkei 225, which fell by 0.37%; and the Korean KOSPI, which fell by 0.11%. The worsening of the situation caused by the spread of COVID-19 in China is one of the factors raising bidders' concerns. This past week, a record number of daytime episodes of infection were noted. Several new restrictive and quarantine measures have already been implemented in some major cities due to the sudden increase in morbidity. Investors are concerned that they might harm the nation's economic expansion. The authorities' announcement of new state initiatives to support the economy could not calm the bidders. However, analysts typically predict that things will soon get better in the Chinese markets. In the coming year, the situation should stabilize, according to experts. They base their prediction on what has happened in other nations where similar events have occurred. The largest quote decline was noted for the following Hong Kong Hang Seng Index constituents: Baidu shares, down 3.4%; Meituan, down 3.1%; Tencent Holdings, down 3%; and Net Ease, down 2.5%. The stock quotes of businesses listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange also reflect growth at the time: Gemdale Securities increased by 9.7%, Greenland Holdings increased by 7.5%, and China Vanke increased by 6.9%. To stop the recession in this economic sector, the Chinese government approved a package of policies aimed at assisting the real estate development sector this month. With a contribution of about 25%, this industry ranks among the largest in China's GDP. For 162 billion US dollars, banks have opened new credit lines for development companies. The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, one of the biggest Chinese banks, announced opening credit lines for twelve companies totaling 655 billion yuan (roughly $95 billion).     Relevance up to 09:00 2022-11-26 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/328148

Asian indices have witnessed intense heat amid unrest in China due to the anti-Covid lockdown. The USD Index is struggling to surpass the immediate hurdle of 106.40 as investors await US GDP data. Oil prices have refreshed their 11-month low near $74.00 amid weaker projections. Markets in the Asian domain are facing immense pressure amid unrest in China on Covid-19 restrictions. Individuals have come to the roads protesting for a rollback of Covid-19 restrictive measures. The resurgence of Covid-19 in China has been sustained for several months and now households are frustrated and angry being at home without solid earnings to augment basic needs. The situation of protests in China along with slogans of ‘democracy not dictatorship’ has triggered the risk of civil war. This has triggered a risk-aversion theme in global markets, and, the Asia-Pacific region is facing immense heat. Meanwhile, state banks in China are heavily purchasing equities to propel battered markets. At the press time, Japan’s Nikkei225 slipped 0.50%, ChinaA50 plunged 1.88%, Hang Seng plummeted 1.86% while Nifty50 has gained 0.24% as the China+1 strategy is going to strengthen Indian equity markets. The US Dollar Index (DXY) is aiming to establish its business above the two-day high of 106.40 amid an improvement in safe-haven’s appeal. The USD index is expected to remain on tenterhooks ahead of the US Automatic Data Procession (ADP) employment data. As per the consensus, the US economy has added 200k jobs in November vs. the prior release of 239k. Accelerating interest rates and weaker economic projections have forced firms to postpone the recruitment process. On the oil front, oil prices have refreshed their 11-month low near $74.00 as weaker projections for aggregate demand in China have also impacted guidance for oil demand. China is a leading importer of oil and sluggish demand in China is propelling oil bears.  

Summary:  Markets have been on edge as we await further signs of the official stance in China on Covid restrictions after civil unrest on the issue at the weekend, with signs this morning from Chinese officialdom that a cautious easing will remain underway. This has inspired a comeback in some commodities and the Chinese renminbi after sharp weakening moves yesterday, but there is no profound sense of relief across markets as we also await incoming US data ahead of the December 14 FOMC meeting.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures are stuck in a tight range between 3,926 on the downside and 4,054 on the upside as the market is struggling to find a clear signal and direction. The noise is filled by the back-and-forth news stream out of China related to it Covid policies and backstop plans for its struggling real estate sector. Meanwhile, the US 10-year yield is also stabilising and earnings releases are minimal except for tomorrow with reports expected from Salesforce and Snowflake. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and mainland China equity markets rallied strongly with Hang Seng Index and the CSI300 Index each rising more than 3%. The market sentiment was buoyed by new measures from the Chinese securities regulator to relax its restriction on property developers from equity financing. Leading Chinese developers listed in Hong Kong jumped by 5%-12%. In the mainland’s A-share markets, real estate names led the charge higher. Tourism stocks rose on speculation that pandemic control restrictions might be relaxed further. China’s pandemic control regulators are holding a press conference later today. USD firms, but then retreats overnight on hopes China’s reopening prospects Concerns surrounding China’s reopening status after civil unrest at the weekend sparked considerable volatility across FX yesterday, with a US dollar rally yesterday eventually emerging as the dominant development after choppy action. The USD was a bit weaker again overnight, particularly against the USDCNH, which dropped back below the important 7.20 area ahead of a press briefing in China thought to make clear the official central government position on Covid policies. Expect the most volatility in commodity currencies and the Japanese yen depending on how clearly China either a) signals that the path is open to easing restrictions on an accelerated time frame or b) that restrictions will remain in place and could even tighten if virus numbers don’t fall. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOF3) made a sharp U-turn on Monday ...as one survey after another pointed to an elevated risk that OPEC+, partly depending on the price when they meet next week, will opt to agree on another production cut in order to stem the recent price drop. Having fallen by more than 15 dollars during the past two weeks, a downturn in Chinese demand has been more than priced in, with technical selling and momentum having taken over. Overnight Brent briefly traded $86 after Chinese health authorities announced they would hold a press conference at 7am GMT. At their last meeting OPEC+ cut output quotas by 2mb/d with Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman saying the group was ready to intervene with further supply reductions if it was required to balance supply and demand. Meanwhile, European talks on a price cap have stalled. Wheat (ZWH3) in Chicago dropped to a three-month low …on Monday on a combination of ample and cheap supply from Black Sea suppliers increasing competing with US origin wheat, and on concerns about the impact of protests in China on growth and demand. Following a bumper crop this summer, Russian wheat continues to be offered at about the cheapest prices in world export markets which is negative for the export prospects of U.S. wheat. In the week to November 22 speculators increased bearish bets on CBOT wheat to the highest since May 2019. Gold (XAUUSD) has recovered from another stronger dollar driven attempt to challenge support ...in the $1735 area after Fed speakers said more rate hikes are coming. pressed for higher rates. Investors will watch this week’s economic data, including ISM on Thursday and Friday’s nonfarm payrolls and US jobs report, for signs the US central bank may soon ease its monetary-tightening trajectory. Total holdings in bullion-backed gold ETFs rose 6 tons last week, the biggest weekly increase since April. During this time investors sold a total of 397 tons, still less than the 400+ tons bought by central banks during the third quarter. After finding support in the $1735 area last week, a break above $1765 may signal a return to key resistance at $1788. US treasury yields recovered after dip to local lows. (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) Weak risk sentiment after the weekend news of civil unrest in China due to restrictive Covid policies there saw a dip in the 10-year yield benchmark yesterday to new local lows below 3.65%. But there was little energy in the move as the market awaits important incoming US data starting with today’s November Consumer Confidence survey, but more importantly this Friday’s November jobs numbers on Friday. What is going on? The wave of takeover bids continues at the Paris Stock Market This is mostly happening in Euronext Growth – the market segment for small and medium-caps. Yesterday, Abeille Insurance (member of Aema Group, the fifth largest insurance player in France) acquired the small bank Union Financière de France (a bank mostly specialized in wealth management advisory). Abeille Assurance bought the company at a price per action of 21 euros. This represents a premium of 51 %. With the sharp drop in values that has happened since January, we have seen a wave of takeover bids at the Paris Stock Market. This will likely continue in the short-term, especially in the segment of wealth management advisory where there is an ongoing process of consolidation happening. Fed speakers press for higher rates James Bullard (2022 voter) said markets are underestimating the chances that the FOMC will need to be more aggressive next year, adding tightening may go into 2024. He also said that rates will need to be kept at a sufficiently high level all through 2023 and into 2024 even if the Fed reaches restrictive territory by Q1 2023. John Williams (voter) said "there's still more work to do" to get inflation down. He also hinted at “modestly higher” path of interest rates than what he voted for in September, sending another signal that December’s dot plot could see an upward revision, while also hinting at rate cuts in 2024. He provided some clear forecasts: unemployment rate rising from 3.7% to 4.5%-5.0% by late 2023; inflation declining to 5.0-5.5% by the end of 2022 and 3.0-3.5% by late 2023; modest economic growth this year and in 2023. The central bank isn't near a pause, Loretta Mester (2022 voter) told the FT. Richmond Fed President Barkin also spoke about higher-for-longer rates, despite moving slower China relaxes its restrictions on developers from attaining equity financing The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) fired the so-called “third arrow” to ease some of the restrictions previously imposed on property developers from attaining equity financing. While property developers are still barred from doing IPO in the domestic equity market, they are now domestically listed A-share developers and some Hong Kong-listed H-share developers to issue new shares to raise capital as long as the proceeds are used for restricting, M&A activities, refinancing, buying existing property projects, repaying debts, and project construction. However, proceeds are not allowed to be used in land acquisition. Pinduoduo shares rally 12% Strong Q3 results pushed the shares of the Chinese e-commerce platform to the highest level since November 2021. Q3 revenue was CNY 35.5bn vs est. CNY 30.9bn and adj. EPS at 8.62 vs est. 4.75 driven by tailwinds from the strict Covid policies in China. BlockFi – another casualty in the FTX saga The crypto lender BlockFi Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the latest crypto-industry operator to seek court protection in the wake of FTX’s collapse. It sold $239 million of crypto ahead of its filing. ECB’s Lagarde maintains tightening stance ECB President Lagarde repeated her previous comments that the ECB will raise rates further but nothing on how much further, and on how fast they need to go. She said the bank will be data-dependent, adding the ECB may need to move into restrictive territory. She also said that she will be surprised if inflation in the Eurozone (due to be reported on Wednesday 30/11) peaked last month. Even if the November print cools slightly, most likely driven by lower energy costs, there is a possibility that inflation will likely remain high in the coming months as winter months progress and cost of living gets worse. Dallas Fed manufacturing signals job stress is building Dallas Fed manufacturing index came in less bad than expected at -14.4 for November, but the underlying metrics indicated a softening in labor markets. 16% of the factories surveyed indicated net layoffs in November, up from 9% previously, and comments suggested more layoffs may be coming as the backlog and holiday season get over. While it may still be early to see any significant signs of softening in Friday’s jobs report, the jobs data remains key to monitor to see if consumers may be vulnerable to a faster-than-expected pullback in spending. What are we watching next? US November Consumer Confidence, September home prices up today The Conference Board’s monthly Consumer Confidence survey has historically correlated most closely with the strength of the US labour market, although after a strong recover from the pandemic lows by mid-2021, confidence fall sharply, hitting a 95.3 local low in July of this year, likely due to steeply rising inflationary pressures (the other major US confidence survey, the University of Michigan sentiment survey, hit the lowest level in its 44-year history in July, likely as the survey contains questions more closely linked to inflation). Confidence then bounced strongly from that July local low, hitting 107.80 in September before dropping sharply to 102.50 last month. The November reading is expected at 100.00. With inflationary pressures easing relative to their peak, a weaker than expected confidence reading today could suggest rising insecurity in the labour market. The September S&P CoreLogic Home Price data is expected to show an ongoing drop in US home prices of some –1.2% MoM after 30-year mortgage rates rose 400 basis points this year to 20-year highs. Apple production risk is on the rise The protests in China and the unrest around Apple’s largest manufacturing hub for its iPhone could lead to a production shortfall of close to 6mn iPhone Pro which was a Morgan Stanley estimate and was published before the intensified issues at the Apple manufacturing site. Earnings to watch Today’s earnings focus is Crowdstrike with analysts expected FY23 Q3 (ending 31 October) revenue growth expected at 51% y/y with operating margin expected to demand as pricing power and demand remain robust in the cyber security industry. Today: Li Auto, DiDi Global, Bank of Nova Scotia, Intuit, Workday, Crowdstrike, HP Enterprise, NetApp, Shaw Communication Wednesday: Royal Bank of Canada, National Bank of Canada, Salesforce, Synopsys, Snowflake, Splunk, Hormel Foods, KE Holdings Thursday: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Bank of Montreal, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Marvell Technology, Veeva Systems, Ulta Beauty, Zscaler, Dollar General, Kroger Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0800 – Spain Nov. CPI 0930 – UK Oct. Mortgage Approvals/Consumer Credit 1000 – Eurozone Nov. Confidence Surveys 1300 – Germany Nov. Flash CPI 1330 – ECB's Schnabel to speak 1330 – Canada Sep. GDP 1400 – US Sep. S&P CoreLogic Home Prices 1500 – UK Bank of England Governor Bailey to testify 1500 – US Nov. Consumer Confidence 2130 – API's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 0030 – Australia Oct. CPI 0130 – China Nov. Manufacturing and Non-manufacturing PMI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – November 29, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Asian indices have displayed mixed responses as Chinese stocks have roared while Nikkei225 remained weak. Fresh economic stimulus considered by Beijing has infused an adrenaline rush into domestic equities. Oil prices have recovered dramatically in expectations of further supply cuts by OPEC. Markets in the Asian domain have recovered dramatically after Chinese authorities considered economic stimulus to offset Covid-inspired bleak economic projections. Chinese equities have soared vigorously as public unrest has been restricted by marshals. On Monday, Beijing stocks faced an intense sell-off as the general public came on the roads for anti-Covid lockdown protests. This has resulted in a recovery in investors’ risk appetite. At the press time, Japan’s Nikkei225 surrendered 0.45%, China50 soared 3.73%, Hang Seng climbs 4.32%, and Nifty50 gained 0.43%. The announcement of fresh stimulus by the Chinese authorities has managed to offset the dented market sentiment for the time being but downside risks are still solid as the general public is filled with frustration and anger led by the rollback of Covid-19 lockdown curbs. Going forward, investors will shift their focus on Caixin Manufacturing PMI data, however, the fears of a resurgence in public unrest will stay for a while. Meanwhile, Japanese equities have continued their downside bias despite a weakening risk-off mood. It seems that mixed Retail Sales data has impacted sentiment. The annual economic data landed at 4.3%, lower than projections of 5.0%. While monthly Retail Sales are grown by 0.2% against a de-growth of 0.3% as expected. On the oil front, oil prices have recovered dramatically on potential supply cuts by OPEC in its meeting scheduled for December 4. The market participants are expecting that the recent weakness in oil prices could force the OPEC cartel to announce more supply cuts. Also, economic stimulus considered by Chinese authorities to curtain the impact of nationwide Covid-19 has brought optimism to oil prices.

Looking to take advantage of the current uncertainty in the markets over the Middle Kingdom's continued policy on pandemic restrictions? We have selected funds that you could watch out for in the near term.  Current situation in China After the introduction of the zero-Covid policy by China's Communist Party, it seemed that the Chinese economy might slow down significantly. The situation, which forced many citizens to stop doing their business, may have caused the people of the Middle Kingdom to start protests. As Reuters reports, "Police stopped and searched people at the sites of weekend protests in Shanghai and Beijing, after crowds there and in other Chinese cities demonstrated against stringent COVID-19 measures disrupting lives three years into the pandemic." Now, following Saturday's announcement by Chinese authorities regarding the easing of months-long closures in various regions of the country in stages. Markets appear to be reacting particularly optimistically. Hong Kong's main index, the Hang Seng, is up more than 5% today.  How could you invest in China? The characteristics of the Chinese stock market seem to limit the ability of an international investor to purchase assets in this market. For this reason, many entities originating from China are listed on multiple exchanges simultaneously. The iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF (EWH) is one of the funds giving exposure to the previously mentioned Hang Seng Index. It consists of 23.88% of Hong Kong-listed property companies. The second largest weighting is insurance companies (22.36%), followed by financials (11.79%) in third place. It appears that the currently tough property market in China, following the introduction of restrictions on developers' borrowing capacity, may be reducing the potential of this market. Nevertheless, the average price-to-earnings P/E ratio is around 13, which may speak to the undervaluation of this fund. Source: Conotoxia MT5, EWH, Daily We could get a glimpse of the broad market for Chinese equities with the iShares MSCI China ETF (MCHI), which has as much as 30.5% of its value in commercial property companies. In second place in terms of weighting is the communications sector (17.41%), and in the last place of the weighting podium is the finance sector (15.55%). As with the previous fund, it has significant exposure to one of the largest sectors of the Chinese economy, real estate. Interestingly, the largest position in the fund, accounting for, as much as 11.74%, is the technology giant Tencent (Tencent). The average price-to-earnings P/E ratio for this fund is just 9.88. This seems  to be due to negative sentiment on the share prices of construction developers. Source: Conotoxia MT5, MCHI, Weekly The third fund already giving direct access to the Chinese A-share market is the iShares MSCI China A ETF. It appears to be the most sectorally diversified relative to its predecessors. Companies from the financial sector are the most heavily weighted, accounting for 17.37% of the fund's value. In second place, with a slightly lower weighting, are companies from the consumer goods sector (17.32%). The podium is rounded off by industrial companies (16%). On average, the price-to-earnings P/E ratio takes on a value of 14.35. Such a value could be considered well valued, giving these potentially smaller growth opportunities.  Source: Conotoxia MT5, CNYA, Daily Knowing that many applications and websites are banned in the Middle Kingdom, we can access Chinese internet companies that provide similar services such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, eBay, Amazon, etc. Therefore, the latest passive fund to look out for is the KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (KWEB). It is made up of 44 companies with 50% in the consumer goods sector, 36.24% in communication services and 4% in the real estate industry. The largest position is Alibaba Group Holding (Alibaba), which weighs in at 9.36% of the fund's value. It has an average P/E of 11.7, which, additionally taking into account the strongly growth-oriented nature of the fund's companies, seems to give signals for upside in the event of an easing of the pandemic tightening situation.  Source: Conotoxia MT5, KWEB, Daily Grzegorz Dróżdż, Junior Market Analyst of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75,21% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.     search   g_translate    

Summary:  A dash of optimism on Tuesday with Chinese officials continuing their commitment to ease the Zero Covid policies, but US economic data continued to disappoint and focus remains on how hawkish Fed Chair Powell can get today. Along with that, a slew of pivotal US data in the week ahead kept the US dollar range-bound. Crude oil market however continued to see volatility despite easing China demand concerns, as OPEC+ production cut hopes were shattered with the weekend meeting moving online. Eurozone CPI on watch today while the softer Australia CPI for October paves the way for RBA to maintain its slower rate hike path next week. What’s happening in markets? The major US indices, the Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) continue to retreat The major US indices ended weaker, with NASDAQ100 sliding 0.7% and the S&P500 edging down 0.2% as investors are awaiting Fed Chair Powell’s speech later Wednesday. Powell will likely underscore the Fed’s desire to keep interest rates at elevated levels until inflation eases. The latest US consumer confidence reading (released Tuesday) for November showed US consumer confidence fell to a four-month low. The biggest drag on US markets on Tuesday, were information technology, utilities, and consumer discretionary. Apple (AAPL) shares fell 2.1% after the company said that it would deliver 6 million fewer iPhone Pro units in Q4 due to production disruption in Zhengzhou, China. The real estate, energy, financials, industrials sectors outperformed. United Parcel Services (UPS:xnys) gained 2.8% after the Biden Administration called on Congress to prevent a U.S. rail strike. Apple (AAPL) shares fell 2.1%, continuing their three-day pull back, which totals almost 5% ..on the back of the covid lockdown fallout in China. Apple relies heavily on the key manufacturing hub of Zhengzhou, which is now in lockdown. And as a result Apple’s production shortfall could be close to 6 million iPhone Pro units this year (this is according to people who know about Apple’s assembly operations). These reports are swirling at a time when Apple previously dropped its overall production target to about 87 million units (down from the prior 90 million estimate) on the back of demand slowing. However, Apple and the Foxconn facility are allegedly planning to make up the shortfall in lost output in 2023. But, looking at Apple shares from a technical perspective, its trading 8% lower than its 200 day moving average and the indicators suggest Apple shares could see further downward pressure - as suggested by the weekly and monthly charts. US treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) rose in yields ahead of Fed Chair Powell’s speech Yields edged up across the yield curve with those in the long-end rising the most. The 2-year yield rose 4bps to 4.47% while the 10-year was 6bps cheaper at 3.74%. Large supply from corporate issuance put some upward pressure on yields. There were about 11 deals with a total amount of about USD18 billion, including USD8.25 billion from Amazon, on Tuesday. Fed Chair Powell is scheduled to speak on the economy and labor market at a Brookings Institution event today on Wednesday at 1:30 U.S. eastern time (2:30am SG/HK). Investors are concerned if Powell would give hints of a terminal Fed Fund rate higher than the 5% being priced in by the market. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) surged on renewed optimism about reopening and additional support to the property sector Hang Seng Index surged 5.2% and Hang Seng TECH Index jumped 7.7%. All sectors gained, with information technology, consumer discretionary, and properties leading the charge higher. The CSI 300 gained 3.1%. The market sentiment was first buoyed by new measures from the Chinese securities regulator to relax its restriction on property developers from equity financing. Then the renewed optimism about China reopening from stringent pandemic control added to the market rally. Leading Chinese developers listed in Hong Kong jumped by 3-14%. In the mainland’s A-share markets, real estate, financials, and food and beverage led the charge higher. The strong revenue and margin beat of Pinduoduo (PDD:xnas) aided the surge of Alibaba (09988:xhkg) by 9.1% and JD.COM (09618:xhkg) by 10.9%. The ADR of Bilibili (BILI:xnas) jumped 22% overnight after reporting results beating market expectations. FX: Dollar range-bound ahead of Powell’s speech While the commodity currencies gained on Tuesday after a relief that China officials maintained their commitment to ease the Zero covid policies despite the protests and a recent rise in cases, cyclical currencies like CAD weakened as crude oil futures traded lower. Overall the dollar was range-bound with expectations around a hawkish Powell today picking up given the substantial easing in financial conditions. EURUSD remained stuck below 1.0400 while USDJPY has gains above 139 getting limited. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3)volatile with large inventory drawdown ahead of OPEC The relief from continued commitment of China officials to ease zero covid restrictions helped crude oil prices gather some momentum early on Tuesday, but the cheer was short-lived as other concerns still clouded the outlook. US economic data showed economic momentum is weakening, while Fed Chair Powell’s speech today will be key for the dollar and the markets. On the supply side, API survey reported a larger than expected crude draw, with inventories down 7.80mm b/d (exp -2.49mm b/d) but production cut expectations from OPEC (read below) this weekend eased as the meeting moved online. WTI futures traded around $79/barrel, while Brent traded lower after touching $86/barrel earlier. Technical update on Brent crude oil from Kim Cramer, our Technical Analyst. The update also takes a closer look at WTI crude oil, Dutch TTF gas and Henry Hub natural gas.   What to consider? US data disappoints, all eyes on Powell Consumer confidence pared back in November to 100.2 from 102.5 (exp. 100.00); the Present Situation Index decreased to 137.4 from 138.7 last month, while the Expectations Index declined to 75.4 from 77.9. Meanwhile, home prices in 20 large cities slipped 1.2% in September, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller gauge. More critical data from ISM to PCE to NFP is lined up for the second half of the week, but before we get there, Fed Chair Powell’s speech will be the one to watch. Easing financial conditions raise concerns about inflation shooting back higher, but pushback from Fed officials so far hasn’t been enough for the markets yet. It remains to be seen what more Fed Chair Powell can deliver today. Reopening optimism returned in China While the daily new cases continued to surge and anti-restriction protests sprang up across major cities, investors took comfort from the light-touch reactions from the Chinese authorities and hints of preparing to ease the pandemic control measures further. A Party-controlled newspaper in Beijing published a long article reporting the stories of people having recovered from Covid, which seemingly aimed at easing people’s worries about the disease. The National Health Commission issued a memo pledging to increase the vaccination rate of the country’s senior population. In a press conference later in the afternoon, health officers again emphasized increasing the senior population’s vaccination rate as a priority and highlighted the Omicron variants as being less severe than the original virus. Officials and the state-controlled media have taken a light-touch approach to the recent protests and have not put any political stigma on the incidents. Putting these together, investors are taking the development as hints of the Chinese authorities to prepare for further easing in its Covid policy. China relaxes its restrictions on developers from attaining equity financing The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) fired the so-called “third arrow” to ease some of the restrictions previously imposed on property developers from attaining equity financing. While property developers are still barred from doing IPO in the domestic equity market, they are now domestically listed A-share developers and some Hong Kong-listed H-share developers to issue new shares to raise capital as long as the proceeds are used for restricting, M&A activities, refinancing, buying existing property projects, repaying debts, and project construction. However, proceeds are not allowed to be used in land acquisition. Softer Australia CPI paves the way for a dovish RBA next week Australian inflation data for October showed inflation is continuing to fall, and far more than expected which supports the RBA’s dovish tone and only hiking rates by 0.25% next week (December 6). Trimmed mean CPI which excludes volatile items, rose 5.3% year-on-year in October, which marks a fall in price rises, compared to the prior read, 5.4% YoY. This also shows prices for consumer goods and services in Australia are falling less than the market expects as Trimmed CPI was expected to rise 5.7%. Meanwhile, headline inflation also rose less than expected, showing consumer prices rose 6.9% YoY, which was cooler than prior 7.3% read, and less than the 7.6% expected. This follows a suite of Australian economic data that supports the RBA remaining more conservative with rate hikes. Earlier in the week, Australian retail trade data unexpectedly fell, showing consumers are feeling the strain of inflation and rising interest rates. As a house, we think spending will likely continue to slow into 2023, with the full impact of rate hikes passing through households under financial duress giving deb to income ratios are some of the highest in the world. China PMIs likely to show demand weakness China’s NBS manufacturing PMI is expected to decline to 49.0 in November, further into the contractionary territory, from 49.2 October, according to the survey of economists conducted by Bloomberg. The imposition of movement restrictions in many large cities has incurred disruption to economic activities. High-frequency data such as steel rebar output, cement plants’ capacity utilization rates, and container throughputs have weakened in November versus October. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expect the NBS Non-manufacturing to slow to 48.0. in November from 48.7 in October, on the enlargement of pandemic containment measures. OPEC+ weekend meeting goes virtual Instead of meeting in Vienna as planned earlier, OPEC+ has now moved its December 4 meeting online which is downplaying expectations of any significant policy change after production cut expectations gathered hopes this week with crude oil prices falling to test key support levels. Some delegates also suggested that the cartel is leaning towards approving the same production levels agreed in October, when a 2mb/d cut in output was announced. Bilibili (BILI:xnas/09626:xhkg) Q3 beat expectations Bilibili reported 11% Y/Y revenue growth in Q3 and net loss came in at a smaller amount of RMB1.7 billion. User growth was solid, with average daily active users growing 25% Y/Y to 90.3 million, average monthly active users growing 25% to 332.6 million, and average monthly paying users increasing 19% to 28.5 million. Operating margin improved to -31.9% in Q3 from -44.63 in Q2 and -51.1% in Q3 last year. The company guides for a 4-7% Y/Y increase in Q4 revenue, below the consensus estimate of 8% Y/Y. EUR may be watching the flash Eurozone CPI release Eurozone inflation touched double digits for October, and the flash release for November is due this week. The headline rate of the harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP) is expected to ease slightly to 10.4% YoY from 10.7% YoY last month. The core rate that excludes food and energy prices is forecast to however remain unchanged at 5% YoY. This print will be key for markets as the magnitude of the ECB’s next rate hike at the December meeting is still uncertain, and about 60bps is priced in for now. But even with a slight cooling in inflation, which will most likely be driven by lower energy costs, there is a possibility that inflation will likely remain high in the coming months as winter months progress and cost of living gets worse. Crowdstrike (CRWD:xnas) tumbled on guidance miss The shares of Crowdstrike plunged 18.7% in the extended-hour trading after the cybersecurity provider issued Q4 revenue guidance below market expectations. For our look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/apac-market-insights-30-nov-2022-30112022

Summary:  The US equity market exploded higher yesterday in the wake of a Fed Chair Powell speech that outlined the Fed’s view on inflationary risks and the preferred course of monetary policy. Powell confirmed the market view that the Fed willl downshift to a smaller 50-bp hike at the December FOMC meeting. Weak US data added to the sense that an economic slowdown is underway, taking long US treasury yields to new local lows.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities exploded higher yesterday after Fed Chair Powell’s speech failed to push back against easing financial conditions and as US yields dropped further. This gives the impression that further soft data from the US (see preview below) that takes yields lower still will see an extension of this market squeeze higher, despite the implications from softer data that a recession draws nearer. The Nasdaq 100 index closed clear of the important 12,000 level for the first time since September yesterday and may extend its rally to the 200-day moving average, currently near 12,550 for the cash index. The S&P 500 spiked to new highs since September as well and cleared its 200-day moving average at 4,050, closing at 4,080 on the day. This is the first time that moving average has fallen since the March-April time frame. THe next major resistance there is the pivot high near 4,325 from August. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HISX2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index climbed 1.7% and CSI300 Index gained 1.5% following the less-hawkish-than-feared speech from the U.S. Fed Chair Powell overnight and China’s Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan, who oversees containing the spread of Covid-19, acknowledged in a pandemic control export workshop that the Omicron variant is less deadly. Mega-cap China internet stocks surged 4-5%. EV maker XPeng (09868:xhkg) jumped 13% after reporting Q3 earnings. Caixin China PMI Manufacturing came in at 49.4 in November, above the consensus estimate of 48.9 and October’s 49.2. USD blasted after Fed Chair Powell’s speech craters US treasury yields, sparks risk-on rally Fed Chair Powell failed to make any notable pushback against easing financial conditions in his speech yesterday (more below), and US Treasury yields downshifted sharply all along the curve after he confirmed the likely downshift to a 50-basis point hike at the December FOMC meeting, with weak US data also pushing US yields lower. The US dollar was lower across the board: EURUSD rushed back higher, and trades this morning not far below the pivotal 1.0500 area, which could open up for 1.0600+, while the action in US yields was a particular tailwind for USDJPY bears, as that pair fell to new local lows well south of the former 137.50 low water mark, hitting 136.21 overnight and possibly on its way for a test of the 200-day moving average near 134.50. Gold trades higher supported by a breakout in silver Silver’s impressive 16% rally last month extended overnight following Powell’s speech in which he signaled a slowdown in the pace of future rate hikes. It trades around $22.25, the 50% retracement of the March to September selloff, and a close above could see it challenge $23.35 next. In addition, the recent dollar and yield slump, the metal has also been supported by improved supply and demand fundamentals.  Gold has built on last month's impressive 8% gain and has now returned to challenging a key area of resistance between $1788 and $1808. Focus on the dollar and incoming US data starting with today’s ISM and Friday’s job report. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOF3) supported by weaker USD and lower US inventories Crude oil’s three-day recovery has been supported by a weaker dollar and traders assessing signals that China may soften its Covid Zero policy after China’s Vice Premier in charge of fighting Covid acknowledged the Omicron variant is less deadly. Developments that have forced a reduction in recently established short positions ahead of Sunday’s OPEC+ meeting. A meeting that is likely to be strong on words but low on actions, not least considering the unclear impact of an EU embargo on Russian oil starting next week. In addition, US crude stocks fell by 12.6mbbl last week, the biggest decline since June 2019, while the net crude and product export hit a record, highlighting continued strong demand amid Russian sanctions. US treasury yields recovered after dip to local lows. (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) With Fed Chair Powell confirming a likely downshift to a smaller hike in December and not pushing back against easing financial conditions, the entire US Treasury yield curve fell sharply yesterday, with treasury buying also encouraged by weak US data, including a terrible Chicago PMI and weak ADP private payrolls growth number. The 10-year treasury yield benchmark hit a new local low near 3.60% and is now only 10 basis points above the pivotal 3.50% area, which was the major pivot high from June. What is going on? Jerome Powell sticks to the script Fed Chair Powell repeated his comments from the November FOMC and what we have heard more generally from the Fed speakers over the course of the month. He said it makes sense to moderate the pace of interest rate hikes and the time to moderate the pace of hikes may come as soon as December, while he added it seems likely that rates must ultimately go somewhat higher than what was thought in the September FOMC projections. Powell also said they have made substantial progress towards sufficiently restrictive policy but have more ground to cover and they will likely need to hold policy at a restrictive level for some time. While his comments still tilted towards the hawkish side, there was no specific hawkish pushback against the markets pricing of significant rate cuts in 2024 that the markets feared. His comment that he does not want to over-tighten but cutting rates is not something to do soon was a slight contrast to his earlier acceptance that risk of tightening insufficiently is greater than the risk over-tightening. The Fed's Cook (voter) also said it is prudent for the Fed to hike in smaller steps as it moves forward and how far the Fed goes with hikes depends on how the economy responds, overall sticking to the consensus. US economic data broadly weaker, focus now on PCE prices and ISM manufacturing The private ADP jobs report showed US payrolls rose 127,000 this month, the slowest pace in nearly two years, as wage gains moderated. Job openings also fell in October to 10.334mln from September's 10.687mln, reversing a surprise jump in the prior month but remaining elevated, according to the JOLTS report. The biggest downside surprise came in Chicago PMI for November which came in at 37.2 against an expected 47.0, falling from a prior 45.2. While monthly surveys can be noisy, but this one is now flirting with pandemic lows and puts the focus on ISM manufacturing due today. The only ray of positive news came from the Q3 GDP release which was upwardly revised by to 2.9% from 2.6% previously. Softer EU CPI weakens hawkish ECB bets Euro inflation slowed for the first time in 1.5 years to 10% in November from 10.6% YoY in October. ECB officials have highlighted the data will be key for their next rate decision, suggesting lower chance of another 75bps rate hike at the December 15 meeting. Still, it remains hard to say that inflation in the Eurozone has peaked. ECB members also remain broadly hawkish and suggest that the commitment to bring inflation back to target will stay Guangzhou lifted the lockdown of several districts as a sign of easing restrictions even as new cases at elevated levels  Guangzhou, the third largest city in China and the capital of the southern province of Guangdong, removed the “temporary control areas” restrictions of several districts even though the city’s daily new cases of Covid-19 stayed at nearly 7,000. It was an encouraging sign pointing to China’s willingness to continue the fine-tuning measures that it had recently started despite the surge in new cases across the country.   China’s Vice Premier in charge of fighting Covid acknowledged the Omicron variant is less deadly Speaking at a pandemic control policy workshop, Vice Premier Sun Chunlan emphasized the optimization measures of the pandemic control were supported by a lower fatality rate caused by the Omicron variant, an increasing vaccination rate, and the accumulation of experience in containing the spread of the virus. She called for the acceleration of vaccination and preparation of therapeutic drugs and the news report did not quote her mentioning the dynamic zero-Covid policy What are we watching next? Melt-up in risk if US data remains tepid or worse? The reaction to Fed Chair Powell’s speech yesterday and soft US data comes ahead of a string of US data through tomorrow’s November US jobs report. If the data is in-line or especially if it is a bit softer than expected, the market may continue to celebrate the implications of a lower peak for the Fed policy rate, as well as for the impact on valuations if longer US treasury yields also continue falling. Despite Chair Powell specifically indicating that peak Fed rates next year are likely set to rise above the Fed’s own forecasts from the September FOMC meeting, the market dropped its forecast for peak rates yesterday by several basis points in the wake of his speech. Eventually, market may begin to fret the impact of an incoming recession on asset valuations, but for now, the one-dimensional focus on the monetary policy outlook and rates persists. For the risk-on to continue, we would likely need to see a benign PCE Core inflation data point today, in-line or below expectations of +0.3% MoM and +5.0% YoY (vs. +5.1% in September and Feb. peak of 5.4%). The ISM Manufacturing survey today (expected: 49.7, which would be first sub-50 reading since 2020) is less important than Monday’s ISM Services, but the jobs report tomorrow is important, as a slackening US jobs market will be a key ingredient to confirm a slowdown (and the weekly jobless claims usually give off a warning for many weeks before the evidence shows up in the monthly report – the latest weekly number is up today and it will take some time for this indicator to point to weakness in the US jobs market. The market will be in for significant churn if we get a hotter core inflation reading and a strong jobs report. Earnings to watch A heavy focus on Canadian banks today, as three are reporting, including the largest of them all, Toronto-Dominion. Marvell Technology is a significant semiconductor company with 5G solutions and has been on the comeback trail, up some 30% from its lows ahead of today’s report after the market close, as will Veeva Systems. Today: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Bank of Montreal, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Marvell Technology, Veeva Systems, Ulta Beauty, Zscaler, Dollar General, Kroger Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0815-0900 – Eurozone Final November Manufacturing PMI 0930 – UK Final November Manufacturing PMI 1000 – Eurozone Oct. Unemployment Rate 1230 – US Nov. Challenger Job Cuts 1330 – US Oct. PCE Inflation 1330 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1420 – US Fed’s Logan (Voter 2023) to speak 1500 – US Nov. ISM Manufacturing 1530 – US Weekly Natural Gas Storage Change 1645 – ECB Chief Economist Lane to speak Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – December 1, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Summary:  Strong US November payrolls and especially strong earnings growth data failed to engineer a recovery in US treasury yields or the US dollar, taking both to new cycle lows, which kept global risk sentiment on an even keel for now after the recent rally. Focus tonight swings to Australia’s Reserve Bank which has lagged its global peers in this policy tightening cycle and kept a lid on the Aussie in the crosses, even as hopes for China’s “opening up” have found further encouragement.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US equities continued in Friday’s session to fade the big rally back from Wednesday last week but did however recover from a big dip during the session with S&P 500 futures finishing above the 200-day moving average. This morning S&P 500 futures are trading lower with the 200-day moving average again being key to watch on the downside and then of course the big 4,000 level. There are no major earnings today and the VIX Index remains relatively calm sitting just above the 19 level. The US 10-year yield also remains in a downward trend adding little headwinds to US equities at this point. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and China equity markets surged on yet more signs of easing of Covid-related restriction measures in mainland China. Hang Seng Index soared 3.5% and CSI 300 gained 1.6%. Hang Seng TECH Index rallied 7.4%. Technology stocks, online healthcare platforms, EV makers, and consumer stocks led the charge higher. Bilibili (09626:xhkg) jumped 24% and Alibaba (09988:xhkg) surged 7%. EV maker XPeng (09868:xhkg) soared more than 22%. Leading Chinese catering stocks gained over 10%. USD lower even as earnings data well above expectations The US November payrolls and earnings data (more below) was stronger than expected Friday, which briefly jolted US yields and the US dollar stronger, only to see both rolling back over ahead of the close on Friday and then the US dollar following through lower still to new cycle lows in many places in Asia overnight. USDCNH plunged through 7.00 and EURUSD set a new multi-month high above 1.0550, for example. US data this week is sparse after today’s November ISM Services (that survey’s relative strength compared to the S&P Global measure, which has suggested contraction in the US Services sector for the last five months) as we await next Tuesday’s November CPI data and the FOMC meeting the following day. Without a revival in US treasury yields, the US dollar’s only source of support might be a fresh weakening of risk sentiment. Gold (XAUUSD) and Silver (XAGUSD) poised for further upside The supportive factors for precious metals continue to line up – China’s reopening, lower US yields and a weaker dollar. This helped gold run higher to test a break above the key $1800 level for the first time since August. Meanwhile, silver’s impressive November rally has extended into December with the price breaking above $22.25 – a 50% retracement of the March to September selloff – and on route to the next level of resistance at $23.35. Other metals such as copper and iron ore also charged with China now reopening Shanghai, while the risk of a policy error by the Fed continues to run high. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOF3) lower on unchanged OPEC+ output After strong gains in crude oil last week, some softness was seen at the end of the week after speculation of no production cut from OPEC mounted. WTI traded back to $80/barrel from $83 levels mid-week on China’s reopening optimism, while Brent retreated from $90 levels to sub-86. The Sunday OPEC meeting did come out with an unchanged output decision, as expected, while the EU’s price cap on Russian oil was also fixed at $60. This week will be key to watch further China reopening and any signs of a retaliation from Russia on the price cap. European gas prices also continue to pick up as falling weather boosts heating demand, and expectations are for a colder-than-expected winter. US treasuries unmoved by strong US payrolls/earnings data (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) The stronger than expected US payrolls and earnings data failed to inspire a sustained recovery in US yields on Friday, as the US 10-year yield continues to hover near the 3.50% level, having dipped slightly below at times. This was a major high in that important benchmark yield back in June. The strong data pushed the 2-10 yield spread inversion back toward the cycle low of –80 basis points. What is going on? Hot US jobs report takes Fed terminal rate back toward 5.0% The nonfarm payroll change (NFP) data came out stronger-than-expected on Friday, with US employers added 263,000 jobs in November, less than October's upwardly revised 284,000 but well short of the turning point Fed officials seek in their battle against inflation. The unemployment rate was maintained at 3.7% (but with a 0.2% drop in the participation rate, showing once again a discrepancy in the household survey vs. the establishment survey used for the nonfarm payrolls calculation) while the wages were very hot: M/M rose 0.6% (exp. 0.3%) and Y/Y rose 5.1% (exp. 4.6%). After a few weeks where markets have been taking the slowdown in the pace of rate hikes by the Fed positively, this report was a reminder that rate hikes will continue well into 2023. WSJ's Fed Whisperer Timiraos said the report keeps the Fed on track to raise interest rates by 50bps at its meeting in two weeks and underscores the risk that officials will raise rates above 5% in the first half of next year. Another BOJ official fuels policy review speculation New BOJ board member Naoki Tamura urged a policy review, in his conversation with Bloomberg, saying that it would be appropriate for the central bank to conduct a review at the right time – soon or a little later depending on what happens to prices. USDJPY was quiet overnight after the exchange rate touched the 200-day moving average on Friday and near where it trades this morning in early European hours at 134.60. OPEC+ held production unchanged The OPEC+ group decided to keep the current production levels unchanged, as the crude oil prices started to show some tentative signs of a recovery after China’s continued commitment to ease its Zero covid policies. Still, a 2mb/d cut was announced in October, and the full effect of that is yet to be seen. Furthermore, there is volatility expected due to the EU sanctions and a G7 price cap on Russian crude which will go into effect this week, and further changes in China’s zero covid policy are also set to continue. The group’s next meeting is in February. Beijing, Shanghai and other large cities in China eased Covid policies Cities in China, one after one, announced to ease pandemic control restrictions including removing the requirement to show negative PCR test results when taking public transportation. Shanghai and Hangzhou joined the others on Sunday and announced that the cities no longer require negative PCR test results to enter public venues or take public transportation. EU sets in a price cap for Russian oil, to kick in from today The EU nations have agreed to cap the price of Russian seaborne oil at $60/barrel, with a motive to diminish Russia’s revenues, paving the way for a wider deal with the G7 countries. This price cap is to go in effect on December 5 and represents a discount of ~$27 to the current price for Brent crude, but Urals has been trading at a discount of about $23 in recent days. However, the risk of setting a price cap too low is that Russia could slash its output, which would roil markets. It will be important to watch for Russia’s reaction this week, after Putin has repeatedly said that they will not supply oil to countries that implement the price cap. Commodities pegged to China jolt higher Australia’s commodity heavy benchmark index, the ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) hit a new seven month high on Monday as China further eased restrictions in two major provinces. The iron ore (SCOA, SCOF3) price rose 2.2% in APAC trade, taking the steel ingredients’ price over $100 for the first time since August (to $108.30) on hopes China could increase demand. The iron ore price is up 38% from its October low. This is benefiting benefit forward earnings of BHP, Rio, Fortescue and Champion Iron with their shares trading higher today in Australia. Fortescue shares rose 7% taking the iron ore major’s shares to record highs. For inspiration on other commodity stocks exposed to China refer to Saxo’s Australian Resources basket. What are we watching next? Australia RBA’s Cash Target announcement tonight after hot November inflation data The Australia Melbourne Institute Inflation reading for November came out at +1.0% MoM and +5.9% YoY, both new highs for the cycle (the official inflation for October was out last week and was considerably softer than expected) ahead of tonight’s RBA meeting. The RBA has hiked rates at a more cautious pace than many of its peers and consensus is only slightly more than 50/50 that the central bank will hike another 25 basis points at its monthly meeting tonight, which would take the rate to 3.10%. The RBA has maintained a cautious stance on further policy tightening, quite concerned about the impact on households as rises in the adjustable mortgage rates impact disposable income. China’s Politburo meeting is a key event to watch Before the Central Economic Work Conference convenes in mid/late December, the Chinese Communist Party’s Politburo will meet in early December to discuss economic policies and establish the direction and policy framework for the work conference. Investors will pay close attention to the readout from the Politburo meeting for hints about the macroeconomic policy priorities and how they are balanced with the pandemic control strategy. Earnings to watch Earnings this week are a mish-mash of companies, and include high-end homebuilder Toll Brothers on Tuesday, as it will be interesting to hear their outlook on the new home market after the enormous surge in US mortgage rates and collapse in home sales activity. Broadcom (AVGO:xnas) is the market cap giant of the week to report, with the CEO of the company having said that the semiconductor market will not be affected by the US’ new export restrictions on technology to China. Tuesday:  MongoDB, AutoZone, Toll Brothers, Ferguson Wednesday: Brown Forman, Campbell Soup, GameStop Thursday: Broadcom, Costco, Lululemon, Chewy Friday: Oracle Corp, Li Auto Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0815-0900 – Eurozone Nov. Final Services PMI 0830 – Sweden Riksbank Meeting Minutes 0930 – UK Nov. Final Services PMI 1000 – Eurozone Oct. Retail Sales 1330 – Canada Oct. Building Permits 1445 – US S&P Global Nov. Final Services PMI 1500 – US Oct. Factory Orders 1500 – US Nov. ISM Services 1600 – ECB's Wunsch to speak 2330 – Japan Oct. Labor Cash Earnings 0330 – Australia RBA Cash Target Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app:   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – December 5, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

US stocks fell on Friday, after the latest data showed that Americans got more jobs in November, and more importantly they got a better pay. More, and better paid jobs fueled US inflation expectations, boosted the Fed hawks, and brought forward the idea that the Fed could be attracted by another, a fifth 75bp hike in the December meeting. US US equities fell and the dollar gained, but the post-NFP pricing fully disappeared. The US dollar kicked off the week on a weak footage – a pricing that raises a flashy red flag. Energy market In energy, the weekend was rather eventless, as OPEC decided to maintain its daily output restriction unchanged at 2mio barrels per day at Sunday’s meeting, which could be seen as a negative development for the bulls. But there are two price-supportive developments that could limit losses and support gains. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:34 What happened to post-NFP pricing?! 4:16 USD will likely soften, but it won’t be a one-way trade… 6:39 OPEC's output cut unchanged, EU sets price cap on Russian oil 7:39 Chinese stocks rallied on easing Covid measures. Time to jump in? Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #USD #NFP #jobs #unemployment #data #Fed #expectations #EUR #GBP #crudeoil #EU #Russia #oil #cap #OPEC #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH

Summary:  There is a lot to be said about stepping back and reflecting on what’s driving markets. The most selling over the last few sessions has been stocks and sectors that will likely come under pressure from rates staying higher for longer, combined with a slowdown in US GPD. As such a Tech names like Atlassian, to EV makers including Lucid are down 10% this week. While the most upside in stocks and sectors are in those that will likely benefit from increased consumption in China and increased commodity demand with the nation continuing to map out further easing of restrictions. Here is what you need to watch in markets, in this seven minute video           Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) head lower ahead of Fed decision next week The S&P500 continued to fall below its 200-day average, slipping 1.4% on Tuesday, taking the four-day loss to 3.4%, with the next level of support at perhaps 3900. The Nasdaq 100 fell 2%, taking its three-day fall to 4%. The most selling over the last few sessions has been stocks that will likely come under pressure from rates staying higher for longer, combined with a slowdown in consumption. Luxury EV maker- Lucid Group, team software company-Atlassian, and online dating company Match, have fallen over 10% this week. While stocks exposed to China, such as Baidu and JD.com have rallied over 3%. For more inspiration of other stocks doing well this month, likely to benefit from China easing restrictions; see Saxo’s China Consumer and Technology basket. What’s driving markets and shareholder returns right now? Fed hiking Vs China easing covid restrictions Firstly – what's pressuring stocks is the hotter than expected US service sector, showing the US economy is strong enough for the Fed to keep hiking interest rates to slow inflation. While major investment banks are saying 2023 will be a downbeat year. Goldman’s David Solomon says a US recession is possible, with smaller bonuses and job cuts expected. Morgan Stanley says it will reduce its global workforce by about 2,000, (2% of the total), while BofA’s chief Brian Moynihan says his bank slowed hiring and JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon warned of a "mild to hard recession" in 2023, saying the economic clouds "could be a hurricane." So damp sentiment is causing bond yields to move higher again, the US 10-year yield hit 3.53%, while the US dollar is rising again - on track to make its biggest weekly gain in almost 12 weeks. Secondly, what’s driving upside in markets is the easing of restrictions in China, with the country preparing to ease further. This is benefiting forward looking Chinese consumption and commodities, as there is expectations demand will pick up. Refer to Saxo’s China Consumer and Technology basket and Saxo’s Australian Resource basket for stock inspiration. In commodities, iron ore heads back to its highest level since August as China prepares to ease Oil pulled fell 3.5% to $74.25 with hedge funds continuing to sell oil amid nervousness about the Fed’s interest rate decision next week, and its path ahead. Recessionary fears and a higher US dollar are also causing selling in oil. The next level of support is perhaps around $71.74. There is talk in Europe the market has shifted toward supply not being as tight. Engie said Europe may pull through this winter and next as it replaces dwindling Russian natural gas flows, with European refiners making more gasoline than the continent needs. Read our head of commodity strategy’s latest update. The precious metal, gold, rose 0.3% to $1769. While the big news of the day, is that Iron Ore (SCOA) price advanced as China is preparing to ease restrictions further, moving iron ore’s price up 0.7% to $108.95 (its highest level since August). Australia’s iron ore kings roar back to six-month highs; Australia’s economy grows, but less than expected The Australian benchmark index, the ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) lost 0.6% on Wednesday, taking its week to date loss to 1%. However, after the iron ore price advanced, iron ore players tested six-month highs; Fortescue Metals, Champion Iron, BHP and RIO shares are all higher. In other parts of the market, insurance companies continued to shine, as they traditionally do when interest rates are rising. QBE and IAG rose almost 2% today taking their YTD gains to over 14% each. In terms of economic news out today; Australian economic growth showed an improvement in in the third quarter of 2022, but the growth was weaker than expected. GDP grew from 3.6% YoY in the 2nd quarter to 5.9% YoY. But more growth was expected (6.3% YoY). The Aussie dollar rose slightly, gaining 0.2% to 67.02 US cents. Also remember services are the biggest drivers of GDP in Australia; and as GDP is expected to slowly grind higher over current quarter, watch travel stocks, such a Flight Centre, Corporate Travel Management, Webjet, Auckland International Airport and Qantas. Also keep an eye on stocks affiliated with dining out such as Endeavour Group, Treasury Wine, and Metcash which owns Celebrations, IGA Liquor and Bottle-O.       For a weekly look at what to watch in markets - tune into our Spotlight.For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.

Bearish S&P500 has faded optimism in Asian indices. China’s easing Covid-19 restrictions-inspired optimism has dwindled the impact of a weaker Trade Balance. The oil price has refreshed its 11-month low at $74.54 amid downside revision in economic forecasts. Markets in the Asian domain have failed to continue Tuesday’s optimism and are facing pressure due to negative market sentiment. Indices are following bearish cues from S&P500 as the latter has witnessed selling pressure consecutively for two trading sessions. Volatility inspired by Federal Reserve (Fed)’s interest rate peak chaos is still breathing and impacting risk-sensitive assets. At the press time, Japan’s Nikkei225 dropped 0.69%, ChinaA50 added 0.20%, Hang Seng eased 0.10%, and Nifty50 slipped 0.35%. Growing concerns over Fed’s interest rate peak have strengthened the risk-off mood in global markets. Evidence of fresh strength in the United States economy is compelling for a higher neutral rate as inflation is set to rebound again amid rising fears of wage inflation. No doubt, a higher interest rate peak by the Fed will accelerate recession fears ahead. Meanwhile, optimism in Chinese equities led by easing Covid-19 lockdown restrictions has faded weaker Trade Balance data. In US Dollar terms, Exports dropped by 8.6% against the consensus of 3.5% and Imports tumbled by 10.6% vs. the projections of 6.0%. China’s Trade Balance has slipped sharply to $69.84B in comparison with the estimates of $78.1B. Meanwhile, Indian indices are displaying volatility as the Reserve bank of India (RBI) has raised the repo rate by 35 basis points (bps). Also, RBI Governor Shaktikanta das has trimmed Gross Domestic Product (GDP) forecast to 6.8% for FY2023. The 50-stock Indian basket has slipped by 0.35%. On the oil front, the oil price has refreshed its 11-month low at $74.54 as expectations for a higher interest rate peak by the Fed have revised down economic projections. A fresh downside revision in the growth forecast has offset supply worries from Russia.

Summary:  The US equity market rolled over further, with the S&P 500 index crossing back below the pivotal 4,000 level, completing the rejection of last week’s rally attempt. In Asia overnight, further signs that China will continue to lift Covid restrictions failed to buoy sentiment further, with weak November export data spooking sentiment at the margin. In commodities, the major crude oil grades dropped to new lows for the cycle on demand concerns.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures declined another 1.5% yesterday pushing briefly below the 100-day moving average before bouncing back above that average. In today’s session the 100-day moving average which sits around the 3,937 level is the important level to watch on the downside and if it breaks then the 3,900 is the next major area of gravitation. The US 10-year yield remains close to 3.5% adding no further pressure from the cost of capital side and in general the equity market is slowly transitioning into hibernation. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) After a lackluster morning session, Hong Kong and mainland China stocks rallied in the afternoon after investors took note of the no mention of dynamic zero-Covid and a more balanced tone towards economic growth in the readout of the politburo meeting. However, stocks pared their gains and more, with the Hang Seng Index and CSI300 Index reversing and losing 1% and 0.4% respectively as of writing. The Chinese health authorities announced 10 additional measures to further fine-tune its pandemic control strategy ... and are holding a press conference later in the afternoon. Separately, China’s exports in November declined 8.7% (in USD terms) in November from a year ago, weaker than expectations. Geely (00175:xhkg) rose more than 2% as the Chinese automaker is reportedly talking to investment banks for a Hong Kong IPO of its Cao Cao Mobility ride-hailing arm. USD stays bid on weak risk sentiment, BoJ comments overnight A weak session for risk sentiment yesterday helped support the greenback, with treasury yields trading sideways and therefore marginalized as a factor. One of the bigger movers overnight was USDJPY, which is challenging above the important 137.50 area (prior range low) this morning after BoJ board member Toyoaki Nakamura supported the BoJ’s current easy policy, noting that the elevated inflation in Japan in the recent cycle is not wage-driven. Nakamura expressed concern that policy tightening might prompt the return of deflation. Elsewhere, USDCAD is making a bid at establishing a new up-trend, AUDUSD has posted a bearish reversal, and EURUSD & GBPUSD still need more downside to suggest a similar reversal, while all USD traders are holding their collective breath for next Tuesday’s US November CPI print and the FOMC meeting the following day. Gold (XAUUSD) holds above support at $1765 despite dollar strength and weak risk sentiment Stronger than expected US services data on Monday has renewed pressure on the Fed ahead of next week’s FOMC meeting, and with ETF investors still side-lined, gold remains very dependent on movements in the dollar and yields, both of which have been providing some headwind this week. While lower energy prices may ease inflationary concerns, Friday’s US producer price report may provide the next round of price volatility. Key resistance at $1808 with support below $1765 at $1735. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOG3) suffering a three-day decline of close to 9% Brent closed below $80 on Tuesday for the first time since early January with WTI trading near $74on fading risk appetite as the attention turns to 2023 and increased worries about an economic slowdown hurting demand. The slump comes against a backdrop of low liquidity with Brent open interest falling to a seven-year low, thereby stoking volatility. After five months of cuts the EIA upgraded its 2023 production saying it could average a record 12.34m barrels per day. The API reported another big draw in crude oil stocks while China imported 11.42 million barrels per day last month, up 12% from October and highest since January. Overall, however, the market is undoubtedly going through a soft patch with time spreads softening as the spot price falls faster than prices further out the curve. US treasuries drop again, as safe-haven appeal comes and goes. (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) US treasury yields at the long end of the curve erased much of the previous day’s rise as risk sentiment was broadly weak yesterday, suggesting a safe-haven appeal. The 3.50% area remains the pivotal one for the 10-year benchmark yield. The 2-year US treasury yield was sideways, meaning that the 2-10 yield curve hit new cycle lows around –84 basis points. What is going on? EU to move forward with cases against China on trade policy at the WTO The first case is related to China restricting Lithuanian exports, a move that came after Lithuania allowed Taiwan to open what is arguably an embassy in the country. The other case revolves around Chinese treatment of patent holders. Apple set to postpone the roll-out of its first EV The company will postpone the launch of its first EV to 2026 (thought to be about a year later than originally intended), according to “people familiar” with the situation cited by Bloomberg. The original intention was for the EV to be fully autonomous, but the realization that this is an insurmountable engineering challenge for now has resulted in the redesign, which is now set to include human controls. TSMC plans to more than triple its investment to $40 billion in building plants in Arizona In an equipment installation ceremony at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC) first microchip production plant in the US, which President Biden attended, TSMC Chairman Mark Liu announced that the Taiwan chip foundry is building a second production plant that will make 3-nanometer chips in Arizona. The additional plant will bring TSMC’s previously announced investment of USD12 billion to USD40 billion. TSMC expects the second facility will begin operation by 2026. Also attending the ceremony were CEOs from Apple, Nvidia, AMD, Applied Materials, and Lam Research. The additional investment is a boost to President Biden’s plan to bring the semiconductor supply chain, in particular the capability to fabricate high-end chips, back to the U.S. CBOT Wheat (ZWH3) trades near a 14-month low Despite floods Australia is expected to produce a bumper year of crops including record wheat production in the current financial year, the government said on Tuesday, despite the impact of widespread flooding in the country's eastern region. An announcement that will pose even tougher conditions for US exporters already dealing with reduced competitiveness from the strong dollar and robust supplies from the Black Sea region. On Tuesday, the CBOT bellwether wheat contract dropped as low at $7.23 to the lowest level since October 2021. Focus on Friday’s WASDE report which will publish the US governments latest projections for production and stocks. Sugar prices likely to remain supported as India sees output drop 7% India, the world’s biggest producer and second largest exporter has said its output is likely to fall 7% this year as erratic weather conditions have cut cane fields. A reduction may, despite global economic growth concerns, lift prices and allow rivals Brazil and Thailand to increase their shipments. Sugar (SBH3) traded in New York recently surged higher by 17% before spending the past couple of weeks pairing back some of those strong gains. The biggest short-term risk remains the potential for speculators reducing exposure ahead of yearend. This following a three-week buying spree to November 22 during which time the net long increased four-fold to 202k lots, the strongest three-week period of buying in more than four years. Toll Brothers beat on margin and home sales The high-end US homebuilder delivered strong earnings yesterday with revenue at $3.7bn vs est. $3.2bn and EPS of $5.63 vs est. $3.96. The gross margin outlook for the current quarter came out at 27% vs 27% expected as pressures in building materials are easing. One negative trend for the homebuilder was the backlog which shrunk to 8,098 vs est. 8,814. Australia: Q3 GDP softer than expected, mining majors rally, then retreat Australian economic improved in the third quarter of 2022, but was weaker than expected at +0.6% QoQ and 5.9% YoY (vs. +0.7%/6.3% expected). The Australian market fell on the day, with mining companies Fortescue Metals, Champion Iron, BHP and RIO testing six-month highs before selling off later in the session. In other parts of the market, insurance companies continued to shine, as they traditionally do when interest rates are rising. QBE and IAG rose almost 2% today taking their YTD gains to over 14% each. China’s exports shrank 8.7% Y/Y in November In USD terms, China’s exports declined 8.7% Y/Y in November, much weaker than the -3.9% consensus estimate and -0.3% in October. The fall in exports was broad-based across destinations, U.S.  down 3.8% Y/Y, European Union down 9.3% Y/Y, and Japan down 4.6%. Exports to ASEAN slowed to a 7.7% growth in November from 19.7% in October. Imports, falling by 10.6% Y/Y, also below expectations. What are we watching next? Bank of Canada meeting today – market divided on anticipated hike size The Bank of Canada has shown considerable flexibility in its tightening path, having hiked 100 basis points in one go back in July, followed by a 75-basis point hike in September and 50-basis points hike in October. With that pattern in mind, the market is divided on whether the BoC will hike 50- or 25 basis points today, with market-pricing leaning for the smaller hike, while the majority of surveyed analysts are looking for another 50 basis points, which would take the policy rate to 4.25%. Regardless, the market is pricing that the Bank of Canada is nearing the end of its hiking cycle, projecting a peak rate next year of sub-4.50%. China opening up trade – has it run out of steam? The latest news in China of a further easing of curbs on activity relative to Covid saw equities in Hong Kong and mainland China posting marginal new highs before rolling over badly and then closing near the lows of the session, suggesting that after a torrid 35% rally off the lows, in the case of the Hang Seng Index, the further potential for this story to continue to support a positive outlook may have run out of steam. The highs overnight in the Hang Seng were within a few points of the 200-day moving average. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is Campbell Soup which is an US processed food manufacturer of meals and snacks. The company is expected to deliver 9.5% revenue growth for the quarter that ended in October suggesting substitution effects as middle income families are shifting into lower priced options. Today:  Brown Forman, Campbell Soup, GameStop Thursday: Broadcom, Costco, Lululemon, Chewy Friday: Oracle Corp, Li Auto Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1500 – Canada Bank of Canada meeting 1530 – EIA's Weekly Crude oil and Fuel Stock Report 2000 – US Oct. Consumer Credit 2130 – Brazil Selic Rate Announcement 0001 – UK Nov. RICS House Price Balance 0030 – Australia Oct. Trade Balance Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – December 7, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Summary:  Risk sentiment steadied in the US yesterday as US treasury yields fell further, with the market seemingly increasingly convinced that inflation is set to roll over quickly next year, allowing the Fed to begin cutting rates in the second half of the year and beyond. The 10-year treasury yield fell below the important 3.50% level while gold rose. Sentiment in Europe is a bit more downbeat as frigid weather spikes energy prices.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures closed right on the 100-day moving average yesterday to the lowest close since 10 November washing away most of the gains delivered post the surprise inflation report back in November. The equity market is finding itself in limbo for the rest of the year with no clear narrative to build a direction on. Downside risks are related to the war in Ukraine and higher interest rates if the market begins to doubt itself on the Fed pivot. Upside risks are mostly related to momentum building in Chinese equities and the government seems to strengthen the policy trajectory of reopening society. The 3,900 level in S&P 500 futures is still the key level to watch on the downside. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index rallied strongly, up 2.8% and recovering most of the loss from yesterday. The 10 additional fine-tuning measures to ease pandemic containment may be underwhelming relative to the high expectations. However, when reading together with the readout of the Politburo, an overall direction of a gradual and now seemingly determined loosening of restrictions seems to have taken hold. Omitting the language of “housing is for living in, not for speculation” and pledging to “be vigilant of large economic and financial risks and strive to prevent systemic risks” point to conditional support to the property sector when socioeconomic and financial stability are at stake. Technology names led the advance. Hang Seng TECH Index surged 5.6% with Bilibili being the top gainer within the index. Alibaba, Meituan, and Tencent climbed 5%-6%. Shares of China online healthcare platforms, China education services providers, China consumption, and Macao casino operators were other top performers. USD slightly lower again on steady risk sentiment and decline in treasury yields The USD softened yesterday as risk sentiment trade sideways and, more importantly, as US treasury yields fell all along the curve, taking the 10-year Treasury benchmark yield below the important 3.50% chart point. The USD will likely struggle unless the market begins to reprice its rising conviction that inflation will allow a significantly lower Fed Funds rate in 2024 and beyond and/or risk sentiment rolls over badly as the market prices an incoming recession and not a soft landing. The key event risks for the balance of this calendar year are next Tuesday’s US November CPI print and the FOMC meeting the following day. Somewhat surprisingly, the new lows in US yields have yet to drive USDJPY to new lows: that pair recently traded below 134.00 but trades this morning well clear of 136.00. Gold (XAUUSD) bounces with focus on recession and PBoC buying Gold traded higher on Wednesday as the dollar weakened and US Treasury yields slumped (see below) and the yield curve inversion reached a new extreme on rising recession fears, and after China joined the lengthy list of other countries who have been strong buyers of bullion. The PBoC added 32 tons to its holdings in November, the first increase in more than three years. This brings its total gold reserves to 1980 tons. This is also potentially a step towards our outrageous prediction on a new reserve asset, as speculations mount that China, Russia and several other countries could be looking to move away from USD reserves. Friday’s US producer price report may provide the next round of price volatility. Key resistance at $1808 with support below $1765 and $1735. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOG3) pressured by demand concerns Oil posted its fourth straight day of losses on Wednesday, erasing all the gains of this year, before bouncing overnight as China edges toward reopening. While demand concerns are rising with the aggressive global tightening seen this year, the supply side has remained equally volatile. US crude inventories fell by a less-than-expected last week as exports slowed and production reached 12.2m b/d. In addition, distillate stocks rose by more than 6 million barrels as demand on a four-week rolling basis slumped to the lowest level since 2015. Short-term technical traders are in control as the overall level of participation continues to fall ahead of yearend. US 10-year treasury benchmark plunges through 3.50% (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) US treasury yields dropped at the long end of the yield curve, with the 10-year benchmark dipping well below 3.50%, a key chart- and psychological point. The yield curve inverted to a new extreme for the cycle as the market is pricing that inflationary risks are easing and for the Fed to begin cutting interest rates by late next year. What is going on? New deep coal mine in UK the first to be approved in 30-years The new coking coal mine in Cumbria was approved by levelling-up secretary Michael Gove and will employ approximately 500 people and will cost £165 million to develop. Coking coal is used in steel-making, unlike thermal coal used for power stations. Musk may pledge more Tesla shares to avoid debt spiral Elon Musk and his advisors are considering another margin loan with Tesla shares as collateral to swap with more expensive debt carrying high interest rates ($3bn at 11.75% interest rate) issued during the Twitter takeover. These considerations underscore the increased risk in Elon Musk’s investments, including Tesla. EZ Q3 GDP grew more than initially forecasted The final estimate of the EZ Q3 GDP shows an increase to 0.3 % versus prior 0.2 %. Growth fixed capital formation was the biggest contributor to growth (0.8 percentage point) behind household spending (0.4 percentage point). The contribution from government expenditure was negligible during the period. This shows that households and companies are rather resilient despite the negative economic environment and inflation across the board. Based on the latest PMI for November (the last estimate was published on Monday), we expect a small GDP contraction in the eurozone in Q4. This would be marginal (probably minus 0.1 %). Putin’s nuclear threat sours risk sentiment Following drone attacks on three Russian air bases that Moscow blamed on Kyiv, Putin has now warned that the Ukraine conflict could go on for a long time and nuclear tensions have also risen because of it. He also did not clearly stay away from pledging that Russia will not be the first to use nuclear weapons, and rather said that Russia will defend itself and its allies “with all the means we have if necessary. The irresponsible talk on nuclear weapons is a sign that Putin is getting desperate with Ukraine gaining military grounds, and his actions will be key to watch. Risk sentiment likely to be on the back foot today, and food prices as well Uranium will be in focus. MondoDB shares rally 23% on earnings The database provider delivered Q3 earnings that surprised the market with revenue at $334mn vs est. $303mn and adjusted EPS of $0.23 vs est. $0.17, but more importantly MongoDB raised its fiscal guidance on revenue to $1.26bn vs est. $1.20bn. Japan Q3 GDP continues to show contraction The final print of Japan’s Q3 GDP was released this morning and it was slightly better than the flash estimate of -1.2%, but still showed a contraction of -0.8% annualized seasonally adjusted q/q. Stronger than expected growth in exports and a build of inventories led to the upward revision, private consumption was slower than previously expected at just 0.1% q/q. Lower oil prices and the return of inbound tourists may further aid the Japanese economy, but slowdown in global demand will continue to underpin a weakness in exports. Bank of Canada hiked 50bps and signaled the next move will be data dependent Bank of Canada hiked policy rate by 50bps to 4.25%, in line with market expectations but higher than the market pricing of 25bps. The central bank signaled the next move will be data dependent by saying that the “Governing Council will be considering whether the policy needs to rise further to bring supply and demand back into balance and return inflation to target.” Still, there was some “hawkish optionality” as the Bank said that the BoC will consider if future rate hikes are necessary to bring supply and demand back into balance and return inflation to target, which means there is potential for more rate hikes after a temporary pause. Canadian two-year rates were a basis point or two lower after considerable intraday volatility and near the lows for the cycle. US consumer food giants’ Campbell Soup and General Mills shares surge Campbell Soup shares popped 6% higher on Wednesday, gapping up to $56.18 after the company reported stronger quarterly earnings than expected. Its shares are now 15% off their record high that it hit in 2016. Campbell Soup shares are up 45% from last November. Another stock that did well overnight was General Mills, rising 2% to an all-time high of 87.50 after the wheat price jumped 3% on supply concerns returning. Despite the wheat price falling 19% from September, General Mills has been able to grow its quarterly profit and free cash flows. What are we watching next? What is the playbook for the pricing of the coming “landing”? There are several different paths from here, the one the market is least prepared for is one that shows resilient US economic growth and higher than expected inflation in coming months. But even if data does continue to prove the market’s strong conviction that inflation is headed lower and that growth will soften, will markets price some version of a soft landing or will fears of a “standard” recession cycle begin to weigh on risk sentiment as credit spreads widen and asset prices drop on fears of rising unemployment and falling profits? Until this week, financial conditions have been easing sharply and credit markets look complacent, so there is little fear priced in. After a wild year of volatility, large macro players may be unwilling to place large bets on the direction for markets until we have rolled into the New Year. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is Broadcom, Costco, and Lululemon. With a market value of $200bn, Broadcom is the most important earnings release for market sentiment and analysts remain bullish with a revenue growth expected at 20% y/y for the quarter that ended in October. Today:  Broadcom, Costco, Lululemon, Chewy Friday: Oracle Corp, Li Auto Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0800 – Hungary Nov. CPI 1200 – ECB President Lagarde to speak 1200 – Mexico Nov. CPI 1330 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1400 – Poland National Bank Governor Glapinski press conference 1430 – EIA's Weekly Natural Gas Storage Change Report 0130 – China Nov. PPI/CPI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – December 8, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Summary:  U.S. equities and bonds faded the initial hype after softer CPI prints and ended the volatile session with muted gains. USD sold off and USDJPY dipped below 135 at one point. Crude rallied for the second day in a row, rising 3% as supply issues remained. A 50bp hike at today’s FOMC is cemented and the market’s focus will be on the dot plot about the Fed’s rate projections for 2023 and Powell’s comment at the press conference. What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) jumped at the open before paring most of the gains After a strong opening, soaring at much as 4% in the S&P 500 and 3.9% in Nasdaq 100, the U.S. market spent the rest of the day pulling back from the intraday highs. S&P500 finished the volatile session at 4019.65, up 0.7%, and Nasdaq 100 closed at 11834.21, 1.1% higher.  A large portion of the early surge was in ETFs. A huge USD3.9 trillion notional value of options expiring this Friday may tend to pin the benchmark S&P 500 as well. All sectors with the S&P 500, except consumer staples, advanced. The interest rate-sensitive real estate sector was the top gainer, rising 2%, which was followed by the energy sector which was boosted by a 3% rise in the crude oil price. Meta Platforms (META:xnas) gained 4.7% as Republican Senator Rubio is seeking a pass a bi-partisan bill to ban Tik Tok from operating in the U.S. Moderna (MRNA:xnas) soared 19.6% on news of positive trial data from an experimental skin cancer vaccine in collaboration with Merck (MRK:xnys). Merck climbed 1.8%. Airlines were notable laggards on Tuesday. A 3% drop made airfares one of the largest items contributing to the softness in the CPI report. In addition, Alsska Air (ALK:xnys) warned about slowing corporate travel and JetBlue (JBLU:xnas) which was more leisure travel-focused, mentioned weaker bookings in Q4. US Treasury yield curve (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) bull steepened on soft CPI data Immediately after the release of the soft CPI data which increased the chance of further downshift to a 25bp hike instead of 50bps in February, the whole yield curve shifted down with the 2-year at one point shedding 24bps to 4.13% and the 10-year 20bps richer to as low as 3.41%. The money market curve now prices the terminal rate at around 4.82% in 2023, down from 4.98%. The long-end however did not manage to keep their gains after some large block selling in the 10-year contracts and a weak 30-year auction. The 10-year gave back nearly half of the gain to close the session 11bps richer at 3.50%. The 2-10-year curve steepened to 72bps. The yield on the 30-year long bonds finished the day only down 4bps at 3.53%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index advanced by 0.7% after Hong Kong lifted all travel restrictions on visitors arriving in the city and relaxed the QR code scanning requirements for residents.  Catering and retailer stocks outperformed. Cosmetic chain operator Sa Sa (00178:xhkg) jumped 14.2%. Local developers and commercial landlord stocks rose by 3% to 4%. Cathay Pacific climbed 3.2%. Macau casino operators gained between 1% and 4%. Shares of the semiconductor industry jumped on media reports suggesting that the Chinese Government is going to spend RMB 1 trillion to support the industry. SMIC (00981:xhkg) gained 9.7% and Hua Hong Semiconductor (01347:xhkg) soared 17.4%. In A-shares, the CSI300 index was little changed. Farming, textile, and transportation stocks outperformed. FX: USDJPY dipped below 135 before a recovery in Asian hours The US dollar sold off on Tuesday following the softer November CPI print in the US saw US yields plunge lower. AUDUSD was however seen paring some of the gains in early Asian trade and slid below 0.6840 amid concerns on China’s Covid cases ramping up further which also led to the postponement of the Central Economic Work Conference. USDJPY took a brief look below 135 after the CPI release but some of the move was erased later. EURUSD surged to 1.0673 and remains supported above 1.0620 ahead of Fed meeting today and ECB meeting tomorrow. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOF3) pauses after two days of gains Crude oil prices gained further on Tuesday after a softer-than-expected US CPI print for November spurred hopes that the Fed will slow down its pace of rate hikes. Supply side issues were also supportive. TC Energy Corp has yet to submit a restart plan for the Keystone pipeline following a leak last week, and plans have been delayed by bad weather. Russia’s President Putin is planning to sign a decree banning the sale of Russian oil through any contract that specifies the recipient as a nation that joined the G7 price cap. OPEC urged caution as its members implement the recent 2mb/d production cut. It now expects to see a finely balanced market in Q1 2023, instead of the deficit implied by its forecasts a month ago. It sees demand increasing by 2.2mb/d next year to average 101.77mb/d. Demand concerns may pick up further in Asia today as Covid cases in China continue to rise and impede the reopening trade, but caution will prevail ahead of Fed meeting later today.   What to consider?   Another softer US CPI print is still not enough The November CPI report was cooler-than-expected across the board, highlighted by the headline cooling to 7.1% from 7.7% (exp. 7.3%), with a M/M gain of 0.1%, slowing from the prior 0.4% and beneath the expected 0.3%. Core metrics saw Y/Y print 6.0% vs 6.3% prior and beneath the 6.1% expectation, while the M/M saw a 0.2% gain, lower than the prior and expected 0.3%. The market pricing has shifted towards a 25bps rate hike for February after we potentially get a 50bps today, while the terminal rate forecast has drifted lower to 4.82%. If we dig into the details, the disinflation is clearly driven by goods and energy, while services prices continue to rise further. This means wage pressures will continue and provides room for the Fed to continue to beat the drum on rates being higher-for-longer.  December FOMC and dot plot may have little new to offer, so focus remains on Powell’s press conference The Fed is expected to lift its Federal Funds Rate target by 50bps to 4.25-4.50%, according to the consensus as well as the general commentary from Fed officials signalling a downshift in the pace of rate hikes. The updated economic projections will also be released, and are expected to show a higher terminal rate than the September projections (4.6%), as has been alluded to by Chair Powell at the November FOMC and in remarks made in December. Easing financial conditions and expected China stimulus could mean Fed continues to chase the inflation train from the back into the next year as well, so Powell’s press conference remains key to watch. There will have to be a lot of focus on pushing out the rate cuts of ~50bps that are priced in for next year, and emphasise that the Fed will not ease prematurely if Powell and committee want to avoid further easing of financial conditions. China’s Central Economic Work Conference is reportedly postponed According to Bloomberg, which cites unnamed sources, the Chinese Communist Party is postponing the Central Economic Work Conference that was previously scheduled for this week due to the spread of Covid-19 inflections in Beijing. No signs, however, show that the Chinese authorities are reversing the recent trend of relaxing pandemic restrictions. New Zealand forecasts a recession starting Q2 2023 New Zealand Treasury Department issued 2022 half-year economic and fiscal update, forecasting three quarters of negative GDP growth from Q2 2023. Overall, the forecast calls for 0.8% contraction in 2023. Still, comments from RBNZ this morning suggested inflation focus will continue to drive more rate hikes, even as spending slows and unemployment levels increase as more people join the workforce over the coming year, partially helped by improving migration levels. Bank of Japan’s Tankan shows weakening business sentiment Sentiment among Japan's large manufacturers deteriorated slightly in the three months to December amid concerns over the global economic slowdown. The main index for sentiment among large manufacturers was +7, compared with +8 in Q3, according to the Bank of Japan's quarterly Tankan survey. Non-manufacturers still took a more positive view as the economic reopening gathered momentum, and large non-manufacturer index rose to 19 in Q4 from 17 previously.     Detailed FOMC Preview – read here. Sign up for our Outrageous Predictions 2023 webinar - APAC edition: Wed, 14 Dec, 11.30am SGT For our look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: Softer-than-expected US CPI puts the focus on FOMC dot plot and Powell’s comments – 14 December 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Summary:  As China reopening from Covid-zero and continued moves to ease policy, many investors are bullish on the Chinese stocks for 2023. Chinese equities are at attractively cheap valuation. With China loosening Covid curbs, more malls and restaurants reopened and it creates positive impact on the consumer staples and consumer discretionary industries. As China reopening from Covid-zero and continued moves to ease policy, many investors are bullish on the Chinese stocks for 2023. MSCI China Index has rallied 34% from the low on 31 October after China reopening hopes. Many investors are looking at Chinese equities as they are sitting at attractively cheap valuation. With China loosening Covid curbs, more malls and restaurants reopened and it creates positive impact on the consumer staples and consumer discretionary industries. Global X MSCI China Consumer Staples ETF (CHIS)The ETF invests in large and mid capitalization segments of the MSCI China Index that are classified in the Consumer Staples Sector as per the Global Industry Classification System (GICS). It tracks the performance of the MSCI China Consumer Staples 10/50 Index. The index includes China A, B and H shares, Red chips, P chips and foreign listings. The ETF has a market cap of USD 21.8 million, average P/E of 25.83 and expense ratio of 0.65%. Top 5 holdings are Kweichou Moutai, China Resources, China Mengniu Dairy, Nongfu Spring and Tsingtao Brewery, which makes up 40.58% of the total net assets. It has high exposure in beverage and food industries, 53.34% exposure in beverages industry and 25.87% in food industry. The ETF provides semi-annual distribution, 0.94% yield per year. Global X MSCI China Consumer Discretionary ETF (CHIQ) The ETF targets play on the Consumer Discretionary Sector in China and tracks the MSCI China Consumer Discretionary 10/50 Index. The ETF has a market cap of USD 289.6 million with an average P/E of 42.31 which is relative high compared to the MSCI China Index average P/E of 11.1 as it consists of more e-commerce stocks in the ETF. The top 5 holdings make up 38.44% of the total net assets, which consists of Meituan, Alibaba, JD.com, Pinduoduo and Yum Chin. The ETF has 40.62% exposure in internet industry, 21.01% exposure in retail industry and 20.07% in auto manufacturers.

Summary:  Risk sentiment rushed higher on the soft US November CPI data yesterday, although sentiment rapidly turned more cautious as traders recognize the risk that the Fed may be less willing to react as quickly to signs of easing inflation as the market in today’s FOMC meeting, which will refresh the Fed’s latest economic projections and the “dot plot” of projected Fed rates for coming years. Four G10 central bank meetings follow tomorrow, including the BoE and ECB.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) The US November CPI report was exactly what the market was hoping for, sending S&P 500 futures on a rally to the 4,180 level before being sold off declining 3% from the high to the close. This rejection indicates that the market is doubting itself despite the lower US core inflation print. A weak session by Tesla suggests that while inflation fears might be disappearing growth fears will begin to take hold instead posing a new threat to the equity market. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and Chinese stocks edged up higher. The news about a delay in China’s central economic work conference due to a surge in Covid inflections in Beijing. Investors are encouraged by signs that the Chinese authorities are not reversing course despite outbreaks after the easing of restrictions. China will stop reporting infections without symptoms as mandatory testing has been dropped. Hang Seng Index climbed 0.7%, led by technology names. Chinese educational services providers were among the top gainers. In A-shares, CSI 300 gained 0.3%, with tourism, lodging, Chinese liquor, and semiconductor outperforming. FX: USD dumped after another soft CPI print The US dollar sold off on Tuesday on the softer November CPI print in the US taking US treasury yields sharply lower. AUDUSD pared some of the gains in early Asian trade and slid below 0.6840 amid concerns on China’s Covid cases ramping up further which also led to the postponement of the Central Economic Work Conference. USDJPY took a brief look below 135 after the CPI release but some of the move was erased later. EURUSD surged to 1.0673 and remains supported above 1.0620 ahead of the FOMC meeting today and ECB meeting tomorrow. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOG3) pauses ahead of FOMC Crude oil trades softer ahead of FOMC after rallying 6% over the previous two sessions, driven by an improved risk appetite following Tuesday's CPI print and encouraging signs from China where easing restrictions eventually will boost demand. The rally however slowed after the API reported a 7.8 million barrel rise in crude inventories versus expectations for a +3 million barrel draw from EIA later, and OPEC urged caution as it cut its Q1 23 oil demand forecast. The IEA will publish its monthly report later today. Goldman cut its Q1 price forecast by $20 to $90/bbl siting weak demand while saying “The structural oil cycle has taken a pause this year”. Apart from IEA, also focus on a potential Russian response to the price cap and not least today’s FOMC result. Gold (XAUUSD), silver (XAGUSD) and copper (HGH3) all rallied strongly following the lower-than-expected US CPI print Gold closed at its highest level since July above $1808 while silver reached an 8-month high above $24. The recovery in silver has been impressive with the market only requiring 15 weeks to recover half of what it lost during an 82-week period from Feb 2021 to Sept this year. Copper meanwhile briefly traded above its 200-day moving at $3.913/lb before finding stiff resistance ahead of the $4/lb area. All metals finding support from a weaker dollar and lower bond yields on signs that the worst inflation has likely passes, suggesting the Fed could further slow the pace of rate hikes next year. US 10-year treasury benchmark rebounds further (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) Immediately after the release of the soft CPI data which increased the chance of further downshift to a 25bp hike instead of 50bps in February, the whole yield curve shifted down with the 2-year at one point shedding 24bps to 4.13% and the 10-year 20bps richer to as low as 3.41%. The money market curve now prices the terminal rate at around 4.82% in 2023, down from 4.98%. The long-end however did not manage to keep their gains after some large block selling in the 10-year contracts and a weak 30-year auction. The 10-year gave back nearly half of the gain to close the session 11bps richer at 3.50%. The 2-10-year curve steepened to 72bps. The yield on the 30-year long bonds finished the day only down 4bps at 3.53%. What is going on? Another softer US CPI print The November CPI report was cooler-than-expected across the board, highlighted by the headline cooling to 7.1% from 7.7% (exp. 7.3%), with a M/M gain of 0.1%, slowing from the prior 0.4% and beneath the expected 0.3%. Core metrics saw Y/Y print 6.0% vs 6.3% prior and beneath the 6.1% expectation, while the M/M saw a 0.2% gain, lower than the prior and expected 0.3%. The market pricing has shifted towards a 25-bp rate hike from the Fed for February after we are nearly certain to get a 50bp hike today, while the terminal rate forecast has drifted lower to 4.82%. If we dig into the details, the disinflation is clearly driven by goods and energy, while services prices continue to rise further. This means wage pressures will continue and provides room for the Fed to continue to beat the drum on rates being higher-for-longer. Tesla shares down another 4% Headwinds are mounting for Tesla as EV demand is coming down in China and VW CEO said yesterday that EV sales in Europe is slowing down due to high price points and elevated electricity prices. Tesla shares closed just above the $160 level, which is just below the 200-day moving average at $164, the lowest levels since November 2020. High battery materials prices are also weighing on the outlook for EV makers. Finally, CEO Elon Musk’s endeavour at Twitter is potentially pressuring Tesla shares as he might be forced to put up Tesla shares as collateral for refinanced Twitter debt. Inditex Q3 results in line with estimates The European fast fashion retailer has delivered nine-months results (ending in October) with revenue at €23.1bn and EBIT at €4.2bn in line with estimates. Apple to allow alternative App Stores on its devices This move is a response to new European Union requirements under the Digital Markets Act that are set to go in effect in 2024. The move will initially only apply to the European market unless regulators elsewhere make similar moves. This will allow app developers to avoid paying Apple up to 30% of revenues for payments made through Apple’s app store. Several large app makers’ shares, including those for streaming service Spotify and dating services app Match group jumped on the news. New Zealand forecasts a recession starting Q2 2023 New Zealand Treasury Department issued 2022 half-year economic and fiscal update, forecasting three quarters of negative GDP growth from Q2 2023. Overall, the forecast calls for 0.8% contraction in 2023. Still, comments from RBNZ this morning suggested inflation focus will continue to drive more rate hikes, even as spending slows and unemployment levels increase as more people join the workforce over the coming year, partially helped by improving migration levels. Bank of Japan’s Tankan survey shows weakening business sentiment Sentiment among Japan's large manufacturers deteriorated slightly in the three months to December amid concerns over the global economic slowdown. The main index for sentiment among large manufacturers was +7, compared with +8 in Q3, according to the Bank of Japan's quarterly Tankan survey. Non-manufacturers still took a more positive view as the economic reopening gathered momentum, and large non-manufacturer index rose to 19 in Q4 from 17 previously. US places 30 additional Chinese companies on Entity List, a trade blacklist The companies included Yangtze Memory Technologies, China’s top memory chip producer and others and will prevent them from purchasing selected American components. This expands the original Entity List of companies that were blacklisted back in October for their connection with China’s military. What are we watching next? December FOMC and dot plot may have little new to offer, so focus remains on Powell’s press conference The Fed is expected to lift its Federal Funds Rate target by 50bps to 4.25-4.50%, according to the consensus as well as the general commentary from Fed officials signalling a downshift in the pace of rate hikes. The updated economic projections will also be released, as will the latest “dot plot” projections of the Fed policy rate, which are expected to show a median terminal rate that is higher than the September projections (4.6%, with the market currently projecting 4.32%), as has been alluded to by Chair Powell at the November FOMC and in remarks made in December. Easing financial conditions and an anticipated China stimulus could see the Fed Chair Powell remaining in hawkish mode, so Powell’s press conference remains key to watch. There will have to be a lot of focus on pushing back against the market’s anticipation that the Fed will be trimming rates by Q4 of next year, emphasising that the Fed will not ease prematurely if Powell and committee want to avoid further easing of financial conditions. Four more central bank meetings tomorrow The Swiss National Bank, Norway’s Norges Bank, Bank of England and the European Central Bank will all meet tomorrow, with the Norges Bank expected to hike 25 basis points and the three others expected to hike 50 basis points.  Markets will look for the relative degree to which the central banks signal that they are ready to declare at least a pause in the hiking cycle soon. The Norges Bank has hinted that it sees its tightening cycle near an end and the BoE has said that the peak rate will likely prove lower than the market was forecasting around the time of its last meeting. With the late dollar weakness, a dovish shift is more likely. Earnings to watch Inditex has reported its Q3 results in early European hours (see review above) which extends today’s earnings focus to the US session where our focus will be on Lennar, a US homebuilder. Lennar is expected to show 20% revenue growth y/y in its FY22 Q4 period (ending November), which is expected to decline to 5% y/y in FY23 Q1 (ending February). Today: Lennar, Trip.com, Nordson, Inditex Thursday: Adobe Friday: Accenture, Darden Restaurants Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – IEA's Monthly Oil Market Report 1000 – Euro Zone Oct. Industrial Production 1330 – Canada Oct. Manufacturing Sales 1530 – EIA's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 1900 – US FOMC Meeting 1930 – US Fed Chair Powell Press Conference 2145 – New Zealand Q3 GDP 0030 – Australia Nov. Employment Change / Unemployment Rate 0120 – China Rate Decision 0200 – China Nov. Retail Sales 0200 – China Nov. Industrial Production Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – December 14, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Summary:  A chorus of hawkish Fed speak and weakening US PMI data, together with global tightening concerns elevating further last week, continued to weigh on risk sentiment. The Japanese yen will remain in focus amid BOJ policy review chatter as the central bank meets this week. Musk’s Twitter saga continues, weighing further on Tesla. China’s reopening concerns also remain as the Covid waves spreads rapidly, but a steady economic growth focus by the authorities is seen. Oil and gold start the week being bid. What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) retreated for the third day on concerns about the Fed’s rate path in 2023 On Friday, the U.S, stock market continued to slide for the third day in a row since Fed Chair Powell’s hawkish leaning comments on the post-FOMC presser on Wednesday. Remarks from several other Fed officials reiterating that the Fed may have a long way to go and may need to raise rates beyond the 5.1% peak projected added to the risk-off sentiment. S&P 500 shed 1.1% and Nasdaq 100 declined 0.9%. All sectors within the S&P 500 lost, with real estate, consumer discretionary, and utilities falling the most. Ford Motor (F:xnys) was the biggest losing stock within the S&P500. The automaker dropped nearly 7% on Friday after it announced a price increase for its electric truck due to rising material costs and supply chain issues. Tesla (TSLA:xnas), falling 4.7%, was the second biggest laggard with the Nasdaq 100, following Moderna (MRNA:xnas) which declined 6.7%. Adobe, gaining 3% after reporting an earnings beat, was the best performer within Nasdaq 100, followed by Meta (META:xnas) which rose 2.8% on an analyst upgrade. US Treasury yield curve (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) steepened as the 2-year yield fell and the 10-year yield rose The 2-year notes were well bid and finished the Friday session 6bps richer at 4.18%. The 2-year notes are now yielding not only less than the 3-month Treasury bills but also the lower bound of the Fed Fund target rate. Softer than expected S&P Global US manufacturing as well as services PMI added fuel to the demand for the front end of the Treasury curve. Hawkish comments from the Fed’s Williams, Daly, and Mester might have contributed to the selling in the long end of the curve. Yields on the 10-year notes rose 4bps to 3.48%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and mainland Chinese stocks had a morning session on Friday. Hang Seng Index opened lower on the back of tumbling overseas markets overnight despite the positive news from the US accounting regulatory body removing the delisting risk of Chinese companies listed in the U.S. bourses for now. Stocks had a rally on market chatter of reopening of the border between Hong Kong and the mainland earliest next month before the gains waned and the Hang Seng Index was 0.4% higher. The front page editorial at the mouthpiece People’s Daily this morning is upbeat about growth in China but it does not catch much attention from investors. Leading Chinese property developers outperformed, gaining 2% to 6%.  In A-shares, CSI300 was modestly lower, driven by profit-taking in semiconductor names and weaknesses in autos. Real estate and educational services outperformed. In the evening, a readout was released setting out the key results of the Central Economic Work Conference. FX: Dollar starts the new week on a weaker footing as JPY gains on 2023 policy review speculations The US dollar ended last week lower again, albeit modestly, with majority of weakness against the NOK. EURUSD also took a brief look above 1.07 on ECB hawkishness but is heading below 1.06 this morning as peripheral spreads remain a concern and continue to cast doubts on how far ECB’s hawkishness can run. USDJPY had a volatile week as a drop below 135 was not maintained despite US yields remaining capped. A fresh bout of strength in coming to JPY this morning on reports of Japan PM Kishida considering a tweak in BOJ’s 2% inflation goal next year (read below). GBPUSD also reversed back below 1.2200 after a look above 1.2400 last week. AUDUSD traded close to 0.67 to start the new week, with one eye on RBA minutes due this week but another on China reopening delays resulting from a large number of workers calling in sick. Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOG3) prices advance on China’s growth push and US refilling SPR Oil prices started the week on a firmer footing, with WTI rising towards the $75/barrel mark and Brent heading back towards $80. While there are unconfirmed reports of massive number of cases and fatalities in China from the spread of Covid, the government’s official message continues to stress upon the need to expand consumption as the key economic priority for 2023. This helps paint a better demand outlook for oil, as global demand slowdown concerns continue to mount. Moreover, it was reported that the US is starting to replenish the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), starting with a 3-million barrel, fixed-price purchase.   What to consider? Hawkish Fed speak continues A number of Fed speakers on Friday continued to highlight the case for higher-for-longer inflation as investors give too much weight to peaking inflation in the US. Fed’s Daly (non-voter in 2023) said she was prepared to hold peak rates for more than 11 month if necessary, and highlighted the core services ex-housing inflation which is still quite elevated. Mester (non-voter in 2023) said she expected the Fed to hike more than its median forecast, and the Fed will need to maintain rates for an extended period once hikes are done. Williams (2023 voter) said it is possible that Fed hikes more than terminal rate forecast. US flash PMIs send warning signals Flash December PMIs for the US slumped to fresh lows, sending more warning signals about the economic momentum going into 2023. Manufacturing PMI came in at 46.2, below last month’s 47.7 and the expected 47.8, while the services PMI receded to 44.4 from 46.2 previously. Markets have however understood the Fed’s message on hiking rates into a possible recession, and do not take bad news as good news anymore. Japan PM Kisihda hinting at altering inflation goal for central bank Reports suggested that Japan PM Kishida plans to revise a ten-year-old accord with the BOJ and will consider adding flexibility to the agreement's 2% price goal. Kishida will discuss the matter with the next central bank governor, who'll take office in April. Furthermore, some more comments from officials this morning continued to signal that the authorities may be considering a policy review in 2023, and more hints are awaited at the BOJ meeting tomorrow. Ex-BOJ Deputy Governor Yamaguchi said that the BOJ must stand ready to tweak YCC next year if Japan's economy can withstand overseas economic risks, while also warning that once inflation expectations become entrenched, it is very hard to control them. China’s Central Economic Work Conference emphasized economic stability and had a conciliatory tone towards platform companies The Chinese Communist Party held its annual Central Economic Work Conference (CEWC) on Dec 15 and 16 to formulate China’s macroeconomic policy frameworks for 2023. According to the readout released, the CEWC emphasized policy priorities as being economic stability and high quality of development. Fiscal policies will be expansionary and monetary policies will be forceful and precise. The focus is however more on quality than quantity and the choice of words tends to imply “best effort” rather than hard targets. Mainland economists are expecting the GDP growth target, which will not be released until the two-session meetings in March 2023, to be around 5% for 2023. While there will be supportive measures to ensure stability in the housing markets, the rhetoric of “housing is for living in, not for speculation” is once again in the readout. Domestic consumption is a key focus. In industrial policies, weak links in manufacturing technology, energy, mining, agriculture, new energy, AI, biomanufacturing, green and low carbon, quantum computing, and the digital economy are priorities. Encouragingly, the CEWC removes last year’s “preventing the disorderly growth and expansion of capital” from its readout this year and instead pledges “support to platform enterprises in leading development, creating employment, shining in competing globally” and “support the development of the private sector and private enterprises”. EU considering cutting the proposed natural gas price The EU nations are likely to discuss cutting the gas price cap by almost a third today after the EUR275 per megawatt-hour was proposed last month. As energy crisis continues to threaten a fresh surge in inflation and growth slowdown in the region, it is also stretching government budgets to maintain popularity. But this will eventually be inflationary again, as price caps hardly work effectively. Elon Musk hinting at stepping down from Twitter Elon Musk is seeking new investors for Twitter at the same price he paid when he took the company private in October, Semafor reported. Musk is asking on Twitter the question that “should I step down as head of Twitter? I will abide by the results of this poll”. He said he is going reverse his prior decision to suspend the Twitter accounts of several journalist and reinstate them based on the results of a Twitter survey. Meanwhile, Musk's actions are weighing heavily on Tesla shares — and the selloff may continue.   For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: Fed’s hawkish speak; BOJ’s policy review hints – 19 December 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Summary:  Markets stumbled into the close last week, shaken in Europe by a resolute, and possibly unrealistic ECB stance at last Thursday’s ECB meeting, while a heavy calendar of event risks combined with trillions in options expiries roiled US markets last week. The two final weeks of a remarkable 2022 await. Are traders willing to put any risk to work here after an exhausting year or hanging up their spikes until 2023?   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Following a close at the 50-day moving average on Friday, S&P 500 futures are attempting to rebound this morning trading around the 3,885 level driven by fresh sentiment change over China’s alleged move to enact pro-business policies and stimulus in 2023. There are no meaningful earnings or macro releases expected today so we expect a calm trading session with Friday’s low in S&P 500 at the 3,855 level being the key level on the downside and the 100-day moving average at the 3,935 level being the key upside level to watch. Euro STOXX 50 (EU50.I) European equities are still digesting their decline last week, biggest decline in many months, as the ECB delivered a more hawkish message than expected. STOXX 50 futures are trading around the 3,818 level getting a little bit of tailwind electricity prices coming down from excessive levels. The IFO December survey out at 0900 GMT is today’s main macro release that could jolt market sentiment. Analysts expect an improvement in the IFO survey for December. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and Chinese stocks pared all the early gains and turned lower as investors turned cautious during a surge in media reports of rises in Covid inflections and death tolls. The lack of commitment to more large-scale economic stimulus measures from the Central Economic Work Conference was considered underwhelming. Nonetheless, a shift to a more conciliatory stance towards the private sector from the meeting may be a positive that will contribute to growth and reduce risk premium in the medium-term. More details about the Central Economic Work Conference can be found here. Hang Seng Index dropped 0.9% and the CSI300 Index tumbled 1.8%. FX: Dollar off to a weak start to the week as JPY gains on 2023 policy review speculation EURUSD has rebounded slightly from the Friday close as the market must decide whether the ECB can maintain the hawkish bluster on display at last Thursday’s meeting, which initially supported the euro, but subsequently saw doubts emerging as peripheral EU spreads widened sharply. USDJPY had a volatile week as a drop below 135 was not maintained despite US yields remaining capped, but a fresh bout of JPY strength arrived overnight on reports that Japan PM Kishida is considering a tweak in BOJ’s 2% inflation goal next year (read below). Crude oil (CLF3 & LCOG3) prices advance on China’s growth push and US refilling SPR Oil prices started the week on a firmer footing, with WTI rising towards the $75/barrel mark and Brent heading back towards $80. While there are unconfirmed reports of massive number of cases and fatalities in China from the spread of Covid, the government’s official message continues to stress upon the need to expand consumption as the key economic priority for 2023. This helps paint a better demand outlook for oil, as global demand slowdown concerns continue to mount in the US and Europe and Russian flows show no signs of slowing. Moreover, it was reported that the US is starting to replenish the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), starting with a 3-million barrel, fixed-price purchase. In week to Dec 13 funds cut bullish Brent and WTI bets to lowest since April 2020. Gold (XAUUSD) trades near $1800 as it continues to find support Since the current run up in gold started in early November, the price has not dipped below its 21-day moving average, today at $1775. Speculators increased bullish gold and silver bets by 50% in the week to December 13 when prices briefly spiked in response to a softer dollar and CPI print. The subsequent setback following Wednesday’s hawkish FOMC, however, was not big enough to rattle recent established longs. For that to happen the price in our opinion as a minimum need to break below $1765. The risk of a recession and the FOMC hiking into economic weakness – potentially without succeeding getting inflation under control - continues to strengthen the upside risk for investment metals in 2023.  US Treasury yield curve (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) steepens as market refuses to price Fed rate projections Soft US preliminary PMIs on Friday and weak risk sentiment kept treasuries supported and the 2-year benchmark yield remains near recent lows as the market refuses to price in the projected Fed Funds rate projections from last week’s FOMC meeting, as the market persists in pricing in high odds of Fed rate cuts late next year. At the longer end of the curve the 10-year yield remains pinned near the 3.50% level and the 2-10 slope steepened to –67 basis points this morning, near the highest reading in a month. What is going on? New Zealand Q4 Westpac Consumer Confidence plunges to lowest ever measured The survey reading was 75.6, a huge drop from 87.6 in Q3 and the lowest reading in the 34-year history of the survey and below the 78.7 former record low from Q2 of this year and the 81.7 trough during the global financial crisis. NZD gapped lower after another strong week on the recent relative hawkishness of the RBNZ, a stance that may soften in coming weeks. AUDNZD hit lows since late 2021 over the last couple of weeks after trading at the highest in years as recently as last September. EU considering cutting the proposed natural gas price The EU nations are likely to discuss cutting the gas price cap by almost a third today after the EUR275 per megawatt-hour was proposed last month. As the energy crisis continues to threaten a fresh surge in inflation and growth slowdown in the region, it is also stretching government budgets to maintain popularity. But this will eventually be inflationary again, as price caps hardly work effectively. US flash PMIs send warning signals. Flash December PMIs for the US slumped to fresh lows, sending more warning signals about the economic momentum going into 2023. Manufacturing PMI came in at 46.2, below last month’s 47.7 and the expected 47.8, while the services PMI receded to 44.4 from 46.2 previously – that survey has shown little correlation with the ISM Services survey, which continues to suggest an expanding US services sector. Japan PM Kishida hinting at altering inflation goal for central bank Reports suggested that Japan PM Kishida plans to revise a ten-year-old accord with the BOJ and will consider adding flexibility to the agreement's 2% price goal. Kishida will discuss the matter with the next central bank governor, who'll take office in April. Furthermore, some more comments from officials this morning continued to signal that the authorities may be considering a policy review in 2023, and more hints are awaited at the BOJ meeting tomorrow. Ex-BOJ Deputy Governor Yamaguchi said that the BOJ must stand ready to tweak YCC next year if Japan's economy can withstand overseas economic risks, while also warning that once inflation expectations become entrenched, it is very hard to control them. Speculators bought investment metals and sold dollars ahead of FOMC The latest Commitment of Traders report covering the week to December 13, when the market responded to a softer dollar and CPI print, showed speculators increase their dollar short against nine IMM currency futures to a 17-month high. The selling of CAD being more than offset by short covering in AUD, GBP, and not least the JPY. Since the turn of the dollar in early November, the speculative short in JPY has almost halved. In commodities, the net longs in gold, silver and platinum all increased strongly. Crude oil was mixed with the Brent long being cut to a 26-month low, the natural gas short was cut in half. Across the agriculture sector, the soymeal long hit a 4-½ year high, the cocoa position flipped back to long while buyers returned to coffee. What are we watching next? The calendar roll after a volatile 2022 Many long only equity funds have suffered their worst year since 2008, and “balanced” stock-bond funds have put in their worst year in modern memory on the surge in bond yields this year that has seen the 2022 calendar year providing nowhere for the passive investor to run and hide. On the flip side, some hedge funds and volatility traders enjoyed the market environment of the last 12 months. As we wind down 2022, note that new themes can quickly develop in 2023, as many have closed their books on taking risk as liquidity thins out for the holiday time frame and may be set to put on significant risk on the rollover into the New Year. Earnings to watch This week’s earnings focus is Nike, FedEx, and Carnival which we previewed in the earnings watch note on Friday. The bar is set high for Nike earnings as sell-side analysts have recently hiked their price target on the stock and increased their expectations for 2023 on margins. Today’s earnings focus is HEICO which sells aerospace products to the airline industry and defense contractors. Analysts expect FY22 Q4 (ending 31 October) revenue growth of 18% y/y and EPS of $0.70 up 12% y/y. Today: HEICO Tuesday: Nike, FedEx, General Mills, FactSet Research Systems Wednesday: Toro, Micron Technology, Cintas, Carnival Thursday: Paychex, CarMax Friday: Nitori Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – Germany Dec. IFO Survey 1330 – Canada Nov. Teranet/National Bank Home Price Index 1500 – US Dec. NAHB Housing Market Index Bank of Japan meeting (Asian hours Tuesday)   Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – December 19, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

The Bank of Japan's decision, described yesterday, to raise the range for interest rate fluctuations on Japanese 10-year bonds to 0.5 percent may still have its consequences for financial markets. These may no longer just be looking at a change in the control of the yield curve, but may increasingly assume a change in interest rates. Since the beginning of 2016. The Bank of Japan has held its main interest rate at -0.1 percent and holds the world record for this. Nowhere else, in any other country, are interest rates as low as in Japan. Even the Swiss have abandoned this and raised their main interest rate to 1 percent, while the Japanese, for the moment, have allowed a larger bond sell-off and an increase in the yield on their debt, under what is possible to be an onslaught of global interest rate increases. At present, however, the market seems to expect that this is only the beginning of the BoJ's actions. The next step the Bank of Japan may take is to change the interest rate itself. Investors in this market seem to expect it to rise to 0.3 percent in a year. Adding to this the expectation of a slow end to interest rate hikes in the U.S., it could turn out that in 2023 Japan would lead expectations for interest rate hikes. This could significantly affect the yen or the Japanese stock market. Yen exchange rate and Nikkei The Japanese yen oscillated around the 132-per-dollar level on Wednesday, after rising nearly 4% during the previous session to reach levels not seen in more than four months. Overall, after the second intervention in the foreign exchange market, which took place in October, the USD/JPY exchange rate fell by 14 percent. This was a retreat from levels last seen in 1990. Going back to that history, and especially to 1998, where the Bank of Japan also intervened in the market at JPY 147-148, the USD/JPY exchange rate fell to JPY 102 the following year. If the Fed ended the hike cycle in the first half of 2023, such a scenario could be repeated. Source: Conotoxia MT5, USDJPY, Weekly The Nikkei 225 index fell 0.68% to close at 26388, while the Topix index lost 0.64% and fell to 1893 on Wednesday, extending the sharp decline triggered by the Bank of Japan's surprise policy change. Technology stocks led the market lower. Meanwhile, Japanese banks extended gains in anticipation of better returns from rising interest rates, including Mitsubishi UFJ (3.9%). Sumitomo Mitsui (4.1%) and Mizuho Financial (2.2%). Source: Conotoxia MT5, Mitsubishi UFJ, Weekly Daniel Kostecki, Director of the Polish branch of Conotoxia Ltd. (Conotoxia investment service) Materials, analysis and opinions contained, referenced or provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes. Personal opinion of the author does not represent and should not be constructed as a statement or an investment advice made by Conotoxia Ltd. All indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 75,21% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

2022 has been a volatile year for stock markets worldwide: with a 10-month decline and a recovery in the last two months, we are a long way from the highs. So what can we expect for 2023 on stocks and indices? Enjoy the viewing! 0:00 Intro 00:39 How severe is the 2022 bear market compared to previous bear markets? 1:35 How do our feelings change through an equity market cycle? 2:41 Being in drawdown is not unusual 4:23 Bear market comparisons: are we close to a bottom in equities, or do we have more to suffer? 5:29 The era of easy money is over! 7:16 What to expect next year regarding monetary policy and interest rates? 8:00 Why has inflation been so sticky? What could make inflation persist in 2023? 11:12 Best and worst sectors in case of a recession in 2023 14:05 Best trade idea for 2023   The second part of Outlook 2023: forex and commodities: https://youtu.be/kod851_Yx2Y Glenn began his investment management career in 1997 and has managed private client and family office wealth ever since. Glenn is the Founder & Managing Director of Harver Capital, an active macro investment manager at www.harvercapital.com. Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 at the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high-net-worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst at the London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as a Senior Analyst in 2020. #swissquote #investing #stockmarket #indices #bearmarket #inflation #tradingideas #spx #outlook #outlook2023 #recession _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars, and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH

Summary:  Risk sentiment bounced yesterday after December US Consumer Confidence came in far stronger than expected, jumping to an eight-month high. And yet, US Treasury yields fell gently all along the curve yesterday, in part as the same US confidence survey showed inflation expectations dropping more quickly than expected and on a strong 20-year US treasury auction. In FX, the Aussie has rebounded sharply on hopes for stimulus measures in China and a friendly diplomatic tone in recent talks between Australian and Chinese leaders.   Note: This is the final Saxo Market Quick Take until Monday January 2, 2023. What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures rallied 1.5% yesterday closing above the 50-day moving average as positive earnings from Nike helped lift sentiment yesterday and provided a positive assessment of the US consumer. Equity trading will slowly enter hibernation as the holiday period approaches so expect little price action today and tomorrow. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) rallied on stimulus rhetoric and talk of shortening quarantine The Hang Seng Index rallied 2.4% and CSI 300 climbed 0.4% as of writing, after China’s State Council, the People’s Bank of China, and the China Securities Regulatory Commission separately released meeting readout or statements to pledge to implement the decisions from the recent Central Economic Work Conference to boost the economy, support the property sector, and the internet platform companies. Adding to the risk-on sentiment is market chatter about the shortening of quarantine to three days. Mega-cap China internet stocks surged 3% to 6%. Leading retail and catering stocks jumped by 2% to 11%. FX: choppy markets as USD starts day on a weak footing Some gentle back and forth in FX yesterday as the USD put on a show of rallying, while most of the action has been in the crosses and the greenback has eased back lower after a strong session for risk sentiment yesterday and lower US treasury yields helping USDJPY back lower after its traumatic sell-off and broad JPY rally on Tuesday’s surprise tweak of BoJ policy. The biggest mover to the upside has been the Aussie, which is enjoying the more friendly diplomatic tone with China and has suddenly rallied in the crosses, especially in AUDNZD, on more rhetoric overnight from China on its intent to boost growth. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOG3) rally extends on US inventory data Crude oil closed at the highest level since December 5 after the US DoE inventory reports showed a nearly 6M barrel draw on crude oil stocks, while gasoline inventory levels rose nearly 2.5M barrels, a half million more than expected, and distillates inventories fell –242k vs. A rise of 1.5M barrels expected. Gasoline and distillate stocks have been generally building of late, but the latter remains slightly below the inventory range of the past 5 years. Gold (XAUUSD) and silver (XAGUSD) remain near recent highs ... after surging in the wake of the Bank of Japan policy tweak on Tuesday and despite yields easing lower yesterday in the US. BOth 2020 and 2021 saw gold ending the year on a strong note and then sharp follow-on rallies in January were quickly reversed. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) remained subdued despite surge in US Consumer Confidence US Treasury yields eased lower all along the curve yesterday despite a large and unexpected surge in US Consumer Confidence as that same survey’s drop in inflation expectations may have received more attention. Later in the day, a strong US 20-year auction, where bidding metrics were the firmest since this spring. End-of-year portfolio rebalancing may obscure the next bigger move for treasuries until we roll into the New Year. What is going on? Mixed U.S. data: weaker home sales, higher consumer confidence, lower inflation expectations Economic data were mixed. The 1-year-ahead inflation expectation in the Conference Board Consumer Confidence survey softened from 7.1% in November to 6.7% in December, the lowest since September of 2021. On the other hand, Headline consumer confidence as well as the present situation and expectations components rose in the Conference Board Consumer Confidence survey. The headline consumer confidence improved to 108.2, (vs consensus 101.0; Nov: 101.4), the highest level since April this year. Elsewhere, the annualized rate of existing home sales fell -7.7% in November, the 10th consecutive month of declines as the historic surge in US mortgage rates this year continues to pressure the US housing market. Micron shares down 2% as glut in memory chips continues The US memory chip manufacturer delivered last night a positive surprise on FY23 Q1 (ending 1 December) adjusted EPS at $0.04 vs est. $-0.88 and announced a 10% headcount reduction to reduce costs. The real negative surprise was the Q2 revenue outlook of $3.6-4bn vs est. $3.9bn and the Q2 adjusted gross margin of 6-11% vs est. 17.8% suggesting significant pricing headwinds compared to market expectations. Micron is also drastically reducing its 2024 capex plans. China and Australia seek to improve the relationship between the two countries During a phone call to mark the 50th anniversary of the official diplomatic relationship between China and Australia, China’s President Xi told Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese that China would seek to “promote a sustainable development of the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership”. Meanwhile, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong told reporters that China and Australia agreed to continue high-level dialogue on issues including the removal of China’s trade sanctions on Australian goods. What are we watching next? Japan’s November Inflation data up tonight After an historic move in the JPY this week, the market will be watching the latest batch of Japan’s CPI data, which has surged to multi-decade highs recently and is expected in at +3.9% YoY for the headline and +2.8% YoY ex Fresh Food and Energy. The rally in the JPY by some 12% from its lows of two months ago will help moderate the relative inflation risks for Japan. US PCE inflation data for November out tomorrow This is arguably the last interesting macro data point out of the US until the first week of the New Year. The PCE data is expected to show that core inflation will drop sharply to 4.6% YoY vs. 5.0% in October, while the headline is expected in at 5.5% versus 6.0% in October. Hotter than expected inflation readings will be an interesting test for markets in coming months as the market has a strong view that the Fed is poised to halt rate hikes as soon as Q2 of next year and will be cutting by year end, despite the Fed “dot plot” projections suggesting the Fed will have a policy rate at the end of next year of above 5% (versus 4.25%-4.50% now). Earnings to watch The earnings calendar is winding down for the year, with payroll and HR-services company Paychex reporting today before the market opens and struggling US used car seller and servicer CarMax, which is trading near its lows for the year, likewise reports before the market open today. Today: Paychex, CarMax Friday: Nitori Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1100 – Turkey Rate Announcement 1330 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1530 – US Weekly Natural Gas Storage Change 2330 – Japan Nov. CPI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app:   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – December 22, 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Asia-Pacific markets pare BOJ-linked losses despite mixed news from China, Japan. Pullback in Treasury bond yields, hopes of more stimulus add strength to the positive mood. Hong Kong braces for best run-up in two weeks as China unveiled pro-growth policies. RBI’s rejection to an abrupt pause to the rate hike trajectory weighs on Indian shares. Asian shares grind higher, mostly positive, as traders cheer softer Treasury yields and upbeat headlines from the regional leaders China and Japan. In doing so, the equity traders also benefit from a lack of major data/events while ignoring the Covid-linked market fears. While portraying the mood, MSCI’s Index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan extends the previous day’s rebound, up near 1.0% intraday, whereas Japan’s Nikkei 225 adds half a percent to 26,505 ahead of Thursday’s European session. Japanese government revises growth forecasts for the fiscal year 2023. “Japan's real gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to expand 1.5% in the fiscal year beginning in April 2023, the government said in its new semi-annual projection, up from 1.1% in the previous forecast made in July,” mentioned Reuters. On the same line were comments from Japanese Prime Minister (PM) Fumio Kishida who pushed local industries for 100 trillion Japanese Yen investment as soon as possible. On the other hand, policymakers in China brace for pro-growth steps as hospitals in Shanghai eye more virus cases. On the same line could be the People’s Bank of China’s (PBOC) pledge to help overcome a slump in the local property market. With this in mind, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rises 2.55% intraday to lead the region’s gainers while India’s BSE Sensex drops 0.40% on a day to buck the trend. Stocks in Australia ignore fears of a slowdown in spending, as conveyed by local banks, whereas those from New Zealand cheer optimism in Beijing to print daily gains. On a broader front, the S&P 500 Futures rise 0.30% intraday to 3,916 whereas the US 10-year Treasury yields remain depressed around 3.65%, extending the previous day’s pullback from the monthly high. Given the holiday mood, the markets may witness lackluster moves but final prints of the US Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Core Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) details for the third quarter (Q3) could entertain traders ahead of Friday’s US Core PCE Price Index for November, also known as the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge. That said, the US GDP is expected to confirm 2.9% Annualized growth in Q3 while the Core PCE is anticipated to also meet the initial forecasts of 4.6% QoQ during the stated period.

Summary:  Summary: S&P500 shed 1.5% and Nasdaq 100 tumbled 2.2% following an upward revision to the U.S. Q3 GDP data that dashed investors’ optimism of goldilocks of moderation of inflation and a potential soft landing. Among today’s several economic data releases from the U.S., all eyes will be on the November PCE report which has the most potential to shape expectations on the Fed’s policy path. This is the last Market Insights Today for 2022. Our first edition for 2023 will be on 3 January. We would like to wish all our readers a joyous festive season and happy New Year.   What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) reversed and fell on upward revision in Q3 GDP U.S. equities reversed the gains from the previous session and tumbled on an upward revision in the Q3 GDP to 3.2% from the previously reported 2.9%. Coming in at 216K, the initial jobless claims increased less than the 222K expected. Investors were whipsawed by the hope of goldilocks of moderation of inflation and a soft landing and the fear of the persistent strength in the labor market and the economy preventing the Fed from lifting its foot from the brake. A day after the hope on Wednesday, investors succumbed to fear on stronger than expected economic data that were taken as bad news for the market. S&P500 fell by 1.5% and Nasdaq 100 shed 2.2% on Thursday. All 11 sectors within the S&P 500 declined, with laggards of consumer discretionary, information technology, and energy falling over 2% each. Tesla (TSLA:xnas), plunging 8.9% was once again the top loser in the S&P 500 as well as the Nasdaq 100. Please refer to Peter Garnry’s notes on more about the harsh reality that Tesla is facing. Following the gloomy demand outlook from Micron (MU:xnas), the semiconductors were sold off, with Lam Research (LRCX:xnas) falling 8.7%, Applied Material (AMAT:xnas) down 7.8%, Nvidia (NVDA:xnas) down 7%, and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD:xnas) down 5.6%. US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) cheapened on strong economic data Q3 GDP was revised up to 3.2% from the previously reported 2.9%. The personal consumption component was revised up to 2.3% from the previously reported 1.7% on firmer services consumption. The quarterly core PCE in the Q3 GDP report was revised up to 4.7% from the previously reported 4.6%. The monthly PCE and core PCE for November are scheduled to release today. The stronger-than-expected GDP revision saw yields on the 2-year Treasuries 6bps cheaper to 4.27%. The long-end’s reaction to the data was muted with yields on the 10-year 2bps higher to 3.68%. The demand in the 4-week and 8-week bill auctions was good while the demand in the 5-year TIPS auction is relatively subdued. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIZ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) rallied on stimulus rhetoric and talk of shortening quarantine The Hang Seng Index rallied 2.4% and CSI 300 climbed 0.4% as of writing, after China’s State Council, the People’s Bank of China, and the China Securities Regulatory Commission separately released meeting readouts or statements to pledge to implement the decisions from the recent Central Economic Work Conference to boost the economy, support the property sector, and the internet platform companies. Mega-cap China internet stocks surged, with Alibaba (09988:xhkg) up 4.1%, Tencent (00700:xhkg) up 4.1%, Meituan (03690:xhkg) up 6.8%, and Bilibili (09626:xhkg) up 9.6%. Adding to the risk-on sentiment is market chatter about the shortening of quarantine to three days. Leading retail and catering stocks soared. Xiabuxibu (00520:xhkg) jumped 15.7% and Haidilao (06862:xhkg) rose by 7.6%. Li Ning (02331) surged 7.4%. Educational services providers continued to rise in anticipation of potential loosening restrictions over the sector. FX: US dollar little changed versus major currencies The U.S. dollar tread water in thin trading ahead of a busy economic calendar today in the U.S. with the closely watched PCE deflators, plus personal spending, durable goods, new home sales, and the U. of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Survey. USDJP and EURUSD were nearly unchanged at 132.30 and 1.0600 respectively. GBPUSD was moderately lower at 1.2030, down 0.4% and AUDUSD was down 0.5% to 0.6670. What to consider? Japan’s November CPI in line with expectations Japan’s national CPI released this morning came in basically in line with expectations. The headline CPI ticked up to 3.8% Y/Y from 3.7% in October but below the 3.9% consensus forecast. CPI excluding fresh food and CPI excluding fresh food and energy were as expected, being at 3.7% Y/Y (vs consensus: 3.7%, Oct: 3.6%) and 2.8% Y/Y (vs consensus: 2.8%, Oct: 2.5%) respectively in November. US November PCE may be on course for further easing for now US inflation is cooling, but we argue that the debate at this point needs to move away from peak inflation to how low inflation can go and how fast it can reach there. Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, the Core PCE, will continue t,o remain in focus especially after Powell has highlighted it a key metric recently at both the Brookings Institute and the December FOMC press conference. However, PCE may now slow as rapidly as CPI with the two key restraining components – goods and energy – likely to play a smaller part in PCE. Expectations are for a November reading of 5.5% Y/Y reading vs a previous reading of 6.0% Y/Y while the core is expected to come in at 4.6% Y/Y from 5.0% Y/Y in October. Still, risks to inflation remain tilted to the upside going into 2023 as financial conditions have been easing and China’s reopening brings a fresh wave of inflation risks. For our look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: U.S. stocks reversed and fell on upward Q3 GDP revision ahead of today’s November PCE deflator – 23 December 2022 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

The good news with China’s reopening is that it should boost global growth. China and Covid The bad news with China’s reopening is that it will not only boost global growth, but also energy and commodity prices - hence inflation, the interest rate hikes from central banks and potentially the global Covid cases – which could then give birth to a new, and a dangerous Covid variant, which would, in return, bring the restrictive Covid measures back on the table, and hammer growth. Note that the reasoning stops here right now, the risky markets are painted in the red, but we could eventually go one step further and say that if the Chinese reopening hits the global health situation – hence the economy badly, the central banks could become softer on their rate hike strategies. But no one is cheery enough to see silver lining anywhere. This year really needs to end, now!   European and US markets So, Wednesday was marked by further selloff across European and US markets. The S&P500 slid 1.20% and Nasdaq lost another 1.32%. The DAX struggles to keep its head above the 50-DMA, but the FTSE 100 index is about to close the year with slight gains! Why? Also Turkish BIST 100 shot up to 188% at some point this year, making investors wonder whether Turkish stocks good performance could last and what happens if the lira dropped. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:34 China reopening starts worrying 2:33 Why FTSE 100 outperformed in 2022? 5:00 What made Turkey’s BIST 100 rally 188%? Could it last? 7:37 Chinese stocks could outperform next year Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #FTSE #BIST #outperform #China #Covid #reopening #inflation #expectations #energy #mining #stocks #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH      

European investors got an energy boost from lower inflation reads, and the falling nat gas futures, but US investors didn’t follow up on the cheery market mood. However, US sovereign bonds gained yesterday as an indication that the latest market moves were backed by recession fears, rather than hawkish Federal Reserve (Fed) expectations… The risk-off investors will likely continue And if the first trading day of the year is any indication, we could see the holy negative correlation between stocks and bonds come back in 2023. This is what many investors think will happen. The risk-off investors will likely continue exiting stocks on profit recession – and not on hawkish Fed expectations, and they could go back to bonds and to gold instead. US economy Due today, the ISM manufacturing index will reveal if and how fast US manufacturing contracted last month. If yesterday’s PMI is any hint, we could see a fastening contraction in ISM manufacturing, which would then boost recession worries, hit the stocks, but not necessarily the bonds and gold. Also, JOLTS data will show if, and by how much the US job openings fell in November. Read next: Exxon And Chevron Abandon The Global Market And Focus On The Americas| FXMAG.COM But regardless of the ISM data, and the US job openings, the FOMC minutes will likely confirm that the Fed remains serious about further tightening policy, even if it slows the pace of interest rate hikes. Remember, if the Fed decided to go slower on its rate hikes, it’s to be able to go higher! And the more resilient the US economy and the US jobs market, the more eager the Fed will be to continue its journey north… Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:35 European stocks rally but… 3:04 US stocks fall, as bonds rise… 4:08 … hinting at the eventual return of negative correlation btw stocks and bonds? 5:51 …from which Gold could also benefit? 6:30 What to watch today? 7:38 Oh Tesla, Apple and Exxon… 9:06 Do you dare going back to Chinese stocks? Ipek Ozkardeskaya Ipek Ozkardeskaya has begun her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked at HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high net worth clients. In 2012, she started as FX Strategist at Swissquote Bank. She worked as a Senior Market Analyst in London Capital Group in London and in Shanghai. She returned to Swissquote Bank as Senior Analyst in 2020. #Stock #bond #correlation #USD #EUR #JPY #XAU #economic #data #recession #pricing #Tesla #Apple #Exxon #crude #oil #DAX #CAC #SPX #Dow #Nasdaq #investing #trading #equities #stocks #cryptocurrencies #FX #bonds #markets #news #Swissquote #MarketTalk #marketanalysis #marketcommentary _____ Learn the fundamentals of trading at your own pace with Swissquote's Education Center. Discover our online courses, webinars and eBooks: https://swq.ch/wr _____ Discover our brand and philosophy: https://swq.ch/wq Learn more about our employees: https://swq.ch/d5 _____ Let's stay connected: LinkedIn: https://swq.ch/cH

As we are at the beginning of the year, let's try to get a feel for the possible price action for 2023. The S&P 500 index hit the top of the rising price channel at the beginning of 2022 indicating possible exhaustion of the impulsive rally from March 2009. Looking back in time, we can see three major corrections unfolding. The first after the 1937 peak was a decline lasting 5 years to 1942, but it was a very deep correction, correcting 78.6% of the rally from 1932 to 1937. The second correction lasted from 1966 to 1974, a very shallow correction, that only corrected 38.2% of the impulsive rally from 1937 to 1966. Finally, the third impulsive rally running from 1974 to 2000 was corrected from the 2000 peak to the 2009 bottom which is an almost 61.8% correction of the 1974 - 2000 rally. The last two corrections both took 8-9 years to complete. If this is the case too this time, then we can expect a bottom around 2029 - 2030 and close to support near 2,365. Let's be clear, that a correction unfolding through to 2029 doesn't mean we can't see a new all-time high during the period, but it's no guarantee. Yes, we did see a new all-time high during the 1966-1974 correction and we also did see a new all-time high during the 2000-2009 correction, but we didn't see one during the 1937 - 1942 correction, but this correction was also shorter in duration. Read next: The EUR/USD Pair Is Trading Above 1.06 Again, The USD/JPY Pair Is Close To Level Of 131| FXMAG.COM Therefore, our conclusion is that a deep correction will be shorter in duration, but not in price points, while a more shallow sideways correction will take up more time and fewer price points. All in all, we are looking into some tough years ahead as we correct the excessive liquidity creation of central banks and governments in the last 13 years and especially in the last two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.     Relevance up to 07:00 2023-01-06 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/307432

  Summary:  Equity markets managed to keep an even keel yesterday, with a lack of direction in US equity markets continuing well into its third week. Late yesterday, the minutes from the last FOMC meeting offered the latest pushback against market expectations for rate cuts as soon as year-end, while gold and especially the JPY eased back lower from their recent strength on treasury yields halting their slide. Tomorrow’s US jobs report for December offers the next test for global markets.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) The US equity market once again chopped back and forth yesterday as the action has been bottled up in a range in the S&P 500 for nearly three weeks. The market may be waiting for the next batch of US data and the impact on treasury yields for choosing a direction, with tomorrow’s batch of data the next important hurdle for markets. The technical focus for S&P 500 traders is the range low and the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement near 3,780 for the March futures contract. For Nasdaq 100 trader, the cycle low near 10, 750 and the nominal intraday lows from last October a bit lower still are the key focus. Ironically, strong US economy data may be the most negative for equity markets in the short run if yields jump. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng Index climbed more than 1% and CSI300 surged nearly 2% as China continue to roll out additional reopening measures and supports to the economy. On Thursday, China announced the much-anticipated gradual reopening of the border between Hong Kong and the mainland starting from January 8, 2023. Internet platform giants Alibaba (09988:xhkg) and Meituan (03690:xhkg), China restaurant chain Haidilao (06862:xhg), beer brewers China Resources Beer (00291:xhkg) and Budweiser (01876:xhkg) were among the top gainers within the Hang Seng Index. In A-shares, baijiu (Chinese white liquor) surged in anticipation of rebound in consumption. Electric equipment, household electronic appliances, and logistics stocks also outperformed. FX: JPY rally reversed, USDCNH testing key levels The US dollar found a modicum of support yesterday as treasury yields stabilized and as the Fed delivered the expected message in its latest set of meeting minutes – a pushback against market expectations for the Fed to cut rates as soon as this year. The next important step for the USD will be on tomorrow’s December jobs report and next Thursday’s December CPI release. USDJPY bounced well above 132.00 after its recent test below 130.00 on signs that the yen’s recent surge may need more support from new developments (a larger drop in global yields in particular) after resetting from 150.00+ in USDJPY terms. The Chinese yuan continued its resurgence on hopes for a boost to Chinese growth on the other side of the current Covid trauma, with USDCNH testing its 200-day moving average near 6.87 for the first time since April. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) Crude oil found a bid on Wednesday following a two-day tumble of more than 9% tumble on China demand and global growth worries. The bounce has so far primarily been driven by short covering while also signalling an end to selling from funds who bought the market aggressively ahead of yearend. For now, a surge in Covid-19 cases across China is clouding the near-term demand outlook, overshadowing optimism and delaying the timing of when commodity consumption in the world’s top importer will eventually rebound. The API reported a 3.3-million-barrel increase in US crude stocks with gasoline stocks also rising while distillates dropped. The EIA will release its weekly report later today. Gold (XAUUSD) sees increased two-way action after hitting fresh six-month high Gold’s run of gains extended to a fourth day on Wednesday but after touching $1865 some two-way actions emerged potentially signalling traders have started to book profit. Gold, silver and platinum have been favoured by traders during the first days of trading, with momentum from last year being carried over. Driven by recession and stock market valuation risks, an eventual peak in central bank rates combined with the prospect of a weaker dollar and inflation not returning to the expected sub-3% level by yearend. It is worth remembering that traders' conviction at the beginning of a new year always tends to be low for fear of catching the wrong move. At the same time, however, the fear of missing out can also drive a rapid build-up in positioning which subsequently can be left exposed should a change in direction occur. Focus on Friday’s US job report with resistance at $1865 & $1878 while the current strong uptrend may not be challenged unless the price breaks below $1800 Europe’s gas price (TTFMc1) slump continues Europe’s gas prices have fallen by more than 50% during the past month and on Wednesday the Dutch TTF futures contract closed at €65/MWH ($20/MMBtu), the lowest since October 2021. The slump has been driven by a combination of mild weather and at times strong production from renewables as well as reduced industrial consumption resulting in an unusual seasonal increase in inventories. Gas held in storage across Europe is currently 164 TWh above the five-year average and close to a full month of peak winter withdrawals. With LNG imports still strong and demand down by more than 10% the continent has now ended up in a situation, unthinkable just a couple of few months ago, where prices need to stay low in order to divert LNG shipments away from Europe in order not to overwhelm storage facilities. Wheat (ZWc1) tumbles on ample Black Sea supply. The Chicago wheat contract has lost more than 5% during the first trading days to trade near a one-month low. Forced lower by an abundance of low-price wheat from Russia and Ukraine providing stiff competition to U.S. exporters where production has been hit by drought, and recently, by severe cold. Russia, the world's largest wheat exporter, look set to double its exports to a record 21.3 million tons for the first half of 2023. This following a record grain crop of 151.0 million tons last year, including 102.7 million tons of wheat. In addition to strong Russian shipments, European Union soft-wheat exports are running about 6% higher than a year earlier, and Australia’s top shipper loaded a monthly record 2.18 million tons of grain in December. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) stabilized after their steep fall to start the year US Treasury yields arrested their descent yesterday after the 10-year benchmark hit 3.66%, rising a few basis points. At the short end of the curve, yield pulled back slightly higher as well, perhaps lifted at the margin by a strong JOLTS survey for November and the ISM Manufacturing survey showing a stronger employment sub-index. The price action was little affected by the FOMC minutes release, which saw the Fed continuing its pushback against market expectations for easing as soon as year-end. Tomorrow’s US data, including the December jobs report and ISM Services Index, offer the next test for the treasury market. Read next: The EUR/USD Pair Is Trading Above 1.06 Again, The USD/JPY Pair Is Close To Level Of 131| FXMAG.COM What is going on? France’s inflation is cooling down BUT… Inflation is cooling down in several eurozone countries. France is the last example. In December, the EU-harmonized CPI rose 6.7 % year-over-year versus expected 7.3 %. On a monthly basis, inflation decreased 0.1 % versus expected +0.4 %. This is positive, of course. But it will likely not be sufficient for monetary policy to shift out of tightening mode just yet. There is a high risk that inflation will increase again in Spring/Summer this year due to higher energy prices. This could be fueled by a deficit in the oil market due to OPEC+ cuts and EU ban on Russian oil and difficulties filling gas inventories for next year in the EU. Therefore, it is too early to believe the peak in inflation is effectively behind us in the eurozone. The FOMC minutes sent out mixed messages FOMC participants worried that the downshift from a 75bp hike to a 50-hike would be interpreted by the market as the signal of a pivot and warned that “an unwarranted easing in financial conditions, especially if driven by a misperception by the public of the committee’s reaction function, would complicate the committee’s effort to restore price stability”. Nonetheless, the minutes showed that “many” participants argued for balancing two risks: the risk “insufficiently restrictive monetary policy could cause inflation to remain above the Committee’s target for longer than anticipated” and the other risk of “the lagged cumulative effect of policy tightening could end up being more restrictive than is necessary to bring down inflation to 2 percent and lead to an unnecessary reduction in economic activity”. That points to a data-dependent risk management approach going forward. Separately, Minneapolis Fed President Kashkari said in an article that he saw rate hikes “at least at the next few meetings”, leading to a terminal rate of 5.25-5.50%. UK Mortgage Approvals plunged in November A clear sign that higher interest rates are impacting the UK housing market, approvals plunged to 46.1k in November, a stunning drop from 59k in October and for wider perspective, a sign of very weak activity relative to the average of well over 60k approvals per month in the years before the pandemic outbreak. Amazon to lay off over 18k employees This was more than previously expected as the company over-expanded its warehouse and logistics infrastructure after the wild increase in demand from pandemic-era stimulus. Shares rose some 1.7% after hours yesterday. US House of Representatives still has no speaker The narrow Republican majority in the House after the mid-term elections last November means that nearly all Republicans must agree on a candidate, with a small cabal of Trumpist-leaning Republicans continuing to block the candidacy of Keven McCarthy, who failed three more votes yesterday in his effort to become the next Speaker of the House. This issue could gain considerable importance for the debt ceiling issue in the US if a more confrontational figure acceptable to the GOP extremists is eventually found. What are we watching next? US data today and tomorrow Today we will get the latest weekly US jobless claims number as this data series has yet to show material weakening in the US labour market, market bets of Fed cuts by year-end notwithstanding. The December ADP Private Payrolls data is also up today, with that data series showing a rather persistent decline in payrolls growth since Q2 of last year. It is expected at +150k after +127k in November. Tomorrow’s calendar is important as the Fed has clearly expressed the most uncertainty on the inflationary pressures from the employment-intensive services side of the economy. This could make the market sensitive to strong surprises in the Nonfarm payrolls change number (expected around +200k, with considerable recent attention on the divergence in this survey relative to the far weaker household survey used to calculate the overall unemployment rate) and average hourly earnings. Ninety minutes after the jobs data, we’ll have a look at the December ISM Services survey after November saw a surprising improvement in the survey to 56.5 after the cycle low of 54.4 in October. Earnings to watch The earnings calendar is light in the first week of the new year, but in a couple of weeks the first Q4 earnings releases will begin to be released. The Q4 earnings season will continue its focus on margin pressures related to input costs on employees and raw materials including energy. Today’s earnings focus is Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) and Conagra Brands, with WBA expected to -3% revenue growth y/y for the quarter that ended on 30 November adding to the series of quarters with negative revenue growth. Conagra Brands is expected to deliver 7% revenue growth y/y for the quarter that ended on 30 November as the manufacturer of packaged foods is able to pass on inflation to its customers. Today: Walgreens Boots Alliance, Conagra Brands, Lamb Weston, Constellation Brands, RPM International Friday: Naturgy Energy Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – Poland Dec. Flash CPI 0930 – UK Final Dec. Services PMI 1000 – Eurozone Nov. PPI 1000 – Italy Dec. CPI 1230 – US Dec. Challenger Job Cuts 1230 – US Fed’s Harker (2023 FOMC voter) to speak 1315 – US Dec. ADP Private Payrolls change 1330 – Canada Nov. International Merchandise Trade 1330 – US Nov. Trade Balance 1330 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1400 – Poland National Bank Governor Glapinski press conference 1530 – EIA Natural Gas Storage Change 1600 – EIA Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 1830 – US Fed’s Bullard (non-voter) to speak 2330 – Japan Nov. Labor Cash Earnings Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – January 5, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

The remaining cuts in Amazon will bring the total number of redundancies to over 18,000 and will be implemented in the coming weeks. Samsung also has problems and suffers from a lack of demand for its products. Samsung Macroeconomic challenges hit Samsung hard last year as companies and consumers cut back on electronics spending after a shopping boom in the early stages of the pandemic. Demand for tech will remain weak as high inflation, rising interest rates and a strong dollar weigh on sales. This led to a sharp decline in demand for goods from Samsung, the world's largest manufacturer of smartphones, televisions and semiconductors. The drop in demand is a constant challenge for Smanung. According to analysts surveyed by data provider FactSet, Samsung's operating profit for the quarter ended December 31 was projected to be almost half as much as a year earlier. Currently, Samsung leads the global smartphone market in terms of total shipments, but Apple dominates the premium smartphone market. In recent years, Samsung has battled rival Apple to defend its share of the premium smartphone market, where most of the industry's profits are generated. Apple has created an exclusive ecosystem of connected products and services that helps attract new consumers and increase their retention. Samsung plans to overcome current market challenges by strengthening the integration of connected devices and related software, an area where it has previously lagged behind rivals such as Apple Inc. For now, Samsung smartphone users can set the washing machine to complete its cycle when they get home and turn on music on the Samsung TV, and the stereo speakers will automatically turn on to the beat of the music. The user can also scan the barcode on a package of frozen hot dogs with a smartphone, and Samsung's microwave oven will heat the product according to the instructions. Samsung has created a new umbrella team made up of employees from each product unit to work to improve the user experience across multiple devices, said Han Jong-hee, vice president and general manager of the South Korean tech company. The team office includes rooms imitating real houses and other spaces where connected devices are tested and developed in many scenarios. Since October 2021, Samung shares have skyrocketed significantly. After peaking at 88,800, it declined. The year 2022 was in a downward trend. This year, the company's shares started at 55,500 and began to grow. Currently, Samsung shares are trading at 58,200. Read next: How Dream Sports Built Its Value, High Inflation And Its Impact On The Hedge Fund| FXMAG.COM Amazon The Seattle-based company said in November it was starting layoffs, with the cuts focused on its appliance, recruitment and retail business. More than 18,000 workers will be affected, the biggest cut recorded last year at a major tech company as the industry recoils amid economic uncertainty. The layoffs are concentrated within the company's corporate ranks and account for about 5% of that portion of its workforce and 1.2% of its 1.5 million employees as of September. Amazon was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Covid-19 pandemic as customers flocked to shop online. The rush into Amazon's various businesses, from e-commerce to groceries and cloud computing, has accelerated the company's years of growth. To keep up with demand, Amazon doubled its logistics network and added hundreds of thousands of employees. When demand began to wane and customers returned to in-store shopping, Amazon initiated an extensive cost-cutting review to cut back on units that were unprofitable. In the spring and summer, the company made targeted cuts to lower costs by closing physical stores and business units such as Amazon Care. Amazon later announced a company-wide hiring freeze before opting to lay off employees. Many tech companies cut jobs as the economy worsened. Last time, ending 2022, Amazon shares were below 90. They ended the year at 84.18, and are now slightly up to 87.19. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com

Summary:  U.S. stocks surged over 2% following the ISM services index shrinking to 49.6 and average hourly earnings growth slowing to 0.3% M/M in December from a downward revised 0.4% in November (previously reported 0.6%). Investors became more optimistic about inflation having peaked because of these unexpected weaknesses in services and wages. Yields on 10-year Treasury notes plunged 16 basis points to 3.56%. The dollar fell against all G10 currencies with the Dollar Index shedding 1.1%. Gold and copper advanced. What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) surged more than 2% on slowing wage growth and activities in services in contraction Bad news once again was good news for equities last Friday when the U.S. released slower wage growth in December as well as in November (a downward revision) and the ISM services index plunged unexpectedly by 6.9 points to 49.6 and into the contraction territory.  Investors noted that Fed Chair Powell had emphasized in his recent speeches that the price of core services other than housing, which was driven by wages and service sector activities, is the most important price category to consider for understanding the future evolution of inflation. Despite the higher-than-expected prints in non-farm payrolls and a lower unemployment rate, Nasdaq 100 rose 2.8% and S&P 500 climbed 2.3%. All 11 sectors within the S&P500 gained, with materials, up 3.4%, leading, followed by information technology, and real estate. Tesla recovered from early losses on cutting prices in China and bounced 2% Tesla China has cut again the price of its Model 3 by 13.5% to RMB 20,990 (USD3,350) and Model Y by 10% to RMB 25,990 (USD3,790) in China within three months from the prior price cut.  Following the news, shares of Tesla (TSLA:xnas) plunged as much as 7.7% in early trading but recovered throughout the day and managed to finish the Friday session 2% higher. Costco (COST:xnys) surged 7.2% on strong December sales Costco reported U.S. comparable sales rose 6.4% in December 2022, above the 5% expected by street analysts. The strong holding sales performance saw the bulk retailer’s share price advance 7.2% last Friday. US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) soared with yields on the 10-year notes 16bps richer to 3.56% Treasuries were bid following the growth in average hourly earnings slowed to 0.3% M/M and 4.6% Y/Y from a revised down 0.4% M/M (previously reported 0.6%) and 4.8% Y/Y (previously reported 5.1%). Yields oscillated for a while as investors weighed the soft wage growth against the solid payrolls and fall in unemployment rates. Decisive declines in yields came after the release of the ISM Services Index which unexpectedly collapsed to 49.6 in December from 56.5 in November, indicating contracting activities in the service sector. A service sector in contraction may help cool down inflation in core services excluding housing which is the focus of Fed Chair Powell. Yields on the 2-year notes fell by 21bps to 4.25% and those on the 10-year notes became 16bps richer to 3.56%. What should you be watching today in equities across APAC; Copper, gold, iron ore The Australian share market (ASXSP200.I) opened 1% higher today, following the stellar close of US shares. This week we could also see some money deployed that was removed from the market from the end of US financial year two weeks ago. In terms of key pockets of potential gains to watch; Commodity stocks could likely to do well as there is room for the Fed to not be as hawkish. The copper price rose 2.4% to its highest level since November, which will could likely boost copper stocks today and this week, and spot gold price jumped 1.8% to a range it last traded in June last year. Also keep an eye on coal stocks this week, as coal demand usually peaks in January and Chinese authorities are in discussion on a partial end to the Australian coal ban. So keep an eye on Whitehaven Coal and New Hope. Meanwhile, iron ore equities may be possible laggards. Vale, Champion Iron, Fortescue Metals, BHP and Rio will be on watch as the Iron ore price (SCOA) has fallen 1.3% from its five month high as buying of iron ore is expected to grind lower as China heads to lunar new year holidays. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong stocks consolidated in a choppy session. Shares of Chinese developers surged in the morning session, following China’s central bank and bank regulator jointly issued a directive to allow banks in cities with declining home prices to lower mortgage interests below the floor dictated current policies. Adding to fuel the rally in property developers was the comment from China’s Minster of Housing and Urban-Rural Development in an interview with the People’s Daily, pledging support to the financing needs of developers and reports suggesting that China is considering relaxing the “three red lines” that constraining highly leveraged developers from getting new financing. Stocks however turned to the south after the lunch break. President of the China Society of Economic Reform said the Chinese Government will roll out “some forceful measures” to redistribute income and “establish a mechanism to regulate wealth accumulation” in order to advance “common prosperity”.   Hang Seng Index finished last Friday 0.3% lower. Alibaba Health (00241:xhkg), Meituan (03690:xhkg), and Haidilao (06862:xhkg) were among the biggest losers with the Hang Seng Index. EV stocks fell, following the news that Tesla China has cut again the price of its Model 3 and Model Y in China within three months from the prior price cut. In A-shares, China’s CSI300 advanced by 0.3% with solar names, lithium battery makers, electric equipment, non-ferrous metal, petrochemicals, and basic chemicals leading. FX: the dollar declined versus G10 currencies on Friday The USD posed a bullish breakout from the three-week range at the start of 2023 but aggressively snapped back after a disappointing PMI release on Friday as 10-year yields dipped back towards 3.55%. NOK, AUD and NZD were the biggest gainers against the USD on Friday, with AUD also benefitting from China reopening. AUDNZD remains supported above 1.0800 with USDCNH testing support at 6.8200 on the Chinese reopening wave with extra vigour via strong PBoC midpoint fixes and measures aimed at propping up the ailing real estate sector. USDJPY slid to 132 with BOJ Governor Kuroda sticking to dovish intentions but PM Kishida once again saying over the weekend that he will have 'discussions' with new BOJ governor. The Aussie dollar flagged a bullish signal, crossing above the 200-day moving average The US dollar suffered its longest streak of weekly falls in two months. So that’s supporting other currencies higher. In particular, the commodity currency, the Aussie dollar broke above its 200-day moving average, which could be seen as a bullish sign. The Aussie dollar trades at two-month highs of 68.85 US cents. What's also supporting the Aussie dollar is that China’s reopening is expected to add considerably to Australia’s GDP. Some economists predict a 0.5% addition to GDP in a year once Chinese students and tourists return. JPMorgan thinks over the next two years Aussie GDP will grow near 1% thanks to inbound Chinese students and holiday makers likely returning. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) remains volatile amid China’s chaotic reopening The first week of 2023 was tough for crude oil, with global demand concerns weighing and China outlook remaining mixed. Despite removing most virus-related restrictions, a surge in cases across the country could stifle economic activity. Meanwhile, the IMF warned that a third of the global economy could be in recession in 2023. Supply side concerns are also seen with European sanctions on Russian oil having kicked in, while OPEC has reiterated that it is willing to step in with further production cuts. WTI futures traded slightly higher to $74/barrel in Asian morning while Brent was close to $78.90. Gold (XAUUSD) advanced over 2% on weaker USD Gold is off to a positive start in 2023, and a further boost was seen on Friday after the mixed jobs report and weakness in ISM services saw a plunge in the USD. However, demand ahead of Lunar New Year is likely to stay strong, and central banks are also active in the physical market. People’s Bank of China bought another 30 tonnes of gold in December 2022, following 32 tonnes in November, boosting the country's stash of gold to 2,010 tonnes. Speculation remains rife that these are steps for China to move away from dollar-based trading as geopolitical tensions remain high. Gold prices are testing $1870 this morning and support at $1808 will be key to hold to maintain the uptrend. US CPI data due this week remains key. Copper getting in close sight of $4 as China stimulus continues Copper is leading a rebound in base metals as China looked to support its property sector. Beijing may allow some firms to add leverage by easing borrowing caps and push back the grace period for meeting debt targets. These were part of the “three red lines” policy that contributed to the downturn in recent years. HG Copper broke above resistance at the 200-day at $3.8525, and will be targeting the $4 per pound next.  Read next: The U.K. Economy Is In Trouble, Fall Of GDP Is Expected!| FXMAG.COM What to consider? US macro: Big miss in ISM services overshadows NFP gains The ADP report from last week had set up expectations for a stronger NFP print on Friday, and while the headline came in stronger and with a drop in unemployment but the market instead focused on significantly slower wage growth and the reaction was dovish, with the US dollar sagging. Still, the report doesn’t change the fact that US labor market remains tight and WSJ’s Timiraos also noted that Friday’s employment report does little to clarify how much the Fed will raise interest rates at its next policy meeting. Nonfarm payrolls showed US employers added 223,000 jobs last month, from a downwardly revised 256,000 in November, with the unemployment rate hitting a cycle low of 3.5% again. Wage growth however slowed to 4.6% YoY (0.3% MoM) in December from a revised 4.8% YoY (0.4% MoM) in November, keeping the market reaction to the overall jobs report mixed, before the big disappointment from ISM services which surprisingly dipped into contraction for the first time since May 2020 to 49.6 vs. expected 55. The forward-looking sub-indicator, new orders, fell 10.8 pts to 45.2 but details were still mixed with 11 of the 18 services sector remaining in expansion. Fed speakers continue to highlight inflation concerns A host of Fed speakers were on the wires on Friday, and key message was the need for more rate hikes still despite signs of price pressures cooling. Cook (voter) said inflation is "far too high" and "of great concern" despite recent encouraging signs, while Bostic (non-voter) said the Fed needs a target rate above 5% and he expects Fed to hold at a peak policy rate for an extended period, "well into 2024". Barkin, another non-voter, touched more on inflation saying that that the Fed is still resolute on inflation, and needs to stay on the case until inflation is sustainably back to the 2% goal. Retiring member Evans however called for a slower pace of rate hikes. The eurozone inflation is cooling down It was largely expected that the eurozone inflation would cool down in December. But the first estimate is actually much lower than forecasted, at 9.2 % versus prior 10.1 % in November. This is a positive development and it goes in the right direction, of course. But this is still a high number. Looking at the main components, energy had (without surprise) the highest annual rate in December at 25.7 %), followed by food, alcohol and tobacco (13.8 %), non-energy industrial goods (6.4%) and services (4.4%). What is worrying is that core CPI continues to increase at 5.2 % versus prior 5.0 % and expected 5.1 %. This will push the European Central Bank (ECB) to keep hiking interest rates in the short-term. But the peak in interest rates is getting closer (Mario Centeno) and the eurozone macroeconomic outlook is not that bad actually (if there is a recession underway, it is at the mild end according to the ECB chief Philip Lane). Alibaba’s Jack Ma cedes his control of Ant Group According to a statement released by the company on 7 January, Jack Ma terminated his acting-in-concert arrangement with other individuals. Under the new structure, 10 individuals, including Mr. Ma, have independent voting rights in the management of the company, as opposed to the prior arrangement that gave Mr. Ma indirect control of 53,46% of the voting rights. Mr. Ma’s stake in Ant Group is reduced to 6.2% from 10.6%. China’s government think-tank said China is launching measures to regulate wealth accumulation President of the China Society of Economic Reform, which is under the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said in a reform forum that the Chinese Government is launching “some forceful measures” to redistribute income, increase taxes, social security, and transfer payments, and “establish a mechanism to regulate wealth accumulation” in order to advance “common prosperity”. Establishing a mechanism to regulate wealth accumulation was first mentioned in President Xi’s work report delivered at the Chinese Communist Party’s 20th National Congress as a means to advance common prosperity. China is reportedly considering to relax the three red-line policy that restrained developers from borrowing According to Bloomberg, the Chinese authorities are considering to relax restrictions on highly-leveraged property developers from increasing their borrowings. The uplift of the restrictions would be important addition to the recent support measures to the real estate sector in China. The three red lines that were introduced in 2020 restrict developers’ ability to borrow if their debts have gone beyond the stipulated limits relative to assets, net debt, or cash. For our look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: Contraction in US ISM services and soft wage growth overshadows strong jobs numbers – 9 January 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Summary:  Markets jumped higher on Friday after a mixed December jobs report from the US, mostly reacting a bit later in the session to the very weak December ISM Services survey, which suggests a rapidly decelerating services sector. US rates plunged all along the curve and the USD tanked as the market lowered Fed rate hike expectations, and risk assets rallied, with a further tailwind from China’s huge policy shifts in recent weeks.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) On Friday, it seems the market was looking past the strong labour market data focusing on the miss on the ISM Services Index in December at 49.6 vs 55. This bolsters the view that bad news is good news as it will cause the Fed to halt its monetary tightening sooner rather than later. Our view is still the same that inflation will remain stickier than what the market expects and thus even a mild slowdown in the economy will not lead to substantially lower interest rates. When the market recognizes this, it will begin to price equities more on slowing growth not offset by lower interest rates. Nevertheless, the US equity market is picking up momentum with S&P 500 futures extending their gains up 0.2% trading around the 3,924 level and above the upper level of the recent trading range. If momentum extends and the news flow remains supportive then the 3,950 level could quickly come into play. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Alibaba (09988:xhkg), surging 7.6%, was the best performing stock within the Hang Seng Index on Monday, following Ant Group announcing a new arrangement in which Alibaba’s founder Jack Ma cedes his indirect control of Ant Group. The new arrangement, which apparently has the blessing of the Chinese authorities, signals that Alibaba and its affiliates may be close to an end of the government-imposed reorganization and return to relative normal business.  Separately, Chairman of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission said that the rectification of the financial arms of internet platform companies had basically finished. Hang Seng Index surged 1.4% as of writing. China’s CSI300 gained 0.7% with non-ferrous metal, education services, and poultry farming leading. FX: USD sells off on weak ISM Services survey The US dollar sold off after a mixed jobs report delivered not signal, but then a shocking drop in the December ISM Services (more below) took down US treasury yields sharply all along the curve. By this morning’s trade, the move sent EURUSD back above 1.0675 and within reach of the 1.0700+ highs from December, while AUDUSD jumped to new cycle highs above 0.6900 on the weaker greenback together with surging metals prices on China’s policy shift (more below.). Despite the big drop in yields, USDJPY reacted less than other USD pairs as the strong rally in risk sentiment saw flows focusing on more pro-cyclical currencies, like AUD, NZD and NOK. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) remains volatile amid China’s chaotic reopening The first week of 2023 was tough for crude oil, driven by global growth concerns, a very mild winter across the Northern Hemisphere dampening demand, and a mixed outlook for China. Despite removing most virus-related restrictions, a surge in cases across the country has hit the short-term demand outlook while at the same time setting the economy on a path to recovery. Meanwhile, the IMF warned that a third of the global economy could be in recession in 2023. Supply side concerns are also seen with European sanctions on Russian oil having kicked in, while OPEC has reiterated that it is willing to step in with further production cuts. Short-term resistance being the 21-day moving at $75.65 in WTI and $81.15 in Brent. Gold (XAUUSD) surged higher on weak US ISM Gold’s already positive start to 2023 received a further boost on Friday after the mixed jobs report and very weak ISM services (see below) triggered a plunge in yields and the dollar. Total ETF holdings reached a one-month high while central banks remain active with the PBoC saying that it bought another 30 tonnes of gold in December 2022, following 32 tonnes in November, boosting the country's stash of gold to 2,010 tonnes. Speculators started the new year by boosting their net futures long to a seven-month high, supported by the current strong momentum and a general gold friendly outlook for 2023 driven by recession risks and peak dollar and yields. The next major hurdle for gold being $1896, the 61.8% retracement of the 2022 correction, with a break above confirming the change in direction that has been under way since November. Copper trades near key $4 level as China stimulus continues Copper jumped to a six-month high in Asia on Monday, driven by a general rebound in base metals as China looked to support its property sector. Beijing may allow some firms to add leverage by easing borrowing caps and push back the grace period for meeting debt targets. These were part of the “three red lines” policy that contributed to the downturn in recent years. Copper has advanced since November after lockdown protests led to an abrupt change in direction towards reopening the economy following months of fruitless lockdowns. The change in direction set by the government has bolstered the outlook for demand beyond the first quarter. Having broken above its 200-day moving average on Friday, now support at $3.8475, HG copper almost touched the key $4 level overnight. US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) soared with yields on the 10-year notes 16bps richer to 3.56% Treasuries were bid Friday following the news of slowing average hourly earnings. Yields oscillated for a while as investors weighed the soft wage growth against the solid payrolls and fall in unemployment rates. Decisive declines in yields came after the release of the shockingly wevak December ISM Services Index (more below on the ISM and US jobs report), indicating contracting activities in the service sector. Two-year yields fell 21bps to 4.25% and those on the 10-year notes dropped some 16 bps to 3.56%. What is going on? Asian and EM equities enter bull market The leading MSCI indices tracking these two segments of the global equity market have entered a bull market up 20% since their lows in October fueled a more positive narrative. The market is betting on a shallow recession in some parts of the world, while inflation keeps coming down, and on top of a successful kickstart of the Chinese economy. All three wishes may not be able to be fulfilled simultaneously and our view is that the market is getting too excited about growth too early as a lot of uncertainty persists. Eurozone inflation is cooling off It was largely expected that the eurozone inflation would cool in December. But the first estimate was much lower than forecasted, at 9.2 % versus 10.1 % in November. This is a positive development and goes in the right direction, but this is still a high number. Looking at the main components, energy had (without surprise) the highest annual rate in December at 25.7 %), followed by food, alcohol and tobacco (13.8 %), non-energy industrial goods (6.4%) and services (4.4%). What is worrying is that core CPI continues to increase at 5.2 % versus prior 5.0 % and expected 5.1 %. This will push the European Central Bank (ECB) to keep hiking interest rates in the short term. But the peak in interest rates is getting closer (Mario Centeno) and the Eurozone macroeconomic outlook is not as bad as feared (if there is a recession underway, it is at the mild end according to the ECB chief Philip Lane). US macro: big miss in ISM services overshadows NFP gains The ADP report from last week had set up expectations for a stronger NFP print on Friday, and while the headline came in stronger than expected at ´+223k and the unemployment rate dropped back to the cycle low of 3.5%, the market instead focused on significantly slower wage growth than expected. The Average Hourly Earnings in December slowed to 4.6% YoY (0.3% MoM) from a revised 4.8% YoY November, keeping the market reaction to the overall jobs report mixed. Ninety minutes later, the December ISM services survey saw a shocking drop into contraction for the first time since May 2020 at 49.6 vs. expected 55 and 56.5 in November. The forward-looking New Orders sub-index fell over 10 points to 45.2 but details were still mixed with 11 of the 18 services sectors remaining in expansion. AUDUSD jumps to new 4-month high, clears 200-day moving average With the US dollar suffering its longest streak of weekly drops in two months, the Aussie dollar broke above its 200-day moving average for the first time since last April, and traded above 0.6900 for the first time since last August. Also supporting the currency is that China’s reopening is expected to add considerably to Australia’s GDP. There’s a potential 0.5% addition to GDP in a year once Chinese students and tourists return, and an anticipated rise in commodity exports to China, especially coal after a prior ban, could add an extra boost to GDP. JPMorgan thinks that over the next two years, Aussie GDP will grow 1% alone thanks to inbound Chinese students and holiday makers likely returning. The next catalyst for the currency is inflation (CPI) data out on Wednesday Jan 11. Core or trimmed CPI is expected to have risen from 5.3% YoY to 5.5% YoY. Fed speakers continue to highlight inflation concerns A host of Fed speakers were on the wires on Friday, and key message was the need for more rate hikes still despite signs of price pressures cooling. Cook (voter) said inflation is "far too high" and "of great concern" despite recent encouraging signs, while Bostic (non-voter) said the Fed needs a target rate above 5% and he expects Fed to hold at a peak policy rate for an extended period, "well into 2024". Barkin, another non-voter, touched more on inflation saying that that the Fed is still resolute on inflation, and needs to stay on the case until inflation is sustainably back to the 2% goal. Retiring member Evans however called for a slower pace of rate hikes. Read next: Plans To Sell FTX Assets Met With Opposition From US Trustee Andrew Vara| FXMAG.COM What are we watching next? How long will market celebrate any additional signs of a slowing US economy? The market’s primary focus on Friday after a very weak US ISM Services survey was the celebration of lower US treasury yields as weak data drives expectations that the Fed can ease its policy tightening more quickly than previously expected, but typically, a weaker economy would mean falling earnings and a credit crunch, which drives markets lower. Only hopes for a benign “soft landing” can continue to see the market celebrating signs of a weakening economy, if that is indeed what we get. This week includes very little in the way of important US data outside of Thursday’s December CPI (perhaps less focus there than previously, given we have seen a number of softer inflation-related data of late). Q4 Earnings season begins this Friday with the largest US financial institutions reporting and the reports and guidance coming over the following couple of weeks will bear close watching. Earnings to watch The Q4 earnings season kicks off this Friday with banking earnings from Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Citigroup with consensus expecting earnings to continue contracting among US banks before coming back to growth this year. The key uncertainty is credit quality in 2023 as it is linked to the degree of a recession or maybe no recession at all in the US economy. With higher interest rates level expectations are that banking revenue will slowly begin to accelerate and if high interest rates persist for an extended period, the longer-term growth for banks could be quite attractive. Overall, the Q4 earnings season is likely going to see an extension of value and tangible companies performing better than intangible-driven companies. Tuesday: Albertsons Thursday: Fast Retailing, Seven & I Friday: DiDi Global, Aeon, Bank of New York Mellon, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, UnitedHealth, BlackRock, Delta Air Lines, First Republic Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1000 – Eurozone Nov. Unemployment Rate 1200 – Mexico Dec. CPI 1330 – Canada Nov. Building Permits 1530 – UK Bank of England Chief Economist Huw Pill to speak 1730 – US Fed’s Bostic (non-voter) to speak 1730 – US Fed’s Daly (non-voter) to speak 2000 – US Nov. Consumer Credit 2330 – Japan Dec. Tokyo CPI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – January 9, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Summary:  Risk sentiment found its feet yesterday after the prior day’s reversal ahead of the important December US CPI release tomorrow, though markets seem confident that the trajectory of inflation is not a threat in the near term. The US dollar hovers near multi-month lows in many USD pairs ahead of that data and gold has notched new eight-month highs overnight, while copper is cementing its move higher above four dollars per pound.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures rallied 0.7% after a weak Tuesday’s session in a strong signal that the market remains upbeat about growth prospects and inflation cooling. US equities are still stuck in an odd range with moving averages of different lengths pointing in all directions. The key trading focus is tomorrow’s CPI report and whether the market dares to extend momentum into the report. Tuesday’s intraday high in S&P 500 futures at 3,973 is naturally the hard resistance level on the upside. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) The Hang Seng Index resumed its uptrend to make a new recent high to trade above 21600, up more than 1% from yesterday and a level last seen in July last year. China’s Lunar New Year travel season started last Saturday 7 January with 9,454 flights or a 2.3% growth from the first day of the same travel season last year. The number of daily flights increased to 10,123 on 8 January, a 13.7% increase from the same period last year and above 10,000 for the first time since August 2022. Other high frequency data also showing increases in inter-city travelling. Chinese mega cap internet names led the charge higher, with Alibaba (09988:xhkg) and Tencent (00700:xhkg) gaining over 3%. Coal miner, China Shenhua Energy (01088:xhkg), rising by 5.6%, was the top winner within the Hang Seng Index. Mainland China’s CSI300 was flat. Coal mining, oil and gas exploration and development, and property management services stocks gained. FX: USD dips on rebounding risk sentiment ahead of December CPI data Thursday Lack of data and any relevant commentary in Fed Chair Powell’s short comments at a conference of central bankers yesterday saw the USD easing lower by this morning as risk sentiment rebounded. EURUSD was the outperformer, with better growth outlook underpinning, but it continued to find resistance at 1.0760. USDJPY is back above 132 amid higher yields, while AUDUSD rose back above 0.69 following the higher-than-expected Australian November CPI print released overnight. USDCNH also still below 6.7900. Tomorrow’s US December CPI release will prove important in confirming or rejecting the recent USD weakening move. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) choppy amid China optimism and inventory build Crude oil prices continue to pivot around $80 per barrel in Brent and $75 in WTI as the market remained buoyed by optimism of China demand recovery while yesterday’s European session was supported by upbeat Eurozone outlook. Meanwhile, EIA raised its forecast for demand growth in 2023 to 1.05mb/d. However, it also expects US output to rise to meet this demand, with US shale oil providing the bulk of the gains. The API report showed a strong inventory build of 14.9mn barrels in crude as against expectations of a 2.2mn draw and focus now turns to EIA figures today. Near-term futures spreads meanwhile are holding in a bearish contango structure, signalling ample supply. Resistance around the 21-day moving average in Brent at $81.50 and $76 in WTI Gold (XAUUSD) pushed higher overnight ... supported by general metal strength amid the current focus on the reopening of the Chinese economy and pent-up seasonal demand ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. Developments that are being supported by a softer dollar and a drop in US bond yields ahead of tomorrow’s US CPI print, which is expected to show further softening, leading to speculation the FOMC may slow the pace of future rate hikes. While momentum supports technical and speculative buying, for now primarily through short covering, activity in ETF market from longer-term investors remain tepid, raising the short-term risk of a correction. The next major hurdle for gold being $1896, the 61.8% retracement of the 2022 correction, with support now at $1865 and $1830. Copper continues to march higher Copper continues to gain momentum as it remains buoyed by the reopening of Chinas economy and increased policy support to fuel an economic recovery to offset the economic fallout from President Xi’s failed and now abruptly abandoned covid-zero policies. Gains were further boosted by Chair Powell staying away from a pushback on easing financial conditions, and the weaker USD as a result. While the metal increasingly looks ripe for a correction, the sharply improved technical outlook and limited investor positioning may drive it higher in the short term. Overnight futures prices in London and New York managed to retrace 50% of the 2022 sell off, in HG copper at $4.0850 and LME at $8900. Support at $3.96 followed by the 200 DMA at $3.84 US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) edge higher, 10-year auction up today After nearly touching 3.50% at the start of the week, the US 10-year benchmark yield rebounded above 3.60% yesterday before settling slightly lower as risk sentiment improved. An auction of 3-year treasuries saw strong demand yesterday, with a 10-year auction up later today after a string of weak auctions for longer maturity US paper in late 2022. Read next:According To Analysts, Russia May Collapse Within A Decade, Guaranty Trust Bank Has Fined| FXMAG.COM What is going on? The Aussie dollar rallies after hotter than expected Australian CPI and retail data The Aussie dollar nudged up 0.3% to 0.6906 US, with local inflation and retail sales coming in hotter than expected, reflect that the RBA can continue to tighten, as inflation remains above the RBA target. Today's data also reflects stagflation could hit the nation in 2023; with unemployment likely to rise, and real GDP to fall to 2% (consensus). The biggest contributors to inflation (housing price rises, food and transport (petrol costs)) are also sticky and are not expected to subside in the near term. (Core CPI rose from 5.3% YoY to 5.6% YoY in Nov (beating 5.5% expected). Moving to retail sales in November, which jumped 1.4%, boosted by Black Friday, also reflect Australian's are not perturbed by rate hikes. Over the medium term, the Aussie could remain supported amid China’s reopening, with GDP to also benefit from China buying Australian coal for the first time in two years.    The story is shifting on Europe Softer energy prices, the lack of black-out and resilient hard data (notably in Germany) is pushing forecasters to review their 2023 recession calls. Goldman Sachs is the first international bank to drastically revise its growth forecasts upward, from minus 0.1 % in 2023 to 0.6 %. Said differently, the U.S. based bank does not expect a recession in the eurozone this year anymore. Early Q4 indications are out this Friday with the preliminary 2022 FY growth estimate. This should certainly confirm a milder-then-expected economic downturn. A mild recession (meaning drop in GDP of 0.1 or 0.2 %) is still our baseline this year. But we agree that the economy is surprisingly resilient. We also believe there will be no extreme macro and market events in 2023 – which could be positive from a growth perspective. If the economy performs much better, this will however give ECB policymakers more confidence in hiking rates as laid out in December by Christine Lagarde. China’s aggregate financing slowed to 9.6% y/y while loans to corporate picked up In December, the growth of outstanding aggregate financing, the broad measure of credit in China, decelerated to 9.6% y/y from 10.0% y/y in November. New aggregate financing declined to RMB1,310bn in December (below consensus RMB1,850bn) from RMB1,987bn in November, dragged by a decline in new bond issuance from local governments and a net bond redemption by corporate. New RMB loans rose to RMB1,400bn (above consensus RMB1,200 billion) from RMB 1,214bn in November and were also above RMB1,130bn in December 2021. The growth of RMB loans picked up to 11.1% y/y in December from 11.0% in November. The better-than-expected growth in RMB loans was driven by new loans to the corporate sector which rose to RMB1,264bn in December from RMB884bn in November and above RMB 662bn a year ago, as the Chinese authorities had asked banks to extend credits to support the housing market and other key industries. New loans to households came in weak, falling to RMB175bn in December from RMB263bn in November and RMB372bn in December a year ago. Apple aims to start using own screens by 2024 replacing Samsung Apple is accelerating its vertical integration with the news yesterday that it plans to replace Broadcom chips by 2025 and today it is aiming to replace screens from Samsung by 2024. It is a classic move for a big company increase profit margins by insourcing parts of the value chain, but the key risk long-term is the potential loss of innovation and lower prices. The alternative to integrating components is to let a competitive market supplying what you need as Samsung and LG do today in fierce competition. French labor unions call for strike to start Jan 19 on Macron pension plan French president Macron unveiled a plan to raise France’s minimum retirement age to 64 by 2030 from the current level of 62. France has one of the highest pension costs as a percentage of GDP in the EU (nearly 14%) and the ranks of the retired are set to grow for at least another 15 years if no changes are made. Iron ore price above $120 The iron ore futures traded in Singapore reached a 5-month high overnight, underpinned by China reopening and stimulus for the property sector. Look for a reversal as China had warned of tightening the supervision on iron ore pricing on Friday to crack down on speculators. Supply outlook is also relatively better, with an estimated 40 million tons of additional supply in 2023, while demand will likely be suppressed due to constraints on crude steel production in China. Wages set to rise in Japan? The fast-fashion Japanese retailer Uniqlo is set to hike pay for many full-time staff in Japan by as much as 40% and will raise the salary for newly hired graduates by over 17%. Bank of Japan Governor Kuroda has long stated that inflation is only rising sustainably if Japanese wages also begin to rise in line with commodity- and other input costs. What are we watching next? US December CPI up on Thursday The latest CPI data out of the US is the next important test for global markets, which seem confident that the Fed will not only halt its policy tightening soon after perhaps 50 basis points of further tightening but will even be signalling rate cuts by year-end. The US CPI releases have triggered considerable volatility in recent months, particularly in equity markets on aggressive trading in very short-dated options. The market expects that inflation will actually fall month on month by –0.1% and only rise 6.5% year-on-year versus +7.1% in November. The core, ex Food and Energy number is expected to rise +0.3% MoM and +5.7% YoY vs. +6.0% YoY in November and a peak rate of 6.6% in September. Earnings to watch The Q4 earnings season kicks off this Friday with banking earnings from Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Citigroup with consensus expecting earnings to continue contracting among US banks before coming back to growth this year. The key uncertainty is credit quality in 2023 as it is linked to the degree of a recession or maybe no recession at all in the US economy. With higher interest rates level expectations are that banking revenue will slowly begin to accelerate and if high interest rates persist for an extended period, the longer-term growth for banks could be quite attractive. Overall, the Q4 earnings season is likely going to see an extension of value and tangible companies performing better than intangible-driven companies. Thursday: Fast Retailing, Seven & I Friday: DiDi Global, Aeon, Bank of New York Mellon, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, UnitedHealth, BlackRock, Delta Air Lines, First Republic Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0800 – Czech Dec. CPI 1530 – EIA’s Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 2350 – Japan Nov. Current Account data 0030 – Australia Nov. Trade Balance 0130 – China Dec. PPI, CPI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – January 11, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Summary:  Markets have charged higher again, seemingly confident that today’s US December CPI data won’t provide any pushback against this rally, which is pulling up into the psychologically important 4,000 area in the US S&P 500 Index. Elsewhere, the USD remains on its back foot on hopes for a soft CPI print, while EURCHF has suddenly pulled above parity for the first time in over six months in a delayed reaction to ECB hawkishness. Oil jumped.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures extended momentum all the way up to the falling 200-day moving average closing at 3,990 and in early trading this morning the index futures are hovering around the 200-day moving average. This average was hit back in mid-December before US equities were weighed down by hawkish central bank comments and sold off into New Year. Today’s US December CPI report is naturally the key report to watch today as the previous three inflation reports have caused significant volatility over the release. If the market gets it lower inflation print then S&P 500 futures might push above 4,000 and even all the way up to 4,050. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) After making a new six-month high this morning, Hang Seng Index reversed and pared gains. Profit-taking weighed on recent policy beneficiaries, such as mainland Chinese property developers, domestic consumption names, mega-cap internet stocks, and Macao casino operators. Shares of EV makers bucked the market trend of retracement to advance, led by BYD (01211:xhkg) up 5.7%. FIT Hong Teng (06088:xhkg), a subsidiary of Foxconn, soared 23% on speculation that the company might replace GoerTek (002241:xsec) to assemble AirPods for Apple. In A-shares, defense, aerospace, auto industrial equipment and wind power outperformed as the domestic consumption space retraced. As of writing, Hang Seng Index and CSI300 edged up around 0.3%. FX: USD still low, JPY resurgent. EURCHF blasts higher The greenback remains on its back foot coming into today’s US December CPI release, with market players likely very unclear around the reaction function (more on that below in What’s Next?) to in-line or even soft data today. EURUSD etched marginal new highs above 1.0760 yesterday, but clearly faces a test over today’s data and may have been driven yesterday by flows in EURCHF, which suddenly bursts out of its range and traded well above parity – likely on the hawkish ECB outlook finally sending the pair over the edge. ECB’s De Cos said he sees “significant” rate hikes at the upcoming meetings, while ECB’s Holzmann soft-pedaled the message on QT, saying he was very cautious on moving too fast.  USDJPY dipped on the news flow overnight as described below, and many other USD pairs are still within recent ranges, if toward important USD support in places, especially AUDUSD. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) remains supported by China recovery story Crude oil prices rallied strongly on Wednesday with the improved outlook for Chinese demand and the softer dollar driving a fifth day of gains. Chinese buyers have become active in the physical market, with Unipec snapping up about 3-4mbbl of US crude for March and April in recent days. This comes following news that China had issued a fresh batch of import quotas as it reopens following years of COVID-19 restrictions. Supply was supported by a huge 19m barrels build in US inventories, the biggest since Feb 2021, but it could not dampen the positive price sentiment as higher inventories was expected after the late December cold blast reduced exports while temporarily shutting down some refineries. Fresh momentum was seen in both WTI and Brent after breaking their 21-day moving averages, now offering support at $76.35 and $81.65 respectively. Gold sees raised correction risk as US CPI looms Gold’s price action and gains during the past week has in our opinion showed us the correct direction for 2023, but while the direction is correct, we believe the timing could be wrong, and with momentum showing signs of slowing ahead of key resistance around $1900, and a potential weaker-than-forecast US CPI print today having been priced in, the risk of correction has risen. Pent-up demand in China ahead of the Lunar New Year may soon fade, while India’s demand may slow as traders adapt to the higher price level. In addition, we have yet to see demand for ETF’s, often used by long-term focused investors, spring back to life with total holdings still hovering around a near two-year low at 2923 tons. The next major hurdle for gold being $1896, the 61.8% retracement of the 2022 correction, with support around $1865 followed by $1826, the 21-day moving average. US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) yields drop, strong 10-year auction supports The US 10-year yield dropped back toward 3.50% support overnight after falling some 7-basis point yesterday, supported in part by a solid US 10-year auction, with bidding metrics sharply improving relative to the prior couple of weak auctions. The 2-10 year yield slope inverted back toward –70 basis points. Treasuries may find additional support if today’s December US CPI report proves softer than expected. Read next: Discussion Of Bank Representatives On Financing The Ecological Transformation | FXMAG.COM What is going on? The Eurozone economy is more resilient than forecasted Economic surprises are improving significantly in the eurozone. The consensus forecasts a drop in GDP of minus 0.1% this year. Based on hard data, this seems excessively conservative. It is bound to be revised up, in our view. The German economy is especially very resilient. While gas consumption has collapsed by double digits, industry output has remained largely flat. This is a remarkable achievement. Based on the latest data on industrial production (for the month of November), it looks like there will be no recession in German industry in Q4. However, the year 2023 will be challenging in the eurozone: credit stress is on the rise (this is the first time in a decade we start the year with European IG credit yield above the 4 % level), and the market will need to absorb about 700bn euros of liquidity due to the ECB quantitative tightening. Metals pause after powering higher on China optimism Industrial metals are pausing ahead of today’s CPI print and after having marched higher on positive signals from China on Zero Covid and policy stimulus. An apparent peak in infections follow the sudden dropping of COVID-19 restrictions has raised the prospect of an earlier than expected jump in industrial activity. Pent up consumer demand is likely to add to the clamour for metals. Aluminium, copper and iron ore, all rose to new highs on Wednesday. Iron ore (SCOF3) could be potentially ripe for a reversal, given China’s warning on tightening the supervision on iron ore pricing on Friday to crack down on speculators. Meanwhile, Copper’s year-to-date gain of 9% to near $4.20 has also been fast and could see scope for a correction, but the sharply improved technical outlook and limited investor positioning may continue to provide some support in the short term. USDJPY drops below 132 on possible BOJ action next week The Bank of Japan meets next Wednesday and may be set to guide for further policy tweaks after a regional Bank of Japan report released overnight . In other news in Japan, the Yomiuri newspaper reported that the BoJ will review the side effects of its policy at next week’s meeting and a quarterly Bank of Japan report raised its assessment of the economy in four of Japan’s nine regions, noting that in “there were many cases where companies were increasing winter bonus payments, or plan to hike wages.” Also JPY-supportive, preliminary data from Japan’s Ministry of Finance suggest that Japan’s life insurers sold a record amount of foreign bonds last month. CPI and PPI inflation remained low in China CPI in China rose to 1.8% y/y in December from 1.6% in November, in line with expectations. The rise was due to a low base and on CPI was unchanged m/m. Excluding food and energy, core CPI came in at 0.7% y/y in December, edging up slightly from 0.6% y/y in November. The change in PPI however rebounded less than expected to -0.7% y/y versus -0.1% expected and -1.3% y/y in November. TSMC Q4 earnings beat estimates The world’s largest foundry of semiconductors beat on net income in Q4 driven by gross margin at 62.2% vs est. 60.1%. TSMC says company to face margin headwinds in 2023 with revenue growth slowing down. CAPEX in 2023 is expected at $32-36bn vs est. $35bn against $36bn in 2022. The company is considering a second manufacturing plant in Japan and a new automotive chips plant in Europe. It has also expanded its 28nm production in China and is planning to mass produce its new 2nm in 2025 in its facilities in Taiwan. Fast Retailing sees big miss in Q1 operating income The parent company behind the Japanese fashion retailer Uniqlo reports Q1 operating income of JPY 117bn vs est. JPY140bn but maintains its outlook for profit and revenue growth amid its commitment from yesterday to raise wages up to 40% for its Japanese retail workers. KB Home outlook hit by interest rates When the price of capital goes up the demand on homes often goes down, and this is exactly what KB Home is experiencing. The US homebuilder reported Q4 EPS of $2.47 vs est. $2.86, but it was the FY23 outlook of revenue between $5bn and $6bn missing the consensus of $6bn in revenue, but with new orders down 80% more profit warnings could come during the year. What are we watching next? WASDE report on tap with grain traders watching stock levels The Bloomberg Grains Index, rangebound for the past six month has opened a new trading year with a loss of 3.5% primarily driven by lower wheat prices on ample supply from the Black Sea region, will receive some fundamental input later today when the US Department of Agriculture releases its monthly supply and demand report. Market estimates point to a trimming of the global corn and soybeans inventories, while wheat is expected to show a small rise. US inventories, meanwhile, is expected to rise across the board driven by weakness in Chinese demand and strong competition from overseas supplies, in part due to the dollar. Also focus on Argentina where an ongoing drought may drive a 6% reduction in the country's soy and corn output. US December CPI up today – what is the reaction function? The latest CPI data out of the US is the next important test for global markets, which seem confident that the Fed will not only halt its policy tightening soon after perhaps 50 basis points of further tightening but will even cut rates cuts by year-end. The US CPI releases have triggered considerable volatility in recent months, and the November CPI release on December 13 ullustrates the potentially treacherous reaction pattern to this data points, as softer than expected inflation levels reported saw risk asset jump aggressively as US treasury yields eased, only for the equity market move to get erased within hours and the US yields to bottom out on the following day. Consensus expectations for today’s CPI print are for a fall in the month-on-month headline data of –0.1% and a rise for the year-on-year at 6.5% versus +7.1% in November. The core, ex Food and Energy number is expected to rise +0.3% MoM and +5.7% YoY vs. +6.0% YoY in November and a peak rate of 6.6% last September. Earnings to watch The Q4 earnings season kicks off tomorrow with banking earnings from Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Citigroup with consensus expecting earnings to continue contracting among US banks before coming back to growth in 2023. The key uncertainty is credit quality in 2023 as it is linked to the degree of a recession or maybe no recession at all in the US economy. With higher interest rates level expectations are that banking revenue will slowly begin to accelerate and if high interest rates persist for an extended period, the longer-term growth for banks could be quite attractive. In addition, US banks have extended credit at the fastest pace in 2022 since the year leading up to the Great Financial Crisis. Overall, the Q4 earnings season is likely going to see an extension of value and tangible companies performing better than intangible-driven companies. Today: Fast Retailing, Seven & I Friday: DiDi Global, Aeon, Bank of New York Mellon, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, UnitedHealth, BlackRock, Delta Air Lines, First Republic Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1330 – US December CPI 1330 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1345 – US Fed’s Harker (voter 2023) to discuss economic outlook 1530 – EIA Natural Gas Storage Change 1630 – US Fed’s Bullard (non-voter) to speak 1700 – UK Bank of England’s Mann to speak 1700 – USDA's World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher

Emerging Market Insights Three things we’re thinking about today We are optimistic that emerging markets, in particular Chinese equities, can post positive returns in 2023. Drivers of our optimism include: China dismantles its zero-COVID policies: The removal of almost all COVID-19 restrictions in China is resulting in a wave of infections, with up to 80% of people in urban areas contracting the virus. As the wave subsides, economic activity is expected to normalize. Durable goods and financial services are likely beneficiaries of a resumption in normal patterns of human interaction and trade. A recovery in outward-bound tourism is expected to benefit economies in Asia, which prior to 2020 were the prime beneficiaries of the large number of Chinese tourists. Peak in US interest rates: Consensus expectations point to two further increases in the US federal funds rate in 2023. While the timing of eventual rate cuts remains uncertain, the peak in rate hikes is the first step on this journey. The US dollar has already reacted to expectations of a peak in interest rates in 2023, trending lower in recent months. US dollar weakness should benefit emerging market fund flows, reversing the outflows of recent years, which in turn is supportive of emerging market equities Acceleration in renewable energy investments: The “new normal” of elevated fossil fuel prices is likely to incentivize emerging markets to accelerate decarbonization efforts in order to reduce energy costs and meet their Paris Climate accord targets. This will create potential opportunities for emerging market investors. The battery industry—for both electric vehicles and battery electric storage systems—as well as the solar industry, stand out. China and South Korea are at the forefront of new battery technologies, commanding 83% global market share between January-October 2022. India is also investing heavily in the solar industry as it seeks to become self- sufficient in photovoltaic panel production. Outlook As we head further into 2023, we find many reasons to be constructive about emerging markets (EMs). Markets such as Chile and Indonesia have started to pause interest-rate hikes or scale back the magnitude of their rate hikes. We expect a policy pivot to revive consumption and spur economic growth as inflation slows. In addition, after a slowdown in earnings in 2022, there is a prospect for a recovery in earnings growth in 2023. We view China as a leader with a near-15% estimated growth, based on consensus expectations.However, we are of the view that earnings may continue to still be relatively weaker in China in the near term, with a recovery timed toward the end of 2023 instead. Nonetheless, a pickup in earnings revisions in EMs would signify better times ahead for earnings and in turn, equities. Although a weakening global outlook appears to be on the horizon, economies with a greater focus on domestic demand are better placed to weather a challenging environment. These markets include EM countries such as India, Brazil and Indonesia. India has attracted investors looking to diversify their manufacturing bases from China. Similarly, the Middle East is experiencing an upturn in consumption, due to a spillover from high energy prices. China’s recent policy changes and low equity valuations have created opportunities locally as well as in Asia more broadly, as China is the largest driver of economic activity in the region. China’s reopening could benefit EMs outside of Asia as well. As mobility in China bounces back to pre-pandemic levels, its demand for oil will also likely increase. This benefits several non- Asian EMs which supply crude oil to China, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Colombia. While the risks of 2022 have abated slightly, we remain watchful for developments that could change our overall EM outlook, including China’s relationship with Taiwan and the United States. As the investment environment evolves, an important feature that we seek in EMs is resilience, in terms of both economies and companies. A particular area of focus for us is the sustainability of corporate earnings, whether in the face of COVID-19, policy changes, technology disruption or other challenges. We see companies with structural growth drivers aligned with digitalization, decarbonization and premiumization emerging as long-term winners. Emerging markets key trends and developments The combination of a weaker US dollar, receding inflation and China’s pivot away from zero-COVID spurred investor confidence in the latter months of 2022. The release of third-quarter corporate earnings results and confidence in the growth outlook for several EM economies also buoyed returns. However, political uncertainties capped gains—the Chinese equity market’s selloff after the 20th National Congress and a lack of policy clarity in the wake of Brazil’s presidential elections are two examples. Nonetheless, global equities still rose over the fourth quarter of 2022 (4Q22), with both EMs and developed markets performing on par. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index rose by 9.8%, while the MSCI World Index advanced by 9.9%, both in US dollars in 4Q22. The most important moves in emerging markets in the fourth quarter of 2022 Emerging Asian stocks finished the quarter higher. Stocks in China contributed to regional gains after policymakers dismantled their zero-COVID policies. The long-embattled property sector also received a boost from support measures, with leading Chinese institutions extending loans to the sector. India’s equity market also advanced amid softening inflation and lower oil prices. Indonesia’s market, the sole laggard within emerging Asian economies, fell as its central bank raised its policy rate again.5 The policy rate was most recently raised by 25 basis points (bps)—a smaller magnitude than past hikes—reaffirming that inflation was easing. Latin American EM equities also swung higher in 4Q22. All EMs in Latin America rose during the quarter, with Colombia being the top performer in the region. Market-watchers welcomed Colombia’s aim to take advantage of higher energy prices by targeting a 15% increase in crude oil output. Heavyweight Brazil’s equity market also advanced, albeit at a more moderate 2.5% for the quarter, as consumer prices rose less than expected. EMs in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region saw mixed results, although the region as a whole managed to eke out gains. Saudi Arabia’s market declined, capping gains for the region, as soft oil prices and a weaker US dollar weighed on sentiment—the Saudi riyal is pegged to the US dollar. Turkish equities led gains as investors increased their equity allocation to hedge against inflation and a low-yield environment. Source: Emerging Market Insights (widen.net)

Summary:  US equity and bond markets were closed on Monday for a holiday. Mainland China stocks surged 1.6% as northbound flows reached over RMB15 billion and were in net buying for the 9th day in a row. Ryan Cohen is building a stake in Alibaba. USD saw a rebound but will likely be driven by the Japanese yen in the next few days as the Bank of Japan meeting kicks off today. While China’s Q4 GDP scheduled to release today was expected to slip to 1.6% Y/Y, more than half of Chinese provinces are setting 2023 GDP growth targets at above 5.5%. The rally in industrial metals paused amid profit-taking ahead of the Lunar New Year.   What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) Closed for U.S. holiday US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) Closed for U.S. holiday China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) gained 1.6%; Northbound net buying for the 9th day CSI300 rose 1.6%, led by brokerage, household appliances, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductor names. Northbound net buying through Stock Connect was RMB15.8 billion on Monday, the 9th day in a row of net buying for a total of around RMB80 billion. Coal miners, autos, and media stocks retraced. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index had a choppy session, rising initially to make a new recent high but failing to hold and sliding to losses in the afternoon before closing nearly flat. The news that the Chinese regulators allowed Didi to resume registration of new users failed to boost the sentiment for internet stocks. On the other hand, Meituan (03690:xhkg) slipped 3.3% as investors feared that the company’s ride-hailing business might lose market share as Didi returns. Hardware names, AAC (02018:xhkg) up 11.4%, Techtronic (00669:xhkg) up 6.2%, and Sunny Optical (02382:xhkg) up 4.0%, stood out as top performers. The automaker, Brilliance (01114:xhkg) tumbled 8.2% after announcing a special dividend of HKD0.96 per share from the disposal of its stake in Brilliance BMW below the street estimate of HK$1.5 per share. FX: USDJPY seeing a barrier at 129 USDJPY was seen fluctuating around 128.50 in the Asian morning session as Bank of Japan meeting kicks off with speculations of a further policy tweak continuing to build. GBPUSD also failed at another attempt on 1.2300 while AUDUSD returned below 0.7000 ahead of the key China activity data due today, despite January consumer confidence coming in higher at 84.3 from 80.3 previously. A break above 0.7000 could bring the tough resistance of 0.7125 in focus. NZDUSD testing a break above 0.6400. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) prices soften Crude oil prices eased on Monday with WTI falling below $79/barrel and Brent back towards $84/barrel as profit-taking emerged after the 8% rally last week. The World Economic Forum’s annual meeting began with warnings of global recession. This was aided by signs of stronger Russian supply. Seaborne crude exports soared by 30% to 3.8mb/d last week, the highest level since April. India was the biggest buyer, snapping up 33 times more crude than a year earlier. There is a lot to digest in the oil markets, with demand concerns and sanctions on Russian supply and risks of OPEC production cuts. Meanwhile, volatility in gas prices also underpins, suggesting crude oil prices can continue to see two-way price action in this quarter. US natural gas higher but European gas prices fall US natural gas settled back above $3.50, higher about 7% on Monday with risks of cold weather at the end of the month. European gas however fell sharply on a strong supply outlook. Dutch front month futures were down more than 15% as full stockpiles in China eased concerns of supply tightness in the LNG market. Chinese importers are trying to divert February and March shipments to Europe amid weak prices at home and high inventories. This is despite a cold snap expected this week. Iron ore selling eases; and respective equities hold record highs shaking off China’s accusations The key steel making ingredient, iron ore (SCOA) has fallen 5.3% from its high, including Tuesday’s 0.4% slide, which takes the price to $118.90. Still the iron ore price holds six months highs and is up 56% from its low. The pullback was triggered by China’s top economic planner, the NDRC accusing market participants of hoarding and price gouging after the iron ore price strongly rallied from October’s low in anticipation of demand picking up from China easing restrictions. Iron ore inventory levels are still lower than they were a year ago, which fundamentally supports iron ore price. And the technical indicators indicate the longer term rally could continue. The 50 day moving average is approaching the 200 day moving average. Historically when the 50DMA cross the 200 DMA buying has picked up. Also consider iron ore majors shares, BHP, Rio Tinto Fortescue are holding in record high territory, as investors remember China has made such accusations in the past of price gouging, and the iron ore price previously recovered over the medium to longer term. Brakes on Copper rally; Aluminium continues to surge higher A slight recovery in the US dollar on Monday paused the strong rally that has been seen in industrial metals so far this year. Copper fell as signs of weak demand persist. The Yangshan copper cathode premium over LME has declined to USD31.50/t, compared with the 10y average of USD72/t. Stockpiles of copper in Shanghai Futures Exchange warehouses are also higher. HG copper dipped back to $4.14 from highs of over $4.20 last week. Aluminium bucked the trend to push higher as inventories continue to fall. Expectations of stronger demand as China reopens also boosted sentiment. Rio Tinto (RIO) reported 4Q iron ore shipments of 87.3mt, +3.8% YoY vs est 86.2mt and still sees 2023 shipments of 320-335mt while mined copper output guidance raised to 650-710kt from 500-575kt previously.   What to consider? China GDP and activity data While the reopening of China from Covid containment is a highly positive development for the Chinese economy, the initial shockwave of infections could be significantly disruptive to economic activities in the near term. The median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg on China’s Q4 GDP growth is 1.6% Y/Y decelerated from 3.9% Y/Y in Q3. Disruption in production activities resulting from infection-induced absence from work is expected to drag the growth of industrial production to 0.1% Y/Y in December from 2.2% in November. Retail sales are expected to shrink 9% Y/Y in December, decelerating further from -5.9% Y/Y in November as dining, retailing, and deliveries were slowed by inflection. Full-year fixed asset investment is expected to come at 5%, down from 5.3% in the first 11 months of the year. More than half of provinces and municipalities in China are targeting above 5.5% GDP growth for 2023 According to China’s Securities Daily, the 28 provinces and municipalities that have released their 2023 GDP targets set them at 6% on average. Hainan is the most aggressive with a 9.5% target. According to data from the Shanghai Securities News, more than half of the 31 provinces and municipalities that have released 2023 work reports, are setting their GDP growth targets above 5.5% for 2023. Economically important provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Guangdong, and Shandong set their targets at above 5%. BOE’s Bailey comments hint at relief from energy and inflation but worries about labor market The rally in cable has cooled off recently even as the decline in USD has continued. The pair is looking for direction and there may be some key catalysts to watch this week. Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey spoke on Monday at the Treasury Select Committee hearing, saying that the risk premium on UK assets after the Truss government’s policy shock in September has gone. Still, confidence remains fragile, and risks also remain from China’s chaotic exit from Zero Covid, the continued fallout from the war in Ukraine and the shrinking of Britain’s labor force. Focus will now turn to economic data, with labor market data due today, CPI on Wednesday and retail sales on Friday. Any signs that labor market is cooling or CPI has topped out could mean the BOE could start to consider a slower pace of rate hikes going forward, and that could see the 200DMA in GBPUSD at 1.2000 get threatened. Japan’s military focus supports our optimistic view on the Defence equity basket Japan is looking to overhaul its security policy as geopolitical threats in the region and globally grow. PM Kishida’s G7 tour last week saw multiple deals not just with the US, but focus was also seen on enhancing military ties with Germany, Canada and France, including mutual troop access with the UK and upgrading of defence ties with Italy. The plan to build more nuclear reactors is also a step in that direction. Japan and India also held their first joint air drills as they step up military exercises with other countries amid concerns about China's assertiveness. Japan is looking to boost its 2023 defence budget substantially to a record 6.8 trillion yen, an increase of 20%. This further supports our optimistic view on our Defence equity theme basket as further deglobalization continues to suggest defence spending will remain a key focus. Activist investor Ryan Cohen built a stake in Alibaba According to the Wall Street Journal, Ryan Cohen has built a stake in Alibaba. Cohen is a Canadian investor who is know for investing and attracting a large crowd of retail investors to invest in meme-stocks such as GameStop. His buying into Alibaba may attract retail investors from North America to follow. For a look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: Market Insights Today: - China A shares see large Northbound buying, Ryan Cohen building a stake in Alibaba - 17 January 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Summary:  The deteriorating US retail sales and industrial production data hurt risk sentiment, and US equity markets tumbled despite lower yields. The US dollar was choppy after BOJ’s pushback on market speculation and the announcement to keep policy unchanged, but hotter core CPI in UK supported the sterling. Weaker Australia employment data sent AUDUSD lower to test 0.6900. Crude oil prices plummeted on deteriorating economic outlook and a weaker API inventory build. Focus turns to earnings today with Proctor & Gamble and Netflix due to report.   What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) reversed and fell over 1% on recession fears U.S. equities opened higher initially as bond yields tumbled on a dovish Bank of Japan and much weaker than expected prints on U.S. retail sales, industrial production, and producer prices. Comments from the Fed’s Bullard in a Wall Street Journal interview about his preference of keeping the pace of rate hike at 50bps at the February FOMC triggered a reversal around mid-day and saw U.S. stocks plunge in the New York afternoon session. The weak economic data and the risk of the Fed overdoing it in rate hikes troubled equity investors. At the close of Wednesday, Nasdaq 100 fell 1.3% and S&P 500 slipped 1.6%. All 11 sectors of the S&P 500 declined, with the consumer staples sector falling the most to finish the session 2.7% lower. In the Fed’s Beige Book released on Wednesday, U.S. retailers said they were having difficulties in passing through costs increases to consumers. On individual stocks, PNC Financial Services (PNC:xnys) fell 6% on a larger-than-expected credit losses provision. Moderna (MRNA:xnas) gained 3.3% following release of positive trial results for a RSV virus vaccine. US Treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) surged on dovish BoJ and weak economic data; the 10-year yield slid to 3.37% Treasuries surged in price and yields collapsed on dovish outcomes from the Bank of Japan’s monetary policy meeting. The BoJ doubled down on monetary easing with an adjustment to its Funds-Supplying Operations against Pooled Collateral which enables it to lend cheaply to banks up to 10 years in maturity from only up to two years previously. Apparently, the BoJ aims at bringing down the elevated swap rates closer to the yields of JGBs. Treasury yields took a further dive in New York morning hours following the release of larger-than-expected declines in retail sales and industrial production as well as a bigger-than-expected 0.5% month-on-month fall in the Producer Price Index in December. The hawkish comments from Fed’s Bullard about keeping the February hike at 50bps did not have much of an impact on Treasuries despite being picked up as a reason to fade the rally in equities by traders. The result from the USD12 billion 20-year Treasury bond auction was strong. Treasury yields finished the Wednesday session with the 2-year 12bps richer at 4.08% and the 10-year 18bps richer at 3.37%, bringing the 2-10 curve more invested to -71bps. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIF3) ticked up and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) traded sideways Hang Seng Index ticked up by 0.5% and CSI300 edged down by 0.2%. Online and mobile gaming names led in both the Hong Kong and mainland bourses. China released 88 new licenses of online/mobile games, including one title from Tencent (00700:xhkg), up 1.7%. and one title from NetEase (09999:xhkg), up 6.5%. Trading in other internet names, however, was mixed. Auto dealers were led lower by an 8.3% decline in Zhongseng (00881:xhkg). EV makers traded weakly, XPeng (09868”:xhkg) down 2.9%. In A-shares, food and beverage, beauty care, and construction materials led the decline while online gaming, computing, media, communication, and non-ferrous metal gained. Northbound net buying was over RMB4 billion, bringing the net buying in January to over RMB90 billion. FX: Choppy dollar after BOJ ECB’s Villeroy dismissed dovish ECB talks and says Lagarde guidance still valid, bumping up EUR higher but the gains were reversed later and EURUSD ended below 1.0800 again. EURGBP meanwhile testing a break below 0.8740 to near 1-month lows as UK core CPI came in hotter-than-expected. AUD and NZD were divergent with AUDNZD falling from highs of 1.0873 to lows of 1.0783. AUDUSD was slightly lower on weaker-than-expected employment data which saw unemployment rate rising to 3.5% while overall employment fell 14.6k compared to expectations of +25k, while last month’s employment gains were revised lower to 58.3k. NZDUSD however saw little reaction to reports of PM Arden’s resignation. USDJPY back below 129 after the BOJ-related volatility yesterday. Crude oil (CLG3 & LCOH3) tumbled on sluggish US data and weak API build Crude oil prices rose to fresh highs earlier on Wednesday before sliding in the NY hours. US data flow turned out to be grim with both retail sales and industrial production disappointing, sending recession concerns soaring. The International Energy Agency was also circumspect. It said the market faces immediate headwinds, with supply exceeding demand by about 1mb/d in Q1. Meanwhile, API reported that US crude stockpiles rose 7.6mn barrels for last week. WTI futures retreated from highs of $82+ to $79, while Brent was back below $85/barrel from highs of ~$88.  Read next: The Japanese Yen (JPY) Weakened, The Aussie Pair Is Trading Above 0.70$| FXMAG.COM What to consider? BOJ maintains policy unchanged, launches new tool to support bond market The Bank of Japan left its policy levers unchanged at the January meeting, defying heavy market speculation of another tweak after the surprise in December. The announcement saw the yen plunge by over 2%, as the central bank said it would continue large-scale purchases of government bonds and increase it on a flexible basis as needed. The central bank, in a new measure to maintain yield control policy, also extended a loan offer to banks for funds of up to 10 years against collateral for both fixed- and variable-rate loans. Meanwhile, the BOJ still sees inflation getting back to sub-2% range this year. Core CPI estimate for FY2022 was only slightly raised to 3.0% for 2.9% previously, while the FY2023 estimate of 1.6% was maintained. In the press conference, BoJ Governor Kuroda said that the sustainable inflation goal is not yet in sight, suggesting low odds that he will declare victory on bringing back inflation before his exit in April. Bad economic news is now bad news for the markets US PPI fell 0.5% M/M in December, a deeper fall than the expected 0.1% decline, while the prior was downwardly revised to +0.2%; PPI Y/Y rose 6.2%, a big fall from the prior (downwardly revised) +7.3%, beneath the expected +6.8%. While slowing inflation continues to be a positive for the markets, concerns around slowing economic growth have started to bite as well. December US retail sales fell 1.1% M/M, deeper than the consensus 0.8% decline with a sizable downward revision for the prior to -1.0% from -0.6%. Industrial production fell 0.7% M/M in December, deeper than the consensus -0.1%, with the prior downwardly revised to -0.6% from -0.2%. Manufacturing output also declined by a larger 1.3%, deeper than expected -0.3% and the prior revised to -1.1% from -0.6%. Fed speakers continue to be mixed, with the non-voters staying hawkish Fed’s Bullard (non-voter) said his dot plot forecast for 2023 is just above the Fed's median of 5.1% at 5.25-5.50% and that Fed policy is not quite in restrictive territory, reiterating it needs to be over 5% at least. Bullard added the Fed should move as rapidly as it can to get over 5% and then react to data, noting his preference is for a 50bps hike at the next meeting (against the consensus 25bps). Loretta Mester (non-voter) said further rate hikes are still needed to decisively crush inflation and we are not at 5% yet, nor above it, which she thinks is going to be needed given her economic projections. She believes the Fed's key rate should rise a "little bit" above the 5.00-5.25% range that the Fed median implies. Harker (voter) said Fed needs to get FFR above 5%, but its good to approach the terminal rate slowly. Dallas President Lorie Logan (voter) spoke later as well, and also hinted at a slower pace of rate hikes. She said she wants a 25bp rate hike, not 50, at the February 1 FOMC meeting. She said if slower rate hike pace eases financial conditions, then the Fed can offset that by gradually raising rates to a higher level than previously expected. UK CPI softens for a second straight month UK Dec. CPI out this morning and slightly hotter than expectations as the headline rose +0.4% MoM and +10.5% year-on-year vs. +0.3%/+10.5% expected, respectively while the core CPI level rose +6.3% YoY vs. +6.2% expected and +6.3% in November. Sterling traded slightly firmer after the data. P&G and Netflix report earnings today On the earnings front, results from Procter & Gamble (PG:xnys) and Netflix (NFLX:xnas) will shed some light on global consumer strength. P&G reports Q4 earnings on Thursday before the market opens with analysts expecting revenue growth of -1.1% y/y and EPS of $1.59 down 4% y/y suggesting that volumes are being hit by inflation and that analysts expect P&G to see their operating margin decline q/q. The potential upside for P&G on its outlook is the reopening of China. Netflix reports Q4 earnings on Thursday after the market close with analysts expecting revenue growth of 1.7% y/y as streaming services are still facing headwinds post the pandemic. EPS is expected at $0.51 down 67% y/y. The things to focus on for investors are user growth, updates on its advertising business, and user engagement figures relative to recent content launches.   For a look ahead at markets this week – Read/listen to our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Market Insights Today: Sluggish US economic data; P&G and Netflix earnings ahead - 19 January 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Summary:  Risk on tone supported by lower bond yields and US dollar. Saxo’s equity baskets show the best gains are in sectors benefiting from China’s reopening. If NZ's CPI slows more than expected, the NZDUSD may see profit taking. Chinese New Year brings limited market hours. Australia’s ASX200 to take out a new all-time high, but CPI is in the way. Gold and copper continue to rally up. Oil prices are higher ahead of the EU embargo on Russia. Tech profits expected to dive, but there is room for disappointment. Saxo Spotlight: What’s on investors & traders radars this week, January 23-27: US GDP, AU NZ CPI, Microsoft & Tesla earnings Risk on tone supported for now as bond yields hold near lows, along with US dollar index US Treasury bond yields trading at some of the lowest levels down about 0.8% from the October peak, but yields are up slightly at 3.48%. Yields look set for lower levels and could even head back down and could drop below the 200-day SMA. The next level we’re watching is if yields fall to 3.22%.  If that level is reached, it would theoretically support US equities. We’d also need to see the US dollar remain lower. The US dollar index is now down 10% from its September high, but rose slightly on Friday after hotter than expected US prouder inflation for November, which bolsters the case for the Fed to keep hiking, even if it’s at a slower pace. Most gains in Saxo's equity baskets are in sectors benefiting from China’s reopening The Travel, E-commerce basket of stocks are up the most this month, followed by Energy Storage and China Consumer and Technology basket. However year-on Year, the most growth is from Defence which is up 21%. Economic news brings FX into focus US fourth-quarter GDP data, European PMIs and the Bank of Canada rate decision, as well as CPI for Australia and NZ will all be watched. NZ Consumer prices are expected broadly to have climbed 7.1% in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, which could mark CPI is slowing from the prior 7.2% and, more importantly, less than the 7.5% predicted by the Reserve Bank in its most recent forecasts. Given the NZ dollar was one of the strongest currencies last week, it could face profit taking if the data is weaker than expected. Market hours are limited this week, for Chinese New Year This also means light volume is expected and thus moves could perhaps be amplified on thin trade. China’s market is shut all week (Monday to Friday), Hong Kong’s market is shut for Monday to Wednesday, Singapore’s market is shut for Monday and Tuesday. Australia’s market shut Thursday for Australia Day. Australia’s ASX200 could likely to take out a new all-time high..... this is supported by the rally in commodities and expected higher earnings from mining companies, which make up 25% of the market. However CPI is a focus this week. Our technical analyst backs up this thinking, that the ASX200 is likely to hit a new all high- for more click here. But the danger this week is if Q4 CPI is hotter than expected on Wednesday, then equities could see profit taking. However overall sentiment is bullish for the ASX as demand for copper and iron ore is likely to pick up after CNY. CPI is expected to rise to 5.8% YoY from 5.6% (trimmed Mean CPI). And CPI YoY is expected to rise to 7.7% YoY, from 7.3%. Hotter data could further fuel the AUD and a likely fuel a sell-off in tech stocks and real estate. In company news to watch, iron ore company Champion Iron (CIA) reports quarterly earnings. Given the iron ore price is up 66% from its low, its outlook is expected to be optimistic. In commodities Gold and copper are gaining momentum and oil rallies The precious metal, gold, has been supported by lower yields and the US dollar falling, which has supported gold up 19% from its September low. As Ole Hansen points out we might need to see ETF holdings pick up in Gold, to see longer term investors getting involved, which could support gold higher, or potentially we may see some profit taking. However, gold momentum remains as long as the USD and yields behave. Recall that if the Fed pauses rates and rates peak, we think there is a case for our outrageous prediction of gold hitting $3,000 coming true. Copper trades up 0.5% to $4.25, its highest level since June last year, continuing its 32% rally off its low on expectations that China will increase buying after the Luna New Year holiday. Plus there are also disruptions on copper output in Peru, which could impact 2% of global copper output. So given inventory levels are already lower and demand expectations are picking up, copper prices are underpinned. Gas and oil prices are also higher too ahead of the EU embargo on Russian products which starts on February 5th. Oil (WTI) is up 1.3% to $82.64, at this level since early November, after two weeks of gains. Refinery demand is supporting prices. Tech companies' profits are expected to dive, but earnings estimates could be too optimistic & disappoint In the S&P500(US500.I) tech companies, which make up 26% of the market, are expected to report a quarterly profit drop of 9.2% on average, according to Bloomberg. This could be the biggest tech profit drop since 2016. Forward 12-month earnings of 39% is also expected according to Bloomberg. The danger is that estimates are still too bullish, and markets will likely be disappointed, which would trigger a fall. Overall aggregate S&P500 earnings are expected to have grown 2.12% in the quarter and miners are expected to deliver the most growth, real estate with the least. So far, only 55 companies have reported in the S&P500 and earnings have fallen over 4% on average. So, the bear case is still a factor for some investors, especially in tech. More job cuts are expected with margins being squeezed. EV companies are also facing pressure with higher metal prices. On Tuesday Microsoft kicks off earning season. Defence giants Raytheon and Lockheed Martin report on Tuesday. Tesla reports Wednesday. On Thursday Intel and Mastercard report, and steel giant Nucor. On Friday Chevron. These could be industry proxies to watch with a major focus on their outlooks.   Key economic releases & central bank meetings this week to watch  Monday 23 January China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore Market Holiday Japan BOJ Meeting Minutes (Dec) Tuesday 24 January China, Hong Kong, Taiwan South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore Market Holiday Australia Judo Bank Flash PMI, Manufacturing & Services Japan au Jibun Bank Flash Manufacturing PMI UK S&P Global/CIPS Flash PMI, Manufacturing & Services Germany S&P Global Flash PMI, Manufacturing & Services France S&P Global Flash PMI, Manufacturing & Services Eurozone S&P Global Flash PMI, Manufacturing & Services US S&P Global Flash PMI, Manufacturing & Services Thailand Customs-Based Trade Data (Dec) Germany GfK Consumer Sentiment (Feb) United Kingdom CBI Trends (Jan) Wednesday 25 January China, Hong Kong, Taiwan Market Holiday New Zealand CPI (Q4) Australia Composite Leading Index (Dec Australia CPI (Q4) Japan Leading Indicator (Nov, revised) Singapore Consumer Price Index (Dec) United Kingdom PPI (Dec) Thailand 1-Day Repo Rate (25 Jan) Germany Ifo Business Climate New (Jan) Canada BoC Rate Decision (25 Jan) Thursday 26 January Australia, China, Taiwan, India Market Holiday Japan BOJ Summary of Opinions (Jan) South Korea GDP (Q4) Japan Services PPI (Dec) Philippines GDP (Q4) Singapore Manufacturing Output (Dec) Norway Labour Force Survey (Dec) United Kingdom CBI Distributive Trades (Jan) Canada Business Barometer (Jan) United States Durable Goods (Dec) United States GDP (Q4, advance) United States Initial Jobless Claims United States New Home Sales (Dec) Friday 27 January China, Taiwan Market Holiday Japan CPI, Overall Tokyo (Jan) Australia PPI (Q4) Australia Export and Import Prices (Q4) United States Personal Income and Consumption (Dec) United States Core PCE (Dec) United States UoM Sentiment (Jan, final) United States Pending Home Sales (Dec) Source:Saxo Spotlight: What’s on investors & traders radars this week? | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Companies around the world are constantly assessed by state institutions and those outside. Reports and all kinds of information have a greater or lesser impact on the situation of a given company, but the example of Adani Group shows that one report can generate large losses. In this article: The power nutrient The bond market A Loss Of $48 Billion In Shares The power nutrient Everyone wants to be healthy and matter. On the internet you can find various diets and tips on how to achieve this. Many specialists repeat that the most important thing is a proper diet, and especially taking care of its micronutrients. Fiber is a nutrient superhero, and yet most people don't get enough in their diets. Researchers have found that adequate dietary fiber intake is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, certain gastrointestinal disorders, and type 2 diabetes. There is also evidence that the benefits of fiber extend beyond any specific ailment: eating more fiber can lower human mortality. A study by the National Institutes of Health found that people who consumed higher amounts of fiber, especially from grains, had a significantly lower risk of dying over a nine-year period compared to those who consumed lower amounts of fiber. While you can easily take a fiber supplement, you will miss out on all the other vitamins and minerals that whole foods provide. The best sources of fiber are whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes and nuts. It is worth considering whether we consume the right amount of fiber and take care of our health. A dietitian says this is the "power nutrient" she eats for a longer, healthier life—but 95% of Americans lack in their diet. (via @CNBCMakeIt) https://t.co/cEhnURQYOd — CNBC (@CNBC) January 29, 2023 The bond market The bond market is an opportunity for profit, but it is also risky. Last year, an avalanche of events caused the market to collapse - the Russo-Ukrainian war, the tightening of the Federal Reserve, rising inflation and soaring energy prices. High yield bonds did not run away, losing nearly 11% due to recession fears but also due to rising interest rates. In response, investors paid out a record $52.8 billion in the first three quarters of 2022. The good news is that this sale has boosted profitability and could be a buying opportunity. Despite the difficulties on the market, it is worth looking for opportunities, not obstacles. A current yield level of around 9% offers an attractive entry point from an income perspective for high-yield bond fund investors.Here is a closer look at a few of the funds favored by our analysts. https://t.co/kHDE6LCqN1 — Morningstar, Inc. (@MorningstarInc) January 29, 2023 A Loss Of $48 Billion In Shares A report by Hindenburg Research triggered a loss of $48 billion in shares of the Indian group Adani. The Hindenburg Report questioned how Adani Group exploited foreign entities in tax havens such as Mauritius and the Caribbean islands. The company did not leave the case without a competitor. Adani said on Thursday he was considering taking action against Hindenburg. India's Adani Group: Hindenburg report intended to create false market https://t.co/epI05jy6GK pic.twitter.com/0IZ4coQS7V — Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) January 29, 2023

Summary:  Further flattening or inversion is possible but with the recent downshift consensus with descending inflation numbers, it would be worth watching for trade setup by buying the spread - buy 2 year futures ZTH3 and sell 10 year futures ZNH3 - with reward risk that could favor a steepener instead. Chinese market returns after a long break but this week is huge with heaps of market events starting with FOMC rate decision followed by the earnings of three trillion market cap stocks – AMZN, GOOGL and AAPL - then of course non farm payroll (est 175k) and unemployment (est 3.6%) to wrap things up.S&P500 has already started the new year with YTD return +6% breaking above psychological level 4,000 where both 200DMA & downtrend (from all time high 4,818) coincided.  As a result of this laggy looking Santa rally, S&P500 PE is nearly 20 times compared to low 17 back in October last year and so far 143 companies reported with +0.9% sales and +2% earnings surprises. Last Friday two stocks stood out in relation to the inflation expectations.  AMEX 4Q results showed record quarterly card spending and indicated 2023 guidance for sales & earnings topping estimates.  Further more, similar to BHP that reached all time high $50 level recently, Caterpillar (CAT) has hit record high $266.04 heading into earnings tomorrow night and the focus is expected to be on the machinery producer’s demand forecast for this year.Another observation is on silver (XAGUSD) that has gained ~40% from last year’s support level $18 while testing big downtrend (from double top $30 that was formed during 2020 – 2021).  Given its industrial uses and half precious metal status, China reopening anticipation seems to be fully priced in and major driver behind the recent base metals that also have rallied and is showing resilience.  This month so far, broad based US dollar weakness coincided with falling VIX below 20 and credit spread declining towards 450bps on the back of falling treasury yields in the range between 20 and 40 bps particularly from 2 years onwards.  However the below graph shows shifts in yield curve of key tenors between now and 15th dec 22 when the last FOMC meeting took place with economic projections including non-accelerating inflation rate of unemployment (NAIRU) at 4% and PCE price index of 2%.  Clearly the big swings – rise in yield – were concentrated on the short end of the curve all the way upto three months while 10 year & 30 year increases were relatively subdued therefore resulting in bear flattener (short end rising faster than long end). Most recent unemployment rate was 3.5% that is the lowest in 50 years and below NAIRU 4% so there is about 0.5% gap in between.  Also last week’s Dec core PCE YoY was 4.4% - the lowest out of four measures of inflation - therefore both of these figures still seem to suggest inflationary condition still exists hence current futures market’s implication of mere two 25bps hikes next two meetings taking the terminal rate at around 4.9% looks to be far from the reality so USD weakness may not last for long – particularly against AUD (S&P500 sensitivity) and JPY (carry trade) that both had the biggest returns of 6% among G10 currencies post last FOMC meeting - with potential reversal being a scenario that shouldn’t be ruled out. Another component of the yield curve other than direction of yield is anticipating whether the curve will steepen or flatten.  Two of the mostly watched spreads – 2y10y (-70bps) and 3m10y (-110bps) - have been extremely inverted for some time hence raising the probability of recession based on the historical correlations.  Major driver behind the inversion of the yield curve has been a significant rise in short end of the curve reacting to Fed’s rate hikes in typical fashion and may continue to see further flattening or inversion but with the recent downshift consensus with descending inflation numbers, it would be worth watching for trade setup by buying the spread - buy 2 year futures ZTH3 and sell 10 year futures ZNH3 while matching duration or DV01 (dollar value of 1 basis point change) - with reward risk that could favor a steepener instead, should the inflation remains elevated above the Fed’s target longer than expected alongside record low level of unemployment while also we have seen AU (7.8%) & NZ (7.2%) with higher than expected CPI last week. e.g. Long 100 lot ZTH3 and short 52 lot ZNH3 with spread ratio of 0.5169 (DV01 of $34.11 / $65.98) in the anticipation of profiting from steepening either by long end yield rising faster than short end yield (bear steepener) or short end yield falling faster than long end yield (bull steepener) but loss from more flattening and breakeven from parallel shift which is probably most unlikely scenario. Yield curve shift 2y10y and 3m10y of yield curve spreads   Source: ST Note - Nothing but yield curve | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Summary:  New alliances and collaborations outside of China may lead to prosperous times in Asia. In Asia, the model of dependence on China is breaking, and new supply chain linkages and more regional co-operation will bring the next leg of outperformance for the region in 2023.  Asian stocks have started 2023 with a bang, with the MSCI Asia Pacific Index and the MSCI Emerging Markets Index entering a bull market in January, outpacing the US S&P 500. A lot of this has been driven by China’s policy shifts and a weaker US dollar. However, risks of a slowdown in the global economy as well as inflation remaining higher-for-longer cannot be discounted. The outlook for domestic demand in Asia is also challenged by the rise in interest rates seen in 2022. Meanwhile, geopolitical risks remain in play, clouding the outlook.  The other key thing to consider will be that Asia’s dependence on China is waning, as is evident from the region’s outperformance in 2022 despite China’s slowdown. As China reopens, we are likely to see new supply chain models and more regional co-operation that will push Asia’s relevance higher in the global economy.  Source: Bloomberg, Saxo Markets New supply chain models to increase Asia’s relevance The escalating US-China trade and tech wars have prompted many companies to diversify their supply chains to reduce risks from sanctions. The pandemic had already highlighted the need to address concentration risks as supply chains for everything from basic industrial components to medical supplies and even toilet paper were over-reliant on China. Finally, the invasion of Ukraine and the resulting impact on Europe’s gas supplies has set a clear agenda for many countries traditionally aligned with US foreign policy to think about supply chain resilience and avoid relying too heavily on Russia or China, and instead sourcing from friendly countries.  Japan, for instance, is not just looking to diversify its LNG suppliers and trying to bring its nuclear reactors back online to ensure a resilient energy supply in the long run, but also trying to pivot away from a reliance on China and Russia for food to reduce the risks of getting cut off. More broadly, Japan is on a war footing, as is evident from the surge in defence spending, closer alignment with the US and outright condemnation of Russia’s attacks on Ukraine. This means a new economic and geopolitical order may be in the works in Asia. Winners of China+1  A group of Asian countries is emerging as possible winners of the deglobalisation and decentralisation trends. Investments in India have accelerated, given its attractiveness as a consumer market and a favourable policy stance. Apple has started manufacturing of iPhone14 in India, and it is expected to shift a material share of its iPhone production to India by 2025. If this move is successful and Apple is able to deliver its planned output, that will be a significant endorsement of India’s manufacturing capabilities. However, going into 2023, India’s valuation has become stretched and there are other, relatively cheaper markets that offer better value after deep drawdowns last year. This means India will have to prove its relevance again through continued economic reform to attract foreign investment.  Source: World Bank, Bloomberg, Saxo Markets Vietnam has been another winner of the China+1 strategy, as it has attracted a large share of manufacturing from China. Vietnam still provides relative value going into 2023, being a supplier of key components in broadcasting equipment, integrated circuits, telephones, textile footwear, clothing and furniture to the world.  Indonesia was another outperformer in the Asian markets in 2022 given its high commodity exposure. As most countries struggle to ensure a baseload supply of energy, Indonesian coal could remain in demand in 2023. As well, a refreshed focus on green transformation will continue to push the demand higher for nickel and copper, Indonesia’s key export metals. EV makers like Tesla are looking to set up production facilities in Indonesia, as a step to diversify away from China, but also to locate production closer to raw materials inputs, in order to ensure supply chain resilience. Political uncertainty however will start to cloud the outlook in late 2023 as the race for 2024 presidential elections starts to heat up.  Source: Bloomberg, Saxo Markets Chip wars could decouple South Korea and Taiwan from China The cold war between the US and China could take a strategic shift this year, and if we see continued restrictions on the semiconductor sector, that could potentially force major players in the semiconductor supply chain, such as Taiwan, Korea and Japan, to decouple from China. Taiwan has recently passed a law that will allow local semiconductor companies to get tax credits for up to 25 percent of their R&D expenses. This could be followed up with similar provisions from the US and Europe to better attract investment, and that could mean a potential re-rating of the semiconductor sector in 2023. The early batch of earnings reports in the semiconductor space have seen dismal results and high inventories weighing on sentiment. But there is potential for a demand recovery with China’s reopening, an auto sector bounce-back and further investments in the expansion of data storage centres. Taiwan may be suffering a ‘geopolitical discount’, judging from the MSCI Taiwan valuation, which is far below its five-year average despite the recent surge in equities in the region. This contrasts with MSCI Korea, which has just moved above its five-year average with the gains at the start of 2023, though it has a lot of room to catch up with the 2020 highs. ASEAN’s potential to enjoy a privileged geopolitical position As the world grapples with its over-dependence on China in 2023, China’s trade with ASEAN countries will nonetheless likely grow further in 2023, creating room for more growth in the region. As supply chains relocate out of China, many manufacturers still need to source parts for assembly from there. And China is a major foreign investor in Southeast Asia, accounting for around 8 percent of total FDI flows to the region in 2016-2020, a 65 percent increase over 2011-2015. In addition, China’s strategic shift to move to high value-added manufacturing has seen a lot of low value-added manufacturing move to neighbouring countries with lower wages. China’s exports to Vietnam rose 40 percent over 2019 to 2021, with much of it being inputs and components for Chinese-owned factories in Vietnam, where production there in turn is primarily for export. Recovering Chinese demand should also help restore ruptured supply chains, and improve the demand for ASEAN exports. Tourism demand is also likely to pick up as Chinese tourists return to Southeast Asia with the border reopening. In summary, 2023 brings the perfect combination of positives for Asia. In the short-term, the region gets a bump higher from China’s reopening. Meanwhile, Asia will become a key part of global supply chains in the longer run and enjoy a privileged geopolitical position which is key for both China and the US.   Source: Opportunities in a deglobalising world | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

After a year of technological failure, Tokyo-based SoftBank is still feeling the effects of peak spending in the market. The losses SoftBank Group Corp. on Tuesday reported a quarterly loss of $5.8 billion in its start-up mutual fund division known as Vision Fund. , most of the company's quarterly loss of $5.9 billion. Investment losses currently piling up in SoftBank's Vision Fund department give a more accurate picture of the company's plight. The results highlight the depth of SoftBank's decline, which spent more than $140 billion in Vision Fund segment between 2017 and last year, an amount that eclipsed Silicon Valley's largest venture capital firms and went to companies like Uber Technologies, DoorDash and WeWork. At its peak, it turned that money into a profit of $66.4 billion. For example, publicly traded shares held by SoftBank's flagship Vision Fund fell 37% from SoftBank's initial investment, representing a loss of $11.5 billion. SoftBank, meanwhile, said its holdings in private firms were yielding a modest 4.6% profit, or $1.6 billion above costs. The recent losses are due in large part to a reporting quirk in the private investment market that has led investment managers to take losses on private start-ups for longer than publicly traded shares. It is not a good time to invest in startups These losses also forced SoftBank to withdraw from its aggressive investing style. SoftBank Group Corp. was the world's largest startup investor in 2021. Now he hardly invests at all. The Vision Fund unit saw approximately $300 million in new investments, down 98% from the $15.6 billion spent in the three months of mid-2021, when SoftBank and its chief executive Masayoshi Son were known to shower money on the foamy market startups. Read next: The Court In Munich Decided In Favor Of BMW| FXMAG.COM SoftBank Group CFO Yoshimitsu Goto told reporters on Tuesday that it simply is not a good time to invest in startups. SoftBank's investment strategy of pouring money into underperforming startups embodied the go-go attitude of the last tech boom. His big loss is a timely reminder of the downsides of this approach – something traders should keep in mind. Investment in ARM The CEO decided late last year that he would not speak at profit meetings for the time being because he said he wanted to focus on Arm, a UK-based chip design company owned by SoftBank. SoftBank continued to push for an IPO of ARM by March 2024 and has made progress. An Arm representative said no decision had been made on where to put the list. Officials in the UK government and the London Stock Exchange pushed hard for Arm to be listed in London, perhaps in addition to a New York listing. SoftBank shere price Between early 2021 and early 2022, the company's share price fell by more than half as higher interest rates and China's crackdown on leading tech companies hit SoftBank's portfolio. Last November, the stock rose to a record high above JPY 7,000, but then fell. Since the new year, the share price has been rising from 5,640 JPY until it breaks above 6,000. This week, the stock traded at 6,332 JPY, but fell back to below 6,000, and is now at 5,948.00 JPY. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com

Summary:  Our Quarterly Outlook highlighted our significantly bullish view on industrial metals such as copper, aluminium and lithium. We highlight potential stocks to watch ahead, given many of the major metal companies including Albemarle, BHP, Rio Tinto and Pilbara Minerals report financial results and their outlooks in the coming weeks. We believe a theme might be to expect higher commodity prices this year. When picking investments, remember markets are forward looking When assessing sectors and stocks to watch, it’s important to note markets are forward looking.As we are at Saxo - we’re thinking about what markets could look in six to 12 month.With that in mind, and reflecting on Saxo’s quarterly outlook; we wanted to share five stocks to watch; as featured in our Equity baskets and focusing on our bullish view of the commodity sector. Read next: Twitter Co-Founder Jack Dorsey Comments New Twitter's Owner| FXMAG.COM Saxo is bullish on copper, aluminium and lithium    At Saxo, as mentioned in our quarterly outlook, we’re significantly bullish on copper, aluminium and lithium; underpinned by demand from the global green transformation and with hundreds of billions to be invested to achieve climate and car makers goals. Here are three considerations Firstly; The International Energy Agency or IEA – made of 31 countries, including, Australia, the UK, Denmark, the United States and Japan vowed to be emission free by 2050. Some nations plan to end the sale of fuel powered engines by 2035. Meaning - demand for green metals will only increase - while supply is not expected to keep up. This means the trend toward higher commodity prices is likely here to stay. Secondl;  consider how much copper, aluminium and lithium goes into an average EV - 10 kilograms of lithium, 83 kilograms of copper. 250 kilograms of aluminium. But metals are also needed for other battery cells and for building materials as well. Thirdly; consider; investment managers have been increasing their positions into such, metals, given the likes of Tesla, Ford, BMW, Merc, and VW will need to buy more raw materials such as these, to ramping up EVs production. Five stocks to watch; across copper, aluminium and lithium- Albemarle, BHP, Rio, Southern Copper Corp and Pilbara Minerals   These stocks are featured in Saxo equity baskets, to find more click here.  Albemarle (ALB) is the world’s biggest lithium producing company by market size with a US$31.3 billion valuation. It has one the broadest customer groups, selling to Toyota, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla and GM, and Panasonic. Albemarle is due to report financial results on February 16 as well as its outlook, which will be very telling for the lithium industry. For more on Albemarle head to Saxo’s Lithium or green transformation equity theme baskets. BHP (BHP) is the biggest mining company in the world by market size, with an AUD$243 billion valuation. BHP has historically generated some of strongest cashflows across the globe. Given this – it’s also been able to pay some of the highest dividends in the world, consistently. Consensus expects BHP to pay a full-year gross dividend yield of 14%. For the last reporting period BHP made about 48.7% of its revenue from iron ore, 26.7% from copper and 24.6% from coal. BHP is also attempting to take over copper giant, Oz Minerals, while also moving into fertilisers – with plans to be the biggest fertiliser company in the world. BHP reports full year financial results on February 21 as well as its outlook. Which will give us a further glimpse into future demand for copper, as well as iron ore. For more  on BHP- head to Saxo’s Commodity or Australian Resources basket. Rio Tinto (RIO) is the second biggest diversified miner in the world, with an $178 billion valuation. Last reporting year Rio made 58.1% of its revenue from iron ore, 21.5% from aluminium and 10.9% from copper, and the remainder from other metals. Rio is expected to pay a full-year gross dividend yield of about 11% this year. Rio reports full year financial results on February 22 and its outlook for 2023, which will be interesting given it’s a major aluminium producer. For more on Rio head to Saxo’s Commodity or Australian Resources basket. Southern Copper Corp (SSCO) is another large copper miner. It’s not a large as BHP or RIO in size but it’s market cap size is US$57.3 billion. Last reporting year it made most of revenue from copper. The market expects Southern Copper to pay a full yea gross dividend yield of 5.3% this year. For more on Southern Copper head to Saxo’s Commodity equity basket. Pilbara Minerals (PLS) is Australia largest lithium miner. It has a market value of AU$14 billion. Pilbara’s customers include LG Chem, and China’s Great Wall Motor Company. And believe it or not, one of Pilbara Minerals customers is actually China’s Genfeng Lithium Corp, which is China’s largest lithium company. Pilbara is due to report financial results on February 22. For more, read Saxo’s quarterly outlook at analysis.Saxo.To find out more on the stocks mentioned above, refer to our equity baskets under Research, Stocks.    -- For prior episodes of Stocks Watch  click here.For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Stock watch video: Saxo’s bullish view on industrial metals, copper, aluminium, lithium | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Online shopping is becoming more and more popular. Sellers, in order to meet the expectations of consumers, look for the best possible solutions. It turns out that online sales require more storage space than brick-and-mortar sales, which is why the demand for warehouse space increases with the growth of online trade. In this article: US CPI and what does it mean for investors? Magazine dominance The largest ever bond issue by India's Housing Development Finance Corp US CPI and what does it mean for investors? After months of good news in the fight against inflation, the January report on the Consumer Price Index showed that progress in bringing down inflation is slower. Although it seems that the trend towards lower inflation is still on track For investors, more sticky inflation means interest rates can stay higher for longer. Increasingly, they expect the Fed to hold off on interest rate hikes until the end of the year, the latest inflation report, coupled with the Good Jobs Report released earlier this month, shows that hopes may be waning. The latest data changed expectations that the Fed will raise interest rates and hold them longer. January's CPI report is potentially difficult news for both bond and equity markets, which have increasingly bet that the Fed will soon stop raising interest rates and start cutting them well before the end of 2023. The January CPI report showed that progress in bringing inflation down is moving more slowly than many in the markets thought.For investors, stickier inflation means interest rates potentially staying higher for longer. Here's what to know. https://t.co/oMMcguky0C — Morningstar, Inc. (@MorningstarInc) February 14, 2023 Read next: Airbnb Posted A Profit Of $1.9. Billion, Air India And Largest Commercial Aircraft Deal In Aviation History| FXMAG.COM Magazine dominance According to CBRE, another nearly 190 million square feet of warehouse space was under construction in North America in 2020, with more than 43% of the buildings pre-leased. This demand is being driven by retailers who are expanding their e-commerce business during the online shopping boom and investing in faster delivery thanks to consumer expectations. Retailers are also securing more US warehouse space to cushion the impact of future supply chain shocks, such as those caused by the coronavirus pandemic. JLL estimates that by 2025, the US may need an additional 1 billion square feet of new industrial space to keep up with demand. This forces industrial developers to get creative and find more unconventional places. The U.S. is facing a warehouse shortage. What does this mean for American consumers and business people from Wall Street to Main Street? Watch the full video here: https://t.co/0frYl0vhY7 pic.twitter.com/lnTxxJroki — CNBC (@CNBC) February 15, 2023 The largest ever bond issue by India's Housing Development Finance Corp India's Housing Development Finance Corp (HDFC) aims to raise at least 50 billion rupees ($603.4 million) through the sale of 10-year bonds on Thursday. If the company raises the full amount, it will also be the largest-ever private debt issuance by an Indian company. Indian lender HDFC's biggest-ever bond issue to see strong demand - bankers https://t.co/3IH1i2XeZR pic.twitter.com/cgZ2ziNKzh — Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) February 15, 2023

Summary:  The US equity market stumbled badly yesterday as US treasury yields continue to rise, with another strong weekly claims number and hotter than expected producer prices print weighting. The US dollar is breaking out higher in most USD pairs. A heavy load of options expiry today could aggravate US equity market volatility as weekly futures and single stock options are set to expire. What is our trading focus? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I): an echo from a distant past In yesterday’s equity note we wrote about the key risks in equities arguing that the interest rate sensitivity is no longer the dominant risk factor as equity valuations have fallen and interest rates have already got closer to long-term averages. With the US 10-year yield advancing yesterday after comments from Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester that more rate hikes are needed to tame inflation S&P 500 futures reacted negatively. Higher long-term bond yields do still impact equities through the discount rate on future cash flows, but initial reaction in S&P 500 futures was muted and they fought back during the session before selling off into the close. Higher than expected US PPI figures reported yesterday are also negative for equities as it could indicate margin pressures will continue for companies. S&P 500 futures are continuing selling off this morning trading around the 4,080 level which is at the lower end of the trading range for February. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIG3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) pulled back Hang Seng Index slipped 0.6% as investors lowered expectations for a rapid recovery in Chinese consumer spending. Leading Hong Kong jewellers which have large exposure to Chinese tourists as well as stores all over the mainland declined 2-4%. The Chinese traditional medicine names bucked the decline and rose 3-7%. President Xi’s plan to visit Iran and China’s Ministry of Commerce imposing sanctions on Lockheed Martin (LMT:xnys) and Raytheon Technologies (RTX:xnys) also dented the market sentiment. In A-shares, CSI300 dropped 0.7%, with stocks in the tech space retreating while Chinese traditional medicines and childcare products names advancing. FX: Firm king dollar as yields rise; JPY threatens new lows With US yields grinding higher still, the dollar was firmer again and hit fresh highs since 6 January. A hot PPI, still low jobless claims and Fed speakers, together with weakening risk sentiment all supportive for the greenback. It may be a quiet day ahead for macro data, but market volatility elsewhere after yesterday’s unsettling sell-off in risky assets could yet drive significant moves (note options expiry in the US below). USDCAD is pushing on 1.3500 for the first time since mid-January amid weakness in oil prices while AUDUSD rolled over to new lows since the first days of the year, touching below the recent 0.6856 pivot low and threatening the 200-day moving average just above 0.6800. GBPUSD likewise broke below its prior pivot low of 1.1961 and is trading at its 200-day moving average at 1.1940. USDJPY rose above 134.50 overnight, with the 200-day moving average still some distance higher at 136.93. EURUSD broke down through it’s range low of 1.0656 in late Asian trading as well. Crude oil (CLH3 & LCOJ3) heads for a weekly loss amid Fed concerns and inventory build Even as some signs of improving Chinese demand started to appear, the broader inflation and interest rate rhetoric nudging higher again this week weighed on crude oil and the commodity complex more broadly this week. A hot PPI overnight, along with Fed members now starting to open the door for another potential 50bps rate hike has further brought the Fed’s terminal rate pricing higher and US yields continue to rise. WTI prices dipped below $78 in Asia, with Brent around $85. Even as OPEC and IEA reports suggested possible uptick in demand as China reopens, US stockpile reports continued to dampen the demand outlook. Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman also said the current OPEC+ deal on output levels will remain in place until year-end and that he is wary of forecasts of much higher demand from China. Copper prices fading after posting two-week highs yesterday Copper prices rose higher on Thursday as the dollar rally took a bit of a breather before resuming later, so the new two-week high was only briefly held before prices rolled back down into the range overnight. Copper stockpiles on the Shanghai Futures Exchange fell for the first time in two months, suggesting that the Chinese demand is picking up. Growth in aluminium inventories also slowed, according to data from Shanghai Metals Market. This comes amid ongoing risks of further supply disruptions. Earlier this week, Freeport-McMoRan Inc suspended operations at its Grasberg copper mine in Indonesia due to landslides. This is adding to disruption to Peru’s output caused by social unrest. Copper prices rose to $4.15 before a retreat to $4.09 in Asia. The key $4 handle support continues to be key. Gold (XAUUSD) testing below first key support Gold prices were only corralled briefly by the 1,828 level this week, which is the major 38.2% retracement of the entire rally off the 1614 lows. Overnight, the stronger US dollar and higher US yields are driving new selling below 1,825, with the next levels looming the 1,809 area that was a critical range break level on the way up, and then perhaps the 200-day moving average coming in at 1,776. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) climbed on hawkish Fedspeak and producer price inflation The US 10-year treasury yield surged 6bps yesterday and followed through higher still to the highest level of the year at 3.89% overnight after a large jump in the US PPI in January and hawkish comments from Fed’s Mester and Bullard (see below). The selling during the session concentrated on the longer end of the curve, with the 2-10 yield curve inversion moderating sharply to –78 bps after as low as –90 bps on Wednesday. The $9 billion 30-year TIPS auction had a bid/cover ratio of 2.38, below 2.69 last time. Traders are cautious ahead of next week’s $120 billion supply from the 2, 5, and 7-year Treasury note auction. What is going on? Albemarle –the lithium giant beat earnings expectations and gave an upbeat outlook. Albemarle, the world's largest lithium company – in size, and scale (selling lithium to most EV makers) rose 4.7% after it delivered a stronger than expected sales outlook. It sees net sales growing to $11.3-$12.9 billion, and EBITDA getting as high as $5.1 billion. It expects to maintain positive cashflow even despite increasing capital expenditure. In Q4 - its earnings (EBITDA) swelled to $1.24 billion, beating expectations and marking a massive jump from $229 million last year, as lithium earnings rose more than expected. Adjusted EPS also grew more than consensus expected with EPS, at $8.62. Other lithium producers such as Allkem and Pilbara Minerals report results next week. Tesla shares dive as company to recall 362,000 cars for self-driving crash risks Tesla’s recall affects 362,758 vehicles, including certain Model 3, Model X, Model Y and Model S units manufactured between 2016 and 2023. Although Musk said it’s not a recall, even though Tesla’s full-self driving beta system “may allow the vehicle to act unsafe around intersections”, and increase collision risk if the driver does not intervene, Musk affirmed the issue will be remedied with a software update, by April 15. Tesla shares fell 5.7% to $202.04 on Thursday after trading 15 dollars higher earlier in the session. European earnings: Allianz, Mercedes, Hermes Allianz reports fiscal year operating profit of €14.2bn vs est. €13.7bn and sets the dividend per share to €11.40 vs est. €11.38. On the conference call this morning the CFO of Allianz said that the company does not expect rates to go significantly higher. Mercedes reports this morning Q4 revenue of €41bn vs est. €37.7bn and adjusted EBIT of €5.1bn vs est. €4.5bn as pricing remains strong in the car industry but the German carmaker sees FY23 operating income below the 2022 level. Mercedes is also planning a €4bn buyback programme. Hermes reports this morning Q4 revenue of €3bn vs est. €2.8bn up 23% in constant currency reflecting strong demand for luxury goods. Hermes raised their global prices in January by 7% compared to a year ago. Fed speakers mention idea of 50-basis point hikes Two hawkish Fed members, the St. Louis Fed’s Bullard and the Cleveland Fed’s Mester, neither of whom are voters this year, argued they were in favour of a 50-basis point hike at the Feb 1 FOMC meeting (only 25-bp hike delivered). The market is pricing 28 basis points for the March 22 meeting and a peak Fed Funds rate this year of 5.29%. China’s US Treasury holdings hit a 12-year low in December Data published this week by the US Treasury show that China’s holdings of US treasuries fell for the fifth month in a row and to a 12-year low – to $867 billion and marking a total fall of $173 billion for the 2022 calendar year. What are we watching next? Significant options expiry today, 0DTE options a risk for driving volatility. The options market in recent months has driven significant intraday volatility as options on US S&P 500 futures are available with expiry on all weekdays. It has become increasingly popular to trade the contracts that expire on the same day as they are traded, so called 0DTE, or Zero Days to Expiry options. Such trading in 0DTE options represents nearly half of all traded S&P options, with some noting that this trading represents a significant risk to accelerating market volatility on any given day. With yesterday’s ugly session in the US and other options also up for expiry, including weekly options on single stocks and ETF’s, it is worth noting the background risk that market volatility can drive a reflexive risk of further volatility as options holders rush to hedge their market exposure, which can swell as options move closer to- or deeper into the money. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is Deere which is expected to report FY23 Q1 (ending 31 Jan) revenue growth of 17% y/y and EPS of $5.53 up 76% y/y as demand remains robust and margins have room to expand. Friday: Hermes International, Safran, Allianz, Mercedes-Benz, Uniper, Sika, Deere Next week’s earnings releases: Monday: BHP Group, Williams Cos Tuesday: Teck Resources, Gapgemini, Engie, HSBC, Walmart, Home Depot, Medtronic, Palo Alto Networks Wednesday: Rio Tinto, Genmab, Danone, Lloyds Banking Group, Iberdrola, Nvidia, TJX, Stellantis, Baidu, eBay Thursday: EssilorLuxottica, Deutsche Telekom, Munich Re, Kuaishou Technology, Eni, Anglo American, BAE Systems Friday: BASF, Monster Beverage Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1130 – ECB's Villeroy to speak 1330 – Canada Jan. Teranet/Nationa Bank Home Price Index 1330 – US Fed’s Barkin (Non-voter) to speak 1330 – US Jan. Import/Export Price Indices 1345 – US Fed’s Bowman (Voter) to speak 1500 – US Jan. Leading Index   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – February 17, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

  Summary:  Earnings focus moves to Asia this week, even though US retail earnings from Walmart and Home Depot will still be key. Outlook from airlines like Singapore Airlines and Qantas, as well as commodity giants like BHP and Rio and Singapore’s agri player Wilmar, will add more colour on the potential pickup in Chinese demand. China’s tech sector and its progress on ChatGPT style products will also be a key focus as Alibaba and Baidu report. Singapore bank earnings also in focus. ChatGPT craze on test in China technology sector Alibaba (BABA:xnys) and Baidu (09888:xhkg) report earnings this week, and the key focus will be on the outlook on the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) as well as the impact from easing crackdown of the Chinese government on the internet companies. While Baidu is likely to see the ongoing recovery in its advertisement business and upside in cloud opportunity become more supportive, key focus for investors will be on any further details on its ChatGPT-style product which the company is expected to launch in March. Alibaba is also likely in the race for an AI Chatbot, but earnings will take some time to capture the real enthusiasm from China’s reopening. Both Alibaba and Baidu have seen a rebound in their share prices this year, market will be focused on evidence of an earnings recovery and a strong outlook to sustain the price momentum. Travel demand outlook from airline stocks on watch Earnings reports from Singapore Airlines (C6L:xses), Qantas Airlines (QAN:xasx) and Air New Zealand (AIZ:xasx) will be key to assess how the Asia reopening theme has been playing out. More importantly, the outlook for the travel and tourism sector will be on watch in anticipation of the return of Chinese tourists. US airlines earnings results for Q4 have been strong amid booming demand and a decline in jet fuel prices, and a similar momentum remains likely from Asian airline results due in the week. Singapore Airlines has recently reported a 400% increase in passenger traffic in January from last year amid year-end traffic and the Lunar New Year holiday, but it is still trading below historical averages and at a discount to its regional peers. Qantas is expected to return to profitability, and also appears undervalued despite being up 55% from its 2022 lows. Air New Zealand also reports this week. Singapore banks remain a key dividend play Singapore’s largest bank DBS (D05:xses) reported bumper Q4 earnings last week, and declared a special dividend. The other two banks, UOB (U11:xses) and OCBC (O39:xses) will be reporting this week and are also likely to show resilient earnings. UOB reports on Thursday pre-market and may be able to garner gains in net interest income and show a greater impact from the acquisition of Citi’s retail banking business, but that will be offset by lower wealth management fee amid continued investor caution. OCBC's profit remains more vulnerable than that of DBS and UOB due to its large wealth-management and insurance businesses, which account for 50% of non-interest income. Commodity giants BHP, Rio Tinto and agricultural producer Wilmar also on tap Resource company BHP Group (BHP:xnys) reports earnings before Australia open on Tuesday, and dividend payout is expected at USD 0.88, well below the USD 1.50 declared in February 2022 amid the Oz Minerals acquisition being in play. Market expects lower revenues and earnings compared to last year due to the weakness in iron ore and copper prices. Rio Tinto (RIO:xlon) reports full year results on Wednesday, and plans for Pilbara (PLS:xasx), its lithium arm, will be key to watch. The focus will also be on BHP and Rio’s upcoming projects and outlook for the year ahead, with supply constraints reigning and expectations of Chinese demand picking up. Another lithium player Allkem (AKE:xasx) also reports results this week. On the agri side, Singapore’s Wilmar (F34:xses) is expected to report record profits for 2022 and outlook is likely to remain positive as well with China demand picking up. Source: Asia: Key earnings this week will add more color on the potential from incoming China demand boost | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Summary:  US equity markets bounced on Friday after teasing new lows, maintaining the sense of indecision after more than two weeks of choppy, directionless trading. Treasury yields and the US dollar rolled over sharply on Friday after posting new highs for the cycle and stern US warnings to China against providing military aid to Russia have upped the geopolitical risks by an order of magnitude as markets will nervously await China’s response in coming days and weeks. What is our trading focus? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I): gains for February have evaporated Friday’s session was weak ending with the lowest close print for February as the market reacted to higher interest rates and data suggesting inflation pressures remain high. Last week, was still a strong week for bubble stock despite the rising interest rates while commodity related companies and Chinese stocks were the weakest links in the global equity market. S&P 500 futures have opened up this week below Friday’s close trading around the 4,085 level with the key 4,000 level still in play on the downside if S&P 500 futures make another lower close in today’s session. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIG3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) rallied with A-shares leading China’s A-shares rallied strongly on Monday with the benchmark CSI300 rising 2.3%. Although the 1-year and 5-year loan prime rates remained unchanged at the monthly fixing this morning, the average mortgage interest in the largest 100 cities fell 6bps M/M to 4.04% in February, or 143bps Y/Y for first-home mortgages and 84bps for second-home mortgages.  Construction materials, electronic appliances and telco names led the charge higher in A-shares. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index opened lower but spent the rest of the day climbing to 1.1% higher as of writing. China Hongqiao (01378:xhkg), a leading aluminium products manufacturer, jumped over 10%. FX: Dollar reverses lower on sentiment shift Friday, NZD in focus as RBNZ meets this week After a run higher last week on rising US treasury yields and Fed rate hike expectations, the US dollar was off its highs on Friday with US 10-year yields turning lower after trading close to the key 4% mark. This helped USDJPY retreat from 2-month highs above 135. Note Japan set to report CPI this Friday and BOJ governor nominee Ueda’s parliamentary hearings will likely keep the yen volatile. NZD was one of the underperformers last week on slowing 2yr NZ inflation expectations, and remains in focus this week as RBNZ is likely to downshift to a 50bps rate hike with some even considering a 25bps hike amid risks from the recent cyclone. GBPUSD touched lows of 1.1915 last week but was back above 1.2000 handle on Friday. ECB commentary remains mixed (read below) and EURUSD still close to 1.07. Crude oil (CLH3 & LCOJ3) remains rangebound Crude oil rebounded during Asian hours following last week’s selloff which once again confirmed the market remains rangebound, in Brent between $80 and $89, with a demand pick up in China at this stage not being strong enough to offset macroeconomic concerns that was strengthened last week following hawkish comments from US Federal Reserve members. OPEC and IEA raised the medium-term demand outlook but so far, data from China shows a meagre pickup in economic activity, and it has instead left the market focusing on US stock levels which have been rising well beyond seasonal expectations. This week’s focus will also be on geopolitics (read below) with US-China tensions ramping up and the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Copper focusing on supply-side issues Despite the hawkish tilt in Fed expectations, copper ended the week only down 0.4% as the key $4 area continued to provide support. Supply issues also remained in focus. Freeport-McMoRan Inc suspended operations at its Grasberg copper mine in Indonesia due to landslides. This is on the heels of disruptions to output in Peru amid social unrest and Panama. Zambia also reported that its copper output fell to a seven-year low in 2022. Some support also coming through via rising aluminum prices after smelters in China’s Yunnan province cut capacity due to energy shortages following a period of weak hydro generation. Gold (XAUUSD) focus on dollar and interest rate trajectory Gold traded steady in Asia near short-term resistance at $1845, after managing to find a bid on Friday following weak of rising dollar and yields-led selling. An uptick in geopolitical tensions potentially adding a small bid into a market that otherwise seems preoccupied with the scope for further interest-rate hikes from the Federal Reserve. Investor sentiment has once again been challenged with bullion-backed ETF holdings falling to a fresh three-year low on Friday while open interest in COMEX gold futures has fallen by 16% during the past month as traders cut their exposure, both long and short. Further dollar-led weakness could see gold target support in the $1792 to $1776 area with resistance at $1872. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) reverse lower Friday ahead of long weekend After US Treasury yields all along the yield curve posted local highs for the cycle, a late wave of buying reversed the slide and yields closed lower for the session, with the 2-year closing at 4.62% after hitting 4.71% intraday and the 10-year retreating to close at 3.81% after hitting 3.92% earlier in the session. Today, US treasury markets are closed for a holiday. Heavy treasury supply is incoming this week with 2-year, 5-year and 7-year auctions Tuesday through Thursday. The US data highlight this week is Friday’s January PCE inflation data. What is going on? US Secretary of State Blinken warns China on lethal aid to Russia At the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned of “serious consequences” if China were to provide military support to Russia. Blinken suggested that the US has information that China may be considering supplying arms to Russia. China’s top diplomat Wang Yi spoke earlier in the day at the same conference on the US’ “hysterical” response to charges of Chinese spy balloons. Yi will travel to Italy, Germany, and Hungary and make a final stop in Russia. Putin will also be giving a state of the nation address, and focus will be on any risks of further escalation noting that 500k Russian troops have been mobilised. US President Biden will be visiting NATO ally Poland to talk about the importance of the international community’s resolve, and unity in supporting Ukraine, adding that the next weeks and months are going to be difficult for Ukraine’s forces, and the US is going to continue to stand by them. Saxo’s Defense equity theme baskets was one of the top performers last week despite the news of China sanctions on US defense companies like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon due to balloon shooting incident. Meta launches monthly subscriptions Snap already has it and Twitter is rolling it out, and now Meta is announcing a new monthly subscription model to create a new revenue stream that is more stable that online advertising. The monthly subscription comes with extended account verification, direct customer support, and more protection against impersonation. Apple’s major data privacy change back in late 2021 has been a major factor as well as targeting has become more difficult putting downward pressure on advertising pricing. Luxury stocks are the key contributors to the French CAC 40 index’s 2023 performance The French CAC 40 index is recording a strong YTD performance with an increase of +14 %. This is partially explained by the weight of luxury stocks in the index. Kering, L’Oréal, LVMH and Hermès represent about a third of the jump. Other major contributors are: Schneider Electric (which directly benefits from China’s economic reopening), BNP Paribas, Vinci (a construction company and operator of toll roads), STMicroelectronics (semiconductors) and Air Liquide (which can be considered as a market maker in his business segment). The French index is now valued at less than 13 times the estimated profits. This is below its 10-year average of 14. This could imply the market can go much higher in the short- and medium-term. The French stock market is the largest one in Europe followed by the UK’s. Key US stocks on the move Friday, including Lithium names On Friday, US farm equipment maker Deere (DE:xnys) led market gainers, posting a 7.5% advance. Moderna Inc (MRNA:xnas) fell 3.3% after its experimental messenger RNA-based influenza vaccine delivered mixed results in a study. Lithium miners Livent Corp (LTHM:xnys), Albemarle Corp (ALB:xnys) and Piedmont Lithium (PLL:xnas) slumped between 9% and 12% due to concerns about weakness in Chinese prices for the EV battery metal. ECB’s mixed messages ECB speakers had mixed messages on Friday with the hawkish Isabel Schnabel saying that investors risk underestimating the persistence of inflation. That bolstered rate-hike bets, with money markets pricing a 3.75% peak in the deposit rate. However, later dovish member Francois Villeroy said that rates are now in restrictive territory and that they may raise above 3% but it’s not automatic. The German 2-year Schatz yield posted a new high since 2008 at 2.95% on Friday before falling back and closing unchanged at 2.88%. Deere lifts outlook on strong outlook for agricultural spending Deere was the star performer in the S&P500 on Friday, rising 7.5% after raising its forecasts for the year - and reporting better than expected Q4 results. It reported EPS of $6.55 vs est. $5.56 and revenue of $12.7bn vs est. $11-3bn. The bottom line is demand from farmers is strong, and producers are prepared to buy more equipment and upgrade their fleets. Its production and precision agricultural division which includes autonomous crop planting and harvesting – saw the most sales growth – with quarterly sales up 55% y/y. Deere raised its net income outlook to $8.75-9.25bn compared to previously $8-8.5bn. This reinforces Saxo’s bullish view of investments in the physical world outperforming the intangibles. Sweden CPI jumps more than expected at core – SEK surges Sweden reported January CPI data this morning, with the headline slightly softer than expected at –1.1% MoM and +11.7% YoY vs. -1.0%/+11.8% expected, but the core inflation data was firmer than expected at +0.4% MoM and +8.7% YoY vs. -0.2%/+8.2% expected and 8.4% in December. SEK is surging on the anticipation that the Riksbank will have to continue firming its message on tightening policy. What are we watching next? Critical week for geopolitics as we await China’s response to US warnings on aiding Russia US Secretary of State Blinken’s warning to China on aiding Russia’s military (see above) sets up a moment of maximum danger for geopolitics depending on the nature of China’s response in coming days and weeks. Should the latter move to aid Russia’s military with lethal weaponry, it will likely accelerate the deglobalization theme and US sanctions against the country, creating significant disruption risks for global supply chains. The CFTC will start publishing delayed CoT reports this week Last Friday the CFTC once again postponed its weekly publications of the Commitments of Traders report (CoT), bringing the number of weekly reports to three that has been delayed due to the January cyber-related incident at ION Cleared Derivatives, a third-party service provider of cleared derivatives order management, order execution, trading, and trade processing. The CFTC in a statement on Friday, however said that staff intends to resume publishing the CoT report this Friday, starting with the report that was due February 3 but also that they do not expect the backlog will be cleared and “live” data resume until mid-March. BHP and Rio Tinto earnings will set the course for copper and aluminium companies  BHP and Rio Tinto report this week and, if Fortescue is something to go by with stronger than expected profits, then BHP and Rio could surprise to the upside. The focus will be on their outlooks with both BHP and Rio expected to give optimistic forecasts for the year amid Chinese demand picking up. They may also shed light inflationary pressures remaining sticky, such as wages picking up. Iron ore, and copper and coal giant BHP is expected report 2022 earnings (EBITDA) of $40.6 billion, with free cashflows of $26 billion and declare a full-year gross dividend yield of 14%. Iron ore, aluminium and copper giant Rio is expected to report earnings (EBITDA) of $27.1 billion in 2022, free cash flow of $11.2 billion and declare a full-year gross dividend yield of about 11%. Saxo’s preferred commodity exposures include aluminium, copper, and lithium. Earnings to watch Today’s earnings focus is later tonight when BHP Group reports FY23 1H results (ending 31 Jan) with analysts expecting revenue of $26.7bn down 13% y/y from the same period last year. EPS is expected at $1.37 down 28% y/y as iron ore prices have come down their recent highs. The commodity markets have been very muted in their reaction to the Chinese reopening and as such BHP Group’s outlook will be of key interest to investors. Later this week our earnings focus is one Walmart, Home Depot, and Nvidia. Monday: BHP Group, Williams Cos Tuesday: Teck Resources, Gapgemini, Engie, HSBC, Walmart, Home Depot, Medtronic, Palo Alto Networks Wednesday: Rio Tinto, Genmab, Danone, Lloyds Banking Group, Iberdrola, Nvidia, TJX, Stellantis, Baidu, eBay Thursday: EssilorLuxottica, Deutsche Telekom, Munich Re, Kuaishou Technology, Eni, Anglo American, BAE Systems Friday: BASF, Monster Beverage Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) US markets closed for Presidents’ Day. 0830 – Sweden Riksbank Meeting Minutes 1500 – Eurozone Feb. Preliminary Consumer Confidence 1900 – UK Bank of England’s Woods to speak 0030 – Australia RBA Meeting Minutes   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – February 20, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

The composite index of the largest companies in the region Stoxx Europe 600 by 12:33 GMT + 3 fell by 0.05% and amounted to 464.09 points. The British stock index FTSE 100 fell by less than 0.1%, the German DAX - by 0.24%, the French CAC 40 - by 0.31%. The Italian FTSE MIB and the Spanish IBEX 35 lost 0.1% and 0.3% respectively. Trading activity in world markets is expected to be lower than usual on Monday due to the celebration of Presidents Day in the US. Stocks in Shanghai and Hong Kong rose sharply on Monday on news that the People's Bank of China kept its one-year Loan Prime Rate at 3.65% and the five-year lending rate at 4.3%. per annum. People's Bank of China has not changed rates for six meetings in a row. At the same time, many economists believe that in the coming months the rate may be lowered to stimulate economic growth, writes Bloomberg. On Wednesday evening, the minutes of the last Fed meeting will be made public, at which the key interest rate was raised by 25 basis points. Investors are particularly looking forward to the minutes as several Fed officials, including the heads of the Federal Reserve Banks of Cleveland and St. Louis, said last week that they were calling for a sharper rate hike. Shares of Pernod Ricard SA rose 0.1%. One of the world's largest producers of alcoholic beverages announced the start of a new stage of the share buyback program. The purchase of securities in the amount of up to 300 million euros will take place before April 6 and will be carried out as part of a total program of 750 million euros. Stellantis and Pirelli are up 2%, leading gains on the Milan bourse, while Telecom Italia shares are down 2.9%. Capitalization of the British retailer Frasers Group rose by 3.5% after the company announced a share buyback worth up to 80 million pounds ($96.26 million). Quotes of Commerzbank AG fall by 2.7%. As reported, the shares of Germany's second-largest bank will be included in the calculation of the main German stock index DAX 40 from February 27 instead of the papers of the chemical company Linde, according to a report by Deutsche Boerse AG, operator of the Frankfurt stock exchange. French supermarket chain Carrefour jumped 8% in market value to lead growth in the Stoxx Europe 600 index. The retailer reported annual revenue of more than 90 billion euros and recorded an 11% increase in like-for-like sales in the fourth quarter of last year. The decline leader in the Stoxx Europe 600 is Raiffeisen Bank International, shedding 7.6%, while the gainer was led by French medical equipment maker Orpea S.A., which jumped 17.7%   Relevance up to 03:00 2023-02-22 UTC+1 This information is provided to retail and professional clients as part of marketing communication. It does not contain and should not be construed as containing investment advice or investment recommendation or an offer or solicitation to engage in any transaction or strategy in financial instruments. Past performance is not a guarantee or prediction of future performance. Instant Trading EU Ltd. makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, or any loss arising from any investment based on analysis, forecast or other information provided by an employee of the Company or otherwise. Full disclaimer is available here. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/313412

Summary:  US equity futures as well as most European indices retreated on Monday amid a spike in geopolitical concerns with President Biden in a surprise visit to Ukraine and China’s attempts to stand neutral. The backdrop of inflation concerns in the US is still keeping risks of a tighter than expected monetary policy, and yields remain a key focus as US markets return later today. China demand recovery optimism is however back, providing a bid to crude oil and metals. RBA’s minutes guided hawkish, and focus now on RBNZ meeting tomorrow with potential for volatility amid mixed market expectations.   What’s happening in markets? US markets closed, European indices mostly lower as geopolitical concerns weigh Muted trading overnight with US markets closed for President’s Day but geopolitical tensions at a high with President Biden making a surprise visit to Ukraine to pledge support. Futures for S&P 500 and NASDAQ 100 continue to trade in the red with fears of escalating tensions between US and China, as well as the upcoming anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Geopolitical concerns also spilled over to European markets, with most European indices closing in the red on Monday. EuroStoxx 50 (STOXX50.I) was down 0.09% while France’s CAC 40 (FRA40.I) was down 0.16%. Only UK’s FTSE 100 (UK100.I) closed in a positive territory. China markets led the way on Monday with strong gains of over 2% on potential liquidity injection on Friday and expectations of a recovery in momentum as the earnings season focus shifts to Asia. What to watch ahead? When trade resumes in the US today, focus will be on geopolitics as well as the services and manufacturing read outs - PMIs – expected to show the US economy’s recovery is gathering pace – but with the PMIs still in contractionary phase (to show reads of under 50). FOMC minutes due on Wednesday - will have eagle eyes on them - looking for terminal rate expectation comments – given some members hinted of a potential 50bps rate hike again. Later in the week - Friday’s release of January PCE - the Feds preferred inflation gauge - will be a focus - expected to show core inflation rose 0.4% up from 0.3% in December – with the YoY read expected slow to 4.3% (from 4.4%) - according to Bloomberg consensus. BHP’s numbers disappoint, shares slide 2%. Its 50 day simple moving average offers support Softer commodity prices in the half year drove a decline in BHP profits –greater than expected - with underlying attributable profit falling to $6.6 billion in the six months to December 2022, vs the $6.96 billion expected by consensus. The world’s biggest miner declared an interim dividend of $0.90 per share – marking a drop from last year’s record $1.50 per share - meaning its pay-out ratio dropped to 69% from 78%. We think that’s because the board is taking the proposed Oz Minerals takeover into account. As for production - significant wet weather of its coal business impacted production and unit costs - as did challenges in securing enough staff. As BHP’s outlook - it’s aiming to lift iron ore production to 330 mt/yr. Overall it reinforced its positive demand forecast in the second half of FY23 and into FY24 - with strengthening activity in China. BHP sees China and India demand offsetting the slowdown in trade with the US, Japan and Europe. Mining production costs are expected to be markedly higher than before the Covid-19 pandemic – due higher energy, labor and other input costs. Meanwhile we think BHP should benefit from higher-than-expected iron ore, met coal, and copper prices amid supply issues and the green transformation push. Also note, it started the process of divesting its two coal mines- as the business wants to focus on future facing commodities – copper, nickel and potash. Rio Tinto is expected to highlight similar issues  - slimmer profits and higher costs when it reports results tomorrow. For more, refer to Saxo’s Australian Resources equity theme basket. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIG3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) rallied with A-shares leading A-shares rallied strongly on Monday with the benchmark CSI300 rising 2.3%. Although the 1-year and 5-year loan prime rates remained unchanged at the monthly fixing this morning, the average mortgage interest in the largest 100 cities fell 6bps M/M to 4.04% in February, or 143bps Y/Y for first-home mortgages and 84bps for second-home mortgages.  China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC)’s announcement on Friday of rules to regulate and effectively revive overseas IPOs of mainland companies added fuel to the optimism. Construction materials, electronic appliances, telco, and brokerage names led the charge higher in A-shares. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng Index opened lower but managed to finish the Monday session 0.9% higher, led by industrials and financials. . Aluminum Corp of China (02600:xhkg) surged 7.6% and China Hongqiao (01378:xhkg) jumped 9.9% following the Yunnan provincial government told local aluminum smelters to cut production due to power shortage. EV makers gained, led by Nio (09866:xhkg) and XPeng (09868:xhkg). The latest rise in tension between the U.S. and China over alleged Chinese support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China’s increasing role in the day-to-day running of Hong Kong, and the issue of Taiwan are taking a backseat for the time being as investors are shifting their eyes to additional policy stimuli being rolled out at the upcoming two-session meetings to be held from March 4, 2023. FX: RBA’s hawkish minutes, RBNZ meeting keeps kiwi in check After extensive speeches last week from RBA Governor Lowe, focus turned back to AUD today with RBA minutes on tap. Th February meeting saw a 25bps rate hike but the statement had tilted more hawkish. AUDUSD took a brief look below 0.69 ahead of the minutes, but reversed higher as the minutes revealed that a pause was not an option at the February meeting. Focus more so on the RBNZ meeting tomorrow morning in Asia (9am SGT/HKT) with some calls for no rate hikes amid the recent flooding damages. NZDUSD slid below 0.6250 in early trading after being somewhat resilient overnight. USDJPY attempting another move to 134.50 with BOJ Governor Kuroda scheduled to appear in the parliament. Crude oil (CLH3 & LCOJ3) gains momentum on China demand and geopolitics Crude oil prices rebounded on sustained hopes of a recovery in China’s activity levels, especially after PBOC’s liquidity injection on Friday. State-owned enterprises have started ramping up purchases, such as Unipec which has purchased about 10mbbl from the UAE for loading in April. WTI futures traded above $77/barrel while Brent was above $84. The geopolitical backdrop added some worries, with fresh risks of sanctions on Russia that could continue to tighten the oil market. Signs of a commodity recovery gather pace: production ramps up in anticipation of demand picking up Fitch Ratings put out a report on China’s reopening driving a modest recovery in oil - this positive sentiment flowed to other commodities. Secondly – as Ole mentioned on Saxo Market Call Podcast, copper inventory has started to roll over in London, Shanghai, and New York - indicating demand for copper and other commodities would theoretically need to pick up. Copper prices (HGA) gained 1.3% on Monday to $4.18 – taking copper back over its 100-day moving average – to its highest levels since January and June last year. Iron ore (SCOA) prices moved up 1.9% to $130.85 – which is its highest level since June last year on supply concerns - with Brazil heading to peak rainy season at month end. Aluminium prices meanwhile are underpinned by a province in China - the Yunnan province – cutting smelter capacity as ordered by the local power grid amid an energy supply shortfall. Lastly - consider keeping an eye on Wheat prices - as the conflict in Ukraine will raise questions about farmers ability to plant wheat int the coming season, meanwhile France - also a key wheat producer – is suffering drought.  Read next: USD/JPY Pair Is Above 134.00, EUR/USD Pair Holds Below 1.07, GBP/USD Pair Managed To Rebound| FXMAG.COM What to consider? President Biden makes a surprise visit to Ukraine – playbook for geopolitical risks Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine and met with Volodymyr Zelenskiy, declaring "unwavering support" as Russia's invasion nears the one-year mark. These visits come after Blinken’s rhetoric that the US has information that China is supplying arms to Russia, and VP Kamala Harris’ claim to charge Russia with war crimes against humanity. China is however trying to convince that it remains neutral, and State Councilor Wang Yi is set to visit Moscow in the coming days after floating fresh peace proposal to end the conflict. In Saxo’s view, the playbook for the week should be risk-off given the possibility of any ugly turns in geopolitics. That would mean long JPY, long commodities, long Defense stocks and short risky assets. Once we are past this week with hopefully no further escalations, focus will shift back to inflation concerns and driving Fed rate cut expectations further into 2024. Consider watching the US dollar strength, and Saxo’s Défense basket amid geopolitical tensions rising Amid the geopolitical risks rising - consider watching likely US dollar strength play out in key currency pairs. In equities – consider watching Saxo’s Defence basket. Over the last two days we’ve seen geopolitical tensions escalate. Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine declaring ‘unwavering support’ and pledging $500 million in new aid. Meanwhile, EU diplomats are looking at pooling 4 billion Euros of ammunition purchases for Ukraine as early as next month, with EU states pushing to ramp up their ability to hit back against those helping Russia circumvent sanctions. Also – today Putin is also expected to give a state of the nation address - potentially focusing on escalations - he also may note that 500k Russian troops have been mobilised. Meanwhile China threw cold water on allegations that it is going to help arm Russia. And finally, the White House is reportedly mulling over increasing sanctions on Russia. We continue to watch this closely - and encourage investors and traders to exercise caution. Food security issues pick up; with fertilizers being used as a weapon A Russian cargo ship held back in the Dutch port of Rotterdam for months- has been escorted out by the United Nations’ World Food Program chartered ship. The Russian cargo, bound for Malawi – contains 20,000 metric tons of Russian fertilizer. And the fact that Russia was allegedly holding back fertilizers - meant the nations food security was at risk, with fertilizers essential in growing crops. About 20% of Malawi’s population is already expected to face acute food insecurity during the “lean season” to March. Moreover it’s not just the lack of supply that’s the issue- costs are too. Malawi is one of 48 nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America identified by the IMF as being most at risk of higher food and fertilizer costs after Russia invaded Ukraine. China and Russia have a foothold of the industry - being the world’s largest producers of fertilizers - including nitrogen, phosphates and potash. These issues in Rotterdam highlight that food security can be used as weapon - and we are concerned should geopolitical tensions escalate - which would pressure food prices higher. Large fertilizer companies to watch include CF industries, Mosaic, Nutrien. Refer to Saxo’s Commodity basket for more. Downshift in RBNZ’s rate hike trajectory could signal NZD weakness The Reserve Bank of New Zealand meets on Wednesday, 22 February and consensus expects a return to 50bps rate hikes after a 75bps in November when even the possibility of a 100bps was debated. Economic data has been soft since the last meeting, with 2-year inflation expectations easing and unemployment rate seeing a slight uptick. However, Cyclone Gabrielle has brought fresh risks of inflation pressures in the short-term. Calls for no rate hikes have also picked up although finmin Robertson was out calling for RBNZ having a responsibility to address inflation yesterday. Still, risks of further kiwi weakness loom large after NZD has weakened 1.7% against the USD so far this year. If RBNZ signals that the peak for the current rate hike cycle is near, the 38.2% retracement of NZDUSD uptrend from the October low at 0.6146 could be challenged. The cost of sea freight is back to pre-Covid levels This is positive news on the inflation front. The cost of sea freight is now back to pre-Covid levels. The drop in prices is both explained by cyclical (1) and structural (2) factors. The U.S. consumer is very resilient, as shown by the recent release of the U.S. retail sales. But this is not the case in other countries. The rise in the cost of living is causing a drop in global consumption (1). In addition, the sea freight market is facing a surplus of containers. And this will get worse in the months to come. The number of container ships under construction represents nearly 30 % of the fleet that is currently operational. That’s three times more than normal. Companies in the sector have misjudged the evolution of global demand in the post-Covid period. Wrongly, they anticipated it will remain unchanged or it will even increase. The fall in prices is likely to continue all this year and perhaps partially in 2024. The market consensus expects a drop in transported volumes of around 4 % this year.   For what to watch in the markets this week – read or watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: Markets Today: Geopolitical risks front and centre – 21 February 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Summary:  US equity markets erased their losses overnight, aided by a rise in Nvidia shares boosting chip and tech stocks. Fed’s preferred inflation gauge the PCE is up next and may reaffirm sticky inflation again. The Japanese yen volatility is in focus after softer-than-expected January inflation print, and as policy stance of BOJ nominee Ueda is evaluated from the ongoing parliamentary hearings. Crude oil prices reversed higher but Copper back close to the key $4 area.   What’s happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) had a wild session, but ended higher after bond yields fell from three-month highs US equity markets had a bumpy Thursday, awaiting the Fed’s core inflation gauge –the personal consumption index being released. However, after four days of losses, the S&P500 gained 0.5%, although it’s still down 1.6% Monday to Thursday. The S&P500 managed to move back above 4,000 level after the 10-year US bond yield fell from its fresh high - moving back to December levels of 3.871%. While bullish outlooks supported the market higher as well – with Nvidia shares up 14% on its bullish outlook - with Microsoft and Apple following higher. Despite that, US earnings are still muted YoY - highlighting margin compression- while there is still nervousness in the air- as the FOMC meeting minutes pointed to more tightening on the horizon. While there is also risk if the Fed’s inflation gauge (PCE) rises more than expected, the Fed could gain reason to become more hawkish – and that could see the S&P500 quickly test the 200-day moving average.  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HIG3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) had a mixed day; Techtronic tumbled 19%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index and China's CSI300 had a mixed day of trading. The Hang Seng Index slid 0.4%, while the CSI300 was flat. Techtronic (00669:xhkg) shares plunged 19% after a forensic research firm accused the power tool maker of inflating profits by capitalizing expenses as assets. Meanwhile, China internet names, tech hardware, and EV stocks rallied, with Bilibili (09626:xhkg) rising 3.6%, NetEase (0999:xhkg) climbing 4.1%; Lenovo (00992:xhkg) surging 5.5%, and Nio (09866:xhkg) up 4%. Baidu (09888:xhkg) fell 0.5%, despite reporting revenues and earnings that beat market expectations and announcing a share buyback program of up to USD5 billion. According to Nikkei Asia, Chinese regulators have told Tencent Holdings and Ant Group not to offer ChatGPT services to the public as the regulators are increasingly concerned about uncensored replies given to users. Australian equities (ASXSP200.I) moved up after three days of declines The Australian share market moved up 0.3%, up slightly above its 50-day moving average today - after a bevy of better than expected company earnings bolstered sentiment. Global pallet business, Brambles shares rose almost 7% to six month highs after upgrading its profit guidance ~7% to 15-18% growth with pallet demand in the US and UK improving. Australia’s biggest lithium company, Pilbara Minerals shares are up 2.6% after reporting record results- a A$1.24 billion net profit and declared its first ever dividend – of A$0.11. Just like Albemarle, Pilbara sees a strong lithium market ahead. Pilbara also upgraded its production guidance for the year – expecting to produce 600,000 to 620,000 dmt of spodumene concentrate – up from its prior guidance of 540,000 to 580,000 dmt. This reflects what we have been seeing this Australian reporting season – mining companies are upgrading their output guidance to keep up with expectations for strong demand, plus they are also seeing improved labour conditions. Block Inc (SQ and SQ2) rallied 7% to $116.44 on the ASX after 4Q net revenue rose more than expected, up 14% to $4.65 billion, beating estimates of $4.57 billion. It comes as Bitcoin revenue rose more than expected, to $1.83 billion vs $1.79 billion expected, while hardware revenue from its Square in store payments rose slightly more than expected. As for the year ahead  - Block sees 2023 adjusted EBITDA of $1.3 billion - which is more than $1.28b est - and its margin growing by at least 1 percentage point. So far this year, Afterpay sales are up 19% and credit quality is holding up- despite higher interest rates. Afterpay's loss rate is expected to stay 1% in Q1 this year - which is a slight improvement of its Afterpay loss rate in 2019 and 2018 of 1.1% and 1.5%.   Broadly the Aussie market has been pressured by Australian bond yields moving to their highest levels since January- 3.87%. That’s a better yield/ return than the broad Australia share market’s 3.5% yield. This shift has pressured the ASX200 down 3.8% from its record highs. But some stocks are still rising, with a cohort of companies benefiting from the reopening of the Chinese economy  - and on expectations of higher earnings ahead. Such stocks are in the travel sector; shares  FX: JPY volatility in focus The Japanese yen started the Asian session stronger after a weaker-than-expected inflation print for January, but the start of BOJ nominee Ueda’s parliamentary hearings brought a reaffirmation of the loose BOJ monetary policy and that saw USDJPY bidding up to 134.80. Yen volatility will remain in focus today and next week, also parking concerns of volatility in the global bond markets, as Bank of Japan’s renewed policy direction remains in focus. Crude oil (CLJ3 & LCOJ3) prices rebound 2% despite higher inventories Crude oil prices rallied on Thursday despite another higher inventory built. US crude stocks built 7.6mn barrels last week, significantly higher than analyst expectations of 2mn. The supply side concerns may have been in focus after Russia announced this week that it will cut exports to the West in March, in addition the previously announced production cuts. However, focus was also on indications of a pickup in gasoline demand along with a decline in US gasoline inventories. Copper prices decline on higher USD and awaiting China activity improvement Copper prices were down 3% amid rising concerns of further rate hikes by central banks after a marginally hawkish FOMC minutes this week. The market is also becoming increasingly impatient with the recovery in demand in China. There has been little meaningful sign that demand is rebounding. Copper prices fell to $4.05/lb bring the $4 support in focus.  Read next: The Euro Fell Below 1.06, The USD/JPY Pair Is Close To 135.00| FXMAG.COM What to consider? US GDP revised a notch lower, jobless claims fell The second estimate of Q4 GDP was released in the US, and was revised lower to 2.7% from the prelim 2.9%. The Core PCE measure, the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation, was revised to 4.3% from 3.9%, suggesting price pressure in Q4 were higher that previously reported. While slower activity and higher inflation components seem to be making the Fed’s task more difficult, labor market still remained strong which suggests that any slowdown in growth will be likely very slow. Weekly initial jobless claims dropped to the lowest in 4 weeks at 192k from the prior 195k. Japan’s January CPI softer than expected, eyes on Ueda’s hearings January inflation print in Japan came in-line with expectations on the headline at 4.3% YoY from the prior 4.0% YoY but was marginally below expectations on the core measures. Ex fresh food and energy was out at 3.2% YoY, above last month’s 3.0% YoY but below the expected 3.3%. Inflation remains above the Bank of Japan’s 2% target, and price pressures are broad-based. Focus now turns to BOJ nominee Kazuo Ueda’s parliamentary hearings in the lower house today as markets ponder over his policy direction. Worrying signal on the inflation front in the Eurozone Yesterday, inflation was confirmed higher than initially reported in the eurozone in January (headline at 8.6% year-over-year and core at 5.3% - this represents a 0.1 percentage point higher). What is even more worrying is that the EZ CPI basket showed the most broad-based price increase on record. 76 % of the basked experienced a month-over-month increase above 0.2 %. This is up from 52 % in December 2022. There is little doubt that the European Central Bank (ECB) will hike interest rates by 50 basis points in March. But we think the ECB is not done anytime soon with the tightening process. The terminal rate is probably closer to 4% than expected by the market consensus. Booking Holdings (BKNG:xnas) reports record 2022 revenue suggesting travel demand surge Booking Holdings reported higher-than-expected revenue for Q4 at $4.05bn (up 36% YoY), beating analyst forecasts of $3.9bn. Adjusted EPS of $24.74 was also above the expected $21.51. Q1 forecast was also upbeat, suggesting resilient travel demand despite inflation pressures. Booking Holdings is a part of our Asia Pacific Tourism equity theme basket which we launched in anticipation of the recovery in Chinese outbound travel demand. Alibaba (09988:xhkg/BABA:xnas) beats earnings estimates on cost cutting Alibaba reported better-than-expected results for its fourth quarter. Adjusted EPS of 19.26 yuan (on revenue of 247.76bn yuan) was above consensus of 16.63 reflecting deep cost cutting measures. EBITA grew 16% Y/Y on cost cuts and smaller losses from Taocaicai. The cloud computing revenue was only up 3.3% while the core Chinese commerce business slid 1%. The eCommerce giant’s ADRs closed down 2.9% from the level of Hong Kong closing amid management comments on the need to increase investments to stay competitive in the year ahead. OCBC (O39:xses) reports Q4 net income miss Oversea-China Banking Corp. reported an increase of 34% in net profits in the fourth quarter to S$ 1.31bn which fell short of estimates of S$ 1.68bn. Net interest income was up 60% YoY but non-interest income slid 42% due to lower wealth management fee. Final dividend of S$0.40 was up from S$0.12 last year, and the lack of a DBS-like special dividend could mean the stock could be beaten up near-term.     For what to watch in the markets this week – read or watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Markets Today: BOJ stance in focus, PCE inflation report ahead – 24 February 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Summary:  Markets remain nervous as new local lows were probed yesterday in the US equities but were rejected just ahead of the 200-day moving average in the S&P 500. A first Chinese peace proposal for the Russian aggression in Ukraine was dismissed by commentators on the first anniversary of the war. Elsewhere, nomination hearings for Kazuo Ueda, who would replace Kuroda as Bank of Japan governor, saw the JPY slightly weaker. What is our trading focus? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I): back to wait and see on inflation and rates US equities were bouncing around in yesterday’s session with S&P 500 futures ending the session above the 4,000 level as the US 10-year yield came down despite initial jobless claims suggesting the US labour market remains extremely tight. There are no major earnings releases in today’s session, so we expect a quiet session going into the weekend. The key upside level to watch is yesterday’s close in the S&P 500 futures at the 4,019 level on the downside it is the 4,000 level. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index (HIG3) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) declined around 1% The Hang Seng Index declined 1.2% and the CSI300 slid 0.8% as of writing. Alibaba (09988:xhkg) announced results beating estimates but the shares of the eCommerce giant plunged 4.6% following management comments on the need to increase investments to stay competitive. According to Nikkei Asia, Chinese regulators have told Tencent (0070:xhkg) and Alibaba’s Ant Group not to offer access to ChatGPT services to the public directly or through third party as the regulators are increasingly concerned about uncensored replies given to users. FX: USD bobs up and down with risk sentiment. JPY lower after Ueda testimony. The US dollar posted new highs yesterday, as EURUSD probed below 1.0600 for the first time since early January, AUDUSD took a peek below its 200-day moving average and below 0.6800 and GBPUSD tested the waters below 1.2000, but the USD rally seemed a passive coincident development with the swings in risk sentiment, with a late rally in US equities pushing the greenback back lower. In Japan overnight, the JPY was firm early in the Asian session despite slightly softer CPI data, and then weakened slightly later in the session during Kazuo Ueda’s nomination hearings for the Bank of Japan governorship, as he signalled little urgency on tightening BoJ policy. Crude oil rises despite another US inventory build Crude oil trades higher for a second day but remains on track for a monthly loss within the established range, in Brent between $80 and $89, and WTI between $82 and $73. The technical driven bounce occurred despite another built in US inventories, but soaring exports of 4.6m b/d and a continued rise in US gasoline demand helped underpin prices. Supply side concerns may also be in focus after Russia announced this week that it will cut exports to the West in March, in addition the previously announced production cuts. Gold (XAUUSD) slumps to support again Gold dropped to the lowest level of the year on Thursday amid continued pressure from USD and higher yields which both moved close to their cycle highs earlier in the week before easing a bit on Thursday. The yellow metal has so far managed to find support around $1820 but until macro-economic developments turn more friendly the risk remains of a further weakness towards $1788 followed by the 200DMA at $1,776. Gold has been troubled by a recovering dollar and rising treasury yields after recent US data strength supported the view the Fed will keep rates higher for longer to fight inflation and to cool the economy. US PCE deflator, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, will be watched closely today with expectations pointing to a robust print, both in headline and core. Copper retreats as hawkish Fed weighs on sentiment. Copper has retreated from the highest close in three weeks, and yesterday’s drop, the biggest one-day slump this year, has taken it back towards key support in the $4 a pound area. Together with other industrial metals, copper is heading for a monthly loss as the market becomes increasingly impatient with the recovery in demand in China. Instead, the attention has been turning to worries that higher US rates for longer may strengthen the dollar and hurt the outlook for growth and demand. However, with supply potentially struggling to keep up with demand, we view the current weakness as temporary and part of the general loss of confidence that has hit markets this month. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) drop. US Treasury yields fell yesterday after probing the cycle highs in the wake of another strong weekly jobless claims number, with the 2-year little changed, but longer yields falling more sharply, as the 10-year closed at 3.87% after posting a cycle-high 3.97% in early US trading. Read next: The Euro Fell Below 1.06, The USD/JPY Pair Is Close To 135.00| FXMAG.COM What is going on? US GDP revised a notch lower, jobless claims fell The second estimate of US Q4 GDP was revised lower to 2.7% from the prelim 2.9%. The Core PCE measure, the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation, was revised to 4.3% from 3.9%, suggesting price pressure in Q4 was higher than previously reported. While slower activity and higher inflation are making the Fed’s task more difficult, the labor market remained strong, suggesting that any slowdown in growth will likely be very slow. Weekly initial jobless claims dropped to the lowest in 4 weeks at 192k from the prior 195k. Worrying signal on the inflation front in the eurozone Yesterday, inflation was confirmed higher than initially reported in the eurozone in January (headline at 8.6 % year-over-year and core at 5.3 % - this represents a 0.1 percentage point higher). What is even more worrying is that the EZ CPI basket showed the most broad-based price increase on record. 76 % of the basket experienced a month-over-month increase above 0.2 %. This is up from 52 % in December 2022. There is little doubt that the European Central Bank (ECB) will hike interest rates by 50 basis points in March. But we think the ECB is not done anytime soon with the tightening process. The terminal rate is probably closer to 4 % than expected by the market consensus. Block results beat on the back of Bitcoin revenue rising more than expected Block rallied over 7% after Q4 net revenue rose more than expected, up 14% to $4.7bn, beating estimates of $4.6bn. It comes as Bitcoin revenue rose to $1.8bn vs est. $1.8bn, while hardware revenue from its Square terminals and Square registers rose slightly more than expected. Block sees FY23 adjusted EBITDA of $1.3bn vs est. $1.3bn. Japan’s January CPI softer than expected, BOJ gov nominee Ueda’s hearings bring flexibility to dovishness January inflation print in Japan came in-line with expectations on the headline at 4.3% YoY from the prior 4.0% YoY but was marginally below expectations on the core measures. Ex fresh food and energy was out at 3.2% YoY, above last month’s 3.0% YoY but below the expected 3.3%. Inflation remains above the Bank of Japan’s 2% target, and price pressures are broad-based. BOJ nominee Kazuo Ueda’s parliamentary hearings in the lower house today brought some clarity over his policy direction, suggesting he will stick to easing for now while remaining flexible to tweaks as needed. What are we watching next? The week ahead in geopolitics after China peace proposal issues and on macro dataNext week’s macro calendar is not the usually busy one as a new month rolls into view, as the key US labor market data is not up until Friday the 10th of March, although the latest string of strong weekly US jobless claims offer no evidence of a softening labor market. Next Wednesday we’ll get the latest ISM survey data as regional US manufacturing surveys for February thus far suggest little chance of a resurgence in the recessionary ISM Manufacturing survey, with the last three readings in a row below 50 ahead of the survey release next Wednesday. The ISM Services survey, meanwhile, is up on Friday and bears watching after two confusing prior readings – a very weak one in December followed by a resurgent one in January of 55.2. Otherwise, the intense focus on geopolitics will remain as the US considers making public the intelligence it has gathered on China considering supporting Russia’s war effort in Ukraine, as well as how China deals with US warnings against China providing lethal aid to Russia in the conflict. China’s first attempt at wading into the situation as a peace-broker with a cease-fire “position paper” today was dismissed by a US official and is seen as a likely “non-starter with the US and most European countries” according to Neil Thomas, a senior analyst at the Eurasia group. Earnings to watch Today’s key earnings release is from BASF which has already reported which is sour reading for investors. The German chemical company is terminating its share buyback programme on top of reporting revenue and EBIT below estimates. In addition, the company is cutting 2,600 jobs in response to the higher energy costs. There is also good news in the Q4 earnings release that might lift the mood of investors, and that is the FY23 revenue outlook of €84-87bn vs es.t €81.8bn. Friday: BASF, Monster Beverage Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1330 – US Jan. Personal Income and Spending1330 – US Jan. PCE Inflation1500 – US Jan. New Home Sales1500 – US Feb. Final University of Michigan Sentiment1515 – US Fed’s Mester (Non-voter) to speak1600 – US Feb. Kansas City Fed Services Activity1830 – US Fed’s Collins (Non-voter) to speak1830 – US Fed’s Waller (Voter) to speak   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – February 24, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Summary:  US equities posted an uninspiring session, as the price action is bottled up ahead of the key support of the 200-day moving average in the major indices. Overnight, China’s official Manufacturing PMI ripped higher in February with its strongest reading since 2012, strong suggesting that the China re-opening is swing into motion. Hot inflation data from France and Spain pulled ECB expectations sharply higher yesterday, with German Feb. CPI up today. What is our trading focus? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I): caught between growth and inflation US equities headed lower yesterday with S&P 500 futures closing at the 3,975 level. The index futures are trying to rebound this morning following stronger than expected China February PMI figures suggesting the economy is responding positively to the reopening. This growth impulse lifted Hang Seng futures by 4.2% and breathed fresh air into commodities. The growth impulse from China will keep inflation pressures high in the global economy and that could force long-term bond yields in the US and Europe higher from current levels which will make equities caught between responding positive to growth or negatively to inflation and potentially higher interest rates. Hang Seng Index (HSI.I) and CSI300 (000300.I) jumped on strong China PMIs Hang Seng Index surged 3.5% and CSI300 gained 1.7% by in the morning session following the release of strong PMI data much above consensus estimates. The headline official NBS Manufacturing PMI surged (more below). The NBS non-manufacturing PMI and the Caixin Manufacturing PMI, also released today, both bounced strongly and signaled economic expansion. Mega-cap China internet names surged 5-7% and EV stocks jumped 5-8%. In A-shares, telcos, digital economy, software, gaming, and media stocks led the charge higher. FX: AUD and JPY were the laggards last month as dollar regained ground The dollar closed firmer at the end of the month as inflation concerns returned and sent the short-end yields surging to 15-year highs. AUDUSD was the weakest on the G10 board as a beating of the risk sentiment and weaker metal prices saw pair test 0.67 despite the return of RBA’s hawkish stance. Yen had a double blow from surging yields and the dovish read of Ueda’s nomination hearing for the Bank of Japan governorship, and USDJPY tested close to 137 yesterday before reversing back below 136.50. EURUSD touched highs of 1.0650 after the French/Spanish inflation prints yesterday but is back below 1.0600 this morning. GBPUSD nearly hit 1.2150 yesterday after the N. Ireland border announcement, but is back closer to 1.2050 this morning. Crude oil recovers as strong China PMI re-ignites demand focus Brent crude trades near $84 and WTI at $77.50 as both futures markets continue to recover from the latest the macroeconomic related selloff. With a hawkish Fed having been priced in, the dollar has started to weaken allowing traders to return their focus to an ongoing recovery in China. The strength of which was confirmed overnight when China’s PMI data showed across the board strength. The official headline surged to 52.6 and highest since 2012 while production and new orders improving markedly and new export orders move well above 50 and into expansion territory for the first time in 23 months. Increased tightness is being signaled through steepening prompt spreads with Brent trading at 59 cents a barrel from a recent 34 cent low. Also supporting are reports that Russia is struggling to find new buyers with million of barrels currently stored at sea. Ahead of EIA’s weekly stock report, the API said US inventories rose 6.2m barrels last week. Short-term momentum indicators point to higher prices with Brent once looking to challenge the downtrend from last March around $84.50. Silver led gold higher, but more work needed to shift sentiment Precious metals trade higher for a third day after the market concluded the latest round of hawkish comments from US FOMC members and additional rate hikes were now being fully priced in. Continued strength in US yields, near recent highs, have been offset by weaker dollar, allowing buyers once again to gain the upper hand. Silver, down around 12% in January, led the recovery which gathered speed overnight following the release of stronger than expected economic data in China (see below). The gold-silver ratio which yesterday hit a four-month high at 88.4 (ounces of silver to one ounce of gold) has since retraced to around 86.80. Gold as a minimum needs to break $1864, and silver $22 to signal an end to the current corrections Industrial metals jump on strong China rebound Copper and not least aluminum, zinc and iron ore traded higher following a batch of economic data from China showed improved factory activity as well as rising home sales, both driving expectations for an accelerated demand recovery, thereby once again replacing concerns about the economic impact of additional US rate hikes. Having found support below $4, the HG copper futures contract trades back above its 21DMA, a sign momentum is turning positive again. Since mid January the price has traded within a 30 cents downward trending channel, and for that to change, the price needs to break above $4.20, some 2% above the current level. Focus now turns to on China’s “Two Sessions” starting at the weekend. Yields on US Treasuries (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) steady near recent highs US Treasury yields staid pinned near recent cycle highs, with the 2-year trading above 4.8% this morning again and the 10-year benchmark hovering just below 4.00%. Yields were dragged higher yesterday by a fresh surge in European short yields on the French and Spanish CPI data for February (see below) and stayed elevated in the US despite the weak February Consumer Confidence print. The next test for the US treasury market is perhaps the February ISM Services survey on Friday. What is going on? China's economy shows strong recovery as PMI’s beat expectations The official NBS China Manufactuing PMI surged to 52.6 in February, the highest level since 2012, from 50.1 in January. The strength was across the board with the Production sub-index and New Orders sub-index improving markedly to 56.7 and 54.1 respectively. When a diffusion index goes above 50, it signals expansion. The export sector, which has until now been sluggish, showed signs of a strong recovery. The New Export Orders sub-index in the NBS survey unexpectedly surged to 54.1 in February from 46.1 in January and was the first time returning to the expansion territory in 23 months. The Caixin Manufacturing PMI, which covers smaller and more private enterprises in the export-oriented coastal regions of China relative to those covered in the NBS survey, also recovered strongly to 51.6 in February from 49.2 in January and the new order sub-index in the Caixin survey bounced to 52.2 from 49.3. The NBS non-manufacturing PMI continued to accelerate well into expansion, rising to 56.3 from 54.4. Both major sub-indices rose further, with the Services sub-index advancing to 55.6 and the Construction sub-index soaring to 60.2. US consumer confidence in a surprise drop, labor market strength intact The Conference Board's US consumer confidence index saw a surprise fall to 102.9 in February (vs. exp 108.5) from January’s 106 which was also revised lower from 107.1. The present situation index looked resilient at 152.8 from 151.1 and reaching its highest levels since April 2022, but the forward expectations index declined to 69.7 from 76.0 previously. While the headline figures may be a small input for the Fed, the labor-supply mismatch has become more evident from the consumer confidence report. The report showed that the labor differential improved to 41.5 in February from 37 in the prior month, rising for a third consecutive month and reaching its highest levels since April 2022. The differential represents the percentage of respondents who say jobs “are plentiful” less those who say jobs “are hard to get”. Its rise could be an early indication of labor market strength heading into next week’s February Payrolls data. Focus turns to ISM manufacturing survey today which is expected to improve but still remain in contraction. ECB rate hike bets pick up after higher French and Spanish inflation Consumer prices in France jumped by a record 7.2% YoY in February as food and services costs increased, while Spain saw a stronger-than-expected 6.1% YoY advance. The strong inflation now results mostly from companies passing through to consumers higher prices in the service sector and higher food prices. Looking at the French data, food prices (price increase of+14.5% YoY) contribute twice more to inflation than energy prices. The increase of prices in the service sector (which represents about 50% of the CPI basket) is another source of worry. Expect it to get worse in the short-term. We also see a similar trend in most European countries (the situation is even uglier in the CEE region), with the first print of German February inflation due today and the Eurozone print due tomorrow. Euro bonds slid with German yields up 7bps and Spanish yields up 6bps as ECB terminal rate pricing briefly touched 4%. AUD swings to a gain after China’s economy shows signs of a stronger rebound After China's manufacturing activity hit a decade high as noted above, the Australian dollar against the US dollar (AUDUSD) rose sharply. Iron ore, copper and aluminium prices all gained. This supported the AUDUSD pair rebounding from 10-week lows, which it hit earlier after Australian GDP slowed to pace of 2.7% YoY in Q4 as expected while headline monthly CPI cooled to 7.4% YoY, vs the 8.1% growth forecast. Short covering also added to the Aussie dollar whipsawing higher. What are we watching next? Tesla Investor Day Tesla’s annual ‘Investor Day’ is scheduled for tonight at 21:00 GMT and will be livestreamed on Tesla’s website. Elon Musk has teased in tweets that the Investor Day presentation will revolve around the part 3 in his ‘Master Plan’ which was first announced back in 2006 and Elon Musk has specially written that the ‘Master Plan 3’ is about ‘the path to a fully sustainable energy future for Earth...’ suggesting it might be around energy. One the key variables in the path to electrifying society is about energy production, energy storage, and the electric grid, and as such it might be that Tesla will aim solve these issues so Tesla’s growth is not constrained too early by the lack of investments and solutions on the infrastructure side of the equation. Germany’s Feb. CPI data today, Eurozone Feb. CPI tomorrow After French and Spanish February CPI readings sparked higher expectations for the ECB as noted above, we will get a look at German regional CPI releases this morning for February and the nationwide data this afternoon at 1300 GMT, with the German 2-year yield having leaped to nearly 3.20% yesterday after starting the weak below 2.9%. Expectations are for a reading of +0.5% MoM and +8.5% YoY vs. +8.75 in January, with the “EU Harmonized” reading seen slowing to +9.0% YoY vs. 9.2% in Jan. Earnings to watch Today’s key US earnings releases to watch are Salesforce (reporting after the close), Snowflake (reporting after the close), and NIO (reporting before the open). Analysts expect Salesforce to report 9% y/y revenue growth for the quarter that ended in January and EBITDA of $2.67bn up from $1.02bn a year ago as the software application maker is under pressure from several activist investors to improve profitability. Analysts expect Snowflake to report revenue growth of 50% y/y in the quarter that ended in January and EBITDA of $25mn up from $-146mn a year ago. NIO, that finally ramped up its EV production in Q4 after several quarters of slow increases, is expected to report 73% y/y revenue growth but still delivering an operating loss of CNY -3.4bn. Wednesday: Royal Bank of Canada, Beiersdorf, Reckitt Benckiser, Kuehne + Nagel, Salesforce, Lowe’s, Snowflake, NIO Thursday: Anheuser-Busch InBev, Argenx, Yunnan Energy New Material, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Fortum, Veolia Environment, Merck, Hapag-Lloyd, CRH, London Stock Exchange, Haleon, Flutter Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Broadcom, Costco, VMware, Marvell Technology, Dell Technologies Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0815-0900 – Eurozone Final Feb. Manufacturing PMI 0855 – Germany Feb. Unemployment Change / Claims 0930 – UK Jan. Mortgage Approvals 1000 – UK Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey to speak 1300 – Germany Feb. CPI 1500 – US Feb. ISM Manufacturing 1530 – EIA's Weekly Crude and Fuel Stock Report 1830 – Mexico Central Bank Inflation Report 0030 – Australia Jan. Building Approvals   Source:Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – March 1, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Summary:  China’s PMI data came in stronger than expected and signaled the economic recovery is picking up steam. The data triggered sharp rallies in the Hang Seng Index and commodity prices, particularly industrial metals. U.S. bond yields rose and equities slid, following the ISM price paid index rising to 51.3 and Fed officials’ hawkish comments keeping a 50-bp hike in the March FOMC on the table.   What’s happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) slump to new lows on higher Fed rate bets Stocks were pressured after fresh economic data highlighted persistent inflationary pressures remain – pushing the S&P500 to close at its lowest level in six weeks after shedding 0.5%. It’s the second straight day the S&P closed under its 50-day moving average. While most sectors declined within the S&P500, energy rallied strongly by nearly 2%. The strong China PMI data helped sentiment in the materials and industrial sectors, both rising on Wednesday. Nasdaq 100 slid 0.9%. The extra pressure on equities came as the prices paid component of the ISM in surging above the 50 expansion/contraction threshold and higher for longer comments from Fed officials (see below). Key U.S. company news In regular trading, First Solar (FSLR:xnas) shares surged about 16% to its highest since 2009 after the panel maker’s backlog of orders look like they’ll take the 2nd half of the decade to fill. The surging demand comes as the company is benefiting from the Inflation Reduction Act- signed last year by President Joe Biden. Meanwhile, after close of trade - software giant Salesforce (CRM:xnys) gave a surprisingly upbeat forecast for the year ahead - and plans to step up share buybacks to $20 billion, which is positive vs its $167b market cap. Operating margins will be about 27% in fiscal 2024, exceeding Bloomberg consensus estimates of 22.4% growth. This also potentially eases pressures CRMs faces from a group of activist investors. Salesforce shares rose 14% in post market trade, after closing at $167.35 in normal trade. Next, we will be watching - Campbell Soup (CPB:xnys) which reports after market close Thursday. US Treasury curve (TLT:Xmas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) sold off on Fed comments The 10-year yield breached above 4% briefly during the session before closing a touch below that at 3.99%, following comments from the Fed’s Kashkari saying undecided between a 25bp and 50bp hike at the March FOMC and Bostic’s 5-5.25% “well into next year” remarks. Yields on the 2-year notes rose 6bps to 4.88%, the highest level since 2007. The jump of the ISM Prices Paid (see below) also added fuel to the selloff. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) jumped on strong China PMIs Hang Seng Index surged 4.2% and CSI300 gained 1.4% on Wednesday following the release of strong PMI data in China much above consensus estimates. Hang Seng Tech Index jumped 6.6% as technology hardware, China internet, and EV makers advanced sharply. The percentage increase in the Hang Seng Index was the largest since early November and turnover in the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong reached HKD154 billion, the highest since late January. Chinese developers were among the top winners, with Longfor (00960:xhkg) up 9.6% and Country Garden (02007:xhkg) up 8.3% leading the charge higher. The chairman of Country Garden announced retirement. ASMPT (00522:xhkg) jumped 9% after the semiconductor equipment maker reported Q4 revenues beating estimates. After market close, Techtronic (00669:xhkg) reported H2 EPS of USD0.27 and revenues of USD6.2 billion, both below the consensus estimates due to soft demand for power tools.  In A-shares, telco, digital economy, software, gaming, media, and AI-generated content stocks were the top winners. Australian equities (ASXSP200.I) rise to four-day highs on commodities rebounding  - beware of companies going ex-dividend ahead After China PMIs beat expectations, with new orders surging back to 2017 level - focus is on commodities strongly rebounding - with the iron ore (SCOA) price rising to a five-day high $126.70, the spot Copper (HG1) price trading at a five-day high, while aluminium is also higher. Coles (COL), Woolworths (WOW) go ex-dividend today, along with Pilbara Minerals (PLS).  As a reminder – dividend paying giants, BHP and Rio go ex-dividend this time next week, which could pressure equities. FX: Dollar unable to bask in yields glory The US dollar was weaker on Wednesday mostly pressured by the gains in Chinese yuan in the Asian session after the upbeat China activity data sent the China reopening theme roaring once again. USDCNH dropped from 6.96 to sub-6.88. Some reversal in the dollar was seen in the US session but it was not enough to reverse earlier losses. Some other currencies also got a bid from the China theme, particularly EURUSD that surged to highs of 1.0691 also underpinned by rising hawkish ECB expectations after hot regional inflation prints. NZDUSD was the outperformer in G10 FX, rising to 0.6276 with Q4 terms of trade returning to positive territory at 1.8% from last month’s -3.9% QoQ. GBPUSD stayed below 1.2100 despite Bailey signaling more BOE hikes may be needed, and saying that the experience in the 1970s showed that doing "too little with interest rates now" may mean more increases later on.   AUD reverses course, rising above its 100-day moving average The Australian dollar against the US (AUDUSD) advanced for the first time following four days of losses, after China's manufacturing activity boosted sentiment – hitting a decade high – with new orders improving in February, surging to 54.1 - the highest level since September 2017. This enthusiasm is buoying commodity prices on the notion that demand will rise – the iron ore (SCOA) has risen to a five-day high of $126.70, spot Copper (HG1) hit a five-day high, while aluminium is also higher. This optimism is offsetting the slowing Australian prints released yesterday- with GDP grinding down to pace of 2.7% YoY in the 4Q as expected- while monthly CPI cooled to 7.4% YoY vs the 8.1% price growth forecast. It’s also important to note, short covering has also added to the Aussie dollar rising. Our view is that the Aussie dollar could see strength return in Q2, in line with our view that the commodity bull market will strongly restart in Q2. Crude oil struggling to lean on Asia/Europe vs. US demand Crude oil prices remained near recent highs despite the strong signal on Chinese demand recovery from upbeat PMI data. In addition, the inventory data was also bullish signalling a recovery of demand in Asia and Europe. US commercial crude oil inventories gained less than expected last week, rising only 1.2 million barrels as US exports of crude hit a record daily high of 5.6 million barrels last week (+22.4% w/w). However, on the other hand, US ISM data and hawkish Fed speakers continued to highlight inflation fears are here to stay and sparking some US demand concerns. WTI futures traded just below $78/barrel while Brent touched $84.50. Metals complex excited about China Copper, aluminum, zinc and iron all traded higher following the outperformance of Chinese PMI data on Wednesday, driving a return of focus to the China reopening theme. Copper, which earlier found support at $4 surged to $4.17 in the Asian morning today, and may take another look at $4.20. However, our head of Commodity Strategy Ole Hansen wrote that the next sustained move higher is unlikely to be triggered until the second quarter or later, the timing to a certain extend depending on the economic outlook for the rest of the world and whether recession, as we believe, will be avoided.   What to consider? Mixed US ISM survey details – but steady message on inflation The US ISM manufacturing marginally rose to 47.7 from 47.4, coming in below expectations of 48.0. New orders lifted to 47.0 (prev. 42.5), while employment fell to 49.1 (prev. 50.6), entering contractionary territory. But the message on price pressures continued to roil markets. ISM priced paid rose back into expansionary territory to 51.3, well above the prior 44.5 and the expected 45.1, re-affirming that it may be too soon to call goods inflation disinflationary. Hawkish Fed talk brings 10-year yields to top 4% Fed member Kashkari (voter) signaled an openness for a 50bps hike at the March meeting, saying he is open to both 25bps and 50bps. Still, he emphasized that the terminal rate is more important than the size of rate hikes, where also he hinted that it could be revised higher from December. Another member Bostic (non-voter) maintained his view that the Fed policy rate needs to rise to 5.00-5.25% range, but said that the rate should be left there “until well into 2024”. 10-year Treasury yields rose above the key 4% mark for the first time since November, sending another warning signal to equities. China’s PMIs signaled recovery picking up steam The headline official NBS PMI surged to 52.6 in February, the highest print since 2012, from 50.1 in January. The strength was across the board with production and new orders improving markedly and the new export orders unexpectedly surging to 52.4, the first time into the expansion territory in 23 months. The NBS non-manufacturing PMI and the Caixin Manufacturing PMI, also released today, both bounced strongly and signaled economic expansion. Readers can find more on China’s PMI here. Hot German inflation print creates further pressure for the ECB Coming on the heels of hotter than expected inflation prints in France and Spain for February, German CPI print was also hotter than expected at 9.3% YoY (vs. +9.0% exp and +9.2% prior). The message on disinflation has therefore continued to weaken, and both Fed and ECB are likewise pressured to do more on policy tightening to ensure the inflation comes back to target. Th aggregate Eurozone print is out today and expectations of a softening to 8.3% from 8.6% last month may be tested. Tesla plots a path to renewable energy at Tesla Investor Day As part of Tesla’s “Master Plan” for the company, Musk said Tesla’s next phase of growth will be built around building clean energy sources – that can serve a much larger world population - without great economic sacrifice. Moving into sustainable energy might mean moving into heat pumps- as they can dramatically cut home and office heating costs. Tesla dubs them one of the low hanging fruits in the sustainable energy transition. Tesla’s shares are up 97% from their January low.   For what to watch in the markets this week – read or watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: Markets Today: Sharp rise in China’s PMI data; inflation concerns in the U.S. - 2 March 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Employment has increased in many industries during the pandemic, but the situation has changed and many companies are announcing job cuts. Until now, mainly technology companies have significantly reduced employment, aloe has recently been joined by other industries such as banking. In this article: Layoffs in Asian investment banking The Fed renewed investors' hopes The long-awaited update of the Ethereum network in Shanghai Layoffs in Asian investment banking Global banks including Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are in the process of cutting thousands of jobs. Several other financial firms have also slashed jobs in recent months, including major asset managers and fintechs, amid a turbulent macroeconomic environment that has pressured consumers and soured demand in several mainstay business units. Bank of America and Citigroup cut several jobs in investment banking in Asia, joining global partners in cutting jobs Bank of America (BofA) cut about half a dozen Hong Kong investment banking jobs on Thursday, and Citi on Thursday cut four jobs from its China investment banking team. BofA, Citi cut handful of investing banking jobs in Asia - sources https://t.co/QmatsCtb9a pic.twitter.com/vBgz0scq7B — Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) March 3, 2023 Read next: Despite The Decline Euro Remains Above 1.06, GBP/USD Is Trading Below 1.20| FXMAG.COM The Fed renewed investors' hopes Although inflation is slowing down, the fight against it continues. Banks around the world last year raised interest rates to record levels not seen since 2008. The actions of the Fed are attracting attention. After the publication of inflation data and a series of other reports (GDP, PMI), the market expects that the Fed will decide to hike by 25 bp. Recently, Atlanta Federal Reserve Chairman Raphael Bostic told the media that he favors lower – and slower – rate hikes. On top of that, the data suggests that the labor market, somewhat astonishingly, is still solid, which could prompt the Federal Reserve to raise rates when it meets later this month. Markets opened lower after this news. The situation of interest rates has an impact on the markets, especially currency, stocks and bonds. US stocks rose on Thursday with all major indexes closing in the green. A survey by the American Chamber of Commerce in China found that its members, for the first time in 25 years, do not consider China a top three investment priority. To boost sentiment, the Chinese government is courting potential investors and declaring a "Year of Investing in China". CNBC Daily Open: Markets rallied as Fed official renewed investors' hope for 25 basis-point hike https://t.co/Q5Ofm9iGOl — CNBC (@CNBC) March 3, 2023 The long-awaited update of the Ethereum network in Shanghai The eagerly awaited Shanghai Ethereum update, which will enable the withdrawal of staked ETH, is likely to happen in the first two weeks of April. Although the update was firmly scheduled for the March release, some Ethereum developers began to doubt it. Ethereum developers now plan to launch the Goerli testnet, essentially a comprehensive update dress rehearsal, in Shanghai around March 14. About a month later, if all goes smoothly, the actual Shanghai software update will go live in mid-April. LATEST: #Ethereum developers confirm Shanghai upgrade will likely occur in April instead of March. — CoinGecko (@coingecko) March 3, 2023

Summary:  US stock indices had a strong finish to the week, with the Nasdaq 100 rising 1.6% and the S&P 500 surging 2%. Despite the fading expectations for interest rate cuts in 2023, the S&P 500 has risen 5.4% and the Nasdaq 100 has soared 12.4% since the beginning of the year. Yields on the 10-year Treasury notes reversed and returned to below 4%, settling at 3.95% to close the week on Friday. On the first day of the First Session of the 14th National People’s Congress, China's Premier Li delivered his last Government Work Report. The report set a target of around 5% for the real GDP growth for 2023, which was at the lower end of expectations.   What’s happening in markets? US equities bounced on Friday to finish the week higher Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) rose 1.6% and S&P 500 (US500.I) surged 2% on Friday, securing a weekly gain of 1.9% and 2.6% respectively. All 11 sectors within the S&P 500 advanced, led by information technology, consumer discretionary, and communication services. Meta (META:xnas), First Solar (FSLR:xnas), and Broadcom (AVGO:xnas) were among the top gainers, rising more than or nearly 6%. Apple (AAPL:xnas) gained 3.5% after announcing the departure of its cloud business head next month. Rivian (RIVN:xnas) jumped 7.6% following raising its EV production target by 24% to 62,000 units. Since the beginning of the year, the S&P 500 has risen 5.4% and the Nasdaq 100 has soared 12.4% despite the expectations for interest rate cuts in 2023 having largely faded. NVidia (NVDA:xnas) up 65%, Tesla (TSLA:xnas) up 63%, and Meta up 53.9% were among the best-performing stocks that drove the indices higher. US Treasuries rallied with the 10-year yield reversing to below 4% After spending one day above 4% on Thursday, yields on the 10-year Treasury notes reversed and returned to below 4% and settled at 3.95% to close the week on Friday. Headlines were light. The decline in the ISM Services Index in February was smaller than expected and initially saw the short-end lower in prices and higher in yields before the losses faded and reversed as strong bids emerged in the long ends in the afternoon. The 2-10-year spread bull flattened 7bps to -91. Hang Seng Index and China’s CSI 300 advanced ahead of the Two Sessions On Friday, Hang Seng Index (HSI.I) was up 0.7%. Hang Seng TECH Index (HSTECH.I) was up 2.1% ahead of the Two Sessions in China, annual meetings of China’s legislature, and top political advisory body. Technology, auto, and Chinese developer stocks led the charge higher. Closing at 20567, Hang Seng Index was up 2.79% over the week.  Hang Seng TECH Index gained 2.8%, with China internet names leading the charge higher. Bilibili (09626:xhkg) surged 10.3% following the online entertainment firm reporting a smaller net loss in Q4. TVB (00511:xhkg) soared 51.6% on heavy volume after the television broadcaster announced cooperation plans with Alibaba’s Taobao for live-streaming broadcasts.  Wynn Macau (01128:xhkg) fell 4.3%, weighed on by hedging flows after the Macao casino operator issued a USD600m of convertible bonds. Benchmark A-share indices advanced. The CSI300 (000300.I) climbed 0.3% on Friday and gained 1.7% over the week. The Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index gained for the fifth day in a row, closing at 3328.39, the highest level since July 2022. The net purchase of northbound funds was RMB 2 billion. Large state-owned companies in strategic industries, typically those starting with the prefix “China”, were among the top gainers ahead of the Two Sessions. Australian equities remain pressured The Australian share market fell for the fourth straight week last week. And with BHP and Rio and Woodside all going ex-dividend this week, it could be very volatile week. For more on what to watch this week, refer to Saxo’s Week Ahead. FX: GBP recovers post-Bailey losses The USD was broadly weaker last week after a run higher in February on expectations that most of the Fed’s tightening is priced in and yields are potentially reaching close to their peaks. This week brings a test of this rhetoric with Chair Powell’s testimony and the US jobs report scheduled for release. GBPUSD once again found support at 1.1920 despite a dovish turn by BOE Gov Bailey last week, and returned to 1.2040. AUDUSD worth a watch again this week with support at 0.67 being eyed as the RBA meets this week and China’s lower growth expectations may weigh. USDJPY has reversed back below 136 as yields gains ease, but if US yields continue their run higher and/or Governor Kuroda stays overly dovish at his final Bank of Japan meeting this week then a return to 137+ remains likely.  Crude oil whipsaws but bulls in control Crude oil prices faced 2-way action on Friday with an initial move lower by over 2% on a WSJ report saying the UAE is debating internally whether to leave OPEC. But these reports were denied later on, and enthusiasm of the oil bulls going into China’s policy meetings over the weekend with policy stimulus expectations running high helped crude oil make a quick reversal. WTI prices got close to $80/barrel from a dip to $76 earlier, while Brent rose to $86 from $82.50. A modest weakness is coming back again this morning in Asia, keeping the range intact. However, China’s weaker than expected growth target set over the weekend may still keep oil prices choppy, with eyes also on any possibility of hawkish remarks from Chair Powell this week or the US jobs report.    What to consider? China’s 2023 GDP growth target at “around 5%” China sets a real GDP growth target of "around 5%" for 2023 in the Government Work Report to the National People's Congress. This target is at the lower end of expectations ranging from 5% to 5.5% going into the meeting. Other key macroeconomic targets include adding 12 million jobs to urban area employment for 2023, a consumer inflation target of 3%, and a fiscal deficit target of 3% of nominal GDP. The report emphasizes the importance of boosting domestic aggregate demand, particularly household consumption, and aims to deepen the reform of state-owned enterprises while encouraging private enterprises to grow. For more details, see our note here. US ISM services stays strong The headline ISM services cooled less than expected in February, falling to 55.1 from 55.2 in January, better than the expected 54.5. The prices paid component, which raised concerns again about the disinflation rhetoric from the manufacturing ISM report last week, cooled only slightly to 65.8 from 67.8 in January, showing sticky services prices. Employment rose to 54 from 50.0, matching the highest since March 2022 and therefore showing more signs of a tight labour market. New orders accelerated to 62.6 from 60.4 but business activity slowed to 56.3 from 60.4.  China’s Caixin Services PMI came in at the highest level since Sept 2022 Caixin Services PMI rose to 55 in February (consensus estimate: 54.5), the highest level since September 2022, from 52.9 in January, echoing the strength of the recovery in the official NBS PMI survey earlier in the week. Both the business activities component and the new order components were in the expansion territory. The Biden administration is drafting new rules to prohibit some U.S. investments in China In reports sent to Congress, the Biden administration told lawmakers that the Treasury Department and the Commerce Departing are drafting new regulations to prohibit U.S. companies from making advanced technology investments abroad, which is understood as focusing on China. Fed members continue to sound hawkish, eyes on Powell Fed member Mary Daly was on the wires over the weekend, and sounded hawkish as she raised the prospects of an upward shift in the Fed’s dot plot as well. She said that inflation is still high, and the Fed has to think about 'continuous tightening', signalling higher rates and remaining at elevated levels for a longer period of time, if inflation stays hot. Another member Barkin also clearly said that there will be no rate cuts this year. Focus will be on data in the run upto Fed’s March meeting, but Chair Powell’s testimony and the February jobs report this week will be key for the markets. Japan unions pushing for record wage increase The Japanese Trade Union Confederation (JTUC, more commonly known as Rengo) says its survey of 2000+ unions in the country shows an average pay rise request of 4.49% this year. This is the highest since 1998's 4.36% and is much higher than the 2.97% sought in 2022. The Bank of Japan continues to highlight that wage growth is key for achieving sustained demand-pull inflation. Japan's "shunto" spring wage talks will be key to watch this month as any larger than expected increase in wages will fuel more tightening expectations for the Bank of Japan, having a profound impact on global liquidity as well. COT reporting on Brent and (delayed) gold  Speculators or hedge funds raised bullish bets on Brent crude oil by 9.4k lots to near a 15-month high at 286k lots in the week to February 28. The cost of holding a short position in Brent, reflected through the current backwardation, supported a continued collapse in the gross short to a 12-year low at 22k lots.  While the ICE Europe Exchange is up to date in its reporting, the US CFTC is still catching up following a January 31 cyberattack on ION Cleared Derivatives, a third-party software and service provider for derivative trading. The latest report covered the week to February 7, when gold reached $1975 before crashing to $1885, triggering a 29% drop in the gold net long to 79k. The CFTC is expected to be up to data around mid-March.  Moving Visa, Mastercard, and Paypal from IT to Financials in the S&P500 Starting from 17 March, the S&P 500 will move Visa (V), Mastercard (MA), and Paypal (PYPL), which specialize in payment services from its Information Technology sector to the Financials sector, and Automatic Data Processing (ADP), which provide human resources services from the Information sector to the Industrials sector. For what to watch in the markets this week – read or watch our Saxo Spotlight.  For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Global Market Quick Take: Asia – March 6, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Growing sales of electric vehicles — which typically use more semiconductors than their gas-powered counterparts — coupled with greater automation of all vehicles have kept car chip makers busy. Car chip boom Chip executives say the increase in the number of chips going into cars is staggering. As of 2021, the average car had about 1,200 chips, twice as many as in 2010, and that number is only likely to increase. Companies including Dutch automotive chip company NXP Semiconductors, German Infineon Technologies AG , Japanese Renesas Electronics Corp., an American company Analog Devices Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc. recently reported growing sales in its automotive divisions and made good forecasts for this year. NXP's automotive chip sales grew 25% last year, and the company expects about 15% growth in the first quarter of this year. Renesas' automotive business grew nearly 40% last year, and analysts expect more growth this quarter. Analog Devices, which accounts for nearly a quarter of its sales in the automotive industry, posted 29% growth in this segment last year. It's not just the cars themselves that are using more and more chips; as will vehicle manufacturing as manufacturers introduce more automation to deal with labor shortages and try to cut costs, semiconductor executives said. Car chip resilience comes despite a historic drop in car sales last year, which was the lowest in more than a decade in the US. Sales have been hampered by supply chain issues, including a lack of chips necessary for a new generation of cars with a range of digitally enhanced features, from driver assistance technology to automatic windshield wiper control. The increased digitization of cars means that even lower vehicle sales do not reduce the demand for car chips. Prospects of EV market Long-term EV market outlook looks solid, Tesla Inc. hinted last week as chief executive Elon Musk detailed plans for his car company to increase sales to 20 million vehicles a year by 2030, up from around 1.3 million in 2022. Electric vehicle sales surpassed a global milestone last year, reaching around 10% market share for the first time. While EVs still represent a fraction of U.S. car sales, their share of the overall market is becoming significant in Europe and China. Tesla is still the dominant manufacturer of electric cars in the world, but conventional carmakers are reducing their lead with new electric models. European carmakers have focused their production and sales of electric vehicles on domestic markets in an effort to meet EU emissions regulations. They also began a more aggressive expansion of their electric vehicle business in other major markets last year, especially China and the US. Declines in other sectors of chipmakers The boom in automotive chips contrasts with sharp declines in other sectors of chipmakers whose products end up in electronics closely tied to consumer appetites. Intel Corp. , the largest U.S. chip maker by revenue, reported a loss in the fourth quarter and expects another loss this quarter, hit by a weakening demand for personal computers that house its chips. Rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc. is also battling a volatile PC market where industry-wide shipments are expected to fall by 12.5% this year, according to recent Morgan Stanley estimates. Qualcomm Inc., known for its mobile phone chips, illustrates how some chip vendors feel both sides of market dynamics. The company saw an 18% drop in mobile phone revenue in the last fiscal quarter. NXP Semiconductors N.V. share prices NXP shares have been up since Feb 24. from 176.86 to 182.96. By comparison, Renesas shares also rose to 6.72, a record high in more than 10 years. Infineon Technologies shares also rose to 36.63 after falling to 35.43. Source: wsj.com, finance.yahoo.com

Summary:  The ADP employment and JOLTS job opening numbers released on Wednesday leaned into the notion that the Fed can resume a faster pace. But it seems the market is coming to terms with the fact that interest rates will remain elevated as the VIX Index declined, and the US Dollar Index steadied manner. Ahead are CATL results, JD.com and DocuSign. The all-important jobs report on Friday and the U.S. CPI next week could bring about another round of market volatilities. Read on for more.   What’s happening in markets? US equities edged up modestly, digesting the message from Powell and job data The Nasdaq 100 (NAS100.I) gained 0.4% and S&P 500 (US500.I) inched up 0.1% on Wednesday, remaining calm to the hotter-than-expected ADP employment and JOLTS job openings data and Powell’s congressional testimony in his second day. The volume of 10.2 billion shares across U.S. exchanges was below average. As WTI crude fell by more than 1% to USD76.5, the energy sector was the biggest loser within the S&P500. Telsa (TSLA:xnas) slid 3%, following the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration highlighting potential issues in the EV maker’s Autopilot system and steering wheels that can detach on the Model Y SUVs. Campbell Soup (CPB:xnys) gained nearly 2% on earnings beat and sales increases. Crowdstrike (CRWD:xnas) rose 3.2%, paring some of the post-result after market gains the day before. In Europe, the STOXX Europe 600 finished the session flat. Yields on U.S. Treasuries moved higher on hot JOLTS job openings and a poor 10-year auction The Treasuries market did not act much to the hotter-than-expected ADP employment data and Powell’s second-day congressional testimony. Short-covering flows especially in the futures contracts drove the market higher and yields lower in the morning until selling emerged following the JOLTS job openings data which was stronger than estimates. Demand in the 10-year auction was weak as the auction stopped at nearly 3bps cheaper from the market level at the time of the auction and had a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.35, lower than 2.66 last time. The Treasury is auctioning USD18 billion of 30-year bonds today. The 2-year yield rose 6bps to 5.07% and the 10-year yield edged up 2bps to 3.99%, inverting the curve further to -109bps. Hang Seng Index and China’s CSI 300 decline on regulatory overhaul in China and U.S. interest rates Yesterday, the Hang Seng Index dropped by 2.4% and the Hang Seng TECH Index plunged by 3.2%.  EV and China Internet stocks led the charge lower. XPeng (09868:xhkg) plunged 7.1% and Li Auto (02015:xhkg) lost 6.3%. China internet names slid, with Alibaba (099088:xhkg), Meituan  (03690:xhkg) and JD.com (09618:xhkg) each down 3-4%. On top of the tighter U.S. interest rate outlook stemming from Fed Chain’s Powell’s testimony, the establishment of the National Financial Regulation Bureau and the National Data Bureau and the consolidation of power around them may have stirred up concerns about uncertainty in the mind of investors about the regulatory trend on areas such as mobile payment and e-platform data.  China telecommunication stocks were among the top gainers. China Unicom (00762:xhg) rose 3.5% after reporting Q4 earnings in line with estimates. TVB (00511) jumped 85% on Wednesday, following the Hong Kong TV broadcasting company holding its first live-streaming online shopping on the Taobao platform in mainland China. The 6-hour live-streaming session had around 4.85 million viewers. Over the past 4 sessions, the share price of TVB has gone up by 247%. In A-shares, the CSI300 finished 0.4% lower, clawing back most of the early losses, with telecommunication, defense, computing, media, and 6G concept names leading the rebound.  The US dollar consolidates, post-Powell gains The US dollar was little changed versus major currencies and was consolidating its strong gains after Powell’s first-day testimony the day before. USDJPY fell back below 107. Australia’s shares are under pressure as the heavy weights trade ex-dividend today BHP and Rio are trading ex-dividend, which is pressuring the equity market, while on the other side Myer shares jolted higher after the retailer declared a super-sized dividend. While accounting software company Xero also trades higher on announcing it will cut 800 jobs to improve its profitability. Meanwhile, in breaking news - part of the Aukus security partnership, Australia looks set to buy as many as five nuclear-powered Virginia class submarines from the US, with the submarine plan expected to be announced next week – when US President Joe Biden meets UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese  - as part of the 18-month old Aukus partnership. Gold ticks higher as the market digests the latest hawkish Fed commentary that could lead the US into a recession Gold advanced on Wednesday after slipping about 2% in the prior session  - gaining strength as the US dollar's rally cooled. Despite the stronger dollar overall, gold has found support in the $1800 area – driven by economic uncertainty and the probability of a recession creeping higher. We await Friday’s jobs report – given rates are expected to remain higher – weakness in the data on Friday may be a catalyst for the US dollar to take a step back, which could theatrically trigger upside in the precious metal.   What to consider? Bank of Canada kept rates unchanged The Bank of Canada (BOC) was the first major central bank to pause from hiking rates. As widely expected, The BOC kept the policy rate unchanged at 4.50% but the door is open to come back on the hiking track to fight inflation as the central bank dropped the forward guidance that it expects to hold the policy rate unchanged if the economy evolves in line with its outlook. Powell largely repeated his message on the second day of his testimony On the second day of his congressional testimony, this time to the House Financial Services Committee, Powell told lawmakers that no decision had yet been made on the size of the rate hike at the March FOMC while he reiterated that the Fed was likely to bring the policy rate higher than previously anticipated and could move at a faster pace. More hot job data coming out of the U.S. The ADP Employment report had a 242K increase in jobs in February, rising from 119K (revised from 106K previously reported) in January and way above the 200K consensus estimate. JOLTS Job Opening also came in stronger than expected at 10,824K (consensus estimate: 10,546K; January 11,234K). Europe leads Australia, with more females in executive roles. The US lags  Various studies have shown that gender diverse executive teams can outperform the overall equity market. So, for International Women’s Day we dissected the makeup of listed companies' executive teams. We found that Europe has the most female representation followed by Australia - with the US lagging. An astounding 33 companies in the Stoxx600 have executive teams that are made up of over 50% women. Healthcare company Halma - also in the Stoxx600 - has a 60% female executive team. While media business- Future PLC, takes the cake - with a 100% female executive team. Australia follows Europe with a high portion of diversity.  14 of the ASX200 companies have executive teams that are over 50% female lead. Gold mining giant- Newcrest Mining- has an 86% women executive team. What’s also pleasing to see is that the world’s biggest mining company, BHP has over 50% female representation on its executive leadership team. And lastly- in the US- in the S&P500, just five companies have executive teams that are made up over 50% women. That includes Bed & Body Work with its 60% executive team - being female. To explore this thematic further, refer to Saxo’s Women in Leadership equity basket.   China’s inflation is expected to slow in February The growth in CPI is expected to slow to 1.9% Y/Y in February from 2.1% in January and PPI to contract further to -1.3% Y/Y. Eyes on CATL’s growth and outlook CATL, the world’s largest battery maker - and Tesla’s battery supplier - reports results on Thursday. It’s expected to report revenue growth of over 80%. However, there is room for a positive surprise - given strong battery and energy storage demand. CATL is also expanding overseas - teaming up with Ford to build a battery manufacturing plant in Michigan, which we will hopefully get detail on. As for its outlook - we expect it to be strong, as CATL’s increased its war chest, after selling its $856 million stake in Australia’s biggest lithium company, Pilbara Minerals. We also think guidance could be upgraded - given auto sales in China are expected to rise in 2023, following years of lockdowns. CATL outlook’s will be closely watched by not only EV makers - but also by EV investors – as they could give a gauge on how much car maker’s battery costs could rise.   Other company reports to watch ahead include JD.com - a Chinese consumer spending bellwether and DocuSign- a covid-19 stalwart All eyes will be on JD.com, the Amazon equivalent in China. It could give further insight into Chinese consumers’ appetite post lockdown. And what they’re seeing in consumer spending ahead. It's also worth watching Saxo’s China Consumer and Technology basket of stocks. And in the US - DocuSign reports after the market close on Thursday – this will be interesting to watch as over the last two years DOCU has beaten EPS and revenue estimates. The electronic signature company raised full its guidance when it reported third-quarter results that topped expectations. It’s also joined the spate of tech companies making mass-layoffs and cut 10% of its employees.   For what to watch in the markets this week – read or watch our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Global Market Quick Take: Asia – March 9, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Summary:  After Wednesday’s sentiment shock on hawkish Fed Chair Powell testimony, yesterday saw markets frozen in their tracks, awaiting key incoming data that will determine whether the Fed must continue turning the rate tightening screws, starting with the US February jobs data up tomorrow. In Asia’s Friday session tonight, we await the final Bank of Japan meeting with Kuroda at the helm before his exit next month. Will he surprise again as in December or leave the next steps in the direction of normalization for his successor? What is our trading focus? US equities (US500.I and USNAS100.I): more wait and see Following the big move in Tuesday’s session on Powell’s hawkish comments on policy rates and inflation yesterday’s session had much lower energy and ended with a small rebound in S&P 500 futures gaining 0.1%. Stronger than expected ADP job figures had a small initial negative impact as the jobs data continue to suggest a strong US labour market despite the higher interest rates underpinning the structurally higher inflation case. This morning the low energy in US equity futures continues and it feels like the equity market is back at the wait-and-see mode on inflation and the economy. As we have said before, it is the bond market that will dictate where equities go from here. If S&P 500 futures slips below Tuesday’s close, then the 3,950 level is the next level to watch and the approximate area for the 200-day moving average. Chinese equities (HK50.I and 02846:xhkg): oscillated in a lacklustre session Hang Seng Index and CSI 300 Index swung between small gains and losses. China’s CPI growth slowed to 1% Y/Y in February, much lower than the consensus estimate of 1.9%. Growth in food prices decelerated to 2.6% Y/Y from 6.2% Y/Y while growth in non-food prices halved to 0.6% Y/Y in February from 1.2% in January. PPI slide 1.4% Y/Y in February, bringing the producer prices deeper into deflation. Semiconductor Manufacturing (00981:xhkg) and Hua Hong Semiconductor (01347:xhkg) advanced, as investors expect the domestic chip making leaders to benefit from government policy initiatives and import substitution. COSCO China Shipping Energy Transportation (01138:xhkg) jumped 11.5% as investors anticipated the Chinese tanker and dry bulk shipping operator to benefit from recent rises in freight rates. FX: USD strength eases ahead of data. JPY firms. CAD weak on BoC The USD strength on the back of Fed Chair Powell testimony failed to find further momentum as the market awaits key incoming US data tomorrow (Feb. jobs report) and next Tuesday (Feb. CPI) for further conviction. With the rise in yields easing slightly, the JPY perked up after USDJPY failed to close above the 200-day moving average and as the market awaits a possible surprise from the outgoing Kuroda at tonight’s (Friday in Asia) Bank of Japan meeting (preview below). The Bank of Canada confirmed its prior guidance and did pause its rate tightening cycle at its meeting yesterday, continuing to signal a wait-and-see stance, which looks dovish in this environement. This saw CAD weak across the board yesterday, and USDCAD traded above 1.3800 at one point for the first time since November. Crude oil holds Powell-led losses, but support is not far away Crude oil futures remain stuck near a one-week low as the negative sentiment around further monetary tightening more than offset a surprise drop in US stocks, the first in ten weeks. Brent and WTI trade below their 21-day moving averages for a second day but the loss of momentum has yet to see either of them challenge trendline support, in Brent at $81.40 and WTI at $73.50. Rangebound for months and in no hurry to change that amid a balanced flow of supply and demand related news, the market is likely to pay close attention to the general level of risk appetite which is currently being dictated by the FOMC and its close attention to incoming data. With that in mind the next major market moving event is likely to be Friday’s US job report. Gold trades near key support on Powell’s higher, faster and longer threat Gold trades near support in the $1800 area as traders continue to digest Fed chair Powell’s comment on Capitol Hill that interest rates could go higher, faster and for longer. In the short-term with Powell signalling an incredible data dependency, the focus now turns to incoming US data, and ahead of Friday’s job report, another report showed US job openings drop to 10.8 million, still a number too high for the Fed. However, given the level of elevated rate hike expectation currently priced in, any weakness in incoming data may now trigger a stronger positive response than otherwise called for. Below the $1800 area the next level of interest is the 200-DMA at $1775. Yields on U.S. Treasuries moved higher on hot JOLTS job openings and a poor 10-year auction The Treasuries market did not react much to the hotter-than-expected ADP employment data and Powell’s second-day congressional testimony. Short-covering flows especially in the futures contracts drove the market higher and yields lower in the morning until selling emerged following the JOLTS job openings data which was stronger than estimates. Demand in the 10-year auction was weak as the auction stopped at nearly 3bps cheaper from the market level at the time of the auction and had a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.35, lower than 2.66 last time. The Treasury is auctioning USD 18 billions of 30-year bonds today. The 2-year yield rose 6bps to 5.07% and the 10-year yield edged up 2bps to 3.99%, inverting the curve further to -109bps. What is going on? The Netherlands proposing a chip gear export restriction to China As part of the US CHIPS Act the US pushing its trading partners to also restrict semiconductor technology to China which has hurt chipmakers including Nvidia. So far, the Dutch-based ASML, the world’s largest lithography machine makers for chip production, has said that those restrictions did not apply to them. However, non-compliance by ASML and other equipment makers would make it possible for China’s semiconductor industry to circumvent the intentions in the new US policy on semiconductors. Yesterday, the Dutch government announced that the Netherlands is proposing chip gear export restrictions to China and will include DUV (deep ultraviolet) lithography machines which are the most advanced machines for chip production. ASML says that the new export restrictions will not affect the 2023 outlook nor the long-term outlook, but the latter part might be a stretch and only time will tell. Apple to put more focus on India growth Apple is revamping its global sales unit shifting its focus to India from China with a new separate sales office and reporting line in India. This move follows the decision to increase production capacity of various Apple products to India from China underscoring the shifting geopolitical interest for the US and its corporate sector. With Apple being one of the most important companies in the US this is an important signal to other US companies about how to change global supply chains and where to get revenue exposure. WASDE adds further downside pressure on corn and wheat futures Chicago corn and not least wheat futures extended their slump on Wednesday after the USDA said domestic stockpiles rose by more than expected in response to lower exports. The agency also boosted the outlook for Ukraine corn exports while wheat, already under pressure from Russian sales and expectations the Ukraine grain corridor deal will be extended, dropped to an 18-month low after the agency raised production estimates for Kazakhstan, Australia and India. Soybeans meanwhile found support after the USDA slashed production from drought-stricken Argentina by more than expected. The world’s biggest exporter of soymeal and soyoil will harvest 33 million tons of beans this year, the smallest crop since 2011 and a 20% decline from its February estimate. More hot job data coming out of the US The ADP Employment report had a 242K increase in jobs in February, rising from 119K (revised from 106K previously reported) in January and way above the 200K consensus estimate. JOLTS Job Opening also came in stronger than expected at 10,824K (consensus estimate: 10,546K; January 11,234K). Bank of Canada confirms pause in rate tightening regime The Bank of Canada confirmed its guidance from the prior meeting and did not hike the policy rate yesterday, a particularly jarring divergence relative to the hawkishness we saw this week from Fed Chair Powell which has the market debating a re-acceleration in the pace of Fed hikes, and at a time when the ECB, for example, is priced to hike another 150 basis points or more this year. The Bank of Canada continues to expect that inflation in Canada will ease to “around 3%” by mid-year. The guidance on further in the policy statement remained unchanged: "Governing Council will continue to assess economic developments and the impact of past interest rate increases, and is prepared to increase the policy rate further if needed to return inflation to the 2% target.". One particularly complicating factor for the Canadian economy is the heavy load of private debt, much of it in mortgages, with a large minority of Canadians financing with adjustable rate mortgages and even fixed rate mortgages adjust their rate every five years, which will stress the budgets of a growing portion of Canadian households with every month that passes at the current yield levels – several multiples of where rates were for the 2020-2021 timeframe. Powell largely repeated his message on the second day of his testimony On the second day of his congressional testimony, this time to the House Financial Services Committee, Powell told lawmakers that no decision had yet been made on the size of the rate hike at the March FOMC while he reiterated that the Fed was likely to bring the policy rate higher than previously anticipated and could move at a faster pace. What are we watching next? Bank of Japan meeting tonight will be Kuroda’s last after 10 years as Governor Significant two-way volatility potential for the JPY tonight on the Bank of Japan meeting as the market well remembers the surprise decision from Governor Kuroda to expand the yield-curve-control “band” for 10-year Japanese Government bonds (really a cap in this era of higher interest rates) to +/- 0.50% from the prior 0.25%. One-week implied volatility in USDJPY options remains very elevated at almost 19% in anticipation of tonight’s decision and guidance, as the market is uncertain whether Kuroda might significantly tighten policy at his last meeting as a kind of declaration of victory on succeeding in bringing more sustained inflation to the Japanese economy, or whether he will leave the bulk of the tough process of policy normalization to his likely successor, Kazuo Ueda. USDJPY rose above its 200-day moving average this week at 137.20 and traded most of the way to 138, but has retreated this morning to well below 137.00. The market is only pricing a policy rate (the short rate) of positive 0.15% by the end of this year, versus –0.10% currently. More likely for the Bank of Japan to focus on loosening yield-curve-control for now rather than tinkering with the policy rate. Earnings to watch Today’s key earnings release to watch are CATL and JD.com which will provide fresh information from China’s corporate sector. JD.com is expected to report FY22 Q4 earnings before the US market open with analysts expecting revenue growth of 7% y/y down from 23% y/y a year ago, and EBITDA of CNY 8.06bn up from CNY 5.08bn a year ago. The outlook from JD.com matters a lot this time as it will reflect management’s confidence and expectations related to the Chinese reopening. CATL is expected to report sometime after the Chinese equity market close and is expected to report Q4 revenue growth of 87% y/y reflecting the strong demand for electric vehicles and batteries. Thursday: CATL, Deutsche Post, JD.com Friday: Daimer Truck, AIA Group, Oracle, DiDi Global Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1200 – Mexico Feb. CPI 1230 – US Feb. Challenger Job Cuts 1330 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1400 – Poland National Bank Governor Glapinski press conference 1530 – EIA's Weekly Natural Gas Storage Change 1800 – US Treasury to auction 30-year T-bonds 1845 – Canada Bank of Canada Deputy Governor Rogers to speak Asian session: Bank of Japan meeting   Source: Global Market Quick Take: Europe – March 9, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)

Summary:  A slight recovery in sentiment was seen into the Monday open as US regulators stepped in to prevent further fallout from the SVB crisis and announced an emergency bank term funding program assuring SVB depositors they will be fully protected and have access to their money as the week begins. US jobs data on Friday was mixed, putting focus on the CPI this week, although the banking crisis reduces the case for a 50bps rate hike this month.   What’s happening in markets? US equites pulled back on Friday after the Silicon Valley Bank fuelled fear The futures turned green, indicating Monday could potentially see buying return. Market jitters were calmed after the Fed announced an emergency bank term funding program, with SVB depositors to have access to all money from Monday. On Friday though, markets were hurting, SVB parent, SVB Financial Group’s (SIVB:xnas) demise was felt through markets, triggering a sharp sell-off in US equities with the Nasdaq 100 and S&P500 falling 1.4% on Friday and wiping off 3.8% and 4.6% over the week. The banking sector was hit hard, as investors worried about the risk of contagion after 16th largest bank failed, which lead to selling in other banks, and deposit withdrawals – with American losing faith in the banking system. The KBW Bank Index shed 3.9% on Friday, and 15.7% over the week. PacWest Bancorp (PACW:xnas) tumbled 37.9% on Friday and a massive 53.7% since Thursday. US equity futures rallied on Monday Asian hours after the Fed assured depositors in the Silicon Valley Bank they will be fully protected. Treasury yields plunged on safe-haven bids amid banking woes and Fed speculation Safe-haven demand and reduced likelihood of aggressive rate hikes drove down Treasury yields. Meanwhile, asset markets were jolted by the Silicon Valley Bank incident, leading to a surge in safe-haven buying of Treasuries. Prices of Treasuries climbed, and yields fell sharply, with the front end and belly of the curve seeing the best performance. Traders are now speculating whether the contagion of the crisis to other banks, and the widening of credit spreads will sway the Fed in favor of keeping the next hike at a modest 25bps, or perhaps even pausing earlier than expected. These speculations are supported by the slight 0.2% month-over-month or 4.6% year-over-year increase in average hourly earnings, and an increase in the labor force participation rate to 62.5% in February. Interest rates implied by SOFR contracts fell significantly, with June, September, and December 2023 plunging 28 basis points, 44.5 basis points, and 52.5 basis points, respectively. This brought the terminal down to 5.29% in June 2023, from 5.70% in September 2023 just two days earlier on Wednesday. The 2-year Treasury yield tumbled an astounding 28 basis points to 4.59%, while the 10-year yield dropped by 20 basis points to 3.70%. As a result, the 2-10-year yield curve steepened by almost 7 basis points to 89 basis points on Friday. Given the ongoing banking crisis, Treasuries are likely to remain in high demand. Hang Seng Index and China’s CSI 300 plummeted amid concerns about consumption recovery in China The Hang Seng Index and CSI300 experienced sharp declines on Friday, with losses of 3% and 1.3% respectively, resulting in weekly losses of 6.1% and 4%. This was attributed to investors selling China internet and consumer names after JD.COM's (09618:xhkg) downbeat comments on consumer spending prospects in China, causing JD.Com to plummet by 11.5%. The Hang Seng TECH Index also dropped significantly by 3.8%. Auto stocks, particularly BYD (01211:xhkg) and Great Wall Motor (02333:xhkg) took a major hit, with declines of 8.1% and 6.2% respectively, due to an intensification of price war prompted by Dongfeng (00489:xhkg) and other Chinese automakers' price cuts. Auto names were among the largest losers in A-shares on Friday. The tech war involving semiconductors may extend beyond advanced equipment to materials, leading to concerns about Japan restricting the export of crucial chemicals like photoresists to China. In addition, the turmoil in U.S. banking stocks overnight further weighed on sentiment. Australian equities (ASXSP200.I) somewhat unscathed following global rout. Gold miners charge After the demise of the US’ 16th largest bank, SVB with other US banks in jeopardy, Australia’s market has so far outperformed global equity markets, falling 1.9% last week, while the S&P500  shed 4.6% and Hong Kong’s Heng Seng slumped 6.1%. The prudential regulation over Australia’s banks is keeping ASX listed banks relativity unscathed, however smaller non-financial companies with less financial strength are being penalised. The worst performing ASX200 stocks today are BrainChip, and Lake Resources, both down over 4.6%. While capturing upside and lot of bids are, gold miners, with Capricorn Metals, Ramelius Resources and Regis Resources all up 7-9%. FX: Dollar on the backfoot on chatter of SVB bailout After slumping to fresh lows on Friday to get in close sights of 104, the US dollar reversed higher into Friday’s close but gains were short-lived as the announcement on a potential backstop funding from the Feb for distressed bank SVB brought risk trades back to the table. AUDUSD pushed back above 0.66 to highs of 0.6647 in early trading amid thin liquidity and a recovery in sentiment. NZDUSD also took another look at 200DMA at 0.6166. GBPUSD testing 1.21 handle again with this week’s focus being the Spring budget and the labor market data. ECB’s hike remains in focus, and EURUSD taking another hit at 1.07 as risk sentiment improved this morning in Asia. Crude oil prices jumped higher on Friday but closed with a weekly loss Fears of further monetary tightening, coupled with risks of a financial contagion, raised concerns of a demand weakness and saw crude oil prices slide lower last week. The weak sentiment was compounded by high crude oil inventories in the US. This dominant narrative continues to overshadow signs of stronger demand in China. Some respite was however seen on Friday and into early Asian trading on Monday as US regulators announced measures to protect depositors and let them withdraw money from SVB starting Monday. WTI prices touched $77 from lows of sub-75 on Friday and Brent was above $83 from sub-81 levels earlier. The spread between Brent and Dubai narrowed to USD2.70/bbl, as Dubai crude gained against the global benchmark, suggesting robust Asian demand. Gold making a fresh stride higher despite easing banking sector crisis concerns Gold prices saw a big jump on Friday and gains were extended further on Monday morning in the Asian session as a mixed US jobs report and risks of a contagion in the banking sector spooked investors and prompted safe-haven demand. Expectations of a rapid Fed tightening also eased, and Fed swaps fully priced in a 25bps rate cut by year-end. This, along with rising inflation (breakeven) expectations and a sharp drop in yields, has made gold attractive for investors with precious metal charging higher and breaking above key resistances. Gold prices touched highs of $1890 this morning before easing slightly.   What to consider? SVB fallout spreads; Fed announces plans to fully protect Silicon Value Bank and potentially Signature Bank After the demise of the US’ 16th largest bank, SVB, on Friday and its takeover by the FDIC – which marked the largest bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis, the fallout spread. Regulators took control of another bank, Signature Bank. Unlike SVB which supports venture capital firms, Signature bank specialises in providing banking to law firms. The Fed stepped in and announced an emergency bank term funding program, assuring SVB depositors they will be fully protected and have access to their money from Monday, with agencies said to enact a similar program for Signature Bank. All this follows the Venture Capital community urging startups to withdraw funds, which led to civilians taking their money out of banks. Regulators are seeking buyers for SVB. Meanwhile, the Fed said it’s providing additional funding to banks. US nonfarm payrolls remained elevated in February Nonfarm payrolls in the US rose by 311k last month, less than the January's blowout print of 504k (revised down from an initially stated 517k) but still remaining elevated and above consensus expectations of 215k. While the headline continued to reaffirm a tight labor market, other indicators from the report were rather weak. Average hourly earnings rose +0.2% MoM in February, lower than the expected and last month’s +0.3% MoM. The annual rate of averag hourly earnings rose from +4.4% in January to +4.6% YoY, a touch short of the 4.7% that the market was expecting. The unemployment also picked up by 0.2% pts to 3.6% against market expectations of no change, likely as participation rose 0.1% pt to 62.5%. The data remained short of cementing a 50bps rate hike possibility for March, also given the recent concerns on the US banking sector from the SVB collapse. Focus now turns to CPI release on Tuesday to further shape Fed expectations. China's February aggregate financing surged beyond expectations with 9.9% Y/Y Growth China's aggregate financing growth in February was much better than expected, reaching RMB 3160 billion, far above the RMB2300 consensus estimate. The outstanding aggregate financing growth also accelerated to 9.9% year-on-year (Y/Y) in February, up from 9.4% Y/Y in January. Furthermore, M2 increased at a faster pace in February, growing 12.9% Y/Y, up from January's 12.6%. The surge in outstanding RMB loans played a major role in driving the credit growth, increasing by 11.6% Y/Y in February, compared to January's 11.3% Y/Y. Corporate loans were the primary driver, while household loans remained weak. Bank of Japan’s Kuroda ends term without sparks The Bank of Japan kept its policy unchanged on Friday at Governor Kuroda’s last meeting of his decade-long tenure. The target band for the 10-year JGB yield was kept unchanged at around 0%, with an upper limit of 0.50% after being raised in December. The BOJ held its short-term rate at -0.1%. Despite some expectations of another tweak, the outcome carried his usual dovish tone, ensuring a smooth handover to incoming Governor Kazuo Ueda who has conveyed policy continuity in his first remarks after being nominated. Incoming data will be key to watch for what tweaks the next governor Ueda can bring, but near-term focus shifts to US data on inflation, as well as the extent of fallout in the US banking sector as the market appears to be a panic mode after SVB’s collapse which may bring some safe haven flows to the yen.   For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: Global Market Quick Take: Asia – March 13, 2023 | Saxo Group (home.saxo)