china

Evergrande is on the brink of bankruptcy. Will gold prices collapse together with the real estate developer or benefit from its default? Generals are always prepared to fight the last war, while economists are always prepared to fight the last recession. But what if the next economic crisis doesn’t start in the US financial sector, but in China’s real estate? Naturally, I refer to Evergrande, a Chinese developer with total liabilities of more than $300 billion — around 2% of China’s GDP! A default of one of China’s largest and most indebted companies could entail significant repercussions for the global economy. Although the Evergrande crisis won’t necessarily be China’s Lehman Brothers moment (I will elaborate on this in the upcoming edition of the Gold Market Overview), it will certainly curb China’s economic growth. Actually, the slowdown has already begun, as the country’s GDP grew just 4.9% in the third quarter of 2021, much less than the 7.9% seen in Q2. It was the slowest pace recorded in a year. The slowdown is not surprising. After all, China faces a massive energy crunch, shipping disruptions, and a burst of the property bubble. Until recently, the bubble was tolerated or even actively boosted as it drove income and growth, benefiting everyone: developers, authorities, and also ordinary citizens who placed most of their savings in real estate. The property sector has grown so much that it accounts for about 30% of China’s GDP! So, given the size of China’s economy, it has become one of the most important sectors in the world. However, China’s government decided to curb excessive borrowing and deflate the bubble. Perhaps the irrational exuberance became too irrational – just think about all these ghost towns with millions of empty apartments, not to mention the surge in corporate debt from 112% of GDP in 2008 to 222% in 2020 (see the chart below). So, last year, China’s government introduced the policy of “three red lines” which made it much more difficult for large developers such as Evergrande to issue more debt. This tightening caused a liquidity crisis, as well as a drop in property investment by 4% in September. Here is the problem: the government wants to move away from a growth model based on investment and debt, but the country hasn’t transitioned to a consumption-led model yet. Thus, given the size of China’s property sector and a lack of new growth engines, we should expect a further slowdown in China’s (and global) economic growth. Implications for Gold What do China’s economic problems imply for the gold market? Well, the price of gold hasn’t been affected by the Evergrande crisis so far, remaining stuck below $1,800. Although, please remember that gold is most sensitive to the US economy, and we haven’t seen any signs of contagion spilling over the Chinese borders yet. However, the slowdown in global economic growth caused by the burst of China’s real estate bubble should bring us closer to the stagflationatory scenario, which should be positive for gold prices. The deceleration in China’s economic growth could abruptly change the narrative about a solid recovery from the pandemic, making investors worry more about inflation. A slowdown in economic growth could also lower bond yields, which should be supportive for the yellow metal. Furthermore, even though most of the pundits downplay the risk of financial contagion stemming from the collapse of Evergrande (or other Chinese real estate developers), such a risk exists. If it materializes, gold should shine as a safe-haven asset. Another possible implication is that China might devalue the yuan again. As investments are weakening and consumption hasn’t become a sufficient driver of the economy, the government could bet on exports to support the GDP growth. This could trigger some safe-haven inflows into gold, but there are also some risks here. As I wrote in 2017, “in the summer of 2015, China devalued the yuan, which pushed global equities lower. Hence, a devaluation of the renminbi would imply an appreciation of the U.S. dollar, which does not sound good for the gold market.” If you enjoyed today’s free gold report, we invite you to check out our premium services. We provide much more detailed fundamental analyses of the gold market in our monthly Gold Market Overview reports and we provide daily Gold & Silver Trading Alerts with clear buy and sell signals. In order to enjoy our gold analyses in their full scope, we invite you to subscribe today. If you’re not ready to subscribe yet though and are not on our gold mailing list yet, we urge you to sign up. It’s free and if you don’t like it, you can easily unsubscribe. Sign up today! Arkadiusz Sieron, PhD Sunshine Profits: Effective Investment through Diligence & Care

Overview: With the FOMC's decision several hours away, the dollar is trading lower against nearly all the major currencies.  The Antipodeans and Norwegian krone are leading.  The euro, yen, and sterling are posting minor gains (less than 0.1%).  Most of the freely liquid and accessible emerging market currencies are also firmer.  The Turkish lira is a notable exception.  The decline in the core inflation and a smaller than expected rise in the headline pace embolden officials for another rate cut when the central bank meets on November 18.  The JP Morgan Emerging Market Currency Index is rising for the second consecutive session after falling in the previous four sessions.  Equities are lower.  The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell for the fifth session in the past six.  Among the large markets, Taiwan and Australia bucked the trend.  The four-day advance of the Stoxx 600 in Europe is at risk, and US futures are weaker.   Benchmark 10 year yields are mostly two-four basis points lower across most high-income countries today.  That puts the US 10-year Treasury yield near 1.52%.  Australia's two-year yield fell almost 10 bp to 0.55%.  It had peaked above 0.71% last week.   The three-year yield is off nearly 30 bp in recent days.  Gold continues to chop within the range set last Friday (~$1772-$1801).  Ahead of the OPEC+ meeting tomorrow amid talk that the US may seek to coordinate sales for a coalition of strategic reserves and a build of US inventories reported by API weigh on oil prices.  December WTI has approached the 20-day moving average (~$82), which has not closed below since late August. Base metals are higher as iron ore snapped a five-day slide during which it lost over 20%.  Copper is also recovering after forging a base in the $432-$433 area.  It is up around 1.5% today.  If sustained, it would be the largest gain in three weeks.   Asia Pacific China's Caixin services unexpectedly rose to 53.8 from 53.4 in September.  Recall that the manufacturing reading had improved to 50.6 from 50.0.  The net effect was that the composite edged up to 51.5 from 51.4.  The composite has converged with the "official" PMI, which stands at 50.8.  Separately, note that China is experiencing a broad spread of the virus into a dozen provinces, and the number of new cases is the highest in a couple of months. Inter-provincial travel has been restricted, and new social protocols are being introduced.  According to reports, the government advised households to stock up in necessities and ensure adequate food supplies for local authorities.  Australia's service and composite PMI shows the recovery was not quite as strong as the preliminary data suggested.  The service PMI rose to 51.8, not 52.0  from 45.5.  The composite stands at 52.1 rather than 52.2.  It was at 46 in September.   Tomorrow Australia reports Q3 real retail sales, but it will still be picking up the weakness of the lockdown.  September trade figures will also be reported.  Weaker exports and stronger imports are expected to have narrowed the trade surplus by almost 20% to A$12.4 bln. Ahead of the weekend, the central bank will make its Monetary Policy Statement.  The swaps market is pricing in 70 bp, down from 80 bp, of tightening over the next 12 months.  The dollar has been confined to a narrow quarter yen range through the Asian session and most of the European morning.  Softer yields and equities would be expected to give the yen a bit of support.  The 20-day moving average is near JPY113.65, and the greenback has not closed below it since the September FOMC meeting.  In the bigger picture, we have suggested the dollar-yen rally from mid-September through mid-October puts the dollar in a new range.  We suspected JPY114.50-JPY115.00 marks the upper end and JPY113.00 may be the lower end.  The Australian dollar fell almost 1.4% yesterday, its largest decline since May.  It reached $0.7420 yesterday, just above the $0.7410 (38.2% retracement objective of last month's rally).  It has stabilized today and has (so far) been capped near $0.7450.  Resistance is seen in the $0.7460-$0.7470 area.   For two weeks, the Chinese yuan has been alternating between advances and declines, and net-net little changed over the period.  Yesterday, the yuan slipped (0.04%), and today it is firmer (0.06%).  The PBOC has consistently set the dollar's reference rate above model projections, and today's fix was at CNY6.4079 compared with median expectations (Bloomberg) for CNY6.4068.  The PBOC was unexpectedly generous in its open market operations, injecting CNY50 bln. As a result, the overnight repo rate fell 12 bp to 1.99%.   Europe Norway's central bank meets tomorrow.  It was the first of the high-income countries to raise rates this year, so far, followed only by New Zealand.  We overstated the case for Norway to hike rates at the meeting, but don't be mistaken. The case for a rate hike exists, but the pattern is not to move at these "off-meetings" (without updated formal policy path guidance).  Instead, officials will likely confirm their intentions to raise rates in December. The swaps market is pricing in almost three hikes next year.   The dollar trended lower against the Nokkie since August 20. The downward momentum stalled in late October.  Yesterday it rose above NOK8.50 for the first time since mid-October.  The momentum indicators have turned up.  The 200-day moving average is slightly below NOK8.55 and near NOK8.60 is the (38.2%) retracement of the down move.  The UK is emerging from the economic soft patch in the June-August period.  The final service and composite PMI report today showed stronger activity than the preliminary estimates.  The service PMI rose to 59.1 from 55.4 in September.  The flash estimate had put it at 58.0.  The composite stands at 57.8, up from the preliminary projection of 56.8 and September 54.9.    The Bank of England meets tomorrow.  There does not seem to be much conviction, and the market appears divided. In the Bloomberg survey, 22 out of 45 economists expect a hike that seems to have been largely discounted by the markets (15 bp).  Three of the largest UK banks do not expect a hike.  Some observers argue that what is the point of stopping now when it would end next month. We often think the signaling channel of QE is under-appreciated.  Stopping the bond-buying now adds to the seriousness of the moment if it does not lift rates. Sterling has retreated by 2.3 cents since last week's high to approach $1.36 yesterday in the US. The euro reached its lowest level against sterling since March 2020 in late October near GBP0.8400, and yesterday rose to above GBP0.8500 for the first time since October 12.   Poland's central bank is expected to hike the base rate 25 bp today to 0.75%.  Recall that it hiked 40 bp last month to begin the cycle.  It started later than Czech and Hungary.  Preliminary October CPI rose 1% on the month, accelerating the year-over-year pace to 6.8% (from 5.9% in September.  It was at 5% as recently as July.  The Czech central bank meets Friday and is expected to hike the repo rate 75 bp to 2.25%.  After two quarter-point hikes (June and August), it hiked by 75 bp in September. Inflation (CPI) rose to 4.9% in September from 4.1% in August.  It is the highest since 2008.  Turkey's CPI rose by 2.39% last month to bring the year-over-year rate to 19.89% (19.58% in September), slightly lower than expected.  The core rate slipped slightly to 16.82% from 16.98%.   The euro has been confined to about a quarter of a cent range above $1.1575 so far.  It stalled yesterday near $1.1615, the (50%) retracement of the pre-weekend slide from almost $1.1700 to $1.1535.  It is making session highs in the European morning, but we look for a less friendly North American session.  There are options for about 530 mln euros at $1.16 that expire today.  A hawkish Fed (see below) could bring option expirations tomorrow at $1.1525 (~825 mln euros ) and $1.1550 (~900 mln euros) into play.  Sterling tested $1.36 yesterday, the lowest level since October 13.  It has hardly managed to distance itself from the lows.  It found new offers near $1.3635.   There is a GBP675 mln option expiring today at $1.3650.  A larger one (~GBP820) is at $1.3615 also expires but has liked been neutralized.   America It seems well appreciated that the Federal Reserve will announce it will begin slowing the bond purchases. Most expect a reduction of $10 bln of Treasuries and $5 bln of Agency MBS.  Investors appear to be anticipating the monthly reduction of these amounts through June 2022.  Even with yesterday's upticks, the June Fed funds futures contract continues to discount a rate hike then.  If the effective Fed funds rate is steady in the first half of June at eight basis points and then rises to 33 bp for the second half of the month (25 bp rate hike on June 15), the average effective rate is about 20.5 bp.  The contract settled at an implied rate of 20 bp yesterday.   Since this is already in the market, the tapering announcement itself may not be hawkish.  There are two steps the Fed could take if it wanted to drive home the point.  First, the FOMC statement has been referring to inflation as largely "transitory."  It could simply drop this qualifier or modify it.  The Chair has already acknowledged that it will likely persist longer than initially anticipated.  Indeed, next week's CPI report is expected (Bloomberg survey median) is expected to have risen by 0.5%, which, given the 0.1% increase in October 2020, means the 12-month rate will accelerate to around 5.8%.   Second, after the last press conference, Powell was asked about needing to reduce monetary stimulus while the Fed was still engaged in QE.  The Bank of England said it would hike if necessary while it was still buying bonds.  Powell said in that situation, the Fed would not send contradictory signals but accelerate the tapering process.  Quicker tapering would be a hawkish signal, and reaction by the market would likely bring forward the first hike.   The Democratic Party lost the Virginia gubernatorial context.  Biden had carried the state by 10 percentage points last year, and the preliminary results suggest a loss of suburban voters, a key part of the new Democratic coalition.  New Jersey's governor contest is very close, and the Democratic incumbent is trailing. The results play on ideas that the Democrats are likely to lose both houses of Congress in next year's mid-term election, in which it is common for the party in the White House to lose seats.  Some in the press have been critical that Xi and Putin are not attending COP-26, but their leadership was always in doubt.  The election results may undermine US leadership because Biden's commitments may not get legislative support, and executive decisions could be reversed in 2024.   Today could be the first day since October 13 that the US dollar does not trade below CAD1.2400.  Still, note that the greenback remains in the CAD1.2300-CAD1.2435 range set last Wednesday when the Bank of Canada turned more hawkish.  Yesterday, the US dollar closed above its 20-day moving average for the first time since late September.  We suspect corrective forces could lift the exchange rate toward CAD1.2475, where the (38.2%) retracement of last month's decline is found, and the 200-day moving average (~CAD1.2485).  However, in its way stands the $920 mln option at CAD1.2450 that expires today.  The greenback reached almost MXN20.92120 yesterday, a new eight-month high. Sellers emerged, and the dollar closed lower to snap a five-day advance.  It is softer today but holding above yesterday's low (~MXN20.71).  Ahead of the FOMC outcome, the market may be cautious about taking the dollar below the MXN20.66-MXN20.70 area.   Disclaimer

  Evergrande’s debt issues are a symptom of China’s deep structural problems. If the crisis spills over wider, gold may benefit, but we are still far from such a scenario. Beijing, we have a problem! Evergrande, one of China’s largest real estate developers and biggest companies in the world, is struggling to meet the interest payments on its debts. As the company has more than $300 billion worth of liabilities, its recent liquidity problems have sparked fears in the financial markets. They also triggered a wave of questions: will Evergrande become a Chinese Lehman Brothers? Is the Chinese economy going to collapse or stagnate? Will Evergrande make gold grand? The answer to the first question is: no, the possible default of Evergrande likely won’t cause a global contagion in the same way as Lehman Brothers did. Why? First of all, Lehman Brothers collapsed because of the run in the repo market and the following liquidity crisis. As the company was exposed to subprime assets, investors lost confidence and the bank lost its access to cheap credit. Lehman Brothers tried to sell its assets, which plunged the prices of a wide range of financial assets, putting other institutions into trouble. Unlike Lehman Brothers, Evergrande is not an investment bank but a real estate developer. It doesn’t have so many financial assets, and it’s not a key player in the repo market. The exposure of important global financial institutions to Evergrande is much smaller. What’s more, we haven’t seen a credit freeze yet, nor an endless wave of selling across almost all asset classes, which took place during the global financial crisis of 2007-2009. Given that the Lehman Brothers’ bankruptcy was ultimately positive for gold (although the price of the yellow metal declined initially during the phase of wide sell-offs), the fact that Evergrande probably doesn’t pose similar risks to the global economy could be disappointing for gold bulls. However, gold bulls could warmly welcome my answer to the second question: the case of Evergrande reveals deep and structural problems of China’s economy, namely its heavy reliance on debt and the real estate sector. As the chart below shows, the debt of the private non-financial sector has increased from about 145% of GDP after the Great Recession to 220% in the first quarter of 2021. So, China has experienced a massive increase in debt since the global financial crisis, reaching levels much higher than in the case of other economies. The rise in indebtedness allowed China to continue its economic expansion, but questions arose about the quality and sustainability of that growth. As Daniel Lacalle points out, The problem with Evergrande is that it is not an anecdote, but a symptom of a model based on leveraged growth and seeking to inflate GDP at any cost with ghost cities, unused infrastructure, and wild construction. Indeed, the levels and rates of growth of China’s private debt are similar to the countries that have experienced spectacular financial crises, such as Japan, Thailand, or Spain. But the significance of China’s real estate sector is much higher. According to the paper by Rogoff and Yang, the real-estate sector accounts for nearly 30% of China’s GDP. On the other hand, China has a relatively high savings rate, while debt is mostly of domestic nature. China’s financial ties to the world are not very strong, which limits the contagion risks. What is more, the Chinese government has acknowledged the problem of excessive debts in the private sector and started a few years ago making some efforts to curb it. The problems of Evergrande can be actually seen as the results of these deleveraging attempts. Therefore, I’m not sure whether China’s economy will collapse anytime soon, but its pace of growth is likely to slow down further. The growth model based on debt and investments (mainly in real estate) has clearly reached its limit. In other words, the property boom must end. Rogoff and Yang estimate that “a 20% fall in real estate activity could lead to a 5-10% fall in GDP”. Such growth slowdown and inevitable adjustments in China’s economy will have significant repercussions on the global economy, as – according to some research – China’s construction sector is now the most important sector for the global economy in terms of its impact on global GDP. In particular, the prices of commodities used in the construction sector may decline and the countries that export to China may suffer. Given that China was the engine of global growth for years, it will also slow down, and, with lower production, it’s possible that inflation will be higher. Finally, what do the problems of China’s real estate sector imply for the gold market? Well, in the short term, not so much. Gold is likely to remain under downward pressure resulting from the prospects of the Fed’s tightening cycle. However, if Evergrande’s problems spill over, affecting China’s economy or (a bit later) even the global economy, the situation may change. Other Chinese developers (such as Fantasia or Sinic) also have problems with debt payments, as investors are not willing to finance new issues of bonds. In such a scenario, the demand for gold as a safe-haven asset might increase, although investors have to remember that the initial rush could be into cash (the US dollar) rather than gold. Unless China’s problems pose a serious threat to the American economy, the appreciation of the greenback will likely counterweigh the gains from safe-haven inflows into gold. So far, financial markets have remained relatively undisturbed by the Evergrande case. Nevertheless, I will closely monitor any upcoming developments in China’s economy and their possible effects on the gold market. Thank you for reading today’s free analysis. We hope you enjoyed it. If so, we would like to invite you to sign up for our free gold newsletter. Once you sign up, you’ll also get 7-day no-obligation trial of all our premium gold services, including our Gold & Silver Trading Alerts. Sign up today! Arkadiusz Sieron, PhDSunshine Profits: Effective Investment through Diligence & Care.

USDJPY hits temporary resistance The Japanese yen pulled back after a larger-than-expected GDP contraction in Q3. The US dollar is looking to hold onto its gains after a rally above 114.00. Sentiment has recovered and a surge above 114.45 around the October peak would resume the uptrend. However, the current rebound may lack the strength to clear the supply zone right away. An overbought RSI has held the bullish fever back. A breach below 113.70 would lead to a deeper correction towards 112.80, which is a key level to keep the rebound relevant. EURCHF struggles for support The euro bounced higher after the bloc’s industrial production beat expectations in September. The RSI’s oversold situation on the daily chart has attracted bargain hunters’ attention around 1.0530, a demand area from May 2020. Price action had three failed attempts to lift offers at 1.0600, a sign of strong selling pressure to keep the downtrend going. A bullish breakout may trigger a runaway rally as sellers seek to exit a crowded short bet. A bearish one would send the single currency to 1.0490. UK 100 tests support The FTSE 100 edged lower after active job postings in the UK hit a record high. The index came under pressure at the psychological level of 7400. A combination of an overbought RSI and its bearish divergence suggests that the rally was losing momentum. Sentiment remains upbeat and a pullback could be an opportunity to get filled at a better price. Trend followers may be waiting to buy the dip near the first support at 7315. A deeper correction would send the price to 7255 along the 30-day moving average.

XAUUSD tests trendlineGold continues on its way up as investors seek to hedge against inflationary pressures. The rally picked up steam after a break above the triple top at 1833. Price action is grinding up along a rising trendline.The bulls are pushing towards 1884, a major resistance where last June’s sell-off started. Strong selling pressure is possible in that supply zone as short-term buyers may take profit and reassess the directional bias.1855 on the trendline is the first support. A bearish breakout may trigger a correction to 1823.AUDUSD breaks above bearish channelThe Australian dollar softened after the RBA minutes reiterated that there will be no rate hike until 2024.The pair has found buying interest at the base of October’s bullish breakout (0.7280). A break above the falling channel indicates that sentiment could be turning around.0.7390 is a key resistance and its breach could prompt sellers to bail out. In turn, this would raise volatility in the process. Traders may then switch sides in anticipation of a reversal. An overbought RSI has so far limited the upside impetus.GER 40 rally gains tractionThe Dax 40 climbed after upbeat retail sales and industrial production in China lifted market sentiment.The index is seeking to consolidate its recent gains after it cleared the previous peak at 15990 which has now turned into support. Sentiment remains optimistic and 16300 would be the next step.An overbought RSI on the daily chart may temporarily put the brakes on the bullish fever. But a pullback may once again attract a ‘buying-the-dips’ crowd above 15990. A deeper correction may send the price towards 15770.

NAS 100 pulls back Investors took profit after Jerome Powell’s renomination as US Federal Reserve Chairman. The tech index saw an acceleration in its rally after a break above the previous peak (16450). Strong momentum suggests that buyers are committed to keeping the uptrend intact after a brief pause. However, the RSI’s triple top in the overbought area indicates exhaustion, and a fall below 16550 has triggered a correction. 16300 is the next support from a previous supply zone. A rebound needs to clear 16750 before the rally could resume. AUDUSD struggles for support China’s property slowdown and lower commodity prices weigh on the Australian dollar. The pair has given up most of its gains from the October rally, a sign that support is hard to come by. Nonetheless, a series of lower lows has attracted trend followers’ interest in maintaining the status quo. 0.7220 is an intermediate support. An oversold RSI may prompt the short side to cover, raising bids in the process. However, the bulls will need to lift offers around the former support at 0.7300 before they could expect to turn the tables. NZDJPY seeks support The New Zealand dollar remains under pressure after disappointing retail sales in Q3. The kiwi is seeking support after a surge above last May’s peak at 81.20 led the daily RSI into an overbought situation. Short-term sentiment remains bearish as the pair struggles to achieve a new high. 80.55 is a major resistance after the bulls’ multiple failed attempts. A bullish breakout may pave the way for a reversal towards 82.00. Otherwise, a drop below 79.50 would send the pair towards September’s high at 78.50.

Photo Credit: Paul Kagame || Hail Emperor Xi, the greatest since Qin Shi Huang! Ready for a cold winter? Much of the world is not. Many places have discouraged using hydrocarbons to produce power, ostensibly for environmental goals, whether those are valid or not. Whether by the fiat of the Chinese Communist Party, or because some Eurocrats push a green agenda, many people are facing a winter where power/heat may be limited. And even if there may not be absolute shortages everywhere, higher prices for all forms of energy, will pinch the budgets of many in the lower middle class and below this winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Part of this stems from central planning. China is the easiest example. Xi Jinping has arrogated to himself more and more power over time, changing the dynamics of the Communist Party, which once at least had some factions, to a unitary party that has only one leader, Emperor President Xi. Some of it came about by eliminating corrupt rivals, but the rest from instilling fear within the Party. Almost every evening, my wife and I read the Bible together. Recently we have been going through the post-exilic portions of the Old Testament where the Jews live under the rule of the Babylonian and Medo-Persian Empires. Those rulers were typically absolute monarchs: do what I say or die! In going through Esther, my wife commented that it was stupid to have laws that cannot be altered. (The same thing is stated in the Book of Daniel.) My comment back to her was if you were an absolute monarch in that era, you were God walking on earth, and could never be wrong. Thus no decree of an Emperor could be wrong. And so it is for President Xi: everything he says is right. He may be an atheist, but to the Chinese in Red China, he is “God walking on Earth” in at least the Hegelian sense. As such, he makes a decree, and those serving him are scared to do anything more or less than he wants. But with vague directives, what does he want? Unilateral authority is particularly vulnerable to making mistakes. In the intermediate-term, China is likely to get weaker because of the increasing concentration of power of President Xi. That’s not to say that capitalist democracies can’t run off the rails, but typically with enough dissenting voices, the worst outcomes don’t usually take place. There are exceptions though. The first exception is regulators with too much discretionary authority. By pursuing one limited goal in the short-run, such as long-term environmental objectives, they may harm the interests of ordinary people in developed markets by making it hard to get food, fuel/energy, and other necessities. And applying the same rules in foreign policy, they may well condemn the developing world to permanent poverty. The developing world thinks the developed world doesn’t care. They are right, and they will ignore what their current leaders have promised in order to curry temporary favor with the developed world. Now where there is the ability to self-correct, eventually societies will remove regulators, politicians, etc. That said, some things are more entrenched than others. I speak of the cult of stimulus. What is more untouchable than the central banks? It’s hard to think of anything more unaccountable. They may technically be beholden to the local parliament, but practically, no one ever messes with them aside from despots pursuing hyperinflation (Venezuela, Turkey, Lebanon, etc.). What gores me is that the unaccountable central banks never ‘fess up to errors. Listen to this: “Asset prices remain vulnerable to significant declines should investor risk sentiment deteriorate, progress on containing the virus disappoint, or the economic recovery stall,” the Fed said in its twice-yearly Financial Stability Report released Monday.Fed Warns of Peril in Run-Up of Risky Asset Prices, Stablecoins That serial blower of bubbles, the Fed, warns us about the height of risky asset prices. Fed policy works via encouraging economic actors to borrow less or more. They have been running a more aggressive monetary policy than they ever needed to, and in the process have inflated housing prices, stocks, bonds of all sorts, private equity, etc. This is not just true of the Fed in the US, but in most developed country central banks. This was an unforced error. Monetary policy could have been tightened in mid-2020, and I mean raising the Fed funds rate, not just stopping QE. When the equity markets race to new highs so rapidly, why should any stimulus exist at all? We don’t need stimulus from Congress either. When demand is so strong that supply chains creak, buckle, and seize up, it is not time to stimulate more, rather, it is time to balance the budget. I would like to think that supply-chain troubles, inflation, and growth are all transitory. But if in an effort to force growth higher than it should be in the short-run, the growth will still be transitory, but the supply-chain troubles and inflation will persist. Beware the experts that say they run things for your good; they likely don’t know what they are doing. ============= Ending note: one more thing, beware the inflation numbers, particularly on items in short supply. If the economists reduce the weights on those things in short supply, it will artificially understate inflation.

The start of 2021 wasn’t successful for gold: after a few days of rally, the yellow metal entered a bearish trend. 2022 looks uncomfortably similar. So far, so good – the first three days of 2022 didn’t bring a new catastrophe. It’s probably just the calm before the storm, but the new year started well. Even the price of gold has risen! As the chart below shows, the yellow metal managed to jump above the key level of $1,800 at the very end of 2021, but it still maintains its position (at least as of early January 3, 2022). It reminds me of the beginning of 2021. Gold also started last year with a bang, only to plunge later. Its price increased 3.5% during the first week of the year, reaching $1,957, and then began its big downward move. As the chart below shows, the yellow metal plunged below $1,700 at the very end of March. Hence, although January is historically a good month for gold, it might be too early to celebrate, and investors should exercise caution. However, luckily for gold bulls, there is one significant difference between 2021 and 2022. Last year, there were Georgia runoffs and Democrats took over both the White House and the full Congress (the House and the Senate). That was when the blue wave plunged the yellow metal. This year should be politically calmer for the US (so, we don’t count the odds of Russia invading Ukraine and China attacking Taiwan), but the major threat to the gold market remains the same: a rise in the real interest rates. In January 2021, it was the blue wave that triggered a rebound in rates, but it may be induced by many more factors in the future. It could be the development of a new cure against coronavirus and the end of the pandemic, a more hawkish Fed, or a decline in inflation. The spread of the Omicron variant keeps worries alive. After all, as the chart below shows, the 7-day rolling average of COVID-19 cases in the United States has hit a record high of about 405,000. When we are completely back to normalcy, risk appetite and bond yields may increase. Another risk for gold is the stabilization of inflation and even subsequent disinflation. As the chart below shows, we got a one-off boost in the money supply, so inflation is likely to peak this year. Inflation expectations should ease then, and real interest rates may rebound in such a scenario. What gives me some comfort here is that the pace of money supply growth hasn’t returned to the pre-pandemic level yet, but it stays at an elevated level (although much below the peak). It should support high inflation this year. Moreover, the Fed is likely to remain behind the curve and the peak in inflation may only strengthen the dovish camp within the FOMC (although investors should remember that the composition of the voting members of the Committee has become more hawkish in 2022).   Implications for Gold What does it all imply for the gold market? Will the yellow metal resume its long-term bullish trend in 2022? Well, this is what a majority of investors that took part in Kitco News’ annual outlook survey believe. Of nearly 3,000 retail investors, 54% said they see gold prices above $2,000 by the end of the year. This is also in line with Goldman Sachs’ call for gold in 2022. Other forecasters see gold prices trading in a range between $1,800 and $2,000. It’s certainly a possible scenario. After all, much of the Fed’s tightening cycle has already been priced in; and the last time gold bottomed was in December 2015, just around the first hike in the federal funds rate after the Great Recession. However, I expect more volatile trading with strong downside potential. As a reminder, my educated guess is that gold may plunge at some point amid a rebound in bond yields, but will rise later as worries about the next economic crisis accumulate. Indeed, it’s quite funny, but I haven’t even finished this article, and the price of gold has already started to slide amid rising US dollar index and Treasury yields, in line with my warnings from the beginning of this text. This is how I became a prophet. Now I can see that as soon as you finish reading this article you will continue surfing the internet! If you enjoyed today’s free gold report, we invite you to check out our premium services. We provide much more detailed fundamental analyses of the gold market in our monthly Gold Market Overview reports and we provide daily Gold & Silver Trading Alerts with clear buy and sell signals. In order to enjoy our gold analyses in their full scope, we invite you to subscribe today. If you’re not ready to subscribe yet though and are not on our gold mailing list yet, we urge you to sign up. It’s free and if you don’t like it, you can easily unsubscribe. Sign up today! Arkadiusz Sieron, PhDSunshine Profits: Effective Investment through Diligence & Care

Is The Lazy-Bull Strategy Worth Considering? Part III started this article by highlighting how difficult some 2021 strategies seemed for many Hedge Funds and Professional Traders. It appears the extreme market volatility throughout 2021 took a toll on many systems and strategies. I wouldn't be surprised to see various sector ETFs and Sector Mutual Funds up 15% to 20% or more for 2021 while various Hedge Funds struggle with annual returns between 7% and -5% for 2021.After many years in this industry and having built many of my own strategies over the past decade, I've learned one very important facet of trading strategy development – expect the unexpected. A friend always told me to "focus on failure" when we developed strategies together. His approach to strategy design was "you develop it do too well in certain types of market trends and volatility. By focusing on where it fails, you'll learn more about the potential draw-downs and risks of a strategy than ignoring these points of failure". I tend to agree with him.In the first part of this research article, the other concept I started discussing was how traders/investors might consider moving away from strategies that struggled in 2022. What if the markets continue trending with extreme volatility throughout 2022 and into 2023? Suppose your system or strategy has taken some losses in 2022, and you have not stopped to consider volatility or other system boundaries as a potential issue. In that case, you may be looking forward to a very difficult 12 to 14+ months of trading in 2022 and 2023.Volatility Explodes After 2017Current market volatility/ATR levels are 300% to 500% above those of 2014/2015. These are the highest volatility levels the US markets have ever experienced in the past 20+ years. The current ATR level is above 23.20 – more than 35% higher than the DOT COM Peak volatility of 17.15.As long as the Volatility/ATR levels stay near these elevated levels, traders and investors will likely find the markets very difficult to trade with strategies that cannot properly adapt to the increased risks and price rotations in trends. Simply put, these huge increases in price volatility may chew up profits by getting stopped out on pullbacks or by risking too much in terms of price range/volatility.Sign up for my free trading newsletter so you don’t miss the next opportunity!The increased volatility over the past 5+ years directly reflects global monetary policies and the COVID-19 global response to the crisis. Not only have we attempted to keep easy money policies for far too long in the US and foreign markets, but we've also been pushed into a hyperbolic price trend that started after 2017/18, which has increased global debt consumption/levels to the extreme.2022 and 2023 will likely reflect a very strong revaluation trend which I continue to call a longer-term "transition" within the global markets. This transition will probably take many forms over the next 24+ months – but mostly, it will be about deleveraging debt levels and the destruction of excess risk in the markets. In my opinion, that means the strongest global economies may see some strength over the next 24+ months – but may also see extreme price volatility and extreme price rotation as this transition takes place.Expect The Unexpected in 2022 & 2023The US major indexes had an incredible 2021 – rallying across all fears and COVID variants. The NASDAQ and S&P500 saw the biggest gains in 2021 – which may continue into early 2022. Yet I feel the US markets will continue to transition as the global markets continue to navigate the process of unwinding excess debt levels and potentially deleveraging at a more severe rate than many people expect.Because of this, I feel the US markets may continue to strengthen as global traders pile into the US Dollar based assets in early 2022. Until global pressures of deleveraging and transitioning away from excesses put enough pressure on the US stock market, the perceived safety of US assets and the US Dollar will continue as it is now.(Source: www.StockCharts.com)Watch For Sector Strength In Early 2022 As Price-Pressure & Supply-Side Issues Create A Unique Opportunity For Extended Revenues/ProfitsI believe the US markets will see a continued rally phase in early 2022 as Q4:2021 revenues, earnings, and economic data pour in. I can't see how any global economic concerns will disrupt the US markets if Q4:2021 data stays stronger than expected for US stocks and the US economy.That being said, I do believe certain sectors will be high-fliers in Q1:2022 and Q2:2022 – at least until the supply-side issues across the globe settle down and return to more normal delivery expectations. This means sectors like Automakers, Healthcare, Real Estate, Consumer Staples & Discretionary, Technology, Chip manufacturers, and some Retail segments (Construction, Raw Materials, certain consumer products sellers, and specialty sellers) will drive a new bullish trend in 2022.The US major indexes may continue to move higher in 2022. They may also be hampered by sectors struggling to find support or over-weighted in symbols that were over-hyped through the end of 2020 and in early 2021.I have been concerned about this type of transition throughout most of 2021 (particularly after the MEME/Reddit rally phase in early 2021). That type of extreme trending usually leads to an unwinding process. I still don't believe the US and global markets have completed the unwinding process after the post-COVID extreme rally phase.(Source: www.StockCharts.com)Will The Lazy-Bull Strategy Continue To Outperform In 2022 & 2023?This is a tricky question to answer simply because I can't predict the future any better than you can. But I do believe moving towards a higher-level analysis of global market trends when the proposed "transitioning" is starting to take place allows traders to move away from "chasing price spikes." It also allows them to position for momentum strength in various broader market sectors and indexes.I suspect we'll start to see annual reports from some of the biggest institutional trading firms on the planet that show feeble performance in 2021. This recent article caught my attention related to Quant Funds in China.I believe we will see 2022 and 2023 stay equally distressing for certain styles of trading strategies while price volatility and an extreme deleveraging/transitioning trend occur. Trying to navigate this type of choppy global market trending on a short-term basis can be very dangerous. I believe it is better to move above all this global market chop and trade the bigger momentum trends in various sectors and indexes.Part III of this research article will focus on Q1 through Q4 expectations for 2022 and 2023. I will highlight broader sector/index trends that may play out well for investors and traders who can move above the low-level choppiness in the US and global markets.WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TECHNICAL INVESTOR AND THE TECHNICAL INDEX & BOND TRADING STRATEGIES?Learn how I use specific tools to help me understand price cycles, set-ups, and price target levels in various sectors to identify strategic entry and exit points for trades. Over the next 12 to 24+ months, I expect very large price swings in the US stock market and other asset classes across the globe. I believe the markets are starting to transition away from the continued central bank support rally phase and may begin a revaluation phase as global traders attempt to identify the next big trends. Precious Metals will likely start to act as a proper hedge as caution and concern start to drive traders/investors into Metals.I invite you to take a few minutes to visit the Technical Traders website to learn about our Technical Investor and Technical Index and Bond Trading strategies and how they can help you protect and grow your wealth.Have a great day!

  The imminent interest rate hike by the Fed is almost certain. Are investors' concerns justified and will it mean trouble for the precious metals?  While the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ Composite recovered from sharp intraday losses on Jan. 10, investors’ mood swings signaled heightened anxiety. With the PMs whipsawing alongside the general stock market, more volatility should materialize in the weeks and months to come. To explain, with the Fed on a hawkish warpath to fight rampant inflation, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon told CNBC on Jan. 10 that a resilient U.S. economy could prove problematic for the financial markets in 2022. “The consumer balance sheet has never been in better shape; they’re spending 25% more today than pre-COVID,” said Dimon. “Their debt-service ratio is better than it’s been since we’ve been keeping records for 50 years.” As for inflation and the Fed: “It’s possible that inflation is worse than they think and they raise rates more than people think. I personally would be surprised if it’s just four [interest rate] increases [in 2022],” he added. How would the financial markets react? Source: CNBC Singing a similar tune, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned on Jan. 10 that the Fed’s rate hike cycle could slaughter emerging markets. Its report revealed: “For most of last year, investors priced in a temporary rise in inflation in the United States given the unsteady economic recovery and a slow unravelling of supply bottlenecks. Now sentiment has shifted. Prices are rising at the fastest pace in almost four decades and the tight labor market has started to feed into wage increases.”   Volatile Days Ahead While I warned for all of 2021 that inflationary pressures were bullish for the U.S. dollar and U.S. Treasury yields and bearish for the PMs, the IMF stated: “Faster Fed rate increases in response could rattle financial markets and tighten financial conditions globally. These developments could come with a slowing of US demand and trade and may lead to capital outflows and currency depreciation in emerging markets.” As a result, even the IMF is anxiously bullish on the USD Index: For a good reason. With September, July, June, and May all gone by the wayside, now, the market-implied probability of a Fed rate hike in March has risen to nearly 83%. For context, the probability of a March liftoff was less than 10% in early November. Please see below: Likewise, the market-implied probability of four rate hikes by the Fed in 2022 has risen to nearly 87%. Again, the probability was less than 50% in early November. Please see below: Why the material shift? Well, while I’ve been warning for months that rampant inflation would elicit a hawkish about-face from the Fed, investors are finally coming around to this reality. With inflation still running hot, market participants understand that pricing pressures won’t subside without policy responses from the Fed. As a result, the “transitory” narrative is dead, and investors have lost one of their staunchest allies. This means that predicting silver and gold at higher levels in the medium term might not be the best idea. To that point, Bank of America’s dove-hawk spectrum shows that the dovish brigade has lost several soldiers. With the hawks now on the offensive, the officials preaching monetary patience are few and far between.  Please see below: For context, Bank of America still places San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly in the dovish bucket. However, I noted on Dec. 23 that she has materially shifted her stance in recent weeks: Source: The New York Times Furthermore, with inflationary pressures still bubbling, the Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index hit another all-time high of 236.2 in December, as “wholesale used vehicle prices (on a mix-, mileage-, and seasonally adjusted basis) increased 1.6% month-over-month.” Please see below: On top of that, the cost of shipping from Shanghai, China, is still increasing. With the U.S. importing more goods from China than any other nation, the inflationary impact on the U.S. economy is material. Please see below: Finally, while the GDXJ ETF benefited from the NASDAQ Composite’s intraday reversal on Jan. 10, I warned on Oct. 26 that monetary policy tightening would eventually upend the junior miners. I wrote: To explain, the green line above tracks the GDXJ ETF from the beginning of 2013 to the end of 2015. If you analyze the left side of the chart, you can see that when Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke hinted at tapering on May 22, 2013, the GDXJ ETF declined by 32% from May 22 until the taper began on Dec. 18. Moreover, the onslaught didn’t end there. Once the taper officially began, the GDXJ ETF enjoyed a relief rally (similar to what we’re witnessing now), as long-term interest rates declined and the PMs assumed that the worst was in the rearview. However, as the liquidity drain caught up to the junior miners over the medium term, the GDXJ ETF declined by another 36% from when the taper was announced on Dec. 18, 2013 until the end of 2015. To that point, with part one already on the books, the second act will likely unfold once the Fed formally begins its taper in “either mid-November or mid-December.” Thus, history implies that the GDXJ ETF still has plenty of downside left. While the junior miners' ETF has declined by more than 11% since Oct. 26, Goldman Sachs has come around to our way of thinking. Please see below: To explain, Goldman Sachs told its clients last week that the yellow metal has been following its ominous path since 2013/2014 (as you may recall, I’ve been writing about the 2013-now analogy for months). For context, the red line above tracks gold’s price action from July 2010 until December 2014, while the blue line above tracks gold’s price action from July 2019 until now. If you analyze the symmetrical overlay, you can see that the pair have been in sync for some time. Moreover, if you focus your attention on the red line’s plight as time passes, it’s clear why Goldman Sachs is warning its clients about “further downside risk”. To that point, with the investment bank forecasting a real (inflation-adjusted) interest rate regime change in 2022, gold is poised to suffer along the way. To explain, the various bars above track gold’s monthly returns when the real U.S. Federal Funds Rate (dark blue), the real U.S. 5-Year Treasury yield (green), and the real U.S. 10-Year Treasury yield (light blue) begin with positive/negative values and then increase/decrease. If you focus your attention on the bars furthest to the right, you can see that when the real U.S. 5-Year Treasury yield and the real U.S. 10-Year Treasury yield are negative and then rise, gold suffers its worst monthly performances. Moreover, with the current fundamental environment presenting us with precisely that, similar results will likely materialize over the medium term. The bottom line? While investors desperately bought the dip on Jan. 10, the more than 2% intraday swing in the NASDAQ Composite screamed of monetary policy anxiety. With another hot inflation print poised to hit the wire on Jan. 12, the reprieve will likely be short-lived. Furthermore, with the PMs suffering from a similar fundamental affliction – as both the PMs and technology stocks are extremely allergic to rising interest rates – volatility is likely here to stay. As a result, the Fed should continue to break investors’ hearts over the medium term. In conclusion, the PMs rallied on Jan. 10, though their fundamental outlooks remain profoundly bearish. With interest rates poised to rise and the USD Index still undervalued, more headwinds should confront gold, silver, and mining stocks in the coming months. As a result, long-term buying opportunities are likely still a ways away. Thank you for reading our free analysis today. Please note that the above is just a small fraction of today’s all-encompassing Gold & Silver Trading Alert. The latter includes multiple premium details such as the targets for gold and mining stocks that could be reached in the next few weeks. If you’d like to read those premium details, we have good news for you. As soon as you sign up for our free gold newsletter, you’ll get a free 7-day no-obligation trial access to our premium Gold & Silver Trading Alerts. It’s really free – sign up today. Przemyslaw Radomski, CFAFounder, Editor-in-chiefSunshine Profits: Effective Investment through Diligence & Care * * * * * All essays, research and information found above represent analyses and opinions of Przemyslaw Radomski, CFA and Sunshine Profits' associates only. As such, it may prove wrong and be subject to change without notice. Opinions and analyses are based on data available to authors of respective essays at the time of writing. Although the information provided above is based on careful research and sources that are deemed to be accurate, Przemyslaw Radomski, CFA and his associates do not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the data or information reported. The opinions published above are neither an offer nor a recommendation to purchase or sell any securities. Mr. Radomski is not a Registered Securities Advisor. By reading Przemyslaw Radomski's, CFA reports you fully agree that he will not be held responsible or liable for any decisions you make regarding any information provided in these reports. Investing, trading and speculation in any financial markets may involve high risk of loss. Przemyslaw Radomski, CFA, Sunshine Profits' employees and affiliates as well as members of their families may have a short or long position in any securities, including those mentioned in any of the reports or essays, and may make additional purchases and/or sales of those securities without notice.

January 20, 2022  $USD, Ausrtalia, China, Currency Movement, Japan, Norway, Russia Overview:  Amid inflation fears and the decline in crypto prices, gold was resurrected, rallying the most in three months yesterday to its best level since November.  It is consolidating those gains today, straddling the $1840 level.  Equities are trying to stabilize.  The MSCI Asia Pacific Index snapped a five-day slide with a 1% gain helped by a 3.4% rally in Hong Kong, helped by the mainland's initiatives, which included a small reduction in the loan prime rate and promises of stepped-up support for the property sector.  China's CSI 300 rose almost 1%, its third gain this week.  A rebound in the tech sector also helped lift the Nikkei by 1.1%.   European shares opened higher, but the lack of breadth saw the Stoxx 600 turn lower.  Gains in utilities and communications are not to offset the losses elsewhere, led by energy and financials.  US futures are firm after closing poorly yesterday.  Benchmark 10-year yields are softer.   The US 10-year is off three basis points to near 1.83%.  European yields are 1-3 bp lower.   The US dollar is trading off against most of the major currencies.  The Norwegian krone, where the central bank stood pat, and the Swedish krona are laggards today. A strong employment report is helping lift the Australian dollar by around 0.4% to lead the pack.  Emerging market currencies are mixed, with Russia, Hungary, and Turkey leading the decliners.  The Thai baht and South African rand are the best performers, but the JP Morgan Emerging Market Currency Index is slightly weaker today after posting its best gain in a month yesterday (~0.75%).  Industrial metals are firmer.  Tin and nickel shortages are behind their surge, while iron ore prices are up 2%+ for the third consecutive session and at their best level since last August.  Copper prices are extending yesterday's 2% rally.  Crude is consolidating a three-day rally that lifted March WTI to almost $86.80.  US natgas tumbled almost 5.9% yesterday and is straddling the $4 level today.   The Dutch benchmark is paring initial follow-through after dropping 8.3% yesterday.   Asia Pacific China's loan prime rate was cut.  The one-year rate was cut by 5 bp in December and 10 bp earlier today to stand at 3.7%.  The five-year loan prime rate was cut by only five basis points (to 4.6%).  This was less than expected and is seen as a cautionary signal about the property market.  Still, policymakers are seen taking other efforts to promote stronger growth more broadly.  Further easing by the PBOC is expected.   Japan reported a smaller than expected December trade deficit.  Exports did not pullback as much as expected.  After rising 20.5% year-over-year in November, they slowed to a 17.5% gain in December.  Imports slowed more than expected, to 41.1% from 43.8%.  This is broadly consistent with the seasonal pattern that December often sees improvement from November.  Last year, Japan reported an average monthly trade deficit of JPY122.7 bln.  In 2020, the average monthly trade surplus was JPY32 bln. An average trade shortfall of almost JPY140 bln was recorded in 2019.  Yet, through this period, Japan continued to experience a current account surplus, driven not by trade in goods and services, but by the return on foreign investment.   Despite new social restrictions, Australia's December jobs data was better than expected.  Overall job growth was near 65k (Bloomberg median was for an increase of 60k), and the unemployment rate tumbled to 4.2% from 4.6% (4.5% anticipated).  Three-quarters of the jobs were full-time positions, and the participation rate was steady at 66.1%.  The swaps market has about 40 bp of tightening priced in over the next six months.  The central bank has pushed against such expectations.   It meets again on January 31. The US dollar recorded a new low for the week near JPY114.00, where a $520 mln option expires today.  It has not been able to rise much about JPY114.50.    We suspect the North American market can probe the upside.  A close above JPY114.60 would help stabilize the tone.  The Australian dollar is firm after the employment data pushed it to new highs for the week just shy of $0.7260.  The market does not seem to have the energy to test the $0.7290-$0.7300 area, where options for around A$660 mln lay. The dollar spent the entire mainland session below CNY6.35.  The PBOC set the dollar's reference rate at CNY6.3485, the strongest in three years, and stronger than the Bloomberg survey projected (~CNY6.3478).  Still, state-owned banks (aren't they all?) were seen on the dollar's bid when it approached CNY6.3400.  Europe The economic news stream is light.  The ECB's record of last month's meeting will be published shortly, but it tends not to be a market mover.   The December CPI was revised to show a 5.0% year-over-year increase rather than 4.9%, while the monthly increase remained at 0.4% and the core rate was steady at 2.6%.   The US and Europe agree that a Russian invasion of Ukraine needs to be resisted, but there is still differences on the response.  Biden raised the prospect yesterday of something short of a full invasion, which he acknowledged would complicate the response. Russia has continued to reinforce its troops and artillery.  US Secretary of State Blinken and Russia's Foreign Minister Lavrov are to talk today.  Russia continues to deny plans to invade but demands concessions from NATO that will not be forthcoming.  This hangs over the markets like the sword of Damocles.  Norway's Norges Bank kept rates on hold today, but reaffirmed a hike in March, which would be the first meeting with a new governor, who has yet to be named.  The swaps market sees 85 bp of tightening this year.  Last year, it hiked rates in September and December.   Elsewhere, we note that as widely expected Turkey's central bank left the one-week repo rate unchanged at 14.00%, lending credence to ideas that the easing operations are complete after 500 bp in cuts were delivered in the last four months of 2021.   The euro is trading quietly in less than a 30-pip range below $1.1370. The $1.1380 area is the (38.2%) retracement objective of the decline from last Friday's high near $1.1485.  A break of $1.1340 could see $1.1320 but a close below $1.1300 is needed to lend credence to ideas that a high is in place.  There is a large option (nearly 1.1 bln euros) at $1.1350 that expires today.  Sterling is coiling.  It is inside yesterday's range, which was inside Tuesday's range (~$1.3575-$1.3660).  The consolidative tone may persist today ahead of tomorrow's retail sales, where there could be room for disappointment after a 1.4% gain in November.   America The US reports weekly initial jobless claims, the Philadelphia Fed survey, and existing home sales.   The high frequency data points may pose some headline risk, but the market is focused on policy ahead of next week's FOMC meeting.  That said, the Empire State manufacturing survey, reported earlier this week, was a disappointment, while yesterday's housing starts, and permits were stronger than anticipated. Canada's December headline CPI yesterday was in line with expectations (4.8% vs. 4.7% in November), but the underlying core measures were firmer.  The Bank of Canada meets next week, and the swaps market has a little more than a 2/3 chance of a hike.  Tomorrow, Canada reports November retail sales, which are expected to be robust (1%+). Mexico reports its December unemployment, which is expected to have drifted lower.   The greenback is chopping roughly between CAD1.2450 and CAD1.2550 for the sixth session.   This consolidation phase follows the US dollar's decline from last year's high on December 20 near CAD1.2965.  Without re-kindling the downside momentum, the greenback may be set up for a bounce.  The Slow Stochastic is turning up.  The CAD1.26 area is technically important.  It is the neckline of a head and shoulders pattern.  The dollar's downside momentum faded against the Mexican peso.  Despite repeated attempts, it could not punch below the 200-day moving average (~MXN20.2850) and bounced yesterday to close above MXN20.50 for the first time since January 5.  It is in a narrow range straddling MXN20.50 today. The intraday technicals caution against chasing the dollar higher.  A pullback toward MXN20.40-MXN20.45 looks reasonable.       Disclaimer

  The World Gold Council believes that gold may face similar dynamics in 2022 to those of last year. Well, I’m not so sure about it. Have you ever had the feeling that all of this has already happened and you are in a time loop, repeating Groundhog Day? I have. For instance, I’m pretty sure that I have already written the Fundamental Gold Report with a reference to pop-culture before… Anyway, I’m asking you this, because the World Gold Council warns us against the whole groundhog year for the gold market. In its “Gold Outlook 2022,” the gold industry organization writes that “gold may face similar dynamics in 2022 to those of last year.” The reason is that in 2021, gold was under the influence of two competing forces. These factors were the increasing interest rates and rising inflation, especially strong in operation in the second half of the year, which resulted in the sideways trend in the gold market, as the chart below shows. The WGC sees a similar tug of war in 2022: the hikes in the federal funds rate could create downward pressure for gold, but at the same time, elevated inflation will likely create a tailwind for gold. The WGC acknowledges that the ongoing tightening of monetary policy can be an important headwind for gold. However, it notes two important caveats. First, the Fed has a clear dovish bias and often overpromises when it comes to hawkish actions. For example, in the previous tightening cycle, “the Fed has tended not to tighten monetary policy as aggressively as members of the committee had initially expected.” Second, financial market expectations are more important for gold prices than actual events. As a result, “gold has historically underperformed in the months leading up to a Fed tightening cycle, only to significantly outperform in the months following the first rate hike.” I totally agree. I emphasized many times the Fed’s dovish bias and that the actual interest rate hikes could be actually better for gold than their prospects. After all, gold bottomed out in December 2015, when the Fed raised interest rates for the first time since the Great Recession. I also concur with the WGC that inflation may linger this year. Expectations that inflation will quickly dissipate are clearly too optimistic. As China is trying right now to contain the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, supply chain disruptions may worsen, contributing to elevated inflation. However, although I expect inflation to remain high, I believe that it will cool down in 2022. If so, the real interest rates are likely to increase, creating a downward pressure on gold prices. I also believe that the WGC is too optimistic when it comes to the real interest rates and their impact on the yellow metal. According to the report, despite the rate hikes, the real interest rates will stay low from a historical perspective, supporting gold prices. Although true, investors should remember that changes in economic variables are usually more important than their levels. Hence, the rebound in interest rates may still be harmful for the precious metals.   Implications for Gold What should be expected for gold in 2022? Will this year be similar to 2021? Well, just like last year, gold will find itself caught between a hawkish Fed and high inflation. Hence, some similarities are possible. However, in reality, we are not in a time loop and don’t have to report on Groundhog Day (phew, what a relief!). The arrow of time continues its inexorable movement into the future. Thus, market conditions evolve and history never repeats itself, but only rhymes. Thus, I bet that 2022 will be different than 2021 for gold, and we will see more volatility this year. In our particular situation, the mere expectations of a more hawkish Fed are evolving into actual actions. This is good news for the gold market, although the likely peak in inflation and normalization of real interest rates could be an important headwind for gold this year. Tomorrow, we will get to know the FOMC’s first decision on monetary policy this year, which could shake the gold market but also provide more clues for the future. Stay tuned! If you enjoyed today’s free gold report, we invite you to check out our premium services. We provide much more detailed fundamental analyses of the gold market in our monthly Gold Market Overview reports and we provide daily Gold & Silver Trading Alerts with clear buy and sell signals. In order to enjoy our gold analyses in their full scope, we invite you to subscribe today. If you’re not ready to subscribe yet though and are not on our gold mailing list yet, we urge you to sign up. It’s free and if you don’t like it, you can easily unsubscribe. Sign up today! Arkadiusz Sieron, PhDSunshine Profits: Effective Investment through Diligence & Care

  Gold’s fate in 2021 will be determined mainly by inflation and the Fed’s reaction to it. In the epic struggle between chaos and order, chaos has an easier task, as there is usually only one proper method to do a job – the job that you can screw up in many ways. Thus, although economists see a strong economic expansion with cooling prices and normalization in monetary policies in 2022, many things could go wrong. The Omicron strain of coronavirus or its new variants could become more contagious and deadly, pushing the world into the Great Lockdown again. The real estate crisis in China could lead the country into recession, with serious economic consequences for the global economy. Oh, by the way, we could see an escalation between China and Taiwan, or between China and the US, especially after the recent test of hypersonic missiles by the former country. Having said that, I believe that the major forces affecting the gold market in 2022 will be – similarly to last year’s – inflation and the Fed’s response to it. Considering things in isolation, high inflation should be supportive of gold prices. The problem here is that gold prefers high and rising inflation. Although the inflation rate should continue its upward move for a while, it’s likely to peak this year. Indeed, based on very simple monetarist reasoning, I expect the peak to be somewhere in the first quarter of 2022. This is because the lag between the acceleration in money supply growth (March 2020) and CPI growth (March 2021) was a year. The peak in the former occurred in February 2021, as the chart below shows. You can do the math (by the way, this is the exercise that turned out to be too difficult for Jerome Powell and his “smart” colleagues from the Fed). This is – as I’ve said – very uncomplicated thinking that assumes the stability of the lag between monetary impulses and price reactions. However, given the Fed’s passive reaction to inflation and the fact that the pace of money supply growth didn’t return to the pre-pandemic level, but stayed at twice as high, the peak in inflation may occur later. In other words, more persistent inflation is the major risk for the economy that many economists still downplay. The consensus expectation is that inflation returns to a level close to the Fed’s target by the end of the year. For 2021, the forecasts were similar. Instead, inflation has risen to about 7%. Thus, never underestimate the power of the inflation dragon, especially if the beast is left unchecked! As everyone knows, dragons love gold – and this feeling is mutual. The Saxo Bank, in its annual “Outrageous Predictions”, sees the potential for US consumer prices to rise 15% in 2022, as “companies bid up wages in an effort to find willing and qualified workers, triggering a wage-price spiral unlike anything seen since the 1970’s”. Actually, given the fact that millions of Americans left the labor market – which the Fed doesn’t understand and still expects that they will come back – this prediction is not as extreme as one could expect. I still hope that inflationary pressure will moderate this year, but I’m afraid that the fall may not be substantial. On the other hand, we have the Fed with its hawkish rhetoric and tapering of quantitative easing. The US central bank is expected to start a tightening cycle, hiking the federal funds rate at least twice this year. It doesn’t sound good for gold, does it? A hawkish Fed implies a stronger greenback and rising real interest rates, which is negative for the yellow metal. As the chart below shows, the normalization of monetary policy after the Great Recession, with the infamous “taper tantrum”, was very supportive of the US dollar but lethal for gold. However, the price of gold bottomed in December 2015, exactly when the Fed hiked the interest rates for the first time after the global financial crisis. Markets are always future-oriented, so they often react more to expected rather than actual events. Another thing is that the Fed’s tightening cycle of 2015-2018 was dovish and the federal funds rate (and the Fed’s balance sheet) never returned to pre-crisis levels. The same applies to the current situation: despite all the hawkish reactions, the Fed is terribly behind the curve. Last but not least, history teaches us that a tightening Fed spells trouble for markets. As a reminder, the last tightening cycle led to the reversal of the yield curve in 2019 and the repo crisis, which forced the US central bank to cut interest rates, even before anyone has heard of covid-19. Hence, the Fed is in a very difficult situation. It either stays behind the curve, which risks letting inflation get out of control, or tightens its monetary policy in a decisive manner, just like Paul Volcker did in the 1980s, which risks a correction of already-elevated asset prices and the next economic crisis. Such expectations have boosted gold prices since December 2015, and they could support the yellow metal today as well. Thank you for reading today’s free analysis. We hope you enjoyed it. If so, we would like to invite you to sign up for our free gold newsletter. Once you sign up, you’ll also get 7-day no-obligation trial of all our premium gold services, including our Gold & Silver Trading Alerts. Sign up today! Arkadiusz Sieron, PhDSunshine Profits: Effective Investment through Diligence & Care.

Photo Credit: Paul Kagame || Hail Emperor Xi, the greatest since Qin Shi Huang! Ready for a cold winter? Much of the world is not. Many places have discouraged using hydrocarbons to produce power, ostensibly for environmental goals, whether those are valid or not. Whether by the fiat of the Chinese Communist Party, or because some Eurocrats push a green agenda, many people are facing a winter where power/heat may be limited. And even if there may not be absolute shortages everywhere, higher prices for all forms of energy, will pinch the budgets of many in the lower middle class and below this winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Part of this stems from central planning. China is the easiest example. Xi Jinping has arrogated to himself more and more power over time, changing the dynamics of the Communist Party, which once at least had some factions, to a unitary party that has only one leader, Emperor President Xi. Some of it came about by eliminating corrupt rivals, but the rest from instilling fear within the Party. Almost every evening, my wife and I read the Bible together. Recently we have been going through the post-exilic portions of the Old Testament where the Jews live under the rule of the Babylonian and Medo-Persian Empires. Those rulers were typically absolute monarchs: do what I say or die! In going through Esther, my wife commented that it was stupid to have laws that cannot be altered. (The same thing is stated in the Book of Daniel.) My comment back to her was if you were an absolute monarch in that era, you were God walking on earth, and could never be wrong. Thus no decree of an Emperor could be wrong. And so it is for President Xi: everything he says is right. He may be an atheist, but to the Chinese in Red China, he is “God walking on Earth” in at least the Hegelian sense. As such, he makes a decree, and those serving him are scared to do anything more or less than he wants. But with vague directives, what does he want? Unilateral authority is particularly vulnerable to making mistakes. In the intermediate-term, China is likely to get weaker because of the increasing concentration of power of President Xi. That’s not to say that capitalist democracies can’t run off the rails, but typically with enough dissenting voices, the worst outcomes don’t usually take place. There are exceptions though. The first exception is regulators with too much discretionary authority. By pursuing one limited goal in the short-run, such as long-term environmental objectives, they may harm the interests of ordinary people in developed markets by making it hard to get food, fuel/energy, and other necessities. And applying the same rules in foreign policy, they may well condemn the developing world to permanent poverty. The developing world thinks the developed world doesn’t care. They are right, and they will ignore what their current leaders have promised in order to curry temporary favor with the developed world. Now where there is the ability to self-correct, eventually societies will remove regulators, politicians, etc. That said, some things are more entrenched than others. I speak of the cult of stimulus. What is more untouchable than the central banks? It’s hard to think of anything more unaccountable. They may technically be beholden to the local parliament, but practically, no one ever messes with them aside from despots pursuing hyperinflation (Venezuela, Turkey, Lebanon, etc.). What gores me is that the unaccountable central banks never ‘fess up to errors. Listen to this: “Asset prices remain vulnerable to significant declines should investor risk sentiment deteriorate, progress on containing the virus disappoint, or the economic recovery stall,” the Fed said in its twice-yearly Financial Stability Report released Monday.Fed Warns of Peril in Run-Up of Risky Asset Prices, Stablecoins That serial blower of bubbles, the Fed, warns us about the height of risky asset prices. Fed policy works via encouraging economic actors to borrow less or more. They have been running a more aggressive monetary policy than they ever needed to, and in the process have inflated housing prices, stocks, bonds of all sorts, private equity, etc. This is not just true of the Fed in the US, but in most developed country central banks. This was an unforced error. Monetary policy could have been tightened in mid-2020, and I mean raising the Fed funds rate, not just stopping QE. When the equity markets race to new highs so rapidly, why should any stimulus exist at all? We don’t need stimulus from Congress either. When demand is so strong that supply chains creak, buckle, and seize up, it is not time to stimulate more, rather, it is time to balance the budget. I would like to think that supply-chain troubles, inflation, and growth are all transitory. But if in an effort to force growth higher than it should be in the short-run, the growth will still be transitory, but the supply-chain troubles and inflation will persist. Beware the experts that say they run things for your good; they likely don’t know what they are doing. ============= Ending note: one more thing, beware the inflation numbers, particularly on items in short supply. If the economists reduce the weights on those things in short supply, it will artificially understate inflation.

  Not only won’t inflation end soon, it’s likely to remain high. Whether gold will be able to take advantage of it will depend, among others, on the Fed. Do you sometimes ask yourself when this will all end? I don’t mean the universe, nor our lives, nor even this year (c’mon, guys, it has just started!). I mean, of course, inflation. If only you weren’t in a coma last year, you would have probably noticed that prices had been surging recently. For instance, America finished the year with a shocking CPI annual rate of 7.1%, the highest since June 1982, as the chart below shows. Now, the key question is how much higher inflation could rise, or how persistent it could be. The consensus is that we will see a peak this year and subsequent cooling down, but to still elevated levels. This is the view I also hold. However, would I bet my collection of precious metals on it? I don’t know, as inflation could surprise us again, just as it did to most of the economists (but not me) last year. The risk is clearly to the upside. As always in economics, it’s a matter of supply and demand. There is even a joke that all you need to turn a parrot into an economist is to teach it to say ‘supply’ and ‘demand’. Funny, huh? When it comes to the demand side, both the money supply growth and the evolution of personal saving rate implies some cooling down of inflation rate. Please take a look at the chart below. As you can see, the broad money supply peaked in February 2021. Assuming a one-year lag between the money supply and price level, inflation rate should reach its peak somewhere in the first quarter of this year. There is one important caveat here: the pace of money supply growth has not returned to the pre-pandemic level, but it stabilized at about 13%, double the rate seen at the end of 2019. Inflation was then more or less at the Fed’s target of 2%, so without constraining money supply growth, the US central bank couldn’t beat inflation. As the chart above also shows, the personal saving rate has returned to the pre-pandemic level of 7-8%. It means that the bulk of pent-up demand has already materialized, which should also help to ease inflation in the future. However, not all of the ‘forced savings’ have already entered the market. Thus, personal consumption expenditures are likely to be elevated for some time, contributing to boosted inflation. Regarding supply factors, although some bottlenecks have eased, the disruptions have not been fully resolved. The spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus and regional lockdowns in China could prolong the imbalances between booming demand and constrained supply. Other contributors to high inflation are rising producer prices, increasing house prices and rents, strong inflation expectations (see the chart below), and labor shortages combined with fast wage growth. The bottom line is that, all things considered – in particular high level of demand, continued supply issues, and de-anchored inflation expectations – I forecast another year of elevated inflation, but probably not as high as in 2021. After reaching a peak in a few months, the inflation rate could ease to, let’s say, around 4% in December, if we are lucky. Importantly, the moderate bond yields also suggest that inflation will ease somewhat later in 2022. What does it mean for the gold market? Well, I don’t have good news for the gold bulls. Gold loves high and accelerating inflation the most. Indeed, as the chart below shows, gold peaks coincided historically with inflation heights. The most famous example is the inflation peak in early 1980, when gold ended its impressive rally and entered into a long bearish trend. The 2011 top also happened around the local inflationary peak. The only exception was the 2005 peak in inflation, when gold didn’t care and continued its bullish trend. However, this was partially possible thanks to the decline in the US dollar, which seems unlikely to repeat in the current macroeconomic environment, in which the Fed is clearly more hawkish than the ECB or other major central banks. The relatively strong greenback won’t help gold shine. Surely, disinflation may turn out to be transitory and inflation may increase again several months later. Lower inflation implies a less aggressive Fed, which should be supportive of gold prices. However, investors should remember that the US central bank will normalize its monetary policy no matter the inflation rate. Since the Great Recession, inflation has been moderate, but the Fed has tightened its stance eventually, nevertheless. Hence, gold may experience a harsh moment when inflation peaks. Thank you for reading today’s free analysis. We hope you enjoyed it. If so, we would like to invite you to sign up for our free gold newsletter. Once you sign up, you’ll also get 7-day no-obligation trial of all our premium gold services, including our Gold & Silver Trading Alerts. Sign up today! Arkadiusz Sieron, PhDSunshine Profits: Effective Investment through Diligence & Care.

March 16, 2022  $CNY, $USD, Brazil, China, Currency Movement, Federal Reserve, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia Overview: Chinese officials offered reassuring words and sparked a dramatic rally of equities and risk appetites more broadly. At the same time yields are surging as the markets anticipate the Fed to signal a more aggressive tightening course as it upgrades its inflation forecasts. China's CSI 300 rallied 4.3%, while the Hang Seng soared 9% and an index that tracks mainland shares listed in HK jumped 12.5%.  Most equity markets in the region rose 1-2%.  Europe's Stoxx 600 is around 2.2% better and US futures point to a strong opening.  The US 10-year yield is a little firmer at 2.15%. European benchmark yields are mostly 2-5 bp higher.  The 10-year JGB yield is a little near 0.20%, as it approaches the top of the Yield-Curve Control band (0.25%).  The dollar is on its heels.  The Scandis are leading the charge followed by the dollar bloc.  The dollar managed to extend its advance against the yen for the seventh consecutive session yesterday and is edging higher today.  Emerging market currencies are also gaining on the greenback, and the JP Morgan Emerging Market Currency Index is rising for the third consecutive day.  Rising yields seem to be tarnishing gold.  It is little changed, after falling for the past three sessions.  It is holding above yesterday's low near $1907.  April WTI is consolidating inside yesterday's range.  So far, it has held below $100 a barrel for the first time this month.  US natgas is jumping 3.0% to recoup most of what was lost in the past two sessions.  Europe's benchmark is up almost 1% after a nearly 2% advance yesterday.  Recall that it dropped 17.3% on Monday.  The supportive comments by Chinese officials arrested the six-day slide in iron ore prices with an 8.3% bounce today. Copper is rising for the first time in four sessions.  Nickel trading briefly re-opened and shut again, citing a technical issue with the new daily limit.  May wheat is about 3% weaker after rallying 5.3% yesterday.   Asia Pacific Chinese officials confirmed the shift from structural reforms to supporting the economy and growth.  A meeting chaired by Vice Premier Liu He promised to keep the stock market stable, support foreign listings, new policies for property developers, and signaled the end of its effort to "rectify" internet platform companies.  It could be that Chinese officials understood that the recent batch of economic data was not very convincing, such as the 12.2% jump in fixed-asset investment despite a sharp drop in cement and steel output (-17.8% and -10% respectively).   Reports suggest that Saudi Arabia is considering allowing China to pay for its oil in yuan. It is important to recognize that this is not the first time such a story has circulated.  China is Saudi Arabia’s single biggest customer, taking around a quarter of the Kingdom’s oil exports.  At $100 a barrel, it runs around $155 mln a day. What is Saudi Arabia going to do with the equivalent amount of yuan?  It is not like Saudi companies need yuan to service their RMB-debt or other obligations like they do with the dollar or euro.  The Saudi riyal is pegged to the dollar.  If Riyadh pushes too hard, will speculators test the commitment to the dollar peg? Will it be costly, like when it decided to grow wheat in the desert and cost it a quarter of its aquifer?  Riyadh could boost the allocation of its reserves to yuan, but to what end?  Given that the yuan shadows the dollar closely, the diversification argument is weak.  The yield premium over 10-year Treasuries has fallen below 70 bp for the first time in three years.  Saudi Arabia and US interests have diverged in several areas over the past year or two, including Yemen, Iran, and Afghanistan.  It has rejected the US and others’ entreaties to boost oil output, even though OPEC+ is not meeting the 400k barrel addition a month commitment.  The US used to buy 2 mln barrels of oil a day from Saudi Arabia.  At the end of last year, it was about 500k bpd and surpassed by Russia, Mexico, and Canada. Japan's February trade balance always improves from January, but this time the improvement was much smaller than expected.  Japan reported a JPY668 bln shortfall after a JPY2.19 trillion deficit in January.  Exports rose 19.1% year-over-year, which was a little less than expected.  On the other hand, imports soared by 34%, well above the 26.4% expected (median forecast in Bloomberg' survey).  The surge in the cost of energy drove the imports.  Japan reports February CPI figures Friday ahead of the outcome of the BOJ meeting. Excluding fresh food and energy, Japan is expected to show that deflationary forces persist.  The US dollar is about a quarter yen range as it holds above JPY118.15.  Provided the greenback closes above JPY118.30, it will be the eighth consecutive advance. Our JPY118.60 target has been approached.  Above there, the JPY120 area beckons.  Still, we caution chasing it higher.  The technical indicators are stretched, and the dollar closed above its upper Bollinger Band for the past three sessions and remains above it now (~JPY118.15).  The Australian dollar is extending its recovery that began yesterday.  It is approaching $0.7240, which is the (38.2%) retracement of the leg down that began at the end of last week from about $0.7365.  Note that the five and 20-day moving averages converge near $0.7255 today. The Chinese yuan rallied for the first time in five sessions today. The dollar had gapped higher on Monday and again on Tuesday.  It reversed lower yesterday, but the opening gain was not closed.  Today, the dollar closed Tuesday's gap and entered Monday's without closing it.  It extends to last Friday's high slightly below CNY6.34. The greenback's decline of a little more than a third of 1% would be the biggest drop of the year, if sustained.  Today the PBOC's dollar fix was a weaker than expected at CNY6.38 (vs. CNY6.3811, the median in Bloomberg's survey).   Europe Reports suggest that the US has promised that if the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran can be re-started, its sanctions would not impact Russia's atomic supply arrangements with Iran.  This had appeared to be a key issue behind the suspension of talks at the end of last week.  The revival of talks, which appeared to be moving in the right direction in recent weeks, would likely allow some phasing in of Iranian oil as adherence to the pact met certain benchmarks.   The Bank of England meeting concludes tomorrow.  The swaps market has about little more than a 25% chance of a 50 bp hike.  There had been a 60% chance discounted on February 10, the day before the US warned that a Russian attack on Ukraine could happen at any moment.  Recall that last month's 25 bp hike was delivered by a 5-4 majority, with the minority seeking a 50 bp hike.   The BOE's balance sheet begins shrinking this month as the large maturity will not be recycled into new purchases.  The euro is trading inside yesterday's range (~$1.0925-$1.1020).  There is a 1.23 bln euro option at $1.10 that expires today.  It looks likely to consolidate until the reaction to the FOMC meeting later today.  We note that the US two-year premium over Germany widened to almost 228 bp yesterday, the most since late 2019.  Despite the anticipation of the BOE's rate hike tomorrow, sterling remains pinned near the $1.30-trough seen on Monday and Tuesday.  Yesterday's high was about $1.3090, and today, it has been unable to sustain upticks abvoe $1.3070.  The $1.3100 area corresponds the (50%) retracement objective of the leg down since reversing lower from $1.3200 on March 10.  America Before the outcome of the FOMC meeting is announced, February retail sales will be reported.  It is unreasonable to expect a strong gain on top of the 3.8% surge in January (even without autos and gas). The dramatic gain was in reaction to the Covid-related 2.5% slump in December. The data is reported in nominal terms, reflecting volumes and prices.  We know that auto sales, as reported by the manufacturers, disappointed.  The median forecast in Bloomberg's survey is for a 0.4% increase in the headline pace month-over-month and slightly slower for the components that feed into GDP models (excludes autos, gasoline sales, building materials, and food services. Economists will scrutinize the data to see how much the increase in gasoline prices is compressing discretionary purchases.  It is Fed Day, and this is the main focus. There seems little doubt that the Fed will hike the target rate by 25 bp.  That is probably the element that there can be the most certainty about.  The market has about a 13% chance that it could be 50 bp after Chair Powell clearly endorsed a 25 bp hike in testimony before Congress earlier this month.  Still, there is greater uncertainty over the other two elements of the Fed's announcement.  The pace of the balance sheet unwind is anxiously awaited.  We penciled in $40-$50 bln a month of Treasury and $20-$25 bln a month in Agencies.  Talk has circulated for a few months, but it seemed to pick up recently that the Fed could avoid an inversion of the curve if it relied more on QT (quantitative tightening) than rates.  Powell has insisted that the interest rate target is its primary monetary policy tool. Is this cast in stone? The dot-plot is the third element.  In December, the median projection was for rates to rise about 75 bp this year, with a 0.75%-1.0% target at the end of the year.  The Fed funds futures market has about 175 bp in tightening discounted. The median Fed dot saw the longer-term equilibrium rate at 2.5%.  In December, only five Fed officials anticipated that the target rate would be above there at the end of 2024.  The swaps curve sees rates peaking between 2.25% and 2.50% in 2024.  Canada's February CPI is expected to have accelerated to 5.5% from 5.1%.  More important for the central bank may be the acceleration in the underlying core rates.  The average may rise to 3.4% from 3.2%.  The Bank of Canada meets next on April 13 and is widely expected to hike again and signal the roll-off its balance sheet.   Late in the session, Brazil's central bank will likely raise the Selic Rate by 100 bp to 11.75%.  The past three hikes have been in 150 bp increments.  The IPCA measure of inflation edged up to 10.54% last month from 10.38%.  The central bank may warn that inflation has not peaked.  The swaps market has the peak in rates near 13.75% later this year.   The US dollar reversed lower after testing CAD1.2870 yesterday.  It settled on its lows (~CAD1.2760) and follow-through selling has pushed to about CAD1.2720 in the European morning.  Initial support is seen at CAD1.27, where a $1.1 bln option expires today.  Last week's low was near CAD1.2685. The CAD1.2650-CAD1.2660 area had previously offered support.  The greenback is pushing lower against the Mexican peso for the fourth consecutive session.  It is fallen from MXN21.05 before last weekend to MXN20.7635 earlier today.  It had been finding bids near MXN20.81.  If the break can be sustained, the next target is the MXN20.60-MN20.66 band.   On the other hand, the dollar has risen for the past four sessions against the Brazilian real.  The risk-on mood coupled could help stem the tide.  Resistance is seen near BRL5.20.  A break of yesterday's low near BRL5.10 may signal a top may be in place.      Disclaimer

March 23, 2022  $USD, Canada, China, Currency Movement, Federal Reserve, Japan, UK Overview: The capital markets are subdued through the early European morning.  The continued sell-off of the yen (almost 5% this month) and anticipation of more share buybacks in China helped lift equities in the Asia Pacific after the strong performance of the US indices yesterday. The S&P 500 closed above its 200-day moving average for the first time in a month and reached its highest level since February 9.  The NASDAQ closed at its best level since February 16, around 13% above the March 14 low.  European shares are threatening to snap a five-day advance.  US futures are better offered.  The sell-off in bonds may be taking a breather in Europe, where yields are mostly 3-4 bp lower.  The 10-year Treasury yield poked above 2.40% before softening to around 2.36%.  The dollar is firm against most of the major currencies, while emerging market currencies are mixed.  The JP Morgan Emerging Market Currency Index is posting a small gain for the second consecutive session.  Gold is flattish in a a little more than a $5-range on either side of $1925, the middle of the $1900-$1950 broader range.  May WTI is s firmer, above $111 in the European morning.  A move above yesterday's $113.35 high could signal another run at the high from earlier this month around $126.40.  US natgas is consolidating after yesterday's nearly 6% rally.  Europe's natgas benchmark is up almost 4% after yesterday's 3.4% advance.  It fell almost 5% on Monday.  Iron ore rose nearly 2% today, its first gain of the week.  It lost about 4.7% over the past two sessions.  Copper is quiet inside yesterday's narrow range.  May wheat is edging higher and recouping yesterday's small decline.  It is consolidating after rallying 5.2% on Monday.    Asia Pacific Chinese tech companies are in play.  Alibaba announced it was expanding its share buyback efforts yesterday and Xiaomi did the same today.  More tech firms, rich in cash, are expected to follow suit in the coming days.  Hong Kong Technology Index has rallied 40% from last week's low, which still leaves it around 50% below last year's peak.   The dollar reached JPY121.40 today.  At the end of last week, BOJ Governor Kuroda seemed to approve the yen's slide, by observing that the weakness was still helpful for the economy overall. The question that naturally arises is there a BOJ's pain threshold.  Some observers see it around JPY125, based on Kuroda's comments from back in 2015. In 2015, the dollar peaked near JPY125.85.  More immediately, the BOJ faces a fresh challenge to its Yield Curve Control stance, which caps the 10-year yield at 0.25%.  It rose to almost 0.23%, just shy of last month's high that prompted the BOJ offer to buy bonds there.  Still, until the Japanese or US pain threshold is found, the market still seems content to buy dollars on pullbacks against the yen.  Initial support now is seen ahead of JPY120.50.  Note that the one-month put-call skew (25 delta risk reversal) traded in favor of US dollar calls for the first time since last November.  The three-month skew narrowed to almost -0.38%, the least in almost five-months.  The skew typically sees dollar calls sell at a discount and it is often linked to Japanese exporters protecting their dollar receivables.  The Australian dollar extended its advance to almost $0.7480, its best level since early last November as well to approach its upper Bollinger Band.  It met some resistance and slipped to around $0.7450.  Initial support is seen in the $0.7430-$0.7440 area.  The greenback's strength is proving too much for the Chinese yuan.  It has recorded higher lows for the fourth consecutive session and is trying to establish a foothold above CNY6.37.   Recall, that the US dollar bottomed late last month near CNY6.3065.  The PBOC set the dollar's reference rate at CNY6.3558.  The median projection in Bloomberg's survey was CNY6.3540.  The Chinese 10-year premium over US Treasuries has fallen to almost 40 bp, the least since February 2019.    Europe It is all about the UK today.   First, late yesterday, the US and UK struck a deal that will lift the odorous steel and aluminum tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on national security grounds.  Rather than reverse itself immediately, the Biden administration used the tariffs to get concessions from Europe and Japan as well that will limit the metal exports to the US-based on historic market share.  The UK agreed to lift its retaliatory tariffs.  Second, the UK February CPI was a little higher than expected.  The CPIH, which includes owner-occupied cots, rose to 5.5% from 4.9% in January.  The median forecast (Bloomberg survey) was for 5.4%.  After falling by 0.1% in January, CPI rose 0.8% in February.  The market looked for a 0.6% gain.  Core CPI is up 5.2% from a year ago, accelerating from 4.4% in January.  Turning to producer prices, output PPI rose 0.8%, slightly less than expected for a 10.1% year-over-year pace.  It had risen 9.9% in January.  Input price pressures were a bit stronger than expected, rising 1.4% in February after a revised 1.5% gain in January (initially 0.9%).  This lifted the year-over-year rate to 14.7% from a revised 14.2% pace.   The odds of a 50 bp move at the next MPC meeting (May 5) has edged up from around 25% chance at the end of last week to about 38% today.   Still on tap is Chancellor of the Exchequer Sunak's Spring Budget Statement.  Reports have played up the likelihood of a modest cut in the fuel duty and perhaps a higher threshold for the health insurance tax.  There focus seems to be on easing the squeeze on the cost of living, which is set to worsen next month as the price cap on energy bill and taxes are set to rise.  Yesterday's news that the budget deficit is smaller than expected through the first 11 months of the fiscal year gives the Sunak some room to maneuver, but he is not expected to exhaust it. The euro recovered from yesterday's dip to about $1.0960, which met the (50%) retracement objective of the recovery form the March 7 test on $1.08.  However, the buying dried up near $1.1040.  A break of that $1.0960 area could spur a quick move to $1.0930, while a bounce needs to rise through $1.1060 to be anything of note.  The flash PMI due tomorrow are expected to have softened but a significant disappointment may play on fears that the war and energy shock will drive the eurozone into a recession.  Sterling finally pushed above the $1.3200 cap yesterday and traded to almost $1.33 today before meeting strong offers.  It was pushed back to a little below $1.3220 in the European morning.  Provided the $1.3200-level holds now, our target near $1.34 is still reasonable.   America There was only one dissent from the FOMC meeting last week as Bullard wanted to hike by 50 bp.  Many observers were critical of the Fed for not taking more decisive action.  However, the dispute at the Fed appears to be over minor tactical differences.  Chair Powell came out swinging earlier this week and the market took the bait and now prices in not the 150 bp of hikes this year, which would imply a 25 bp hike at the remaining six meeting.  Instead, it is pricing in near 190 bp of tightening.  That means the Fed funds futures are pricing in not just one 50 bp move but is favoring a second 50 bp move too.  There seems to a growing consensus to raise the Fed funds rate toward neutral, and the difference between the doves and hawks seem to be narrow.  Today, the market hears from Powell (at the BIS again), San Fran Fed President Daly, and St. Loise Fed's Bullard.  The US economic calendar features MBA mortgage applications and February new home sales.  Typically, they are not market moving. Tomorrow is a different story: weekly jobless claims, durable goods orders, and the flash PMI.  There have been two developments in Canada to note.  First, the railroad strike ended with the help of federal mediation after two days.  The strike had threatened to further disrupt the supply chains, especially for potash ahead of the beginning of the new planting season.  Second, Prime Minister Trudeau secured support for his minority government through a deal with the New Democrat Party.  In exchange for support in confidence votes, Trudeau will push for key elements in the NDP agenda, which overlaps in parts with his campaign promises.  New initiatives in housing, health care, and the environment are expected.  The net effect is that fiscal policy may not be as tight as expected.  That policy mix, tighter monetary and easier fiscal policy tends to be supportive of a currency.  Also, the market recognizes that easier fiscal policy may push the Bank of Canada to tighten monetary policy quicker.  The odds of a 50 bp move at next month’s meeting (April 13) increased from about 55% at the end of last week to a little more than 70% now.   Mexico will report its bi-weekly CPI figures for the first half of March tomorrow alongside January retail sales.  Late tomorrow, Banixco is expected to deliver its third consecutive 50 bp increase in the overnight rate to 6.50%.  Argentina and Paraguay hiked yesterday.  Chile and Colombia are expected to hike next week.  Separately, reports suggest that Mexico will not carry out its plans to cut oil exports in half this year and cease them entirely next year.  President AMLO already seemed to be softening his push.  The windfall from the surge in prices appears too good to pass up.  That said, PEMEX output appears to have fallen by around 200k barrels a day from the end of 2021.     The US dollar appears to be forging a base around CAD1.2565 this week.  A move above CAD1.2625 might signal a near-term low is in place.  Recall that the greenback peaked last week by CAD1.2870.  There has been a small shift in rate differentials in the Canadian dollar's favor.  The US 2-year premium has narrowed from around 17 bp on March 9, the most since Q3 19, to around three basis points today.  The 10-year differential has switched and now Canada offers a small premium (~5-6 bp), which is the most since the end of last year.  The US dollar is also edging lower against the Mexican peso and is testing the MXN20.25 area. The low for the year was set in late February near MXN20.1575.  The 200-day moving average (~MXN20.4250) has capped the greenback so far this week.     Disclaimer

Some of crucial releases are behind us, but there is more to come! Tomorrow China, Great Britain, the USA, Germany and Canada have their economic indicators released so don’t miss a thing! Night-morning – 31/03/22 The day begins with the release of Chinese Manufacturing PMI indicator which previously hit 50.2 This one is released at 2:30 a.m. Four and half hours later we move to Great Britain to follow the announcement of GDP (QoQ and YoY). The Quarter on Quarter one reached 1% previously and Year on Year hit 6.5% At 8:55 a.m. German Unemployment Change goes public (prev. -33K). Afternoon – 31/03/22 Shortly after midday (1:30 p.m.) the US Initial Jobless Claims and Canadian GDP are announced. The previous values amounted to 187K and 0% respectively. Source/Data: Investing.com Economic Calendar

MarketTalk: What’s up today? | Swissquote Crude oil consolidates near the $100pb as the latest pandemic news from China and the massive US release from strategic reserves cool down the positive pressure, but there are uncertainties on whether the US could really release 1 million barrels per day for six months to keep oil prices under control. US futures are in the negative this morning, although the S&P500 ended last week on a last-minute rally. The rising US yields and the curve inversion make investors uncomfortable, and the Federal Reserve (Fed) hawks remain in charge before Wednesday’s FOMC minutes. Gold is under the pressure of higher US yields, and may not benefit from a renewed equity selloff, if the selloff is due to the rising yields. But geopolitical tensions could throw a floor under a further selloff, if geopolitical tensions escalate amid the West preparing to announce more sanctions against Russia. Elsewhere, Chinese stocks rally on news that China will let the US authorities access the full auditing reports of companies listed in the US. Bitcoin is stuck within the $45/48K area and GameStop offers a strong intra-day volatility, though not much fundamentally-supported action in medium run. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:30 US reserve release & Covid news soften oil bulls' hands 2:28 European inflation boosts ECB hawks, but... 3:47 US yields extend progress ahead of Wed's FOMC minutes 5:06 Gold, supported by geopolitical tensions, pressures by yields 6:04 S&P500, Nasdaq: toppish? 7:18 Chinese stocks rally on encouraging audit news 9:02 Bitcoin stuck with $45/48K range 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.

Equities 2022-04-25 07:00 8 minutes to read Summary:  Global equity markets continued to adjust downward amid of a hawkish U.S. Federal Reserve and the rising likelihood of a much weaker Chinese economy in Q2 as a result of the punitive Covid-related lockdowns. Commodities were down as investors shifted their attention from supply disruption to potentially weaker demand. What’s happening in markets? Asian equities weighed by Friday’s US session and China lockdown.  US indices were down over 2% on Friday as risk off gripped markets that digested Fed’s hawkish tilt. S&P500 (US500.I) was down 2.8% while the tech-heavy NASDAQ 100 (USNAS100.I) was down 2.5%, likely to test March lows. Asian equities will get a beating as well, with Japan’s Nikkei (NI225.I) down 1.6% in the morning and Singapore’s STI Index (ES3) in loss of 0.7%. Tech stocks, as well as energy and steel miners were on the backfoot. Read next: By Saxo Bank: COT: Spec buying pauses on China and growth concerns| FXMAG.COM Chinese equities made new lows.   China’s CSI300 Index (000300.I) and Shanghai Stock exchange Composite Index fell below their March 16 intraday lows and closed the morning session down over 4%.  Northbound investment registered a net outflow over RMB4 billion. China Merchants Bank (600036/03968) fell 6.4% in Shanghai and 9.5% in Hong Kong trading following news late last Friday that the bank’s former CEO being investigated by the Chinese authority.  The overall markets in the mainland and Hong Know were pressured by rising worries about the Chinese economy heading for a sharp deceleration in growth in Q2.  Mining and energy stocks were sold off. Hang Seng Index (HSI.I) and Hang Seng TECH Index were both down more than 2%. Crude oil (OILUKJUN22 & OILUSMAY22)  was also down over 2% in Asia amid fresh demand concerns from China with record deaths reported in Shanghai and hints of a spread in Beijing. WTI dropped below $100 and Brent was below $104. Asian energy stocks like Inpex (1605) and Eneos (5020) in Japan or Chinese oil stocks will be on watch. Australia has a public holiday today. Read next: Saxo Market Call: Podcast: China's FX moves supercharging developments| FXMAG.COM Iron ore (SCOA) is having a meltdown.  Iron ore futures were down close to 12% in Singapore to 2-month lows. Rich valuations are coming to haunt, after steel output dropped over 10% in Q1. But key miners Rio Tinto (XXRIO), BHP (BHP) and Vale (VALE) have confirmed their guidance for full-year production. Fortescue Metals (FMG) will be reporting output data on Thursday. Miners and steelmakers will be impacted by this big move in iron ore in the Asian session, so Japan's Nippon Steel (5401) or Kobe Steel (5406) was key to watch. No great news on the state of the UK consumer.  Retail sales are down again in March (minus 1.4% month-over-month). They are still 2.2% above their pre-pandemic level. But the trend is really not looking good. In addition, UK GfK consumer confidence plunged in April more than expected, at minus 38 versus expected minus 33 and previous minus 31. Confiance is only slightly above all-time lows. This is hard to see how the UK economy could avoid at least a modest downturn in the coming months. We believe a 50-basis point interest hike by the Bank of England is now off the table in May. It would have negative ripple effects on the overall economy. Rather good eurozone PMI indicators in April.  The flash PMI data pointed to a pickup in the eurozone growth in April (55.8 versus prior 54.9). This was mostly driven by the service sector. The manufacturing sector fell to a 22-month low mostly due to record inflationary pressures. In Germany, supply issues seriously intensified, pushing the manufacturing sector into a downturn. Finally, the French composite PMI skyrocketed to 57.5 versus 56.3 in March. Both the services and the manufacturing sector experienced strong growth, at 58.8 and 55.4, respectively. Read next: COVID Strikes China Again, Weak Chinese Renminbi (CNY), Accelerating US Dollar (USD)| FXMAG.COM What to consider? Macron’s victory prompted only short-term gains in EUR.  The result of the French elections have taken a key risk off the table. President Emmanuel Macron is projected to win a second term in office after facing his far-right rival Marine Le Pen in a runoff election on Sunday. EURUSD popped up to 1.085 at the open in Asia but the rally was fully reversed. ECB President Christine Lagarde gave an interview over the weekend, saying that inflation is a “different beast” between the US and Europe. With Eurozone inflation mainly energy-driven and the labor market not as hot as the US, it is hard to imagine gains in EUR sustaining against the USD. Heavy U.S. Q1 earnings calendar this week.  With Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta, and Apple reporting this week, analysts may have a better about whether margins for mega cap companies in the technology and consumer space can maintain their margins in the new inflation environment. You can refer to Peter Garnry’s note for a more detailed preview. China’s container throughput declined.   According to data from the China Port Association, foreign trade related container throughput fell 4.9% over the period between April 11 and 20, from the same period last year.  It was another sign of weakening exports in April and shed a shadow over China’s GDP growth in Q2.  Secretary Yellen’s favorable comments on China did not cause much excitement.   U.S. Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen told Bloomberg that the Biden administration was re-examining its trade strategy with respect to China and considering the benefit of scaling back the Trump-era tariffs on Chinese goods to the reduction in U.S. inflation.  She also remarked that she did not think China was undermining the sanctions on Russia.  Read next: Russia-Ukraine War Is Still There. Check The "Equity Basket" Of Saxo Bank's Experts, Which Is Linked With The Circumstances In Europe| FXMAG.COM AUD making new lows in Asia.  Increasing risk off and a decline in iron ore prices is pushing AUDUSD lower to sub-0.7200 levels in Asia. NZDUSD also touched 0.6600 levels but AUDNZD slid below 1.0880. Australia’s Q1 CPI due on Wednesday. Indonesia’s palm oil ban to aid inflation fears.  Indonesia has announced plans to ban all exports of palm oil, which is a key ingredient of cooking oil, packaged food products, cosmetic, and other household items. Indonesia exports almost half of the global palm oil supply, suggesting further risks to Asia and global inflation outlook. Trading ideas to consider Brace for a busy earnings week.  Q1 earnings season shift gear with 558 major earnings releases that will impact sentiment in equity market. It is the big test of companies’ ability to pass on costs to their customers. Focus is on the biggest names such as Microsoft, Alphabet, UPS, Meta, Qualcomm, Boeing, PayPal, Apple, Amazon, Mastercard, Intel, Caterpillar, Exxon Mobil, and Chevron. Markets are in a cautious mode right now, any misses in the key megacaps earnings may mean a further run down to test key levels.  Analysts will examine the results closely to find out if the mega cap companies in the technology and consumer space can maintain their profit margins in the new inflation environment. Interested readers please refer to Peter Garnry’s note for a more detailed preview. Shorting CNHJPY.  The renminbi started its abrupt move to depreciate since April 19 when traders, in particular those in Europe, returned from a holiday, troubled by the underwhelming stimulus actions from the Chinese authorities, persistent lockdowns and deteriorating growth outlook for the Chinese economy.  The move was probably also driven by the misalignment of valuation of renminbi and other Asian currencies, in particular the Japanese Yen, which accounts for 10.8% of the renminbi’s reference basket.  Over the past several session, renminbi’s depreciated more against the Yen which was benefitted from lower commodities prices which in turn was a result of weaker China growth.  We suspect this realignment have more to go.  Interested readers can refer to our note on the renminbi last Friday. Further reopening moves from Singapore and Hong Kong.  Singapore announced further relaxation in Covid restrictions, scrapping predeparture tests for vaccinated travellers and allowing 100% of the workforce back into the office. Hong Kong also started to relax restrictions, opening restaurants for dinner after over two months and allowing non-residents from next months for the first time since 2020. Reopening gains, especially in Singapore are likely to stretch beyond airlines and airport operator to casinos and restaurants, as well as event organizers and mall and office-based REITs. Key economic releases this week: Wed, Apr 27: Australia Q1 inflation Thu, Apr 28: Japan retail sales, Bank of Japan meeting Fri, Apr 29: Eurozone April inflation rate flash, US March PCE index Key earnings to watch: Mon, Apr 25: Activision-Blizzard (ATVI), Coca-Cola (KO) Tue, Apr 26: Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), UPS (UPS), PepsiCo (PEP), General Electric (GE), Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL), Microsoft (MSFT), General Motors (GM) Wed, Apr 27: T-Mobile US (TMUS), Boeing (BA), Kraft Heinz (KHC), Ford Motor (F), Meta Platforms (FB), Qualcomm (QCOM) Thu, Apr 28: Caterpillar (CAT), Twitter (TWTR), Comcast (CMCSA), Merck (MRK), Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), Intel (INTC), PayPal (PYPL) Fri, Apr 29: Exxon Mobil (XOM), Chevron (CVX), Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL)   For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. 

April 25, 2022  $USD, Australia, China, Currency Movement, Federal Reserve, France, Germany Overview:  Fears that the Chinese lockdowns to fight Covid, which have extended for four weeks in Shanghai, are not working, and may be extended to Beijing has whacked equity markets, arrested the increase in bond yields, and lifted the dollar.  Commodity prices are broadly lower amid concerns over demand.  China's CSI 300 fell 5% today and Hong Kong's Hang Seng was off more than 3.5%.  Most of the major markets in Asia Pacific were off more than 1%.  Europe's Stoxx 600 is off around 1.9% after falling 1.4% last week.  US futures are about 0.7%-0.8% lower. The S&P 500 fell last week for the third consecutive week, the longest losing streak in 18 months.  The US 10-year Treasury yield is almost seven basis points lower at 2.83%.  European benchmark yields are 4-6 bp lower.  The BOJ bought JPY727 bln of 10-year bonds at the pre-committed fixed rate operation, more than in the previous three operations last week combined.  The yield slipped half of a basis point.  The dollar rides high.  It has appreciated against all the major currencies but the yen. The Australian dollar, Scandis, and sterling have been hit the hardest and are around 0.9-1.2% lower in the European morning.  Emerging market currencies are heavy as well.  Hungary, Mexico, and China have seen their currencies decline by around 1% to lead the complex.  Gold fell to new lows for the month around $1912 before stabilizing.  June WTI is 4.3% lower near $97.70 after falling around 4% last week.  US natgas is extending last week's 10.5% sell-off, while the European benchmark is up 2.5% after a flat showing last week.  Iron prices are off 8.7%, after tumbling closer to 12% at one juncture today.  It fell a little less than 5% last week.  Copper is off around 2.1% after declining about 3% last week.  July wheat is up about 0.5% as it tries to snap a four-day slide.   Read next: Tightening Alert! How Have Exchange Rates Of Singapore Dollar (SGD), NZD, Canadian Dollar And Korean Won (KRW) Changed?| FXMAG.COM Asia Pacific China's Covid has emerged as a powerful economic force in its own right.   It is threatening demand for commodities and threatening to extend supply chain disruptions.  Shanghai reported a record number of fatalities, and the infection is spreading to Beijing.  The Chaoyang district will submit to three days of testing this week for people who live and/or work in the area.  Reports suggest 14 smaller communities have been sealed and another 14 have imposed limitations on movement.  China's demand for gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel has reportedly fell by 20% year-over-year, which may translate to 1.2 mln barrels of oil a day.   The US has threatened unspecified action if Beijing's new security pact with the Solomon Islands result in a permanent Chinese military presence.   While the US has defended Ukraine's right to make its own foreign policy decisions, it seems to want to limit Solomon Island's choices.  Prime Minister Sogavare has articulated his own 3 No's Policy.  He says that the secret treaty has no provision for a Chinese military base, no long-term presences, and no ability to project power from the islands. The Solomon Islands are about 2k kilometers of Australia's coast.    Read next: President Of France To Be Chosen. It Is Another Factor Which Is Shaping Markets| FXMAG.COM The dispute over the Solomon Islands has emerged as a campaign issue in the May 21 Australian elections.  Prime Minister Morrison, who seeks a fourth term, has defended his foreign policy, and tried shifting the focus back to domestic issues with a promise to cap tax revenue at 23.9% of GDP and A$100 bln of tax relief over the next four years if re-elected.  Government revenues were 22.9% of GDP in FY21.  Labor leader Albanese has been diagnosed with Covid at the end of last week.  This disrupted his campaign in the tight contest.  Morrsion had contracted the disease in early March.   The dollar initially approached JPY129 but falling US yields saw it come off and traded below JPY128, where a $425 mln option expires today.   The greenback remains in the range set last Wednesday (~JPY127.45-JPY129.40).  Indeed, it is trading within the pre-weekend range (~JPY127.74-JPY129.10).  The takeaway is two-fold.  First the exchange rate is still closely tracking the US 10-year yield.  Second, after surging in March and most of April, the exchange rate is consolidating.  The Australian dollar is falling sharply for the third consecutive session.  It fell 1% last Thursday and 1.75% before the weekend and is off another 1% today. It is lower for the 11th session in the past 14.  It fell to a two-month low near $0.7150 in late Asian turnover before stabilizing.  The $0.7200 area now offers resistance.  The sell-off of the Chinese yuan continued.  The greenback gapped higher and never looked back.  Recall that the dollar settled around CNY6.3715 on April 15.  A week later, last Friday, it settled above CNY6.50 and today, pushed over CNY6.56.  It is the greenback's 5th consecutive gain and today's advance of a little more than 0.9% is the largest advance since March 2020. The dollar is trading at its best level in nearly a year and a half.  The PBOC set the dollar's reference rate at CNY6.4909, slightly lower than market projections (CNY6.4911 in the Bloomberg survey). The next key chart area is CNY6.60.   Europe Macron was easily re-elected with a roughly 58%-42% margin.   Partisans, perhaps trying to bolster the turnout and some press accounts seemed to exaggerate Le Pen's chances.  No poll showed her in the lead.  Still, the euro initially trading higher (~$1.0850) before falling to almost $1.07 before the end of the Asia Pacific session.  The June parliamentary election will shape Macron's second term and his ability to enact his program.  Separately Slovenia voted not to grant Prime Minister Jansa another term.  This further isolates Hungary's Orban.  Golob, the former head of the state-owned power company before dismissed by Jansa, will lead what appears to be a center-left government.   Last week, Germany's flash PMI was mostly better than expected.   Recall that helped by the surprising gain in the service PMI, the composite fell to 54.5 not the 54.1 economists expected (median, Bloomberg survey).  Today, the IFO survey was also better than expected.  The current assessment ticked up to 97.2 from 97.1, while the expectations component rose to 86.7 from a 84.9.  The overall business climate reading rose to 91.8 from 90.8.  Separately, the government is expected to announce a supplemental budget on Wednesday that will boost this year's net new debt to at least 140 bln euros.  This is a 40 bln euro increase to fund government measures to cushion the impact of the war and the surge in energy prices.  Some of the off-budget 100-bln euro defense spending initiative will may also be funded this year.   The euro traded to almost $1.0705 in late Asia Pacific turnover, its lowest level since March 2020.   There is a 945 mln euro option struck at $1.07 that expires today.  The pre-weekend low near $1.0770 may now serve as resistance.  There are large options at $1.08 expiring over the next two days (1.6 bln euros tomorrow and 1.2 bln euros on Wednesday). The Covid-low was set in March 2020 near $1.06.  Sterling has been pounded again.  It dropped nearly 1.5% before the weekend, a roughly two-cent fall that took it to around $.12825.  It has lost another cent today to about $1.2730.  While we noted chart support near $1.2700, the next important chart area is closer to $1.25.  It finished last week below its lower Bollinger Band, and it remains well below it (~$1.2850) today. In fact, it is more than three standard deviations from the 20-day moving average (seen near $1.2755).   America St. Louis Fed President Bullard opined last week that a 75 bp hike may be needed at some juncture.   He explicitly said that it was not his base case.  Yet some in the markets, and more in the media seemed to play it up.  No other Fed official seemed to endorse it; Fed futures are pricing in a 51 bp for next week rather than 50 bp.  The Fed's quiet period ahead of the May 4 FOMC meeting means no more official talk.  Today's economic calendar features the Chicago Fed's March national activity index, which is reported with too much of a lag to provide new insight or a market reaction.  The Dallas Fed's April manufacturing survey is due as well.  The early Fed surveys have not generated a consistent signal.  The Empire State survey was stronger than expected while the Philadelphia Fed survey was weaker than anticipated.  The Dallas survey is expected to have softened.   Canada's calendar is light until Friday's February GDP print.   The Bank of Canada does not meet until June 1.  The swaps market currently has a little more than a 25% chance that it hikes by 75 bp instead of 50 bp.  However, the Canadian dollar itself seems more sensitive to the risk-off impulse spurred by falling equities than the policy mixed in Canada.   Mexico reports IGAE economic activity survey for February.   It is too dated to have much impact, and in any event, is being overwhelmed by the risk-off attitude.  The bi-weekly CPI report, covering the first half of April, released before the weekend, was stronger than expected.  The headline rate rose to 7.72% and the core rate rose above 7% for the first time in this cycle.  It is particularly disappointing because seasonal considerations, like the summer discount on electricity taxes, often point to less price pressures.  The risk of a 75 bp hike at the May 12 Banxico meeting is increasing.   Read next: How Are Markets Doing? US Bonds, EuroStoxx 600, CSI 300 And More| FXMAG.COM The US dollar jumped 0.65% against the Canadian dollar last Thursday and slightly more than 1% before the weekend.   It is up another 0.2% in the European morning to around CAD1.2740, after having approached CAD1.2760 in Asia Pacific turnover.  The greenback finished last week above its upper Bollinger Band and has spent most of today's session above it (~CAD1.2720).  The market is over-extended but there is little chart resistance ahead of CAD1.28.  The peso's fall is also continuing.  The US dollar traded above its 200-day moving average (~MXN20.42) for the first time since March 18.  It is also above the (38.2%) retracement objective of the slide since the March 8 high (~MXN21.46), which is found around MXN20.39.  The next retracement (50%) is closer to MN20.60 and the measuring objective of the potential double bottom is near MXN20.60.     Disclaimer

Summary:  Today we look at the liquidity pressures keeping risk sentiment in the dumps as long US treasury yields and the US dollar continue to rise. US equities are perched at the lows for the cycle once again and we wonder where any sustained relief will come from until the Fed eventually has to exercise its put, but unable to do so given its primary focus on inflation. We also look at forward return potential now that global equities have come down from extremes, commodity positioning and sentiment on China's Covid lockdown impacts, earnings ahead and more. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast and have a look at today’s slide deck. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app:           If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.

Taiwan's industrial production growth seems to be slowing down, with data revealing a monthly contraction. Export orders have also recorded a contraction on a yearly basis. China's lockdowns, Covid in Taiwan, and electricity stoppages could be reasons behind this, and these reasons are here to stay  Industrial production recorded month-on-month contraction April data seems to point to worsening growth in Taiwan. While industrial production recorded 7.5% year-on-year growth in April, it contracted 5.06% from the previous month. This pattern usually points to a change in trend. Production of semiconductors, which had been the growth engine of Taiwan's industrial production as well as GDP, recorded a mere 0.5% MoM growth rate, while other manufacturing industries showed contraction, e.g. computer and electronic goods (-21.14% MoM), LED panels (-16.63% MoM).  Mainland China lockdown, Covid in Taiwan, electricity stoppages are factors behind this The main reason behind this is that inventory levels of electronic items, particularly LED panels, are higher than usual. In Mainland China, which is a big consumer market in addition to being a manufacturing hub, demand for consumer electronics shrank during the Shanghai lockdown. The same explanation can be applied to the contraction in export orders (-5.5% YoY) released on Friday. With export orders shrinking, industrial production in the coming months could continue to contract, perhaps even showing a contraction from last year.  Covid in Taiwan is also part of the reason, as this has reduced the number of employees at work. Though the unemployment rate fell to 3.62% in April from 3.66% in March, most industries, including semiconductor manufacturing, recorded a small drop in employment in April. Electricity is also an issue. Though the government states that there is enough electricity this year, electricity generators have failed occasionally, leading to the suspension of work at some factories.  Cautiously optimistic for the rest of 2022 and monetary policy may be less aggressive The factors discussed above, which point to a changing trend in semiconductor production in Taiwan from strong to slow, are here to stay. Demand for semiconductors used in consumer electronics will be affected by the muted consumer market in Mainland China. Supply shocks from fewer workers due to Covid and electricity failures (especially over the summer) could also remain for the rest of 2022.  We are cautiously optimistic about the semiconductor industry as there is still strong demand for digital infrastructure to mitigate some of the negative factors cited above.  Central bank rate hikes were expected to follow the path of the Federal Reserve but this is less likely given this latest set of data. Though we still need more data points to confirm that the strong trend has changed in semiconductor production and therefore GDP, the central bank may be less aggressive than previously thought, and the rate hike path could therefore be flatter, with hikes of 12.5bp rather than 25bp until the negative factors fade. Read this article on THINK TagsTaiwan Semiconductors Lockdown Covid-19 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

Jonny Hart speaks to APAC Senior Market Analyst Jeffrey Halley about news impacting the market and the week ahead. European PMIs are the week’s highlight tomorrow Welcome to a new week with policy decisions from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, Bank of Korea, and Bank Indonesia. We start today’s podcast with a quick overview of Asian markets. A quiet news weekend has left Asian markets focusing once again on China and the covid zero slowdowns. We look at price action around Asia and discuss the future of China and covid zero. Next, it’s over to equity and currency markets. We discuss whether the worst is over for equities and if the US Dollar rally has run its course. We then look ahead to the data calendar which is fairly quiet this week. European PMIs are the week’s highlight tomorrow. We discuss them and their potential impact on the single currency. Read next: Altcoins: Ripple Crypto - What Is Ripple (XRP)? Price Of XRP | FXMAG.COM 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. Learn more on Oanda

A positive start to the week in Asia is helped by easing movement restrictions in China, but US payrolls and quantitative tightening could test that resolve later on... Source: shutterstock Macro Outlook Global: It is the US Memorial day holiday today (Monday), and equity markets rallied into the long weekend, providing a positive tone at the start of this week in Asia markets. News channels this morning noted that the equity rally took place on thin volumes, which is a bit of an exaggeration, though volumes were a bit below average, while the sell-offs recently seem to have more conviction. News stories trying to pinpoint the bottom for markets are still talking about equities approaching average forward P/E valuations. Though surely just touching an average from above is not sufficient to call a trough – averages don’t work that way – at least not if they are stationary. What are they teaching people in maths classes these days? Aside from the rally in stocks, most markets were fairly rangebound on Friday. EURUSD remained at about 1.0727, though looked to push above 1.0770 and below 1.0700 – both without success. AUD has clambered back to 0.7158, and there were also widespread gains amongst the Asian FX pairs, led by the KRW and CNY. Treasury yields were little changed on the previous day’s close. This week we get US non-farm payrolls, which could stir things up a bit. We also get the start of “Quantitative Tightening” (QT) from mid-week on, as the US Fed starts to draw down on its bloated balance sheet at a $30bn monthly rate for Treasuries and $17.5bn monthly rate for agency MBS. This will show just what impact (if any) actual selling has on the market, or whether this is entirely in the price. We also get Eurozone CPI inflation for May tomorrow (Tuesday). Consensus sees this rising to 7.8%YoY from 7.5% in April. And yet the ECB is still purchasing assets and is not expected to start raising rates until July. Enough said.  China: Shanghai announced approval for the resumption of work and production as a sign that it is lifting its lockdowns. However, workers still need a pass to leave their homes for work. Currently, permission is only granted to leave home a few times a week. This situation will change, but it will need to change quickly to be consistent with the resumption of work. In Beijing, the lockdown has been relaxed in the Chaoyang CBD area. The same problem is that workers who do not live in Chaoyang may not be able to get to their workplaces. Meanwhile, other cities are adopting regular and frequent Covid testing to try to detect positive cases early enough to stop the chain of transmission of the virus. As for stimulus measures, in addition to last week's national-level stimuli, Shanghai has offered more incentives, mainly to boost consumption, especially on pure electric vehicles. What to look out for: US non-farm payrolls Philippines bank lending (30 May) Fed Waller speech (30 May) South Korea industrial production (31 May) Japan retail sales and job-applicant ratio (31 May) China PMI manufacturing (31 May) Thailand trade balance (31 May) US Conference board expectations (31 May) Fed Williams speech (1 June) South Korea trade (1 June) Regional PMI manufacturing (1 June) Australia 1Q GDP (1 June) US ISM manufacturing (1 June) Fed Bullard speech (2 June) Indonesia CPI inflation (2 June) Australia trade balance (2 June) US ADP jobs, initial jobless claims, durable goods orders (2 June) South Korea CPI inflation (3 June) US non-farm payrolls and ISM services (3 June) Fed Mester speech (3 June) Read this article on THINK 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

Summary:  US equities were not impressed by the lower inflation expectations in the New York Fed’s consumer survey, and Micron’s revenue warning added to the fears with broad losses seen across the semiconductor space. Equity losses broadened as earnings continued to disappoint, and the yield curve inverted further. The US CPI wait game is unlikely to be much more than just noise, but upside risks to USD are seen on stronger underlying dynamics. On the radar today will also be China’s inflation data will be parsed for hints on demand recovery and Fed speakers who may continue to bring up market expectations of Fed’s rate hike path. Markets latest news     Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I)  US. Equities traded lower in a quiet session, awaiting today’s CPI data.  Nasdaq 100 fell 1.2% after Micron Technology (MU:xnas), added to investors’ concern over weakening demand for microchips when the company issued a negative revenue warning, just a day after another leading chip maker, Nvidia (NVDA:xnas) similarly announced.  The company said that the current quarter revenue could come in at or below the low end of prior guidance. Share price of Micron fell 3.7%. S&P 500 fell 0.4%. After the close, Coinbase Global, Roblox, and Wynn Resorts reported weaker-than-expected results and declined in after-hours trades. U.S. yield curve inverts further Front-end U.S. treasury yields rose 6bps and caused the 2-10-year yield spread further inverted to -49.5bps. The 10-year treasury note yield edged up by 2bps to 2.78% after the Q2 unit labor costs in the U.S. came in at 10.8%, higher than expected.  The 3-year action showed decent demand from investors after yields had risen ahead of the auction.  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIQ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Shares of leading Hong Kong property developers surged as much as 5% at one point in the morning session, following newswires, citing Executive Council convener Regina Ip, suggested that Hong Kong is considering to remove the punitive double stamp duty imposed on residential property buyers from the mainland.  The Hang Seng Index rose as much as 1% in the morning but both the Hang Seng Index and Hong Kong developers pared gains after the office of the Financial Secretary refuting the speculation after midday.  Hung Kai Properties (00016:xhkg) and CK Assets (01113:xhkg) finished the day 2% higher and Henderson Land (00012:xhkg) +0.7%. The Hang Seng Index reversed and closed 0.2% lower.  Shares of coal miners surged 2% to 5% across the board following reports that a large Shanxi coal mine had an incident and caused temporary suspension of production.  Chinese EV names traded lower on concerns spurred by a 64% MoM fall of Tesla sales in July despite that the China Passenger Car Association raised EV sales estimate to 6 million, 9% higher from its previous estimate. In A-shares, CSI300 was modestly higher, with coal mining, auto parts, wind and solar power storage, and chiplet concept shares outperformed.   EURUSD and USDJPY stucked The US inflation will be relevant beyond the headline print. Key focus is likely to be on the core measure, as it is evident that lower commodity prices may have helped to cool the headline measure. The US dollar rallied sharply on Friday after a solid jobs print, but has since steadied. The next leg higher could depend on the stickiness of the inflation print, which may raise further the expectations of a 75bps rate hike at the September Fed meeting. EURUSD took another look above 1.0240 overnight but reversed back towards 1.0200 in early Asia. USDJPY is also stuck in the middle of the 130-140 range, awaiting triggers for a breakout one way or another. Oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Oil prices steadied in the Asian morning on Wednesday amid renewed concerns on Russian flows to Europe. WTI futures were seen around the key $90 level, while Brent futures touched $96/barrel. API report also showed another week of strong inventory build, coming in at 2.2 million for week ended August 5 as compared to expectations of 73k. The official government inventory report is due today, and China’s inflation data will also be on watch. Grains eye the USDA report US grain futures led by corn traded higher on Tuesday in response to worsening crop conditions. Just like central Europe, soaring heat and drought have raised concerns about lower production and yields. USDA will publish its monthly supply and demand estimates on Friday. The crop condition report, published every Monday by the USDA throughout the growing season, shows the proportion of the US crop being rated in a good to excellent condition. Silver against Gold. Gold (XAUUSD) looking to test $1800 Gold’s focus remains on the geopolitical tensions, despite the recent rise in US Treasury yields. The US CPI and the $1800 resistance area are now the key tests for Gold ahead, and any pickup in rate hike expectations from the Fed could bring bears of the yellow metal back in force. Silver (XAGUSD) has been outshining Gold and in the process managing to mount a challenge above its 50-day moving average, now support at $20.33 with focus on resistance at $20.85.   What to consider?     US CPI due today will be just noise The highly-watched US inflation data is due to be released today, and the debate on inflation peaking vs. higher-for-longer will be revived. Meanwhile, the Fed has recently stayed away from providing forward guidance, which has now made all the data points ahead of the September 21 FOMC meeting a lot more important to predict the path of Fed rates from here. Bloomberg consensus expects inflation to slow down from 9.1% YoY in June to 8.8% YoY last month, but it will be more important to think about how fast inflation can decelerate from here, and how low it can go. The core print will gather greater attention to assess stickiness and breadth of price pressures. However, any surprise will still just be a noise given that we have another print for August due ahead of the next FOMC meeting. Fed’s Evans will take the hot seat today Chicago President Charles Evans discusses the economy and monetary policy today. Evans is not a voter this year, but he votes in 2023. He said last week a 50bps rate hike is a reasonable assessment for the September meeting, but 75bps is a possibility too if inflation does not improve. He expects 25bps from there on until Q2 2023 and sees a policy rate between 3.75-4% in 2023, which is in line with Fed’s median view of 3.8% for 2023, but above the 3.1% that the market is currently pricing in. US New York Fed survey of inflation expectations show sharp decline Median 1-year ahead and 3-year ahead inflation expectations declined sharply in July, from 6.8%/3.6% in June to 6.2%/3.2% in July. Lower income households showed the greatest shift lower in expectations, possibly linked to the sharp drop in petrol prices (the peak in June in one national measure was over $5.00/gallon, a level that fell to below $4.25/gallon by the end of July. China’s PPI inflation is set to ease while CPI is expected to pick up in July The median forecasts from economists being surveyed by Bloomberg are 4.9% (vs June: 6.1%) for PPI and 2.9% (vs 2.5% for June). The higher CPI forecast is mainly a result of a surge in pork prices by 35% in July from June. On the other hand, PPI is expected to continue its recent trend of deceleration due to a low base and a fall in material prices. The convergence of the gap between PPI and CPI is likely to benefit downstream manufacturing industries. Japan PPI shows continued input price pressures Japan’s July producer prices came in slightly above expectations at 8.6% y/y (vs. estimates of 8.4% y/y) while the m/m figure was as expected at 0.4%. The continued surge reflects that Japanese businesses are waddling high input price pressures, and these are likely to get passed on to the consumers, suggesting further increases in CPI remain likely. The government is also set to announce a cabinet reshuffle today, and households may see increased measures to help relieve the price pressures. That will continue to ease the pressure on the Bank of Japan to tighten policy. Coinbase is still losing but is going to give a fight Coinbase (COIN:xnas) reported la loss of USD1.1 billion in Q2, larger-than-expected. Revenues dropped to USD808 million, sharply lower from last year’s USD2.2 billion. Monthly transaction users fell to 9 million, 2% lower from prior quarter. The company sees average monthly transaction users 7 millions to 9 millions in the current quarter. Coinbase Global is worth watching given the fallout in cryptocurrency trading and the recent partnership with BlackRock to ease access for institutional investors. Chipmaker warnings continue, with Micron warning of ‘challenging’ conditions After Nvidia, now Micron (MU) has issued warning of a possible revenue miss in the current quarter and ‘challenging’ memory conditions. The company officials said that they expect the revenue for the fiscal fourth quarter, which ends in August, “may come in at or below the low end of the revenue guidance range provided in our June 30 earnings call.” The company had called for $6.8-7.6 billion in revenue in its June earnings report. Moreover, they also guided for a tough next quarter as well as shipments could fall on a sequential basis, given the inventory buildup with their customers.   For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/apac-daily-digest-10-aug-2022-10082022

Summary:  Market sentiment weakened again yesterday, with the US Nasdaq 100 index interacting with the pivotal 13,000 area that was so pivotal on the way up ahead of today’s US July CPI release, which could prove important in either confirming or rejecting the complacent market’s expectations that a slowing economy and peaking inflation will allow the Fed to moderate its rate hike path after the September meeting. A surprisingly strong core CPI reading would likely unsettle the market today.   Our trading focus   Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) US interest rates are moving higher again and US equities lower with the S&P 500 at 4,124 yesterday with today’s price action testing the 100-day moving average around the 4,110 level. The past week has delivered more negative earnings surprises and weak outlooks impacting sentiment and the geopolitical risk picture is not helping either. In the event of a worse than expected US CPI release today we could take out the recent trading range in S&P 500 futures to the downside and begin the journey back to 4,000. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) Hang Seng Tech Index (HSTECH.I) fell 3%. China internet stocks declined across the aboard, losing 2-4%. Shares of EV manufacturers plunged 4-8% despite the China Passenger Car Association raised its 2022 EV sales estimate yesterday to 6mn, 9% higher from its previous estimate. Hang Seng Index plunged 2.4% and CSI300 fell 1.1%. USD decision time The USD remains largely stuck in neutral and may remain so unless or until some incoming input jolts the US treasury market and the complacent view that the US is set to peak its policy rate in December, with the potential to ease by perhaps mid-next year. Technical signs of a broad USD recovery, whether on yields pulling higher or due to a sudden cratering in market sentiment on concerns for the economic outlook or worsening liquidity as the Fed QT schedule is set to continue for now regardless of incoming data, would include USDJPY pulling above 136.00, EURUSD dropping down through 1.0100 and AUDUSD back down below 0.6900. Today’s July US CPI could prove a catalyst for a directional move in the greenback in either direction. Gold (XAUUSD) briefly tested a key area of resistance above $1800 on Tuesday ... before retracing lower as the recent support from rising silver and copper prices faded. With the dollar and yields seeing small gains ahead of today’s US CPI print, and with key resistance levels in all three metals looming, traders decided to book some profit. The market is looking for US inflation to ease from 9.1% to 8.8% and the outcome will have an impact on rate hike expectations from the Fed with a a higher-than-expected number potentially adding some downward pressure on metal prices. Silver (XAGUSD), as highlighted in recent updates, has been outshining Gold and in the process managing to mount a challenge above its 50-day moving average, now support at $20.33 with focus on resistance at $20.85.  Crude oil Crude oil prices rose on Tuesday on news pipeline flows of crude oil from Russia via Ukraine to Europe had been halted over a payment dispute of transit fees. The line, however, is expected to reopen within days but it nevertheless highlights and supports the current price divergence between WTI futures stuck around $90, amid rising US stockpiles and slowing gasoline demand, and Brent which trades above $96. The API reported a 2.2-million-barrel increase in US stockpiles last week with stocks at Cushing, the key storage hub, also rising. The official government inventory report is due today, with surveys pointing to a much smaller build at just 250k barrels. In addition, the market will be paying close attention to implied gasoline demand with recent data showing a slowdown. Also focus on China as lockdowns return, US CPI and Thursday’s Oil Market Reports from OPEC and the IEA. Grains eye Friday’s WASDE report US grain futures led by soybeans and corn trade higher on the week in response to worsening crop conditions. Just like central Europe, soaring heat and drought have raised concerns about lower production and yields. USDA will publish its monthly supply and demand estimates on Friday and given the current conditions a smaller yield could tighten the ending stock situation. The crop condition report, published every Monday by the USDA throughout the growing season, shows the proportion of the US crop being rated in a good to excellent condition. Last week the rating for corn dropped by 3% to 58% versus 64% a year ago. US Treasuries (IEF, TLT) US 10-year yields are poised in an important area ahead of the pivotal 3.00% level that would suggest a more determined attempt for yields to try toward the cycle top at 3.50%. Of late, the yield curve inversion has been the primary focus as long yields remain subdued relative to the front end of the curve, a development that could deepen if inflation remains higher than expected while economic activity slows. The three-year T-note auction yesterday saw solid demand, while today sees an auction of 10-year Treasuries.   Newsfeed   Taiwan officials want Foxconn to withdraw investment in Chinese chip company Foxconn announced a $800 million investment in mainland China’s Tsinghua Unigroup last month, but national security officials want the company to drop the investment, likely in connection with recent US-China confrontation in the wake of the visit to Taiwan from US House Speaker Pelosi and the ensuing Chinese military exercises around Taiwan. US Q2 Unit Labor costs remain high at 10.8%, while productivity weak at –4.6% These number suggest a very tight labor market as companies are beset with rising costs for work and less output per unit of worker effort. This number was down from the Q1 levels, but in many past cycles, rising labor costs and falling productivity often precede a powerful deceleration in the labor market as companies slow hiring (and once the recession hits begin firing employees which registers as lower unit costs and rising productivity). Japan PPI shows continued input price pressures Japan’s July producer prices came in slightly above expectations at 8.6% y/y (vs. estimates of 8.4% y/y) while the m/m figure was as expected at 0.4%. The continued surge reflects that Japanese businesses are waddling high input price pressures, and these are likely to get passed on to the consumers, suggesting further increases in CPI remain likely. The government is also set to announce a cabinet reshuffle today, and households may see increased measures to help relieve the price pressures. That will continue to ease the pressure on the Bank of Japan to tighten policy. Chipmaker warnings continue, with Micron warning of ‘challenging’ conditions After Nvidia, now Micron has issued warning of a possible revenue miss in the current quarter and ‘challenging’ memory conditions. The company officials said that they expect the revenue for the fiscal fourth quarter, which ends in August, “may come in at or below the low end of the revenue guidance range provided in our June 30 earnings call.” The company had called for $6.8-7.6bn in revenue in its June earnings report. Moreover, they also guided for a tough next quarter as well as shipments could fall on a sequential basis, given the inventory build-up with their customers. Vestas Q2 result miss estimates The world’s largest wind turbine maker has posted Q2 revenue of €3.3bn vs est. €3.5bn and EBIT of €-182mn vs est. €-119mn. The company is issuing a fiscal year revenue outlook of €14.5-16bn vs est. €15.2bn. Coinbase misses in revenue issues weak guidance Q2 revenue missed by 5% against estimates and the user metric MTU was lowered to 7-9mn from previously 5-15mn against estimates of 8.7mn. The crypto exchange is saying that retail investors are getting more inactive on cryptocurrencies due to the recent violent selloff. China’s PPI inflation eased while CPI picked up in July China’s PPI came in at 4.2% y/y in July, notably lower from June’s 6.1%).   The decline was mainly a result of lower energy and material prices.  The declines of PPI in the mining and processing sectors were most drastic and those in downstream industries were more moderate.  CPI rose to 2.7% y/y in July from 2.5% in June, less than what the consensus predicted.  Food inflation jumped to 6.3% y/y while the rise in prices of non-food items moderated to 1.9%, core CPI, which excludes food and energy, rose 0.8% y/y in July, down from June’s 1.0%. China issues white paper on its stance on Taiwan Despite extending the military drills near Taiwan beyond the originally schedule, in a less confrontational white paper released today, the Taiwan Affairs office and the Information Office of China’s State Council reiterated China’s commitment to “work with the greatest sincerity” and exert “utmost efforts to achieve peaceful reunification”.  The paper further says that China “will only be forced to take drastic measures” if “separatist elements or external forces” ever cross China’s red lines.    What are we watching next?   US CPI due today: the core in focus The highly watched US inflation data is due to be released today, and the debate on inflation peaking vs. higher-for-longer will be revived. Meanwhile, the Fed has recently stayed away from providing forward guidance, which has now made all the data points ahead of the September 21 FOMC meeting a lot more important to predict the path of Fed rates from here. Bloomberg consensus expects inflation to slow down from 9.1% YoY in June to 8.8% YoY last month. The core print will gather greater attention to assess stickiness and breadth of price pressures. Will any surprise just be noise given that we have another print for August due ahead of the next FOMC meeting, os is this market looking for an excuse to be surprised as it has maintained a rather persistent view that US inflation data will soon roll over and see a Fed set to stop tightening after the December FOMC meeting? Fed’s Evans will take the hot seat today Chicago President Charles Evans discusses the economy and monetary policy today. Evans is not a voter this year, but he votes in 2023. He said last week a 50bps rate hike is a reasonable assessment for the September meeting, but 75bps is a possibility too if inflation does not improve. He expects 25bps from there on until Q2 2023 and sees a policy rate between 3.75-4% in 2023, which is in line with Fed’s median view of 3.8% for 2023, but above the 3.1% that the market is currently pricing in. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings in focus are marked in bold with the most important earnings release being Walt Disney and Coupang. Disney is expected to deliver revenue growth of 23% y/y with operating margins lower q/q as the company is still facing input cost headwinds. Coupang, which is the largest e-commerce platform in South Korea, is expected to deliver revenue growth of 13% y/y and another operating loss as e-commerce platforms are facing slowing demand and still significant input cost pressures. Today: Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Vestas Wind Systems, Genmab, E.ON, Honda Motor, Prudential, Aviva, Walt Disney, Coupang, Illumina Thursday: KBC Group, Brookfield Asset Management, Orsted, Novozymes, Siemens, Hapag-Lloyd, RWE, China Mobile, Antofagasta, Zurich Insurance Group, NIO, Rivian Automotive Friday: Flutter Entertainment, Baidu Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0700 – Czech Jul. CPI 1230 – US Jul. CPI 1430 – US Weekly DoE Crude Oil and Product Inventories 1500 – US Fed’s Evans (non-voter) to speak 1600 – UK Bank of England economist Pill to peak 1700 – US Treasury to auction 10-year notes 1800 – US Fed’s Kashkari (non-voter) to speak 2301 – UK Jul. RICS House Price Balance 0100 – Australia Aug. Consumer Inflation Expectations 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-aug-10-2022-10082022

August 10, 2022  $USD, China, CPI, Currency Movement, Inflation, Italy, UK Overview: The US dollar is trading with a heavier bias ahead of the July CPI report. The intraday momentum indicators are overextended, and this could set the stage for the dollar to recover in North America. Outside of a handful of emerging market currencies, which include the Mexican peso and Hong Kong dollar, most are trading lower. Losses in US equities yesterday and poor news from another chip maker (Micron) weighed on Asia Pacific equities. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is steady and US futures are a little higher. The US 10-year yield is going into the CPI report softly around 2.76%. The US Treasury sells 10-year notes today as the second leg of the quarterly refunding. European benchmark yields are 2-3 bp lower. Gold continues to press against the $1800 cap. It has not closed above it for over a month. September WTI is hovering around $90. It appears stuck for the time being in an $87-$93 range. US natgas is about 1.1% higher after rising 3.2% yesterday. Europe’s benchmark is up 3%. It rose 1.5% yesterday. Iron ore is flat, while September copper is about 0.5% stronger after a small loss yesterday snapped a three-day advance. September wheat is up 1%, as it extends this week’s rise. If sustained, it would be the third consecutive gain, which matches the longest rally since March.   Asia Pacific China's July inflation readings underscore scope for easier monetary policy, but officials have shown a reluctance to use this policy lever. The key one-year medium term lending rate will be set in the coming days, but it is unlikely to be reduced from the 2.85% rate since January. July CPI rose to 2.7% from 2.5%, its highest level in two years, but shy of the 2.9% median forecast in Bloomberg's survey. Food prices were up 6.3% from a year ago, driven by a 20.2% jump in pork prices, the first rise since September 2020. Fresh food prices rose 16.9% and vegetable prices rose almost 13%. However, this seems to be a function of supply, while demand still seems soft. Service prices pressures slowed to 0.7% from June's 1.0% increase. The core rate eased to 0.8%. Meanwhile, producer price increases slowed to 4.2% from 6.1%. The median forecast (Bloomberg's survey) was for a 4.9% increase. Chinese producer prices have slowed for nine consecutive months. It peaked at 13.5% last October. Japan's well-telegraphed cabinet reshuffle was not about policy. Key ministers kept their posts, including the finance minister and chief cabinet secretary. Former Prime Minister Abe's brother, Defense Minister Kishi was replaced by Hamada, but he will stay on as a national security adviser. Trade Minister Hagiuda, an Abe acolyte was replaced by Nishimura, also for the Abe faction, but will become party policy chief. Prime Minister Kishida named his one-time rival Takaichi as minister of economic security. The reshuffle seemed to be about re-balancing power among the key factions and solidifying the government whose support has waned. The next economic policy focus may be on the drafting of a supplemental budget. In terms of monetary policy, BOJ Kuroda's term ends next April, while the term of his two deputies ends in March. The dollar is in narrow range of less than half a yen today, hovering around JPY135.00. It did edge above yesterday's JPY135.20 high but held below Monday's high slightly below JPY135.60. The exchange rate will likely take its cues from the reaction of the US Treasury market to today's CPI report. The US 10-year yield remains within the range set at the end of last week with the stronger than expected employment report (~2.67%-2.87%). The Australian dollar held support near $0.6945 but has stalled near $0.6975 in the European morning, where this week's hourly trendline is found. Intraday momentum indicators are stretched, suggesting that even if there is some penetration, follow-through buying may be capped. There are options for A$400 mln at $0.6985 that expire today. The greenback edged a little higher against the Chinese yuan, but it remains subdued. It is well within recent ranges. The dollar's reference rate was set at CNY6.7612, slightly above expectations (median in Bloomberg's survey) for CNY6.7606. Europe The more potent risk is not that the center-right wins next month's Italian election. That is increasing looking like a foregone conclusion. It is hard difficult to tell how much this reflects the judgment of voters and how much reflects the ineptitude of the center-left parties. The risk is that the center-right secures a two-thirds majority in both chambers, which would make constitutional changes possible. A poll published yesterday by Istituto Cattaneo shows the center-right drawing 46% of the vote and securing 61% of the deputies and 64% of the Senators. Analysis by Istituto Cattaneo suggested that even if the center-right saw its share of the votes go up, it might not be able to increase the number of deputies or senators. Italy's 10-year premium over German has fallen in eight of the past ten sessions, including today. It is around 2.10% today, slightly more than 25 bp off its recent peak, and a little below its 20-day moving average. Italy's 2-year premium fell to 0.73% yesterday, the lowest since mid-July. It peaked above 1.30% in late July.  Ironically as it may sound, but it is not Italy's center-right that is attacking the Bank of Italy or the European Central Bank. It is Truss who is leading Sunak to become the next leader of the Conservatives and Prime Minister. BOE Governor Bailey warned that UK was about to go into a five-quarter contraction (that does not even count the 0.2% contraction that economists expect the UK will announce for Q2 ahead of the weekend). Truss quickly responded that her GBP39 bln tax cuts (~$$7 bln) could avert that scenario. Sunak hiked the payroll tax this past April. She would unwind it. Truss would suspend the green levy on household energy bills and nix Sunak's corporate tax increase that was to be implemented next year. The swaps market is 85% confident of a 50 bp hike at the mid-September MPC meeting, less than a fortnight after the new Tory leaders is chosen. In the last two meetings of the year, the swaps market is pricing another 75 bp in hikes.  The euro is first firm holding above $1.02 so far today, the first time since August 1. However, it remains within last Friday's range (~$1.0140-$1.0250). The 1.2 bln euro options at $1.0210 that expire today likely have been neutralized ahead of today's US CPI report. The session high, slightly above $1.0225 was set in the European morning. This stretched the intraday momentum indicator, and we suspect it will probe lower now. Initial support below $1.02 is seen in the $1.0170-80 area. Sterling is in the same boat. It too is consolidating within the range seen before the weekend (~$1.2000-$1.2170). The push to session highs, a little above $1.21, in Europe has stretched the intraday momentum indicators. The risk is for a return to the $1.2050-60 area. America Today's CPI report is interesting but at the risk of exaggerating, it does not mean much. First, the strength of the employment data, even if flattered by seasonal adjustments or is incongruous with other labor market readings, suggests the labor market slowdown that the Fed wants to see is still in the very early stages. Second, as we have noted, financial conditions have eased recently, and the Fed has pushed back against this. Third, before the FOMC meets again, it will have the August CPI in hand. Fourth, no matter what the data shows today, it will not and cannot meet the Fed's definition of a sustained move toward the 2% target. The median in Bloomberg's survey has converged with the Cleveland Fed's Inflation Nowcast. The median in the survey is for an 8.7% headline rate (down from 9.1%) and a 6.1% core rate (up from 5.9%). The Cleveland's Fed Nowcast has it at 8.8% and 6.1%, respectively. The Fed funds futures market has about an 80% chance of a 75 bp hike next month discounted. It may not change very much after the CPI report.  The US Treasury sold $34 bln 1-year bills yesterday at 3.20%. That represents a 24 bp increase in yield. The bid-cover dipped but was still three-times oversubscribed and the indirect bidders took down almost 63%, a sharp rise from a little less than 51% last time. The US also sold $42 bln 3-year notes, also at 3.20%. This was an 11-bp increase in yield. The bid-cover edged up to 2.5% and the indirect participants took 63.1% of the issue, up from 60.4% previously. Today, Treasury goes back to the well with $30 bln 119-day cash management bill and $35 bln 10-year notes. At the last auction, the 10-year was sold at 2.96%. In the when-issued market, the 10-year yield is about 2.79%. The US dollar traded between around CAD1.2845 and CAD1.2900 yesterday and remains in that range today. There are options for almost 1.15 bln at CAD1.29 that expire today. The greenback slipped to session lows in Europe but as in the other pairs, we look it to recover. A move above the CAD1.2910 area could spur a move toward CAD1.2950. Mexico reported slightly higher than expected inflation yesterday. It underscored expectations for a 75 bp hike by Banxico tomorrow. The US dollar is offered against the peso today and it is pressed near yesterday's low around MXN20.20. The top side is blocked around MXN20.27-MXN20.30. Options for around $765 mln at MXN20.30 expire today. A convincing break of the MXN20.20 area could target the MXN20.05 area    Disclaimer

Summary:  Today we discuss the possible reactivity to today's US July CPI data point, especially if a hotter than expected core reading challenges the market's determined bet that inflation is set to roll over and normalize over the next couple of years. We also look at an equity market that is technically rolling over, a US dollar that needs to choose a direction, and compelling commodity stories and chart points in gold, crude oil and coffee. A semiconductor, EV, deglobalization, and Walt Disney focus on the equity coverage today. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via this link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-aug-10-2022-10082022

Summary:  The market was happy to adjust US yields higher recently on stronger than expected US data points, but failed to take the USD lower, which in perfect hindsight suggests that the USD was set for a sharp drop on a soft CPI print today. And that’s what we got, with the headline CPI figure flat on month-on-month comparisons and the core rising less than expected. But how far can the market run on a single data print as data reactions have been fickle and fleeting of late. FX Trading focus: USD bears celebrate weak CPI print, but… The US CPI print came in weaker than expected for both the headline and for the ex Food and Energy figure. The headline softness was driven by huge drops in energy prices from June levels, with the entire energy category market -4.6% lower month-on-month and gasoline down -7.7%, much of the latter on record refinery margins collapsing. The ex Food & Energy category was up only +0.3% vs. the +0.5% expected, with soft prices month-on-month for used cars and trucks (-0.4%) and especially airfares (-7.8%) dragging the most on figure. Risk sentiment is off to the races as this fits the market’s Goldilocks soft-landing scenario, particularly given recent stronger-than-expected activity data. It’s hard to tell how far the market can take the reaction function to a data point like this when we are trading in an illiquid month and some very volatile categories are behind the surprise inflation number today, and recent data reactions have failed to hold beyond the end of the day. But for now, the USD has triggered lower and taken out some important local support. We suspect it is far too early in the cycle to call the aggressive shift from the Fed that the market has been pricing, as this July CPI data point has seen the market marking the September FOMC decision down close to 50 basis points now and taking more of the tightening out of the meetings beyond. The market’s interpretation of a profound shift in the Fed, the Fed’s own protestations notwithstanding, has driven a strong easing of financial conditions since mid-June. Could this result in the economy showing a heating up in the coming months, also as the shock of higher gasoline price in particular may have eased the pressure on consumer sentiment? The preliminary Aug. University of Michigan Sentiment survey could be an interesting test on that front. For now, USDJPY posted the biggest reaction to the data point today as one would expect on the big move in treasury yields – more on USDJPY below. EURUSD has broken above the local resistance just below 1.0300, but faces a more significant resistance level in the 1.0350 area – one that could lead to a return to 1.0500+ if this move sticks through the Friday close. Again, as mentioned recently, it is too early to call an end of the EURUSD bear – the market’s view will have to play out as currently priced, with all of the Goldilocks implications, etc., for the USD to shift to a sustained and broad bear market here. Elsewhere, AUDUSD has vaulted above 0.7000, the tactical bull/bear line, with a huge zone up into 0.7150-0.7250 the more structural area of note for direction. Gold not holding above 1,800 in reaction to this data point as of this writing is already a weak performance, and I am watching much of the treasury market kneejerk reaction higher seeping out of the US treasury market as well – so some of the reaction is already fading fast – stay tuned! A US treasury auction is up today at 1700 GMT – the longer end of the US yield curve may be the most important coincident indicator for all markets here – if yields pull back higher, for example the US 10-year benchmark moving back above 2.87% and especially toward 3.00%, today’s reaction in the USD and the JPY, etc.. should quickly reverse. Chart: USDJPYThe bottom dropped out of USDJPY on the softer than expected US July CPI data this afternoon, just as it vaulted higher on Friday on the stronger than expected US July jobs report – with US yields the key coincident indicator. On that note, the US Treasury market reaction fading fast in the wake of today’s data point suggests USDJPY bears should be cautious here – if the US 10-year benchmark closes back above 2.75% and especially above 2.87% in coming days, this move may be quickly neutralized, although if we do close down here well south of 133.50, the candlestick looks rather bearish for a test lower. If the pair closes back well above 134.00, the next step would be a move above 136.00 to suggest the bull market is back on (likely as US 10-year treasury yields pull to 3.00% or higher). Source: Saxo Group Table: FX Board of G10 and CNH trend evolution and strength.Let’s have a look at how the market behaves after the knee-jerk reaction to the US data point today before drawing conclusions. As noted above, some important coincident indicators for the US dollar are suggesting caution for USD bears here. Source: Bloomberg and Saxo Group Table: FX Board Trend Scoreboard for individual pairs.Today’s USD moves important if they stick into the close today and the close to the week – data reactions have been fickle and fleeting of late – so some patience may be required. Source: Bloomberg and Saxo Group Upcoming Economic Calendar Highlights (all times GMT) 1600 – UK Bank of England economist Pill to peak 1700 – US Treasury to auction 10-year notes 1800 – US Fed’s Kashkari (non-voter) to speak 2301 – UK Jul. RICS House Price Balance 0100 – Australia Aug. Consumer Inflation Expectations Source: FX Update: : Soft US CPI sparks significant kneejerk USD selling, but...    

Summary:  Risk on mode activated with a softer US CPI print, both on the headline and core measures. Equities rallied but the Treasury market reaction faded amid the hawkish Fedspeak. The market pricing of Fed expectations also tilted more in favor of a 50 basis points rate hike for September immediately after the CPI release, but this will remain volatile with more data and Fed speakers on tap ahead of the next meeting. Commodities, including oil and base metals, surged higher as the dollar weakened and demand outlook brightened but the gains appeared to be fragile. Gold unable to hold gains above the $1800 level. What is happening in markets?   Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I)  U.S. equities surged after the CPI prints that came in at more moderate level than market expectations. Nasdaq 100 jumped 2.9% and S&P500 gained 2.1%. Technology and consumer discretionary stocks led the market higher. Helped by the fall in treasury yields and better-than-feared corporate earnings in the past weeks, the Nasdaq 100 has risen 21% from its intraday low on June 16 this year and may technically be considered in a new bull market. The U.S. IPO market has reportedly become active again this week and more activities in the pipeline. Tesla (TSLA:xnas) climbed nearly 4% on news that Elon Musk sold USD6.9 billion of Tesla shares to avoid fire sale if having to pay for Twitter. Walt Disney (DIS:xnys) jumped 7% in after-hours trading on better-than-expected results. U.S. yields plunged immediately post CPI but recouped most of the decline during the US session The yields of the front-end of the U.S. treasury curve collapsed initially after the weaker-than-expected CPI data, almost immediately after the CPI release, 2-year yields tumbled as much as 20bps to 3.07% and 10-year yield fell as much as 11bps to 2.67%. Treasury yields then spent the day gradually climbing higher. At the close, 2-year yields were only 6bps at 3.21% and the 10-year ended the day at 2.78% unchanged from its previous close. The 2-10 yield curve steepened by 6bps to -44bps. Hawkish Fedspeak contributed to some of the reversal in the front-end from the post-CPI lows. At the close, the market is pricing in 60bps (i.e. 100% chance of at least a 50bps hike and about 40% chance of a 75bps rate hike) for the September FOMC after having come down to pricing in just about 50bps during the initial post-CPI plunge in yields. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIQ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Sang Index declined nearly 2% and CSI300 was down 1.1% on Wednesday. Shares of Chinese property developers plunged.  Longfor (00960) collapsed 16.4% as there was a story widely circulated in market speculating that the company had commercial paper being overdue. In addition, UBS downgraded the Longor together with Country Garden, citing negative free cash flows in the first half of 2022.  Country Garden (02007) fell 7.2%.  After market close, the management held a meeting with investors and said that all commercial papers matured had been duly repaid. China High Speed Transmission Equipment (00658) tumbled 19% after releasing negative profit warnings.  The company expects a loss of up to RMB80 million for first half of 2022. Guangzhou Baiyunshan Pharmaceutical (00874) declined 4.1% after the company filed to the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong that the National Healthcare Security Administration was investigating the three subsidiaries of the company for allegedly “obtaining funds by ways of increasing the prices of pharmaceutical products falsely”. Wuxi Biologics (02269) dropped 9.3% as investors worrying its removal from the U.S. unverified list may be delayed in the midst of deterioration of relationship between China and the U.S. Oversized USD reaction on US CPI The US dollar suffered a heavy blow from the softer US CPI print, with the market pricing for September FOMC getting back closer to 50 basis points just after the release. As we noted yesterday, the July CPI print is merely noise with another batch of US job and inflation numbers due ahead of the September meeting. USD took out some key support levels nonetheless, with USDJPY breaking below the 133.50 support to lows of 132.10. Next key support at 131.50 but there possibly needs to be stronger evidence of an economic slowdown to get there. EURUSD broke above 1.0300 to its highest levels since July 5 but remains at risk of reversal given the frothy equity strength. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Oil prices were relieved amid the risk on tone in the markets as softer US CPI and subsequent weakness in the dollar underpinned. WTI futures rose towards $91.50/barrel while Brent futures were at $97.40. EIA data also suggested improvement in demand. US gasoline inventories fell 4,978kbbl last week, which helped push gasoline supplied (a proxy for demand) up 582kb/d to 9.12mb/d. This was slightly tempered by a strong gain in US crude oil inventories, which rose 5,457kbbl last week. Supply concerns eased after Transneft resumed gas supplies to three central European countries which were earlier cut off due to payment issues. European Dutch TTF natural gas futures (TTFMQ2) European natural gas rallied amid concerns over Russian gas supplies and falling water levels on the key Rhine River which threatens to disrupt energy shipments. Dutch front month futures rose 6.9% to EUR 205.47/MWh as a drought amid extreme temperatures has left the river almost impassable. European countries have been filling up their gas storage, largely by factories cutting back on their usage. Further demand curbs and more imports of liquefied natural gas are likely the only option for Europe ahead of the winter. Gold (XAUUSD) and Copper (HGc1) Gold saw a run higher to $1800+ levels immediately after the US inflation report as Treasury yields plunged. However, the precious metal gave up much of these gains after Fed governors warned that it doesn’t change the US central bank’s path toward higher rates this year and next. With China also ceasing military drills around Taiwan, geopolitical risks remain capped for now easing the upside pressure on Gold. Copper was more buoyant as it extended gains on hopes of a stronger demand amid a fall in price pressures.   What to consider? Softer US CPI alters Fed expectations at the margin The US CPI print came in weaker than expected for both the headline and the core measures. The headline softness was driven by huge drops in energy prices from June levels, with the entire energy category market -4.6% lower month-on-month and gasoline down -7.7%, much of the latter on record refinery margins collapsing. The ex-Food & Energy category was up only +0.3% vs. the +0.5% expected, with soft prices month-on-month for used cars and trucks (-0.4%) and especially airfares (-7.8%) dragging the most on figure – again primarily a result of lower energy prices. While this may be an indication that US inflation has peaked, it is still at considerably high levels compared to inflation targets of ~2% and the pace of decline from here matters more than the absolute trend. Shelter costs – the biggest component of services inflation – was up 5.7% y/y, the most since 1991. Fed pricing for the September meeting has tilted towards a 50bps rate hike but that still remains prone to volatility with another set of labor market and inflation prints due ahead of the next meeting. Fed speakers continued to be hawkish Fed speaker Evans and Kashkari were both on the hawkish side despite being some of the most dovish members on the Fed panel. Evans again hinted that tightening will continue into 2023 as inflation remains unacceptably high despite a first sign of cooling prices. The strength of the labor market continued to support the case of a soft landing. Kashkari reaffirmed the view on inflation saying that he is happy to see a downside surprise in inflation, but it remains far from declaring victory. He suggested Fed funds rate will reach 3.9% in 2022 (vs. market pricing of 3.5%) and 4.4% in end 2023 (vs. market pricing of 3.1%). China’s PPI inflation eased while CPI picked up in July China’s PPI came in at 4.2% YoY in July, notably lower from June’s 6.1%).   The decline was mainly a result of lower energy and material prices.  The declines of PPI in the mining and processing sectors were most drastic and those in downstream industries were more moderate.  CPI rose to 2.7% YoY in July from 2.5% in June, less than what the consensus predicted.  Food inflation jumped to 6.3% YoY while the rise in prices of non-food items moderated to 1.9%. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy, rose 0.8% YoY in July, down from June’s 1.0%. In its 2nd quarter monetary policy report released on Wednesday, the People’s Bank of China expects the CPI to be at around 3% for the full year of 2022 and the recent downtrend of the PPI to continue. China issues white paper on its stance on Taiwan China ended its military drills surrounding Taiwan on Wednesday, which lasted three days longer what had been originally announced. In a less confrontational white paper released, the Taiwan Affairs Office and the Information Office of China’s State Council reiterated China’s commitment to “work with the greatest sincerity” and exert “utmost efforts to achieve peaceful reunification”.  The paper further says that China “will only be forced to take drastic measures” if “separatist elements or external forces” ever cross China’s red lines.  Walt Disney results beat estimates Disney reported solid Q2 results with stronger than expected 152.1 million Disney+ subscribers, up 31% YoY and beating market expectations (148.4 million).  Revenues climbed 26% YoY to USD21.5 billion and adjusted EPS came in at USD1.09 versus consensus estimates (USD0.96). Singapore Q2 GDP revised lower The final print of Singapore’s Q2 GDP was revised lower to 4.4% YoY from an advance estimate of 4.8% earlier, suggesting a q/q contraction of 0.2% as against gains of 0.2% q/q earlier. The forecast for annual 2022 growth was also narrowed to 3-4% from 3-5% earlier amid rising global slowdown risks. Another quarter of negative GDP growth print could now bring a technical recession in Singapore, but the officials have, for now, ruled that out and suggest a mild positive growth in Q3 and Q4. Softbank settled presold Alibaba shares early and Alibaba let go of a large number of employees The news that Softbank expects to post a gain of over USD34 billion from early physical settlement of prepaid forward contracts to unload its stake in Alibaba (09988:xhkg/BABA:xnas) and Alibaba laid off more than 9,000 staff between April and June this year added to the pressures over the share price of Alibaba.   For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: APAC Daily Digest: What is happening in markets and what to consider next – August 11, 2022  

Summary:  Equity markets are ebullient in the wake of the softer than expected US July CPI data print yesterday, as a sharp drop in energy prices helped drag the CPI lower than expected for the month. The knee-jerk reaction held well in equities overnight, if to a lesser degree in the weaker US dollar. But US yields are nearly unchanged from the levels prior to the inflation release, creating an interesting tension across markets, also as some Fed members are explicitly pushing back against market anticipation of the Fed easing next year.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) The July CPI report showing core inflation rose only 0.3% m/m compared to 0.5% m/m expected was just what the market was hoping for and had priced into the forward curve for next year’s Fed Funds rate. Long duration assets reacted the most with Nasdaq 100 futures climbing 2.9%. However, investors should be careful not to be too optimistic as we had a similar decline in the CPI core back in March before inflation roared back. As Mester recently stated that the Fed is looking for a sustained reduction in the CPI core m/m, which is likely a 6-month average getting back to around 0.2% m/m. Given the current data points it is not realistic to be comfortable with inflation before late Q1 next year. In Nasdaq 100 future the next natural resistance level is around 13,536 and if the index futures can take out this then the next level be around 14,000 where the 200-day average is coming down to. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) Hong Kong and mainland Chinese equities climbed, Hang Seng Index +1.8%, CSI300 Index +1.6%. In anticipation of a 15% rise in the average selling price of Apple’s iPhone 14 as conjectured by analysts, iPhone parts supplier stocks soared in both Hong Kong and mainland exchanges, Q Technology (01478:xhkg) +16%, Sunny Optical (02382:xhkg) +7%, Cowell E (01415:xhkg) +4%, Lingyi iTech (002600:xsec) +10%. Semiconductors gained, SMIC (00981:xhkg) +3%, Hua Hong (01347:xhkg) +4%. After collapsing 16% in share price yesterday, Longfor (00960) only managed to recover around 3% after the company denied market speculation that it failed to repay commercial papers due. UBS’ downgraded Longfor and Country Garden (02007:xhkkg) yesterday citing negative free cash flows for the first half of 2022 highlighted the tight spots even the leading Chinese private enterprise property developers are in. Chinese internet stocks rallied, Alibaba (09988:xhkg) +3%, Tencent (0700:xhkg) +1%, Meituan (03690:xhkkg) +2.7%. China ended its military drills surrounding Taiwan on Wednesday, which lasted three days longer what had been originally announced. USD: Treasuries don’t point to further weakness here The US dollar knee-jerked lower on the softer-than-expected July CPI data, although US yields ended the day unchanged, creating an interesting tension in a pair like USDJPY, which normally takes its lead from longer US yields (unchanged yesterday after a significant dip intraday after the US CPI release). USDJPY dipped almost all the way to 132.00 after trading above 135.00 earlier in the day. What are traders to do – follow the coincident US yield indicator or the negative momentum created by yesterday’s move? Either way, a return above 135.00 would for USDJPY would likely require an extension higher in the US 10-year yield back near 3.00%. EURUSD is another interesting pair technically after local resistance just below 1.0300 gave way, only to see the pair hitting a brick wall in the 1.0350 area (major prior range low from May-June). Was this a break higher or a misleading knee-jerk reaction to the US data? A close below 1.0250 would be needed there to suggest that EURUSD is focusing back lower again. A similar setup can be seen in AUDUSD and the 0.7000 area, with a bit more sensitivity to risk sentiment there. Gold (XAUUSD) did not have a good day on Wednesday Gold was trading lower on the day after failing to build on the break above resistance at $1803 as the dollar weakened following the lower-than-expected CPI print, thereby reducing demand for gold as an inflation hedge. Instead, the prospect for a potential shallower pace of future rate hikes supported a major risk on rally in stocks and another daily reduction in bullion-backed ETF holdings. Yet comments by two Fed officials saying it doesn’t change the central bank’s path toward even higher rates – and with that the risk of a gold supportive economic weakness - did not receive much attention. Gold now needs to hold $1760 in order to avoid a fresh round of long liquidation, while silver, which initially received a boost from higher copper prices before following gold lower needs to hold above its 50-day SMA at $20.26. Crude oil Crude oil futures (CLU2 & LCOV2) traded higher on Wednesday supported by a weaker dollar after the lower US inflation print gave markets a major risk on boost. Also, the weekly EIA report showed a jump in gasoline demand reversing the prior week’s sharp drop. Gasoline inventories dropped 5 million barrels to their lowest seasonal level since 2015 on a combination of strong exports and improved domestic demand while crude oil stocks rose 5.4m barrels primarily supported by a 5.3 million barrels release from SPR. Focus today on monthly Oil Market Reports from OPEC and the IEA. Dutch natural gas The Dutch TTF natural gas benchmark futures (TTFMQ2) rallied amid concerns over Russian gas supplies and falling water levels on the key Rhine River which threatens to disrupt energy shipments of fuel and coal, thereby forcing utilities and industries to consumer more pipelined gas. Dutch front month futures rose 6.9% to EUR 205.47/MWh while the October to March winter contract closed at a fresh cycle high above €200/MWH. European countries have been filling up their gas storage, largely by factories cutting back on their usage and through LNG imports, the flow of the latter likely to be challenged by increased demand from Asia into the autumn. Further demand curbs and more imports of liquefied natural gas are likely the only option for Europe ahead of the winter. US Treasuries (IEF, TLT) shrug off soft July CPI data US yields at first reacted strongly to the softer-than-expected July CPI release (details below), but ended the day mostly unchanged at all points along the curve, suggesting that the market is unwilling to extend its already aggressive view that the Fed is set to reach peak policy by the end of this year and begin cutting rates. Some Fed members are pushing back strongly against that notion as noted below (particularly Kashkari). A stronger sign that yields are headed back higher for the US 10-year benchmark would be on a close above 2.87% and especially 3.00%. Yesterday’s 10-year auction saw strong demand. What is going on? US July CPI lower than expected The US CPI print came in lower than expected for both the headline and the core measures. The headline softness was driven by huge drops in energy prices from June levels, with the entire energy category marked -4.6% lower month-on-month and gasoline down -7.7%, much of the latter on record refinery margins collapsing. The ex-Food & Energy category was up only +0.3% vs. the +0.5% expected, with soft prices month-on-month for used cars and trucks (-0.4%) and especially airfares (-7.8%) dragging the most on figure. While this may be an indication that US inflation has peaked, it is still at considerably high levels compared to inflation targets of ~2% and the pace of decline from here matters more than the absolute trend. Shelter costs – the biggest component of services inflation – was up 5.7% y/y, the most since 1991. Fed pricing for the September meeting has tilted towards a 50bps rate hike but that still remains prone to volatility with another set of labor market and inflation prints due ahead of the next meeting. Fed speakers maintain hawkish message Fed speaker Evans and Kashkari were both on the hawkish side in rhetoric yesterday. Evans again hinted that tightening will continue into 2023 as inflation remains unacceptably high despite a first sign of cooling prices. The strength of the labor market continued to support the case of a soft landing. Kashkari reaffirmed the view on inflation saying that he is happy to see a downside surprise in inflation, but it remains far from declaring victory. Long thought of previously as the pre-eminent dove among Fed members, he has waxed far more hawkish of late and said yesterday that nothing has changed his view that the Fed funds rate should be at 3.9% at the end of this year (vs. market pricing of 3.5%) and 4.4% by the end 2023 (vs. market pricing of 3.1%). Siemens cuts outlook Germany’s largest industrial company is cutting its profit outlook on impairment charges related to its energy division. FY22 Q3 results (ending 30 June) show revenue of €17.9bn vs est. €17.4bn and orders are strong at €22bn vs est. €19.5bn. Orsted lifts expectations The largest renewable energy utility company in Europe reports Q2 revenue of DKK 26.3bn vs est. 21.7bn, but EBITDA misses estimates and the fiscal year guidance on EBITDA at DKK 20-22bn is significantly lower than estimates of DKK 30.4bn. However, the new EBITDA guidance range is DKK 1bn above the recently stated guidance, so Orsted is doing better than expected but the market had just become too optimistic. Disney beats on subscribers Disney reported FY22 Q3 (ending 2 July) results showing Disney+ subscribers at 152.1mn vs est. 148.4mn surprising the market as several surveys have recently indicated that Amazon Prime and Netflix are losing subscribers. The entertainment company also reported revenue for the quarter of $21.5bn vs est. $21bn with Parks & Experiences deliver the most to the upside surprise. EPS for the quarter was $1.09 vs est. $0.96. If subscribers for ESPN and Hulu are added, then Disney has surpassed Netflix on streaming subscribers. Shares were up 6% in extended trading. Despite the positive result the company lowered its 2024 target for Disney+ subscriber to 135-165mn range. Coupang lifts fiscal year EBITDA outlook The South Korean e-commerce company missed slightly on revenue in Q2 but lifted its fiscal year adjusted EBITDA from a loss of $400mn to positive which lifted shares 6% in extended trading. China’s central bank expects CPI to hover around 3% In its 2nd quarter monetary policy report released on Wednesday, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) expects the CPI being at around 3% for the full year of 2022 and at times exceeding 3%.  The release of pend-up demand from pandemic restrictions, the upturn of the hog-cycle, and imported inflation, in particular energy, are expected to drive consumer price inflation higher for the rest of the year in China but overall within the range acceptable by the central bank.  The PBOC expects the recent downtrend of the PPI to continue and the gap between the CPI and PPI growth rates to narrow. What are we watching next? Next signals from the Fed at Jackson Hole conference Aug 25-27 There is a considerable tension between the market’s forecast for the economy and the resulting expected path of Fed policy for the rest of this year and particularly next year, as the market believes that a cooling economy and inflation will allow the Fed to reverse course and cut rates in a “soft landing” environment (the latter presumably because financial conditions have eased aggressively since June, suggesting that markets are not fearing a hard landing/recession). Some Fed members have tried to push back against the market’s expectations for Fed rate cuts next year it was likely never the Fed’s intention to allow financial conditions to ease so swiftly and deeply as they have in recent weeks. The risks, therefore, point to a Fed that may mount a more determined pushback at the Jackson Hole forum, the Fed’s yearly gathering at Jackson Hole, Wyoming that is often used to air longer term policy guidance. Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings in focus are NIO and Rivian with market running hot again on EV-makers despite challenging environment on input costs and increased competition. NIO is expected to grow revenue by 15% y/y in Q2 before seeing growth jumping to 72% y/y in Q3 as pent-up demand is released following Covid restrictions in China in the first half. Rivian, which partly owned by Amazon and makes EV trucks, is expected to deliver its first quarter with meaningful activity with revenue expected at $336mn but free cash flow is expected at $-1.8bn. Today: KBC Group, Brookfield Asset Management, Orsted, Novozymes, Siemens, Hapag-Lloyd, RWE, China Mobile, Antofagasta, Zurich Insurance Group, NIO, Rivian Automotive Friday: Flutter Entertainment, Baidu Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0800 – IEA's Monthly Oil Market Report 1230 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1230 – US Jul. PPI 1430 – US Weekly Natural Gas Storage Change 1700 – US Treasury to auction 30-year T-Bonds 2330 – US Fed’s Daly (Non-voter) to speak During the day: OPEC’s Monthly Oil Market Report Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – August 11, 2022  

Summary:  Today we look at the sharp correction in energy prices driving a softer than expected CPI print for the US in July, which saw sentiment responding by piling on to the recent rally and taking equities to new highs for the local cycle since June. Interestingly, the reaction to the CPI data has generated some tension as US treasury yields are trading sideways after erasing the knee-jerk drop in yields in the wake of yesterday's data. With financial conditions easing aggressively, the Fed faces quite a task if it wants to counter this development, with recent protests from individual Fed members failing to make an impression. Perhaps the Jackson Hole Fed forum at the end of this month is shaping up as a key event risk? Crude oil, the USD, metals, earnings and more also on today's pod, which features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are found via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com. Source: Podcast: Soft CPI revives risk rally, but treasury reaction creates dissonance    

Overview: The US dollar is consolidating yesterday’s losses but is still trading with a heavier bias against the major currencies and most emerging market currencies. The US 10-year yield is soft below 2.77%, while European yields are mostly 2-4 bp higher. The peripheral premium over the core is a little narrower today. Equity markets, following the US lead, are higher today. The Hang Seng and China’s CSI 300 rose by more than 2% today. Among the large bourses, only Japan struggled, pressured by the rebound in the yen. Europe’s Stoxx 600 gained almost 0.9% yesterday and is edging higher today, while US futures are also firmer. Gold popped above $1800 yesterday but could not sustain it and its in a $5 range on both sides of $1788 today. September WTI rebounded yesterday from a low near $87.65 to close near $92.00. It is firmer today near $93.00. US natgas is 1.4%, its third successive advance and is near a two-week high. Europe’s benchmark is also rising for the third session. It is up nearly 8% this week. Iron ore rose 2% today and it is the fourth gain in five sessions. September copper is also edging higher. If sustained, it would be the fifth gain in six sessions. It is at its highest level since late June. September wheat is 1.1% higher. It has risen every session this week for a cumulative gain of around 4.25%.  Asia Pacific In its quarterly report, the People's Bank of China seemed to downplay the likelihood of dramatic rate cuts or reductions in reserve requirements. It warned that CPI could exceed 3% and ruled out massive stimulus, while promising "high-quality" support, which sounds like a targeted measure. It is not tightening policy but signaled little scope to ease. Note that the 10-year Chinese yield is at the lower end of its six-month range near 2.74%. Its two-year yield is a little above 2.15%, slightly below the middle of its six-month range. Separately, Yiwa, a city of two million people, south of Shanghai has been locked down for three days starting today due to Covid. It is a manufacturing export hub. South Korea reported its first drop (0.7%) in technology exports in two years last month. While some read this to a statement about world demand, and there is likely something there given the earnings reports from the chip sector. However, there seems to be something else at work too. South Korea figures show semiconductor equipment exports to China have been more than halved this year (-51.9%) through July. China had accounted for around 60% of South Korea's semiconductor equipment. Reports suggest the main drivers are the US-China rivalry. Semiconductor investment in China has fallen and South Korea has indicated it intensions to join the US Chip 4 semiconductor alliance. Singapore's economy unexpectedly contracted in Q2. Initially, the government estimated the economy stagnated. Instead, it contracted by 0.2%. Given Singapore's role as an entrepot, its economic performance is often seen as a microcosm of the world economy. There was a nearly a 7% decline in retail trade services, while information and communication services output also fell. After the data, the Ministry of Trade and Industry narrowed this year's GDP forecast to 3%-4% from 3%-5%. While the drop in the US 10-year yield saw the dollar tumble against the yen yesterday, the recovery in yields has not fueled a recovery in the greenback. The dollar began yesterday above JPY135- and fell to nearly JPY132.00. Today, it has been confined to a little less than around half a yen on either side of JPY132.85. The cap seen at the end of last week and early this week in the JPY135.50-60 area, and the 20-day moving average (~JPY135.30) now looks like formidable resistance. Recall that the low seen earlier this month was near JPY130.40. The Australian dollar is also consolidating near yesterday's high set slightly below $0.7110. It was the best level in two months. The $0.7050 area may now offer initial support. The next upside target is seen in the $0.7150-70 band, which houses the (50%) retracement objective of the Aussie's slide from the April high (~$0.7660) and the July low (~$0.6680), and the 200-day moving average. The broad greenback sell-off yesterday saw it ease to about CNY6.7235, its lowest level in nearly a month. Despite the less-than-dovish message from the PBOC, it seemed to signal it did not want yuan strength. It set the dollar's reference rate at CNY6.7324, a bit above the median (Bloomberg's survey) of CNY6.7308. Europe Germany's coalition government has begun debating over the contours of the next relief package. The center-left government has implemented two support programs to ease the cost-of-living squeeze for around 30 bln euros. A third package is under construction now. The FDP Finance Minister Linder suggested as one of the components a 10 bln euro program to offset the "bracket creep" of higher inflation putting households into a higher tax bracket. The Greens want a more targeted effort to help lower income families. More work needs to be done, but a package is expected to be ready next month. The International Energy Agency estimates that Russian oil output will fall by around a fifth early next year as the EU import ban is implemented. The IEA warns that Russian output may begin declining as early as this month and estimates 2 mln barrels a day will be shut by early 2023. The EU's ban on most Russian oil will begin in early December, and in early February, oil products shipments will also stop. Now the EU buys around 1 mln barrels a day of oil products and 1.3 mln barrels of crude. Russia boosted output in recent months, to around 10.8 mln barrels a day. The IEA estimates that in June, the PRC overtook the EU to become the top market for Russia's seaborne crude (2.1 mln bpd vs. 1.8 mln bpd). Separately, the IEA lifted its estimate of world consumption by about 380k barrels a day from its previous forecast, concentrated in the Middle East and Europe. The unusually hot weather in the Middle East, where oil is burned for electricity, has seen stronger demand. In Europe, there has been more switched from gas to oil. The euro surged to almost $1.0370 yesterday on the back of the softer than expected US CPI. It settled near $1.03. It is trading firmly in the upper end of that range today. It held above $1.0275, just below the previous high for the month (~$1.0295). Today's high, was set in the European morning, near $1.0340. There is a trendline from the February, March, and June highs found near $1.04 today. It is falling by a little less than half a cent a week. Sterling's rally yesterday stalled in front of this month's high set on August 1 slightly shy of $1.2295. It is straddling the area where it settled yesterday (~$1.2220). We suspect the market may test the lows near $1.2180, and a break could see another half-cent loss ahead of tomorrow's Q2 GDP. The median forecast in Bloomberg's survey is for a 0.2% contraction after a 0.8% expansion in Q1.  America What the jobs data did for expectations for the Fed at next month's meeting were largely reversed by slower the expected CPI readings. On the eve of the employment data, the market was discounting a little better than a 35% chance of another 75 bp hike. It jumped to over a 75% chance after employment report but settled yesterday around a 45% chance. It is still in its early days, and the Fed will see another employment and CPI report before it has to decide. Although the market has downgraded the chances of a 75 bp hike at next month's meeting, it still has the Fed lifting rates 115 bp between now and the end of year. The market recognizes that that Fed is not done tightening no matter what trope is dragged out to use as a strawman. The truth is the market is pushing against some Fed views. Chicago Fed's Evans, who many regard as a dove from earlier cycles, said that Fed funds could finish next year in the 3.75%-4.00% area, which opined would be the terminal rate. The swaps market says that the Fed funds terminal rate is closer to 3.50% and in the next six months. More than that, the Fed funds futures are pricing in a cut late next year. At least a 25 bp cut has been discounted since the end of June. It was the Minneapolis Fed President Kashkari that surprised many with his hawkishness. Many see him as a dove because five years ago, he dissented against rate increases in 2017. However, he has been sounding more hawkish in this context and revealed yesterday that it was his "dot" in June at 3.90% this year and 4.4% next year. These were the most extreme forecasts. Perhaps it is not that he is more dovish or hawkish, labels that seemingly take a life on of their own but more activity. While neither Evans nor Kashkari vote on the FOMC this year, they do next year. San Francisco Fed President Daly seemed more willing to consider moderating the pace of tightening but still sees more work to be done. She does not vote this year or next.  Headline CPI was unchanged last month and the 0.3% rise in the core rate was less than expected. At 8.5%, the headline is rate is still too high for comfort, and the unchanged 5.9% core rate warns significant progress may be slow. Shelter is about a third of the CPI basket and it is rising about 0.5% a month. It is up 5.7% year-over-year. If everything else was unchanged, this would lift CPI to 2%. The US reports July Producer Prices. Both the core and headline readings are expected to have slowed. The headline peaked in March, 11.6% above year ago levels. It was 11.3% in June and is expected to have fallen to 10.4%. The core rate is likely to post its fourth consecutive decline. It peaked at 9.6% in March and fell to 8.2% in June. The median forecast (Bloomberg's survey) is for a 7.7% year-over-year pace, which would be the lowest since last October.  Late in the North American session, Mexico's central bank is expected to deliver its second consecutive 75 bp rate hike. It will lift the overnight target rate to 8.5%. The July CPI reported Tuesday stood at 8.15% and the core 7.65%. The swaps market has a terminal rate near 9.5% in the next six months. The subdued US CPI reading, helped spur a 0.85% rally in the JP Morgan Emerging Market Currency Index yesterday, its largest gain in almost four weeks. The peso, often a liquid and accessible proxy, rose around 1.1%. The greenback briefly traded below MXN20.00 for the first time since late June. The move was so sharp that closed below its lower Bollinger Band (~MXN20.08) for the first time in six months. The US dollar slumped to almost CAD1.2750 yesterday to hold above the 200-day moving average (~CAD1.2745). It is the lowest level in nearly two months, and it has not traded below the 200-day moving average since June 9. Like the other pairs, it is consolidating today near the lower end of yesterday's greenback range. The swaps market downgraded the likelihood that the Bank of Canada follows last month's 100 bp hike with a 75 bp move when it meets on September 7. It is now seen as a 30% chance, less than half of what was projected at the end of last week. We suspect that the US dollar can recover into the CAD1.2800-20 area today.     Disclaimer   Source: US Dollar Soft while Consolidating Yesterday's Drop

Investors are certainly in a more upbeat mood as the relief from the US inflation data ripples through the markets. Positive surprises have been hard to come by on the inflation front this year and yesterday’s report was very much welcomed with open arms. While we shouldn’t get too carried away by the data, with headline inflation still running at 8.5% and core 5.9%, it’s certainly a start and one we’ve waited a long time for. Fed policymakers remain keen to stress that the tightening cycle is far from done and a policy u-turn early next year is highly unlikely. Once again, the markets are at odds with the Fed’s assessment on the outlook for interest rates but this time in such a way that could undermine its efforts so you can understand their concerns. I expect we’ll continue to see policymakers unsuccessfully push back against market expectations in the coming weeks while further driving home the message that data dependency works both ways. That said, the inflation report has further fueled the optimism already apparent in the markets and could set the tone for the rest of the summer. PBOC signals no further easing Unlike many other central banks, the PBOC has the scope to tread more carefully and continue to support the economy as it contends with lockdowns amid spikes in Covid cases. The country’s zero-Covid policy is a huge economic headwind and proving to be a drain on domestic demand. The PBOC has made clear in its quarterly monetary policy report though that it doesn’t want to find itself in the same position as many other countries right now. With inflation close to 3%, further easing via RRR or interest rates looks unlikely for the foreseeable future. Cautious targeted support looks the likely path forward as the central bank guards against inflation risks, despite the data yesterday surprising to the downside. Singapore trims growth forecasts A surprise contraction in the second quarter has forced Singapore to trim its full-year growth forecast range from 3-5% to 3-4% as the economy contends with a global slowdown, to which the country is particularly exposed, and Covid-related uncertainty in China. While the MAS has indicated monetary policy is appropriate after tightenings this year, inflation remains high so further pressures on this front may add to the headwinds for the economy. Where’s the momentum? Bitcoin took the inflation news very well and it continues to do so. Slower tightening needs and improved risk appetite is music to the ears of the crypto community who will be more confident that the worst is behind it than they’ve been at any point this year. Whether that means stellar gains lie ahead is another thing. The price hit a new two-month high today but I’m still not seeing the momentum I would expect and want. That may change of course and a break of $25,000 could bring that but we still appear to be seeing some apprehension that may hold it back in the near term. 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. Source: Welcome relief

US consumer prices eased in July, and they eased more than expected. US yields pulled lower after the CPI print, the US 10-year yield retreated, the US dollar slipped, gold gained, and the US stock markets rallied. Forex The EURUSD jumped to 1.0370 mark, as Cable made another attempt to 1.2272 but failed to extend gains into the 1.23 mark. And It will likely be hard for the pound sterling to post a meaningful recovery even if the dollar softens more, as there are too much political uncertainties in Britain following Boris Johnson’s resignation.   The sterling is under pressure, but the FTSE100 does just fine, and I will focus on why the British blue-chip companies are in a position to extend gains in this episode. Disney Elsewhere, Disney jumped on strong quarterly results, Tesla rallied despite news that Elon Musk dumped more stocks to prepare for an eventual Twitter purchase. Twitter shares gained.   Watch the full episode to find out more!   0:00 Intro 0:27 Softer-than-expected US CPI boosts appetite… 2:03 … but FOMC members warn that inflation war is far over! 3:39 FX update: USD softens, gold, euro, sterling advance 5:55 Why FTSE 100 is still interesting? 8:06 Disney jumps on strong results, Tesla, Twitter gain 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 #inflation #data #Gold #XAU #USD #EUR #GBP #FTSE #Disney #earnings #Tesla #Twitter #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 Source: Stocks up on soft US CPI, but inflation war is not over! | MarketTalk: What’s up today? | Swissquote

Summary:  Another downside surprise in US inflation in the wake of lower energy prices lifted the equity markets initially overnight. However, sustained hawkishness from Fed speakers brought the yields higher, weighing on equities which closed nearly flat in the US. Crude oil prices made a strong recovery with the IEA boosting the global growth forecast for this year. EURUSD stayed above 1.0300 and will be eying the University of Michigan report today along with UK’s Q2 GDP. What is happening in markets?   Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I)  After rising well over 1% in early trading amid the weaker-than-expected PPI prints, U.S. equities wiped out gains and closed lower, S&P 500 -0.07%, Nasdaq 100 -0.65%. Energy stocks were biggest gainers, benefiting from a 2.6% rally in the price of WTI crude, Devon Energy (DVN:xnys) +7.3%, Marathon Oil (MRO:xnys) +7%, Schlumberger (SLB:xnys) +5.7%.  Consumer discretionary and technology were the biggest decliners on Thursday. Chinese ADRs gained, Nasdaq Golden Dragon Index climbed 2.6%.  U.S. treasuries bear steepened In spite of weaker-than-expected PPI data, U.S. long-end treasury yields soared, 10-year yields +10bps to 2.99%, 30-year yields +14bps to 3.17%. The rise in long-end yields were initially driven by large blocks of selling in the T-bond and Ultra-long contracts and exacerbated in the afternoon after a poor 30-year auction. The yield of 2-year treasury notes was unchanged and the 2-10-year yield curve steepened 10bps to minus 23bps.  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIQ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and mainland Chinese equities surged, Hang Seng Index +2.4%, CSI300 Index +2.0%. Northbound inflows into A shares jumped to a 2-month high of USD1.9 billion. In anticipation of a 15% rise in the average selling price of Apple’s iPhone 14 as conjectured by analysts, iPhone parts supplier stocks soared in both Hong Kong and mainland exchanges, Q Technology (01478:xhkg) +17.7%, Sunny Optical (02382:xhkg) +9%, Cowell E (01415:xhkg) +4%, Lingyi iTech (002600:xsec) +10%. China internet names rebounded, Alibaba (09988:xhkg) +4.3%, Tencent (00700:xhkg) +2.7%, Meituan (03690:xhkkg) +4.0%, Baidu (09888:xhkg) +5.2%. Power tool and floor care manufacturer, Techtronic Industries (00669:xhkg) soared nearly 11% after reporting  a 10% year-on-year growth in both revenues and net profits in 1H22. The company rolled out a new generation of drill drivers that have embedded with machine learning algorithm. After collapsing 16% in share price yesterday, Longfor (00960) managed to stabilize and recover 5.7% following the company’s refutation of market speculation that it had failed to repay commercial papers due. EURUSD re-tested resistance levels EURUSD reclaimed the key 1.0300 on Thursday amid a softer dollar, and printed highs of 1.0364. While weaker-than-expected inflation prints in the US this week have curtailed dollar strength, it is hard for EURUSD to sustain gains amid the energy crisis and European recession concerns. A break below 1.0250 would be needed for EURUSD to reverse the trend, however. AUDUSD, likewise, trades above 0.7100 amid the risk on tone, but a turn lower in equities could reverse the trend. GBPUSD has been more range-bound around 1.2200 ahead of the Q2 GDP data scheduled to be released today, and EURGBP may be ready to break above 0.8470 resistance if the numbers come out weaker-than-expected. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil prices gained further on Thursday amid signs of softer inflation, weaker dollar and improving demand. The International Energy Agency (IEA) lifted its consumption estimate by 380 kb/d, saying soaring gas prices amid strong demand for electricity is driving utilities to switch to oil. This could be aided by lower gasoline prices, which have dented demand during the US driving season. Prices fell below USD4/gallon for the first time since March. Meanwhile, OPEC may struggle to raise output in coming months due to limited spare capacity. WTI futures touched $94/barrel while Brent futures rose towards the 100-mark.   What to consider? Another downside surprise in US inflation US July PPI dipped into negative territory to come in at -0.5% MoM, much cooler than 1% last month or the +0.2% expected. But on a YoY basis, PPI remains up a shocking 9.8%. Core PPI rose 0.4% MoM, which means on a YoY basis core producer prices are up 7.6% (lower than June's +8.2% but still near record highs). Goods PPI fell 1.8%, dominated by a 9.0% drop in energy. Meanwhile, services PPI was up 0.1% in July. Despite the slowdown in both PPI and CPI this week, PPI is still 1.3% points above CPI, suggesting margin pressures and a possible earnings recession. Fed’s Daly said she will be open to a 75bps rate hike at the September meeting. US jobless claims rise, University of Michigan ahead US initial jobless claims 262K vs 265K estimate, notably higher than the 248k the prior week and the highest since November 2021. The 4-week moving average of initial jobless claims increased to 252K vs 247.5K last week, but still below 350k levels that can cause an alarm. The modest pickup in claims suggests that turnover at weaker firms is increasing. Key data to watch today is the preliminary University of Michigan survey for August, where expectations are for a modest improvement given lower gasoline prices. China’s central bank expects CPI to hover around 3% In its 2nd quarter monetary policy report released on Wednesday, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) expects the CPI being at around 3% for the full year of 2022 and at times exceeding 3%.  The release of pend-up demand from pandemic restrictions, the upturn of the hog-cycle, and imported inflation, in particular energy, are expected to drive consumer price inflation higher for the rest of the year in China but overall within the range acceptable by the central bank.  The PBOC expects the recent downtrend of the PPI to continue and the gap between the CPI and PPI growth rates to narrow. The PBOC reiterates that it will avoid excessive money printing to spur growth so as to safeguard against inflation.  China’s President Xi is said to be visiting Saudi Arabia next week The Guardian reports that President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Saudi Arabia on an invitation extended from Riyadh in March.  China has been eager to secure its oil supply and explore the possibility of getting its sellers to accept the renminbi to settle oil trade.   While relying on the United States for security in a volatile region and supplies of weapons, Saudi Arabia with Prince Mohammed being in charge is looking for leverage in the kingdom’s relationship with the United States.  UK Q2 GDP likely to show a contraction The Q2 GDP in the UK is likely to show a contraction after April was down 0.2% and May up 0.5%. June GDP is likely to have seen a larger contraction given less working days in the month, as well as constrained household spending as inflation surged to a fresh record high. While there may be a growth recovery in the near-term, the Bank of England clearly outlined a recession scenario from Q4 2022 and that would last for five quarters. Our Macro Strategist Chris Dembik has painted a rather pessimistic picture of the UK economy.   For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: APAC Daily Digest: What is happening in markets and what to consider next – August 12, 2022

Summary:  US treasury yields at the long end of the curve surged over 15 basis points at one point yesterday in the wake of heavy treasury futures selling and a somewhat soft T-bond auction, which helped to turn sentiment lower in the equity market after the major averages had advanced to new local highs. The jump in US yields checked the US dollar’s descent as traders mull whether a break higher in US treasury yields will offer the currency fresh support after its break lower this week in many USD pairs.   What is our trading focus?   Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures attempted to run higher above the key 4,200 level but was rejected forcefully, closing a bit lower for the session and just above the 4,200 level. This morning the index futures are again trying to push higher trading around the 4,222 level with yesterday’s high at 4,260 being the natural resistance level in the short-term. Today’s earnings and macro calendar are light except for the Michigan surveys at 1400 GMT on consumer sentiment and expectations for the economy and inflation which could move the market on a surprise print. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) Hong Kong and mainland Chinese equities treaded water, fluctuating between small gains and losses. Sportswear and EV names gained. Li Ning (02332:xhkg) climbed more than 4% after reporting better than expected 1H results with sales growth of 22% and net profit growth of 12% from last year. The solid sales growth was led by online sales and wholesale business. China’s EV sales volumes grew 124% YoY (wholesale) and 117% YoY (retail) in July, much faster than the growth of the overall passenger vehicle market and had a penetration rate of 26.7%. XPeng (09868:xhkg) led the charge higher, gaining 4.2%, NIO (09866:xhkg) +3.6%, Li Auto (02015:xhkg) +1.7%. Leading semiconductor names, SMIC (00981:xhkg) and Hua Hong (01347:xhkg) reported inline and better-than expected results respectively. In its earnings call, the management of SMIC noted orders from some of its customers could fall meaningfully in near-term due to high inventories and suggested that recovery could come at around end of 2022 or early 2023. Share prices of SMIC declined 1.8%. USD: jump in long treasury yields checks the greenback’s descent After USDJPY traded to new local lows yesterday below 132.00, the pair snapped back well north of 133.00 in the wake of a surge in long US treasury yields (more below) and the USD sell-off was likewise checked elsewhere as risk sentiment also rolled over by late in the US equity trading session. The USD resilience is not yet technically significant and won’t be on a broad basis until/unless USDJPY surges back above perhaps 136.00, the EURUSD surge above 1.0300 is pushed back below 1.0250, and the aggressive AUDUSD move is pummeled back below 0.7000. The get a broader USD resurgence might require higher US yields and a deepening turn to the negative in risk sentiment, until then. Gold (XAUUSD) is heading for a fourth weekly gain ... supported by a weaker dollar after lower-than-expected CPI and PPI data helped reduce expectations for how high the Fed will allow rates to run. However, rising risk appetite as seen through surging stocks and bond yields trading higher on the week, have so far prevented the yellow metal from making a decisive challenge at key resistance above $1800/oz, and the recent decline in ETF holdings and low open interest in COMEX futures points to a market that is looking for a fresh and decisive trigger. Gold needs to hold $1760 in order to avoid a fresh round of long liquidation, while silver is looking for support at $20.23, its 50-day SMA. Copper and industrial metals in general have seen a strong recovery with COPPERSEP22 now eying resistance at $3.7150, its 50-day SMA. Crude oil (CLU2 & LCOV2) traded higher on Thursday ... before some light profit emerged overnight in Asia. Prices have been supported by signs of softer inflation improving the growth outlook, weaker dollar and improving demand, especially in the US where gasoline prices at the pumps have fallen below $4 per gallon for the first time since March. In addition, the International Energy Agency (IEA) lifted its consumption estimate by 380 kb/d, saying soaring gas prices amid strong demand for electricity is driving utilities to switch from expensive gas to fuel based products. Meanwhile, OPEC may struggle to raise output in coming months due to limited spare capacity. WTI futures touched $94/barrel while Brent futures returned to the 100-mark, thereby supporting our view that oil prices have reached a potential through in this correction phase.   US Treasuries (IEF, TLT) see long-end yields surging US yields at the long end of the curve ripped higher with the move aggravated by a somewhat soft 30-year T-bond auction, though the bulk of the move higher in yields unfolded earlier in the day on heavy selling of treasury futures. The 30-year yield rose a chunky 15.5 basis points at one point yesterday and traded to the highest levels in weeks, with the 10-year likewise poking above local highs in the 2.87% yield area. The jump in yields is technically significant if it holds and proceeds to 3.00%, suggesting that the consolidation phase is over. As well, the rise at the long end of the curve has significantly steepened the yield curve from a recent extreme in the 2-10 inversion of –49 basis points to –34 basis points.   What is going on?   US jobless claims rise, University of Michigan ahead US initial jobless claims 262K vs 265K estimate, notably higher than the 248k the prior week and the highest since November 2021. The 4-week moving average of initial jobless claims increased to 252K vs 247.5K last week, but still below 350k levels that can cause an alarm. The modest pickup in claims suggests that turnover at weaker firms is increasing. Key data to watch today is the preliminary University of Michigan survey for August, where expectations are for a modest improvement given lower gasoline prices. The grains sector trades at a five-week high ahead of today’s supply and demand report The Bloomberg Grains Index continues to recover following its 28% June to July correction with gains this past week being led by wheat (WHEATDEC22) and corn (CORNDEC22) in response to a weaker dollar and not least hot and dry weather in the US and another heatwave in Europe raising concerns about yield and production. Hot and dry weather at a critical stage for yield developments ahead of the soon to be harvested crop has given today’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report some additional attention with surveys looking for lower yields and with that lower ending stocks. San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly sees 50 basis point hike at September FOMC meeting Daly is not an FOMC voter this year. Unlike her colleague (also a non-voter this year) Neel Kashkari at the Minneapolis Fed, she is satisfied with the median forecast of a 3.4% policy rate by year-end, which would be achieved with a 50 basis point move in September, followed by two 25 basis point hikes in November and December. Kashkari thinks 3.9% is more appropriate for a year-end target policy rate. Daly noted that she is happy to see inflation coming down, but is still open for a larger rate increase in September if necessary. “It really behooves us to stay data dependent and not call it”. The market is currently priced for 60 basis points of hiking at the September 21 FOMC meeting. Illumina shares down 23% on massive earnings miss The DNA-sequencing company slashed its fiscal year outlook last night due to potential penalties in Europe from its acquisition of another company. Its FY EPS forecast is now $2.75-2.90 down from previously $4-4.20.   What are we watching next?   UK Q2 GDP likely to show a contraction ... after April was down 0.2% and May up 0.5%. June GDP is likely to have seen a larger contraction given less working days in the month, as well as constrained household spending as inflation surged to a fresh record high. While there may be a growth recovery in the near-term, the Bank of England clearly outlined a recession scenario from Q4 2022 and that would last for five quarters. Our Macro Strategist Chris Dembik has painted a rather pessimistic picture of the UK economy. Another downside surprise in US inflation US July PPI dipped into negative territory to come in at -0.5% MoM, much cooler than 1% last month or the +0.2% expected. But on a YoY basis, PPI remains up a shocking 9.8%. Core PPI rose 0.4% MoM, which means on a YoY basis core producer prices are up 7.6% (lower than June's +8.2% but still near record highs). Goods PPI fell 1.8%, dominated by a 9.0% drop in energy. Meanwhile, services PPI was up 0.1% in July. Despite the slowdown in both PPI and CPI this week, PPI is still 1.3% points above CPI, suggesting margin pressures and a possible earnings recession. Fed’s Daly said she will be open to a 75bps rate hike at the September meeting. Next signals from the Fed at Jackson Hole conference Aug 25-27 There is a considerable tension between the market’s forecast for the economy and the resulting expected path of Fed policy for the rest of this year and particularly next year, as the market believes that a cooling economy and inflation will allow the Fed to reverse course and cut rates in a “soft landing” environment (the latter presumably because financial conditions have eased aggressively since June, suggesting that markets are not fearing a hard landing/recession). Some Fed members have tried to push back against the market’s expectations for Fed rate cuts next year it was likely never the Fed’s intention to allow financial conditions to ease so swiftly and deeply as they have in recent weeks. The risks, therefore, point to a Fed that may mount a more determined pushback at the Jackson Hole forum, the Fed’s yearly gathering at Jackson Hole, Wyoming that is often used to air longer term policy guidance. Earnings to watch There are no important earnings today except for Flutter Entertainment which has already reported ahead of the trading start in London. Flutter reports first-half revenue of £3.4bn vs est. £3.2bn. Today: Flutter Entertainment Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – Eurozone Jun. Industrial Production 1400 – US Fed’s Barkin (non-voter) to speak 1400 – US Aug. Preliminary University of Michigan sentiment 1600 – USDA's World Agriculture Supply and Demand report (WASDE) Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – August 12, 2022

Summary:  Today we note that the big surge in yields at the long end of the US yield curve were likely the critical factor in capping and reversing the extension of the rally in equities yesterday. The US dollar found a bit of resilience on the development as well, if only half-hearted. Elsewhere, we zoom in on global natural gas supply concerns after the latest weekly US storage yesterday, discuss the grains outlook with a key report up late today and look ahead at the fairly busy macro calendar next week, while wondering how the Fed deals with re-establishing its hawkish credibility. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are found via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please!   We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: Podcast: US yields jump, capping complacency

Summary:  While the growth outlook for Singapore is deteriorating on the back of weaker external demand, we believe exposure to the Singapore market remains a key portfolio diversifier given its safe-haven status. Rising interest rates continue to position banking stocks favourably, while the reopening of the regional and global economies brings likely benefits to retail and hospitality REITs as well as other travel related stocks and sectors. There are also some stocks to consider in-line with our preferred global equity themes of commodities and defence. Macro conditions are deteriorating The final print of Singapore’s Q2 GDP was revised lower to 4.4% y/y from an advance estimate of 4.8% earlier, suggesting a q/q contraction of 0.2% as against gains of 0.2% q/q suggested by the advance estimate or the 0.8% q/q growth seen in the first quarter. The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) has also narrowed the forecast for annual 2022 growth to 3-4% from 3-5% earlier amid rising global slowdown risks. Given Singapore is an export-driven economy, it remains prone to the volatile external environment. Meanwhile, China’s Zero-covid strategy has hampered global supply chains as well as export demand from Singapore. These risks keep the threat of a technical recession – which is defined as two or more consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth – alive. The officials have, however, ruled that out for now and suggest a mild positive growth for Q3 and Q4. Is more monetary policy tightening on the cards? Singapore’s inflation remains high, but with core at 4.4%, it is still below the global inflation levels. We can certainly feel the price pressures biting, especially in rents and transportation. That is likely to remain a key concern for the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), while the gloomier growth picture will only add some caution. Headwinds from external demand will be somewhat offset by a service sector growth picking up as the local and regional economies continue to broaden their reopening measures. This is boosting retail sales and tourism-led spending, while the labor market is also still tight. What could possibly be ruled out is an off-cycle move, or possibly a re-centering of the S$NEER policy band, unless core inflation surprises significantly to the upside. Singapore’s monetary policy has entered a restrictive mode with four tightening moves since October 2021, and further steepening of the S$NEER slope cannot be ruled out. What to consider in the markets? Singapore’s safe-haven status makes it an important stabilizer in the portfolios, especially in the choppy global markets. Singapore equities are riding on services demand recovery and sustained export momentum. The banking stocks such as DBS (D05:xses), UOB (U11:xses) and OCBC (O39:xses) remain well positioned to benefit from the rising interest rates, even as the wealth management income takes a haircut due to the weak market sentiment. Meanwhile, REITs offer a good dividend yield, and therefore inflation protection. Travel related stocks and sectors, such as retail REITs, hospitality REITs, Singapore Airlines (C6L:xses) or SATS (S58:xses) could also benefit from a sustained reopening momentum. Out global equity baskets have shown an outperformance from the Commodities and Defence baskets so far this year. Defence stocks could remain in focus with the increasing geopolitical tensions, and that means Singapore Technologies Engineering (S63:xses) may be worth a look. Green transformation also necessitates a look at Sembcorp Industries (U96:xses), while Singtel (Z77:xses) remains in a position to ride through the economic crisis with its rapid 5G adoption. Wilmar (F34:xses), an agribusiness firm with market cap greater than Singapore Airlines, has gained tremendous attention due to the tight edible oil markets since the Ukraine invasion, and its exposure to consumption in some of the largest emerging markets also makes it a key inflation play. Some of the sectors to remain cautious about would be the technology or manufacturing with exposure to China. REITs with exposure to China’s property market also face further threat. Key risk factors to watch While the external demand outlook remains fragile and dampens the growth prospects of Singapore economy and companies, there are also risks from a global tightening wave which could result in capital outflows. Meanwhile, rising geopolitical tensions in the region could also result in cautious investor sentiment. There remains a risk of US-China trade tensions coming back, and that could be a headwind for Singapore. Lastly, a resurgence of Covid remains a key risk to watch in Singapore and Asia, as the response will likely remain stricter than Europe despite a high level of vaccination.   Source: Singapore Market Pulse: Weaker macro conditions, but safe-haven reputation supports

Summary:  US treasury yields at the long end of the yield curve jumped higher yesterday to multi-week highs, a challenge to widespread complacency across global markets. The USD found a modicum of support on the development, though this was insufficient to reverse the recent weakening trend. It will likely take a more determined rise in US yields and a tightening of financial conditions, possibly on further Fed pushback against market policy expectations, to spark a more significant USD comeback. FX Trading focus: US yields jump, not yet enough to reverse recent USD dip A very interesting shift in the US yield curve yesterday as long yields jumped aggressively higher, with the 30-year yield getting the most focus on a heavy block sale of US “ultra” futures and a softer than expected 30-year T-bond auction from the US treasury. The 30-year benchmark yield jumped as much as 15 basis points from the prior close, with the 10-year move a few basis points smaller. We shouldn’t over-interpret a single day’s action, but it is a technical significant development and if it extends, could be a sign of tightening liquidity as the Fed ups its sales of treasuries and even a sign that market concern is growing that the Fed will fail to get ahead of inflation. As for the market reaction, the USD found some support, but it was modest stuff – somewhat surprisingly in the case of the normally very long-US-yield-sensitive USDJPY. Overnight, a minor shuffle in Japanese PMI Kishida’s cabinet has observers figuring that there is no real determined pushback yet against the Kuroda BoJ’s YCC policy, with focus more on bringing relief to lower income households struggling with price rises for essentials. Indeed, BoJ policy is only likely to come under significant pressure again if global yields pull to new cycle highs and the JPY finds itself under siege again. As for USDJPY, it has likely only peaked if long US yields have also peaked for the cycle. Chart: EURUSD EURUSD caught in limbo here, having pulled up through the resistance in the 1.0275+ area after a long bought of tight range trading, but not yet challenging through the next key layer of resistance into 1.0350+. It wouldn’t take much of a further reversal here to freshen up the bearish interest – perhaps a dip and close below 1.0250 today, together with a bit of follow through higher in US yields and a further correction in risk sentiment. Eventually, we look for the pair to challenge down well through parity if USD yields retest their highs and beyond. Source: Saxo Group Elsewhere – watching sterling here as broader sentiment may be at risk of rolling over and as we wind our way to the conclusion of the battle to replace outgoing Boris Johnson, with Liz Truss all but crowned. Her looser stance on fiscal prudence looks a sterling negative given the risks from UK external deficits. Her instincts seem pro-supply side on taxation, but the populist drag of cost-of-living issues has shown her to be quick to change her stripes – as she has often been, having reversed her position on many issues, including Brexit (was a former remainer). Today’s reminder of the yawning trade deficit (a current run rate of around 10% of GDP) and the energy/power situation together with dire supply side restraints on the UK economy have us looking for sterling weakness – a start would be a dip below 1.2100 in GBPUSD, which would reverse the reaction earlier this week to the US July CPI release. The week ahead features an RBNZ on Wednesday (market nearly fully priced for another two meetings of 50 basis points each). NZDUSD has looked too ambitious off the lows – there is no strong external surplus angle for the kiwi like there is for the Aussie – might be a place to get contrarian to the recent price action if global risk sentiment is set to roll over again finally now that the VIX has pushed all the way to 20 (!).  A Norges Bank meeting on Thursday may see the bank hiking another 50 basis points as it continues to catch up to inflationary outcomes. The US FOMC minutes are up next Wednesday and may be a bit of a fizzle, given that the bulk of the easing financial conditions that the Fed would like to push back against came after the meeting. Table: FX Board of G10 and CNH trend evolution and strength. The US dollar hasn’t gotten much from the latest development in yields – watching the next couple of sessions closely for direction there, while also watching for the risk of more sterling downside, while NZD looks overambitious on the upside. Source: Bloomberg and Saxo Group Table: FX Board Trend Scoreboard for individual pairs. The EURGBP turn higher could follow through here – on the lookout for that development while also watching GBPUSD status in coming sessions and whether the EURUSD move higher also follows through as per comments on the chart above. Source: Bloomberg and Saxo Group Upcoming Economic Calendar Highlights (all times GMT) 1400 – US Fed’s Barkin (non-voter) to speak 1400 – US Aug. Preliminary University of Michigan sentiment Share Source: FX Update: US yield jump brings USD resilience if not a reversal.

Summary:  The correction that for some commodities already started back in March has since the end of July increasingly been showing signs of reversing, driven by recent economic data strength, dollar weakness and signs inflation may have peaked. With the broad position adjustments having run their course, the focus has returned to supply which in many cases remains tight, thereby providing renewed support, especially across the sectors of energy and key agriculture commodities. The correction that for some commodities already started back in March has since the end of July increasingly been showing signs of reversing. According to the Bloomberg commodity sector indices, the correction period triggered peak to bottom moves of 41% in industrial metals, 31% in grains and 27% in energy. The main reason for the dramatic correction following a record run of strong gains was the change in focus from tight supply to worries about demand. Apart from China’s slowing growth outlook due to its zero-Covid policy and housing market crisis hitting industrial metals, the most important driver has been the way in which central banks around the world have been stepping up efforts to curb runaway inflation by forcing down economic activity through aggressively tightening monetary conditions. This process is ongoing but recent economic data strength, dollar weakness and signs inflation may have peaked have all helped support markets that have gone through weeks and in some cases months of sharp price declines, and with that an aggressive amount of long liquidation from financial traders as well as selling from macro-focused funds looking for a hedge against an economic downturn.With the broad position adjustments having run their course, the focus has returned to supply which in many cases remains tight, thereby providing renewed support and problems for those who have been selling markets looking for even lower prices in anticipation of recession and lower demand. Backwardation remains elevated despite growth worries The behaviour of spot commodity prices, as seen through first month futures contracts, rarely gives us the full fundamental picture with the price action often being dictated by technical price-driven speculators and funds focusing on macroeconomic developments, as opposed to the individual fundamental situation. The result of this has been a period of aggressive selling on a combination of bullish bets being scaled back but also increased selling from funds looking to hedge an economic slowdown.An economic slowdown, or in a worst-case scenario a recession, would normally trigger a surplus of raw materials as demand falters and production is slow to respond to a downturn in demand. However, during the past three months of selling, the cost of commodities for immediate delivery has maintained a healthy premium above prices for later deliveries. The chart below shows the spread measured in percent between the first futures and the 12-month forward futures contract, and while the tightness has eased a bit, we are still seeing tightness across a majority, especially within energy and agriculture. A sign that the market has sold off on expectations more than reality, and it raises the prospect of a strong recovery once the growth outlook stabilises. Crude oil The downward trending price action in WTI and Brent for the past couple of months is showing signs of reversing on a combination of the market reassessing the demand outlook amid continued worries about supply and who will and can meet demand going forward. The recovery from below $95 in Brent and $90 in WTI this week was supported by signs of softer US inflation reducing the potential peak in the Fed fund rates, thereby improving the growth outlook. In addition, the weaker dollar and improving demand, especially in the US where gasoline prices at the pumps have fallen below $4 per gallon for the first time since March.In addition, the International Energy Agency (IEA) lifted its global consumption estimate by 380 kb/d, saying soaring gas prices amid strong demand for electricity is driving utilities to switch from expensive gas to fuel-based products. Meanwhile, OPEC may struggle to raise output in the coming months due to limited spare capacity. While pockets of demand weakness have emerged in recent months, we do not expect these to materially impact on our overall price-supportive outlook. Supply-side uncertainties remain too elevated to ignore, not least considering the soon-to-expire releases of crude oil from US Strategic Reserves and the EU embargo of Russian oil fast approaching. With this in mind, we maintain our $95 to $115 range forecast for the third quarter. Gold (XAUUSD) The recently under siege yellow metal was heading for a fourth weekly gain, supported by a weaker dollar after the lower-than-expected US CPI and PPI data helped reduce expectations for how high the Fed will allow rates to run. However, rising risk appetite as seen through surging stocks and bond yields trading higher on the week have so far prevented the yellow metal from making a decisive challenge at key resistance above $1800/oz, and the recent decline in ETF holdings and low open interest in COMEX futures points to a market that is looking for a fresh and decisive trigger. We believe the markets newfound optimism about the extent to which inflation can successfully be brought under control remains too optimistic and together with several geopolitical worries, we see no reason to exit our long-held bullish view on gold as a hedge and diversifier. Gold has found some support at the 50-day moving average line at $1783, and needs to hold $1760 in order to avoid a fresh round of long liquidation the short-term. While some resistance is located just above $1800 gold needs a decisive break above $1829 in order to trigger the momentum needed to attract fresh buying in ETFs and managed money accounts in futures. Source: Saxo Group Industrial metals (Copper)   Copper has rebounded around 18% since hitting a 20-month low last month, thereby supporting a general recovery across industrial metals, the hardest hit sector during the recent correction. Supported by a softer dollar, data showing the US economy remains robust, easing concerns about the demand outlook in China and not least disruptions to producers in Asia, Europe as well as South America potentially curtailing supply at a time when exchange-monitored inventories remain at a decade low. All developments that have forced speculators to cut back recently established short positions.The potential for an improved demand outlook in China and BHP's recent announcement that it has made an offer for OZ Minerals and its nickel and copper-focused assets, is the latest in a series of global acquisitions aimed at shoring up supplies of essential metals for the energy transition. With its high electrical conductivity, copper supports all the electronics we use, from smartphones to medical equipment. It already underpins our existing electricity systems, and it is crucial to the electrification process needed over the coming years in order to reduce demand for energy derived from fossil fuels.Following a temporary recovery in the price of copper around the beginning of June when China began easing lockdown restrictions, the rally quickly ran out of steam and copper went on to tumble below key support before eventually stabilizing after finding support at $3.14/lb., the 61.8% retracement of the 2020 to 2022 rally. Since then, the price has recovered strongly but may temporarily pause after reaching finding resistance in the $3.70/lb area. We maintain a long-term bullish view on copper and prefer buying weakness instead of selling into strength. Source: Saxo Group The grains sector traded at a five-week high ahead of Friday’s supply and demand report from the US Department of Agriculture. The Bloomberg Grains Index continues to recover following its 28% June to July correction with gains this past week being led by wheat and corn in response to a weaker dollar and not least hot and dry weather in the US and another heatwave in Europe raising concerns about yield and production. Hot and dry weather at a critical stage for yield developments ahead of the soon-to-be-harvested crop has given the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report some additional attention with surveys pointing to price support with the prospect of lower yields lowering expectations for the level of available stocks ahead of the coming winter. Cotton, up 8% this month has seen the focus switch from growth and demand worries, especially in China, to deepening global supply concerns as heatwaves in the US and China hurt production prospects. Friday’s monthly supply and demand report (WASDE) from the US Department of Agriculture was expected to show lower US production driving down ending stocks by around 10% to 2.2 m bales, an 11-year low. Arabica coffee, in a downtrend since February, has also seen a steady rise since bouncing from key support below $2/lb last month. A persistent and underlying support from South American production worries has reasserted itself during the past few weeks as the current on-season crop potentially being the lowest since 2014. Brazil’s drought and cold curbed flowering last season and severe frosts in July 2021 led farmers to cut down coffee trees at a time of high costs for agricultural inputs, notably fertilizer. In addition, Columbia another top producer, has seen its crop being reduced by too much rainfall. Source: WCU: Commodity correction may have exhausted itself

Overview: The markets are putting the finishing touches on this week’s activity. Japan, returning from yesterday’s holiday bought equities, and its major indices jumped more than 2%. China, South Korea, and Australia struggled. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is firmer for the third consecutive session. It is up about 1.3% this week. US futures are also firmer after reversing earlier gains yesterday to close lower on the day. The US 10-year yield is flat near 2.88%, while European benchmarks are 4-6 bp higher. The greenback is mixed. The dollar-bloc currencies and Norwegian krone are slightly firmer, while the Swedish krona, sterling, and the yen are off around 0.3%-0.6%. Emerging market currencies are also mixed, though the freely accessible currencies are mostly firmer. The JP Morgan Emerging Market Currency Index is up about 1.15% this week, ahead of the Latam session, which if sustained would be the strongest performance in three months. Gold is consolidating at lower levels having been turned back from $1800 in the middle of the week. Near $1787.50, it is up less than 0.7% for the week. September WTI is edging higher for the third consecutive session, which would match the longest streak since January. US natgas surged 8.2% yesterday but has come back offered today. It is off 2.3%. Europe’s natgas benchmark is snapping a three-day advance of nearly 8% and is off 1.8% today. Iron ore rose 2.2% yesterday and it gave most of its back today, sliding almost 1.7%. September copper is unchanged after rallying more than 3.3% over the past two sessions. September wheat has a four-day rally in tow but is softer ahead of the Department of Agriculture report (World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates). Asia Pacific   Japan and China will drop some market sensitive high-frequency economic data as trading begins in the new week.  Japan will release its first estimate of Q2 GDP. The median in Bloomberg's survey and the average of a dozen Japanese think tanks (cited by Jiji Press) project around a 2.7% expansion of the world's third-largest economy, after a 0.5% contraction in Q1. Consumption and business investment likely improved. Some of the demand was probably filled through inventories. They added 0.5% to Q1 growth but may have trimmed Q2 growth. Net exports were a drag on Q1 (-04%) and may be flat. The GDP deflator was -0.5% in Q1 and may have deteriorated further in Q2. Some observers see the cabinet reshuffle that was announced this week strengthening the commitment to ease monetary policy. The deflation in the deflator shows what Governor Kuroda's successor next April must address as well. China reports July consumption (retail sales), industrial output, employment (surveyed jobless rate), and investment (fixed assets and property).  The expected takeaway is that the world's second-largest economy is recovering but slowly. Industrial output and retail sales are expected to have edged up. Of note, the year-to-date retail sales compared with a year ago was negative each month in Q2 but is expected to have turned positive in July. The year-over-year pace of industrial production is expected to rise toward 4.5%, which would be the best since January. The housing market, which acted as a critical engine of growth is in reverse. New home prices (newly build commercial residential building prices in 70 cities) have been falling on a year-over-year basis starting last September, and likely continued to do so in July. Property investment (completed investment in real estate) likely fell for the fourth consecutive month. It has slowed every month beginning March 2021. The pace may have accelerated to -5.6% year-over-year after a 5.4% slide in the 12-months through June. The surveyed unemployed rate was at 4.9% last September and October. It rose to 6.1% in April and has slipped back to 5.5% in June. The median forecast in Bloomberg's survey expects it to have remained there in July. Lastly, there are no fixed dates for the lending figures and the announcement of the one-year medium-term lending facility rate. Lending is expected to have slowed sharply from the surge in June, while the MLF rate is expected to be steady at 2.85%. Over the several weeks, foreign investors have bought a record amount of Japanese bonds.  Over the past six weeks, foreigners snapped up JPY6.44 trillion (~$48 bln). It may partly reflect short-covering after the run-in with the Bank of Japan who bought a record amount to defend the yield-curve control cap of 0.25% on the 10-year bond. There is another consideration. For dollar-based investors, hedging the currency risk, which one is paid to do, a return of more than 4% can be secured. At the same time, for yen-based investors, hedging the currency risk is expensive, which encourages the institutional investors to return to the domestic market. Japanese investors have mostly been selling foreign bonds this year. However, the latest Ministry of Finance data shows that they were net buyers for the third consecutive week, matching the longest streak of the year. Still, the size is small. suggesting it may not be a broad or large force yet. Although the US 10-year yield jumped 10 bp yesterday, extending its recovery from Monday's low near 2.75% for a third session, the dollar barely recovered against the yen.  After falling 1.6% on Wednesday, after the softer than expected US CPI, the greenback rose 0.1% yesterday and is edging a little higher today. Partly what has happened is that the exchange rate correlation with the 10-year yield has slackened while the correlation with the two-year has increased. In fact, the correlation of the change in the two-year and the exchange rate is a little over 0.60 and is the highest since March. The dollar appears to be trading comfortably now between two large set of options that expire today. One set is at JPY132 for $860 mln and the other at JPY134 for $1.3 bln. Around $0.7120, the Australian dollar is up about 3% this week and is near two-month highs. It reached almost $0.7140 yesterday. The next technical target is in the $0.7150-$0.7170 area. Support is seen ahead of $0.7050. Next week's data highlight is the employment data (August 18). The greenback traded in a CNY6.7235-CNY6.7600 on Wednesday and remained in that range yesterday and today. For the second consecutive week, the dollar has alternated daily between up and down sessions for a net change of a little more than 0.1%. The PBOC set the dollar's reference rate at CNY6.7413, tight to expectations (Bloomberg's survey) of CNY6.7415. Europe   The UK's economy shrank by 0.6% in June, ensuring a contraction in Q2.  The 0.1% shrinkage was a bit smaller than expected but the weakness was widespread. Consumption fell by 0.2% in the quarter, worse than expected, while government spending collapsed by 2.9% after a 1.3% pullback in Q1. A decline in Covid testing and slower retail sales were notable drags. The one bright spot was business investment was stronger than expected. The June data itself was miserable, though there was an extra holiday (Queen's jubilee). All three sectors, industrial output, services, and construction, all fell in June and the trade balance deteriorated. The market's expectation for next month's BOE meeting was unaffected by the data. The swaps market has about an 85% chance of another 50 bp hike discounted.  Industrial output in the eurozone rose by 0.7%, well above the 0.2% median forecast in Bloomberg's survey and follows a 2.1% increase in May.  The manufacturing PMI warned that an outright contraction is possible. Of the big four members, only Italy disappointed. The median forecast in Bloomberg's survey anticipated a decline in German, France, and Spain. Instead, they reported gains of 0.4%, 1.4%, and 1.1% respectively. Industrial output was expected to have contracted by 0.1% in Italy and instead it reported a 2.1% drop. In aggregate, the strength of capital goods (2.6% month-over-month) and energy (0.6%) more than offset the declines in consumer goods and intermediate goods. The year-over-year rise of 2.4% is the strongest since last September. The disruption caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the uneven Covid outbreaks and responses are as Rumsfeld might have said known unknowns.  But the disruptive force that may not be fully appreciated is about to get worse. The German Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration is warning that water in the Rhine River will fall below a critical threshold this weekend. At an important waypoint, the level may fall to about 13 inches (33 centimeters). Less than around 16 inches (40 centimeters) and barges cannot navigate. An estimated 400k barrels a day of oil products are sent from the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp region to Germany and Switzerland. The International Energy Agency warns that the effects could last until late this year, and hits landlocked countries who rely on the Rhine the hardest. Bloomberg reported that Barge rates from Rotterdam to Basel have risen to around 267 euros a ton, a ten-fold increase in a few months. The strong surge in the euro to almost $1.0370 on Wednesday has stalled.  The euro is consolidating inside yesterday's relatively narrow range (~$1.0275-$1.0365). The momentum traders may be frustrated by the lack of follow-through. We suspect a break of $1.0265 would push more to the sidelines. The downtrend line from the February, March, and June highs comes in slightly above $1.0385 today. The broad dollar selloff in response to the July CPI saw sterling reach above $1.2275, shy of the month's high closer to $1.2295. Similar to the euro, sterling stalled. It has slipped through yesterday's low (~$1.2180). A break of the $1.2140 area could see $1.2100. That said, the $1.20 area could be the neckline of a double top and a convincing break would signal the risk of a return to the lows set a month ago near $1.1760. America   Think about the recent big US economic news.  It began last Friday with a strong employment report, more than twice what economists expected (median, Bloomberg survey) and a new cyclical low in unemployment. The job gains were broadly distributed. That was followed by a softer than expected CPI and PPI. Some observers placed emphasis on the slump in productivity and jump in unit labor costs. Those are derived from GDP figures and are not measured separately, though they are important economic concepts. Typically, when GDP is contracting, productivity contracts and by definition, unit labor costs rise. In effect, the market for goods and services adjusts quicker the labor market, and the market for money, even quicker. If the economy expands as the Atlanta Fed GDPNow tracker or the median in Bloomberg's survey project (2.5% and 2.0%, respectively), productivity will improve, and unit labor costs will fall. Barring a precipitous fall today, the S&P 500 and NASDAQ will advance for the fourth consecutive week.  The 10-year yield fell by almost 45 bp on the last three week of July and has recovered around half here in August. That includes five basis points this week despite the softer inflation readings. The two-year note yield fell almost 25 bp in the last two weeks of July and jumped 34 bp last week. It is virtually flat this week around 3.22%. The odds of a 75 bp rate hike at next month's FOMC meeting fell from about 75% to about 47%. The year-end rate expectation fell to 3.52% from 3.56%. Some pundits claim the market is pricing in a March 2023 cut, but the implied yield of the March 2023 Fed funds futures contract is 18 bp above the December 2022 contract. It matches the most since the end of June. Still, while the Federal Reserve is trying to tighten financial conditions the market is pushing back. The Bloomberg Financial Conditions Index is at least tight reading since late April. The Goldman Sachs Financial Condition index is the least tight in nearly two months.  US import and export prices are the stuff that captures the market's imagination.  However, the preliminary University of Michigan's consumer survey, and especially the inflation expectations can move the markets, especially given that Fed Chair Powell cited it as a factor encouraging the 75 bp hike in June. The Bloomberg survey shows the median expectation is for a tick lower in inflation expectations, with the one-year slipping to 5.1% from 5.2%. The 5-10-year expectation is seen easing to 2.8% from 2.9%. If accurate, it would match the lowest since April 2021. The two-year breakeven (difference between the conventional yield and the inflation-protected security) peaked in March near 5% and this week reached 2.70%, its lowest since last October. It is near 2.80% now. Mexico delivered the widely anticipated 75 bp hike yesterday.  The overnight rate target is now 8.50%. The decision was unanimous. It is the 10th consecutive hike and concerns that AMLO's appointments would be doves has proven groundless. The central bank meets again on September 29. Like other central banks, it did not pre-commit to the size of the next move, preserving some tactical flexibility. If the Fed hikes by 75 bp, it will likely match it. Peru's central bank hiked its reference rate by 50 bp, the 10th consecutive hike of that magnitude after starting the cycle last August with a 25 bp move. It is not done. Lima inflation was near 8.75% last month and the reference rate is at 6.50%. The Peruvian sol is up about 1.2% this month, coming into today. It has appreciated by around 3.25% year-to-date, making it the second-best performer in the region after Brazil's 8.1% rise. Argentina hiked its benchmark Leliq rate by 950 bp yesterday to 69.5%. It had delivered an 800 bp hike two weeks again. Argentina's inflation reached 71% last month. The Argentine peso is off nearly 23.5% so far this year, second only to the Turkish lira (~-26%). The US dollar fell slightly below CAD1.2730 yesterday, its lowest level since mid-June. The slippage in the S&P 500 and NASDAQ helped it recover to around CAD1.2775. It has not risen above that today, encouraged perhaps by the firmer US futures. Although the 200-day moving average (~CAD1.2745) is a good mile marker, the next important chart is CAD1.2700-CAD1.2720. A convincing break would target CAD1.2650 initially and then CAD1.2600. While the Canadian dollar has gained almost 1.4% against the US dollar this week (around CAD1.2755), the Mexican peso is up nearly 2.4%. The greenback is pressing against support in the MXN19.90 area. A break targets the late June lows near MXN19.82. The MXN20.00 area provides the nearby cap.       Disclaimer   Source: Heading into the Weekend, Dollar's Downside Momentum Stalls

Summary:  PetroChina, Sinopec, Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical, Chalco and China Life Insurance notified the New York Stock Exchange on 12 Aug 2022 of their intended application for voluntary delisting of their American depository shares and terminating the relevant ADR programs. The question now is if this is an example set for mega-cap Chinese internet and platform companies to follow. Five Chinese Central State-Owned Enterprises (“Central SOEs”) apply for delisting from the New York Stock Exchange   On August 12, 2022, after the close of the regular session of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong, PetroChina (00857:xhkg/PTR:xnys), China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, also known as Sinopec (00386:xhkg/SNP:xnys), Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical (00338:xhkg/SHI:xnys), Aluminum Corporation of China, also known as Chalco (02600:xhkg/ACH:xnys), and China Life Insurance (02628:xhkg/LFC:xnys) announced that they had notified the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) that they are will apply for delisting of their American depository shares (“ADSs”) from the NYSE. It is expected that the American Depository Receipt (“ADR”) programs will be terminated between September 1 and October 16, 2022, and the ADSs issued under these ADR programs can be surrendered for their underlying H shares, which will continue to trade in the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (“SEHK”). PetroChina, Sinopec, Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical and Chalco are Central SOEs that are owned (80.4%, 68.8%, 32.2%, and 50.4% respectively) and controlled by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (“SASAC”).  These, together with 93 others that are also owned and controlled by the SASAC are known as Central SOEs or “Yang Qi” in Chinese.  China Life Insurance, not one of those under the SASAC, is not a Central SOE in the strict sense but it is usually considered a Central SOE due to the fact that it is 62.4% owned and controlled by the Ministry of Finance.  All five companies are on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) conclusive list of identified entities under the HFCAA    In the U.S., the Sarbanes-Oxley Act enacted in 2002 requires publicly traded companies to give the U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) access to audit work papers. In 2009, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (“CSRC”) issued a rule that forbids overseas regulatory authorities from inspecting Chinese auditing firms without CSRC’s prior approval and audit work papers containing state secretes from being taken outside China.  The PCAOB’s attempt to inspect the China-based affiliates of the “Big”-4” accounting firms in 2010 was rejected by the CSRC.  The SEC subsequently prosecuted these China affiliates of the Big-4 and the cases were subsequently settled. In order to tighten the enforcement of the audit work papers requirement provided in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the U.S. enacted the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (“HFCAA”) in 2020 which provides that companies failing to make available audit work papers for inspection by the PCAOB cannot be traded in a U.S. exchange.  Since March 2022, the SEC has put 162 Chinese companies listed in a U.S. bourse first on a provisional list and then 155 of them subsequently on a conclusive list of issuers identified under the HFCAA. After rounds of negotiations, the U.S. and China have so far not been able to come to some resolutions.  While the Chinese authorities have sounded optimistic, especially earlier in April and May, about eventually reaching an agreement with the U.S., SEC Chairman Gary Gensler has expressed doubts about any eventual agreement.PetroChina, Sinopec, Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical, Chalco, and China Life Insurance are among those on the conclusive list and facing the plausibility of being delisted by the U.S. regulators from the NYSE.  The deadline for delisting is in 2024 but the U.S. Congress is considering passing a bill to bring the deadline forward to 2023.  Actions were seemingly in concert  Each of the five companies notified the NYSE on the same day, August 12, and provided similar reasons for their decisions in their filing with the SEHK, namely relatively small capitalization of H shares being represented by ADSs, small ADS trading volume compared to the turnover of H shares and administrative burden for performing reporting and disclosure. The China Securities Regulatory Commission (“CSRC”) said on Friday that the delisting decision had been made out of these companies’ own business decisions. Nonetheless, given the identical timing, similar reasons provided and status of Central SOEs, one has to wonder if they were acting in concert with coordination from the Chinese authorities.  The other two Central SOEs controlled by the SACAC and on the SEC conclusive list, China Eastern Airlines (00670:xhkg/CEA:xnys) and China Southern Airlines (01055:xhkg/ZNH:xnys) will probably apply for ADS delisting soon as well.  Chinese internet and platform companies are the focus in the coming weeks  While these Central SOEs are thinly traded on the NYSE, the shares of Chinese internet and platform private enterprises, including Alibaba (09988:xhkg/BABA:xnys), Baidu (09888:xhkg/BIDU:xnas), Bilibili (09626:xhkg/BILI:xnas), JD.COM (09618:xhkg/JD:xnas), Pinduoduo (PDD:xnas), Sohu (SOHU:xnas), iQiyi (IQ:xnas), KE Holdings (BEKE:xnys), Weibo (09898:xhkg/WB:xnas), Tencent Music Entertainment (TME:xnys) are widely held and actively traded on the NYSE or Nasdaq.  For examples, Bilibili and Weibo have larger average daily turnover in Nasdaq than in the SEHK and Pinduoduo, iQiyi, KE Holdings, Sohu and are listed only on Nasdaq and Tencent Music on the NYSE.  Alibaba is on the provisional list and the other names above are on the conclusive list of issuers identified under the HFCAA. All of them will be subject to mandatory delisting from the NYSE or Nasdaq if the Chinese and U.S. regulators cannot reach an agreement to resolve the audit work paper inspection issue in the coming months.  Given these internet and platform companies hold a huge amount of potentially sensitive data of hundreds of millions of Chinese individuals as well as numerous private as well as public enterprises and institutions, the plausibility of the Chinese government being willing to make a concession to the SEC and PCAOB regarding the latter’s unfiltered access to audit work papers of these companies is getting increasingly slim in the midst of pervasive Sino-American strategic competition.  Through the voluntary delisting of nstitutional money which is restricted by their investment mandates and retail investors who tend to have a home bias will unload their holdings instead of exchanging their ADSs for H shares.  In the case of those companies that do not yet have a listing in the SEHK, the uncertainty and disruption will be even more significant.  The southbound stock connect flows of money from mainland investors may mitigate somewhat the impact but some turbulence initially can probably be expected.   Source: China Update: State-owned giants seek to delist from the New York Stock Exchange

Summary:  Our weekly Commitment of Traders update highlights future positions and changes made by hedge funds and other speculators across commodities and forex during the week to August 9. A relatively quiet week where a continued improvement in risk appetite drove stocks higher while softening the dollar. Some commodity positions, with crude oil the major exceptions, showed signs of having reached a trough following weeks of heavy selling Saxo Bank publishes weekly Commitment of Traders reports (COT) covering leveraged fund positions in commodities, bonds and stock index futures. For IMM currency futures and the VIX, we use the broader measure called non-commercial. Link to latest report This summary highlights futures positions and changes made by hedge funds across commodities and forex during the week to August 9. A relatively quiet summer holiday impacted week where stocks traded higher ahead of last week’s CPI and PPI print after better than expected economic data helped reduce US recession fears while the market was looking for inflation to roll over. The dollar traded a tad softer, bond yields firmed up while commodities showed signs of having reached a trough following weeks of heavy selling.    Commodities Hedge funds were net buyers for a second week with demand concentrated in metals and agriculture while the energy sector saw continued selling. Overall the net long across 24 major commodity futures rose for a second week after recently hitting a two-year low. Buying was concentrated in gold, platinum, corn and livestock with crude oil and wheat being to most notable contracts seeing net selling. Energy: Speculators responded to continued crude oil weakness by cutting bullish bets in WTI and Brent crude by a combined 14% to a pre-Covid low at 304.5k lots. The reductions were primarily driven by long liquidation in both contracts following a demand fear driven breakdown in prices. Gas oil and gasoline longs were also reduced. Metals: Buying of metals extended to a second week led by gold which saw a 90% jump in the net long to 58.2k lots. Overall, net short positions were maintained in silver, platinum and copper with the latter seing a small amount of fresh selling due to profit taking on recently established longs. Agriculture: Grains were mixed with corn and soybeans seeing continued buying ahead of Friday's WASDE  report while the CBOT corn net short jumped 36% to 20k lotsand the Kansas net long was cut to a two-year low. The total grain long rose for second week having stabilised around 300k lots having collapse from a near record 800k lot on April 22.Soft commodities saw elevated short positions in sugar and cocoa being maintained with price gains in coffee and not least cotton supporting a small increase in their respective net longs. This before Friday's surge in cotton which left it up 13% on the week after the US Department of Agriculture slashed the US crop forecast by 19% to a 12-year low. Driven by a high level of abandonment of fields in the drought-stricken Southwest.      Forex In the week to August 9 when the dollar traded close to unchanged against a basket of major currencies, speculators increased to three the number of weeks of continued dollar selling. The pace of selling even accelerated to the highest since January after the gross long against ten IMM futures and the Dollar Index was slashed by 20% to $17.4 billion, a nine week low. Most notable selling of the greenback was seen against GBP and JPY followed by EUR and CHF. The Japanese yen, under pressure for months as yield differentials to the dollar widened saw its net short being cut by 22% to a 17-month low.     What is the Commitments of Traders report? The COT reports are issued by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the ICE Exchange Europe for Brent crude oil and gas oil. They are released every Friday after the U.S. close with data from the week ending the previous Tuesday. They break down the open interest in futures markets into different groups of users depending on the asset class. Commodities: Producer/Merchant/Processor/User, Swap dealers, Managed Money and otherFinancials: Dealer/Intermediary; Asset Manager/Institutional; Leveraged Funds and otherForex: A broad breakdown between commercial and non-commercial (speculators) The reasons why we focus primarily on the behavior of the highlighted groups are: They are likely to have tight stops and no underlying exposure that is being hedged This makes them most reactive to changes in fundamental or technical price developments It provides views about major trends but also helps to decipher when a reversal is looming  Source: COT: Speculators cut oil long to pre-covid low

Summary:  The weaker-than-expected economic data from China caught much of the attention and dragged U.S. bond yields and commodities lower. U.S. equities have been in a 4-week rally. Investors are weighing if the U.S. economy is heading into a soft-landing or a recession and if the Chinese economy can recover in the coming months. What is happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I)  U.S. equities opened lower on weak economic data prints from China as well as a weaker-than-expected Empire State manufacturing survey but climbed towards midday and finished higher. S&P 500 rose 0.4%. Nine of its 11 sectors gained, with shares of consumer staples and utilities outperforming. Nasdaq 100 rose 0.75%, led by a 3% jump in Tesla (TSLA:xnas).  U.S. treasury yields fell Treasury yields fell across the front end to the belly of the curve after a bunch of weak economic data from China and the Empire State manufacturing survey came in at -31.3, much weaker than 5.0 expected. Two-year yields fell by 7bps to 3.17% and 10-year yields declined 5bps to 2.78%.  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIQ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and mainland Chinese equities tried to move higher in early trading but soon reversed and turned south, Hang Seng -0.7%, CSI300 -0.1%.   The People’s Bank of China cut its policy on Monday but the unexpected move did not stir up much market excitement. The visit of another delegation of US lawmakers to Taiwan within 12 days of Speaker Pelosi’s visit stirred up concerns about the tension in the Sino-American relationship.   Container liner, Orient Overseas (00316:xhkg) plunged nearly 15%.   Stocks that have a dual listing of ADRs, in general, declined on Monday’s trading in Hong Kong following Friday’s decisions for five central SOEs to apply for delisting from the New York Stock Exchange, PetroChina (00857:xhkg/PTR:xnys) -3.4%, Sinopec (00386:xhkg/SNP:xnys) -2.9%, Alibaba (09988:xhkg/BABA:xnys) -1.2, Baidu (09888:xhkg/BIDU:xnas) -1%, Bilibili (09626:xhkg/BILI:xnas) -1%. SMIC (00981:xhkg) dropped more than 6% on analyst downgrades.  Chinese property names dropped as home prices continued to fall in China.  USD broadly firmer against G10 FX, expect JPY The US dollar started the week on the front foot, amid a weaker risk sentiment following a miss in China’s activity data and the disappointing US manufacturing and housing sentiments. The only outlier was the JPY, with USDJPY sliding to lows of 132.56 at one point before reversing the drop. The 131.50 level remains a key area of support for USDJPY and a bigger move in the US yields remains necessary to pierce through that level. The commodity currencies were the hardest hit, with AUDUSD getting in close sight of 0.7000 ahead of the RBA minutes due this morning. NZDUSD also plunged from 0.6450 to 0.6356. The Chinese yuan weakened and bond yields fell after disappointing economic data and surprising rate cuts USDCNH jumped more than 1% from 6.7380 to as high as 6.8200 on Monday following the weak credit data from last Friday, disappointing industrial production, retail sales, and fixed assets investment data released on Monday morning, and unexpected rate cuts by the People’s Bank of China. The 10-year Chinese government bond yield fell 8bps to 2.67%, the lowest level since April 2020, and about 20bps below the yield of 10-year U.S. treasury notes. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil prices had a variety of headwinds to deal with both on the demand and the supply side. While demand concerns were aggravated due to the weak China data, and the drop in US Empire State manufacturing – both signaling a global economic slowdown may be in the cards – supply was also seen as being possibly ramped up. There were signs of a potential breakthrough in talks with Iran as Tehran said it sent a reply to the EU's draft nuclear deal and expects a response within two days. Meanwhile, Aramco is also reportedly ramping up production. WTI futures dropped back below $90 while Brent touched $95/barrel. Metals face the biggest brunt of China data weakness Copper led the metals pack lower after China’s domestic activity weakened in July, which has raised the fears of a global economic slowdown as the zero-Covid policy is maintained. Meanwhile, supply side issues in Europe also cannot be ignored with surging power prices putting economic pressure on smelters, and many of them running at a loss. This could see further cuts to capacity over the coming months. Iron ore futures were also down. What to consider? Weak Empire State manufacturing survey and NAHB Index Although a niche measure, the United States NY Empire State Manufacturing Index, compiled by the New York Federal Reserve, fell to -31.3 from 11.1 in July, its lowest level since May 2020 and its sharpest monthly drop since the early days of the pandemic. New orders and shipments plunged, and unfilled orders also declined, albeit less sharply. Other key areas of concern were the rise in inventories and a decline in average hours worked. This further weighed on the sentiment after weak China data had already cast concerns of a global growth slowdown earlier. Meanwhile, the US NAHB housing market index also saw its eighth consecutive monthly decline as it slid 6 points to 49 in August. July housing starts and building permits are scheduled to be reported later today, and these will likely continue to signal a cooling demand amid the rising mortgage rates as well as overbuilding. European power price soared to record high European power prices continue to surge to fresh record highs amid gas flow vagaries, threatening a deeper plunge into recession. Next-year electricity rates in Germany advanced as much as 3.7% to 477.50 euros ($487) a megawatt-hour on the European Energy Exchange AG. That’s almost six times as much as this time last year, with the price doubling in the past two months alone. UK power prices were also seen touching record highs. European Dutch TTF natural gas futures were up over 6%, suggesting more pain ahead for European utility companies. China’s activity data China’s July industrial production (3.8% YoY vs consensus 4.3% & June 3.9%), retail sales (2.7% YoY vs consensus 4.9% & June 3.1%), and fixed asset investments (5.7% YTD vs consensus 6.2% & June 6.1%) released this more were weak across the board.  Property investment growth dropped to -6.4% YTD or -12.3% YoY in July, well below market expectations of -5.7% YTD.  Surprising rate cuts from the PBOC met with muted market reactions The People’s Bank of China cut its policy 1-year Medium-term Lending Facility Rate by 10bps to 2.75% from 2.85% and the 7-day reverse repo rate by 10bps to 2.0% from 2.1%.  Market reactions to the surprising move were muted as credit demand, as reflected in the aggregate financing and loan growth data was weak in China. BHP ‘s FY22 results better than expected The Australian mining giant reported FY22 results beating analyst estimates with strong EBITDA and EBITDA margin. Coal segment performance was ahead of expectations while results from the copper and iron ore segments were slightly below expectations.  The company announced a larger-than-expected dividend payout and a higher capex plan for 2023. RBA minutes due to be released this morning Earlier in the month, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) raised the cash rate by 50bps to 1.85% and the accompanying Statement on Monetary Policy emphasized an uncertain and data-dependent outlook. The RBA releases its minutes from the July meeting today, and the market focus will be on the range of options discussed for the August hike and any hint of future interest rate path.  US retailer earnings eyed After disappointing results last quarter, focus is on Walmart and Home Depot earnings later today. These will put the focus entirely on the US consumer after the jobs data this month highlighted a still-tight labor market while the inflation picture saw price pressures may have peaked. It would also be interesting to look at the inventory situation at these retailers, and any updated reports on the status of the global supply chains.     For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast. Source: APAC Daily Digest: What is happening in markets and what to consider next – August 16, 2022

Summary:  Weak data out of China overnight, together with a surprise rate cut from the PBOC and collapsing energy prices later on Monday saw the Japanese yen surging higher across the board. Indeed, the two key factors behind its descent to multi-decade lows earlier this year, rising yields and surging energy prices, have eased considerably since mid-June with only modest reaction from the yen thus far. Is that about to change? FX Trading focus: JPY finding sudden support on new disinflation narrative Weaker than expected Chinese data overnight brought a surprise rate cut from the Chinese central bank and seems to have sparked a broadening sell-off in commodities, which was boosted later by a crude oil drop of some five dollars per barrel on the news that Iran will decide by midnight tonight on whether to accept a new draft on the nuclear deal forward by the Euro zone. In response, the Chinese yuan has weakened toward the highs for the cycle in USDCNH, trading 6.78+ as of this writing and  (there was a spike high to 6.381 back in May but the exchange rate has been capped by 6.80 since then), but the Japanese yen is stealing the volatility and strength crown, surging sharply across the board and following up on the move lower inspired by the soft US CPI data point. US long yields easing considerably lower after an odd spike last Thursday are a further wind at the JPY’s back here. In the bigger picture, it has been rather remarkable that the firm retreat in global long-date yields since the mid-June peak and the oil price backing down a full 25% and more from the cycle highs didn’t do more to support the yen from the yield-spread angle (Bank of Japan’s YCC policy less toxic as yields fall) and from the current account angle for Japan. Interestingly, while the JPY has surged and taken USDJPY down several notches, the US dollar is rather firm elsewhere, with the focus more on selling pro-cyclical and commodity currencies on the possible implication that China may be content to export deflation by weakening its currency now that commodity prices have come down rather than on selling the US dollar due to any marking down of Fed expectations. Still, while the USD may remain a safe haven should JPY volatility be set to run amok across markets, the focus is far more on the latter as long as USDJPY is falling Chart: EURJPY As the JPY surges here, EURJPY is falling sharply again, largely tracking the trajectory of longer European sovereign yields, which never really rose much from their recent lows from a couple of weeks back, making it tough to understand the solid rally back above 138.00 of late. After peaking above 1.90% briefly in June, the German 10-year Bund, for example, is trading about 100 basis points lower and is not far from the cycle low daily close at 77 basis points. The EURJPY chart features a rather significant pivot area at 133.50, a prior major high back in late 2021 and the recent low and 200-day moving average back at the beginning of the month. After a brief JPY volatility scare in late July and into early August that faded, are we set for a second and bigger round here that takes USDJPY down through 130.00 and EURJPY likewise? A more significant rally in long US treasuries might be required to bring about a real JPY rampage. Source: Saxo Group The focus on weak Chinese data and key commodity prices like copper suddenly losing altitude after their recent rally has the Aussie shifting to the defensive just after it was showing strength late last week in sympathy with strong risk sentiment and those higher commodity prices. Is the AUDUSD break above 0.7000-25 set for a high octane reversal here? AUDJPY is worth a look as well after it managed to surge all the way back toward the top of the range before. The idea that a weak Chine might export deflation from here might be unsettling for Aussie bulls. The US macro data focus for the week is on today’s NAHB homebuilder’s survey, which plunged to a low since 2015 in June (not including the chaotic early 2020 pandemic breakout months), the July Housing Starts and Building Permits and then the July Retail Sales and FOMC minutes on Wednesday. With a massive relief in gasoline prices from the July spike high, it will be interesting to see whether the August US data picks up again on the services side. The preliminary August University of Michigan sentiment survey release on Friday showed expectations rising sharply by over 7 points from the lowest since-1980 lows of June, while the Present Situation measure dropped a few points back toward the cycle (and record) lows from May. Table: FX Board of G10 and CNH trend evolution and strength. The JPY is the real story today, but as our trending measures employ some averaging/smoothing, the move will need to stick what it has achieved today to show more. Watch out for a big shift in the commodity currencies in coming days as well if today’s move is the start of something. Elsewhere, the JPY comeback is merely taking CHF from strength to strength, although even the might franc has dropped against the JPY today. Source: Bloomberg and Saxo Group Table: FX Board Trend Scoreboard for individual pairs. Big momentum shift afoot today and watching whether this holds and the JPY pairs and pairs like AUDUSD and USDCAD to see if we are witnessing a major momentum shift in themes here. Also note NOK pairs like USDNOK and EURNOK here. Source: Bloomberg and Saxo Group Upcoming Economic Calendar Highlights (all times GMT) 1400 – US Aug. NAHB Housing Market Index 0130 – Australia RBA Meeting Minutes Source: FX Update: JPY jumps on deflating energy prices, fresh retreat in yields.

After two-quarters of contraction, many still do not accept that the US economy is in a recession  Federal Reserve officials have pushed against it, as has Treasury Secretary Yellen. The nearly 530k rise in July nonfarm rolls, more than twice the median forecast in Bloomberg's survey, and a new cyclical low in unemployment (3.5%) lent credibility to their arguments. If Q3 data point to a growing economy, additional support will likely be found.   While the interest rate-sensitive housing sector may still feel the squeeze, we note that activity is at historically strong levels  Housing starts are expected to have fallen for the third consecutive month in July. That would be the longest decline since the last four months of 2018. However, around 1.5 mln annualized pace, starts are still elevated. Permits, which are leading indicators, are holding up even better. They peaked at the end of last year a little below 1.9 mln and may have fallen to around 1.65 mln in July. Since the Great Financial Crisis, they were above 1.5 mln only once (October 2019). before the surge began in mid-2020. Existing home sales have come off a bit more  They are expected to have fallen for the sixth consecutive month in July. It is the worst streak since 2013. Indeed, they are likely to fall below the 5 mln annualized mark for the first time since January 2019. Elevated mortgage rates are the highest since 2008 and have squeezed buyers while rising inventories have sparked some anecdotes about price cuts. The number of houses for sale rose for the first time in three years, around three months at the current pace of sales. Below five months of inventory is regarded as tight by realtors. Of interest, first-time buyers accounted for almost a third of the sales in June. Cash sales accounted for a quarter of all transactions in June. Houses were on the market for an average of two weeks last month, the shortest for more than a decade. Recall that new home sales are recorded on contract signings, while the existing home sales are counted on closes.   While the housing market is softening, consumption and output appear to have begun Q3 on solid footing  Retail sales, which account for around 40% of consumption, are expected to have edged by 0.1%-0.2% after a 1.0% rise in June. The drop in gasoline prices will likely be seen here and weigh on the retail sales, which are reported in nominal terms. Core retail sales, which excludes auto, gasoline, building materials, and food services, are expected to have risen 0.6% after 0.8% in June. More people working and earning a little bit more (on average), i.e., the income effect should help underpin consumption.   Manufacturers added 30k people to their payrolls in July, the most in three months and matching last year's average pace  The US has added more manufacturing jobs through July than it did in the same period a year ago (273k vs. 161k). Manufacturing output has disappointed. It fell by 0.5% in both May and June. The decline in vehicle and parts output may have been partially reversed in July amid a recovery in auto sales. Higher commodity prices encouraged mining output in May and June (1.2% and 1.7%, respectively). It may have slowed as commodity prices fell in July. The scorching summer and demand for air conditioning likely boosted utility output, which had fallen in June (-1.4%).  On a year-over-year basis, industrial output often contracts into a recession but not always before the start of the recession  Through June, it has risen by almost 4.2%. The capacity utilization rate is expected to have above 80.0% for the fourth consecutive month. That would match the last cyclical peak in 2018, the longest since the Great Financial Crisis. Utilization rates fall sharply during a recession. In two of the last three recessions, capacity usage fell before the downturn was dated. In the Financial Crisis, the peak coincided with the start of the recession. The US also reports the capital flow data for June (TIC on August 15) While a favorite of reporters and analysts, it is not a market mover. Through May, net long-term foreign capital inflows have been a little more than $465 bln., which is about an 8.5% increase from a year ago. Finally, the Empire State Survey August 15) and the Philadelphia Fed surveys (August 18), the first look into August aside for the weekly jobs claims and mortgage applications. The market appears to put more weight on some components of the Philly survey.   Three economic releases from Japan will draw attention  Japan reports its first estimate of Q2 GDP to kick off the week. The world's third-largest economy contracted at an annualized rate of  0.5% in Q1 but is expected to have rebounded to 2.7% in Q2. That translates into a 0.7% quarterly expansion (seasonally adjusted) after shrinking by 0.1% in Q1. Consumption and business investment rebounded. Inventories were likely unwound. After rising 0.5% in Q1, the median forecast in Bloomberg's survey looks for a 0.3% decline. The GDP deflator has been negative for the past five quarters. It was at -0.5% in Q1, but economists (Bloomberg survey) project a decline to -0.8%.  Despite the GDP deflator still showing deflation's grip, the July CPI (August 19) is likely to show inflation continues to rise above the BOJ's target  It targets the CPI, excluding fresh food, at 2.0%. It stood at 2.2% in June and is likely to have ticked up a little in July. The Tokyo CPI has already been reported. The core measure rose to 2.3% from 2.1%. Tokyo's headline rate increased to 2.5% from 2.3%, and the measure excluding food and energy crept up to 1.2% from 1.0%.  July trade figures will be reported on August 17 Japan is experiencing a  massive terms-of-trade shock. In the first half of this year, Japan reported a JPY7.94 trillion (~$59 bln) deficit. In H1 21,  it had a trade surplus of about JPY810 bln (~$6 bln). The problem is not with merchandise exports. In June, they were up almost a fifth from last year, when they were by nearly 50% over 2020. Imports have surged with food and energy prices. Merchandise imports had risen 46% above the year-ago level in June, and that is after an increase by a third from June 2020.   The UK and Canada report July retail sales and CPI  The UK also publishes its latest employment report, while Canada updates housing starts and portfolio flows. The data poses headline risk, but the macroeconomic backdrop is unlikely to change significantly. The Bank of England warns that the economy will enter a protracted recession that will carry into 2024. The Bloomberg survey found that the median forecast assessed a 45% probability of a recession over the next 12 months.   UK's labor market is fairly strong, and the unemployment rate is at 3.8%, having bottomed at 3.7% in March, the lowest level since 1974. Inflation is rising, and the base effect underscores the upside risk. Last July, CPI was unchanged on the month.   While wage growth may be strong, it is insufficient to cover the rising cost of living and this squeezing consumption June was the first month since October 2021 that retail sales, excluding gasoline, rose. However, UK retail sales, reported in volume terms, have fallen an average of 0.5% a month over the past 12 months. If there is going to be relief for the UK household, it will have to come from the new government. The Bank of England has one objective. Bring down inflation. The swaps market has discounted almost an 85% chance of another 50 bp increase to 2.25% at the September 15 meeting. It sees a year-end rate of around 2.80%, implying nearly 75 bp hikes in Q4.   Canada's labor market improvement is stalling, and it looks like the economy is too The monthly GDP downshifted from 0.7-0.8% in February and March to 0.3% in April and flat in May. Retail sales have been strong, flattered by rising prices. Through May, they have increased by an average of 1.5% a month. The average in the first five months of 2021 was 0.6. Canadian inflation accelerated to 8.1% in June and may have slowed in July for the first time since June 2021. Underlying core measures are expected to have stayed firm. Last month, the Bank of Canada surprised the market with a 100 bp hike in the overnight lending rate to 2.50%. The swaps market briefly took the possibility of a 75 bp hike at the September 7 meeting very seriously but now has slightly better than a 40% chance.  In Australia, the labor market is in focus  It added 60k full-time positions on average a month in Q2 after a 50.5k average in Q1. The pace is likely to moderate. The participation rate of 66.8% set in June was a record high. The unemployment rate of 3.5% was also a record low. There are some signs that the overall economy may be losing some momentum. Still, with CPI accelerating from 5.1% in Q1 to 6.1% in Q2, the Reserve Bank of Australia is tightening policy. After delivering the first hike in May of 25 bp, it lifted the cash target rate in 50 bp clips in June through August. Speculation of another 50 bp hike at the September 6 meeting is seen as slightly better than even money.  The Reserve Bank of New Zealand meets on August 17  It will most likely deliver the seventh hike in the cycle that began last October. After three quarter-point moves, it delivered three 50 bp hikes. The cash target rate now stands at 2.50%. With Q2 inflation rising faster than expected (7.3% year-over-year), unemployment low (3.3% in Q2; record low set last December at 3.2%), more forceful action is possible. However, the swaps market judges it unlikely and has about a 90% chance of a 50 bp hike reflected in current prices. The New Zealand dollar is strong, at its best level in two months, but maybe too strong. Although it closed firmly ahead for the weekend, it looks stretched from a technical perspective, perhaps signaling a "buy the rumor, sell the fact" type of activity.  Norway's central bank, Norges Bank, meets on August 18  A few hours after Norway reports Q2 GDP, Norges Bank makes its rate announcement. Typically, it prefers to adjust policy when it updates its economic assessment, similar in this regard to the European Central Bank. However, last week's CPI shock heightens the risk it breaks from the pattern. Headline CPI jumped 1.3% in July, lifting the year-over-year rate to 6.8%. The median forecast (Bloomberg's survey) was for an unchanged 6.3% pace. The underlying rate, which excludes energy and adjusts for tax changes, surged by 1.5%, nearly twice as much as expected. As a result, the year-over-year change was boosted to 4.5% from 3.6%.   The deposit rate stands at 1.25%  Norges Bank began the tightening cycle last September but has raised it by a cumulative 125 bp. However, among the high-income countries in Europe, only the UK's policy rate is higher. Sweden's inflation is higher at 8.5% (July from 8.7% in June), and its policy rate is 50 bp less than Norway. Since June 16, the day after the FOMC meeting that results in the first 75 bp rate hike, the Norwegian krone has been the strongest major currency, gaining 3.9% against the US dollar and 6.8% against the euro. Look for the dollar to correct higher, even if a 50 bp hike is delivered.    Disclaimer   Source: Week Ahead: More Evidence US Consumption and Output are Expanding, and RBNZ and Norges Bank to Hike

The bullish dollar narrative was fairly straightforward  Yes, the US main challengers, China and Russia, have been hobbled in different ways by self-inflicted injuries. Still, the driver of the dollar was the expected aggressive tightening by the Federal Reserve. The market accepted that after being a bit slower than ideal (though faster and before many other large central banks), the Fed would move forcefully against inflation, even if it diminished the chances of an economic soft-landing.   However, now the market seems to have a different reaction function  The euro was impressively resilient after the job growth of more than twice expectations. However, the softer than expected US CPI sent the dollar broadly lower, inflicting some apparent technical damage to the charts.  We are reluctant to chase the dollar lower and impressed in a week that the US reported a decline in CPI and PPI that the 10-year bond yield closed a few basis points higher and the first back-to-back weekly increase in two months Technically, it seems that the dollar's pullback, nearly a month-old, move is getting maybe getting stretched. We will try to identify levels that could confirm another leg lower and what would suggest the US dollar may snap back.   Dollar Index:   After reaching almost 107.00 after the stronger than expected jobs data, the Dollar Index fell to almost 104.65 in response to the softer than expected CPI. It was the lowest level since the end of June. The MACD is still falling but oversold. The Slow Stochastic looks poised to turn lower from the middle of the range. Nevertheless, we like it higher in the coming days. We target 106.30 and then 107.00. A move above 107.50 could signal a return to the highs near 109.30 from mid-July. That said, a close below 105.00 would boost the risk of another leg lower.  Euro:  The euro rallied strongly after the softer US CPI, but a key trendline drawn off the February, March, and June highs begins the new week near $1.0375 remains unchallenged. Although the momentum indicators allow for additional gains, we look for the euro to push lower in the coming days. Only a move above the trendline would give it new life. We think the greater likelihood is for the single currency to initially ease toward $1.0180-$1.0200. It may take a break of $1.01 to signal a return to the 20-year low set in mid-July near $0.9950. The US two-year premium over Germany narrowed every day last week for a cumulative 11 bp to near 2.66%. Italy's premium over Germany was trimmed by six basis points. It was the third week of convergence, but at 0.75%, it is still nearly twice what it was in June. Japanese Yen:  The greenback was pushed away from JPY135 by the decline in US rates after the CPI figures. It was sold to about JPY131.75, holding above the month's low set on August 2 near JPY130.40. However, US rates closed firmer on the week despite three softer-than-expected price reports (CPI, PPI, and import/export prices). As a result, the greenback looks poised to test the JPY135.00-50 ceiling. A move above JPY136 would target the JPY137.50 area. We have emphasized the strong correlation between changes in the exchange rate and the US 10-year yield. That correlation is off its highs though still above 0.50, while the correlation with the US two-year yield has risen toward 0.65, the highest in five months.  British Pound:   Sterling rose to $1.2275 in the broad US dollar sell-off in the middle of last week. It stalled in front of the high set on August 2, a little shy of $1.23. This sets up a potential double top formation with a neckline at $1.20. A break would re-target the two-year low set in July near $1.1760. The MACD is set to turn down. The Slow Stochastic is going sideways in the middle of the range after pulling back earlier this month. Sentiment seems poor, and in the week ahead, the UK is expected to report some easing in the labor market, accelerating consumer prices, and another decline in retail sales. Canadian Dollar:   The US dollar fell to near a two-month low last week slightly below CAD1.2730, and slipped through the 200-day moving average on an intraday basis for the first time since June 9. The test of the (61.8%) retracement of this year's rally (early April low ~CAD1.2400 and the mid-July high ~CAD1.3225) found near CAD1.2715 was successful. The US dollar recovered ahead of the weekend back to the CAD1.2800 area. Although the momentum indicators give room for further US dollar losses, we suspect a near-term low is in place and look for an upside correction toward CAD1.2850-CAD1.2900. The Canadian dollar remains sensitive to the immediate risk environment reflected in the change in the S&P 500. The correlation over the past 30 sessions is a little better than 0.60. The correlation reached a two-year high in June near 0.80. The exchange rate's correlation (30 sessions) with oil prices (WTI) set this year's high in early August near 0.60. It is now slightly below 0.50.  Australian Dollar:   Although our bias is for the US dollar to correct higher, the Aussie does not line up quite as well. It broke above the high set at the start of the month near $0.7050 and has held above it. However, its surge stalled slightly above $0.7135, and it consolidated in a narrow range around $0.7100 ahead of the weekend. The momentum indicators are constructive. The main hurdle is the 200-day moving average near $0.7150 and the (50%) retracement of this year's decline (~$0.7660 in early April and ~$6680 in mid-July) found near $0.7170. A break of this area could see a return to the June high by $0.7285.   Mexican Peso:   Latin American currencies had a good week, except for the Argentine peso, which fell by more than 1%, for the dubious honor of being the poorest performer in the emerging markets. Led by Chile (+3.9%) and the Colombian peso (3.8%), Latam currencies accounted for half of the top five performers last week. The peso's 2.7% gain was its best in five months, and the dollar was sold a little through MXN19.85, its lowest level since late June when it reached almost MXN19.82.There seems little to prevent a move toward MXN19.50. Any worries that AMLO's appointments to the central bank would block aggressive tightening of monetary policy must have evaporated as Banxico demonstrated a resolve to hike rates and shadow the US.  Chinese Yuan:   The yuan took a step lower from mid-April until mid-May. Since then, it has been trading within the range more or less seen in the second half of May. That dollar range is roughly CNY6.650 to CNY6.77. For the past month, the dollar has traded between CNY6.72 and CNY6.78, fraying the upper end of the broader range after the greenback surged broadly after the US employment data. Policymakers have signaled concern about inflation and its reluctance to ease monetary policy. It would seem the domestic policy efforts might favor a firm yuan.     Disclaimer   Source: Is the Dollar's Month-Long Pullback Over?

Overview: After retreating most of last week, the US dollar has extended yesterday’s gains today. The Canadian dollar is the most resilient, while the New Zealand dollar is leading the decline with a nearly 0.75% drop ahead of the central bank decision first thing tomorrow. The RBNZ is expected to deliver its fourth consecutive 50 bp hike. Most emerging market currencies are lower as well, led by central Europe. Equities in Asia Pacific and Europe are mostly higher today. Japan and Hong Kong were exceptions, and China was mixed with small gains in Shanghai and Shenzhen composites, but the CSI 300 slipped. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is stretching its advance for the fifth consecutive session. It is at two-month highs. US futures are softer. The US 10-year yield is slightly firmer near 2.80%, while European benchmark yields are mostly 2-4 bp higher, but Italian bonds are under more pressure and the yield is back above the 3% threshold. Gold is softer after being repulsed from the $1800 area to test $1773-$1775. A break could signal a test on the 20-day moving average near $1761. October WTI tested last week’s lows yesterday near $86 a barrel on the back of the poor Chinese data. It is straddling the 200-day moving average (~$87.95). The market is also watching what seems like the final negotiations with Iran, where a deal could also boost supply. US natgas prices are more than recouping the past two days of losses and looks set to challenge the $9 level. Europe’s benchmark leapt 11.7% yesterday and is up another 0.5% today. Iron ore has yet to a base after falling more than 5.5% in the past two sessions. It fell almost 0.65% today. September copper has fallen by almost 2.5% over the past two sessions and is steady today. Lastly, September wheat is slipping back below $8 a bushel and is trading heavily for the third consecutive session. Asia Pacific Japan's 2.2% annualized growth in Q2 does not stand in the way of a new government support package  Prime Minister Kishida has been reportedly planning new measures and has instructed the cabinet to pull it together by early next month. He wants to cushion the blow of higher energy and food prices. An extension of the subsidy to wholesalers to keep down the gasoline and kerosene prices looks likely. Kishida wants to head off a surge in wheat prices. Without a commitment to maintain current import prices of wheat that is sold to millers, the price could jump 20% in October, according to reports. Separately, and more controversially, Kishida is pushing for the re-opening of nine nuclear plants that have passed their safety protocols, which have been shut since the 2011 Fukushima accident.  The minutes from the Reserve Bank of Australia's meeting earlier this month signaled additional rate hikes will be forthcoming  After three half--point hikes, it says that the pace going forward will be determined by inflation expectations and the evolving economic conditions. The minutes noted that consumer spending is an element of uncertainty given the higher inflation and interest rates. Earlier today, the CBA's household spending report shows a 1.1% jump month-over-month in July and a 0.6% increase in June. The RBA wants to bring the cash target rate to neutral (~2.50%). The target rate is currently at 1.85% and the cash rate futures is pricing in about a 40% chance of a 50 bp hike at the next RBA meeting on September 6. It peaked near 60% last week. On Thursday, Australia reports July employment. Australia grew 88.4k jobs in June, of which almost 53k were full-time positions. The median forecast in Bloomberg's survey envisions a 25k increase of jobs in July.  The offshore yuan slumped 1.15% yesterday  It was the biggest drop since August 2019 and was sparked by the unexpected cut in rates after a series of disappointing economic data. The US dollar reached almost CNH6.82 yesterday, its highest level in three months. It has steadied today but remains firm in the CNH6.7925-CNH6.8190 range. China's 10-year yield is still under pressure. It finished last week quietly near 2.74% and yesterday fell to 2.66% and today 2.63%. It is the lowest since May 2020. As we have noted, the dollar-yen exchange rate seems to be more sensitive to the US 2-year yield (more anchored to Fed policy) than the 10-year yield (more about growth and inflation)  The dollar is trading near four-day highs against the yen as the two-year yield trades firmer near 3.20%. Initial resistance has been encountered in Europe near JPY134.00. Above there, the JPY134.60 may offer the next cap. Support now is seen around JPY133.20-40. The Australian dollar extended yesterday's decline and slipped through the $0.7000-level where A$440 mln in options expire today. It also corresponds with a (50%) retracement of the run-up form the mid-July low (~$0.6680). The next area of support is seen in the $0.6970-80 area. The greenback rose 0.45% against the onshore yuan yesterday after gapping higher. Today it gapped higher again and rose to almost CNY6.7975, its highest level since mid-May. It reached a high then near CNY6.8125. The PBOC set the dollar's reference rate at CNY6.7730, slightly less than the median in Bloomberg's survey (CNY6.7736). The takeaway is the central bank did not seem to protest the weakness of the yuan. Europe The euro has been sold to a new seven-year low against the euro near CHF0.9600 The euro has been sold in eight of the nine weeks since the Swiss National Bank hiked its policy rate by 50 bp on June 16. Half of those weekly decline were 1% or larger. The euro has fallen around 7.4% against the franc since the hike. Swiss domestic sight deposit fell for 10 of 11 weeks through the end of July as the SNB did not appear to be intervening. However, in the last two weeks, as the franc continued to strengthen, the Swiss sight deposits have risen, and recorded their first back-to-back increase in four months. This is consistent with modest intervention. The UK added 160k jobs in Q2, almost half of the jobs gain in the three months through May, illustrating the fading momentum  Still, some 73k were added to the payrolls in July, well above expectations. In the three months through July, job vacancies in the UK fell (~19.8k) for the first time in nearly two years. Average weekly earnings, including bonuses, rose 5.1% in Q2. The median forecast was for a 4.5% increase. Yet, real pay, excluding bonuses and adjusted for inflation slid 3% in the April-June period, the most since at least 2001. The ILO measure of unemployment in Q2 was unchanged at 3.8%. The Bank of England warns it will rise to over 6%. The market still favors a 50 bp hike next month. The swaps market has it at a little better than an 80% probability. The euro is extending its retreat  It peaked last week, near $1.0365 and tested this month's low near $1.0125 in the European morning. The intraday momentum indicators are stretched, and that market does not appear to have the drive to challenge the 1.2 bln euros in options struck at $1.0075 that expire today. With yesterday's loss, the euro met the (50%) retracement objective of the bounce off the mid-July 22-year low (~$0.9950). The next retracement objective (61.8%) is near $1.0110. Nearby resistance may be met near $1.0160-70. Sterling has been sold for the fourth consecutive session. It approached the $1.20-level, which may be the neckline of a double top. If violated it could signal a return to the low seen in mid-July around $1.1760. Sterling is holding in better than the euro now. The cross peaked before the weekend in front of GBP0.8500 and is approaching GBP0.8400 today. A break would look ominous and could spur a return to the GBP0.8340 area. America The Empire State manufacturing survey and the manufacturing PMI line up well  Both bottomed in April 2020 and peaked in July 2021. The outsized decline in the August Empire State survey points to the downside risks of next week's preliminary August manufacturing PMI. Recall that the July manufacturing PMI fell to 52.2, its third consecutive decline and the lowest reading since July 2020. There was little good in the Empire survey. Orders and shipments fell dramatically. Employment was also soft. Prices paid softened to the lowest this year, but prices received edged higher. The US reports housing start and permits and industrial output today The housing market continues to slow from elevated levels. Housing starts are expected to have fallen 2% in July, matching the June decline. It would be the third consecutive decline, and the longest declining streak since 2018. Still, in terms of the absolute level of activity, anything above 1.5 mln units must still be regarded as strong. They stood at almost 1.56 mln in June. Permits fell by 10% in April-May before stabilizing in June. The median forecast in Bloomberg's survey projects a 3.3% decline. Permits were running at 1.685 mln in June. From April 2007 through September 2019, permits held below 1.5 mln. The industrial production report may attract more attention Output fell in June (-0.2%) for the first time this year, and even with it, industrial product has risen on average by 0.4% a month in H1 22, slightly above the pace seen in H1 21. Helped by manufacturing and utility output, industrial production is expected to rise by around 0.3%. In the last cycle, capacity use spent four months (August-November 2018) above 80%. It had not been above 80% since the run-up to the Great Financial Crisis when it spent December 2006 through March 2008 above the threshold and peaked slightly above 81.0%. Last month was likely the fourth month in this cycle above the 80% capacity use rate. Note that the Atlanta Fed's GDPNow tracker will be updated later today. The update from August 10 put Q3 GDP at 2.5%. Housing starts in Canada likely slow last month, which would be the first back-to-back decline this year  The median forecast (Bloomberg's survey) calls for a 3.6% decline after an 8.4% fall in June. Still, the expected pace of 264k is still 10% higher since the end of last year. On Monday, Canada reported that July existing home sales fell by 5.3%, the fifth consecutive decline. They have fallen by more than a third since February. Canada also reports its monthly portfolios. Through May, Canada has experienced C$98.5 bln net portfolio inflows, almost double the pace seen in the first five months last year. However, the most important report today is the July CPI. A 0.1% increase, which is the median forecast in Bloomberg's survey would be the smallest of the year and the year-over-year pace to eased to 7.6% from 8.1%. If so, it is the first decline since June 2021. Similar with what the US reported, the core measures are likely to prove sticky. After the employment data on August 5, the swaps market was still leaning in favor a 75 bp hike at the September 7 meeting (64%). However, since the US CPI report, it has been hovering around a 40% chance. While the US S&P 500 rose reached almost four-month highs yesterday, the Canadian dollar found little consolation  It held in better than the other dollar-bloc currencies and Scandis, but it still suffered its biggest decline in about a month yesterday. The greenback reached almost CAD1.2935 yesterday and is consolidating in a narrow range today above CAD1.2890. The next important chart point is near CAD1.2975-85 and the CAD1.3050. After testing the MXN20.00 level yesterday, the US dollar was sold marginally through last week's low (~MXN19.8150). It is consolidating today and has not been above MXN19.8850. It has come a long way from the month's high set on August 3 near MXN20.8335. The greenback's downside momentum seems to have eased as it stalls in front of MXN19.81 for the third consecutive session.     Disclaimer   Source: Greenback Remains Firm

Summary:  Equities traded higher still yesterday as treasury yields fell further back into the recent range and on hopes that an Iran nuclear deal will cement yesterday’s steep drop in oil prices. The latest data out of the US was certainly nothing to celebrate as the July US Homebuilder survey showed a further sharp drop in new housing interest and a collapse in the first regional US manufacturing survey for August, the New York Fed’s Empire Manufacturing.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures extended their gains yesterday getting closer to the 200-day moving average sitting around the 4,322 level. The US 10-year yield seems well anchored below 3% and financial conditions indicate that S&P 500 futures could in theory trade around 4,350. The news flow is light but earnings from Walmart later today could impact US equities should the largest US retailer lower their outlook for the US consumer. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) Hong Kong and mainland Chinese equities were mixed. CSI300 was flat, with electric equipment, wind power, solar and auto names gained. Hang Seng Index declined 0.5%. Energy stocks fell on lower oil price. Technology names were weak overall, Hang Seng TECH Index (HSTECH.I) declined 0.9%. Sunny Optical (02382:xhkg) reported worse than expected 1H22 results, revenues -14.4% YoY, net profits -49.5%, citing weakening component demand from the smartphone industry globally. The company’s gross margin plunged to 20.8% from 24.9%. Li Auto’s (02015:xhkg/LI:xnas) Q2 results were in line with expectations but Q3 guidance disappointed. The launch L9 seems cannibalizing Li ONE sales. USD: strength despite weak US data and falling treasury yields and strong risk sentiment Yesterday, the JPY tried to make hay on China cutting rates and as global yields eased back lower, with crude oil marked several dollars lower on hopes for an Iran nuclear deal. But the move didn’t stick well in USDJPY, which shrugged off these developments as the USD firmed further across the board, despite treasury yields easing lower, weak data and still strong risk sentiment/easy financial conditions. A strong US dollar is in and of itself is a tightening of financial conditions, however, and yesterday’s action has cemented a bullish reversal in some pairs, especially EURUSD and GBPUSD, where the next important levels pointing to a test of the cycle lows are 1.0100 and 1.2000, respectively. Elsewhere, USDJPY remains in limbo (strong surge above 135.00 needed to suggest upside threat), USDCAD has posted a bullish reversal but needs 1.3000 for confirmation, and AUDUSD is teetering, but needs a close back below 0.7000 to suggest a resurgent US dollar and perhaps widening concerns that a Chinese recession will temper interest in the Aussie. Crude oil Crude oil (CLU2 & LCOV2) trades lower following Monday’s sharp drop that was driven by a combination softer economic data from China and the US, the world’s top consumers of oil, and after Iran signaled a nuclear deal could be reached soon, raising the prospect of more Iranian crude reaching the market. The latest developments potentially reducing demand while adding supply forced recently established longs to bail and short sellers are once again in control. Brent needs to hold support at $93 in order to avoid further weakness towards $90. Focus on Iran news. Copper Copper (COPPERUSSEP22) led the metals pack lower, without breaking any key technical levels to the downside, after China’s domestic activity weakened in July. Meanwhile, supply side issues in Europe also cannot be ignored with surging power prices putting economic pressure on smelters, and many of them running at a loss. HG copper jumped 19% during the past month and yesterday’s setback did not challenge any key support level with the first being around $3.50/lb. BHP, the world’s top miner meanwhile hit record profits while saying that China is likely to offer a “tail wind” to global growth (see below). EU power prices hit record high on continued surge in gas prices ... threatening a deeper plunge into recession. The latest surge being driven by low water levels on Europe’s rivers obstructing the normal passage for diesel, coal, and other fuel products, thereby forcing utilities to use more gas European Dutch TTF benchmark gas futures (TTFMU2) has opened 5% higher at €231/MWh, around 15 times higher than the long-term average, suggesting more pain ahead for European utility companies. Next-year electricity rates in Germany (DEBYF3) closed 3.7% higher to 477.50 euros ($487) a megawatt-hour on the European Energy Exchange AG. That is almost six times as much as this time last year, with the price doubling in the past two months alone. UK power prices were also seen touching record highs. US Treasuries (IEF, TLT) see long-end yields surging. Yields dipped back lower on weak US economic data, including a very weak Empire Manufacturing Survey (more below) and another sharp plunge in the NAHB survey of US home builders, suggesting a rapid slowdown in the housing market. The survey has historically proven a leading indicator on prices as well. The 10-year benchmark dipped back further into the range after threatening to break up higher last week. The choppy range extends down to 2.50% before a drop in yields becomes a more notable development, but tomorrow’s US Retail Sales and FOMC minutes offer the next test of sentiment. What is going on? Weak Empire State manufacturing survey and NAHB Index Although a niche and volatile measure, the United States NY Empire State Manufacturing Index, compiled by the New York Federal Reserve, fell to -31.3 from 11.1 in July, its lowest level since May 2020 and its sharpest monthly drop since the early days of the pandemic. New orders and shipments plunged, and unfilled orders also declined, albeit less sharply. Other key areas of concern were the rise in inventories and a decline in average hours worked. This further weighed on the sentiment after weak China data had already cast concerns of a global growth slowdown earlier. Meanwhile, the US NAHB housing market index also saw its eighth consecutive monthly decline as it slid 6 points to 49 in August. July housing starts and building permits are scheduled to be reported later today, and these will likely continue to signal a cooling demand amid the rising mortgage rates as well as overbuilding. China's CATL plans to build its second battery factory in Europe CATL unveiled plans to build a renewable energy-powered factory for car battery cells and modules in Hungary. It will invest EUR 7.34 billion (USD 7.5bn) on the 100-GWh facility, which will be its second one in Europe. To power the facility CATL will use electricity from renewable energy source, such as solar power. At present, CATL is in the process of commissioning its German battery production plant, which is expected to roll out its first cells and modules by the end of 2022. Disney (DIS) shares rise on activist investor interest Daniel Loeb of Third Point announced a significant new stake in Disney yesterday, helping to send the shares some 2.2% higher in yesterday’s session. The activist investor recommended that the company spin off its ESPN business to reduce debt and take full ownership of the Hulu streaming service, among other moves. Elliott exits SoftBank Group The US activist fund sold its stake in SoftBank earlier this year in a sign that large investors are scaling back on their investments in technology growth companies with long time to break-even. In a recent comment, SoftBank’s founder Masayoshi Son used more cautious words regarding the investment company’s future investments in growth companies. BHP reports its highest ever profit, bolstered by coal BHP posted a record profit of $21.3bn supported by considerable gains in coal, nickel and copper prices during the fiscal year ending 30 June 2022. Profits jumped 26% compared to last year’s result. The biggest driver was a 271% jump in the thermal coal price, and a 43% spike in the nickel price. The world’s biggest miner sees commodity demand improving in 2023, while it also sees China emerging as a source of stable commodity demand in the year ahead. BHP sees supply covering demand in the near-term for copper and nickel. According to the company iron ore will likely remain in surplus through 2023. In an interview Chief Executive Officer Mike Henry said: Long-term outlook for copper, nickel and potash is really strong because of “unstoppable global trends: decarbonization, electrification, population growth, increasing standards of living,” What are we watching next? Australia Q2 Wage Index tonight to determine future RBA rate hike size? The RBA Minutes out overnight showed a central bank that is trying to navigate a “narrow path” for keeping the Australian economy on an “even keel”. The RBA has often singled out wages as an important risk for whether inflation risks becoming more embedded and on that note, tonight sees the release of the Q2 Wage Index, expected to come in at 2.7% year-on-year after 2.4% in Q1. A softer data point may have the market pulling back expectations for another 50 basis point rate hike at the next RBA meeting after the three consecutive moves of that size. The market is about 50-50 on the size of the RBA hike in September, pricing a 35 bps move. RBNZ set to decelerate its guidance after another 50 basis point move tonight? The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is expected to hike its official cash rate another 50 basis points tonight, taking the policy rate to 3.00%. With business and consumer sentiment surveys in the dumps in New Zealand and oil prices retreating sharply the RBNZ, one of the earliest among developed economies to tighten monetary policy starting late last year, may be set for more cautious forward guidance and a wait and see attitude, although wages did rise in Q2 at their second fastest pace (+2.3% QoQ) in decades. The market is uncertain on the future course of RBNZ policy, pricing 44 bps for the October meeting after tonight’s 50 bps hike and another 36 bps for the November meeting. US retailer earnings eyed After disappointing results last quarter, focus is on Walmart and Home Depot earnings later today. These will put the focus entirely on the US consumer after the jobs data this month highlighted a still-tight labor market while the inflation picture saw price pressures may have peaked. It would also be interesting to look at the inventory situation at these retailers, and any updated reports on the status of the global supply chains.   Earnings to watch Today’s US earnings focus is Walmart and Home Depot with analysts expecting Walmart to report 7% revenue growth y/y and 8% decline y/y in EPS as the US retailer is facing difficulties passing on rising input costs. Home Depot is expected to report 6% growth y/y in revenue and 10% growth y/y in EPS as the US housing market is still robust driving demand for home improvement products. Sea Ltd, the fast-growing e-commerce and gaming company, is expected to report revenue growth of 30% y/y in Q2 but worsening EBITDA margin at -16.2%. The previous winning company is facing headwinds in its gaming division and cash flow from operations have gone from positive $318mn in Q1 2021 to negative $724mn in Q1 2022. Today: China Telecom, Walmart, Agilent Technologies, Home Depot, Sea Ltd Wednesday: Tencent, Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing, Analog Devices, Cisco Systems, Synopsys, Lowe’s, CSL, Target, TJX, Coloplast, Carlsberg, Wolfspeed Thursday: Applied Materials, Estee Lauder, NetEase, Adyen, Nibe Industrier, Geberit Friday: China Merchants Bank, CNOOC, Shenzhen Mindray, Xiaomi, Deere Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – Germany Aug. ZEW Survey 0900 – Eurozone Jun. Trade Balance 1200 – Poland Jul. Core CPI 1215 – Canada Jul. Housing Starts 1230 – US Jul. Housing Starts and Building Permits 1230 – Canada Jul. CPI 2030 – API Weekly Report on US Oil Inventories 2350 – Japan Jul. Trade Balance 0130 – Australia Q2 Wage Index 0200 – New Zealand RBNZ Official Cash Rate announcement 0300 – New Zealand RBNZ Governor Orr Press Conference  Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – August 16, 2022

Summary:  Today we look at a confusing market backdrop as the US dollar rose across the board despite weak US data and US treasury yields easing lower again. While measures of risk sentiment and financial conditions look very strong here, we need to remember that the US dollar is a financial condition unto itself and one of the most import exchange rates, the USDCNH rate should be on every trader's radar. As well, the US S&P 500 index is pushing up against a major resistance level. Crude oil, copper, earnings reports ahead and more on today pod, which features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast  Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com. Source: Podcast: The US dollar is a financial condition, too

The price of WTI crude oil remained below $90 per barrel at the beginning of the week, the level before Russia's attack on Ukraine. Oil today is the cheapest in six months. It seems that the topic of a global economic slowdown or recession and how long it may last may be important for the oil market. Chinese and U.S. economic data seem to show a weaker condition in both economies and thus could affect the decline in oil demand. This, in turn, could put downward pressure on prices. According to published data, factory activity in China declined enough in July to force the central bank to cut lending rates to keep demand from collapsing. In the United States, on the other hand, the market may have been taken by surprise by the second-largest drop in the history of the New York Empire State Manufacturing Index. The above indicators may affect the market from the demand side, but this is only one part of the puzzle. On the supply side, long-awaited changes may be brewing. Once the embargo is lifted, oil from Iran may start flowing into the market again. Iran has responded to the European Union's proposal. It may seek to re-implement the 2015 nuclear agreement. The EU is also calling on the US to show more flexibility in implementing the agreement. Saudi Arabia may also be preparing to increase its oil supply. The chairman of Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil giant, stated over the weekend that his company is ready to increase production to 12 million barrels per day, the company's current production capacity limit. Only a decision by the Saudi Arabian government is needed to increase production. According to the EIA agency's forecast, the United States can also increase its production. US oil production in the August forecast averages 11.9 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2022. It could rise to 12.7 million b/d in 2023. If this forecast comes true, the US could set a production record next year. The current one is 12.3 million b/d and was set in 2019.   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. 82.59% 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. Source: Oil near six-month lows

Overview: Equities were mostly higher in the Asia Pacific region, though Chinese and Hong Kong markets eased, and South Korea and India were closed for national holidays. Despite new Chinese exercises off the coast of Taiwan following another US congressional visit, Taiwan’s Taiex gained almost 0.85%. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is advancing for the fourth consecutive session, while US futures are paring the pre-weekend rally. Following disappointing data and a surprise cut in the one-year medium-term lending facility, China’s 10-year yield fell to 2.66%, its lowest in two years. The US 10-year is soft near 2.83%, while European yields are mostly 2-4 bp lower. Italian bonds are bucking the trend and the 10-year yield is a little higher. The Antipodeans and Norwegian krone are off more than 1%, but all the major currencies are weaker against the greenback, but the Japanese yen, which is practically flat. Most emerging market currencies are lower too. The Hong Kong Dollar, which has been supported by the HKMA, strengthened before the weekend, and is consolidating those gains today. Gold tested the $1800 level again but has been sold in the wake of the stronger dollar and is at a five-day low near $1778. The poor data from China raises questions about demand, and September WTI is off 3.6% after falling 2.4% before the weekend. It is near $88.60, while last week’s five-month lows were set near $87.00. US natgas is almost 2% lower, while Europe’s benchmark is up 2.7% to easily recoup the slippage of the past two sessions. China’s disappointment is weighing on industrial metal prices. Iron ore tumbled 4% and September copper is off nearly 3%. September wheat snapped a four-day advance before the weekend and is off 2.3% today.  Asia Pacific With a set of disappointing of data, China surprised with a 10-bp reduction in the benchmark one-year lending facility rate to 2.75%  It is the first cut since January. It also cut the yield on the seven-day repo rate to 2.0% from 2.1%. The string of poor news began before the weekend with a larger-than-expect in July lending figures. However, those lending figures probably need to be put in the context of the surge seen in June as lenders scramble to meet quota. Today's July data was simply weak. Industrial output and retail sales slowed sequentially year-over-year, whereas economists had projected modest increases. New home prices eased by 0.11%, and residential property sales fell 31.4% year-over-year after 31.8% decline in June. Property investment fell 6.4% year-over-year, year-to-date measures following a 5.4% drop in June. Fix asset investment also slowed. The one exception to the string of disappointment was small slippage in the surveyed unemployment rate to 5.4% from 5.5%. Incongruous, though on the other hand, the jobless rate for 16–24-year-olds rose to a record 19.9%. Japan reported a Q2 GDP that missed estimates, but the revisions lifted Q1 GDP out of contraction  The world's second-largest economy grew by 2.2% at an annualized pace in Q2. While this was a bit disappointing, Q1 was revised from a 0.5% fall in output to a 0.1% expansion. Consumption (1.1%) rebounded (Q1 revised to 0.3% from 0.1%) as did business spending (1.4% vs. -0.3% in Q1, which was originally reported as -0.7%). Net exports were flat after taking 0.5% off Q1 GDP. Inventories, as expected, were unwound. After contributing 0.5% to Q1 GDP, they took 0.4% off Q2 growth. Deflationary forces were ironically still evident. The GDP deflator fell 0.4% year-over-year, almost the same as in Q1 (-0.5%). Separately, Japan reported industrial surged by 9.2% in June, up from the preliminary estimate of 8.9%. It follows a two-month slide (-7.5% in May and -1.5% in April) that seemed to reflect the delayed impact of the lockdowns in China. The US dollar is little changed against the Japanese yen and is trading within the pre-weekend range (~JPY132.90-JPY133.90). It finished last week slightly above JPY133.40 and a higher closer today would be the third gain in a row, the longest advance in over a month. The weakness of Chinese data seemed to take a toll on the Australian dollar, which has been sold to three-day lows in the European morning near $0.7045. It stalled last week near $0.7140 and in front of the 200-day moving average (~$0.7150). A break of $0.7035 could signal a return to $0.7000, and possibly $0.6970. The greenback gapped higher against the Chinese yuan and reached almost CNY6.7690, nearly a two-week high. The pre-weekend high was about CNY6.7465 and today's low is around CNY6.7495. The PBOC set the dollar's reference rate at CNY6.7410, a little above the Bloomberg survey median of CNY6.7399. Note that a new US congressional delegation is visiting Taiwan and China has renewed drills around the island. The Taiwan dollar softened a little and traded at a three-day low. Europe Turkey's sovereign debt rating was cut a notch by Moody's to B3 from B2  That is equivalent to B-, a step below Fitch (B) and two below S&P (B+). Moody's did change its outlook to stable from negative. The rating agency cited the deterioration of the current account, which it now sees around 6% of GDP, three times larger than projected before Russia invaded Ukraine. The Turkish lira is the worst performing currency this year, with a 27.5% decline after last year's 45% depreciation. Turkey's two-year yield fell below 20% today for the first time in nine months, helped ostensibly by Russia's recent cash transfer. The dollar is firm against the lira, bumping against TRY17.97. The water level at an important junction on the Rhine River has fallen below the key 30-centimeter threshold (~12 inches) and could remain low through most of the week, according to reports of the latest German government estimate  Separately, Germany announced that its gas storage facility is 75% full, two weeks ahead of plan. The next target is 85% by October 1 and 95% on November 1. Reports from France show its nuclear reactors were operating at 48% of capacity, down from 50% before the weekend. A couple of reactors were shut down for scheduled maintenance on Saturday.  Ahead of Norway' rate decision on Thursday, the government reported a record trade surplus last month  The NOK229 bln (~$23.8 bln). The volume of natural gas exports surged more than four-times from a year earlier. Mainland exports, led by fish and electricity, rose by more than 20%. The value of Norway's electricity exports increased three-fold from a year ago. With rising price pressures (headline CPI rose to 6.8% in July and the underlying rate stands at 4.5%) and strong demand, the central bank is expected to hike the deposit rate by 50 bp to 1.75%. The euro stalled near $1.0370 last week after the softer than expected US CPI  It was pushed through the lows set that day in the European morning to trade below $1.02 for the first time since last Tuesday. There appears to be little support ahead of $1.0160. However, the retreat has extended the intraday momentum indicators. The $1.0220 area may now offer initial resistance. Sterling peaked last week near $1.2275 and eased for the past two sessions before breaking down to $1.2050 today. The intraday momentum indicators are stretched here too. The $1.2100 area may offer a sufficient cap on a bounce. A break of $1.20 could confirm a double top that would project back to the lows. America The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the Inflation Reduction Act reduces the budget deficit but will have a negligible effect on inflation  Yet, starting with the ISM gauge of prices paid for services, followed by the CPI, PPI, and import/export prices, the last string of data points came in consistently softer than expected. In addition, anecdotal reports suggest the Big Box stores are cutting prices to reduce inventories. Energy is important for the medium-term trajectory of measured inflation, but the core rate will prove sticky unless shelter cost increases begin to slow. While the Democrats scored two legislative victories with the approval of the Chips and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, the impact on the poll ahead of the November midterm election seems minor at best. Even before the search-and-seizure of documents still in former President Trump's residence, PredictIt.Org "wagers" had turned to favor the Democratic Party holding the Senate but losing the House of Representatives. In terms of the Republican nomination for 2024, it has been back-and-forth over the last few months, and recently Florida Governor DeSantis narrowly pulled ahead of Trump. The two new laws may face international pushback aside from the domestic impact  The EU warned last week that the domestic content requirement to earn subsidies for electric vehicles appears to discriminate against European producers. The Inflation Reduction Act offers $7500 for the purchases of electric cars if the battery is built in North America or if the minerals are mined or recycled there. The EU electric vehicle subsidies are available for domestic and foreign producers alike. On the other hand, the Chips and Science Act offers billions of dollars to attract chip production and design to the US. However, it requires that companies drawing the subsidies could help upgrade China's capacity for a decade. Japan and Taiwan will likely go along. It fits into their domestic political agenda. However, South Korea may be a different kettle of fish. Hong Kong and China together accounted for around 60% of South Korea's chip exports last year. Samsung has one overseas memory chip facility. It is in China and produces about 40% of the Galaxy phones' NAND flash output. Pelosi's apparent farewell trip to Asia, including Taiwan, was not well received in South Korea. President Yoon Suk Yeol did not interrupt his staycation in Seoul to meet the US Speaker. Nor was the foreign minister sent. This is not to cast aspersions on South Korea's commitment to regional security, simply that it is not without limits. Today's economic calendar features the August Empire State manufacturing survey  A small decline is expected. The June TIC data is out as the markets close today. Today is also the anniversary of the US ending Bretton Woods by severing the last links between gold and the dollar in 1971. Canada reports manufacturing sales and wholesale trade, but the most market-sensitive data point may be the existing home sales, which are expected to have declined for the fifth consecutive month. Canada reports July CPI tomorrow (Bloomberg survey median forecast sees headline CPI slowing to 7.6% from 8.1% in June).  The Canadian dollar is under pressure  The US dollar has jumped above CAD1.2900 in Europe after finishing last week near CAD1.2780. Last week's high was set near CAD1.2950, where a $655 mln option is set to expire today. A move above CAD1.2920 could target CAD1.2975-CAD1.3000 over the next day or day. A combination of weaker equities, thin markets, and a short-term market leaning the wrong way after the likely drivers today. The greenback posted its lowest close in two months against the Mexican peso before the weekend near MXN19.85. However, it is rebounding today and testing the MXN20.00 area Initial resistance may be encountered around MXN20.05, but we are looking for a move toward MXN20.20 in the coming days. Mexico's economic calendar is light this week, and the highlight is the June retail sales report at the end of the week.    Disclaimer Source: China Disappoints and Surprises with Rate Cut

Summary:  S&P500 index broke above the key 4,300 resistance level while the NASDAQ pushed lower amid mixed economic data and better-than-feared earnings from Walmart and Home Depot. US housing data continues to worsen, but the focus now turns to FOMC minutes due later today, as well as the US retail sales which will be next test of the strength of the US consumer. Asia session may have trouble finding a clear direction, but Australia’s wage price index and RBNZ’s rate hike may help to provide some bounce. What is happening in markets? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I)  U.S. equities were mixed. Tech names had an initial pullback, followed by short-coverings that narrowed the loss of the Nasdaq 100 to 0.23% at the close. S&P500 edged up 0.19% to 4,305 on better-than-feared results from retailers, moving towards its 200-day moving average (4,326). Walmart (WMT:xnys) and Home Depot (HD:xnys) reported Q2 results beating analyst estimates. Walmart gained 5% on strong same-store sales growth and a deceleration in inventory growth. Home Depot climbed 4% after reporting better than expected EPS and same-store sales but with an acceleration in inventory buildup. The declines in housing starts and building permits released on Monday and the downbeat comments about the U.S. housing market from the management of Compass (COMP:xnys), an online real estate brokerage, highlighted the challenges faced in the housing sector.  Short-end U.S. treasury yields rose as the long-end little changed The bigger than expected increases in July industrial production (+0.6% MoM), manufacturing production (+0.7% MoM), and business equipment production (+0.6%) triggered some selling in the short-end of U.S. treasury curve, pushing the 2-year yield 8 bps higher to 3.25% as 10-year yield edged up 1bp.  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIQ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) China internet stocks were sold off on Tuesday afternoon after Reuters ran a story suggesting that Tencent (00700:xhkg) plans to divest its 17% stake (USD24 billion) in Meituan (03690:xhkg).  The shares of Meituan collapsed 9% while Tencent gained 0.9%.  After the close of the Hong Kong market, Chinese media, citing sources “close to the matter” suggested that the divesture story is not true. However, the ADRs of Meituan managed to recover only 1.7% in New York trading. The newswire story also triggered selling on Kuaishou (01024:xhkg), -4.4%, which has Tencent as a major investor. The decline in internet stocks dragged the Hang Seng Index 1% lower. On the other hand, Chinese developers soared on another newswire report that state-owned China Bond Insurance is going to provide guarantees to new onshore debts issued by several “high quality” developers, including Country Garden (02007:xhkg) +9%, Longfor (00960:xhkg) +12%, CIFI (00884:xhkg) +12.9%, and Seazen (01030:xhkg) +7.6%.  Shares of Chinese property management services also surged higher.  GBPUSD bounced off the 1.2000 support, NZD eyeing RBNZ A mixed overnight session for FX as the US yields wobbled. Risk sentiment held up with the mixed US data accompanied by a less bad outcome in the US retailer earnings than what was expected. This made the safe-haven yen a clear underperformer, and USDJPY rose back above 134. But a clear trend in the pair is still missing and a break above 135 is needed to reverse the downtrend. Cable got lower to remain in close sight of the 1.2000 big figure, but rose above 1.2100 subsequently. UK CPI report due today may confirm the need for further BOE action after labor data showed wage pressures. NZDUSD remains near lows of 0.6320 but may see a knee-jerk higher if RBNZ surprises on the hawkish side. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil prices remain under pressure due to the prospect of Iran nuclear deal, and printed fresh lows since the Ukraine invasion. Some respite was seen in early Asian session, and WTI futures were last seen at $87/barrel and Brent is below $93. The EU submitted a final proposal to salvage the Iran nuclear deal, and prospects of more energy supply are dampening the price momentum. It has been reported that Iran’s response was constructive, and they are now consulting with the US on a way ahead for the protracted talks. The API reported crude inventories fell by 448,000 barrels last week, while gasoline stockpiles increased by more than 4 million barrels. Government data is due later Wednesday. European Dutch TTF benchmark gas futures (TTFMU2) touched €250/MWh, but has cooled off slightly recently, but still signals the heavy price that Europe is paying for the dependence on Russian gas. Copper holding up well despite China slowdown concerns Despite reports of weaker financing and activity data from China earlier this week, Copper remains well supported and registered only modest declines. BHP’s results provided some offset, as did the supply side issues in Europe. Only a break below the key 350 support will turn the focus lower. Meanwhile, zinc rallied amid concerns of smelter closures in Europe. What to consider? US housing scare broadens, industrial production upbeat Housing starts fell 9.6% in July to 1.446 mn, well beneath the prior 1.599 mn and the expected 1.537 mn. Housing starts are now down for five consecutive months, and suggest a cooling housing market in the wake of higher borrowing costs and higher inflation. Meanwhile, building permits declined 1.3% in July to 1.674 mn from 1.696 mn, but printed above the expected 1.65 mn. There will be potentially more scaling back in construction activity as demand weakens and inventory levels rise. On the other hand, industrial production was better than expected at 0.6% m/m (prev: -0.2%) possibly underpinned by holiday demand but the outlook is still murky amid persistent inflation and supply chain issues. US retailer earnings come in better than feared Walmart (WMT:xnys) and Home Depot (HD:xnys) reported better-than-feared results on Tuesday. Walmart’s Q2 revenues came in at USD152.9 billion (+8.4% YoY, consensus USD150.5bn). Same-store sales increased 8.4% YoY (vs consensus +6.0% YoY).  EPS of USD1.77, down 0.8% from a year ago quarter but better than the consensus estimate of USD1.63. While inventories increased 25.5% in Q2, the rate of increase has moderated from the prior quarter’s +32.0%. The company cited falls in gas prices, market share gain in grocery, and back-to-school shopping key reasons behind the strength in sales.  Home Depot reported Q2 revenues of USD43.9 billion (vs consensus USD43.4bn), +6.5% YoY.  Same-store sales grew 5.8%, beating analyst estimates (+4.9%).  EPS rose 11.5% to $5.05, ahead of analyst estimates (USD4.95). However, inventories grew 38% YoY in Q2, which was an acceleration from the prior quarter. The management cited inflation and pulling forward inventory purchases given supply chain challenges as reasons for the larger inventory build-up. Target (TGT:xnys) is scheduled to report on Wednesday. Eyes on US retail sales US retail sales will be next test of the US consumer after less bad retailer earnings last night. Retail sales should have been more resilient given the lower prices at pump improved the spending power of the average American household, and Amazon Prime Day in the month possibly attracted bargain hunters as well. However, consensus expectations are modest at 0.1% m/m compared to last month’s 1.0%. A cooling labor market in the UK UK labor market showed signs of cooling as job vacancies fell for the first time since August 2020 and real wages dropped at the fastest pace in history. Unemployment rate was steady at 3.8%, and the number of people in employment grew by 160,000 in the April-June period as against 256,000 expected. There was also a sprinkle of good news, with the number of employees on payrolls rising 73,000 in July, almost triple the pace expected. Also, wage growth was strong at 4.7% in the June quarter from 4.4% in the three months to May, which may be key for the BOE amid persistent wage pressures. Australia Q2 Wage Index to determine future RBA rate hike size? The RBA Minutes out on Tuesday showed a central bank that is trying to navigate a “narrow path” for keeping the Australian economy on an “even keel”. The RBA has often singled out wages as an important risk for whether inflation risks becoming more embedded and on that note, today sees the release of the Q2 Wage Index, expected to come in at 2.7% year-on-year after 2.4% in Q1. A softer data point may have the market pulling back expectations for another 50 basis point rate hike at the next RBA meeting after the three consecutive moves of that size. The market is about 50-50 on the size of the RBA hike in September, pricing a 35bps move. RBNZ set to decelerate its guidance after another 50 basis point move today? The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is expected to hike its official cash rate another 50 basis points tonight, taking the policy rate to 3.00%. With business and consumer sentiment surveys in the dumps in New Zealand and oil prices retreating sharply the RBNZ, one of the earliest among developed economies to tighten monetary policy starting late last year, may be set for more cautious forward guidance and a wait and see attitude, although wages did rise in Q2 at their second fastest pace (+2.3% QoQ) in decades. The market is uncertain on the future course of RBNZ policy, pricing 45bps for the October meeting after today’s 50bps hike and another 37bps for the November meeting. FOMC minutes to be parsed for hints on future Fed moves The Federal Reserve had lifted rates by 75bps to bring the Fed Funds rate at the level that they consider is neutral at the July meeting, but stayed away from providing any forward guidance. Meeting minutes will be out today, and member comments will be watched closely for any hints on the expectation for September rate hike or the terminal Fed rate. The hot jobs report and the cooling inflation number has further confused the markets since the Fed meeting, even as Fed speakers continue to push against any expectations of rate cuts at least in ‘early’ 2023. We only have Kansas City Fed President Esther George (voter in 2022) and Minneapolis Fed President Kashkari (non-voter in 2022) speaking this week at separate events on Thursday, so the bigger focus will remain on Jackson Hole next week for any updated Fed views.   For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.   Source: APAC Daily Digest: What is happening in markets and what to consider next – August 17, 2022

  Summary:  The US equity market rally extended modestly yesterday, but turned tail upon the cash S&P 500 Index touching the key 200-day moving average at 4,325. Market today will eye the latest US Retail Sales report from July, which saw peak gasoline prices in the US mid-month, while the FOMC Minutes may prove a bit stale, given they were created before three weeks of the market rallying sharply and financial conditions easing aggressively, likely not the Fed’s intention.   What is our trading focus?   Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures broke above the 200-day moving average yesterday and then got rejected. Momentum in US equities got a bit more fuel from two good earnings releases from Home Depot and Walmart rising 4% and 5% respectively. S&P 500 futures are pushing higher again this morning and will likely attempt once more to break above the 200-day moving average. Long-term US interest rates are still well-behaved trading around the 2.8% level and the VIX Index has stabilised just below the 20 level. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) Hang Seng Index rallied 1% today, reversing yesterday’s loss. Meituan (03690:xhkg) bounced nearly 5% after its 9% drop yesterday due to a Reuters story suggesting that Tencent (00700:xhkg) plans to divest its 17% stake (USD24 billion) in Meituan.  Tencent denied such a divesture plan last night.  Power drills and floor care equipment maker and a supplier to Home Depot (HD:xnys), Techtronic Industries (00669:xhkg) jumped more than 7% after better-than-expected results from Home Depot overnight.  On Tuesday, China’s Premier Li Keqiang held a video conference with provincial chiefs from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, Henan, and Sichuan to reiterate the central government’s push for full use of policies to stabilize the economy.  CSI300 gained 0.6%. USD pairs, including GBPUSD, which bounced strongly off 1.2000 support  A mixed overnight session for FX as the US yields wobbled. Risk sentiment held up with the mixed US data accompanied by a less bad outcome in the US retailer earnings than expected. This made the safe-haven yen a clear underperformer, and USDJPY rose back above 134. But a clear trend in the pair is still missing and a break above 135 is needed to reverse the downtrend. Cable teased key psychological support at 1.2000 yesterday before rising later in the day above 1.2100 ahead of today’s UK CPI report, which may confirm the need for further BOE action after labor data showed wage pressures. EURUSD bounced from session lows at 1.0123 but has posted a recent bearish reversal that keeps the focus lower, particularly on any breakdown through 1.0100, the multi-week range low. USD traders will focus on today’s US Retail Sales and FOMC minutes. USDCNH – there was a brief spike higher in USDCNH earlier this week as China moved to stimulate with a small 10-basis point rate cut of the key lending rate – no drama yet, but traders should keep an eye on this very important exchange rate for larger volatility and significant break above 6.80, as Chines exchange rate policy shifts can provoke significant moves across markets. Crude oil (CLU2 & LCOV2) touched a fresh six-month low on Tuesday with Brent trading lower, in anticipation of the Iran nuclear deal being revived, before bouncing in response to the API reporting a draw in crude oil and especially gasoline stocks. While a deal with Iran could see it raise production by around one million barrels per day, Goldmans talks about a mutually beneficial stalemate for both sides with Iran wanting to avoid sanctions while the US wants to avoid higher oil prices but also the political backlash from a potential deal. EIA’s weekly crude and fuel stocks report on tap later with the market also focusing on gasoline demand and the levels of exports. Over in Europe meanwhile the Dutch TTF benchmark gas trades near an eye-popping $400 per barrel crude oil equivalent, a level that will continue to attract demand for oil-based products due to switching. Copper (COPPERUSSEP22) continues to trade within its established upward trending range after China’s Premier Li Keqiang asked local officials from six provinces to bolster pro-growth measures after weaker financing and activity data were reported earlier this week. In addition, copper is also enjoying some tailwind from rising zinc and aluminum prices after Europe's largest smelters said it would halt production and after producers in China were told to curb production in order to preserve electricity supply during the current heatwave. HG copper’s trading range has narrowed to between $3.585, the uptrend from the July low and $3.663 the 50-day moving average.   What is going on?   US housing scare broadens, industrial production upbeat US Housing starts fell 9.6% in July to an annualized 1,446k, well beneath the prior 1,599 and the expected 1,537k. Housing starts are now down for five consecutive months, and suggest a cooling housing market in the wake of higher borrowing costs and higher inflation. Meanwhile, building permits declined 1.3% in July to 1,674k from 1,696, but printed above the expected 1,650k. There will be potentially more scaling back in construction activity as demand weakens and inventory levels rise. On the other hand, industrial production was better than expected at 0.6% m/m (prev: -0.2%) in July, possibly underpinned by holiday demand but the outlook is still murky amid persistent inflation and supply chain issues. UK headline inflation hits 10.1% The highest in decades and above the 9.8% expected and for the month-on-month reading of +0.6%, higher than the +0.4% expected. Core inflation hit 6.2% vs. 5.9% expected and 5.8% in Jun. That matched the cycle high from back in April. Retail inflation rose +0.9% MoM and +12.3% YoY vs. +0.6%/+12.0% expected, respectively. The Bank of England has forecast that inflation will peak out this fall at above 13%. Reserve Bank of New Zealand hikes 50 basis points to 3.00%, forecasts 4% policy rate peak The RBNZ both increased and brought forward its peak rate forecast to 4.00%, a move that was actually interpreted rather neutrally – more hawkish for now, but suggesting that the RBNZ would like to pause after achieveing 4.00%. 2-year NZ rates were unchanged later in the session after a brife poke higher. RBNZ Governor warned in a press conference that New Zealand home prices will continue to fall. This is actually a desired outcome after a huge spike in housing speculation and prices due to low rates from the pandemic response and massive pressure from a Labor-led government that had promised lower housing costs were behind the RBNZ’s quick pivot and more aggressive hiking cycle in 2021. Walmart shares rally on improved outlook The largest US retailer surprised on both revenue and earnings in its Q2 report with most of the revenue growth coming from higher prices and not volume. The retailer now sees an EPS decline of 9-11% this fiscal year compared to previously 11-13% suggesting input cost pressures are easing somewhat. Walmart is seeing more middle and high-income customers and the retailer has also cancelled orders for billions of dollars to lower inventory levels suggesting global supply chains are improving. Walmart shares were up 5%. Home Depot still sees robust market The largest US home improvement retailer beat on revenue and earnings yesterday in its Q2 results with Q2 comparative sales up 5.8% vs est. 4.6% highlighting that volumes are falling as revenue growth is below inflation rates. The US housing market figures on housing starts and permits cemented that the US housing market is slowing down due to the recent rally in mortgage rates. Home Depot is taking a conservative approach to guidance, but the market nevertheless pushed shares 4% higher. Apple supplier Foxconn suspends its factory in Chengdu due to a power crunch Foxconn’s Chengdu factory is suspending operations for six days from August 15 to 20 due to a regional power shortage. The suspension is affecting Foxconn’s supply of iPad to Apple. The company says the impact “has been limited at the moment” but it may affect shipments if the power outage persists. The Chengdu government is imposing power curbs on industrial users to ensure electricity supply for the city’s residents. At the same time, Foxconn has started test production of the Apple watch in its factories in Vietnam. With the passage of CHIPS and Science Act earlier this month in the U.S., there have been speculations that Taiwanese and Korean chipmakers and their customers may be accelerating the building up of production capacity away from China. Big European aluminium plant to halt production Norsk Hydro’s aluminium plant in Slovakia is halting primary production by end of September due adverse conditions such as elevated electricity prices. The aluminium company would incur significant financial losses should it continue its operations.   What are we watching next?   Eyes on US retail sales today  US retail sales will be next test of the US consumer after less bad retailer earnings last night. Retail sales should have been more resilient given the lower prices at pump improved the spending power of the average American household, and Amazon Prime Day in the month possibly attracted bargain hunters as well. However, consensus expectations are modest at 0.1% m/m compared to last month’s 1.0%. FOMC minutes to be parsed for hints on future Fed moves The Federal Reserve had lifted rates by 75bps at the late July meeting to bring the Fed Funds rate to a level they have previously considered neutral, but stayed away from providing any forward guidance. The minutes of that July meeting are to be released later today, and member comments will be watched closely for any hints on the expectation for September rate hike or the terminal Fed rate. The hot July US jobs report and the cooling July inflation number, as well as a blistering three week rally in equity markets have further confused the markets since the Fed meeting, even as Fed speakers continue to push against any expectations of rate cuts as soon as ‘early’ 2023. The next chief focus for Fed guidance will remain on the Fed’s Jackson Hole, Wyoming symposium next week. Earnings to watch Today’s European earnings focus is Carlsberg and Coloplast with the former reporting strong first-half organic growth of 20.7% vs est. 15.5% suggesting breweries are seeing healthy volume and price gains. Tencent is the key focus in Asia and especially given the recent developments in China on anti-monopoly laws and its decision to divest its $24bn stake in Meituan. In the US the focus will be on Cisco which saw its growth grinding to a halt in the previous quarter. Wednesday: Tencent, Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing, Analog Devices, Cisco Systems, Synopsys, Lowe’s, CSL, Target, TJX, Coloplast, Carlsberg, Wolfspeed Thursday: Applied Materials, Estee Lauder, NetEase, Adyen, Nibe Industrier, Geberit Friday: China Merchants Bank, CNOOC, Shenzhen Mindray, Xiaomi, Deere Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0900 – Eurozone Q2 GDP Estimate 1230 – US Jul. Retail Sales 1430 – US Weekly Crude Oil and Product Inventories 1800 – US FOMC Minutes 1820 – US Fed’s Bowman (Voter) to speak 2110 – New Zealand RBNZ Governor Orr before parliamentary committee 0130 – Australia Jul. Employment Change (Unemployment Rate)   Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: Has The Best Main Interest Rate In 7 Years

Summary:  Today we look at the US equity market rolling over a bit after hitting a key resistance point in the form of the S&P 500's 200-day moving average. We continue to note the resilient US dollar and the risk of USDCNH suddenly commanding the market's attention again if China moves to devalue its currency. We also zero in on weak Antipodean currencies as AUDUSD struggles and NZD can't get a boost from the RBNZ overnight. Crude oil, industrial metals, the latest on the dire power emergency in the EU, danger of meme stocks, earnings ahead and more on today's pod, which features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are found via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: Podcast: Watching for signs of altitude sickness

Overview: The biggest development today in the capital markets is the jump in benchmark interest rates.  The US 10-year yield is up five basis points to 2.86%, which is about 10 bp above Monday’s low.  European yields are up 9-10 bp.  The 10-year German Bund yield was near 0.88% on Monday and is now near 1.07%.  Italy’s premium over German is near 2.18%, the most in nearly three weeks.  Although Asia Pacific equities rallied, led by Japan’s 1.2% gain, but did not include South Korea, European equities are lower as are US futures.  The Stoxx 600 is struggled to extend a five-day rally.  The Antipodeans are the weakest of the majors, but most of the major currencies are softer. The euro and sterling are straddling unchanged levels near midday in Europe.  Gold is soft in yesterday’s range, near its lowest level since August 5.  While $1750 offers support, ahead of it there may be bids around $1765. October WTI is pinned near its lows around $85.50-$86.00.  The drop in Chinese demand is a major weight, while the market is closely monitoring developments with the Iranian negotiations.  US natgas is edging higher after yesterday 6.9% surge to approach last month’s peak.  Europe’s benchmark is 4.5% stronger today after yesterday’s 2.7% pullback.  Iron ore fell (3.9%) for the fourth consecutive decline. The September contract that trades in Singapore is at its lowest level since July 22.  September copper is a little heavier but is still inside Monday’s range.  September wheat is extending its pullback for the fourth consecutive session.  It had risen in the first four sessions last week. It is moving sideways in the trough carved over the past month.    Asia Pacific   The Reserve Bank of New Zealand delivered the anticipated 50 bp rate hike and signaled it would continue to tighten policy    It did not help the New Zealand dollar, which is posting an outside day by trading on both sides of yesterday's range.  The close is the key and below yesterday's low (~$0.6315) would be a bearish technical development that could spur another cent decline.  It is the RBNZ's fourth consecutive half-point hike, which followed three quarter-point moves.  The cash target rate is at 3.0%.  Inflation (Q2) was stronger than expected rising 7.3% year-over-year.  The central bank does not meet again until October 5, and the swaps market has a little more than a 90% chance of another 50 bp discounted.    Japan's July trade balance deteriorated more than expected    The shortfall of JPY1.44 trillion (~$10.7 bln) form JPY1.40 trillion in June.  Exports slowed to a still impressive 19% year-over-year from 19.3% previously, while imports rose 47.2% from 46.1% in June.  The terms-of-trade shock is significant in both Japan and Europe.  Japan's ran an average monthly trade deficit of about JPY1.32 trillion in H1 22 compared with an average monthly surplus of JPY130 bln in H1 21.  The eurozone reported an average shortfall of 23.4 bln euros in H1 22 compared with a 16.8 bln average monthly surplus in H1 21.  The two US rivals, China, and Russia, have been hobbled by their own actions, while the two main US economic competitors, the eurozone and Japan are experiencing a dramatic deterioration of their external balance,     The 11 bp rise in the US two-year yield between yesterday and today has helped lift the US dollar to almost JPY135.00, a five-day high   It has met the (50%) retracement target of the downtrend since the multiyear peak in mid-July near JPY139.40.  The next target is the high from earlier this month around JPY135.60.  and then JPY136.00.  Initial support now is seen near JPY134.40.  After recovering a bit in the North American session yesterday, the Australian dollar has come under renewed selling pressure and is trading at five-day lows below the 20-day moving average (~$0.6990).  It has broken support in the $0.6970-80 area to test the trendline off the mid-July low found near $0.6965.  A break could signal a move toward $0.6900-10.  The gap created by yesterday's high US dollar opening against the Chinese yuan was closed today as yuan recovered for the first day in three sessions.  Monday's high was CNY6.775 and yesterday's low was CNY6.7825.  Today's low is about CNY6.7690.  For the second consecutive session, the PBOC set the dollar's reference rate a little lower than the market (median in Bloomberg's survey) expected (CNY6.7863 vs. CNY6.7877).  The dollar has risen to almost CNH6.82 in the past two sessions and still trading a little above CNH6.80 today but was sold to nearly CNH6.7755 where is has found new bids.      Europe   The UK's headline CPI accelerated to 10.1% last month from 9.4% in June    It was above market expectations and the Bank of England's forecast for a 9.9% increase.  Although the rise in food prices (2.3% on the month and 12.7% year-over-year) lifted the headline, the core rate, which excludes food, energy, alcohol, and tobacco rose to 6.2% from 5.8% and was also above expectations (median forecast in Bloomberg's survey was for 5.9%).  Producer input prices slowed, posting a 0.1% gain last month for a 22.6% year-over-year pace (24.1% in June).  However, output prices jumped 1.6% after a 1.4% gain in June.  This puts the year-over-year pace at 17.1%, up from 16.4% previously.  The bottom line is that although the UK economy contracted in Q2 and the BOE sees a sustained contraction beginning soon, the market recognize that the monetary policy will continue to tighten.  The market swaps market is fully pricing in a 50 bp hike at the mid-September meeting and is toying with the idea of a larger move (53 bp of tightening is discounted).    What a year of reversals for Germany    After years of pressure from the United States and some allies in Europe, Germany finally nixed the Nord Stream 2 pipeline with Russia.  Putin also got Germany to do something that several American presidents failed to achieve and that is boost is defense sending in line with NATO commitments. The energy crunch manufactured by Russia is forcing Germany to abandon is previous strategy of reducing coal and closing down its nuclear plants.  Ironically, the Greens ae in the coalition government and recognize little choice.  A formal decision on three nuclear plants that were to be shuttered before the end of the year has yet to be made, but reports confirm it is being discussed at the highest levels.     Germany's one-year forward electricity rose by 11% to 530.50 euros a megawatt-hour in the futures market years, a gain of more than 500%     France, whose nuclear plants are key to the regional power grid, is set to be the lowest in decades, according to reports.  France has become a net importer of electricity, while the extreme weather has cut hydropower output and wind generation is below seasonal norms.  The low level of the Rhine also disrupts this important conduit for barges of coal and oil. Starting in October, German households will have a new gas tax (2.4-euro cents per kilowatt hour for natural gas) until 1 April 2024. Economic Minister Habeck estimated that for the average single household the gas tax could be almost 100 euros a month, while a couple would pay around 195 euros.  Also, starting in October, utilities will be able to through to consumers the higher costs associated with the reduction of gas supply from Russia.  This poses upside risk to German inflation.     The euro held technical support near $1.0110 yesterday and is trading quietly today in a narrow (~$1.0150-$1.0185) range today    Yesterday was the first session since July 15 that the euro did not trade above $1.02.  The decline since peaking last week a little shy of $1.0370 has seen the five- and 20-day moving averages converge and could cross today or tomorrow for the first time since late July. We note that the US 2-year premium over German is testing the 2.60% area.  It has not closed below there since July 22.  Sterling held key support at $1.20 yesterday and traded to almost $1.2145 today, which met the (50%) retracement objective of the fall from last week's $1.2275 high.  The next retracement (61.8%) is closer to $1.2175.  The UK reported employment yesterday, CPI today, and retail sales ahead of the weekend.  Retail sales, excluding gasoline have fallen consistently since last July with the exception of October 2021 and June 2022.  Retail sales are expected to have slipped by around 0.3% last month.     America   The Empire State manufacturing August survey on Monday and yesterday's July housing starts pick up a thread first picked up in the July composite PMI, which fell from 52.3 to 47.7 of some abrupt slowing of economic activity  The Empire State survey imploded from 11.1 to -31.3.  Housing starts fell 9.6%, more than four-times the pace expected (median Bloomberg survey -2.1%).  It was small comfort that the June series was revised up 2.4% from initially a 2.0% decline.  The 1.45 mln unit pace is the weakest since February 2021 and is about 9% lower than July 2021.  However, offsetting this has been the strong July jobs report and yesterday' industrial production figures.  The 0.6% was twice the median forecast (Bloomberg's survey) and the June decline (-0.2%) was revised away. The auto sector continues to recover from supply chain disruptions, and this may be distorting typically seasonal patterns.  Sales are rose in June and July, the first back-to-back gain in over a year. To some extent, supply is limiting sales, which would seem to encourage production.  Outside of autos, output slowed (year-over-year) for the third consecutive month in July.     Today's highlights include July retail sales and the FOMC minutes     Retail sales are reported in nominal terms, which means that the 13% drop in the average retail price of gasoline will weigh on the broadest of measures.  However, excluding auto, gasoline, building materials, and food services, the core retail sales will likely rise by around 0.6% after a 0.8% gain in June.  The most important thing than many want to know from the FOMC minutes is where the is bar to another 75 bp rate hike.  The Fed funds futures market has it nearly 50/50.     Canada's July CPI was spot on forecasts for a 0.1% month-over-month increase and a 7.6% year-over-year pace (down from 8.1%)     However, the core rates were firm than average increased.  The market quickly concluded that this increases the likelihood that the central bank that surprised the market with a 100 bp hike last month will lift the target rate by another 75 bp when it meets on September 7.  In fact, the swaps market sees it as a an almost 65% probability, the most since July 20.  Canada reports June retail sales at the end of the week.  The median forecast in Bloomberg's survey is for a 0.4% gain, but even if it is weaker, it is unlikely to offset the firm core inflation readings.     The dollar-bloc currencies are under pressure today, but the Canadian dollar is faring best, off about 0.25% in late morning trading in Europe     The Aussie is off closer to 0.75% and the Kiwi is down around 0.5%.  US equities are softer. The greenback found support near CAD1.2830 and is near CAD1.2880.  Monday and Tuesday's highs were in the CAD1.2930-5 area and a break above there would target CAD1.2985-CAD1.3000.  However, the intraday momentum indicators are overextended, and initial support is seen in the CAD1.2840-60 area. The greenback has forged a shelf near MXN19.81 in recent days.  It has been sold from the MXN20.83 area seen earlier this month.  It has not been above MXN20.05 for the past five sessions.  A move above there, initially targets around MXN20.20.  The JP Morgan Emerging Market Currency Index is off for the third consecutive session. If sustained, it would be the longest losing streak since July 20-22.     Disclaimer   Source: Markets Look for Direction

Dutch TTF Gas is resuming uptrend taking out July peak testing the 0.618 Fibonacci retracement at around €242.75.RSI has broken its falling trend and is likely to trade out/cancel the divergence since mid-July. If Dutch gas closes above the 0.618 retracement the 0.764 retracement at around 281.82 is next level likely to be reached. The upper rising trend line is likely to be reached and possibly broken in a gas price that seems to accelerate.To reverse the uptrend a close below 187.50 is needed.However, a correction over the next couple of days is not unlikely given the Spinning Top Candle formed yesterday. IT is often a top and reversal indicator but needs to be confirmed by a bearish candle the following day. IF Dutch Gas closes above its peak the potential top and reversal is demolished. Source: Saxo Group Henry Hub Gas has taken out resistance at the 0.618 retracement at around $8.90 and now also 0.764 retracement indicating previous highs at $9.66-9.75 are likely to be tested. If Henry Hub Gas closes above previous highs new price targets Source: Saxo Group Brent Crude oil continue its downtrend closing in on support at around $90. RSI is testing previous lows. There is divergence indicating a weakening of the downtrend but if RSI makes a new low the $90 support could be broken. Next support would be at around the 0.764 retracement at 85.76To set the downtrend on pause a close above 100.38. That will most likely not reverse the trend but merely just put it on pause. Source: Saxo Group WTI Crude oil was rejected at the short-term falling trendline and is now back below the 0.618 retracement. Next support at 81.90. There is divergence on RSI indication the downtrend is weakening. However, if RSI closes below If WTI closes back above the 200 SMA i.e. above $95 thereby also breaking above the short-term falling trendline, a larger correction to around 105-110 is likely. Source: Saxo Group Carbon Emissions broke its falling trendline last week and has now also broken above resistance at 92.75 closing in on its all-time high just below €100. RSI is entering over-bought territory but there is no divergence indicating higher levels (above 100) is likely. However, do expect a correction from just below previous highs.            Source: Saxo Group   Source: Technical Update - Natural Gas powers higher. Oil downtrend weakening, close to and end? Carbon Emission close to all-time highs

Summary:  The stronger US dollar is beginning to dominate across FX, and we haven’t even seen risk sentiment roll over badly yet, although this time it could be the US dollar itself that defines and drives financial conditions across markets. Elsewhere, we have seen an interesting fundamental test of sterling over the last couple of sessions, as sterling has begun rolling over today, even as a ripping increase in rate tightening bets in the wake of another hot CPI print out of the UK this morning. FX Trading focus: USD dominating again, GBP rate spike impact fading fast and indicating danger ahead for sterling. RBNZ hawkishness fails to impress the kiwi. The US dollar rally is broadening and intensifying, and US long yields are threatening back higher, which is finally pushing back against the recent melt-up in financial conditions/risk sentiment. The US July Retail Sales report looks solid, given the +0.7% advance in “ex Autos and Gas” sales after the June spike in average nationwide gasoline price to the unprecedented 5 dollar/gallon level. Yes, July gasoline prices were lower than June’s, but there wasn’t a huge delta on the average price for the month, and the impact of lower gas prices will likely be more in the August full month of vastly lower prices – presumably averaging closer to 4/gallon, together with the psychological relief that the spike seems in the rear view mirror, even if we can’t know whether a fresh spike awaits in the fall, after the draw on strategic reserves is halted. A strong US dollar, higher US yields and a fresh unease in risk sentiment are a potential triple whammy in which the US dollar itself is the lead character, as USDJPY has reversed back above 135.00 even before the US data, suggesting a threat back toward the cycle highs. AUDUSD has entirely reversed its upside sprint above 0.7000, refreshing its bearish trend after a squeeze nearly to the 200-day moving average there. Elsewhere, EURUSD and GBPUSD are a bit stuck in the mud, watching 1.0100 and 1.2000 respectively. The most important additional aggravator of this USD volatility in coming sessions would be a significant break higher in USDCNH if China decides it is tiring again of allowing the CNH to track USD direction at these levels. The pressure has to be building there after the PBOC’s rate cut at the start of the week. The UK July CPI release this morning raised eyebrows with another beat of expectations across the board, the day after strong earnings data. The 10.1% headline figure represents a new cycle and the month-on-month figure failed to moderate much, showing +0.6% vs. +0.4% expected. Core inflation also rose more than expected, posting a gain of 6.2% YoY and thus matching the cycle high from  April. The Retail Price Index rose 12.3% vs. 12.1% expected. The market reaction was easily the most interesting, as we have seek UK yields flying higher but failing to impress sterling much after a bit of a surge yesterday and into this morning. Now, sterling is rolling over despite a 40 basis point advance(!) in the 2-year swap rate from yesterday’ open, much of that unfolding in the wake of the CPI release today. Chart: GBPUSD Not that much drama at the moment in the GBPUSD chart, but that is remarkable in and of itself, as the soaring UK yields of yesterday and particularly today in the wake of a higher than expected CPI release are not doing much to support sterling. When rate moves don’t support a currency, it is starting to behave somewhat like an emerging market currency, a dangerous signal for the sterling, where we watch for a break of 1.2000 to usher in a test of the cycle lows below 1.1800, but possibly even the pandemic panic lows closer to 1.1500. The Bank of England hikes will only a accelerate the erosion of demand and slowdown in the UK economy that will lead to a harsh recession that the Bank of England itself knows is coming, but may have to prove slow to react to due to still elevated inflation levels, in part on a weak currency. Source: Saxo Group The RBNZ hiked fifty basis points as expected overnight and raised forward guidance for the Official Cash Rate path to indicate the expectation that the OCR will peak near 4%, a raising and bringing forward of the expected rate peak for the cycle. In the press conference, RBNZ Governor Orr spelled out the specific guidance that he would like to get the rate to 4% and take a significant pause to see if that is enough. “Our view is that sitting around that 4% official cash rate level buys the monetary policy committee right now significant comfort that we would have done enough to see inflation back to our remit.” NZ short rates were volatile, but hardly changed by the end of the day, meaning that NZD direction defaulted to risk sentiment, with a fresh dip in AUDNZD erased despite a weak AUD, and NZDUSD confirming a bearish reversal. Table: FX Board of G10 and CNH trend evolution and strength. Note the big shift in USD momentum, the most notable on the chart, although the absolute value of the SEK negative shift has been even larger over the last few days as EU woes and the growth outlook weigh even more heavily on SEK, which is often leveraged to the EU outlook, also as EURSEK has now failed to progress lower after a notable break below the 200-day moving average. Note the AUD negative shift as well, with sluggish wage growth data overnight for Q2 offering no helping hand. Source: Bloomberg and Saxo Group Table: FX Board Trend Scoreboard for individual pairs. USDJPY looks to flip back to a positive trend on a higher close today or tomorrow, the recent flip negative in GBPUSD looks confirmed on a hold below 1.2000, and AUDUSD looks a matter of time before flipping negative as well, while USDCAD has beaten it to the punch – although a more forceful upside trend signal there would be a close above 1.3000 again. Source: Bloomberg and Saxo Group Upcoming Economic Calendar Highlights (all times GMT) 1800 – US FOMC Minutes 1820 – US Fed’s Bowman (Voter) to speak 2110 – New Zealand RBNZ Governor Orr before parliamentary committee 0130 – Australia Jul. Employment Change (Unemployment Rate)   Source: FX Update: GBP in danger as rate spike fails to support. USD dominating.

Summary:  US equities traded a bit lower yesterday after the S&P 500 challenged the 200-day moving average from below the prior day for the first time since April in the steep comeback from the June lows. Sentiment was not buoyed by the FOMC minutes of the July meeting suggesting the Fed would like to slow the pace of tightening at some point. Crude oil rose from a six-month low on bullish news from the US and OPEC.   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures rolled over yesterday wiping out the gains from the two previous sessions and the index futures are continuing lower this morning trading around the 4,270 level. US retail sales for July were weak and added to worries of the economic slowdown in real terms in the US. The 10-year yield is slowing crawling back towards the 3% level sitting at 2.87% this morning. A move to 3% and potentially beyond would be negative for equities. The next levels to watch on the downside in S&P 500 futures are 4,249 and then 4,200 Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) Shares in the Hong Kong and mainland China markets declined. China internet stocks were weak across the board with Tencent (00700:xhkg) +2.7% and Meituan (03690:xhkg) +1%, being the positive outliers. Tencent reported a revenue decline of 3% y/y in Q2, weak, but in line with market expectations. Non-GAAP operating profit was down 14% y/y to RMB 36.7bn, and EPS fell 17% y/y to RMB 2.90 but beating analyst estimates. Revenues from advertising at -18% y/y were better than expected. In the game segment, weaker mobile game revenues were offset by stronger PC game revenues. Beer makers outperformed China Resources Beer (00291:xhkg) +3.8%, Tsingtao Brewery (00168:xhkg) +1.7%. COSCO Shipping Energy Transportation (01138:xhkg) made a new high at the open on strong crude oil tanker freight rates before giving back some gains. USD pairs as the USD rally intensifies The US dollar rally broadened out yesterday, as USDJPY retook the 135.00 area, but needs to follow through above 135.50-136.00 to take the momentum back higher. Elsewhere, AUDUSD has broken down again on the move down through 0.7000 and USDCAD has posted a bullish reversal, needing 1.3000 for more upside confirmation. The GBPUSD pair looks heavy despite a massive reset higher in UK rates in the wake of recent UK inflation data, with a close below 1.2000 indicating a possible run on the sub-1.1800 lows, while EURUSD is rather stuck tactically, as price has remained bottled up above the 1.0100 range low. USDCNH, as discussed below, may be a key pair for whether the USD rally broadens out even more aggressively, and long US treasury yields and risk sentiment are other factors in the mix that could support the greenback, should the 10-year US treasury benchmark move higher toward 3.00% again or sentiment roll over for whatever reason. Certainly, tightening USD liquidity could prove a concern for sentiment as the Fed turns up the pace of quantitative tightening – something it seems behind schedule in doing if we look at the latest weekly Fed balance sheet data.  USDCNH The exchange rate edged higher again to above 6.80 overnight after a brief spike higher earlier this week as China’s PBOC moved to stimulate with a small 10-basis point rate cut of the key lending rate. There is no real drama in the exchange rate yet after the significant rally this spring from below 6.40 to 6.80+, but traders should keep an eye on this very important exchange rate for larger volatility and significant break above 6.83, as China’s exchange rate policy shifts can provoke significant volatility across markets. Crude oil Crude oil (CLU2 & LCOV2) bounced from a six-month low on Wednesday in response to a bullish US inventory report that saw big declines in gasoline and crude oil stocks as demand from US motorist climbed to the highest this year while crude exports reached a record $5 million barrels per day. The prospect for an Iran nuclear deal continues to weigh while OPEC’s new Secretary-General said spare capacity was becoming scarce. US strategic reserves are now at the lowest level since 1985 and the government has by now sold around 90% of what was initially offered in order to bring down prices. While demand concerns remain a key driver for macroeconomic focused funds selling crude oil as a hedge we notice a renewed surge in refinery margins, especially diesel, supported by increased demand from gas-to-fuel switching Gold and silver Gold has so far managed to find support at $1759, the 38.2% retracement of the July to August bounce, after trading weaker in response to a stronger dollar and rising yields. Silver (XAGUSD) meanwhile has almost retraced half of its recent strong gains with focus now on support at $19.50. The latest driver being the FOMC minutes which signaled ongoing interest-rate hikes and eventually at a slower pace than the current. The short-term direction has been driven by speculators reducing bullish bets following a two-week buying spree in the weeks to August 9 which lifted the net by 63k lots, the strongest pace of buying in six months. ETF holdings meanwhile have slumped to a six-month low, an indication investor, for now, trusts the FOMC’s ability to bring down inflation within a relatively short timeframe   What is going on? Financial conditions are tightening, if modestly. Recent days have brough a rise in short US treasury yields, but more importantly it looks as though some of the risk indicators like corporate credit spreads may have bottomed out here after a sharp retreat from early July highs – one Bloomberg high yield credit spreads to US treasuries peaked out above 5.75% and was as low as 4.08% earlier this week before rising to 4.19% yesterday, with high yield bond ETFs like HYG and JNK suffering a sharp mark-down yesterday of over a percent. Factors that could further aggravate financial conditions include a significant CNH weakening, higher US long treasury yields (10-year yield moving back toward 3.00%, for example) or further USD strength. Adyen sees margin squeeze. One of Europe’s largest payment companies reports first-half revenue of €609mn vs est. €615mn despite processed volume came significantly above estimates at €346bn suggesting the payments industry is experiencing pricing pressures. Cisco outlook surprises. The US manufacturer of networking equipment surprised to the upside on both revenue and earnings in its fiscal Q4 (ending 30 July), but more importantly, the company is guiding revenue growth in the current fiscal quarter of 2-4% vs est. -0.2% and revenue growth for the current fiscal year of 4-6% vs est. 3.3%. Cisco said that supply constraints are beginning to ease and that customer cancellations are running below pre-pandemic levels, and that the company’s growth will be a function of availability. Stale FOMC minutes hint at sustained restrictive policy, but caution on pace of tightening. Fed’s meeting minutes from the July meeting were released last night, and officials agreed to move to restrictive policy, with some noting that restrictive rates will have to be maintained for some time to bring inflation back to the 2% target. Still, there was also talk of slowing the pace of rate hikes ‘at some point’, despite pushing back against easing expectations for next year. The minutes were broadly in-line with the market’s thinking, and lacked fresh impetus needed to bring up the pricing of Fed’s rate hikes. Chairman Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole Symposium next week will be keenly watched for further inputs. US retail sales were a mixed bag. July US retail sales were a little softer at the headline level than the market expected (0% growth versus the +0.1% consensus) but the ex-auto came in stronger at 0.4% (vs. -0.1% expected). June’s growth was revised down to 0.8% from 1%. The mixed data confirmed that the US consumers are feeling the pinch from higher prices, but have remained resilient so far and that could give the Fed more room to continue with its aggressive rate hikes. Lower pump prices and further improvements in supply chain could further lift up retail spending in August. The iron ore miners are resilient despite price pressures Despite China planning more fiscal stimulus to fund infrastructure investment, the iron ore (SCOA, SCOU2) price paired back 8% this week, retreating to its lowest equal level in five weeks at $101.65, a level the iron ore price was last at in December 2021. Since March, the iron ore price has retreated 37%, with the most recent pull back being fueled by concerns China’s Covid cases are surging again with cases at a three-month high, as the outbreak worsens in the tropical Hainan province. Despite iron ore pulling back, shares in iron ore majors like BHP, remain elevated, up off their lows, with BHP’s shares trading 14% up of its July low, and moving further above its 200-day moving average, on hopes of commodity demand picking up. What are we watching next? Norway’s central bank guidance on further tightening. The Norges Bank is expected to hike 50 basis points today to take the policy rate to 1.75% despite an indication from the bank in June that the bank would prefer to shift back to hiking rates by 25 basis points, as a tight labour market and soaring inflation weigh. The path of tightening for the central bank has been an odd one, as it was the first G10 bank to actually hike rates in 2021, but finds itself with a far lower policy rate than the US, for example, which started much later with a faster pace of hikes. But NOK may react more to the direction in risk sentiment rather than guidance from the Norges Bank from here, assuming no major surprises. The EURNOK downtrend has slowed of late – focusing on 10.00 if the price action continues to back up. Japan’s inflation will surge further. Japan’s nationwide CPI for July is due on Friday. July producer prices came in slightly above expectations at 8.6% y/y (vs. estimates of 8.4% y/y) while the m/m figure was as expected at 0.4%. The continued surge reflects that Japanese businesses are grappling with high input price pressures, and these are likely to get passed on to the consumers, suggesting further increases in CPI remain likely. More government relief measures are likely to be announced, while signs of any Bank of Japan pivot away from its low rates and yield-curve-control policy are lacking. Bloomberg consensus estimates are calling for Japan’s CPI to accelerate to 2.6% y/y from 2.4% previously, with the ex-fresh food number seen at 2.4% y/y vs. 2.2% earlier.   Earnings to watch In Europe this morning, the key earnings focus is Adyen which has already reported (see review above) and Estee Lauder which is deliver a significant slowdown in figures and increased margin pressure due to rising input costs. Today’s US earnings to watch are Applied Materials and NetEase, with the former potentially delivering an upside surprise like Cisco yesterday on improved supply chains. NetEase, one of China’s largest gaming companies, is expected to deliver Q2 revenue growth of 12% y/y as growth continues to slow down for companies in China. Today: Applied Materials, Estee Lauder, NetEase, Adyen, Nibe Industrier, Geberit Friday: China Merchants Bank, CNOOC, Shenzhen Mindray, Xiaomi, Deere Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0800 – Norway Deposit Rates 0900 – Eurozone Final Jul. CPI 1100 – Turkey Rate Announcement 1230 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims 1230 – Canada Jul. Teranet/National Bank Home Price Index 1230 – US Philadelphia Fed Survey 1400 – US Jul. Existing Home Sales 1430 – EIAs Weekly Natural Gas Storage Change 1720 – US Fed’s George (Voter) to speak 1745 – US Fed’s Kashkari (Non-voter) to speak 2301 – UK Aug. GfK Consumer Confidence 2330 – Japan Jul. National CPI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – August 18, 2022

Overview: The sell-off in European bonds continues today. The 10-year German Bund yield is around four basis points higher to bring three-day increase to about 22 bp. The Italian premium over Germany has risen by almost 18 bp over these three sessions. Its two-year premium is widening for the fifth consecutive session and is above 90 bp for the first time in almost three weeks. The 10-year US Treasury yield is a little softer near 2.88%. Most of the large Asia Pacific equity markets fell, with India a notable exception. Europe’s Stoxx 600 snapped a five-day rally yesterday with a 0.9% loss. It is slightly firmer today, while US futures are hovering around yesterday’s closing levels. The greenback is firm against most of the major currencies. The Australian and Canadian dollars  and Norwegian krone and sterling are the most resilient today. The Philippines, like Norway hiked 50 bp but unlike Norway, the currency has not been bought. Most emerging market currencies are softer today. Gold is trying to break a three-day slide after approaching $1760. It settled last week at $1802. October WTI found a base a little below $85.50 and is around $88.50 near midday in Europe. The week’s high was set Monday by $91.50. US natgas is up 1.1% to recoup yesterday’s loss in full. Europe’s benchmark is extended this week’s run. It finished last week near 205.85 and now is around 232.00, a 12.7% gain after 6% last week. Iron ore ended a four-day 8% slide. September copper is recovering from the early drop to near two-week lows ($354.20) and is now near 362.00. A move above yesterday’s high (~$365) would be constructive. The sell-ff in September wheat has accelerated. It is off for the fifth consecutive session and is at its lowest level since January. After falling around 3% in three days from last Friday, it is off more than 5% between yesterday and today. Asia Pacific For good reasons, Beijing and Washington suspect the other of trying to change that status quo over Taiwan  The visits by US legislators may be only the initial efforts by Congress to force a more aggressive US position. It could come to a head in the fall when a bill that wants to recognize Taiwan as a major non-NATO ally and to foster Taiwan's membership in international forums will draw more attention. Meanwhile, US-Taiwan trade talks will begin later this year that was first aired a couple of months ago. At the same time, the Biden administration has been considering lifting some of the tariffs levied by the previous administration, but China's militaristic response to the visits makes it more difficult. Biden wants to lift the tariffs not to reward Beijing but to ease the costs to Americans. The Consumer Technology Association, an industry group, estimated that the tariffs have boosted the bill for American consumer technology companies by around $32 bln. The tariffs are paid to the US government. It seems that in lieu of lifting the tariffs, a broad exclusion process is possible. Related but separately, the Nikkei Asia reported that Apple is in talks to produce its watches and computers in Vietnam for the first time  Two suppliers have been producing Apple Watches in northern Vietnam. A couple of months ago, reports indicated that Apple would more some production of its tablets to Vietnam. Apple's ecosystem is establishing a presence in Vietnam, with nearly two dozen suppliers have factories now, almost doubling since 2018. As a result of these forces and the movement of capacity outside of China, Vietnam's trade surplus with the US is exploding. The $33 bln surplus in 2016 ballooned to $91 bln last year and was nearly $58 bln in the first half. For the past five years, the dollar has traded in a roughly 2% band around VND23000. The greenback is near the upper end of the range. Australia's July jobs report was disappointing  It lost almost 87k full-time positions after gaining nearly 53k in June. Part-time positions increased (46k), leading to a 40.9k loss of overall jobs. The median forecast (Bloomberg survey) was for a gain of 25k jobs. The unemployment rate slipped to a new record low of 3.4% (from 3.5%) but this was due to a sharp drop in the participation rate (66.4% from 66.8%). Ostensibly, this could give the central bank space to be more flexible at its September 6 meeting. However, the futures market as taken it in stride that has left the odds of a 50 bp hike next month essentially unchanged around 57%. This is essentially where it was at the end of last week and the week before. Many are now familiar with China's rolling lockdowns to combat Covid and the implosion of property market, a key engine of growth and accumulation  A new threat has emerged. The extreme weather has seen water levels in Sichuan's hydropower reserves as much as 50% this month, according to report, prompting the shuttering of factories (hub for solar panels, cement, and urea). Dazhou, a city of nearly 3.5 mln people, imposed a 2 1/2-hour power cuts this week that were expanded to three hours yesterday. Office buildings in Chengdu, the provincial capital, were barred from using air conditioning. Many areas in central and northern China imposed emergency measures to ensure the availability of drinking water. The heat and drought threaten summer crops and risk greater food-driven inflation. At the same time, Shanxi, which provides about a quarter of China's coal is worried about floods, it has suspended the operation of more than 100 mines since June. The government-imposed measures to boost output and Shanxi coal output rose by around 16% in H1.  The dollar is confined to a narrow range, straddling the JPY135 area  It has held `below last week's high around JPY135.60 and above the JPY134.55, where options for $700 mln expire today. The Australian dollar has been sold aggressively this week. It began near $0.7115 and tested $0.6900 today, meeting the (50%) retracement objective of the rally from the mid-July low (~$0.6880). It was only able to make a marginal new low today, suggesting that the selling pressure has abated. The next retracement (61.8%) is closer to $0.6855. Initial resistance is seen around $0.6950. After slipping a little yesterday, the greenback returned to its recent highs against the Chinese yuan around CNY6.7960. This year's high was set in May near CNY6.8125. Between Covid lockdowns, the weather disruptions, and the continued unwinding of the property bubble, a weaker yuan may the path of least resistance. The PBOC set the dollar's reference rate at CNY6.7802 compared with expectations from Bloomberg's survey of CNY6.7806. The yuan is falling for the sixth consecutive month against the dollar. Europe The eurozone may not have completed its banking and monetary union, but the ECB said that it would harmonize how banks offer crypto assets and have sufficient capital and expertise  Crypto companies have negotiated with national authorities in several EMU member countries, but common EU licensing rules are unlikely any time soon. There is a patchwork of differing national rules, and in some countries, some types of crypto activity may require a banking license, for example. Norway's central bank hiked its deposit rate by 50 bp and indicated it would "most likely" lift rates again next month What makes today's move somewhat more aggressive that it may appear is that the hike took place at a meeting that did not include an economic update and projections for the future path of policy. Norges Bank acknowledged that the policy rate trajectory would be faster than projected in June and the inflation risks being higher for longer. The deposit rate now sits at 1.75%. Another 50 bp hike next month (September 22) seems likely followed by a 25 bp move in November, the last meeting of the year. The euro briefly popped a little above $1.02 on what was initially seen as dovish FOMC minutes in the North American afternoon yesterday  However, it returned to yesterday's lows low near $1.0145 before finding a bid. The week's low was set Tuesday slightly below $1.0125, which is ahead of the retracement objective we identified near $1.0110. The euro is consolidating as the US two-year premium over Germany falls to its lowest level in a nearly a month (2.54%), and almost 25 bp below the peak seen after the US jobs data on August 5. Labor disputes are crippling UK trains, buses, subways, and a key container port today. Sterling slipped to $1.1995, its lowest level since July 26. The nicking of the neckline of a possible double top was not a convincing violation and sterling has recovered to the $1.2060 area in the London morning. If this is not the peak in sterling, it seems close. Tomorrow, the UK is expected to report a decline in July retail sales, excluding gasoline. This measure of retail sales rose by 0.4% in June, the first increase since last October. The median forecast (Bloomberg survey) is for a 0.3% fall. The swaps market is pricing in a 50 bp hike at the mid-September BOE meeting and about a 1-in-5 chance of a 75 bp move. America US interest rates softened and dragged the dollar lower following the release of the FOMC minutes  The market seems to have focused on the concern of "many" members that it could over-tighten but there was no sign that this was going to prevent them for raising rates further. Indeed, it suggest that the risk of inflation expectations becoming embedded was greater. More hikes were appropriate, the minutes said, and a restrictive stance may be required for "some time". The minutes also played the recent pullback in commodity prices as an indicator of lower inflation, which it still says the evidence is lacking. When everything was said and done the September Fed funds futures were unchanged for the fourth consecutive session. Autos and gasoline held by retail sales in July, but excluding them, retail sales rose by 0.7%, matching the June increase  The core measure, which also excludes building materials and food services rose a solid 0.8%. Retail sales account for around 40% of personal consumption expenditures. The July PCE is due next week (August 26) and picks up service consumption too. The early call is for it to rise by 0.5%. However, it too is a nominal report, and in real terms, a 0.3%-0.4% gain would be a strong showing. The retail sales report lent credence to anecdotal stories about department stores discounting prices to move inventory. Amazon's Prime Day (July 12-13) was claimed to be the biggest so far. Online sales overall surged 2.7%. Today's data includes weekly jobless claims, the Philadelphia Fed survey, existing home sale, and the index of Leading Economic Indicators  Th four-week average of weekly jobless claims rose to 252k in the week ending August 5. Recall the four-week moving average, used to smooth out some of the noise bottomed in the week ending April 1 at 170.5k. They averaged around 238k in December 2019, which was the highest since the first half of January 2018. Continuing claims have edged higher in recent weeks, but at 1.428 mln, they are roughly 20% below the peak at the start of this year. The Philadelphia Fed survey is particularly interesting today because of the disastrous Empire State survey. The median forecast in Bloomberg's survey is for a -5 reading after -12.3 in July. Meanwhile, existing home sales have fallen for five months through June. In fact, new home sales have been fallen every quarter since the end of 2020, with the exception of Q3 21. They fell by an average of 1.7% in Q1 22 and 3.8% in Q2 22. The median forecast is for a nearly 5% decline in July. The market tends not to get excited about the leading economic index series. Economists expected the fifth consecutive decline. The only month it rose this year was February. The US dollar extended its recovery against the Canadian dollar to reach almost CAD1.2950, its highest level since August 8 today  It was pressed lower by new offers in the European morning that drove it back to almost CAD1.2900. The market may take its cues from the S&P 500 and the general risk appetites in the North American session. With the intraday momentum indicators stretched, yesterday's post-FOMC minutes low near CAD1.2880 may offer sufficient support. The greenback rose to a five-day high against the Mexican peso yesterday around MXN20.09. It is consolidating and straddling the MXN20.00 area. Our reading of the technical condition favors the dollar's upside, and the first important target is near MXN20.20. The US dollar gapped higher against the Brazilian real yesterday and approached the BRL5.22 area, where the 20-day and 200-day moving averages converge. The opening gap was closed late on the pullback spurred by the reading of FOMC minute headlines. The price action is similar to the peso, where the dollar has traded heavily since last month but appears to have found a bottom. A break above BRL5.22 would target the month's high near BRL5.3150.       Disclaimer   Source: Fed Minutes were Not as Dovish as Initially Read

The equity rally in the US didn’t pick up momentum after the Federal Reserve (Fed) released its latest meeting minutes, which sounded more hawkish-than-expected, or more hawkish-than-what-was-needed-to-give-another-boost to the US stock markets. The biggest take was that the Fed will continue tightening its policy until it sees that inflation is ‘firmly on path back to 2%’. The S&P500 fell 0.72% as Nasdaq gave back 1.20%, although the jump in the US 2-year yield was relatively soft, and the Fed funds futures scaled back the expectation of a 75 bp hike in the next meeting. Crude price completed an ABCD pattern, and it is more likely than not we see the price rebound to the $100 level in the medium run. In China, Tencent announced its first ever revenue drop as government crackdown continued taking a toll on its sales, and the pound couldn’t gain even after the above 10% inflation data boosted the Bank of England (BoE) hawks and the call fall steeper rate hikes to tame inflation in the UK. Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:28 As expected, Fed minutes were more hawkish-than-expected 3:39 Crude oil has more chance to rebound than to fall 6:02 Tencent posts first-ever revenue drop 7:14 Apple extends gains, but technicals warn of correction 8:38 Pound unable to extend gains despite rising Fed hawks’ voices 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 #minutes #USD #GBP #inflation #Tencent #Alibaba #earnings #crude #oil #natural #gas #coal #futures #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:  Crude oil, in a downtrend since June, is showing signs of selling fatigue with the technical outlook turning more price friendly while fresh fundamental developments are adding some support as well. The energy crisis in Europe continues to strengthen, most recently due to lower water levels on the river Rhine preventing the movement of barges carrying coal and fuel products such as diesel. The result being an increased gas-to-fuel switching supporting the demand outlook for crude oil. Crude oil, in a downtrend since June, is showing signs of selling fatigue with the technical outlook turning more price friendly while fresh fundamental developments are adding some support as well. Worries about an economic slowdown driving by China’s troubled handling of Covid outbreaks, and its property sector problems as well as rapidly rising interest rates, were the main drivers behind the selling seen across commodities in recent months. Crude oil with its strong underlying fundamentals, with tight supply driven by Russia sanctions and OPEC struggling to lift production, was the last shoe to drop and since the mid-June peak, speculators and macroeconomic focused funds have been net sellers of both WTI and Brent crude oil futures. With most of these market participants using the front of the futures curve, the selling has seen the forward curve flatten, a development that is normally viewed as price negative as it signals reduced tightness in the market. However, for that to ring true we should see inventory levels of crude oil and fuel products rise while refinery margins should ease. None of these developments have occurred and it strengthens our belief that the weakness sign has more to do with position adjustments and short positions being implemented by traders focusing on macro instead of micro.  In the week to August 9, the combined net long in Brent and WTI slumped to 304k lots a level last seen in April 2020, and 209k lots below the mid-June peak.  While the macro-economic outlook is still challenged, recent developments within the oil market, so-called micro developments, have raised the risk of a rebound. The energy crisis in Europe continues to strengthen, most recently due to lower water levels on the river Rhine preventing the movement of barges carrying coal and fuel products such as diesel. The result being surging gas prices as utilities are forced to buy more gas to keep the turbines running. This week the cost of Dutch TTF benchmark gas reached $400 per barrel of crude oil equivalent. Such a wide gap between oil and gas has and will continue to attract increased demand for fuel-based product at the expense of gas and this switch was specifically mentioned by the IEA in their latest update as the reason for raising their 2022 global oil demand growth forecast by 380k barrels per day to 2.1 million barrels per day. Since the report was published the incentive to switch has increased even more, adding more upward pressure on refinery margins, so called crack spreads (EU diesel crack shown below as an example) As mentioned, the recent selling pressure together with a deteriorating macro-economic backdrop have been the main drivers behind crude oils near 40-dollar slump since mid-June. The WTI chart below points to support at $85.50, a level almost reached on Tuesday. The price action is currently confined within a declining wedge and a break to the upside could trigger a strong buying response. For that to happen the price first needs to go back above $92 and the 21-day simple moving average, currently at $92.85. Source: Saxo Bank   How to invest in energy and the unfolding energy crisis? By Peter Garnry, Head of Equity StrategySummary:  We are used to not think about the energy sector, but the galloping global energy crisis has illuminated our deficits in primary energy due to years of underinvestment in fossil fuels and renewable energy sources inability to scale fast enough with the green transformation and electrification of our economy. It seems more likely now that the non-renewable and the renewable energy sector will both provide attractive returns as we will need both to overcome our short-term energy crisis and long-term aspirations of a greener energy future.   Source: Refinery margin jump lends fresh support to crude

NetEase is a Chinese technology company that operates in three segments - online games, search engine (Youdao) and online music (Cloud Music). The company operates both in China and internationally. It is famous for games such as 'The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War', 'Vikingard', 'Lifeafter' and 'Knives Out'. Its shares have fallen more than 10% since the beginning of the year, along with other companies in the Chinese technology sector, by the Chinese government's ambiguous action in the area of interference in their operations, fears of delisting in the US and deteriorating economic indicators in China. However, it is fair to say that its price has still proved to be far more resilient to the issues mentioned above than those of Tencent, Alibaba and Baidu. The company's revenue was 23.2 billion renminbi (US$3.5 billion) in the second quarter, growing 12.8 % year-on-year, slightly beating Wall Street analysts' expectations. Cloud Music revenue grew the most to 2.2 billion renminbi ($327.2 million), rising 29.5% year on year. Online gaming remains the most important revenue stream, with Q2 revenue of 18.1 billion renminbi ($2.7 billion). This increased by 15% compared to the same period a year ago. This was mainly due to the debut of Diablo Immortal, co-developed by NetEase with Blizzard Entertainment. According to the company's report, it became the most downloaded game on the IOS platform in some regions. Major franchise titles had their longevity extended, including the fantasy series Westward Journey and Westward Journey Online, as well as Identity V and Infinite Lagrange. "Players continued to gravitate to our longstanding games in the second quarter, highlighting our strength in game operations longevity. Moreover, the launch of Diablo® Immortal™ attracted the attention of gamers around the world, showcasing our exceptional mobile game development capabilities" - stated CEO William Ding. Revenue fell sharply in the Youdao area, down 29.5% year on year. However, this is the smallest source of revenue and only amounted to 956.2 million renminbi ($142.8 million) in the quarter. Q2 saw a net profit of $790 million, due to lower costs of player retention costs compared to new player acquisitions. Earnings per share (EPS) for those listed in New York were $1.22 on an adjusted basis, beating analysts' estimates by 17 cents. NetEase shares gained almost 3% before the market opened. Rafał Tworkowski, Junior Market Analyst, 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. 82.59% 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.   Source: NetEase increases profits despite declining revenues

Summary:  Equity markets managed a quiet session yesterday, a day when the focus is elsewhere, especially on the surging US dollar as EURUSD is on its way to threatening parity once again, GBPUSD plunged well below 1.2000 and the Chinese renminbi is perched at its weakest levels against the US dollar for the cycle. Also in play are the range highs in longer US treasury yields, with any significant pull to the upside in yields likely to spell the end to the recent extended bout of market complacency.   What is our trading focus?   Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures bounced back a bit yesterday potentially impacted by the July US retail sales showing that the consumer is holding up in nominal terms. The key market to watch for equity investors is the US Treasury market as the US 10-year yield seems to be on a trajectory to hit 3%. In this case we would expect a drop in S&P 500 futures to test the 4,200 level and if we get pushed higher in VIX above the 20 level then US equities could accelerate to the downside. Fed’s Bullard comments that he is leaning towards a 75 basis point rate hike at the September meeting should also negatively equities here relative to the expectations. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) Hang Seng Index edged up by 0.4% and CSI300 was little changed. As WTI Crude bounced back above $90/brl, energy stocks outperformed, rising 2-4%. Technology names in Hong Kong gained with Hang Seng Tech Index (HSTECH.I) up 0.6%. Investors are expecting Chinese banks to cut loan prime rates on Monday, following the central bank’s rate cut earlier this week. The China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) is looking at the quality of real estate loan portfolios and reviewing lending practices at some Chinese banks. The shares of NetEase (09999:xhkg/NTES:xnas) dropped more than 3% despite reporting above-consensus Q2 revenue up 13% y/y, and net profit from continuing operations up 28%.  PC online game revenue was above expectations, driven by Naraka Bladepoint content updates and the launch of Xbox version. Mobile game segment performance was in line. USD pairs as the USD rally intensifies The US dollar rally is finding its legs after follow up action yesterday that took EURUSD below the key range low of 1.0100, setting up a run at the psychologically pivotal parity, while GBPUSD slipped well south of the key 1.2000 and USDJPY ripped up through 135.50 resistance. An accelerator of that move may be applied if US long treasury yields pull come further unmoored from the recent range and pull toward 3.00%+. A complete sweep of USD strength would arrive with a significant USDCNH move as discussed below, and the US dollar “wrecking ball” will likely become a key focus and driver of risk sentiment as it is the premiere measure of global liquidity. The next key event risk for the US dollar arrives with next Friday’s Jackson Hole symposium speech from Fed Chair Powell. USDCNH The exchange rate is trading at the highs of the cycle this morning, and all traders should keep an eye out here for whether China allows a significant move in the exchange rate toward 7.00, and particularly whether CNH weakness more than mirrors USD strength (in other words, if CNH is trading lower versus a basket of currencies), which would point to a more determined devaluation move that could spook risk sentiment globally, something we have seen in the past when China shows signs of shifting its exchange rate regime from passive management versus the USD. Crude oil Crude oil (CLU2 & LCOV2) remains on track for a weekly loss with talks of an Iran nuclear deal and global demand concerns being partly offset by signs of robust demand for fuel products. Not least diesel which is seeing increasing demand from energy consumers switching from punitively expensive gas. Earlier in the week Dutch TTF benchmark gas at one point traded above $400 per barrel crude oil equivalent. So far this month the EU diesel crack spread, the margin refineries achieve when turning crude into diesel, has jumped by more than 40% while stateside, the equivalent spread is up around 25%, both pointing to a crude-supportive strength in demand. US natural gas US natural gas (NGU2) ended a touch lower on Thursday after trading within a 7% range. It almost reached a fresh multi-year high at $9.66/MMBtu after spiking on a lower-than-expected stock build before attention turned to production which is currently up 4.8% y/y and cooler temperatures across the country lowering what until recently had driven very strong demand from utilities. LNG shipments out of Freeport, the stricken export plant may suffer further delays, thereby keeping more gas at home. Stockpiles trail the 5-yr avg. by 13%. US Treasuries (TLT, IEF) The focus on US Treasury yields may be set to intensify if the 10-year treasury benchmark yield, trading near 2.90% this morning, comes unmoored from its recent range and trades toward 3.00%, possibly on the Fed’s increase in the pace of its quantitative tightening and/or on US economic data in the coming week(s). Yesterday’s US jobless claims data was better than expected and the August Philadelphia Fed’s business survey was far more positive than expected, suggesting expansion after the volatile Empire Fed survey a few days earlier posted a negative reading.   What is going on?   Global wheat prices continue to tumble ... with a record Russian crop, continued flows of Ukrainian grain and the stronger dollar pushing down prices. The recently opened corridor from Ukraine has so far this month seen more than 500,000 tons of crops being shipped, and while it's still far below the normal pace it has nevertheless provided some relief at a time where troubled weather has created a mixed picture elsewhere. The Chicago wheat (ZWZ2) futures contract touch a January on Thursday after breaking $7.75/bu support while the Paris Milling (EBMZ2) wheat traded near the lowest since March. Existing home sales flags another red for the US housing market while other US economic data continues to be upbeat US existing home sales fell in July for a sixth straight month to 4.81 mn from 5.11 mn, now at the slowest pace since May 2020, and beneath the expected 4.89 mn. Inventory levels again continued to be a big concern, with supply rising to 3.3 months equivalent from 2.9 in June. This continues to suggest that the weakening demand momentum and high inventory levels may weigh on construction activity. The Philly Fed survey meanwhile outperformed expectations, with the headline index rising to +6.2 (exp. -5.0, prev. -12.3), while prices paid fell to 43.6 (prev. 52.2) and prices received dropped to 23.3 (prev. 30.3). New orders were still negative at -5.1, but considerably better than last month’s -24.8 and employment came in at 24.1 from 19.4 previously Fed speakers push for more rate hikes St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard 2.6% with more front-loading in 2022. Fed’s George, much like Fed’s Daly, said that last month’s inflation is not a victory and hardly comforting. Bullard and George vote in 2022. Fed’s Kashkari said that he is not sure if the Fed can avoid a recession and that there is more work to be done to bring inflation down, but noted economic fundamentals are strong. Overall, all messages remain old and eyes remain on Fed Chair Powell speaking at the Jackson Hole conference on August 26, next Friday.  Japan’s inflation came in as expected Japan’s nationwide CPI for July accelerated to 2.6% y/y, as expected, from 2.4% y/y in June. The core measure was up 2.4% y/y from 2.2% previously, staying above the Bank of Japan’s 2% target and coming in at the strongest levels since 2008. Upside pressures remain as Japan continues to face a deeper energy crisis threat into the winter with LNG supplies possibly getting diverted to Europe for better prices. Still, Bank of Japan may continue to hold its dovish yield curve control policy unless wage inflation surprises consistently to the upside.   What are we watching next?   Strong US dollar to unsettle markets – and Jackson Hole Fed conference next week? The US dollar continues to pull higher here, threatening the cycle highs versus sterling, the euro and on the comeback trail against the Japanese yen as well. The US dollar is a barometer of global liquidity, and a continued rise would eventually snuff out the improvement in financial conditions we have seen since the June lows in equity markets, particularly if longer US treasury yields are also unmoored from their recent range and rise back to 3.00% or higher.  The focus on the strong US dollar will intensify should the USDCNH exchange rate, which has pulled to the highs of the cycle above 6.80, lurch toward 7.00 in coming sessions as it would indicate that China is unwilling to allow its currency to track USD direction. As well, the Fed seems bent on pushing back against market expectations for Fed rate cuts next year and may have to spell this out a bit more forcefully at next week’s Jackson Hole conference starting on Thursday (Fed Chair Powell to speak Friday). Earnings to watch The two earnings releases to watch today are from Xiaomi and Deere. The Chinese consumer is challenged over falling real estate prices and input cost pressures on food and energy, and as a result consumer stocks have been doing bad this year. Xiaomi is one the biggest sellers of smartphones in China and is expected to report a 20% drop in revenue compared to last year. Deere sits in the booming agricultural sector, being one of the biggest manufacturers of farming equipment, and analysts expect a 12% gain in revenue in FY22 Q3 (ending 31 July).   Today: China Merchants Bank, CNOOC, Shenzhen Mindray, Xiaomi, Deere Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 1230 – Canada Jun. Retail Sales 1300 – US Fed’s Barkin (Non-voter) 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 – August 19, 2022

Summary:  Today we note the strengthening headwinds against the melt-up in financial conditions as the US dollar continues to rise, having now broken higher against the Euro, sterling and yen, and as a new surge in US 10-year yields threatens. Elsewhere, US Natural Gas prices ease despite a weak storage build yesterday and wheat prices are retreating rapidly. In equities, focus on Applied Materials after their earning report, Canadian Solar and a look ahead at Deere. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are found via the link Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: Podcast: USD and treasury yields pushing back against the melt-up

Overview:  The dollar is on fire. It is rising against all the major currencies and cutting through key technical levels like a hot knife in butter. The Canadian dollar is the strongest of the majors this week, which often outperforms on the crosses in a strong US dollar environment. It is off 1.5% this week. The New Zealand dollar, where the RBNZ hiked rates this week by 50 bp, is off the most with a 3.5% drop. Emerging market currencies are mostly lower on the day and week as well. The JP Morgan Emerging Market Currency Index is off for the fifth consecutive session, and ahead of the Latam open, it is off 2.1% this week. Asia Pacific equities were mostly lower, and Europe’s is off around 0.4%. It was flat for the week coming into today. US futures are lower, and the S&P and NASDAQ look poised to snap its four-week advance. Gold, which began the week near $1800 is testing support near $1750 now. Next support is seen around $1744.50. October WTI is consolidating in the upper end of yesterday’s range, which briefly poked above $91. Initial support is pegged near $88. US natgas is softer for the third successive session, but near $9.04 is up about 3.2% for the week. Europe’s benchmark is up 1.7% and brings this week’s gain to almost 20%. Demand concerns weigh on iron ore. It was off marginally today, its fifth loss in six sessions. It tumbled 8.8% this week after a 1.15% gain last week. Copper is up fractionally after rising 1.3% yesterday. September wheat is trying to stabilize. It fell more than 4% yesterday, its fifth loss in a row. It is off around 8.5% this week. Asia Pacific Japan's July CPI continued to rise  Th headline now stands at 2.6%, up from 2.4% in June, up from 0.8% at the start of the year and -0.3% a year ago. The core measure that excludes fresh food accelerated from 2.2% to 2.4%. It is the fourth consecutive month above the 2% target. Excluding both fresh food and energy, Japan's inflation is less than half the headline rate at 1.2%. It was at -0.7% at the end of last year and did not turn positive until April. The BOJ's next meeting is September 22, and despite the uptick in inflation, Governor Kuroda is unlikely to be impressed. Without wage growth, he argues, inflation will prove transitory. With global bond yields rising again, the 10-year, the market may be gearing up to re-challenge the BOJ's 0.25% cap. The yield is finishing the week near 0.20%, its highest since late July. Separately, we note that after divesting foreign bonds in recent months, Japanese investors have returned to the buy side. They have bought foreign bonds for the past four weeks, according to Ministry of Finance data. Last week's JPY1.15 trillion purchases (~$8.5 bln) were the most since last September.  China surprised the markets to begin the week with a 10 bp reduction in the benchmark 1-year medium-term lending facility rate  It now stands at 2.75%. It was the first cut since January, which itself was the first reduction since April 2020. Before markets open Monday, China is expected to announce a 10 bp decline in the 1- and 5-year loan prime rates. That would bring them to 3.60% and 4.35%, respectively. These rates are seen closer to market rates, but the large banks that contribute the quotes are state-owned. There is some speculation that a larger cut in the 5-year rate. The one-year rate was cut in January, but the 5-year rate was cut by 15 bp in May. The dollar is rising against the yen for the fourth consecutive session  It has now surpassed the JPY137.00 area that marks the (61.8%) retracement of the decline from the 24-year high set-in mid-July near JPY139.40. There may be some resistance in the JPY137.00-25 area, but a retest on the previous high looks likely in the period ahead. The Australian dollar is off for the fifth consecutive session and this week's loss of 3% offset last week's gain of as similar magnitude and, if sustained, would be the largest weekly decline since September 2020. The Aussie began the week near $0.7125 and recorded a low today slightly below $0.6890. The $0.6855-70 area is seen as the next that may offer technical support. The PBOC set the dollar's reference rate at CNY6.8065 (median in Bloomberg's survey was CNY6.9856). The fix was the lowest for the yuan (strongest for the dollar) since September 2020. Yesterday's high was almost CNY6.7960 and today's low was a little above CNY6.8030. To put the price action in perspective, note that the dollar is approaching the (61.8%) retracement of the yuan's rise from mid-2020 (~CNY7.1780) to this year's low set in March (~CNY6.3065). The retracement is found around CNY6.8250. Europe UK retail sales surprised to the upside but are offering sterling little support  Retail sales including gasoline rose by 0.3% in July. It is the second gain of the year and the most since last October. Excluding auto fuel, retail sales rose by 0.4%, following a 0.2% gain in June. It is the first back-to-back gain since March and April 2021. Sales online surged 4.8% as discounts and promotions drew demand, and internet retailers accounted for 26.3% of all retail sales. Separately, consumer confidence, measured by GfK, slipped lower (-44 from -41), a new record low. Sterling is lower for the third consecutive session and six of the past seven sessions. The swaps market continues to price in a 50 bp rate hike next month and about a 1-in-5 chance of a 75 bp move. Nearly every press report discussing next month's Italian elections cited the fascist roots of the Brothers of Italy, which looks likely to lead the next government  Meloni, who heads up the Brothers of Italy and has outmaneuvered many of her rivals, and may be Italy's next prime minister, plays the roots down. She compares the Brothers of Italy to the Tory Party in the UK, the Likud in Israel, and the Republican Party in the US. The party has evolved, and the center-right alliance she leads no longer wants to leave the EU, it is pro-NATO, and condemns Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The center-right alliance may come close to having a sufficient majority in both chambers to make possible constitutional reform. High on that agenda appears to transform the presidency into a directly elected office. The Italian presidency has limited power under the current configuration, but it has been an important stabilizing factor in crisis. Ironically, the president, picked by parliament, stepped in during the European debt crisis and gave Monti the opportunity to form a technocrat government after Berlusconi was forced to resign in 2011. Fast-forward a decade, a government led by the Conte and the Five Star Movement collapsed and a different Italian president gave Draghi a chance to put together a government. It almost last a year-and-half. Its collapse set the stage for next month's election. The center-left is in disarray and its inability to forge a broad coalition greases the path for Meloni and Co. Italy's 10-year premium over German is at 2.25%, a new high for the month. Last month, it peaked near 2.40%. The two-year premium is wider for the sixth consecutive session. It is near 0.93%, more than twice what it was before the Draghi government collapsed. Some critics argue against the social sciences being science because of the difficulty in conducting experiments  Still an experiment is unfolding front of us. What happens when a central bank completely loses its independence and follows dubious economic logic?  With inflation at more than two decades highs and the currency near record lows, Turkey's central bank surprised everyone by cutting its benchmark rate 100 bp to 13% yesterday. Governor Kavcioglu hinted this was a one-off as it was preempting a possible slowdown in manufacturing. Even though President Erdogan promised in June rates would fall, some observers link the rate cut to the increase in reserves (~$15 bln) recently from Russia, who is building a nuclear plant in Turkey. The decline in oil prices may also help ease pressure on Turkey's inflation and trade deficit. The lira fell to new record-lows against the dollar. The lira is off about 7.5% this quarter and about 26.4% year-to-date. Significant technical damage has been inflicted on the euro and sterling  The euro was sold through the (61.8%) retracement objective of the runup since the mid-July two-decade low near $0.9950. That retracement area (~$1.0110) now offers resistance, and the single currency has not been above $1.01 today. We had suspected the upside correction was over, but the pace of the euro's retreat surprises. There is little from a technical perspective preventing a test on the previous lows. Yesterday, sterling took out the neckline of a potential double top we have been monitoring at $1.20. It is being sold in the European morning and has clipped the $1.1870 area. The low set-in mid-July was near $1.1760, and this is the next obvious target and roughly corresponds to the measuring objective of the double top.  America With no dissents at the Fed to last month's 75 bp hike, one might be forgiven for thinking that there are no more doves  Yet, as we argued even before Minneapolis Fed President Kashkari, once regarded as a leading dove, admitted that his dot in June was the most aggressive at 3.90% for year-end, hawk and dove are more meaningful within a context. Kashkari may be more an activist that either a hawk or dove. Daly, the San Francisco Fed President does not vote this year, suggested that a Fed funds target "a little" over 3% this year would be appropriate. She said she favored a 50 bp or a 75 bp move. The current target range is 2.25%-2.50%. and the median dot in June saw a 3.25%-3.50% year-end target. St. Louis Fed President Bullard says he favors another 75 bp hike next month. No surprise there. George, the Kansas, Fed President, dissented against the 75 bp hike in June seemingly because of the messaging around it, but it's tough to call her vote for a 50 bp hike dovish. She voted for the 75 bp move in July. She recognizes the need for additional hikes, and the issue is about the pace. George did not rule out a 75 bp hike while cautioning that policy operates on a lag. Barkin, the Richmond Fed President, also does not vote this year. He is the only scheduled Fed speaker today.  The odds of a 75 bp in September is virtually unchanged from the end of last week around a 50/50 proposition.  The October Fed funds implies a 2.945% average effective Fed funds rate. The actual effective rate has been rocksteady this month at 2.33%. So, the October contract is pricing in 61 bp, which is the 50 bp (done deal) and 11 of the next 25 bp or 44% chance of a 75 hike instead of a half-point move. Next week's Jackson Hole conference will give Fed officials, and especially Chair Powell an opportunity to push back against the premature easing of financial conditions  The better-than-expected Philadelphia Fed survey helps neutralize the dismal Empire State manufacturing survey. The median from Bloomberg's survey looked for improvement to -5 from -12.3. Instead, it was reported at 6.2. Orders jumped almost 20 points to -5.1 and the improvement in delivery times points to the continued normalization of supply chains. Disappointingly, however, the measure of six-month expectations remained negative for the third consecutive month. Still, the plans for hiring and capex improved and the news on prices were encouraging. Prices paid fell to their lowest since the end of 2020 (energy?) and prices received were the lowest since February 2021. The Fed also asked about the CPI outlook. The median sees it at 6% next year down from 6.5% in May. The projected rate over the next 10-years slipped to 3%. Canada and Mexico report June retail sales today  Lift by rising prices, Canada's retail sales have posted an average monthly gain this year of 1.5%. However, after a dramatic 2.2% increase in May, Canadian retail sales are expected (median in Bloomberg' survey) to rise by a modest 0.4%. Excluding autos, retail sales may have held up better. Economists look for a 0.9% increase after a 1.9% rise in May. Through the first five months of the year, Mexico's retail sales have risen by a little more than 0.5% a month. They have risen by a 5.2% year-over-year. Economists expected retail sales to have slowed to a crawl in June and see the year-over-year pace easing to 5.0%. The greenback rose the CAD1.2935 area that had capped it in the first half of the week. It settled near CAD1.2950 yesterday and is pushing closer to CAD 1.2980 now. Above here, immediate potential extends toward CAD1.3035. The US dollar is gaining for the third consecutive session against the Canadian dollar, the longest advancing streak in a couple of months. Support is seen in the CAD1.2940-50 area. The Mexican peso is on its backfoot, and is falling for the fourth session, which ended a six-day rally. The dollar has met out first target near MXN20.20 and is approaching the 20-day moving average (~MXN20.2375). Above there, the next technical target is MXN20.32. The broader dollar gains suggest it may rise above the 200-day moving average against the Brazilian real (~BRL5.2040) and the (38.2%) of the slide since the late July high (~BRL5.5140) that is found near BRL5.2185.    Disclaimer   Source: The Dollar is on Fire

Summary:  Commodities traded with a softer bias this week as the focus continued to rest on global macro-economic developments, in some cases reducing the impact of otherwise supportive micro developments, such as the fall in inventories seen across several individual commodities. Overall, however, we do not alter our long-term views about commodities and their ability to move higher over time, with some of the main reasons being underinvestment, urbanization, green transformation, sanctions on Russia and deglobalization. Commodities traded with a softer bias this week as the focus continued to rest on global macro-economic developments, in some cases reducing the impact of otherwise supportive micro developments, such as the fall in inventories seen across several individual commodities. The dollar found renewed strength and bond yields rose while the month-long bear-market bounce across US stocks showed signs of running out of steam.The trigger being comments from Federal Reserve officials reiterating their resolve to continue hiking rates until inflation eases back to their yet-to-be revised higher long-term target of around 2%. Those comments put to rest expectations that a string of recent weak economic data would encourage the Fed to reduce the projected pace of future rate hikes.The result of these developments being an elevated risk of a global economic slowdown gathering pace as the battle against inflation remains far from won, not least considering the risk of persistent high energy prices, from gasoline and diesel to coal and especially gas. A clear sign that the battle between macro and micro developments continues, the result of which is likely to be a prolonged period of uncertainty with regards to the short- and medium-term outlook.Overall, however, these developments do not alter our long-term views about commodities and their ability to move higher over time. In my quarterly webinar, held earlier this week, I highlighted some of the reasons why we see the so-called old economy, or tangible assets, performing well over the coming years, driven by underinvestment, urbanization, green transformation, sanctions on Russia and deglobalization. Returning to this past week’s performance, we find the 2.3% drop in the Bloomberg Commodity Index, seen above, being in line with the rise in the dollar where gains were recorded against all the ten currencies, including the Chinese renminbi, represented in the index. It is worth noting that EU TTF gas and power prices, which jumped around 23% and 20% respectively, and Paris Milling wheat, which slumped, are not members of the mentioned commodity index.Overall gains in energy led by the refined products of diesel and US natural gas were more than offset by losses across the other sectors, most notably grains led by the slump in global wheat prices and precious metals which took a hit from the mentioned dollar and yield rise. Combating inflation and its impact on growth remains top of mind Apart from China’s slowing growth outlook due to its zero-Covid policy and housing market crisis hitting industrial metals, the most important driver for commodities recently has been the macro-economic outlook currently being dictated by the way in which central banks around the world have been stepping up efforts to curb runaway inflation by forcing down economic activity through aggressively tightening monetary conditions. This process is ongoing and the longer the process takes to succeed, the bigger the risk of an economic fallout. US inflation expectations in a year have already seen a dramatic slump but despite this the medium- and long-term expectations remain anchored around 3%, still well above the Fed’s 2% target.Even reaching the 3% level at this point looks challenging, not least considering elevated input costs from energy. Failure to achieve the target remains the biggest short-term risk to commodity prices with higher rates killing growth, while eroding risk appetite as stock markets resume their decline. These developments, however, remain one of the reasons why we find gold and eventually also silver attractive as hedges against a so-called policy mistake. Global wheat prices tumble The prospect for a record Russian crop and continued flows of Ukrainian grain together with the stronger dollar helped push prices lower in Paris and Chicago. The recently opened corridor from Ukraine has so far this month seen more than 500,000 tons of crops being shipped, and while it's still far below the normal pace, it has nevertheless provided some relief at a time where troubled weather has created a mixed picture elsewhere. The Chicago wheat futures contract touched a January low after breaking $7.75/bu support while the Paris Milling (EBMZ2) wheat traded near the lowest since March. With most of the uncertainties driving panic buying back in March now removed, calmer conditions should return with the biggest unknown still the war in Ukraine and with that the country’s ability to produce and export key food commodities from corn and wheat to sunflower oil. EU gas reaches $73/MMBtu or $415 per barrel of oil equivalent Natural gas in Europe headed for the longest run of weekly gains this year, intensifying the pain for industries and households, while at the same time increasingly threatening to push economies across the region into recession. The recent jump on top of already elevated prices of gas and power, due to low supplies from Russia, has been driven by an August heatwave raising demand while lowering water levels on the river Rhine. This development has increasingly prevented the safe passage of barges transporting coal, diesel and other essentials, while refineries such as Shell’s Rhineland oil refinery in Germany have been forced to cut production. In addition, half of Europe’s zinc and aluminum smelting capacity has been shut, thereby adding support to these metals at a time the market is worried about the demand outlook.An abundance of rain and lower temperatures may in the short term remove some of the recent price strength but overall, the coming winter months remain a major worry from a supply perspective. Not least considering the risk of increased competition from Asia for LNG shipments. Refinery margin jump lends fresh support to crude oil Crude oil, in a downtrend since June, is showing signs of selling fatigue with the technical outlook turning more price friendly while fresh fundamental developments are adding some support as well. Worries about an economic slowdown driven by China’s troubled handling of Covid outbreaks and its property sector problems as well as rapidly rising interest rates were the main drivers behind the selling since March across other commodity sectors before eventually also catching up with crude oil around the middle of June. Since then, the price of Brent has gone through a $28 dollar top to bottom correction. While the macro-economic outlook is still challenged, recent developments within the oil market, so-called micro developments, have raised the risk of a rebound. The mentioned energy crisis in Europe continues to strengthen, the result being surging gas prices making fuel-based products increasingly attractive. This gas-to-fuel switch was specifically mentioned by the IEA in their latest update as the reason for raising their 2022 global oil demand growth forecast by 380k barrels per day to 2.1 million barrels per day. Since the report was published, the incentive to switch has increased even more, adding more upward pressure on refinery margins. While pockets of demand weakness have emerged in recent months, we do not expect these to materially impact on our overall price-supportive outlook. Supply-side uncertainties remain too elevated to ignore, not least considering the soon-to-expire releases of crude oil from US Strategic Reserves and the EU embargo of Russian oil fast approaching. In addition, the previously mentioned increased demand for fuel-based products to replace expensive gas. With this in mind, we maintain our $95 to $115 range forecast for the third quarter. Gold and silver struggle amid rising dollar and yields Both metals, especially silver, were heading for a weekly loss after hawkish sounding comments from several FOMC members helped boost the dollar while sending US ten-year bond yields higher towards 3%. It was the lull in both that helped trigger the recovery in recent weeks, and with stock markets having rallied as well during the same time, the demand for gold has mostly been driven by momentum following speculators in the futures market. The turnaround this past week has, as a result of speculators' positioning, been driven by the need to reduce bullish bets following a two-week buying spree which lifted the net futures long by 63k lots or 6.3 million ounces, the strongest pace of buying in six months. ETF holdings meanwhile have slumped to a six-month low, an indication that investors, for now, trust the FOMC’s ability to bring down inflation within a relatively short timeframe. An investor having doubts about this should maintain a long position as a hedge against a policy mistake. Some investors may feel hard done by gold’s negative year-to-date performance in dollars, but taking into account it had to deal with the biggest jump in real yields since 2013 and a surging dollar, its performance, especially for non-dollar investors relative to the losses in bonds and stocks, remains acceptable. In other words, a hedge in gold against a policy mistake or other unforeseen geopolitical events has so far been almost cost free.   Source: WCU: Bearish macro, bullish micro regime persists

Banks in China left the 1Y loan prime rate unchanged but cut 15bp on the 5Y rate. This signals banks are supporting mortgage borrowers  We think residential construction activity in China will contract in 2022 15bp cut in loan prime rate It was surprising that banks did not cut the 1Y loan prime rate at all this month. It could be that banks chose to leave rate-cut room for long term loans, and instead, cut 15bp from the 5Y loan prime rate.  Further 5Y rate cut possible Most home mortgages are linked to the 5Y loan prime rate. So this rate cut is obviously to reduce the burden on borrowers. At the same time, some local governments have started to lend to property developers to continue the construction of uncompleted homes. The two measures together should reduce the concern of existing home mortgage borrowers. We expect there will be at least one more 5Y loan prime rate cut in 2022.  When the market sees progress in the construction of uncompleted projects, we may see an improvement in home buying sentiment and home prices should stabilise. Potential home buyers might then consider buying homes for their first purchase or upgrades for existing homeowners. We may start to see signs of this improvement from 4Q2022 to 1Q2023.  Read this article on THINK 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

Summary:  The dollar story will face a fresh test this week as the central bankers gather for the Jackson Hole symposium from August 25 to 27. We can expect some more push back on the 2023 easing expectations, and this could also mean some upside in US Treasury yields. July PCE due at the end of the week will likely be side-lined by the event, and any gasoline-driven easing should have little relevance. In Europe, the gas situation remains on watch and the July PMIs will likely spell more caution. China’s LPR cuts this morning have signalled a stronger support to the property markets, but the Covid situation and the power curbs continue to cloud the outlook. Earnings pipeline remains robust, key ones being Palo Alto, Nvidia and Intuit, followed by a few discount retailers like Dollar General and Dollar Tree in the U.S., and China Internet companies, JD.COM, and Meituan.   US dollar awaiting its next signals from the Jackson Hole There is a considerable tension between the market’s forecast for the economy and the resulting expected path of Fed policy for the rest of this year and particularly next year, as the market believes that a cooling economy and inflation will allow the Fed to reverse course and cut rates in a “soft landing” environment (the latter presumably because financial conditions have eased aggressively since June, suggesting that markets are not fearing a hard landing/recession). Some Fed members have tried to push back against the market’s expectations for Fed rate cuts next year it was likely never the Fed’s intention to allow financial conditions to ease so swiftly and deeply as they have in recent weeks. The risks, therefore, point to a Fed that may mount a more determined pushback at the Jackson Hole forum, the Fed’s yearly gathering at Jackson Hole, Wyoming that is often used to air longer term policy guidance. This will have further implications for the US dollar, which is threatening the cycle highs versus sterling, the euro and on the comeback trail against the Japanese yen as well. The US dollar is a barometer of global liquidity, and a continued rise would eventually snuff out the improvement in financial conditions we have seen since the June lows in equity markets, particularly if longer US treasury yields are also unmoored from their recent range and rise back to 3.00% or higher. Europe and UK PMIs may spell further caution The Euro-area flash composite PMI and the UK flash PMI for August are both due to be released on Tuesday. Following a slide in ZEW and Sentix indicators for July, the stage is set for a weaker outcome on the PMIs too. July composite PMI for the Euro-area dipped into contractionary territory at 49.9, while the UK measure held up at 52.1. The surge in gas and electricity prices continue to weigh on GDP growth outlook, with recession likely to hit by the end of the year. More price pressures to come to Asia Singapore's inflation likely nudged higher in July, coming in close proximity to 7% levels from 6.7% y/y in June. While both food and fuel costs continue to create upside pressures on inflation, demand-side pressures are also increasing as the region moves away from virus curbs. House rentals are also running high due to high demand and delayed construction limiting supplies. The Monetary Authority of Singapore has tightened monetary policy but more tightening moves can be expected in H2 even as the growth outlook has been downwardly revised. We also get Japan's Tokyo CPI for August, which is likely to suggest further gains above the Bank of Japan's 2% target. Consensus expectations point toward another higher print of 2.7% y/y for the headline measure and 2.5% y/y on the core measure, signalling inflationary pressures will continue to question the Bank of Japan's resolve on the ultra-easy policy stance. Malaysia’s July inflation is also due at the end of the week, and likely to go above the 4%-mark from 3.4% previously. Softer July US PCE print would not derail Fed’s tightening After a softer CPI report in July, focus will turn to the PCE measure – the version of the CPI that is tracked by the Fed to gauge price pressures. Lower gasoline prices mean that PCE prints could also see some relief, although we still upside pressures to inflation given that energy shortages will likely persist and easing financial conditions mean that inflation could return. We would suggest not to read too much into a softer PCE print this week, as the stickier shelter and services prices mean that the 2% inflation target of the Fed remains unachievable into then next year. This suggests that the aggressive tightening by the Fed will likely continue, despite any likely softness in the PCE this week. Housing markets, Covid-19 cases, and power curbs are key things to watch in China this week The data calendar is light in China this week with only July industrial profits data scheduled to release on Saturday.  This morning, China’s National Interbank Fund Center, based on quotes from banks and under the supervision of the PBoC, fixed the 1-year loan prime rate (“LPR”) 5 bps lower at 3.60% and the 5-year loan prime rates (“LPR”) 15 basis points lower at 4.30%.  The larger reduction in the 5-year LPR, which is the benchmark against which mortgage loan rates in China are set, may signal stronger support from the PBoC to the housing market.  Last Friday the Housing Ministry, the Ministry of Finance, and the PBoC, according to Xinhua News, jointly rolled out a program to make special loans through policy banks to support the delivery of presold residential housing projects which are facing difficulties in completion due to lack of funding.  Investors will monitor closely this week to gauge if there is additional information about the size of the program and if the PBoC will print money to fund it.  As daily locally transmitted new cases of Covid-19 in China persistently surged and stayed above 2,000 since August 12, 2022, the market will watch the development closely and how it will affect the economy.   In addition to the pandemic, power shortage in the Sichuan province and some other areas in China due to unusually high temperature (higher power consumption for air-conditioning) and drought (which affects hydropower output), investors are assessing the impact of the government-imposed power rationing for industrial users on production, in particular the auto industry and consumer electronics industry in the affected areas. Key earnings this week On Monday, investors will scrutinize the results from Palo Alto Networks (PANW:xnas) in the U.S. to gauge the latest business development in the security software industry, which has drawn much attention this year as cybersecurity has become a focus. Intuit (INTU:xnas) is scheduled to report on Tuesday and its results may provide information about the small and medium-sized businesses that the company focuses in it business.  After a disappointing preannouncement earlier in the month, the bar for Nvidia (NVDA:xnas)’s earnings release this Wednesday may be low.  In HK/China, the results from the Postal Savings Bank of China may provide the market with some insights into the state of the Chinese banking system, especially situations outside the top-tier cities. JD.COM (09618:xhkg/JD:xnas) on Tuesday and Meituan (03690:xhkg) on Friday will be the focus of investors monitoring the business trend of eCommerce and delivery platforms in China.  Key economic releases & central bank meetings this week Monday, Aug 22 South Korea: Exports (Aug, first 20 days)Hong Kong: CPI (Jul)   Tuesday, Aug 23 United States: S&P Global US Manufacturing PMI (Aug, preliminary)United States: S&P Global US Services PMI (Aug, preliminary)Eurozone: PMI Manufacturing (Aug)Eurozone: Consumer Confidence (Aug)United Kingdom: PMI Manufacturing (Aug), PMI Services (Aug)Japan: PMI Manufacturing (Aug)Singapore: CPI (Jul) Wednesday, Aug 24 United States: Durable Goods Orders (Jul, preliminary)United States: Pending Home Sales (Jul) Thursday, Aug 25 United States: GDP (Q2, second)United States: Initial Jobless Claims (Aug)United States: Kansas City Fed Manufacturing Activity (Aug)United States: Jackson Hole Symposium (Aug 25 to 27)Germany: IFO Survey (Aug)France: Business Confidence (Aug)South Korea: Bank of Korea Policy Meeting Friday, Aug 26 United States: Personal Income, Personal Spending, PCE Deflator & PCE Core Deflator (Jul)United States: U of Michigan Sentiment Survey (Aug, final)United States: Fed Chair Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole SymposiumFrance: Consumer Confidence (Aug)Eurozone: M3 (Jul)Italy: Consumer Confidence (Aug)Italy: Economic Sentiment (Aug)Tokyo: Tokyo-area CPI (Aug)Singapore: Industrial Production (Jul) Saturday, Aug 27 China: Industrial Profits (Jul) Key earnings releases this week Monday: Postal Savings Bank of China (01658:xhkg), Palo Alto Networks (PANW:xnas) Tuesday: Medtronic (MDT:xnys), Intuit (INTU:xnas), JD.COM (09618:xhkg/JD:xnas), JD Logistics (02615:xhkg), Kingsoft (03888:xhkg), Kuaishou (01024:xhkg) Wednesday: PetroChina (00857:xhkg), Ping An Insurance (02318:xhkg), Nongfu Spring (09633:xhkg), LONGi Green Energy Technology (601012:xssc), Pinduooduo (PDD:xnas), Nvidia (NVDA:xnas), Salesforce (CRM:xnys), JD Health (06618:xhkg) Thursday: AIA (01299:hkgs), Wulinagye Yibin (000858:xsec), China Life Insurance (02628:xhkg), CNOOC (00883:xhkg), Dollar General (DG:xnys), NIO (09866:xhkg/NIO:xnas) Friday: Meituan (03690:xhkg), China Shenhua (01088:xhkg), Sinopec (00386:xhkg)    Source: Saxo Spotlight: What’s on investors and traders radars this week?

Summary:  Equities closed last week on the defensive as a rising US dollar and especially US treasuries weighed. The US 10-year yield is threatening the 3.00% level for the first time in a month ahead of the important US July PCE inflation data and Fed Chair Powell’s speech on Friday. How forcefully will Powell push back against the virtual melt-up in financial conditions after the market felt the Fed pivoted to less tightening at the July meeting?   What is our trading focus? Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) S&P 500 futures are still rolling over as the US 10-year yield zoomed to 3% on Friday with the index futures trading just above the 4,200 level this morning. The next levels on the downside sit around the 4,100 to 4,170 range, but in the longer term the 4,000 level is the big level to watch. Energy markets are still sending inflationary signals which is key to watch for sentiment this week. In terms of earnings, Palo Alto Networks and Zoom Video will report earnings. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSI.I) and China’s CSI300 (000300.I) Hang Seng Index and CSI300 were moderately higher, +0.2% and +0.8% respectively. Chinese developers gained on today’s larger-than-expected cut in the 5-year loan prime rate and last Friday’s report that the PBoC, jointly with the Housing Ministry and the Ministry of Finance to roll out a program to make special loans through policy banks to support the delivery of stalled residential housing projects. Great Wall Motor (02333:xhkg) soared 11%. In A-shares, auto names were among stocks that outperformed. Xiaomi (01810:xhkg) dropped 3% after reporting Q2 revenues -20% YoY and net profit -67% YoY, largely in line with expectations.  US dollar dominates focus in forex this week The US dollar rally picked up speed last week, with key levels falling in a number of USD pairs last week that now serve as resistance, including 1.0100 in EURUSD and 1.2000 in GBPUSD, both of which now serve as resistance/USD support. A significant break of EURUSD parity will likely add further psychological impact, and more practically, an upside break in yields at the longer end of the US yield curve is playing a supportive roll, one that will intensify its driving roll if the benchmark 10-year US Treasury yield follows through higher above the 3.00% level it touched in trading overnight. A complete sweep of USD strength also threatens on any significant follow through higher in USDCNH as it threatens an upside break here (more below). The next key event risk for the US dollar arrives with this Friday’s Jackson Hole symposium speech from Fed Chair Powell (preview below). USDCNH Broad USD strength is helping to drive a move to new cycle highs above 6.84 as the week gets underway, but CNH is not weak in other pairings with G10 currencies, quite the contrary. Still, a move in this critical exchange rate will remain a focus, and the contrast between an easing PBOC (moving once again overnight) and tightening central banks nearly everywhere else is stark. The USDCNH moving higher will receive considerable additional focus if the 7.00 level. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil turned lower in the Asian overnight after modest gains last week as the focus continues to alter between demand destruction fears and persistent supply shortages. Fears of an economic slowdown reducing demand remains invisible in the physical market but it has nevertheless seen crude oil give up all the post Russia invasion gains while speculators or hedge funds have cut bullish bets on WTI and Brent to the lowest since April 2020. WTI futures trades back below $90/barrel while Brent futures dipped below $96. Still, the gas-to-fuel switch led by record gas prices in Europe has seen refinery margins strengthen again lately and it now adds to the fundamental price-supportive factors. Focus may turn back to Iranian supply early in the week though, with reports that a deal is ‘imminent’. Cryptocurrencies The crypto market took a major hit on Friday with the total crypto market cap diving by more than 9 %, but prices have stabilized over the weekend. The total market cap is now close to the psychological $1 trillion level. US Treasuries (TLT, IEF) Rising US Treasury yields are pushing back against the strong improvement in financial conditions of recent weeks after the US 10-year Treasury yield benchmark jumped to new highs on Friday, well clear of the prior range after a few teases higher earlier in the week and bumping up against the psychologically key 3.00% level. Any follow through higher toward the 3.50% area highs of the cycle would likely add further pressure to financial conditions and risk sentiment more broadly. What is going on? German PPI shocks on the upside Germany’s July PPI smashed expectations to come in at 5.3% MoM, the biggest single gain since the Federal Republic started compiling its data in 1949 and above the consensus estimate of 0.7%. The data suggests potentially a lot more room on the upside to Eurozone inflation, and a lot more pain for German industries. European PMIs due this week will gather attention, as will Germany’s IFO numbers. Berkshire Hathaway wins approval to acquire Occidental Petroleum Warren Buffett’s industrial conglomerate that recently increased its stake in Occidental Petroleum to over 20% following the US Climate & Tax bill which adds more runway for oil and gas companies has now won regulatory approval for acquiring more than 50% the oil and gas company. This means that Berkshire Hathaway is warming up to its biggest acquisition since its Burlington acquisition. The power shortage in China China is currently being hit by a heatwave with a large part of the country experiencing -degree Celsius temperatures since the beginning of August. The surge in air conditioning caused electricity consumption to soar. To make things worse, drought has reduced hydropower output.  Some provinces and municipalities, especially Sichuan, are curbing electricity supply to industrial users in order to ensure electricity supply for residential use. This has caused disruptions to manufacturing production and added to the headwinds faced by the Chinese economy. China cut its 5-year loan prime rate loan prime more than expected China’s National Interbank Fund Center, based on quotes from banks and under the supervision of the PBoC, fixed the 1-year loan prime rate (“LPR”) 5 bps lower at 3.60% and the 5-year loan prime rates (“LPR”) 15 basis points lower at 4.30%. The larger-than-expected reduction in the 5-year LPR, which is the benchmark against which mortgage loan rates in China are set at a spread, may signal stronger support from the PBoC to the housing market.  The Chinese authorities are coming to the developers’ aid in delivering pre-sold homes Last Friday the Housing Ministry, the Ministry of Finance, and the PBoC, according to Xinhua News, jointly rolled out a program to make special loans through policy banks to support the delivery of presold residential housing projects which are facing difficulties in completion due to lack of funding.  Investors will monitor closely this week to gauge if there is additional information about the size of the program and if the PBoC will print money to fund it.  The resurgence of Covid cases in China Daily locally transmitted new cases of Covid-19 in China persistently stated above 2,000 since August 12, 2022, with Hainan, Tibet, and Xinjiang being the regions most impacted. The constituent companies of the Hang Seng Index will increase to 73 from 69 Hang Seng Indexes Company announced last Friday to add China Shenhua Energy (01088:xhkg), Chow Tai Fook Jewellery (01929:xhkg), Hansoh Pharmaceutical (03693:xhkg), and Baidu (09888:xhkg) to the Hang Seng Index, bringing the latter’s number of constituent companies to 73 from 69. The changes will take effect on September 5, 2022. In addition, SenseTime (00020:xhkg) will replace China Pacific Insurance (02601:xhkg) as a constituent company of the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index.  Australian share market at a pivotal point After rising for five straight weeks including last week's 1.2% lift, many market participants hold their breath this rally will continue. However, standing in the way are profit results from a quarter of the ASX200 companies to be released this week. For the final week of profit results, we hear from Qantas (Australia's largest airline), Whitehaven Coal (Australia's largest coal company), as well as other stocks that are typically held in Australian superannuation funds; including Coles, Woolworths, Wesfarmers, Endeavour. And lastly about 20 companies trade ex-dividend this week, however they are not expected to move the market's needle. Money managers increased their commodity exposure for a third week to August 16 The Commitment of Traders (COT) Report covering positions and changes made by money managers in commodities to the week ending August 16 showed a third week of net buying with funds adding 123k lots to 988k lots, a seven-week high. The buying was broad led by natural gas, sugar, cattle and grains with most of the selling concentrated in crude oil and gold. More in our weekly update out later. Prior to the latest recovery in price and positions hedge funds had been net sellers for months after holding 2.6 million lots at the start of the year. What are we watching next? USD and US Treasury yields as Jackson Hole Fed conference is the macro event risk of the week Friday The US dollar strengthened sharply, with EURUSD challenging near parity, USDCNH breaking higher today after another PBOC rate cut, and USDJPY not far from cycle highs. US Treasury yields have supported the move with the entire curve lifting over the last couple of weeks and longer yields pulling to new local highs last week. The Fed has pushed back consistently against the market’s pricing of a Fed turnaround to easing rates next year with partial success, as expectations for rate cuts have shifted farther out the curve and from higher levels. This week, the key test for markets is up on Friday as the US reports the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation, the July PCE inflation data, while Fed Chair Powell will also speak on Friday, offering the most important guidance on how the Fed feels about how it feels the market understands its intentions.   Earnings to watch Plenty of important earnings releases this week with the largest ones listed below. Today’s key focus is Palo Alto Networks, Zoom Video, and XPeng. Cyber security stocks have done reasonably well over the past year despite valuations coming down as demand is still red hot, Analysts expect Palo Alto Networks to report revenue growth of 27% y/y. Zoom Video, which was the pandemic superstar, is also reporting today with estimates looking for 9% revenue growth, down considerably from 54% y/y growth just a year ago. Monday: Palo Alto Networks, Zoom Video, XPeng Tuesday: CATL, Intuit, Medtronic, JD.com Wednesday: LONGi Green Energy, Royal Bank of Canada, PetroChina, Ping An Insurance Group, Nongfu Spring, Mowi, Nvidia, Salesforce, Pinduoduo, Snowflake, Autodesk Thursday: South32, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Fortum, Delivery Hero, AIA Group, China Life Insurance, CNOOC, CRH, Dollar General, Vmware, Marvell Technology, Workday, Dollar Tree, Dell Technologies, NIO Friday: Meituan, China Shenhua Energy, China Petroleum & Chemical Economic calendar highlights for today (times GMT) 0800 – Switzerland SNB weekly sight deposits 1230 – US Jul. Chicago Fed National Activity Index 2300 – Australia Aug. Flash Manufacturing/Services PMI 0030 – Japan Aug. Flash Manufacturing/Services PMI Follow SaxoStrats on the daily Saxo Markets Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher   Source: Financial Markets Today: Quick Take – August 22, 2022

Summary:  The US dollar wrecking ball is in full swing, taking even USDCNH to new highs for the cycle after another rate cut in China overnight. Longer US treasury yields are also pressuring financial conditions and risk sentiment as the 10-year benchmark yield threatens 3.00% again. The chief event risk for the week will be the Jackson Hole, Wyoming speech from Fed Chair Powell. We also discuss the latest natural gas developments in Europe, speculative positioning in the commodities markets, the long term perspective for tangible vs. intangible stock returns over the last couple of decades, upcoming earnings, & more. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting and on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are found via the link Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: Podcast: USD and US yields brewing up trouble ahead of Jackson Hole

Summary:  Our weekly Commitment of Traders update highlights future positions and changes made by hedge funds and other speculators across commodities and forex during the week to August 16. A week that potentially saw a cycle peak in US stocks and where the dollar and treasury yields both traded calmly before pushing higher. Commodities meanwhile continued their recent recovery with funds being net buyers of most contracts, the major exceptions being gold and crude oil Saxo Bank publishes weekly Commitment of Traders reports (COT) covering leveraged fund positions in commodities, bonds and stock index futures. For IMM currency futures and the VIX, we use the broader measure called non-commercial. Link to latest report This summary highlights futures positions and changes made by hedge funds across commodities and forex during the week to August 16. A week that potentially saw a cycle peak in US stocks with the S&P 500 reversing lower after reaching a four-month high, and where the dollar and treasury yields both traded calm before pushing higher. Commodities meanwhile continued their recent recovery with all sectors, except precious metals and grains recording gains. Commodities Hedge funds were net buyers for a third week with the total net long across the 24 major commodity futures tracked in this update rising by 14% to reach a seven week high at 988k lots. Some 56% below the recent peak reached in late February before Russia’s attack on Ukraine drove an across-the-board volatility spike which forced funds to reduce their exposure. Since then and up until early July, worries about a global economic slowdown, caused by a succession of rapid rate hikes in order to kill inflation, was one of the key reasons for the slump in speculative length.Returning to last week, the 123k lot increase was split equally between new longs being added and short positions being scaled back, and overall the net increase was broad led by natural gas, sugar, cattle and grains with most of the selling being concentrated in crude oil and gold. Energy: Weeks of crude oil selling continued with the combined net long in WTI and Brent falling by 26k lots to 278k lots, the lowest belief in rising prices since April 2020. Back then the market had only just began recovering the Covid related energy shock which briefly sent prices spiraling lower. While funds continued to sell crude oil in anticipation of an economic slowdown the refined product market was sending another signal with refinery margins on the rise again, partly due surging gas prices making refined alternatives, such as diesel, look cheap. As a result, the net long in ICE gas oil was lifted by 24% to 62k lots while RBOB gasoline and to a lesser extent ULSD also saw net buying. The net short in Henry Hub natural gas futures was cut by 55% as the price jumped by 19%. Metals: Renewed weakness across investment metals triggered a mixed response from traders with gold seeing a small reduction in recently established longs while continued short covering reduced bearish bets in silver, platinum and palladium. With gold resuming its down move after failing to find support above $1800, the metal has been left exposed to long liquidation from funds which in the previous two weeks had bought 63.3k lots. Copper’s small 1% gain on the week supported some additional short covering, but overall the net short has stayed relatively stable around 16k lots for the past six weeks. Agriculture: Speculators were net buyers of grains despite continued price weakness following the latest supply and demand report from the US Department of Agriculture on August 12, and after shipments of grains from Ukraine continued to pick up speed. From a near record high above 800k lots on April 19, the net long across six major crop futures went on to slump by 64% before buyers began dipping their toes back in to the market some three weeks ago. Buying was concentrated in bean oil and corn while the wheat sector remained challenged with the net long in Kansas wheat falling to a 2-year low. The four major softs contract saw strong buying led by sugar after funds flipped their position back to a 13.4k lots net long. The cocoa short was reduced by 10% while the coffee long received a 25% boost. Cotton’s 18% surge during the week helped lift the long by 35% to 44.7k lots.     Forex A mixed week in forex left the speculative dollar long close to unchanged against ten IMM futures and the DXY. Selling of euro saw the net short reach a fresh 2-1/2-year high at 42.8k lots or €5.3 billion equivalent while renewed selling of JPY, despite trading higher during the reporting week, made up most of the increase in dollar length. Against these we saw short covering reduce CHF, GBP and MXN short while CAD net long reached a 14-month high.    What is the Commitments of Traders report? The COT reports are issued by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the ICE Exchange Europe for Brent crude oil and gas oil. They are released every Friday after the U.S. close with data from the week ending the previous Tuesday. They break down the open interest in futures markets into different groups of users depending on the asset class. Commodities: Producer/Merchant/Processor/User, Swap dealers, Managed Money and otherFinancials: Dealer/Intermediary; Asset Manager/Institutional; Leveraged Funds and otherForex: A broad breakdown between commercial and non-commercial (speculators) The reasons why we focus primarily on the behavior of the highlighted groups are: They are likely to have tight stops and no underlying exposure that is being hedged This makes them most reactive to changes in fundamental or technical price developments It provides views about major trends but also helps to decipher when a reversal is looming   Source: COT: Gold and oil left out as funds return to commodities

Overview: The euro traded below parity for the second time this year and sterling extended last week’s 2.5% slide. While the dollar is higher against nearly all the emerging market currencies, it is more mixed against the majors. The European currencies have suffered the most, except the Norwegian krone. The dollar-bloc and yen are also slightly firmer. The week has begun off with a risk-off bias. Nearly all the large Asia Pacific equity markets were sold. Chinese indices were a notable exception following a cut in the loan prime rates. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is off by around 1.20%, the most in a month. US futures are more than 1% lower. The Asia Pacific yield rose partly in catch-up to the pre-weekend advance in US yields, while today, US and European benchmark 10-year yields are slightly lower. The UK Gilt stands out with a small gain. Gold is being sold for the sixth consecutive session and has approached the (61.8%) retracement of the rally from last month’s low (~$1680) that is found near $1730. October WTI is soft below $90, but still inside the previous session’s range. US natgas is up 2.4% to build on the 1.6% gain seen before the weekend. It could set a new closing high for the year. Gazprom’s announcement of another shutdown of its Nord Stream 1 for maintenance sent the European benchmark up over 15% today. It rose almost 20.3% last week. Iron ore rose for the first time in six sessions, while September copper is giving back most of the gains scored over the past two sessions. September wheat rallied almost 3% before the weekend and is off almost 1% now.  Asia Pacific Following the 10 bp reduction in benchmark one-year Medium-Term Lending Facility Rate at the start of last week, most observers expected Chinese banks to follow-up with a cut in the loan prime rates today  They delivered but in a way that was still surprising. The one-year loan prime rate was shaved by five basis points to 3.65%, not even matching the MLF reduction. On the other hand, the five-year loan prime rate was cut 15 bp to 4.30%. This seems to signal the emphasis on the property market, as mortgages are tied to the five-year rate, while short-term corporate loans are linked to the shorter tenor. The five-year rate was last cut in May and also by 15 bp. Still, these are small moves, and given continued pressures on the property sector, further action is likely, even if not immediately. In addition to the challenges from the property market and the ongoing zero-Covid policy, the extreme weather is a new headwind to the economy. The focus is on Sichuan, one of the most populous provinces and a key hub for manufacturing, especially EV batteries and solar panels. It appears that the aluminum smelters (one million tons of capacity) have been completed halted. The drought is exacerbating a local power shortage. Rainfall along the Yangtze River is nearly half of what is normally expected. Hydropower accounts for a little more than 80% of Sichuan power generation and the output has been halved. Officials have extended the power cuts that were to have ended on August 20 to August 25. Factories in Jiangsu and Chongqing are also facing outages. According to reports, Shanghai's Bund District turned off its light along the waterfront. Japan's Prime Minister Kishida tested positive for Covid over the weekend  He will stay in quarantine until the end of the month. In addition to his physical health, Kishida's political health may become an issue. Support for his government has plunged around 16 percentage points from a month ago to slightly more than 35% according to a Mainchi newspaper poll conducted over the weekend. The drag appears not to be coming from the economy but from the LDP's ties with the Unification Church. Meanwhile, Covid cases remain near record-highs in Japan, with almost 24.8k case found in Tokyo alone yesterday. Others are also wrestling with a surge in Covid cases. Hong Kong's infections reached a new five-month high, for example. The dollar reached nearly JPY137.45 in Tokyo before pulling back to JPY136.70 in early European turnover  It is the fifth session of higher highs and lows for the greenback. The upper Bollinger Band (two standard deviations above the 20-day moving average) is near JPY137.55 today. We suspect the dollar can re-challenge the session high in North America today. The Australian dollar is proving resilient today after plunging 3.45% last week. It is inside the pre-weekend range (~$0.6860-$0.6920). Still, we like it lower. Initial support is now seen around $0.6880, and a break could spur another test on the lows. That pre-weekend low coincides with the (61.8%) retracement of the rally from last month's low (~$0.6680) to the high on August 11 (~$0.7135). The Chinese yuan slumped to new lows for the year today. For the second consecutive session, the dollar gapped higher and pushed through CNY6.84. The PBOC set the dollar's reference rate at CNY6.8198. While this was lower than the CNY6.8213, it is not seen as much as a protest as an at attempt to keep the adjustment orderly. Europe Gazprom gave notice at the end of last week that gas shipments through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline would be stopped for three days (August 31-September 2) for maintenance  The European benchmark rose nearly 20.3% last week and 27% this month. It rose 35.2% last month and 65.5% in June. The year-to-date surge has been almost 380%. The energy shock seems sure to drive Europe into a recession. The flash August PMI out tomorrow is expected to see the composite falling further below the 50 boom/bust level. Bundesbank President Nagel, who will be attending the Jackson Hole symposium at the end of this week recognized the risk of recession but still argued for the ECB rate increases to anchor inflation expectations. The record from last month's ECB meeting will be published on Thursday. There are two keys here. First, is the color than can be gleaned from the threshold for using the new Transmission Protection Instrument. Second, the ECB lifted its forward guidance, which we argue is itself a type of forward guidance. Is there any insight into how it is leaning? The swaps market prices in another 50 bp hike, but a slight chance of a 75 bp move. The German 10-year breakeven (difference between the yield of the inflation linked bond and the conventional security) has been rising since last July and approached 2.50% last week  It has peaked in early May near 3% before dropping to almost 2% by the end of June. It is notable that Italy's 10-year breakeven, which has begun rising again since the third week of July, is almost 25 bp less than Germany. Several European countries, including Germany and Italy, have offered subsidies or VAT tax cut on gasoline that have offset some of the inflation pressures. Nagel, like Fed Chair Powell, BOE Governor Bailey, and BOJ Governor Kuroda place much emphasis on lowering wages to bring inflation down. Yet wages are rising less than inflation, and the cost-of-living squeeze is serious. They take for granted that business are simply passing on rising input costs, including labor costs, but if that were true, corporate earnings would not be rising, which they have. Costs are being passed through. Later this week, the UK regulator will announce the new gas cap for three months starting in October  Some reports warn of as much as an 80% increase. It is behind the Bank of England's warning that CPI could hit 13% then. The UK's wholesale benchmark has soared 47.5% this month after an 83.7% surge last month. Gas prices in the UK have nearly tripled this year. The UK's 10-year breakeven rose by 38 bp last week to 4.29%, a new three-month high. Although the UK economy shrank slightly in Q2 (0.1%), the BOE warned earlier this month that a five-quarter recession will likely begin in the fourth quarter. Unlike the eurozone, the UK's composite PMI has held above the 50 boom/bust level. Still, it is expected to have slowed for the fourth month in the past five when the August preliminary figures are presented tomorrow. The euro and sterling extended their pre-weekend declines  The euro slipped below parity to $0.9990. The multiyear low set last month was near $0.9950. The break of parity came in the early European turnover. Only a recovery of the $1.0050-60 area helps stabilizes the tone. Speculators in the futures market extended their next short euro position in the week through August 16 to a new two-year extreme and this was before the euro's breakdown in the second half of last week. The eurozone's preliminary August composite PMI due tomorrow is expected to show the contraction in output deepened while the market is expecting the Fed's Powell to reinforce a hawkish message on US rates. After falling to almost $1.1790 before the weekend, sterling made a marginal new low today, closer to $1.1780. The two-year low set last month was near $1.1760. The $1.1850-60 area offers an initial cap. Strike activity that hobbled the trains and underground spread to the UK's largest container port, Felixstowe, which handles about half of the country's containers. An eight-day strike began yesterday. Industrial activity is poised to spread, and this is prompting Truss and Sunak who are locked in a leadership challenge, to toughen their rhetoric against labor. America This is a busy week for the US  First, there is supply. Today features $96 bln in bills. Tomorrow sees a $60 bln three-week cash management bill and $44 bln 2-year notes. On Wednesday, the government sell another $22 bln of an existing two-year floating rate note, and $45 bln five-year note. Thursdays sale includes four- and eight-week bills and $37 bln seven-year notes. There are no long maturities being sold until mid-September. The economic data highlights include the preliminary PMI, where the estimate for services is forecast (median in Bloomberg's survey) to recover from the drop below the 50 boom/bust level. In the middle of the week, the preliminary estimate of July durable goods is expected. Shipments, which feed into GDP models is expected to rise by 0.3%. The revision of Q2 GDP the following day tends not to be a `big market movers. Friday is the big day. July merchandise trade and personal income and consumption measures are featured. Like we saw with the CPI, the headline PCE deflator is likely to ease while the core measure proves a bit stickier. Shortly after they are released, Powell addresses the Jackson Hole gathering.  Canada has a light economic diary this week, but Mexico's a bit busier  The highlight for Mexico will be the biweekly CPI on Wednesday. Price pressures are likely to have increased and this will encourage views that Banxico will likely hike by another 75 bp when it meets late next month (September 29). The July trade balance is due at the end of the week. It has been deteriorating sharply since February and likely continued.    The US dollar rose more than 1% against the Canadian dollar over the past three sessions. It edged a little higher today but stopped shy of the CAD1.3035 retracement objective. Initial support is seen near CAD1.2975-80. With sharp opening losses expected for US equities, it may discourage buying of the Canadian dollar in the early North American activity. The greenback is rising against the Mexican peso for the fifth consecutive session. However, it has not taken out the pre-weekend high near MXN20.2670. Still, the next important upside technical target is closer to MXN20.3230, which corresponds to the middle of this month's range. Support is now seen near MXN20.12.    Disclaimer   Source: No Relief for the Euro or Sterling

Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Asian stock markets were mixed on Monday. The Shanghai Composite and the Shenzhen Composite gained 0.57% and 0.64% respectively, while the Hang Seng Index went up by 0.12%. The Nikkei 225 decreased by 0.55%, the S&P/ASX 200 fell by 0.96%, and the KOSPI lost 1.15%. Investors are awaiting new information from Fed chairman Jerome Powell regarding the further monetary policy course of the US central bank. Powell is set to give a speech this week. Furthermore, market players took note of the Chinese central bank decreasing two of its key interest rates. The People's Bank of China cut its one-year loan prime rate to 3.65% from 3.7%. The five-year rate was cut to 4.3% from 4.45%. The move was not unexpected – earlier, the PBoC decreased its medium-term lending facility loan rate by 10 basis points to 2.75%. The Chinese central bank's rate cuts are aimed at boosting the country's economic growth, which has slowed down due to rising energy prices, weak property market, and COVID-19 lockdowns. On the Hang Seng Index, the biggest movers were Agile Group Holdings, Ltd. (+6%), CIFI Holdings (Group), Co. (+7%), Country Garden Holdings, Co., Ltd. (+3%), and China Resources Land, Ltd. (+2%) Shares of Sinopec Engineering (Group), Co. gained 4% after the company reported that its net profit increased by 0.6% in the first half of 2022. In Japan, the worst-performing stocks on the Nikkei 225 were Hino Motors, Ltd. (-3.5%), CyberAgent, Inc. (-3.1%), and Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd. (-2,9%). The share price of Ai Holdings, Corp. advanced by 5%, thanks to the company's net profit jumping by 32% in the previous fiscal year. In South Korea, Samsung Electronics, Co. and Hyundai Motor, Co. lost 1.6% and 0.5% respectively. In Australia, BHP shed 0.2%, while Rio Tinto declined by 0.53%. Shares of NIB, Ltd. gained 6.6% thanks to the company's operating profit exceeding market expectations. Source: Forex Analysis & Reviews: Asian markets close mixed on Monday

Summary:  Equities were sold off on Monday, continuing a slide from their summer rally high, in the midst of position adjustments ahead of the Jackson Hole central banker event later this week. U.S. 10-year yields returned to above 3%. China cut its 5-year loan prime rates and plans to extend special loans to boost the ailing property markets. What is happening in markets?   Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I)  U.S. equities lost ground and continued to retrace from the high of the latest rally since mid-June.  The market sentiment has become more cautious ahead of Fed Chair Powell’s speech this Friday at the Jackson Hole symposium and a heavy economic data calendar, S&P 500 – 2.1%, Nasdaq 100 -2.7%.  The rise of U.S. 10-year bond yield back to above 3% added to the selling pressures in equities.  Zoom Video (ZM:xnas) fell 8% in after-hours trading as the company reported Q2 revenues and earnings missing estimates and cut its full year revenues guidance. U.S. treasuries (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) Bonds were sold off as traders adjusted positions ahead of the Jackson Hole.  The treasury yield curve bear flattened with 2-year yields surging 8bps to 3.30% and 10-year yields climbing 4bps to 3.01%, above the closely watched 3% handle.  Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIQ2) and China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hang Seng fell 0.6% while CSI300 climbed 0.7% on Monday. Chinese developers gained on today’s larger-than-expected cut in the 5-year loan prime rate and the Chinese authorities plan to provide special loans through policy banks to support the delivery of stalled residential housing projects, CIFI (00883:xhkg) +11.5%, Country Garden (02007:xhkg) +3.2%.  China extended EV waivers from vehicle purchase tax and other fees to the end of 2023, but the share price reactions of Chinese EV makers traded in Hong Kong were mixed.  Great Wall Motor (02333:xhkg) soared 11%, benefiting from launching a new model that has a 1,000km per charge battery while Nio (09866:xhkg) and Li Auto(02015:xhkg) fell 4.2% and 1.4% respectively. Xiaomi (01810:xhkg) dropped 3.3% after Q2 revenues -20% YoY and net profit -67% YoY, on lower smartphone shipments (-26% YoY).  Smartphone parts suppliers, AAC Technologies (02018:xhkg) and Sunny Optical (02382:xhkg) declined 5.6% and 4.2% respectively.  The share price performance of the four companies that will be added to the Hang Seng Index was mixed, Baidu (09888:xhkg) +0.9%, China Shenhua Energy (01088:xhkg) +2.1%, Hansoh Pharmaceutical (03692:xhkg) +3.2% but Chow Tai Fook Jewellery (01929:xhkg) -0.6%.  SenseTime (00020:xhkg) gained 4.2% as the company will replace China Pacific Insurance (02601:xhkg) -2.8% as a constituent company of the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index.  ENN Energy (02688:xhkg) plunged more than 14% after reporting H1 results below market expectations.  China retailer Gome (00493) collapsed 20% after resuming trading from suspension and a plan t buy from the controlling shareholder a stake in China property assets.  EURUSD falls below parity, eyes on 0.9500 The latest concerns on the European energy crisis weighed on the Euro which was seen sipping below parity to the US dollar. Higher US yields and gains in the US dollar also underpinned, taking EURUSD to lows of 0.9926. The European recession is coming hard and fast, and the PMIs today will likely signal increasing pressure on the region. Also on the radar will be Fed Chair Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole later this week, with a fresh selloff in the pair likely to target 0.9500 next. USDCNH heading to further highs After PBOC’s easing measures on Monday, the scope for further yuan weakness has increased. USDCNH broke above 6.8600 overnight and potentially more US dollar strength this week on the back of a pushback from Fed officials on easing expectations for next year could mean a test of 7.00 for USDCNH. Still, the move in yuan is isolated, coming from China moving to prevent the yuan from tracking aggravated USD strength rather than showing signs of desiring a broader weakening. EURCNH has plunged to over 1-month lows of 6.8216 on the back of broader EUR weakness. Crude oil prices (CLU2 & LCOV2) Crude oil prices made a recovery overnight despite the strength in the US dollar. A global shift from gas to oil, from Europe to Asia, has taken a deeper hold amid gas shortage fears accelerating in the wake of another upcoming maintenance of the Nordstream pipeline. Diesel and refinery margins have also been supported as a result, with Asia diesel crack rising to its previous high of $63 amid low inventory levels. WTI futures reversed back to the $90/barrel levels and Brent were back above $96. Comments from Saudi Energy Minister threatening to dial back supply also lifted prices, but these were mis-read and in fact, focused more on the mismatch between the tightness in the futures and the physical market. Gold (XAUUSD) and Silver (XAGUSD) Gold broke below the key $1744 support and is now eying $1729, the 61.8% retracement of the July to August bounce. Dollar strength and a run higher in US yields weighed on the shine of the yellow metal, which has seen downside pressures since last week after touching the critical $1800-level. Hawkish Fed talk this week could further weigh on the short-term prospects for Gold. Silver also dipped below the key 19 handle, erasing most of the gains seen since late July.   What to consider?   German year-ahead power prices hit a fresh record high German year-ahead power prices surged to EUR 700/MWh with Dutch TTF gas prices close to EUR 300/MWh. The surge came on the back of another leg higher in natural gas prices which rose over 8% in Europe amid concerns around the next scheduled 3-day maintenance of the Nordstream pipeline. It appears that demand destruction remains the most obvious but painful cure right now, along with a longer-term focus on ensuring a broad-based supply of energy from coal, gas, nuclear, solar, hydrogen, and more.  Australia and Japan services PMIs plunged into contraction Australia saw its services PMI drop to 49.6 in August in a flash print, from 50.9 in July. Manufacturing PMI, however, held up at 54.5, just weakening slightly from last month’s 55.7. The spate of rate hikes seen from Reserve Bank of Australia is likely taking its toll on demand and manufacturing. Meanwhile, prices remain elevated amid the persistent supply chain issues, and more rate hikes are still on the cards. Japan’s flash manufacturing PMI for August came in lower at 51.0 from 52.1 previously, nut stayed in expansion territory. Services PMI however plunged into the contraction zone below 50, coming in at 49.2 for a flash August print from 50.3 in July. The fresh COVID wave in Japan, although comes without any broad-based new restrictions, is impeding the services demand and will likely weigh on Q3 GDP growth. Europe and UK PMIs may spell further caution The Euro-area flash composite PMI and the UK flash PMI for August are both due to be released on Tuesday. Following a slide in ZEW and Sentix indicators for July, the stage is set for a weaker outcome on the PMIs too. July composite PMI for the Euro-area dipped into contractionary territory at 49.9, while the UK measure held up at 52.1. The surge in gas and electricity prices continue to weigh on GDP growth outlook, with recession likely to hit by the end of the year. China’s plan to provide loans to ensure delivery of presold residential projects is said to be of the size of RMB 200 billion Last Friday, Xinhua News reported that the PBoC, jointly with the Housing Ministry and the Ministry of Finance rolled out a program to make special loans through policy banks to support the delivery of stalled residential housing projects but the size of the program was not mentioned.   A Bloomberg report yesterday, citing “people familiar with the matter”, suggested the size of the support lending program could be as large as RMB 200 billion.  Beijing municipal government rolled out initiatives to promote hydrogen vehicles The municipal government of Beijing announced support for the construction of hydrogen vehicle refueling stations with RMB500 million for each station, aiming at building 37 new stations by 2023 and bringing the adoption of fuel-cell cars to over 10,000 units in the capital. Earlier in the month, the Guangdong province released a plan to build 200 hydrogen vehicle refueling stations by 2025. Since last year, there have been 13 provinces and municipalities rolling out policies to promote the development of the hydrogen vehicle industry.  Earnings on tap Reportedly there have been shorts being built up in Dollar Tree (DLTR:xnys) as traders are expecting that discount retailer missing when reporting this Thursday.   On the other hand, investors are expecting Dollar General (DG:xnys) results to come in more favourably, , which also reports this Thursday.  Key earnings scheduled to release today including Medtronic (MDT:xnys), Intuit (INTU:xnas), JD.COM (09618.xhkg/JD.xnas), JD Logistics (02615:xhkg), Kingsoft (02888:xhkg), and Kuishaou (01023:xhkg). Singapore reports July inflation figures today Singapore's inflation likely nudged higher in July, coming in close proximity to 7% levels from 6.7% y/y in June. While both food and fuel costs continue to create upside pressures on inflation, demand-side pressures are also increasing as the region moves away from virus curbs. House rentals are also running high due to high demand and delayed construction limiting supplies. The Monetary Authority of Singapore has tightened monetary policy but more tightening moves can be expected in H2 even as the growth outlook has been downwardly revised.     For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast   Source: APAC Daily Digest: What is happening in markets and what to consider next – August 23, 2022

Summary:  Financial conditions loosening over the past six weeks were a natural evolution of the US economy improving in July, but the Fed is poised to hike potentially 75 basis points at the September meeting to tighten financial conditions even more as the nominal economy is still running too hot to get inflation meaningfully lower. The most likely scenario is weaker equities as winter approaching as the energy crisis will hurt. Financial conditions will soon begin tightening again S&P 500 futures are trading 3.4% lower from their high last week touching the 200-day moving average before rolling over again. Sentiment has shifted as the market is slowly pricing less rate cuts for next year with Fed Funds futures curve on Friday (the blue line) has shifted lower compared to a week ago (the purple line) as inflationary pressures are expected to ease as much as betted on by the market over the past month. Fed member Bullard recently said that he was leaning towards 75 basis points rate cut at the September FOMC meeting to cool the economy further. If the Fed goes with 75 basis points while the real economy is seeing lower activity it will mean that financial conditions will begin tightening more relative to the economic backdrop. Financial conditions have been loosening since June but expectation is that we will see another leg of tightening to levels eclipsing the prior high and with that US equities will likely roll over. S&P 500 futures are now well below the 4,200 level and currently in the congestion zone from before the last leg higher. The next gravitational point to the downside is the 4,100 and below that just above 4,000. December put options on the S&P 500 are currently bid around $208 which roughly a 5% premium for getting three-month downside protection at-the-money. S&P 500 futures | Source: Saxo Group   Fed Funds futures forward curve | Source: Bloomberg   US financial conditions | Source: Bloomberg The US is headed for a recession, but when? US financial conditions eased in July lifting equities and with good reasons we can see. The Chicago Fed National Activity Index (the broadest measure of economic activity) rose to 0.27 in July from -0.25 in June suggesting a significant rebound in economic activity. The rebound was broad-based across all the four major sub categories in the index with the production index rising the most. The three-month average is still -0.09 with -0.7 being the statistical threshold for when this indicator suggests that the US economy is in a recession. The probability is therefore still elevated for a recession but the slowdown in the US economy has eased which is positive factor for US equity markets. Predicting the economy is difficult but our thesis going into the winter months on the Northern hemisphere is that it is very difficult to avoid a recession, at least in real terms, when the economy is facing an energy crisis. The most likely scenario is that the US economy will slide into a nominal recession but continue at a fast clip in nominal terms.          China is facing a 2008-style rescue of its real estate sector We have written earlier this year about the downfall of Evergrande and the other Chinese real estate developers. The stress in China’s real estate sector was a big theme earlier this year but has since faded, but recently the Chinese central bank has eased rates and today the government is planning a $29bn rescue package of special loans for troubled developers. Tensions in Chinese real estate are weighing down on the economy through lower consumer confidence and investors are increasingly reducing exposure to China has we have highlighted in our daily podcast. The PBoC (central bank) is urging banks to maintain steady growth of lending, but with the market value of banks relative to assets having declined for many years the market is no longer viewing the credit extension as driven by sound credit analysis, but more as an extended policy tool of the government with unknown but likely less good credit quality.   Source: Equities are rolling over as conditions are set to tighten

With so much talk of China's drought this year, we look at whether China will use more coal in the future having had such a bad experience with hydro, and what the main concern for the economy is China is experiencing the longest and hottest heatwave since national records began in 1961 Nature dictates hydroelectric power supply Heatwaves and little rainfall in some parts of China have caused drought in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan, which greatly relies on hydroelectric power. Sichuan also generates excess electricity and usually sends this to the east side of China, including Shanghai and Hangzhou.  Some factories in western China have been affected with limited to no power supply, shopping malls have little air-con and lighting, and some apartments have been left without a working lift. But the situation this year is much better than it was back in September 2021, when some local governments pushed for the limited use of coal fire power. We have yet to see factory suspension in key cities, which is a relief to the government as the economy is already weak. The damage caused by the drought's power supply shortage is around 1% of GDP so far. We are yet to see how the drought will affect agriculture. Coal power is an immediate remedy, though not a perfect solution The temporary solution is to use more coal power to supplement existing power generation capacity. This is also the reason why not many cities are rationing power. This, of course, is not a good solution as coal generates more CO2. But right now, with temperatures so high, residents need to use their air conditioners.  Another step China has taken over the past few years is embracing the use of cloud seeding, which involves adding small particles of silver iodide to clouds to spur rainfall. The success rate depends on certain weather conditions, for example, clouds need to be thick to generate enough rain after cloud seeding is performed. According to China's weather forecast, there is a chance in the coming days that the government can perform cloud seeding.  Will China rely more on coal? The question then is whether China will rely more on coal power in the long-term if hydroelectricity is not as stable.  Instability tends to be a major characteristic of renewable energy, and China's commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2060 is not going to change. In fact, it could now be accelerated with the drought encouraging China to push forward the technology of generating and using renewable energy.  The process of transiting from traditional energy to renewable energy is a challenge, if it were not we wouldn't have to wait until 2050-60 for the world to achieve carbon neutrality. But this challenge could provide us with opportunities. China's primary energy source in 2020 Source: National Bureau of Statistics China, ING We need to go further than the installation of more solar panels To find the opportunities we must identify the problems. Critically, achieving carbon neutrality requires more than installing more renewable energy generators, it also relies on being able to store renewable energy long enough without much loss over time. In May 2022, the Chinese government noticed this was a big opportunity to move toward using more renewable energy, as it discovered that around 12% of the power generated by wind in Inner Mongolia and 10% of solar power in Qinghai was wasted because of an issue with the electricity grid.  Foreign companies and Chinese companies will invest in this technology, but there is a risk that the technology race between China and the US may make climate change cooperation, in particular in research and development, more difficult.  For the Chinese economy, construction activities are key to growth The most worrisome aspect of the Chinese economy is the deleveraging reform on residential property developers. Interest rate cuts only lift home buying sentiment a bit. Potential home buyers are watching to see whether uncompleted homes can be finished quickly and to a good quality. This takes time – at least a couple of quarters. Between now and then, even though there are supportive policies in place – a lower down payment ratio, lower mortgage rates, and lifting the second-home buying restrictions – it will only become attractive when there are projects that are 100% complete and managed by high-quality management companies, which are usually subsidiaries of property developers. Only after home buying activities pick up will more residential properties kick off construction.  The government can speed up infrastructure, and indeed it has. But the gap left by residential construction activities is getting bigger as more sites are holding off construction. On 24 August, the central government offered another stimulus package, worth around 1% of GDP – similar to the economic damage caused by the drought so far. From the tone of the statement, it seems that the key point is not just the additional stimulus but the urgent tone directed toward local governments to act swiftly and efficiently. This is an important message to all local government officials as we approach the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in October. Local government officials will have to be hands-on to create growth and jobs. Read this article on THINK TagsReal estate Climate change China Carbon neutral 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

China-Taiwan tensions rise again after drone incident Source: shutterstock Macro outlook Global markets: It’s slow, and it’s measured, and volumes are normal, but US equities declined again yesterday. Both the S&P500 and NASDAQ declined by about 1.1% on Tuesday. Equity futures are mixed, but basically flat. Friday’s US non-farm payrolls report may provide the next big leg up or down. US Treasury yields are also grinding very slowly higher. The yield on the 2Y US Treasury rose 1.8bp to 3.442%, while that on the 10Y bond remained flat at 3.102%. 10Y UK Gilt yields pushed up 10.2bp yesterday, catching up their European peers after the public holiday on Monday.  EURUSD was fairly steady yesterday, holding above parity and edging up to 1.0022. The AUD pushed up strongly at one point to close to 0.696, but then collapsed back to 0.6857 on a Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) report cited by Bloomberg that hinted at more moderate rate hikes ahead. Cable collapsed back below 1.17 to 1.1658 after the public holiday, while the JPY has remained fairly steady at 138.75. Asian FX was a mixed bag. The PHP and SGD joined Australia at the bottom of the pack, and the TWD was also weaker – perhaps disturbed by reports that a Chinese drone was shot at over the Kinmen islands. The INR, IDR and MYR all solid made gains yesterday, the INR rising on hopes that Government securities may be included in the JPMorgan global index. G-7 Macro: Eurozone preliminary CPI inflation for August and the US ADP employment survey are the main macro releases today. EU inflation could rise to 9.0% from 8.9%YoY. While analysts expect the ADP survey to show a 300,000 increases in private sector employment in August.   China: Official PMI data for China are due out at 0930SGT. Consensus forecasters expect the manufacturing index to remain in contraction territory at 49.2, though this would be a slight improvement from the July figure of 49.0 if so. The non-manufacturing index is expected to show a slowdown in growth with the index easing down to 52.3 from 53.8. India: Later tonight, India releases GDP data for 2Q22, where the consensus expects a base-effect dominated series could deliver a 15.3%YoY increase. This will keep India on track to achieve 7%-plus rate of growth for the calendar-year 2022. The consensus estimate is in line with our own expectations. Fiscal deficit data for July will also be released. Australia: 2Q construction work done and private sector credit growth are today’s macro offerings. Both will provide some indication of the work the RBA will need to do to slow the economy enough to bring inflation down. Construction is bouncing along either side of zero quarter-on-quarter and is due a slight upward bounce in 2Q after a -0.9%QoQ result for Q1. Private sector credit growth is running at more than 9%YoY and will need to come down to be consistent with the Reserve Bank’s inflation target. Korea: The July Industrial production outcome was weak with the all-industry index falling (-0.1% MoM). Manufacturing production (-1.3%), retail sales (-0.3%), equipment investment (-3.2%), and construction (-2.5%) all dropped while services (0.3%) alone rebounded. Forward-looking machinery orders and construction orders also declined, suggesting a weak investment outlook for the next quarter. Also, it was particularly noticeable that all semiconductor-related figures came out poorly. The weak start of the quarter poses downside risks to the current quarter’s GDP. We don’t expect growth to contract in the current quarter, but the likelihood of a negative quarter is growing. If GDP contracts this quarter, it will complicate the BoK’s policy action at the year-end. Japan: In contrast to Korea, the July Industrial production (IP) performance was pretty strong. IP rose unexpectedly by 1.0% MoM sa (vs -0.5% market consensus), following a 9.2% surge in June. Retail sales also rose more than expected (0.8% in July vs -1.4% in June).  Also, output forecasts for August and September improved suggesting that solid production is likely to continue this quarter. Today’s reports signal that the economy continues to recover, mostly due to catch-up production gaps and reopening boosts. What to look out for: Regional PMI and US non-farm payrolls South Korea industrial production (31 August) Japan industrial production (31 August) China manufacturing and non-manufacturing PMI (31 August) Hong Kong retail sales (31 August) India GDP (31 August) Fed's Mester speaks (31 August)  South Korea GDP and trade (1 September) Regional PMI manufacturing (1 September) China Caixin PMI manufacturing (1 September) Indonesia CPI inflation (1 September) US initial jobless claims and ISM manufacturing (1 September) Fed's Bostic speaks (1 September) South Korea CPI inflation (2 September) US non-farm payrolls and factory orders (2 September) Read this article on THINK 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

  Summary:  The European energy crisis faces a Lehman moment, and Europe will engage in a large-scale fiscal expansion to counter the high energy prices. Any production cuts at the OPEC+ meeting may further tighten the energy markets. EU emergency meeting at the end of the week will be key to addressing the short-term pain and riding out the winter demand, and tough decision may be ahead. A jumbo ECB rate hike, along with another tightening move by the RBA, will also pave the way for the Fed meeting later this month. China’s trade and inflation data is also due this week but the resurgence of the pandemic is further weighing on the economic outlook and garners greater attention. NIO and Bilibili earnings will be in focus. ECB rate hike in focus after front-loading chatter The European Central Bank meeting will be in focus after plenty of chatter around front-loading rate hikes in the last few days. Most members have come out in support of a 75 basis point rate hike for the September, and the market pricing suggests 125 basis points between September and October meetings (so one 75bps and one 50bps). Only Philip Lane seemed to strike a different tone, saying that he would prefer step-by-step hikes to make sure the financial markets have time to absorb the tightening in a measured manner. August inflation for the Euro area, reported last week, also suggested further price pressures with a 9.1% YoY print from 8.9% YoY previously. EU emergency meeting to face some tough decisions The panic button on European energy crisis has been pressed. With Russia cutting off gas supplies, even the built-in storage levels will not be able to meet the winter demand. Many businesses have reported shutdown, and households are reeling under a cost crisis. As a result, government support has started to flow in with Germany unveiling a €65 billion package to shield consumers and businesses from energy price hikes on Sunday. The package will be paid for via an energy windfall tax and bringing forward a planned 15% global minimum corporate tax. Sweden and Finland have announced liquidity guarantees of USD 23bn to electricity companies. All eyes are now on the EU emergency meet scheduled for Friday, 9 September, which may include discussions around price caps or rationing. The EU should also take this as an opportunity to address the long term energy supply issues, and a possible discussion around nuclear supplies may be warranted. OPEC+ members meet to discuss supply Oil prices have seen a downward pressure last week following demand concerns with China announcing fresh lockdowns and North Asian and Euro-area PMIs disappointing. However, the supply situation seems to have worsened over the weekend with a possible scale back in Russian exports due to the G7 price cap. The prospect for additional barrels from Iran also hangs in the balance after Iran said the US response was “not constructive”. The OPEC+ meeting today attracts greater attention after Saudi Arabia openly floated the possibility of cuts to output. But the recent price action and dwindling Iran situation suggests we could see a price supportive action from OPEC.  China Caixin Services PMI and credit data The week kicks off with Caixin Services PMI, which is expected to stay in the expansion territory (Bloomberg consensus: 54.0). The most watched data will be the August aggregate financing and RMB loans.  Chinese policymakers are determined to boost loan growth. After the disappointing July loan growth data, the PBoC cut its policy medium-term lending facility rates unexpectedly.  The release date of the credit data is not fixed but it is expected to come between Sept 9 to 15.  Analysts are expecting new RMB loans in August to come in at RMB1,500 billion (Bloomberg survey) versus RMB679 billion in July.  The outstanding RMB loans are expected to grow 11% YoY in August, the same rate as last month.  New aggregate financing is expected to rise to RMB2,100 billion versus RMB756 billion in July, but much lower than the RMB2,989 billion in August 2021.  China’s exports in August are expected to have slowed China’s exports in August would probably come in weaker (Bloomberg consensus: 12.3% vs 18.0% in July) as container throughput data suggested. The resurgence of pandemic control restrictions, production disruptions due to power rationing, and a high base last year could have contributed to the deceleration.  China’s PPI is expected to have risen as CPI remained stable in August PPI is expected to fall sharply to 3.2% (Bloomberg consensus) in August from 4.2% in July.  Base effect and a decline in coal prices in August could be factors contributing to the deceleration in producer price inflation.  CPI, however, is expected to edge up to 2.8% in August from 2.7% in July.  Analysts suggest that favourable base effect was offset by vegetable price increases amidst the heatwave. The resurgence of Covid-19 cases and Chengdu lockdown Chengdu, a city of 21 million residents and the largest city in western China, is under lockdown to fight an outbreak of Covid-19 cases.  Shenzhen, the southern technology and manufacturing hub has imposed a number of restrictions on business operations and the mobility of its residents.  Likewise, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Shanghai, Urumqi, Wuhan, Dalian, and Shijiazhuang are imposing various degrees of restrictions and PCR test requirements.  Investors will watch the development of these pandemic control measures closely this week.  Australia’s RBA to continue to hike rates, take away stimulus punchbowl. Could RBA hikes cause a property market collapse? Australia’s central bank holds its monthly meeting tomorrow (Sept 6), with the RBA expected to raise rates by 0.25% (according to Bloomberg Economics) in a bid to slow inflation. However, futures market pricing suggests a 0.4% hike will be made, which will take the cash rate to 2.25% (up from 1.85%). Pricing also suggests the RBA will raise rates from 1.85% to ~3.2% by December 2022, before taking rates to 3.8% in July 2023. If the RBA does raise rates by an additional ~2% between now and July 2023, the average $600,000 mortgage will cost another A$727 / month or A$8,724 a year. But the RBA believes that consumers will be able to absorb higher interest rates allowing the A$10 trillion property market to avoid forced sales, given that many mortgage holders have already made advance repayments. However, pricing in the property market suggests it is struggling to absorb the 1.75% in hikes from May. In August property prices fell at their quickest pace since 1982, and levels of construction activity saw their biggest decline since 2016. Australian households are some of the most indebted in the world with household debt to GDP sitting at 126% (vs US Debt to GDP 80%), leading us to think that debt to income ratios could spike to their highest levels since the GFC. For investors, it’s worth noting; we continue to monitor the health of local banks as well as property stocks and property ETFs, which will likely come under further pressure. Conversely, we continue to see upside for energy prices (which is the biggest component of inflation). For traders, this could flow into currency markets where we will be watching the AUDEUR, and AUDCNH pairs. Australian economic growth data released on Wednesday will be a key focus Australian economic growth is expected to have shown the A$2.2 trillion economy grew at 1.2% in the second quarter through to June (consensus estimate), and 3.8% from a year earlier. Second quarter GPD will likely get a boost from record retail sales, and a pickup in overseas travel. However, construction costs and hampered residential construction activity could weigh on the headline GPD figure. Policy makers are trying to avoid a hard landing, while at the same time slowing runaway record inflation. A Bloomberg survey suggests Australia could avoid a recession, but data suggests there could still be a 23% chance of one over the next 12 months. Kingsoft Cloud, Nio, Brilliance China, and Bilibili are expected to report earnings The week kicks off with Kingsoft (KC:xnas) reporting on Tuesday. Analysts in general expect that the recent resurgence of Covid-19 pandemic control measures has negatively affected enterprise cloud business.  On Wednesday, automakers NIO (NIO:xnys/09866:xhkg) and Brilliance China Automotive (01114:xhkg) are going to report results. Investors will focus on NIO’s margins (which disappointed in Q1) and the management’s updates on 2022 delivery guidance. The highlight for the week in corporate earnings may be Bilibili (BILI:xnas/09626:xhkg) reporting on Thursday. The median forecast of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg is calling for a 9% growth in Q2 revenue to RMB4.9billion and a larger loss of RMB1.74 billion (vs RMB1.12 billion in Q2, 2021).  Apple ‘Far Out’ event this Wednesday Apple (APPL:xnas) is holding its annual fall event, dubbed “Far Out” this year on Wednesday, Sept 7 at 10:a.m. pacific time.  In the event, Apple is due to reveal its iPhone 14. There is speculation that iPhone 14 will come with mobile satellite connectivity, working with a satellite company, Globalstar (GSAT:xase).   Key economic releases & central bank meetings this week Monday 5 September China: Caixin China PMI Services (Aug)S&P Global Worldwide manufacturing PMIsAustralian Retail Sales (Jul)Thailand Core Inflation (Aug)Singapore Retail Sales (Jul)Eurozone Retail Sales (Jul) Tuesday 6 September S&P Global Construction PMIsUnited Kingdom BRC Retail Sales Monitor (Aug)Japan Household Spending (Jul)Philippines Inflation Rate (Aug)Australia RBA Interest Rate DecisionGermany Factory Orders (Jul)Taiwan Inflation Rate (Aug) Wednesday 7 September China: Exports, Imports & Trade Balance (Aug.)China: Foreign reserves (Aug)Australia GDP Growth Rate (Q2)Japan Coincident Index Prel (JUL)Germany Industrial Production (Jul)United Kingdom Halifax House Price Index (Aug), BBA Mortgage Rate (Aug)Italy Retail Sales (Jul)Eurozone GDP (Q2)United States MBA Mortgage Applications (02/SEP), Balance of Trade (Jul), Fed Beige BookCanada Balance of Trade (Jul), BoC Interest Rate decision Thursday 8 September Japan GDP (Q2), Eco Watchers Survey (Aug)Australia RBA Gov Lowe Speech, Balance of Trade (Jul)Eurozone ECB Interest Rate Decision, ECB Press ConferenceUnited States Jobless Claims (Sep), Consumer Credit (Jul)New Zealand Electronic Retail Card Spending (Aug) Friday 9 September China: CPI & PPIChina: Aggregate Financing, New Yuan Loans, Money Supply (Sept 9 to 15)Brazil Inflation Rate (Aug)Canada Employment Change (Aug)United States Wholesale Inventories (Jul)Russia GDP (Q2), Inflation Rate (Aug) Key earnings releases this week Tuesday: Ashtead Group, Kingsoft Cloud Wednesday: People’s Insurance Co Group, Exor, Copart, NIO, Brilliance China Thursday: Sun Hung Kai Properties, Sekisui House, Zscaler, DocuSign, Bilibili Friday: Dollar Stores, Kroger

Production in the construction sector prevented industrial activity from falling further in July. At the same time, high energy prices are leaving their mark on German industry   Is this the first gust of wind preluding a perfect storm? In July 2022, production in industry in real terms was down by 0.3% on the previous month on a price, seasonally and calendar adjusted basis, from an upwardly revised 0.8% MoM in June. On the year, industrial production was down by 1.1%. According to the statistical office, the relatively small number of school holidays and holiday leave prevented an even larger decrease in production compared with July last year. On the month, production in industry, excluding energy and construction, was down by 1.0%. Outside industry, energy production in July was up by 2.8% and production in construction by 1.4% from the previous month. Compared with developments in the second quarter, industrial production is down, while the construction sector shows some resilience. High energy prices have become biggest concern German industry is clearly suffering from disrupted supply chains on the back of the war in Ukraine, the aftermath of pre-summer lockdowns in China, low water levels in the main rivers and increasingly, higher energy prices. The statistical office released additional data showing that production in the energy-intensive industrial segments declined by more than the broader industry (-1.9% year-on-year). Production in this area has dropped by 6.9% since February 2022. For Germany’s industrial backbone, small and medium-sized enterprises, higher energy prices look like a ticking time bomb. With ongoing pressure on consumers’ disposable incomes, companies’ pricing power is fading. In this regard, it is remarkable that the government’s third relief package presented on Sunday provided only very limited support for this segment of the economy. Looking ahead, shrinking order books since the start of the Ukraine war, the well-known supply chain problems (both international and domestic) plus high uncertainty, high energy and commodity prices and potential energy supply disruptions will not make life any easier. Judging from the first macro data for the third quarter, the German economy has not fallen off a cliff at the start of the third quarter but is rather sliding into recession. Read this article on THINK TagsIndustrial propduction Germany Eurozone 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

There are more risks emerging from China's economy: Covid, real estate, regulations on the internet industry and the recent drought. These have resulted in a high jobless rate and lower wages. The central government believes that local governments can help restore growth  In this article The economy is facing many headwinds Real estate is still the main problem Local governments to the rescue? The economy is facing many headwinds These are tough times for China. Covid-19 – and the government's tough approach to any new outbreaks – continues to be a drag on the country's economy, notably in the leisure and travel sectors. Real estate is of growing international concern and there are real worries of a major crash; confidence in the sector has nose-dived as many developers go bankrupt. We still have no update on the completion rate of uncompleted residential projects after funds were allocated for these projects. In addition, severe droughts have led to electricity shortages, notably in western China. On top of this, there are now even more regulations in place for the internet sector. All of this is bad news for the jobs market. Labour demand is not recovering as fast as we had thought it would, and wages seem to be coming down in some important industries, including technology. Real estate is still the main problem The financial difficulties of residential property developers have come to the public's attention and some mortgage borrowers have requested delays to repayments on uncompleted residential property sites. Cash tightness is the main characteristic of financially weak property developers, meaning they do not have enough cash to pay their suppliers and complete projects. The government does not appear to be giving up on deleveraging reforms. Funds are being pooled by policy banks and the central bank in China, and there is also some support from local governments where the uncompleted projects are located. But these support measures are only to be used to finish uncompleted projects so that mortgage borrowers will continue to repay the banks. It could take several quarters to see a positive effect from the announced measures, and it could take years to finish all of the uncompleted projects. China's surveyed jobless rate   Source: CEIC, ING Local governments to the rescue? The risks we mention affect the job market negatively. The surveyed jobless rate in urban areas was 5.4% in July 2022, compared to the recent low of 4.9% in September and October 2021. Migrant workers have been hardest hit as they're predominantly employed across the construction industry's value chain, including raw material mining and processing.  The jobless rate might not fall back to 4.9% without further fiscal stimulus. But what kind of stimulus can quickly stop the economic slowdown? The central government believes that local government officials have the answer. Recently, it explicitly pressured all local governments to stimulate their local economies. Some could hand out consumption subsidies and others could speed up the construction of infrastructure. These measures should at least stop the GDP growth rate from falling towards 2% (our forecast is 4%) in 2022.  We believe that pressing local governments can help, especially given the timing (just before the 20th Party Congress in October). Those who can prop up their local economies without giving up long-term investment plans might be able to advance their careers in the 20th Party Congress.     Real estate Jobs GDP growth China Source: https://think.ing.com/articles/hold-monthly-local-governments-could-save-the-economy/?utm_campaign=September-01_hold-monthly-local-governments-could-save-the-economy&utm_medium=email&utm_source=emailing_article&M_BT=1124162492   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

China’s activity data and Australia’s labour data will be keenly watched in the coming week Source: Shutterstock The week ahead China’s activity data tops the list next week as industrial, retail data and more will be announced. Although upcoming reports will not capture the recent lockdowns, they could be a useful measure of the health of China's economy ahead of the closures. Aside from China data, we also have labour data from Australia and India’s inflation report. Other data reports in the coming week are Indonesia’s trade data and Korea’s MPC minutes, which could shed light on future rate hike decisions. Lastly, Japan reports core machinery orders which are expected to dip amid a slow global recovery. China to share key economic data We should continue to see weak growth in China's industrial production and smaller growth in fixed asset investment as this will be largely dragged down by residential projects. Retail sales could show slightly better growth due to the summer holidays, as this year’s inbound travel showed more activity than last year due to more flexible social distancing measures. We expect no change in the 1Y Medium Lending Facility policy rate at 2.75% as the People's Bank of China (PBoC) has adopted a wait-and-see approach after it cut the rate last month. Loan growth should jump in August as the central bank has lowered interest rates and provided guidance for banks to increase lending. Australia's labour report Australia’s labour market report for August is also set for release next week. The Reserve Bank of Australia has made labour market conditions a key input into its rate-setting behaviour, given that official inflation and wages data are released only quarterly. In July, there was a 40,900 decline in total employment, which runs against all the anecdotal evidence of labour shortages across Australia. We would look for many of the 86,900 full-time jobs that were apparently lost in July to be replaced, and expect some upside to the +30,000 total median with up to 55,000 jobs possibly added for the month. That could result in a further decline in the unemployment rate but we believe the current 3.4% should hold, as the employment figures and unemployment rate are not directly connected. India's inflation could inch up to 7% after recent reprieve Some of the recent moderation in India's high food price inflation may be waning in response to extreme weather and other factors, which could see headline inflation nudging up back towards the 7% year-on-year level. But if energy prices remain under pressure in the months ahead, this increase in inflation may prove short-lived. India also delivers industrial production data for July. This should ease back sharply from the 12.3% YoY rate from June as reopening boosts have run their course.   Indonesia's trade data, BoK minutes and Japan machinery orders Other data reports in the coming week include Indonesia’s August trade data and we expect recent trends to hold. Both exports and imports should remain in expansion mode, but exports are expected to outpace imports again resulting in a hefty surplus. The trade surplus could settle at roughly $4.5bn which could support the Indonesian rupiah in the near term.  Meanwhile, the minutes from the Bank of Korea's August Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting will be reported on Tuesday, revealing members’ views on future rate hike decisions. Korea also reports labour data, with the unemployment rate expected to edge up to 3.0% in August as bad weather adversely affected construction and some services. Lastly, due to a weak global demand recovery, July's core machinery orders in Japan are expected to decline and export growth is expected to slow down in August.   Asia Economic Calendar Source: Refinitiv, ING Read this article on THINK TagsAsia week ahead 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

Industrial production fell sharply in July and remains 6% below its pre-pandemic level. Industry will probably contribute negatively to French economic growth in the third quarter   French industrial production fell by 1.6% over one month in July, and the decline was widespread across all branches of the industrial sector. Only construction increased its output by 0.5% over the month. Over a year, industrial production is down by 1%. It is therefore a difficult start to the third quarter for the French industrial sector, which is clearly suffering from the disruption of supply chains due to the war in Ukraine, lockdowns in China, and rising energy prices. Looking ahead, the contraction in order books since February, the high level of stocks of finished goods, high uncertainty, high energy and raw material prices, and potential disruptions to energy supplies do not point to an improved outlook for the French industrial sector. Indeed, the business climate indicator for the sector fell further in August. It is therefore likely that industry will make a negative contribution to French economic growth in the third quarter. The industrial sector only represents 15% of total French value added (20% if we include construction), so the weakness of industry is not enough in itself to conclude that the macroeconomic outlook for the next few quarters has worsened. However, the outlook is not much more favourable in the services sector. The deterioration in purchasing power caused by inflation, the decline in consumer confidence, and the fading of the positive effects of the post-pandemic reopenings will weigh on the dynamism of services in the coming months. As a result, the question is no longer really whether France and other European countries are heading for recession, but rather how fast the recession is coming. Given the developments of the last few weeks, there is a risk that French GDP growth will turn negative in the third quarter. We expect growth of 2.2% for the whole of 2022 and -0.2% for the whole of 2023.  Read this article on THINK TagsIndustrial Production GDP France Eurozone 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 currencies likely to extend gains against the USD as risk sentiment remains solid ahead of the US inflation report  Source: shutterstock Macro outlook Global Markets: US equities made further gains yesterday ahead of the US CPI release later today, which is expected to show a decline in headline inflation thanks to lower crude oil, and hence retail gasoline prices. The risk-on sentiment has also hurt the USD, with EURUSD pushing back above 1.01 to 1.0126, and other G-10 currencies all following suit. In Asia, currencies yesterday made modest gains on the whole against the USD, but have lagged the G-10 moves. So with equity futures suggesting no turn in sentiment just yet, Asian FX will likely continue to strengthen today ahead of the US session. USDCNY is now down to 6.9265, taking the USDCNY 7.0 target off the agenda for the time being. US Treasury yields were slightly higher yesterday, especially at the back end, where a lackluster USD32bn 10Y auction saw yields on 10Y bonds rising almost 5bp to 3.358%. G-7 Macro: It’s all about the US August CPI result tonight. And though the headline inflation rate will most likely decline from July’s 8.5%YoY rate, thanks to lower gasoline prices, the core rate is expected to rise 0.3%MoM, and take core inflation up to 6.1% from 5.9%. Markets are likely to balance any headline falls against core rises, so its too early to be celebrating the end of inflation, as some market participants seem already to be doing. UK labour market data and Germany’s ZEW business confidence survey are also on the calendar. India: August inflation came in just above the consensus expectation at 7.0% (consensus 6.9%, ING f 7.0%), mainly due to somewhat stronger food price inflation. In any event, with inflation still well above the RBI’s target range (2-6%), more rate increases are still likely over the coming 2 meetings before the year end. The repo rate is currently 5.4%. We see rates ending the year at 5.9%.   China: With the yuan under recent weakening pressure, we don’t anticipate the PBoC making any further amendments to its 1Y medium term lending facility (1Y MLF) rate today, which will remain at 2.75%. Japan: Pipeline prices appear to have stabilized in August. Producer price inflation remained unchanged at 9.0% YoY in August (vs 9.4% in June) and import price growth slowed to 21.7%YoY (vs 26.1% in July). Despite the recent weakness in the JPY, the drop in global oil prices has led to price stabilization. But next week’s August CPI report is expected to show inflation still accelerating to nearly 3.0%. Despite the recent depreciation of the JPY and looming 3% inflation, we still expect no policy change from the BoJ at its September meeting. What to look out for: US inflation and China activity data Japan PPI (13 September) Australia consumer confidence (13 September) US CPI inflation (13 September) Japan industrial production and core machine orders (14 September) Hong Kong PPI and industrial production (14 September) US PPI inflation (14 September) Japan trade balance (15 September) Australia labour market data (15 September) US initial jobless claims and retail sales (15 September) South Korea unemployment (16 September) Singapore NODX (16 September) China industrial production, retail sales and fixed asset (16 September) US University of Michigan expectations (16 September) Read this article on THINK 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

Sentiment in the oil market remains fairly negative due to continued concerns over Chinese demand Energy - China demand drop Despite concerns over demand, the oil market is holding up relatively well. In its latest monthly market report, the IEA estimates that Chinese oil demand will fall by 420Mbbls/d this year, which would be the first annual decline since 1990. Chinese demand has clearly suffered due to the zero covid policy that China continues to follow. Weaker Chinese demand was partly offset by the expectation that we will see a significant amount of gas to oil switching, given the high gas price environment. As a result, the IEA estimates that global oil demand will grow by 2MMbbls/d this year and by 2.1MMbbls/d in 2023, slightly below their previous forecasts.  With Russian oil flows holding up better than expected, the IEA expects that the global market will be in surplus of close to 1MMbbls/d in 2H22 and then more balanced over 2023 as the EU ban on Russian oil comes into full effect. Weekly EIA data shows that US commercial crude oil inventories increased by 2.44MMbbls over the last week. When SPR releases are taken into consideration, total US crude oil inventories declined by 5.97MMbbls. Gasoline inventories declined by 1.77MMbbls, whilst distillate fuel oil stocks increased by 4.22MMbbls. This is the largest weekly increase in distillate stocks so far this year, which would be welcome to the market given the tightness in middle distillates. Despite the increase, inventories are still around 30MMbbls below the 5-year average. The EU’s final proposal for intervention in the European energy markets was broadly in line with the draft proposal. First, the EU proposes that power demand should be cut, including a mandatory cut of 5% from selected peak hours, as well as aiming to reduce overall power demand by 10% until the end of March next year. Secondly, the EU wants to impose a temporary revenue cap on some power generators (renewables, nuclear and lignite) at EUR180/MWh. Finally, the EU also proposes a levy on excess profits from the oil, gas coal and refining sector. Metals – risk-off sentiment weighs on the complex Copper and aluminium prices fell yesterday as investors continue to digest the high CPI print from the US earlier this week, and what it could mean for Fed policy. Rising LME aluminium inventories only put further pressure on the market, with stocks increasing by 12,700 tonnes to 345,600 tonnes. China is stepping up its efforts to boost its housing sector with more Chinese cities announcing credit support and subsidies for home purchases. This week, China’s Evergrande Group removed most of its construction-project freezes as China enters its peak building season, which traditionally lasts until the end of October.  In precious metals, gold has unsurprisingly come under pressure over the course of the week- trading below US$1,700/oz. Higher than expected US inflation data has reinforced expectations of another big interest-rate increase from the Fed. Read this article on THINK TagsOil demand IEA Gold Energy crisis Covid-19 China 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

The main stand-out was retail sales but remains at risk from future lockdowns Consumer demand in China should return as Covid rules are relaxed More of the same on housing The slew of data for August released by China got off to a bad start with a 0.29% MoM decline in new home prices. This marks the 12th consecutive month-on-month decline in Chinese home prices and takes house price inflation down to -2.1%YoY. As a major pool of Chinese household wealth, this won't help encourage spending. Residential property sales were not much better either, though at -30.3%YoY, they were at least marginally less bad than the July numbers (-31.4%YTD YoY). It will take some time for the pool of unfinished property construction projects to be completed with local government support for developers, and in turn, for Chinese households to consider investing in property in scale again. Consequently, these numbers are likely to remain a blot on the economic landscape for quite a while.  70-City home prices Source: CEIC Some better signs elsewhere There were some more encouraging signs elsewhere, suggesting that the lockdowns in August as Covid cases spiked above 700 mid-month did not have such a big impact on activity, maybe helped through shorter, more focused restrictions. The key stand out was retail sales, which rose 5.4%YoY, up from 2.7% in July, beating the 3.3% consensus expectation. The growth in retail sales was most evident in the restaurant/catering section, an area normally hit hard by lockdowns. There was some reasonable growth in consumer goods too. And though high petroleum prices probably helped lift the spending total, automobile sales were also strongly up, helping to offset weakness in housing-related areas like furnishings, household electronics and construction materials. A slight fall in the surveyed unemployment rate from 5.4% to 5.3%, may also have helped the retail sales figures to firm up.  China's Covid numbers continue to bubble along with about 160 daily cases reported on average currently. And though the current trend is downwards, the risk of a renewed upsurge is never very far away. For now, though, this is a more encouraging sign.  Mainland China Covid Cases Source: CEIC Other activity data little changed Other activity series showed some marginal improvements. Industrial production grew by 4.2%YoY in August. That's an improvement from 3.8% in July, but still weak by China's normal standards. There was some improvement in manufacturing output, though it looks as if utilities (electricity etc) may have played a role, which looks hard to reconcile with the power shortages reported at times in August due to the heatwave. The auto sector, reflecting the retail numbers, also experienced stronger growth in August.  Fixed asset investment delivered 5.8% growth, fractionally up from 5.7% in July. Infrastructure spending on transport and the environment stand out as some of the stronger-looking numbers in the breakdown by industry, with auto-manufacturing also growing faster and adding to the message that cars are in the driving seat of a lot of today's better data.  Today's data were not enough to save the CNY from trading above USDCNY7.0, the first time it has done so since July 2020. We look for USDCNY to reach 7.05 by the end of this month.  China activity series Source: CEIC Read this article on THINK TagsCNY China's weak economy China retail sales China activity data China 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

China’s Premier Li Keqiang told the state media on Monday that the Chinese economy maintains a recovering trend overall, as reported by Reuters. China will increase imports of agricultural products from Vietnam, Li further noted. Market reaction These comments don't seem to be having a noticeable impact on risk perception and safe haven flows continue to dominate the financial markets. As of writing, the US Dollar Index was up 0.25% on the day at 109.90 and the US stock index futures were losing between 0.75% and 0.9%. 

Smelters in China’s Yunnan province are reducing output on tight power supply caused by declining rainfall while European and US capacity is being cut amid rising power costs following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine Source: Shutterstock Yunnan province cuts supply Aluminium smelters in Southwest China’s Yunnan province, which accounts for 11% of China’s aluminium output, have been required by the government to reduce their operating rates due to hydropower shortages in the drought-stricken province. The smelters have been ordered to reduce the use of electricity by 15% to 30% from last week, which is expected to cut 800,000 tonnes to 1.6 million tonnes of aluminium production capacity. The output reductions in Yunnan come after Sichuan smelters cut 920,000 tonnes of capacity in August, accounting for 2% of China’s total. The duration of the power cuts in Yunnan has not been officially announced yet but the market believes it will depend on how quickly weather conditions improve in the region. Chinese aluminium output climbs to record highs Still, China’s aluminium output has held up despite the energy crunch. The country’s primary aluminium production hit a record in August surging 9.6% year-on-year to 3.51 million tonnes, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, beating the previous high in July. Output in the first eight months of the year gained 2.1% to 26.47 million tonnes. However, output could have been constrained over September due to the ongoing power rationing in Yunnan province. China’s exports of unwrought aluminium and aluminium products have also risen in 2022 - up 31.5% so far this year versus a year earlier to 4.7 million tonnes - and are likely to rise further in the fourth quarter as European and the US producers have been slashing capacity over the past 12 months amid the worsening energy crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In August, China exported 540,400 tonnes of unwrought aluminium and aluminium products, up 10.2% versus a year earlier. Meanwhile, imports dropped 19% from a year earlier, reflecting muted domestic demand, record-high domestic production and tightening overseas supply. The country brought in 200,400 tonnes of unwrought aluminium and products in August, according to customs data. On the raw material side, China’s alumina exports are also increasing, with annual shipments through August reaching 720,000 tonnes, from just 100,000 tonnes a year earlier as buyers in Russia seek alternatives after the war in Ukraine cut off their traditional supplies. Globally, despite Chinese smelters facing energy rationing and European smelters slashing output, global aluminium production rose 3.5% year-on-year in August to 5.89 million tonnes, according to the International Aluminium Institute. Global year-to-date output totalled 45.448 million tonnes. Several smelter cuts have already been announced across Europe since December 2021, including Alcoa’s San Ciprian smelter and Hydro’s plant in Slovakia due to high energy costs which account for about a third of aluminium’s production costs. About 1.48 million tonnes of capacity could be cut in Europe and the US, accounting for 1.9% of the global total. European smelters have already cut 1.18 million tonnes of output – around 11% of total installed capacity in the region.  Further smelter closures and curtailments in production are highly likely with Europe heading into the winter months and the war with Russia raging on. Primary aluminium production (% YTD) Source: International Aluminium Institute (IAI) Global demand outlook worsens The rise in Chinese output comes against weakening demand amid global economic gloom. Tighter global monetary policy, China’s property crisis and the dollar’s strength have all put downward pressure on the aluminium market.   However, the Chinese economy started to show some signs of recovery last week. Industrial production climbed 4.2% on the year, faster than July and above the consensus, according to the National Bureau of Statistics' latest data. Retail sales rose 5.4% from a year earlier, higher than expected and up from July. China is also stepping up its efforts to boost its housing and construction sectors with more Chinese cities announcing credit support and subsidies for home purchases. Last week, China’s Evergrande Group removed most of its construction-project freezes as China enters its peak building season, which traditionally lasts until the end of October. Still, China’s government and central banks' stimulus efforts have been mild so far in relation to Covid-19 restrictions in the country. Data last week showed home prices declining for a twelfth consecutive month in August taking house price inflation down to -2.1% year-on-year. LME prices stuck in a range Despite high energy prices, weak demand has continued to outweigh any potential supply concerns with the market’s focus remaining more on the negative macro sentiment for now. LME aluminium prices are now down more than 40% from their year-to-date highs of $3,849/t reached in March and are hovering around their lowest levels since April 2021 amid fears that Russian supply could soon emerge at London Metal Exchange warehouses in Asia. Russian aluminium producer Rusal is reportedly looking to deliver some of its metal directly to LME warehouses in Asia, as it increasingly struggles to find buyers. It is suggested that Rusal could deliver a small amount of aluminium to LME warehouses initially. Increased flows could cause some issues. Firstly, a strong increase in LME inventories could put further pressure on prices, while there could also be a growing amount of aluminium in LME warehouses, which buyers are not willing to touch. This could potentially lead to a disconnect in prices. LME 3M aluminium Source: LME Read this article on THINK 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

Green transformation initiatives started in 2007 China has set goals of gradually slowing the growth of carbon emissions toward 2030, when emissions are expected to reach their peak and then start falling, reaching carbon neutrality by 2060 . As early as 2007, China launched its first National Climate Change Programme which raised questions about the country’s long-adopted development model since the 1980s of exporting energy-intensive, pollution-intensive, and resource-intensive products. In a subsequent 2008 policy paper, the Chinese policymakers spelled out plans to limit the growth of high energy-intensive and emission-intensive export industries. China started rolling out measures in 2007 to close down some of the country’s thermal electrical generating, iron-smelting, and steelmaking capacities, as well as thousands of small coal mines, papermaking and chemical plants, and printing and dyeing mills. At the same time, it promoted renewable energy, aiming to bring it up to 10 percent of national primary energy consumption . The proportion of coal in China’s primary energy consumption fell from 72.4 percent in 2005 to 55 percent in 2021; the proportion of renewables reached 15 percent (of which 8 percent was hydropower, and 7 percent mainly solar and wind) . The proportion of oil and natural gas accounted for 19 percent and 9 percent of total primary oil consumption respectively in 2021. (Figure 1) Figure 1: China’s primary energy consumption by fuel Source: Saxo Markets & BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2022 China’s oil production peaked in 2015  The output of oil and natural gas in China peaked in 2015. Finding economically viable domestic new oil and natural gas resources has been difficult, and China’s three oil and gas giants have seen their capital expenditures in oil and gas exploration and development declining since 2014 (Figure 2). Figure 2. PetroChina, Sinopec, and CNOOC combined production and capex Source: Source: Collins, G (2022). China’s Energy Import Dependency: Potential impacts on sourcing practices, infrastructure decisions, and military posture. Heavy reliance on seaborne import of oil and natural gas While China has abundant coal reserves and is close to being self-sufficient in coal, this is not the case for oil and natural gas. As the economy grows, China has become increasingly reliant on importing oil and natural gas (Figure 3). China is importing over 70 percent of its oil consumption and more than 40 percent of its natural gas . Combining these oil and gas imports and presenting them as crude oil equivalent, it will take 2,400 super tankers to ship them annually. Most of the oil and natural gas imports are in fact seaborne (oil tankers or LNG vessels), and not through overland pipelines. Without a formidable blue ocean navy, China’s policymakers are wary about the national security implications of having been so dependent on importing seaborne energy cargos. A question that often comes up is what if adversarial sea powers deny China access to the Strait of Malacca? Figure 3. China’s fossil energy deficit by energy source Source: Collins, G (2022). China’s Energy Import Dependency: Potential impacts on sourcing practices, infrastructure decisions, and military posture. Runaway commodity inflation has accelerated the determination to reduce reliance on importing oil and natural gas National security aside, oil and natural gas are priced and settled in US dollars. The rise in the prices of oil and natural gas, together with increases in the prices of other commodities, have contributed to a sharp deterioration in China’s commodity terms of trade. IMF economists estimated this to have subtracted 4.7 percentage points from China’s GDP between April 2020 and April 2022 (Figure 4).  Figure 4. China’s Commodity Terms of Trade Source: IMF. https://data.imf.org/?sk=2CDDCCB8-0B59-43E9-B6A0-59210D5605D2 Developing clean coal technology is of paramount importance The rise in oil and natural gas prices has further increased China’s determination to accelerate its green transformation, not only resorting to the use of a larger proportion of renewables and nuclear power, but also the development of clean coal technology. Policymakers in China emphasise the reliance on coal as the primary source of energy; the focus of the green transformation is to develop and apply more advanced technology to increase efficiency, lower emissions, and capture carbon when burning coal to generate power . China’s President Xi said carbon reduction in China “must be based on the basic national conditions of rich coal, poor oil and little gas” and that the “coal-dominated energy structure is difficult to fundamentally change in the short term”.   China’s solar plants have on average 1,450 to 1,750 hours a year in which they have sufficient sunlight to generate power. In other words, 80–84 percent of the time solar plants do not have sufficient sunlight to generate power. Windmills fare only slightly better with about 2,000 hours a year (i.e., about 23 percent of the time) on average where the wind is strong enough for power generation; for the other 77 percent of the time windmills are idle . The intermittent nature of solar and wind power requires energy storage which is very expensive. The energy density of a battery is only 260 kWh/m3—much lower than the 8600 kWh/m3 of gasoline. Using batteries to store energy from solar and wind plants will require a huge number of batteries, and will drive the price of lithium, cobalt, and nickel to prohibitive levels. Pumped hydro storage is more economical but it requires lots of space and water if applied on large scale. Both water and space are scarce in China.  Nuclear is a reliable source of baseload electricity, but it has its disadvantages. These include the large amount of initial investment, lengthy years of construction, reliance on imports (on average 15 percent of key components and technology are imported), and the need for a lot of water for cooling. As water is scarce in China, most of China’s nuclear plants are located in coastal areas in which cooling can be done with seawater. In inland China, nuclear power is not feasible.  The recent drought in Sichuan showed very well the limitations of hydropower in China. Per capita available water supply in the North China Plain is about 250 cubic meters, which is nearly 50 percent below the UN definition of acute water scarcity . While hydropower is contributing 8 percent to China’s primary energy, growing it further will be difficult due to the lack of water resources in China.  Replacing fossil fuel vehicles with electric vehicles contributes to improving the air quality in cities, but it does not solve the energy problem of generating the electricity that powers the vehicles. In addition, an electric vehicle needs 53.2 kg copper, 8.9 kg lithium, 39.9 kg nickel, 24.5 kg magnesium, and 13.3 kg graphite. If shifting to hydrogen vehicles, it is important to note that hydrogen is not energy itself but a medium of carrying energy that still needs to be generated in the first place. While China targets bringing the proportion of non-fossil energy, (hydro, solar, wind and nuclear power) to 25 percent of primary energy consumption by 2035 , coal is here to stay at the centre of China’s mix of energy sources and the backbone of baseload electricity generation for the foreseeable future. Investing in China’s green transformation China is determined to pursue green transformation and is pouring both spending and credits into infrastructure related to green transformation. As illustrated in this article, companies that have solid technology and strong market positions in clean coal technology, energy storage, hydropower, nuclear power, battery metals, solar and wind will tend to benefit. An important point to note is that green transformation is not just about renewable energy, i.e., hydro, solar, and wind, as well as electric vehicles. Clean coal, copper and battery metal mining, nuclear power, electric grids and electric equipment makers will also be potential beneficiaries during the green transformation. In addition, oil and natural gas, even during the green transformation, will still do well as China is going to beef up investment in domestic oil and gas exploration and development, while trying to reduce the amount of oil and natural gas that the country needs to import from overseas. Fossil energy, nuclear power, and renewable energy will coexist and prosper together, and the journey of green transformation will be long and gradual. Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/quarterly-outlook/green-transformation-in-china-04102022

Summary:  Crisis brings opportunities, and the energy crisis will accelerate the energy transformation in Europe. Fossil fuels will be needed for much longer Due to the high-dimensional complexity of nature and our growing civilisation, society is running from one existential crisis to another, illuminating our fragilities. Each new crisis is unique and our response to it catapults societies on to a new trajectory—this crisis is no different. Evidence is growing that this energy crisis will invigorate concepts such as self-reliance, accelerate the green transformation in Europe and create a potential renaissance for Africa. Most importantly it will accelerate deglobalisation as the world economy splits into two competing systems, with India as the biggest question mark. The world is going through its biggest energy shock since the late 1970s with primary energy costs as a proportion of GDP rising 6.5 percent this year. It is impacting consumers hard and forcing them to cut down on consumption, but it is also forcing factories to curb production and EU politicians to draw up schemes to ration economic resources as the approaching winter puts more pressure on the already troubled energy sector. According to the International Energy Agency, the total primary energy supply to the global economy is 81 percent from coal, oil and natural gas with main source of growth coming from non-OECD countries. As the world is still run on fossil fuels it is natural that the world has spun into a crisis as prices of these three energy sources have increased 350 percent since April 2020. The price increase is the most intense ever experienced in the modern economy and, unlike the 1970s the energy crisis, is total in the sense that it is hitting transportation, heating and electricity. The recently approved US climate and tax bill is paving a legal runway for the oil, gas and coal industry to continue for longer than was expected just two years ago, using a carbon pricing and capture scheme. This may also be one of the reasons why Berkshire Hathaway has increased its stake in Occidental Petroleum and got approval to take over the majority of shares. In our Q1 Outlook we wrote that the global energy sector had the best return expectation with expected returns of 10 percent per annum. Due to rising prices on energy companies this expected annualised return has now fallen to 9 percent, but this is still making the oil and gas industry attractive The energy crisis will slowly ease as the world economy naturally adjusts to the shock and higher prices, but the adjustment will likely take many years. The challenge facing the world’s largest economies is that the elasticity on supply of fossil fuels is low and the green transformation is accelerating electrification—this will put enormous pressure on non-fossil energy sources. It almost seems like a fantasy, and so the oil and gas industry is needed to bridge the gap and prevent energy costs exploding. In order to keep energy costs down we need to see investments, but unfortunately the real capital expenditures are not really increasing at a sufficient enough speed; this is prolonging the adjustment and higher energy prices.  The green transformation will be accelerated China has talked about self-reliance for many years and now Europe is talking from the same book on its energy and defence policies. Europe was already leading the green transformation and has the most energy-efficient economy in the world, but the energy crisis and the move to become independent of Russian oil and gas is still painful for the European continent. However, crisis brings opportunities, and the energy crisis will accelerate the energy transformation in Europe. It will likely make the continent the world leader in energy technology and lead to an enormous export success in the future. While the US conquered the world during the decades-long digitalisation, the return of the physical world will see a return of Europe relative to the US. In the next 10 years the European energy and defence sectors will be drastically transformed and will become much more competitive out of necessity. But in the short term the EU will limit market forces by capping prices, which insulate the consumer on prices, but also prolong the transition while increasing the financial risk for the government absorbing the energy costs. The green transformation is dependent on energy storage, as it creates an energy mix that at times will produce a lot of excess electricity which has to be stored. One of the big potential technologies is Power-to-X, which converts excess electricity to hydrogen through electrolysis of water. Other technologies are batteries, fuel cells and vehicle-to-grid electric vehicles as load stabilisers of the grid. The table below shows our energy storage basket. It’s intended as an inspirational list of companies engaged in these different technologies, and not meant as an investment recommendation. Deglobalisation and its ramifications for equity markets The global energy crisis is grabbing most of the headlines and is directly tied to the tough winter ahead for the global economy. But the real winter for the world is not the energy crisis, but the deglobalisation current which has intensified. The US government has recently restricted Nvidia on their sales of its most advanced AI chips to China as the US government worries they are being used for military applications. The decision followed the US CHIPS Act which is the biggest US industrial policy since WWII and is aimed at quickly increasing production of semiconductors in the US. While the US is charging ahead, we are seeing the same urgency in Europe on semiconductors. China has subsequently invoked the “whole nation system” which has been used twice before, in its space programme and in biotechnology during the pandemic. This time China has decided that it has to muster more resources to become self-reliant on semiconductors. Meanwhile the US is expected to curb exports of semiconductor equipment to China, forcing China to build out the entire production chain of semiconductors. While semiconductors are just one industry the signs are telling. The moves follow the trade wars from the Trump period—the war in Ukraine has painted the picture that the world is splitting into two value systems. Longer term it will drive energy and defence policies, and critical technologies such as semiconductors, and generally reshape global supply chains. Globalisation was the biggest driver behind low inflation over the past 30 years and was instrumental for emerging markets and their equity markets. Globalisation in reverse will cause turmoil for trade surplus countries, put upward pressure on inflation and threaten the USD as the reserve currency.  One underappreciated aspect of deglobalisation and Europe’s drive for energy independence is what it means for Africa. Europe’s drive to become resource independent of Russia means that Africa must fill the gap. That puts Europe in direct longer-term competition with China over resources on the continent and here lies the next geopolitical tension. In the middle of all of this is India: can the world’s most populous country strike a truly neutral position during deglobalisation or will the country be forced to make tough choices? Based on the energy crisis, the green transformation, continued urbanisation and deglobalisation, we still prefer equity themes such as commodities, logistics, renewable energy, defence, India, energy storage and cyber security. Consumption and trade surplus countries are at risk The estimated 6.5 percentage point rise in primary energy costs is a tax on economic growth and it sucks surplus out of the private sector in terms of less disposable income available for consumption and less operating profits for investments by companies. Consumer discretionary stocks have reacted to this pressure by underperforming relative to the global equity market. The most vulnerable part of the consumer sector is the European consumer discretionary sector dominated by French luxury and German carmakers. The list below highlights the 10 largest European consumer discretionary stocks. LVMH Hermes International Christian Dior Volkswagen Inditex EssilorLuxottica Richemont Dry Mercedes-Benz BMW A drop in consumption means an equal drop in production of consumer goods which means that trade surplus countries such as Germany, China, Japan and South Korea are the most vulnerable to a significant slowdown in consumption. All four countries are facing severe structural headwinds and their equity markets have reflected these challenges this year. Our main thesis all along has been that the global equity market is facing a potential 33 percent maximum drawdown before equities reach the trough. The final leg down will likely be driven by a combination of higher interest rates for longer, profit margin compression as companies can no longer pass on rising input costs without severely hurting revenue, and likely a recession in the real economy as a function of the energy crisis. In many ways the next six months will feel like a long dark winter, but rest assured, spring always returns and the brightest days in global equities are still ahead of us. Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/quarterly-outlook/the-bright-side-crises-drive-innovation-04102022

Biden’s administration has taken an even more hawkish stance on China compared to what most expected. While economists at Danske Bank do not expect any disruptive measures to be taken by either side in the near-term, the gradual decoupling and Cold War sentiment is set to continue. Tensions to continue but no near-term disruptive measures “In the US the negative view of China is bi-partisan and shared by the population. And to some extent, Democrats and Republicans compete on who is the toughest on China.”  “On the Chinese side, it is unlikely that it will give in to US demands for changes. China believes its’ system is more effective in solving problems and meeting challenges and it comes from a collectivist origin that goes thousands of years back, which China is increasingly proud of.”  “While we don’t expect the Biden administration to take any disruptive measures, such as a new trade war, the path of gradual decoupling measures such as rising tech restrictions on China and self-sufficiency measures in new sectors (such as biotech) is set to continue. Human rights-related sanctions may also increase.” “China will work on decoupling by seeking more self-reliance and investing heavily in tech and increasing energy and food security.”  “Tensions are also likely to stay elevated around Taiwan where a new status quo with a very high level of tension is the new normal.” ◀

Copper has been weighed down by China’s property sector woes and Covid-19 lockdowns while investors have turned away from commodities amid tightening central bank policies China's zero-Covid exit plan in focus Copper has lost all the gains it made this year as inflation has climbed higher, interest rates have risen, and energy costs keep surging. Covid-19 lockdowns in an already slowing Chinese economy have continued to dampen the demand outlook for the red metal, while the strong US dollar has weighed heavily on the markets this year. LME prices are now down around 30% from their peak in February following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine when the three-month LME copper price reached $10,580/t. Read next: Terra's Worker Arrested! White House Comment On The OPEC Decision And Success of Deutsche Bank | FXMAG.COM The short-term demand outlook remains weak amid recession fears and weakening global manufacturing activity. The focus is now shifting to China’s 20th National Congress in Beijing, which will start on 16 October, with markets looking for a possible change in the country’s zero-Covid policy. There is speculation that the government may start to relax its strict approach to containing the virus. China recently unveiled new measures aimed at reviving the country’s real estate industry, which could potentially boost the usage of industrial metals, including copper. A slowdown in China’s property market has weighed on the world’s biggest metal consumer for more than a year. Around 23% of China's copper end-use comes from civil and building construction. China copper end-use by sector Source: Source: ING China's property market Source: Source: ING China's property support fails to buoy sentiment China has been stepping up its efforts to boost its ailing housing and construction sectors with more Chinese cities announcing credit support and subsidies for home purchases. Last month, China’s Evergrande Group removed most of its construction project freezes as China enters its peak building season, which traditionally lasts until the end of October. Earlier this week, China’s financial regulators told the nation’s biggest state-owned banks to extend at least 600bn yuan ($85bn) of net financing to the real estate sector to boost the country’s ailing property sector. The news, however, failed to buoy sentiment in the copper market this week with China’s stimulus efforts not enough as Covid-19 restrictions in the country continue to take their toll on demand for the red metal. Concerns over China’s economy will continue to put downward pressure on the red metal until the government eases the country’s Covid-19 restrictions. Copper shrugs off supply disruptions Supply disruptions in South America continue to be in the spotlight for copper. In Chile, workers at BHP’s Escondida mine, the world’s largest copper mine, planned a stoppage at the beginning of September over safety concerns. Later in the month, the supervisors’ union at Antofagasta’s Los Pelambres copper mine rejected the company’s latest offer and threatened to strike. Workers at Ventanas port in Chile’s Valparaiso region also went on strike last month, delaying shipments. Meanwhile, Chile's copper production from state-owned giant Codelco fell 6.5% in July to reach 128,000 tonnes, government body Cochilco said last week. Production at Collahuasi, a joint venture of Anglo American and Glencore, dropped 12.4% on a year-on-year basis to 47,300 tonnes. Copper output from Escondida, which is majority-owned by Australian miner BHP Group, fell 1.8% to 81,400 tonnes, Cochilco said. In Peru, a group of indigenous communities blocked the “mining corridor” highway in mid-September. The blockade affected mines including Glencore’s Antapaccay, MMG’s Las Bambas and Hudbay Minerals’ Constancia. Protestors asked for the state to engage in a formal consultation process over Glencore’s plans to develop a new copper project, Coroccohuayco. Also last month in Peru, a group of residents blocked access to Sierra Metals’ Yauricocha zinc-copper-lead-silver mine, with production suspended for more than a week in late September. Despite the ongoing supply disruptions, concerns over macro headwinds and recession fears are dominating copper’s sentiment and prices for now. Global exchange stocks at record lows Copper stockpiles held by the LME have continued to increase this week, with metal immediately available to withdraw rising for 20 straight days to the highest in a year this week. While inventories have increased from the lows earlier in the year (below 70kt over February/March versus 139kt at the moment), they remain at record lows, representing just two days’ worth of global supply. The tight physical market is also reflected in the cash/3M spread having been in backwardation in excess of US$100/t recently. Global exchange stocks declined by 136,500 tonnes in September to just under 250,000 tonnes. Chinese bonded warehouse stocks have plummeted by two-thirds over the past month to just 37,000 tonnes at the end of September despite Chinese imports remaining robust at 332,000 tonnes in August and up 8% year-to-date. Meanwhile, LME consultation on Russian metal has cast new uncertainty over supply. Last week the LME said it plans to launch a discussion paper considering a potential ban on new supplies of Russian material, including aluminium, copper, and nickel. The LME also announced this week that it will restrict new deliveries of copper and zinc from Russia’s Ural Mining & Metallurgical Co. and one of its subsidiaries after the UK sanctioned co-founder Iskandar Makhmudov. Starting immediately, metal from UMMC or Chelyabinsk Zinc unit can only be delivered to LME warehouses if the owner can prove to the exchange that it won’t constitute a breach of sanctions, including that it was sold before Makhmudov was sanctioned by the UK on 26 September, and that neither company has any economic interest in the metal. The LME said that UMMC copper which is currently listed in the LME warehouse system is not subject to the sanctions, and there is no zinc produced by Chelyabinsk in LME warehouses. Russia produced 920,000 tonnes of refined copper last year, about 3.5% of the world's total, according to USGS, out of which Nornickel produced 406,841 tonnes. Asia and Europe are the main export markets for Russian copper. Although Russian copper is not officially sanctioned, self-sanctioning could already be disrupting trade dynamics in the European market. LME and SHFE inventory change YTD in kt Source: Source: LME, SHFE, ING Read this article on THINK TagsCopper 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

It's no secret that the global economic outlook hinges on energy prices this winter, but every country faces a unique cocktail of challenges ranging from central bank tightening to Covid-19. Our team have built three new scenarios for each of the major economies we cover Three scenarios for the global economy and energy prices With the global economy in the grips of various crises and uncertainties, it once again makes sense to view the outlook through scenarios. But unlike during Covid – where most countries were up against a common set of challenges – each economy is facing a unique cocktail of several key issues. A one-size-fits-all approach to scenario planning no longer makes sense. This article outlines three scenarios for each of the major economies we cover, and delves into what they imply for growth, inflation and central bank policy. Every economy is facing a different cocktail of challenges Source: ING Three scenarios for energy prices Source: Macrobond, ING Three scenarios for the US economy Source: Macrobond, ING Three scenarios for the eurozone economy Source: Macrobond, ING Three scenarios for the UK economy Source: Macrobond, ING Three scenarios for China's economy Source: Macrobond, ING TagsEnergy crisis 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

The economy has recovered slightly due to more flexible Covid measures. But the real estate crisis will put pressure on economic growth if home sales do not pick up. Infrastructure stimulus has yet to impact growth as local government spending has been split between finishing uncompleted homes and infrastructure investment In this article China finally show signs of a slight recovery Real estate crisis Double whammy is coming Source: Shutterstock China finally show signs of a slight recovery More flexible Covid measures have resulted in shorter quarantine periods and more localised lockdowns, which have had less impact on the labour force than the measures imposed a few months back. Consumers have shown a willingness to buy electric vehicles with government subsidies, and are also eating out more. But they are still reluctant to buy luxury items. Overall, retail sales grew 5.4% year-on-year in August after 2.7% growth in July. Industrial production also picked up to 4.2% YoY in August from 3.8% in July as more flexible Covid measures enabled more people to go to work. As such, the People's Bank of China did not cut interest rates in September.  China retail sales show recovery Source: ING, Bloomberg Real estate crisis In the real estate market, some local governments have been pairing with property developers to finish uncompleted projects. But an improvement in market sentiment will only happen if some of the larger projects are finished to a high standard. Home buying activity should then pick up. The market is now seeing genuine demand. The government is trying to fully unleash this demand by implementing policies such as cutting taxes for home upgrades. There are also policies for first-time buyers with lower mortgage rates. This fresh demand seems to be re-activating existing home sales, which were sluggish in the past due to a lot of new builds coming onto the market. This shift could reduce demand for new homes as buyers may worry that houses bought off-plan may not be completed. This, in turn, does not help housing starts. But at least some buyers are back in the market. The long delay of fiscal stimulus Facing both a Covid crisis and a real estate crisis, local governments with limited fiscal resources have had to prioritise what to deal with first. For most of them, the more urgent problem has been the stagnation in housing starts - and thus the drop in land auctions, which have traditionally provided local governments with the revenue they need to run their governments properly.   This explains the delay in infrastructure projects even as local government special bonds have been issued for this year. Even though the central government has called for an increase in infrastructure investment, only a few local governments have actually accelerated spending and they are mainly investing in existing projects, not new ones.  Source: ING, CEIC Double whammy is coming External demand could be weaker in 2023. If the real estate crisis and decisions over Covid measures cannot be resolved (at least partially) China could face a tough year ahead, especially in manufacturing.  TagsReal estate Infrastructure Covid-19 lockdowns China  

It's no secret that the global economic outlook hinges on energy prices this winter, but every country faces a unique cocktail of challenges ranging from central bank tightening to Covid-19. Our team have built three new scenarios for each of the major economies we cover Three scenarios for the global economy and energy prices With the global economy in the grips of various crises and uncertainties, it once again makes sense to view the outlook through scenarios. But unlike during Covid – where most countries were up against a common set of challenges – each economy is facing a unique cocktail of several key issues. A one-size-fits-all approach to scenario planning no longer makes sense. This article outlines three scenarios for each of the major economies we cover, and delves into what they imply for growth, inflation and central bank policy. Every economy is facing a different cocktail of challenges Source: ING Three scenarios for energy prices Source: Macrobond, ING Three scenarios for the US economy Source: Macrobond, ING Three scenarios for the eurozone economy Source: Macrobond, ING Three scenarios for the UK economy Source: Macrobond, ING Three scenarios for China's economy Source: Macrobond, ING TagsEnergy crisis 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

The new week has started and the markets await more important reports. While waiting for new reports, it is also worth getting acquainted with information on other events in various areas that may affect the situation on the markets. In this article: Relevance of the payment Market volatility Another attack Fear and financial risk Musk's proposal The global energy investment How payments affect the brand JP Morgan in its tweet discusses the importance of payments for the brand. The significance of the payment for the brand is wider explained in the attached short video.   Payments power and support shopping in many ways, directly improving overall brand perception. https://t.co/Eooh2EjJLT pic.twitter.com/yfwnxfH28v — J.P. Morgan (@jpmorgan) October 4, 2022 Building a strong brand is a comprehensive and multi-channel process. Creating a strong and meaningful brand should start inside the company. In order to find out what is important for clients, companies ask them to fill in questionnaires. Recently, payment methods have become more important. Understanding how this detail can affect brands can help companies improve their position. What really is the cause of market volatility? UBS in its last post on twitter informs about the topic of the last UBS Trending clip. The main topic is market volatility and what is the cause of this situation.   As US market volatility continues, many investors are wondering what really is the cause of it all? And are there investment opportunities out there? Find out in this episode of #UBSTrending. #shareUBS pic.twitter.com/edhHPLcsOh — UBS (@UBS) October 9, 2022 Volatility can be high or low. The greater the market volatility, the greater the short-term profitability. However, it is often considered that investing in the most volatile currency pairs or other assets is very risky and therefore the risk of loss is high. In times of high market volatility, prices tend to move very dynamically and rapidly in the short term. For investors, knowing the reasons for this may be helpful in making a decision. Russia is still attacking *Walter Bloomberg tweets about Russia's intentions, following a statement by Russian Defense Minister.   RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY: RUSSIA LAUNCHED MASSIVE ATTACK ON UKRAINIAN MILITARY COMMAND, COMMUNICATIONS AND ENERGY SYSTEMS - RIA — *Walter Bloomberg (@DeItaone) October 10, 2022 The situation on the front line continues to escalate. Russia is still attacking and is planning further attacks. The deepening of the dispute affects not only the geopolitical situation, but also individual citizens. Not only does the lack of peace evoke negative emotions, but there will also be questions about what to do next, prices are rising as a result of the conflict. With the coming winter uncertainty, fears will increase with subsequent attacks. How To Deal With Fear Morningstar, Inc. in his tweet, he discusses the impact of fear on investments. Sarah Newcomb (@finance_therapy) advises on how to manage fear.   Fear can change how you perceive financial risk.As investors, we cannot eliminate risk entirely, so we must instead learn to conquer — or at least manage — our fears, writes @finance_therapy. Here's how: https://t.co/thYiDUVF2c — Morningstar, Inc. (@MorningstarInc) October 9, 2022 We make most bad decisions under the influence of emotions. Financial decisions can have drastic consequences when influenced by them. In the investment world, risk is common, but the associated emotions, such as fear, can distort our perception of the situation. Not only investors, but also every single person should learn how to advise and manage emotions when making decisions. Such a skill can save you from negative consequences. Musk’s idea for China-Taiwan conflict resolution CNBC On Twitter write about Musk's proposal for China-Taiwan.   Musk's proposal for China-Taiwan relations gets slammed: Our freedom is 'not for sale' https://t.co/o3lQaCVHKq — CNBC (@CNBC) October 10, 2022 Elon Musk has stepped into geopolitics once again, suggesting a deal where Taiwan becomes China's "special administrative zone" and Beijing likely has some control over a self-governing island. This suggestion sparked the anger of Taiwanese politicians. Both sides want to resolve their conflict without an armed confrontation. The businessman's statement may spark a storm of controversy. Taiwan wants to remain independent, but China approves of Musk's idea. Uncertainty about the global energy investment BloombergNEF's post discusses the future prospects of the global energy investment   There's considerable uncertainty about the global energy investment required to achieve meaningful decarbonization. The most frequently referenced scenarios offer very different outlooks - so we took a look at each to better understand potential capital flows up to 2050. 🧵 — BloombergNEF (@BloombergNEF) October 6, 2022 It is important to understand the different markets and their prospects in different times. Assessment of what is and may possibly influence subsequent decisions. With the global energy in the world of geopolitical tensions in the spotlight, what is happening now will have a significant impact on the future.

Loan growth in China rose rapidly in September, as did government bond issuance. This has set the trend for the remaining months of 2022 The People's Bank of China is the central bank of China China's New Yuan Loan China's new yuan loan increased by CNY2.47 trillion in September, almost double the amount in August. At the same time, total social financing jumped to CNY3.53 trillion in the month from CNY 2.43 trillion in August. This faster-than-expected loan growth in China is quite surprising as loan demand should have weakened, even though the economy has picked up slightly from more relaxed Covid measures. But there are very few details from the central bank on where the loans went.  One thing of note is that among all the items in total social financing, government bond net issuance jumped by more than CNY5 trillion in just one month. As reported by the central bank, the net increase in government bond issuance was only CNY 399.8 billion in July and CNY304.5 billion in August, and for the whole of the third quarter the net issuance of government bonds increased to CNY5.91 trillion. So, the net issuance of government bonds increased by CNY5.81 trillion alone in September.  This should help local governments experiencing financial pressures to push forward with completing unfinished residential projects, achieving the target of infrastructure investments this year. We also believe that some of these funds will continue to go toward Covid-19 testing. This also means that the fiscal deficit as percentage of GDP should have increased steeply to over 5.3% in September, and we project that the number could reach 6-7% by the end of this year. We expect the trend of faster credit and more government bond issuance to continue for the rest of the year. The economy is weak due to continuing Covid measures, the real estate crisis, and emerging weakness in external demand. That suggests government spending should continue to increase in order to provide enough job stability to ensure a soft landing. Read this article on THINK TagsPBoC Loan growth Fiscal stimulus China 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

Summary:  Bank of England’s warning to end intervention sent an offered tone to bonds and equities towards the overnight session close, and added to the tightening risks that are being seen globally. Fed’s Mester reiterated hawkish comments as well, sending yields and dollar higher at the Asia open. USDJPY blew past 146, raising intervention threat again although yen crosses remain lower. Crude oil prices also plunged amid dollar strength and China lockdown concerns. Sterling and other UK assets look poised for a tough day ahead, and FOMC minutes are also due, which might mean ripples across global markets. What’s happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) indices declined for the 5th day US stocks erased earlier gains as bond yield rose and incoming Q3 earnings and the CPI on Thursday added to the risk-off sentiment. The S&P500 skidded for the 5th day on further tech selling, ending 0.65% down, while the Nasdaq 100 index fell 1.2%. As for the biggest laggards in the S&P 500 sectors, for the second day in row, both the Casino and Gaming and Semiconductor sectors were among the biggest losers down ~4.7% and ~4.3% respectively, gaining downside momentum. Meanwhile, investors continued to top up defensive sectors, buying into the Food Retail and Drugs sectors for the second day in a typical risk-off fashion. Noteworthy US company news and moves General Motors (GM) plans to compete with Tesla’s (TSLA) solar Powerwall business by offering its own sun-generated storage system starting late next year. Tesla shares fell 2.9%, while GM closed almost unchanged. Also making headlines, Uber (UBER) and Lyft (LYFT) plunged 10% and 12% respectively after the US Department of Labor proposed to tweak the way it determines if workers are classified as employees or contractors. Amgen (AMGN:xnas) rose 5.7% after an analyst upgrade citing the potential of its experimental weight-loss drug. Chip maker, KLA (KLAC: xnas) plunged 6.2% after saying the company will stop sales to China-based customers form Wednesday, including South Korea’s SK Hynix’s operations in China. U.S. treasury yields (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) finished a choppy session with long-end yields higher After reaching 4% during Asian hours, the 10-year yields retraced to as low as 3.87% at around mid-day New York before bouncing back to finish the day 7bps higher at 3.95%.  The move higher in yields in the afternoon was first triggered by the Bank of England Governor Baily pushing back on calls to extend the emergency bond-buying programme and repeated the BoE’s prior day announcement to stick to the Oct 14 end day of the programme.  He told the audience at the Institute of International Finance annual meeting in Washington that he had warned U.K. pension funds that only three were left to wind up positions. In addition, poor 3-year U.S. treasury note auction results in the afternoon caused some traders to adjust their positions ahead of the 10-year and 30-year auctions on Wednesday and Thursday. 2-year yields finished the day unchanged at 4.31% and the 2-10 year curve bear steepened to -36. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) retreated as China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) stabilized Stocks traded in Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses stabilized and traded little changed from yesterday’s closes, with power generation and lithium producers gaining. CATL rose 6% and led the share prices of the lithium space higher after the company preannounced Q3 net income surging 169-200% Y/Y to RMB8.8-9.8 billion. Eve Energy (300014:xsec) gained 6.2% and Guangzhou Tinci Materials (002709:xsec) soared 10% limit up. China National Nuclear Power (601985:xssc) surged 7.3% after the company reported a 7.2% Y/Y electricity output growth in the first 9 months of the year. On the other hand, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index continued to slide, falling 2.2% with financials, China Internet names, EV makers, and China property developers dragging down the benchmark.  The tightening of pandemic control in large cities including Shanghai and the editorials on the mouthpiece People’s Daily reiterating the country’s adherence to the Dynamic-Covid-Zero policy two days in a row dashed the notion of reopening held by some analysts and investors. Airline stocks dropped from 1.4% to 9.1%. Macao casino stocks plunged from 3% to over 5%. Reportedly short selling increased in China Internet names, with Alibaba (09988:xhkg), Tencent (00700:xhkg), JD.COM (09618:xhkg), Meituan (03690:xhkg), Bilibili (09626:xhkg) declining from 3% to more than 9%. Chinese developers, Country Garden (02007:xhkg ) and Longfor (00960:xhkg) were the two largest losers in the Hang Seng Index. Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) is tipped to fall 0.3% (futures). Focus on Bank of Queensland results, fertilizer companies and oil So far this week, the ASX200 has fallen 1.7% outperforming global markets, with the most selling in the Tech Sector, while the most gains have been in Consumer Staples, Materials and Industrials, with fertilizer and agricultural stocks rising the most on supply concerns. The Bank of Queensland (BOQ) reported a 5% drop its cash profit for the full year, while the closely watched metric of banking profits, its net interest margin reduced to 1.74% with the bank blaming increased competition on its margin falling. Loan growth in housing rose 7%. The group also declared an impairment of $13 million. That being said, the BOQ and other regional banks are seeing more loan growth when compared to the big four banks year on year. Elsewhere, it’s worth watching oil stocks today after the oil price fell back to $88 after the USD roared up again. Also keep an eye on gold stocks that are likely to come under further selling. While iron ore companies could be worth a look after a strike in Africa hit the countries top iron ore port. Yen past the previous intervention level, GBPUSD dropped below 1.10 USDJPY was seen rising above 146 in early Asian trading hours after the US yields surged higher overnight after BOE’s Governor Bailey warned on end to intervention (read below). The gilt market was closed by the time his comments came, but the US treasuries reacted to it and so the response from the yen could be expected. The Japanese yen has been trapped below this intervention threat level for weeks, but the pressure to the upside will continue to soar amid fresh surge in dollar and yields as dollar’s safe haven bid continues to play. Other yen crosses, however, remain below at sub-142 levels vs. 144 at the time of September intervention and AUDJPY below 92 vs. 97-levels previously. Response on Bailey’s comments was also seen in the sterling which dropped below 1.10 for the first time in October. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOZ2) down about 3% Oil prices slumped on Tuesday amid further gains in the US dollar towards the NY session close and reports on China’s fresh lockdowns ahead of its key Communist Party meeting that begins later this week. WTI futures slid below $90/barrel, while Brent was below $94 after touching $98+ levels on Monday. Geopolitical tensions however appear to be escalating, with Putin warning further missile attacks on Ukraine. Meanwhile, US-Saudi tensions also remain key to monitor after the OPEC+ production cut announced last week.   What to consider? Bank of England’s Bailey warns intervention to end on Friday Bank of England Governor Bailey gave a “three day” deadline to investors to wind up their positions that they can’t maintain because the central bank will halt its intervention at the end of this week as planned. There had been some expectations that the BoE might extend the purchases to quell financial instability in the UK, but Bailey did not give way on those. This also comes as a hint that QT may begin later this month as planned. There is hardly any silver lining visible for UK assets at this point. Fed’s Mester stays hawkish, FOMC minutes ahead Cleveland President Loretta Mester (2022 voter) reiterated the hawkish rhetoric saying that the Fed has yet to make any progress on lowering inflation and policy needs to be moved to restrictive levels and the biggest policy risk is that the Fed does not hike enough. She does not expect Fed rate cuts in 2023. As we have been saying, she also remarked that “at this point the larger risks come from tightening too little.” FOMC meeting minutes from the September 21 meeting will be released today and will likely continue to send out hawkish signals. China’s outstanding RMB loans grew at 11.2% Y/Y in September, above expectations China released its September credit data last evening. New aggregate financing in September came in at RMB3,530 billion, much stronger than the RMB2,750 billion expected (Bloomberg Survey) and RMB2,430 billion in August as well as the RMB2,903 billion in September 2021. It brought the growth rate of the aggregate financing to 10.6% Y/Y, higher than the 10.5% in August.  New RMB loans rose to RMB2,470 billion, above RMB1,800 billion expected and RMB1,250 billion in August.  An acceleration in loans to the corporate sector, which rose to RMB1,910 billion in September from RMB875 billion, drove the overall loan growth.  Outstanding RMB loans in September grew 11.2% from a year ago. The instructions as well as window guidance from the regulators to urge banks to lend to infrastructure projects, manufacturing industries, and the property sector contributed to the better-than-expected growth in corporate loans. IMF’s warning on global growth After recession threats from Jamie Dimon and Paul Tudor Jones, now the IMF has said there is a growing risk that the global economy will slide into recession next year as households and businesses in most countries face “stormy waters” and the “worst is yet to come”. The institute has said that global growth will slow from 6.0% in 2021 to 2.7% in 2023, being the weakest growth since 2001. The IMF also warned of an increased risk of rapid, disorderly repricing in financial markets, which is exacerbated by existing vulnerabilities and a lack of liquidity. China signaling it will stick with the Dynamic Covid Zero policy after the CCP’s national congress People’s Daily published for the third day in a row this week to reiterate the Chinese authorities’ determination to adhere to the “Dynamic Covid Zero” policy and pledge not to “lie down” passively. It warns that any relaxation of pandemic control would result in a large number of inflection and death and a collapse in the healthcare system so the insistence on Dynamic Covid Zero is the best way to protect people’s lives and health which are of utmost importance. The series of articles is apparently to dash the speculation of relaxation of pandemic control after the Chinese Communist Party’s national congress next week. In the meantime, as Covid cases bounced above 2,000 after the National Day golden week holiday during which many people travelled around the country. Large cities, including Shanghai and Shenzhen tightened pandemic control measures somewhat. Fertilizer supply at risk amid fresh Russian tensions and Hurricane Ian aftermath Amid fresh tension from Russian upon Ukraine, fertilizer producers have once again been put in the spotlight on supply concerns. Equities in APAC involved in phosphate/fertilizers rallied yesterday as a result. So perhaps it’s worth watching stocks in the sector again today, such as Nufarm (NUF), and Orica (ORI) which are this weeks best performers on the ASX. The phosphate fertilizer mining industry’s supply has already been put at risk after Hurricane Ian hit Florida, impacting more than 1 billion ‘stacks’ of supply. And recall that Russia is the world’s largest supplier of nitrogen-based fertilizers, but its supply has slimmed from embargoes after launching attacks against Ukraine. Perhaps the market is thinking more development are to come, so it's worth watching to see how this space develops.    For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.     Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-12-oct-12102022

Summary:  A choppy session in equity and bond markets despite a hot US CPI print for September pushing up Fed funds rate expectations by over 25bps on the terminal rate projections which limits the room for Fed officials to out-hawk the markets. Japanese yen suffers the biggest blow as intervention remains weak, while GBP and Gilts generally supported higher with another potential U-turn in UK fiscal plan. Further tightening from Monetary Authority from Singapore boosts the SGD, and China’s CPI will be on watch in the Asian session before Bank earnings take away the limelight later in the day. What’s happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) indices plunged after hot CPI data then whipsawed higher, moving in a ~5% range Core inflation (which excludes volatile food and energy items) rose to a 40-year high in September which gives the Federal Reserve reason to continue with its aggressive interest-rate hikes. The Nasdaq 100 fell over 3% and the S&P500 fell 2.35% before both major indices whipsawed higher with the Nasdaq ending up 2.3% and the S&P500 up 2.6%. Short covering and macro trading would have played a huge role in the reason markets whipsawed higher. ETF volume accounted for 39% of the turnover, just a touch lower than the record high of 40%. In terms of sectors, financials and energy led the benchmark index higher. Amid the energy crisis, there are the most rising-free cash flows in energy markets, which offer value. U.S. treasury yields (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) made new highs before waning U.S. treasuries had a volatile after the hot CPI prints. Now the money market fully prices in a 75bps hike in the November FOMC and a terminal rate of 4.9% early next year. The front end of the treasury curve was hit most with 2-year yields rising to as much as 24bps to 4.53% before paring back some of the move to finish the day 17bps higher at 4.65%. 10-year yields made a new high, hitting 4.08% soon after the CPI but spent the rest of the session waning to up only 4bps to close at 3.94%, despite a weak 30-year auction in the afternoon. The sharp rally (yields falling by over 20bps across the curve) in U.K. gilts contributed to stabilising U.S treasuries. The Bank of England bought a record £4.68 billion of gilts in its emergency bond purchase programme which is set to end on Friday. Traders snapped up gilts on speculation that the Truss government will announce the reversal of some of the tax cuts in the mini-budget when the Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng returns from the IMF meeting in Washington.  Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) may likely meet a similar fate to US equities and have a wild day of trade In Australia a similar situation is playing out with the futures market is now pricing in interest rates will peak at 3.9% next year.  We have seen the RBA express ‘peak hawkishness’, is behind it. But the market is still pricing in rate rises will continue, but at a steady pace. This means growth sectors remain pressured and value strengthens. Consider; amid the energy crisis, there are the most rising-free cash flows in energy markets, which offer value and support share price growth. This is worth perhaps reflecting on, especially given coal prices hit fresh highs and we are not at peak coal demand season (January) yet. As such energy prices seem supported higher. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIU2) China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) Hong Kong and mainland China equities retreated, Hang Seng Index down 1.9% and CSI300 lower by 0.8%. HSBC (00005:xhkg) outperformed and gained 0.7%. Country Garden Services (06098:xhkg), tumbling 14.1%, and Country Garden Holdings (02007:xhkg), falling 9.8% were the worst performers in the Hang Seng Index, as the China property space continued to sell off. Machinery stocks declined on weak excavator sales in China. Weaknesses in China Internet and EV stocks dragged the Hang Seng Tech Index (HSTECH.I) down by 3.4%. On the other hand, local Hong Kong developers, Sun Hung Kai Properties (00016:xhkg), up 2.7%, New World Development (00017:xhkg), up 2.2%, and CK Asset Holdings (01113:xhkg), climbing 1.2% were among the best performers in the benchmark index, following news reports saying the Hong Kong Government is considering to relax the 15% extra stamp duty that non-resident buyers need to pay when buying a property in Hong Kong. In addition, Hong Kong is considering allowing 12 people instead of the currently 4 to gather in public. Macao casino stocks dropped from 1.9% to more than 7% on the dim prospect of relaxation on zero-Covid policy in mainland China. The head of China’s Epidemic Response and Disposal Leading Group, Liang Wannian, said on TV that China had no timeline for an exit from its Covid strategy. Sands China (01928:xhkg) was also troubled by a lawsuit in the U.S. in which the claimant is seeking more than USD7.5 billion in compensation. Healthcare stocks gained at the Hong Kong and mainland bourses. In the A-share market, computing, software, and digital currency concept stocks gained, following China’s central bank’s pledge to promote the development of the digital renminbi. Weak verbal intervention in the Japanese yen USDJPY traded to a fresh record high of 147.67 overnight, and stayed above the 147 handle despite a reversal in US dollar strength later in the session. Only some weak comments were noted from Japanese authorities, with FinMin Suzuki saying that FX volatility was discussed at the G20 meeting. There was also some speculation of more Japanese intervention after some sudden price movements in the Yen yesterday as USDJPY hit a high of 147.47 before knee-jerking lower to 146.52, albeit if it was intervention it wasn't successful with USDJPY back above 147.00. That is perhaps a reason why Japanese MoF official has stayed away from confirming or denying Thursday’s intervention. BOJ Governor Kuroda kept easing bias saying not appropriate to raise rates in Japan now, and with US yields still seeing some more room on the upside, there could be more room for yen weakness. Our technical analyst highlights that if USDJPY breaks 147.65 resistance, 149.34 level is not unlikely. Crude oil (CLX2 & LCOZ2) followed the USD price action While there were enough drivers for the oil prices overnight, price action in crude oil generally followed the USD trend which initially rose after the hot US CPI report cementing expectations for another 75bps rate hike at the November meeting and a small chance of a 100bps rate hike, but it fell later as risk sentiment revived. The IEA's monthly oil market report saw its Q4 demand view lowered by 300k BPD, while its 2023 demand outlook was cut by 470k BPD (both are still expected to show growth). But supply concerns also remained with the weekly US inventory reporting tight market in distillates following a decline of 4.9mln barrels in domestic supply. Crude stocks build was significantly above expectations (9.88mln vs an expected 1.75mln), while stocks at Cushing drew down by 309k; and gasoline posted a surprise build (2.023mln vs an expected -1.825mln). US-Saudi tensions also continue to slide downhill as the White House accused Saudi Arabia of coercing other OPEC+ members into agreeing to a huge output cut, and said it had asked the kingdom for a pause.   What to consider? Hot US CPI pushing Fed tightening expectations higher – can Fed members continue to out-hawk the markets? Core US inflation jumped to a 40-year high of 6.6% y/y in September, making more jumbo Fed rate increases inevitable. Headline CPI also came in higher than expectations, at 8.2% y/y with shelter, food and medical care contributing to the biggest gains. Fed funds rate expectations have pushed higher, with a full 75bps rate hike priced in for November with increasing expectations of a 75bps rate hike in December as well. March 2023 terminal rate expectation pushed higher by about 30bps to 4.94% now. This is above the 4.6% depicted by the Fed’s dot plot, and may leave little room for the Fed members to continue to out-hawk the markets. Fed speakers George, Cook and particularly Waller will be on the wires today. Reports of another potential UK fiscal U-turn There’s no ending the drama in the UK markets, with reports of another potential U-turn in the fiscal plans of Liz Truss government. Now, there are talks that the government is mulling hiking corporation tax despite initial plans to scrap the corporation tax hike and keep it unchanged. Such reports, along with the BOE’s increased bond-buying thus week, could help put a floor on UK assets next week as the central bank halts its bond purchases today. Still, the credibility of UK authorities remains in question, and that would mean it remains hard to include Gilts in asset allocation. Treasury Secretary Yellen warned about the risk of a loss of liquidity in the U.S. treasury market U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen voiced concerns about a potential breakdown in treasuries trading when answering questions yesterday and said that the Treasury is “worried about a loss of adequate liquidity in the market”. The concern about the potential risk of a sudden loss of liquidity or even a breakdown of trading in the U.S. treasury market has recently risen among some traders as the treasury market loses the largest buyer, the Fed in quantitative tightening. After rounds of QE and large fiscal deficits, the outstanding amount of treasuries has grown to USD23.7 trillion. The daily turnover in treasuries was USD627 billion a day in September.  The turmoil across the pond in the U.K. gilts markets has also added to the worries among traders and probably policy makers in the U.S. U.S. Bank earnings, potential CET1 capital shortfalls to watch Several leading U.S. banks, including JPMorganChase (JPM:xnys), Morgan Stanley (MS:xnys), Citigroup (C:xnys), Wells Fargo (WFC:xnys), US Bancorp (USB:xnys), PNC Financial (PNC:xnys), First Republic Bank (FRC:xnyc) are reporting on Friday. The market focus will be on JPMorganChase, Morgan Stanley, and Citigroup. The key things to watch for are these banks’ net interest margins and their updates on the quality of their loan books, as well as the impact of mark-to-market losses incurred to their available-for-sale investment portfolio, which are largely treasuries and agency mortgage-backed securities, on their common equity tier-1 (CET1).  Some of the banks may be hit by falling bond prices and are facing CET1 capital shortfalls. Taiwan’s TSMC, South Korea’s SK Hynix, and Samsung Electronics secured U.S. approval for getting U.S. equipment for 1 year Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co said the company had secured a 1-year license from the U.S. government to continue to get U.S. chip-making equipment for its expansion in manufacturing capacity in China for the next 12 months.  Likewise, South Korean chip maker, SK Hynix said it had gotten a 1-year waiver from the U.S. government to import American equipment to its factories in China.  Reportedly, Samsung Electronics got a similar waiver.  On the other hand, China’s top semiconductor equipment maker Naura Technology was said to have told the company’s American engineers to stop working on research and development projects with immediate effect. The Chinese Communist Party convenes its 20th National Congress on Oct 16 General Secretary Xi Jinping will make a speech and presents the Work Report of the 19th Central Committee to the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on Oct 16. From Oct 16 to 22, around 2,300 delegates from all over the country will elect 205 full members and 171 alternate members of the 20th Central Committee and select the members for the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. On Oct 22, the 20th National Congress will vote to approve the Work Report of the 19th Central Committee and approve an amendment to the charter of the CCP. The 20th National Congress ends on Oct 22 and the newly elected 20th Central Committee will hold its 1st plenary session on Oct 23 and decide on the most important 25-member Politburo and its 7-member Standing Committee, as well as members of the Central Military Commission and Central Secretariat.  Nomination of Premier and Vice-premiers of the State Council are matters to be decided not this time but later in the 2nd plenary session which may be held in February 2023 and that nomination will need to be approved by the National People’s Congress in March 2023. ECB QT likely to begin in Q2 2023, lower ECB terminal rate ECB discussed possible timeline for balance sheet reduction at Cyprus meeting earlier this month. Consensus appeared to emerge for quantitative tightening to start sometime in Q2 2023. Reports suggested that the ECB could already tweak its language on reinvestments at its October meeting and then could provide a detailed plan possibly in December but more likely in February. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that an ECB staff model puts the terminal rate in Europe at 2.25%, beneath the 3% that markets are currently pricing in; however, the response from ECB policymakers was mixed, with some fearing the model contains errors. China’s CPI is expected to rise to 2.9% in September China is releasing CPI and PPI data on Friday. The median forecast in the Bloomberg survey is expecting the CPI to rise to 2.9% Y/Y in September from 2.5% Y/Y in August.  The rise is likely attributed to higher food prices, including pork prices during the month.  PPI is expected to fall to 1.0% Y/Y in September from 2.3% in August, helped by a high base last year.  China’s export growth is expected to decelerate in September The median forecast in Bloomberg’s survey of economists calls for a sharp deceleration of China’s export growth in USD terms to +4.0% Y/Y in September from +7.1% in August, citing tightened pandemic control measures and a high base of last year. China’s LNG imports are set to decline this winter Bloomberg analysts estimate that China’s LNG import in November and December will be 12.7 million metric tons, a decline of 17% from last year, citing Chinese LNG users canceling LNG import terminal access slots. Singapore avoids a technical recession, MAS re-centres currency band Solid Q3 GDP growth of 4.4% y/y in Singapore according to advance estimates, crushing estimates as construction and services industries outperformed. This reaffirmed that Singapore not only avoided a technical recession, but is on a solid recovery track after the pandemic restrictions were removed. Q/Q growth turned positive to come in strongly at 1.5% from -0.2% previously. This has given further room to the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to tighten the policy, and it announced re-centring of its currency policy band to the prevailing level. No changes to the width or slope of the band were announced, meaning the boost to the SGD could remain temporary as potentially more USD gains remain likely for now. What is the thinking about what will happen to interest rates in Australia? In Australia the futures market are now pricing in interest rates will peak at 3.9% next year. We have seen the RBA express ‘peak hawkishness’, is behind it. But the market is still pricing in rate rises will continue, but at a steady pace. This means growth sectors remain pressured and value strengthens. Consider; amid the energy crisis, there are the most rising-free cash flows in energy markets, which offer value and support share price growth. This is worth perhaps reflecting on, especially given coal prices hit fresh highs and we are not at peak coal demand season (December-January) yet. Also consider oil prices have moved off their lows. As such energy prices look supported higher for longer despite A. Most traded instruments at Saxo Australia this week The most traded stocks this week at Saxo in Australia are Tesla, Apple, Whitehaven Coal (hit new high), Coles, and Bank of Queensland results. What’s the takeaway here? We need to reflect on the trends. Trends are your friends when it comes to making profits in markets. In the banking sector; we heard from Bank of Queensland who is forecasting house prices to drop and loan growth to slow. Coal prices are moving up and continues to be supported. And in when it comes to the most transacted upon futures, in commodities; we've seen a pick-up in buying of Crude oil Futures; with the OPEC and EIA still predicting demand will outpace supply in 2023, meaning we could expect higher oil prices into next year.   For a week-ahead look at markets – tune into our Saxo Spotlight. For a global look at markets – tune into our Podcast.     Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/market-insights-today-14-oct-v2-14102022

Summary:  The 20th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party will open on 16th October. Mr. Xi’s speech at the opening ceremony will provide importance directions about the futures of Chinese and global businesses in China. The 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party will start on 16th October. It is held every 5 years and usually last for a week. Mr. Xi Jinping is expected to secure a third five-year term as China's top leader and continue to be in the power until at least 2027. China’s economy, the second largest in the world is in turmoil now. China’s zero tolerance approach to Covid-19 have hurt consumer demand and stalled businesses. Further, the property market which contributed about 25% of the country’s economic output over the last 10 years is deteriorating. The billions of dollars spent have failed to help stimulate housing demand. The zero Covid-19 policy has also hurt consumer demand and impacted businesses. Foreign investment has also weakened during the pandemic. All these factors has hurt China’s economy, with growth coming in at just 0.4% for the period from April 2022 to June 2022 compared to the same period in 2021 and this run rate will likely lead to lower than expected growth (5.5%) this year. Mr. Xi’s speech at the opening ceremony will provide an important direction about the future of Chinese and global businesses in China. How Mr. Xi defines the term “common prosperity” will be a key focus. It is possible for him to include a more progressive tax system, social spending program and deregulation of small business. The Chinese official media has published numerous articles on border reopening. It is a possibility that Mr. Xi would announce during the party congress meeting about easing back on the zero-Covid-19 policy. Any hints on gradual loosening of the policy will be taken as positive for the market. Another big uncertainty will be whether China will pursue some kind of military action against Taiwan. Any vague comment on the progress for trying to bring Taiwan under the mainland China’s political control could post a negative impact on the financial confidence in both Taiwan and China. The most important task is to elect the party’s leaders. Hu Chunhua is seen as having a stronger political base than Wang Yang as he is younger (59 years old) to be a potential successor to Mr. Xi. However, many businessmen and experts think Mr. Xi is more likely to choose Mr. Wang who pose no potential political treat to him.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/st-note---china-20th-party-congress-meeting-14102022

The 20th Party Congress in China opened on 16th October. The Party Work Report discussed the economic roadmap. Among all the policies mentioned in the Report, we find that China is prioritising high-technology at the top of all economic policies. This echoes the technology war imposed by the US's CHIPS Act  Visitors observe various kinds of chips are exhibited at different booths by semiconductor companies at the 18th China International Semiconductor Expo, Shanghai, China Source: Shutterstock Key takeaways from the 20th Party Congress The 20th Party Congress' Party Work Report emphasised that high-quality growth is the basis of economic growth policy. The Congress pointed to several factors that could lead to the high-quality growth objective. (Here is the full text of the Report in Chinese) The key takeways we highlighted below are in the order of their importance we get from the tone, language and the sequence that appeared in President Xi's Party Work Report. Technology The Report explicitly pointed out in the 20th Party Congress that advancement of technology is vital to economic development, and need of a professtional workfoce for that development.  It stated that China "insists that science and technology is the first productive force, talent is the first resource and innovation is the first driving force, implement the strategy of developing the country through science and education, the strategy of strengthening the country through talent and the strategy of innovation-driven development". While this may not mean the immediate removal of restrictive policies on technology companies, it is at least addressing the urgent need for talent and promoting self-sufficiency in technological advancement. We believe that this echoes to US's CHIPS Act. As such research spending on semiconductor technology should increase. Typically, policies are released after such important events in China. Covid measures When the Report mentioned Covid, there was no change in the tone of Covid measures. Life is put as the first priority and there was no wording like "balancing economic cost and benefits" when it comes to Covid measures.  We expect that the existing Covid measures, that is the number of Covid tests, quarantine days, etc, will remain the same after the Party Congress. This will continue to put fiscal pressure on local governments, and when the number of Covid cases increase, we should keep seeing localised lockdowns in China. We include this scenario in our forecasts for 2023.  Parental control policy to remain in place The Party Work Report stated that the internet ecology continues to improve. This, we think, refers to the policy result of restricting children's hours spent on online games. The policy is unique to Mainland China as this is related to the ideology of the Chinese style socialism. This is in a way to remind us that the Party's ideology can infuse into policies that affect growth models of industries.  ESG policies There are quite some contents in the Report that refers to more aggressive objectives related to Environmental, Social and Governance of the economy. What was most mentioned and repeated several times is to build a high-quality education system, not only to support technology advancement that we mentioned earlier, but also for the overall economy.  Contents on promoting the green economy has not changed but the Report highlighted its importance to future growth.  Our thoughts: fiscal policies to boost technology research The Report makes us rethink the intensity of fiscal policies that is going to deliver on the objective of high-tech. Apart from preferential taxation policies for corporates if they put resources in high-tech research, state-backed companies may be the main entity to do this. This means there would be a large sum of fiscal spending going into the technology industry. This also applies to achieving high-quality education, too. The fiscal deficit has been over 5.1% so far this year, which was around 4% previously. We believe that this will continue to increase due to low revenue from land sales for this year and next. As such, the Report also gives a hint that the Chinese government is going to issue more bonds to support its growth plan. Though we believe that the fiscal health of the government is still in good shape, the increasing demand for fiscal spending and investments means that fiscal pressure is increasing, even it is not imminent.   We will continue to keep an eye on the 20th Party Congress, and will update with any impacts on the economy. Read this article on THINK TagsSemiconductor Economic growth Covid China 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

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

Summary:  Could the focus on energy and renewable adoption change the entire investment sentiment in Asia? Asia’s energy crisis will have many faces Asia, including emerging Asia, is at the forefront of the energy crisis. The most compelling case of investment in emerging markets historically has come from the demographic trends and increasing aggregate demand amid rapid urbanisation and a growing middle class. However, energy supplies are likely to remain short for the foreseeable future due to decades of underinvestment, Russia’s war tactics, and increasing energy security issues in Europe and elsewhere.  This means the future will bring a wave of investment in securing energy supplies, deploying energy infrastructure, adopting new energy sources to meet power demand, and ensuring energy security and a broad-based fuel reliance. This won’t come without some short-term pain, including blackouts, caps on industrial use and rising subsidy bills, as well as a possibility of social and political unrest in some of the weaker Asian markets. We got a flavour of the crisis in Sri Lanka earlier this year, and Pakistan and Bangladesh also remain exposed to such risks.  LNG’s “bridge fuel” status adds to the crisis Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) has been popular in Asia as a bridging solution between the jump from coal and other fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy. LNG has also been one of the most convenient replacements for domestic gas, supplies of which are fast declining in countries like the Philippines, Bangladesh and Thailand. However, Europe is now competing directly with Asia to secure LNG supplies as its gas supply from Russia dries up. It is expected that Europe’s LNG demand could increase by 25 million tonnes (Mt) this year. As such, LNG cargoes have started to be diverted away from Japan and Asia in general in a hunt for better price points in Europe. This means that parts of Asia will lose their LNG supplies not just for this year, but for years to come as Europe builds its other sources of energy. Those that can afford it will have to pay a much larger fee to maintain a steady supply of LNG. apan’s winter shock to ease barriers on nuclear adoption Japan is in no way a stranger to energy crises. A catastrophic earthquake and tsunami triggered a meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in 2011, followed by a suspension of nuclear power over the last decade. Since then, Japan has focused on energy saving at the business and household level, without the need for substantial government interventions.  In recent months, a scorching heatwave and surging oil and gas prices have again brought Japan’s energy security under the scanner as electricity prices rose to a record high. Japan, being the fifth-largest oil consumer and the sixth-largest gas consumer globally, is heavily dependent on energy imports. Almost 90 percent of Japan’s domestic energy consumption comes from imported oil and gas.  Russia’s shock nationalisation of the Sakhalin 2 LNG and oil project, coupled with the Japanese yen at its lowest level for over two decades, have added to Japan’s energy pains. Japan’s excessive reliance on LNG has also come back to haunt it with supplies getting diverted to Europe. The only viable solution for Japan in the near term will be further demand destruction at the individual and business level. The government may need to step in to institute consumption limits for the bigger energy users, and it remains certain that consumers are about to feel the pinch. This could, however, mean that some tough decisions, such as those on nuclear adoption, could become relatively easy. Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida has pushed forward with the adoption of nuclear technology to address the demand-supply gap in the power market. His government has taken charge to ensure the continued operation of 10 nuclear plants that have been restarted, and is further pushing to restart another 7 reactors. This is a huge signal to other Asian countries and the world that nuclear energy can not only help to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, but it achieves this in the most green way possible by reducing carbon emissions and increasing energy security. This provides a compelling investment opportunity in power companies with an increasing share of output coming from nuclear, such as Kansai Electric Power (9503). There will potentially be some hurdles in the way for Japan to pursue the nuclear path, and some reliance on coal will likely be explored as well. Japan has a clear focus on the “net” in the net-zero agenda, and is pushing the carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) technologies that can enable it to keep burning some fossil fuels in hard-to-decarbonise sectors by offsetting or capturing/utilising emissions from power plants and industrial processes, and even extracting CO2 directly from the atmosphere. This brings potential opportunities in CCUS technologies, but also suggests that Japan will continue to use fossil fuels despite its net-zero push.  A return to fossils, and broadening energy supplies Coal-fired plants have been one of the easiest fall-back options for many emerging Asian countries, due to the scale of demand as well as the ease of availability of the fossil fuel and its related infrastructure in the region. For countries with low-cost domestic coal supplies, the case has been even more compelling, and coal-fired output has ramped up recently in China, India, Indonesia and Vietnam. More alternate energy sources are also being explored. Singapore, for instance, has exerted efforts to unearth its geothermal potential to diversify its energy sources. Indonesia, the Philippines and New Zealand also have significant untapped geothermal potential which could be explored further as the energy crisis reigns. Hydrogen and hydropower also remain a key focus in the region, with South Korea being the world leader in the hydrogen economy and others like China, Japan and Malaysia also adopting hydrogen push policies. Global demand for hydrogen based on existing government pledges is expected to reach around 250 Mt per annum by 2050. Some of the ETFs that provide exposure to the hydrogen push include VanEck Hydrogen Economy UCITS (HDR0:xetr), Global X Hydrogen (HYDR:xnas) and Direxion Hydrogen (HJEN:arcx).  Asia’s nuclear adoption is also expected to take a step up in the current crisis. In addition to Japan, countries like India and China have also shown increasing acceptance of nuclear technology to meet the growing energy demand. India plans to triple its number of nuclear power plants to 72 in total, while China has proposed the construction of 168 new reactors in addition to 18 being built and 37 being planned, which would amount to an increase of 337 percent. Overall, 35 reactors around Asia are already in construction, with Europe coming in second with 15 plants, according to data from World Nuclear Association.  In summary, the future lies in a more balanced distribution of energy sources. For Asian economies with a lack of domestic fuel supplies, energy self-sufficiency can only come from a bigger and faster shift to renewables in the medium term. Those that have domestic supplies may however find it harder to trust the volatile renewable sources and a more pragmatic approach may be warranted.   Shift away from dollar-based trade arrangements? India’s heavy reliance on oil, with about 80 percent of its demand being met by imports, made it vulnerable to the energy crisis early on. What saved India from a balance of payments crisis was its continued oil imports from Russia, at an undisclosed discounted price paid in Russian roubles. This is just a reflection of the course that other emerging markets could take as well, as they get immersed knee-deep in energy scarcity issues and are unable to find any reliable short-term solutions to sustain their economies. The Sri Lanka crisis has already raised alarm bells for many frontier economies. There have been reports recently that Myanmar has also started buying Russian oil products and is ready to pay for deliveries in roubles. Similarly, Moscow may continue to find buyers in smaller nations that have been hard hit by inflation and are running out of fuel supplies.  If more and more countries shift to similar trade arrangements with Russia for their energy and/or food/fertiliser imports, that could mean a significant shift away from dollar-based trade finance in the region. This will have consequences beyond the global energy markets, with some countries potentially faced with the tough choice of taking sides as deglobalisation forces become stronger.     Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/quarterly-outlook/asia-intermittent-solutions-but-a-faster-renewable-adoption-curve-04102022

Macro data published last week showed that inflation in the world, including in its most economically developed regions, continues to grow. Thus, according to the data presented, annual consumer inflation in the UK has reached a new multi-year high of 10.1%, in the eurozone - 9.9%, in Canada - 6.9%. The CPI consumer price index for the United States, published a week earlier, also indicated a high inflation rate of 8.2% (in annual terms). Meanwhile, high geopolitical tensions remain in the world, the western political world is being shaken by intra-party conflicts, while elections of a new prime minister are expected in the UK next week. Among the features of trading in the foreign exchange market, I would like to note that the USD/JPY pair took the level of 150.00, which, as market participants believed, the Bank of Japan would protect. However, so far this is not happening – USD/JPY is moving higher to the upside, and the yen continues to weaken rapidly. Next week, meetings of the three largest world central banks will take place at once - Canada, the eurozone, Japan, and entire blocks of the most important European macro statistics, as well as on China and the USA, will be published. Market participants will also pay attention to the release of important macro statistics for Australia, Germany, and the UK. Thus, the next week promises to be extremely volatile, with a lot of trading opportunities. As for the dollar, its DXY index maintains positive dynamics and continues to remain in the zone of 20-year highs, not far from the local high of 114.74 reached last month. Surpassing this resistance level will open the way for DXY towards 120.121.00, the 2001 highs. Monday 24 October Germany. Index (PMI) of Business Activity in the Manufacturing Sector (preliminary release) This S&P Global report is an analysis of a survey of 800 purchasing managers, during which respondents are asked to assess the relative level of business conditions, including employment, production, new orders, prices, supplier deliveries and inventories. Since purchasing managers have, perhaps, the most up-to-date information about the situation in the company, this is an important indicator of the state of the German economy as a whole. This sector of the economy forms a significant part of Germany's GDP. A result above 50 is seen as positive and strengthens the EUR, below 50 as negative for the euro. Data worse than the forecast and/or the previous value will have a negative impact on the euro. Previous values: 47.8, 49.1, 49.3, 52.0, 54.8, 54.6, 56.9, 58.4, 59.8, 57.4, 57.4, 57.8, 58.4, 62.6. Forecast for October: 48.0. The level of influence on the markets (pre-release) is high. Eurozone. Composite Index (PMI) of Business Activity in the Manufacturing Sector (preliminary release) The PMI Business Activity index in the eurozone manufacturing sector (from S&P Global) is an important indicator of the state of the entire European economy. A result above 50 is seen as positive and strengthens the EUR, below 50 as negative for the euro. Data worse than the forecast and/or the previous value will have a negative impact on the euro. Previous values: 48.1, 48.9, 49.8, 52.1, 54.6, 56.5, 58.2. Forecast for October: 48.1. The level of influence on the markets (pre-release) is high. Great Britain. Index (PMI) of Business Activity in the Manufacturing Sector and in the Service Sector (preliminary release) The PMI business Activity index in the UK manufacturing sector (from S&P Global) is an important indicator of the state of the British economy. If the data turns out to be worse than the forecast and the previous value, then the pound is likely to decline sharply in the short term. The data is better than the forecast and the previous value will have a positive impact on the pound. At the same time, a result above 50 is seen as positive and strengthens GBP, below 50 as negative for GBP. Previous values: 48.4, 47.3, 52.1, 52.8, 54.6, 55.8, 55.2, 58.0, 57.3. The level of influence on the markets (pre-release) is high. The PMI Business Activity Index in the UK services sector (S&P Global) is an important indicator of the state of the British economy. The service sector employs most of the working-age population of the UK, and it accounts for about 75% of GDP. The most important part of the service sector is still financial services. If the data turns out to be worse than the forecast and the previous value, then the pound is likely to decline sharply in the short term. The data is better than the forecast and the previous value will have a positive impact on the pound. At the same time, a result above 50 is seen as positive and strengthens GBP, below 50 as negative for GBP. Previous values: 50.0, 50.9, 52.6, 54.3, 53.4, 58.9, 62.6, 60.5, 54.1 ( in January 2022). Forecast for October: 49.6. The level of influence on the markets (pre-release) is high. USA. Business Activity Indices (PMI): Composite, in the Manufacturing Sector and in the Service Sector of the Economy (from S&P Global) for October The monthly S&P Global report will release (among other data) a composite PMI index and PMI indices in the manufacturing sector and in the services sector of the US economy, which are an important indicator of the state of these sectors and the US economy as a whole. A result above 50 is considered positive and strengthens the USD, below 50 is considered negative for the US dollar. The data above the value of 50 indicate an acceleration of activity, which has a positive effect on the quotes of the national currency. If the indicator falls below the forecast and, especially, below the value of 50, the dollar may sharply weaken in the short term. Previous values of the PMI indicator: composite 49.5, 44.6, 47.7, 52.3, 53.6, 56.0; in the manufacturing sector 52.0, 51.5, 52.2, 57.0, 59.2; in the service sector 49.3, 43.7, 47.3, 52.7, 53.4, 55.6. The level of market impact is high, although lower than the similar report from the ISM (American Institute of Supply Management) Tuesday 25 October USA. Consumer Confidence Index Report by the Conference Board with the results of a survey of about 3,000 American households, during which respondents are asked to assess the level of current, future economic conditions and the overall economic situation in the United States. The confidence of American consumers in the economic development of the country and in the stability of their economic situation is a leading indicator of consumer spending, which accounts for a large part of overall economic activity. A high level of consumer confidence indicates growth in the economy, while a low level indicates stagnation. The previous value of the indicator is 108.0. An increase in the indicator will strengthen the USD, and a decrease in the value will weaken the dollar. The level of influence on the markets is medium to high. Wednesday 26 October Australia. Consumer Price Index (for the 3rd quarter). Reserve Bank of Australia Core Inflation Index using the truncated average method (for the 3rd quarter) The Consumer Price Index (CPI) determines the change in prices in a certain basket of goods and services for a given period, being a key indicator for assessing inflation and changes in consumer preferences. The assessment of the inflation rate is important for the management of the central bank when determining the parameters of the current monetary policy. The indicator below the forecast/previous value may provoke a weakening of the AUD, since low inflation will force the RBA leaders to adhere to a soft monetary policy course. Conversely, the growth of inflation and its high level will put pressure on the RBA to tighten its monetary policy, which in normal economic conditions is assessed as a positive factor for the national currency. Previous values of the indicator: +1.8% (+6.1% in annual terms) in the 2nd quarter of 2022, +2.1% (+5.1% in annual terms) in the 1st quarter of 2022, +1.3% (+3.5% in annual terms) in the 4th quarter, +0.8% (+3.0% YoY) in the 3rd quarter, +0.8% (+3.8% YoY) in the 2nd quarter, +0.6% (+1.1% YoY) in the 1st quarter of 2021. Forecast for the 3rd quarter of 2022: +1.5% (+6.9% in annual terms). The level of influence on the markets is high. The RBA Core Inflation Index, measured by the truncated average method (for the 3rd quarter) Published by the RBA and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It reflects the dynamics of retail prices of goods and services included in the consumer basket. The simple truncated average method takes into account the weighted average core, the central 70% of the index components. Previous index values: +1.5% (+4.9% YoY) in the 2nd quarter of 2022, +1.4% (+3.7% YoY) in the 1st quarter of 2022, +1.0% (+2.6% YoY) in the 4th quarter, +0.7% (+2.1% YoY) in the 3rd quarter, +0.5% (+1.6% YoY) in the 2nd quarter, +0.3% (+1.1% YoY) in the 1st quarter of 2021. Forecast for the 3rd quarter of 2022: +2.0% (+5.5% in annual terms). The level of influence on the markets is high. China. GDP (quarterly). Retail Sales China's National Bureau of Statistics is to release its quarterly GDP report, which is the broadest measure of economic activity and a major indicator of the health of the economy. High GDP figures will have a positive impact on the Chinese yuan quotes, and, conversely, a weak GDP report will have a negative impact on the CNY. The dynamics of China's GDP is reflected not only in the dynamics of the Chinese yuan, but also in the dynamics of the world, primarily Asian stock indices, as well as on quotes of commodity currencies such as the New Zealand and Australian dollars. China is the largest trade and economic partner of Australia and New Zealand and the buyer of raw materials from these countries. Therefore, positive macro statistics from China may also have a positive impact on the quotes of these commodity currencies, although recent data from China indicate a slowdown in the world's largest economy, and this is a negative factor for stock markets and commodity currency quotes. Previous Chinese GDP: -2.6% (+0.4% YoY) in Q2, +1.3% (+4.8% YoY) in Q1 2022, + 1.6% (+4.0% YoY) in Q4, +0.2% (+4.9% YoY) in Q3, +1.3% (+7, 9% YoY) in Q2, +0.6% (+18.3% YoY) in Q1 2021. The level of influence on the markets is medium to high. The Retail Sales Level Index is released monthly by China's National Bureau of Statistics and evaluates the total volume of retail sales and cash generated. It is the main indicator of consumer spending, which accounts for the majority of overall economic activity. It is also considered an indicator of consumer confidence and reflects the state of the retail sector in the short term. The growth of the index is usually a positive factor for the CNY; a decrease in the indicator will negatively affect the CNY. Previous index values (in annual terms) +5.4%, -6.7%, -11.1, -3.5, +6.7 (in February 2022) after +8% growth in the last months of 2019 year and falling by -20.5% in February 2020). The data speaks of the uneven recovery of this sector of the Chinese economy after a strong fall in February-March 2020. If the data turns out to be weaker than the forecast and/or previous values, then the CNY may weaken sharply. The level of influence on the markets is medium to high. Canada. Bank of Canada interest rate decision. Bank of Canada accompanying statement The level of interest rates is the most important factor in assessing the value of a currency. Most other economic indicators are only looked at by investors to predict how rates will move in the future. Inflation in the country accelerated to almost a 40-year high (in February 2022, consumer prices in Canada rose at an annualized rate of 5.7% after rising by 5.1% in January, reaching a 30-year high, and in May - already to 7.7%). This is the highest figure since March 1983! The Bank of Canada estimates that the neutral level of the interest rate, at which it does not stimulate or slow down economic activity, is 2.5%. The current level of the interest rate is 3.25%. The Bank of Canada is widely expected to raise interest rates again at this meeting (by 0.50% or even 0.75%). In an accompanying statement, Bank of Canada officials will explain the decision and possibly share plans for the monetary policy outlook. The tough tone of this statement will cause the Canadian dollar to strengthen. The propensity of the bank's leaders to carry out a soft policy may provoke a weakening of the Canadian dollar. The level of influence on the markets is high. Canada. Bank of Canada Press Conference The press conference consists of two parts - first the prepared statement is read out, then the conference is open for press questions. This is one of the main methods that the Bank of Canada uses to communicate with market participants on monetary policy issues, also giving hints about future monetary policy. It examines in detail the factors that influenced the decision of the bank's management on the interest rate. During the press conference, Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem will explain the bank's position and assess the current economic situation in the country. If the tone of his speech is tough on the monetary policy of the Bank of Canada, then the Canadian dollar will strengthen in the foreign exchange market. If Macklem speaks in favor of a soft monetary policy, the Canadian currency will decline. In any case, high volatility in CAD quotes is expected during his speech. The level of influence on the markets is high.

Third-quarter GDP pointed to faster-than-expected growth against the consensus forecasts. But data breakdown paints a mixed recovery picture, which is still Covid-measure driven Future Covid outbreaks in China and subsequent lockdowns cannot be ruled out GDP was better than consensus GDP grew 3.9% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2022, faster than the consensus forecast of 3.3% YoY and 0.4% YoY in the second quarter. This is mainly a result of more flexible Covid measures after the long lockdown in Shanghai during March to May. Among all the industries, information and software technology grew the fastest at 7.9% YoY and the financial services industry which grew 5.5% YoY, while real estate contracted 4.2% YoY due to uncompleted projects that almost paused activities from land bidding to housing starts in the industry. China investments Source: Bloomberg, ING Activity data is still affected by Covid Activity data for September reflects that the partial recovery continues, but this time it was more a recovery in investments (5.9% YoY YTD in September from 5.8% in August) and industrial production (6.3% YoY in September from 4.2% YoY in August). The stronger growth in industrial production should be a result of reduced lockdowns in ports, which increases the speed of logistics and therefore a smoother supply chain delivery.  But there was a slower recovery in retail sales, which was affected by more quarantines in some residential and shopping areas in September. This reflected a contraction in sales of catering of 1.7% YoY. Covid measures now depends on the number of Covid cases, which is uncertain. This will continue to affect the job market and has a negative feedback effect on future retail sales.  China retail sales Source: Bloomberg, ING   This set of data sends an important message that even Covid measures have become more flexible as it depends on the number of Covid cases, lockdowns are still a big uncertainty to the economy with the background of the real estate crisis. This uncertainty means the effectiveness of pro-growth policy would be undermined.  Read this article on THINK TagsRetail sales Investments GDP Covid China 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

As Liu He has left the group of top government officials, President Xi has more say on economic policy. But this may not mean inconsistency of policies, almost the opposite, we think that the likelihood of policy continuity has increased China's Xi Jinping at the Central Economic Work Conference in December 2021 President Xi has a concerted group of officials surrounding him China has a top government official team that is more concerted than before. This implies President Xi has even more say in policy direciton. Liu He was once Xi's chosen economic advisor, educated in the West, not only responsible for China's external policy but also for plans for future growth. But Liu He did not have a political background, which is one of his weaknesses working in the government. After the past weekend, we know that Liu He has left the top government team. The central bank governor Yi Gang and the banking regulator Guo Shu Qing have also left the top government team.   Personnel change does not necessarily mean policy direction change We do not think there will be big policy changes because most, if not all, existing policy decisions has been agreed with Xi. This applies to potential changes in the central bank governor, banking regulator and economic adviser. Covid: Keeping in mind that it was Xi who allows more flexibility in Covid policy after Shanghai's long lockdown back in March-May, there is possible further flexibility, e.g. what we have heard from the media is the debate on the number of quarantine days for foreigners entering Mainland China. Real estate: There is little room to give more help to real estate property developers as doing so will risk the credibility of government reform (for property developers, that means the deleveraging reform). There could be some targeted policy to help mortgagors that bought uncompleted projects but they should not be considered preferential policies for real estate developers. Xi may request its team to be more responsive and creative when solving new and urgent social-economic issues.  Two Sessions in March is important We should see the confirmed personnel of the PBoC governor, the head of banking regulator and the one or a team in charge of economic advisory in the Two Sessions in March 2023. The challenge for the Two Sessions will be a high fiscal deficit in 2023. Too small a budget cannot stabilise the economy, but too big could hit the market's nerve.  Read this article on THINK TagsXi Jinping Two Sessions Party Congress China 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

Summary: Alibaba stock tanks on Monday. Warmer weather prospects driving NGAS down. Goldman Sachs has established a new joint venture in China. Rishi Sunak on track to become the next U.K Prime Minister. Markets reacted to President Xi Jinping’s re-election As markets reacted to President Xi Jinping consolidating power following his historic confirmation to a third term as head of the second-largest economy in the world, shares of Chinese corporations were falling on Monday. Alibaba (ticker: BABA) lost 12% in premarket trade in the United States. Investors are spooked by President Xi Jinping's increasing control over China's ruling party as he begins a record-setting third term with no apparent successor. In addition, the 14th edition of the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival ("11.11" or "Festival"), which will feature more than 290,000 brands, was formally launched today by Alibaba Group Holding Limited. ⚠️BREAKING:*ALIBABA STOCK PLUNGES 11% IN HONG KONG AMID BROAD CHINA SELLOFF$BABA 🇨🇳🇭🇰 pic.twitter.com/qd0XErYE4B — Investing.com (@Investingcom) October 24, 2022 European gas prices fall as supply prospects improve Following predictions of warmer-than-usual weather for the majority of the continent over the coming week, European natural gas futures fell once again during the opening hours of trading on Monday. Weather predictions that continental Europe will see temperatures this week that are between 4 and 8 degrees Celsius warmer than the seasonal norm, predicting reduced demand and enabling importers to continue injecting excess gas into storage, served as the primary impetus for the decision. ​​In order to relieve the pressure brought on by Russia's effective supply suspension, Europe has been able to fill its storage facilities ahead of schedule thanks to a mild start to the winter heating season and aggressive buying of liquefied natural gas on spot markets. EU storage facilities were 93.4% full as of Sunday, with the two largest markets on the continent, Germany and Italy, posting even higher levels. ⚠️BREAKING:*EUROPEAN GAS PRICES TUMBLE TO LOWEST SINCE JULY ON EASING SUPPLY FEARS 🇪🇺🇪🇺 pic.twitter.com/nGg49xSG1T — Investing.com (@Investingcom) October 24, 2022 Goldman Sachs’ new joint venture In an effort to increase investment in Chinese logistics and infrastructure real estate assets, Goldman Sachs has established a joint venture in China with local logistics firm Sunjade, the U.S. bank announced on Monday. According to a company release, the bank is creating the new subsidiary through its investment arm Goldman Sachs Asset Management, which has made more than $50 billion in real estate-related investments worldwide. The stock structure or the amount of money committed to the platform were not disclosed. The joint venture has invested in a 240,000 square meter project with four institutional-grade warehouse assets in Shanghai and the surrounding region. The joint venture focuses on projects in China's first-tier cities and neighboring areas. The new platform, according to the U.S. bank, will profit from China's growing demand for brand-new, high-quality infrastructure assets, particularly institutional-quality storage space driven by e-commerce and the diversification of industrial requirements supported by government policies. Goldman Sachs launches Chinese infrastructure real estate joint venture https://t.co/HdGJm9ExlH pic.twitter.com/mmj53hkACz — Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) October 24, 2022 Rishi Sunak on track to be next U.K PM After Boris Johnson withdrew from the race on Sunday night and the markets breathed a sigh of relief, Rishi Sunak, a former chancellor, was on track to become the new prime minister of Britain on Monday. After the likelihood of further imminent political and economic unrest decreased, the value of the pound increased on Monday. Johnson, who was having trouble gaining support, acknowledged that due to divisions among Tory MPs, even if he had won, he could not have governed "effectively." If Penny Mordaunt, the leader of the Commons and his sole remaining competitor, is unable to secure the necessary 100 nominations from Tory MPs, Sunak will take over as the party's leader at 2 p.m. on Monday. Rishi Sunak’s priority should be to restore stability and the UK’s reputation https://t.co/WLKJCGg49X — Financial Times (@FT) October 24, 2022 Sources: finance.yahoo.com, ft.com, twitter.com

After a delay related to the Communist Party congress, China published a batch of monthly and quarterly statistics, which caused mainly disappointing reactions from analysts. GDP added 3.9% in the third quarter compared to a year earlier against expectations of 3.5%. In the three quarters, the economy added 3.0% over the same period a year ago against 2.5%, the first-rate increase in more than a year. Also among the positive signals was a jump in industrial production by 6.3% y/y in September compared to 4.2% the month before and the expected 4.9%. A trade surplus is also higher than expected, but an essential reason for its growth was a fall in imports rather than increased exports, which is not good macroeconomic news. Chinese retail sales went down significantly A very alarming signal was the cooling of retail sales from 5.4% to 2.5% (3.1% expected). Chinese government officials declare a further commitment to a zero covid expansion policy, potentially preventing economic activity from getting firmly back on the growth track. An additional worrying factor for Asian markets is the reappointment of Xi Jinping for a third term. Investors are selling off Chinese assets on this news, suggesting a further course of austerity in the country, escalating tensions around Taiwan and anti-market reforms. Contrary to the famous adage, markets have not been "selling the fact" of Xi's unprecedented third term, for which they have been preparing in recent months. The Chinese yuan has rewritten lows against the dollar since 2008, and the offshore USDCNH exchange rate has surpassed 7.30. Key Chinese stock indexes are losing about 7% on Monday, pushing the Hang Seng index to lows since 2009 and the China H-share to 2005.

Summary:  Today we round out our view on the growing Chinese equity market discount as the market takes a dim view of prospects for returns there, given the policy focus on "common prosperity", not to mention geopolitical concerns. The weakening yuan is also a key focus in Asia. Elsewhere, today we have the earnings season getting into full swing today with Microsoft, Alphabet and many others reporting. Crude oil platinum, FX and more also on today's pod, which features Peter Garnry on equities, Ole Hansen on commodities and John J. Hardy hosting an on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-25-oct-2022-25102022

Foreign investors are about to start selling Chinese equities for the first time ever for the year as concerns about a lack of supportive policies from the Communist Party Congress and a renewed zero-COVID approach spook markets. As data shows, foreign investors sold a record net of 17.9 billion yuan ($2.5 billion) of mainland shares via trading links with Hong Kong on Monday, which resulted in a small net outflow. If this continues until the end of this year, it would be the first annual fall since the stock connect program was launched in 2014. Sell-offs hit markets on Monday, following the country's twice-a-decade political event with the Hang Seng China index tumbling to the lowest level since the 2008 financial crisis. President Xi Jinping's consolidation of power is seen as a serious risk. It was expected that the leadership reshuffle would lead to a continuation of key policies such as zero-COVID. According to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Marvin Chen, foreign sentiment on Chinese stocks is low now, as the party congress signaled no imminent changes to Covid-19 policies. "Markets may need to wait closer to the Central Economic Work Conference in December to see how the new leadership will address China's economic challenges," he said. The Chinese bears are growing by the day as traders become skeptical of the country's economic prospects amid strict COVID restrictions and the weak property sector. The benchmark CSI 300 index lost 2.9% on Monday amid a mass sell-off, despite China's better-than-expected Q3 GDP results. Investors are now waiting to see if new leadership can provide much-needed stimuli to stem further losses. Two economic meetings later this year – the Politburo gathering and the Central Economic Work Conference – will be closely watched for such policies.     Relevance up to 12:00 2022-10-26 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/325261

China's PMI indices show that the economy was weak in October. Rising Covid cases, further contraction in construction and a possible contraction in export demand means this weakness will likely continue We are worried that lockdowns in China will keep happening Both manufacturing and non-manufacturing indices indicate a weaker Chinese economy in October China's official manufacturing PMI recorded a contraction in activity (49.2) in October, down from the very modest expansion (50.1) indicated in September. The non-manufacturing PMI index also registered a contraction, falling to 48.7 in October, down from 50.6 in September a month ago.  For the manufacturing PMI, almost every sub-index fell from last month's reading. The exception to this was for raw material prices, which means even thinner profit margins for manufacturers. New orders were weaker, hinting at a further fall in activity levels in the coming months. New export orders remained in contraction, but slightly less so than last month. That makes it very hard to be optimistic about either manufacturing or exports for November and December. Read next: Elon Musk Closes Twitter Deal, Apple Reported Record Revenue, ECB May Turn Dovish| FXMAG.COM In terms of the non-manufacturing PMI, the index was still dragged lower by real estate and construction. But adding to the gloom, the retail sector was also weaker, even though the first week of October was the Golden Week holidays. As a result, we believe that retail sales in October could be very soft. All in all, October looks to have been a weak month for the economy, and November looks as if it will be no better than October. Compounding this is the fact that Covid cases are climbing again, and it is possible that we will see further small-scale lockdowns in China. We also expect a contraction in export demand in the coming months reflecting the weakening external environment.  Yuan to weaken further We expect that the CNY will weaken further in the short term given the apparent weakness of the economy.  Together with more Covid cases and expected lockdowns, it becomes even more difficult to be upbeat about the yuan. But the central bank does not want the CNY to weaken too fast. With the recent increase in macro-prudential parameters for cross-border finance, we expect that demand for the yuan should increase when USDCNY gets close to 7.4. It is therefore possible that the yuan will remain range-bound between 7.2 and 7.4.   Read this article on THINK TagsUSDCNY PMI China 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

  Today, Asian indices declined by up to 3%. In general, they showed slight declines. The Korean KOSPI decreased by 0.29%, and the Chinese Shanghai Composite and Shenzhen Composite indices dropped by 0.63% and 0.59% respectively. The Australian S&P/ASX 200 and Hong Kong Hang Seng Index were among the top losers, plummeting by 1.77% and 2.9% respectively. Japan's stock exchanges are closed today because of the holiday but yesterday Japan's Nikkei 225 dropped by 0.06%. Asian indicators traditionally follow the US indices, which showed a decline of up to 3.3%. This was due to the release of the US Federal Reserve's decision to raise the rate by 0.75%, to 3.75-4%. Although the increase coincided with experts' forecasts, investors fear an economic downturn, as the rate reached a record high for 14 years. In addition, the Fed chairman's statement warned them that the central regulator had no plans to reduce the pace of rate hikes so far. Thus, the risk of a recession is getting higher but the Fed is going to continue its policy in order to bring inflation under control. Softer monetary policy, according to the head of the Fed, will be discussed either at the next meeting in December or as early as next year. According to the fresh data, China's PMI declined last month to 48.3 points from September's level of 48.5 points. If this indicator falls below 50 points, it indicates a decrease in business activity. Experts note that such a value was due to the country's strict policy against the spread of the coronavirus. Due to the fact that Lenovo Group managed to increase its net profit by 6% in the second quarter of the fiscal year, while its revenue decreased by 4%, its share price declined by 0.8%. CanSino Biologics, Inc.'s stock price plummeted by 26.5% after the company announced that it was not expected to increase profits from sales of China's first inhalation vaccine against coronavirus due to the high level of competition and an overall decline in demand. Following this statement, other representatives of the pharmaceutical industry also showed declines. Securities of CSPC Pharmaceutical Group, Ltd. fell by 10.1%, and Sino Biopharmaceutical, Ltd. dropped by 5.9%. Also among the components of the Hong Kong Hang Seng index, Netease, Inc. slipped by 6.7%, Sands China, Ltd. lost 6.1% as well as Alibaba Group Holding, Ltd. fell by 6%. Among the components of the Korean KOSPI, Samsung Electronics dropped by 0.8%, as well as Hyundai Motor lost 2.1%. The Australian S&P/ASX 200 index also showed declines. BHP lost 3.1% and Rio Tinto declined by 2.3%. Relevance up to 14:00 2022-11-04 UTC+1 Company does not offer investment advice and the analysis performed does not guarantee results. Read more: https://www.instaforex.eu/forex_analysis/326194

China's covid policy hasn't led to a nation-wide lockdown, so it's more of a metaphor to talk about "reopening". However, the economic impact from a shift in the current zero-covid policy could be seen as a parallel to when other countries "reopened" in 2021 (and then were subject to renewed restrictions with the omicron variant). More importantly, the change in policy in China is expected to have global implications. So far, changes haven't been officially confirmed, so here are some things to keep in mind ahead of any possible changes. The latest Overnight, there were unverified twitter reports that the Chief Scientist at China's CDC Zeng Guang had said that economic development would be prioritized over covid prevention. This followed prior speculation about when China would pivot away from zero-Covid policy. Reports circulated earlier in the week that China had formed a commission to revise policy related to coronavirus, but that policy wouldn't change until March. Note that in March is when the new leaders appointed following the last CCP Congress take office. It was also reported yesterday that Chinese officials were modifying how covid restrictions were communicated in order to reduce the impact. Reportedly, officials were privately talking to certain businesses and locations to curb covid spread, instead of making broad public announcements. But they are still rumors… Chinese health authorities are scheduled to hold a press conference on "targeted covid prevention" tomorrow. Many speculate this could be an opportunity to announce either a new policy, or to tweak existing policy in a way that would substantially reduce the economic impact. There had been rumors for a while that China could start relaxing covid measures after the CCP Congress, but that didn't materialize. As of yet, there hasn't been any confirmation that a change in policy is imminent, though that might come as soon as over the weekend. The implications China's economy has been significantly impacted by a combination of the zero covid policies and the near collapse of the housing market (which is also attributed to issues around covid). The mere rumor that restrictions could be lifted in a few months' time sent markets in China shooting higher. The rolling lockdowns created uncertainty around which industries and areas might suddenly be affected, slowing investment. A formal acknowledgement that zero-covid would be replaced with a policy that did not include lockdowns would likely substantially support the Chinese economy - and increase demand for imported goods, particularly from Japan, New Zealand and Australia. The outlook Slowing growth in China is one of the factors contributing to an expected global recession in the coming months. That contributed to lower oil prices, as well as other commodities. But a return of consumer demand could give China similar headaches as other countries: rising inflation and the need for the PBOC to start tightening policy. With the housing market already in trouble, higher interest rates could make the internal economy a little shakier. But increases in productivity could help global supplies. And the stronger yuan could support increased imports of raw materials.

China experienced a contraction in international trade in October amid falling demand in Europe and the US. Exports should continue to be weak into mid-2023 Conditions for international trade remain very tough -0.3% Exports (year-on-year)   Worse than expected -0.7% Imports (year-on-year)   Worse than expected Weak export and import trade in October China's exports contracted 0.3% YoY while imports contracted 0.7% YoY in October. This is the first contraction in international trade since May 2020. Exports to Europe fell 6% in a month, with an even deeper fall of 7.4% MoM for exports to the US. Exports to ASEAN fell 6.5% MoM. This is not seasonality in play as exports fell 9% YoY to Europe and 13% YoY to the US.  However, export growth to ASEAN was up 20% YoY while imports rose 4.5% YoY, signalling a continuous shift in the supply chain from Mainland China to ASEAN.   Electronic products was the biggest trade item, contracting by 7% MoM and by -0.73% YoY. Imports painted a similar picture. But imports of electronic products fell faster at 11.7% MoM and -7% YoY.  We can blame the Golden Week holiday in China for the monthly contraction in exports and imports but the holiday does not have any seasonal effect on the year-on-year data. As such, the contraction in international trade activity in October stems from other factors. Covid cases started to climb in October but have affected factory activity only slightly, and there were no cases found in ports. So we can rule out shipment delays as a factor in the contraction. Inflation in Europe and the US continued to be high, which could be a factor. Slower imports of electronic products paint a similar picture. If this is the reason for the contraction in China's international trade in October then we should expect the contraction to continue as our economists covering Europe and the US project a recession in these two economies.  Deeper electronic import contraction shows global economic weakness Deep contraction of electronic product imports (-7% YoY)     Another observation from the data is that ASEAN stood out as a source of growth for imports, which shows that the supply chain of China-ASEAN continues to build. We observe at least three patterns: China-ASEAN-China exports, ASEAN-China exports and China-ASEAN exports. This means China and the rest of Asia have become increasingly integrated in international trade.  This set of data shows a bigger trade surplus in October compared to September and is therefore supportive to GDP growth. Our GDP forecast is 3.3% for 2022.  China and ASEAN form supply chain Exports to ASEAN grew 20% YoY even though total exports contracted   Read this article on THINK TagsImports Exports China ASEAN 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

Although the problem with the coronavirus pandemic has become a significant concern in global markets, it is still a problem for the Chinese economy. Inflation, although it is the main problem of economies around the world, has not had a significant impact on some companies. One such company turns out to be the Indian SBI lender. In this article: China And Covid Apple warns Twitter is the topic India's SBI What Chinese Goverments Will Do? Jim Cramer asked the question about Chinese covid situation. We have no idea what China is going to do with Covid so why do so many keep pretending they do? — Jim Cramer (@jimcramer) November 7, 2022 The situation in China is still serious. The media is flooding with information on how the government is fighting the virus. Recently, there has been information about covid camps where thousands of people stayed. Everyone wonders what action the Chinese government will take, many are sure, but are they sure? And paying attention to this situation may turn out to be instinctive for a global situation. Covid restrictions in China and their impact on Apple CNBC Now also touches upon the covid situation in China, but highlights its impact. BREAKING: Apple warns Covid restrictions in China are hurting iPhone production, and the company now expects “lower iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max shipments than we previously anticipated” https://t.co/4q6RqhwHQd pic.twitter.com/fEsIurFTEN — CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) November 6, 2022 China as the second largest economy in the world is watched by market participants. The current situation in China not only affects the financial markets but also the manufacturing markets of companies such as Apple. As can be seen from the available information, Apple may have a problem satisfying the needs. Production of the iPhone 14 has been temporarily reduced due to Covid-19 restrictions at the main iPhone factory. So far, there have been warnings, but the possible deterioration of the situation in China may make the smartphone manufacturer's circuits real. Twitter and idea of monthly fees *Walter Bloomberg tweets about conclusion about twitter in The New York Times TWITTER SAID TO DELAY CHANGES TO CHECK MARK BADGES UNTIL AFTER MIDTERM ELECTION - NYT — *Walter Bloomberg (@DeItaone) November 6, 2022 After Elon Musk took control over Twitter and dismissed key directors, it seems that the discussions around the platform are endless. There is information that Musk wants monthly fees of $8 for using the site. This resulted in a lot of comments, including even Stephen King. Of course, there are two sides of the idea's supporters and opponents. But the information posted in The New York Times and then quoted in the post *Walter Bloomberg suggests that this idea was postponed for later discussions. Could this turn out to be a tactical action or a reaction to the current situation? The answers to these questions can only be known when discussions are resumed. Positive results of India's SBI Reuters Business tweets about the very positive results of India's SBI. Indian lender SBI's stock hits record high on "best-in-class" results https://t.co/HIWDsC2WYj pic.twitter.com/R01paWCJMG — Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) November 7, 2022 Inflation causes that nowadays credit products are not readily used. Banks around the world are trying to cope with this difficult situation where the main source is crisis. The largest banks may be in a better position. One bank in India said they are doing pretty well. SBI announced a "best-in-class" quarter with higher-than-industry credit growth. Positive information from banks may also affect its image and share price, in other words, improve its situation on the market.

Summary: Meta plans to start mass layoffs this week that will affect thousands of employees. The pound and euro increased as a result of the dollar's decline. After the midterm elections, Republicans have promised to pursue investigations into corporate America. Meta To implement layoffs this week The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the situation, that Meta Platforms Inc. plans to start mass layoffs this week that will affect thousands of employees. An announcement is expected as early as Wednesday. Meta, the parent company of Facebook (META), predicted in October that a dismal Christmas quarter and much higher costs in 2019 would reduce Meta's stock market value by around $67 billion, adding to the more than half a trillion dollars in value that has already been lost this year. Read next: China's Covid Situation Negatively Affects The Iphone Market| Record Results Of India's SBI| FXMAG.COM The gloomy news comes as Meta struggles to deal with the declining global economy, TikTok's rivalry, Apple's (AAPL) privacy improvements, worries about large spending on the metaverse, and the constant danger of legislation. The social media business had reduced its ambitions to hire engineers by at least 30% in June, and Mark Zuckerberg had advised staff to prepare for a slowdown in the economy. In a previous open letter to Mark Zuckerberg, Meta's shareholder Altimeter Capital Management stated that the company needed to streamline by eliminating positions and capital expenditures. They also stated that investors had lost faith in Meta as a result of its increased spending and pivot to the metaverse. *FACEBOOK PARENT META IS PREPARING LARGE-SCALE LAYOFFS THIS WEEK - https://t.co/ktT04bvkcH $META pic.twitter.com/OEeSsaTsoj — Investing.com (@Investingcom) November 7, 2022 US dollar’s decline Despite Beijing's denial that it would contemplate loosening its zero COVID-19 policy, which had stopped safe-haven dollar flows ahead of this week's potentially crucial consumer inflation data, global stocks moved higher on Monday. However, over the weekend, health officials reaffirmed their commitment to the "dynamic-clearing" approach to COVID cases as soon as they arise. Risk assets had gained on Friday amid rumors China was getting ready to lift its pandemic restrictions. As traders clung to the notion that China will ease some of its restrictions after the government on Monday hinted it will make it easier for individuals to enter and exit the city, an overnight rise in the dollar had faded out by mid-morning in Europe. The pound increased by over 0.8% to $1.1453 as a result of the dollar's decline against other major currencies, and the euro increased by 0.4% to close to parity at $0.99975. Economic events in this week's spotlight The October consumer price index (CPI) will be the biggest macroeconomic risk event this week and might play a significant role in influencing investor expectations for the future direction of Federal Reserve monetary policy. Last week, Fed Chair Jerome Powell dispelled rumors that the central bank may halt the rate of rate increases by asserting that rates would probably stay higher, for a longer period of time. The October employment report, which was released on Friday, revealed considerably greater job growth than anticipated but slower pay growth and an increase in the unemployment rate, suggesting that some of the labor market's tightness may be easing. *U.S. STOCK FUTURES RISE TO START THE WEEK AS INVESTORS LOOK AHEAD TO U.S. CPI, MIDTERM ELECTIONS - https://t.co/lkfZcXR6Xb 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/ZE0YdNisWF — Investing.com (@Investingcom) November 7, 2022 Investigations in corporate America After the midterm elections, Republicans have promised to pursue investigations into the social and environmental policies of big business, so the biggest US companies are preparing for a flood of congressional hearings. After the midterm elections on Tuesday, control of both houses of Congress could go to the Republicans as polls suggest the Democrats are trailing in a number of crucial contests. Republicans would take control of the committees with the authority to subpoena people and records if they gained a majority in the House or Senate. According to people familiar with the situation, attorneys representing financial institutions and technological companies have recently been educating executives on how to respond to a televised grilling from lawmakers. Additionally, with only a few days until the midterm elections, Republican senators—among them Arkansas' Tom Cotton—have written to law firms requesting them to store records pertaining to environmental, social, and governance efforts "in anticipation" of investigations. Corporate America gears up for a new wave of investigations by Congress https://t.co/22IlpMI881 — Financial Times (@FT) November 7, 2022 Sources: ft.com, twitter.com, investing.com

Covid cases rise in China to levels last seen in April, knocking sentiment and raising the spectre of lockdowns and supply disruptions again  Source: shutterstock Macro outlook Global Markets: US stocks made some unconvincing gains yesterday, recovering from a steep loss at one stage after pulling back from higher levels. Both NASDAQ and S&P500 were up about half a per cent at the close. Chinese stocks fell again, probably as covid cases pushed up to levels we haven’t seen since April (see also China section below). Despite all the positive talk about slowly unwinding zero-Covid and experimenting with bigger events, it looks as if more lockdowns might be on their way. US equity futures are still pointing to small increases at today’s open. EURUSD pushed a little bit further above parity, reaching 1.0078 now. The AUD has recrossed above 65 cents. Cable has risen to 1.1548 and the JPY has dropped back to 145.50. Asian FX was mostly positive across the board yesterday. The KRW was the main outperformer, dropping to 1385. Bond yields did at least stop rising, which means that the bond and equity/currency markets are more in synch than they have been in recent days. The 2Y US Treasury yield backed off by 7.1bp, while the 10Y yield came back by 9bp taking the yield to 4.123%. G-7 Macro: US Mid-term elections took place yesterday, though the absence of much on the newswires suggests that we still don’t have much idea what the outcome is going to be, though most observers are looking for Republican gains. Our US team will be posting updates as and when possible, so keep an eye out on https://think.ing.com/macro/north-america. Yesterday’s US October NFIB survey came in a little lower, but in line with expectations. There was a further small decline in the index for higher selling prices, which now sits right on 50% of firms. Eurozone retail sales yesterday were actually a little stronger than expected, but still fell 0.6% YoY. It is a very light calendar for macro releases today.  China: Covid cases have climbed. In Guangzhou city, and factory delivery is now being affected by restrictive land logistics, which could impact export delivery even though ports are currently operating “normally”. These effects should be reflected in the coming November export data.  October CPI should show inflation remaining very subdued due to weak consumption and as indicated by recent service sector PMIs even though the data is for October, the month of the Golden Week holidays. In contrast, PPI should be in year-on-year contraction but should show faster month-on-month growth from higher energy prices. Still, there is no inflation risk as producers cannot pass increased costs to consumers. Instead, this should result in thinner profit margins. Korea: The jobless rate stayed unchanged at 2.8% in October, which was slightly better than the market consensus of 2.9%. But we think the details were soft. Major industries such as manufacturing, whole/retail sales and transportation lost jobs. And only the hotel and restaurant sector saw an increase in employment. By employment type, the numbr of wage workers declined for a second month with temporary employment (less than one year of contract) down the most. This is probably because the public vocational program ends at the end of the year. Nonetheless, the labour market, especially services, seems like it is holding up relatively well despite higher interest rates and the slowdown in economic activity.  On the KRW, the last couple of days' price action shows why we call the KRW a high beta currency. The KRW is now around the 1380 level and we will probably see a stronger KRW for a while. However, it is still difficult to interpret this as a change of direction. Foreign investment returned back to local equity markets and credit stress has been relieved temporarily. But the dollar supply/demand conditions have not changed.  Until 1Q23, the  Fed’s tightening and the possibility of a further deterioration in the trade balance due to high energy demand over winter remain negative factors for the KRW. What to look out for: US midterm election results and China inflation South Korea unemployment (9 November) Japan trade balance BoP (9 November) China CPI and PPI inflation (9 November) US mortgage application (9 November) Fed’s Williams speaks (9 November) Philippines GDP (10 November) US CPI inflation and initial jobless claims (10 November) Fed’s Barkin, Logan and Waller speak (10 November) Japan PPI inflation (11 November) Malaysia GDP (11 November) US Univ of Michigan sentiment (11 November) Fed’s Mester and George speak (11 November) Read this article on THINK 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

A slowdown in economic activity in China and beyond is putting pressure on consumer and producer inflation. The consumer price index slowed from 2.8% to 2.1% y/y in October, the lowest level since May. The producer price index was 1.3% lower than in October 2021, when its annual growth rate reached a maximum of 13.5% y/y in this cycle. Remarkably, the fall in the renminbi has failed to reverse the price trend. Although the weakness in domestic prices can easily be put down to a tight 0-covid policy and a stronger-than-expected economic slowdown, the pace of price growth in China is still much closer to the notion of normal than in the USA and major European countries. For example, the latest data noted a PPI growth of 45.8% y/y in Germany, 41.9% in the eurozone average, 15.9% in the UK and 8.5% in the USA. Once again, China may return to the deflationary supplier label it had after 2012. With the difference that back then this status carried negative connotations for the developed world, which tried to push up prices. Now the pressure on prices can be interpreted as an aggressive attempt to fight for market share.

Summary:  Risk sentiment took a beating again as the midterms fever faded with a lack of a Republican wave, and focus shifted back to the crypto turmoil and continued surge in Covid cases in China. Tech layoffs also took another step up with Meta slashing 13% of its workforce. USD gained despite lower US yields as it is likely turning more risk-sensitive than yield-sensitive, but focus on US CPI will add to some caution ahead of the release. A hotter-than-expected core print will likely bring the focus back on Fed’s hawkishness. What’s happening in markets? The Nasdaq 100 (USNAS100.I) and S&P 500 (US500.I) dropped on crypto selloff, earnings disappointment, lower oil prices, and midterm elections S&P 500 plunged 2.1% and Nasdaq fell 2.4%. The sell0ff was board based with all 11 sectors of the S&P 500 in the red. The energy sector was the worst performer, falling 4.9% as crude oil prices down nearly 4% on rising US inventory levels. The collapse in crypto prices deepened, following Binance’s decision to walk away from its short-lived takeover bid for the ailing FTX. Robinhood Markets (HOOD:xnas) fell 13.8% as investors were concerned if FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried might liquidate his 7.5% stake in Robinhood. Disney (DIS:xnys) plunged 13.2% on disappointing earnings. Meta Platforms (META:xnas) gained 5.2% after the company announced to layoff 13% of its employees to cut costs. US treasury (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) yields fell in a mixed session U.S. treasuries, in particular, the frontend of the curve were supported by selloff in equities and crypto, dovish comments from Fed Evans, and strong rallies in the European bond markets, seeing 2-year yields down 7bps to 4.58%, and 10-year yields falling 3bps to 4.09%. European bond yields dropped on the news that Russia was withdrawing its troops from Kherson, a Ukrainian regional capital city annexed by Russia less than two months ago. Chicago Fed president Charles Evans, who is retiring, said in an interview that there are “benefits to adjusting the pace as soon as” the Fed can and the Fed should not keep raising rates by a large amount every time on disappointing economic data. The 10-year auction did poorly with weak demand from investors but the market managed to shrug it off and had a strong close. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIX2) China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) The China reopening trade continued to fade on Wednesday as new domestically transmitted cases surged further to 8,176 the day before. Hang Seng Index retreated 1.2% and CSI 300 slid 0.9%. China’s CPI fell to 2.1% Y/Y and PPI declined 1.3% Y/Y in October, signaling weak domestic demand. Share prices of Chinese developers however surged, following Chinese authorities saying that they were expanding an existing credit support programme by RMB250 billion to help private enterprises, including developers, in raising debts, by providing debt insurance or bond buying. Country Garden (02007:xhkg), up 13.9%, Longfor (00960:xhkg), up 4%, were top performers in the Hang Seng Index. After trading 1% to 4% lower during the Hong Kong session, China Internet names continued to face selling pressure overnight in New York, with ADRs of Alibaba (09988), Tencent  (00700:xhkg) ,and Meituan (03690:xhkug)  each falling around 3% from their Hong Kong closing levels. FX: USD gains return as risk sentiment deteriorates The USD was back on the front foot on Wednesday ahead of the critical US CPI data due today. US midterms still ended in a political gridlock, even though a Republican wave was avoided. However, limited implication on policy means market focus can return to other key events, such as the crypto turmoil and further rise in China’s Covid cases. US 10-year yields dropped below 4.1% but it appears that the USD is not more risk-sensitive rather than being yield-sensitive. Geopolitics turned calmer with Russia retreating from the only Ukrainian regional capital captured, Kherson, but that brings some risk of new escalations as Putin gets desperate. Focus on US CPI however brought some weakness back in the DXY in early Asian hours with USDJPY back below 146.20. GBPUSD bounced back after a brief slide below 1.1350 and the EUR bounced back higher from parity. Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) WTI futures dipped further below $90/barrel mark, now touching the $85 handle, while Brent moved lower to sub-$93. Oil prices declined as the EIA reported US crude stocks rose by 3.9 million barrels to the highest since July 2021. This was offset by tightness in the fuel product markets. Gasoline inventories fell by 900kbbl, and distillate fuel stockpiles fell by 521kbbl. Meanwhile, sustained rise in Covid cases in China continued to take a hit on the demand outlook. New cases in Beijing jumped to the highest level in more than five months. Of particular concern was the number of infections found outside quarantine, suggesting the virus is still circulating through the community and would likely delay the easing of Zero Covid policies. Wheat (ZWZ2) prices lower, along with Corn, after USDA report The USDA released it’s November World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report, which led to mixed but mostly lower grain prices. While the overall wheat consumption outlook was raised, USDA said demand may drop in some places, including Indonesia and Sri Lanka, due to high prices. Wheat prices plunged 2.5%. The agency also lifted its soybean output and stockpiles outlook, but robust export demand lifted prices. Meanwhile, USDA expects to see the seventh-largest corn crop on record this year, with a new estimate of 13.93 billion bushels.   What to consider? US midterms avoided a Republican wave Even with votes still being counted and runoffs yet to come to determine the US Senate majority, the midterm election didn't bring the red wave that was expected. Republicans are inching towards control of the House, but with a far narrower margin than what was predicted. Meanwhile, Democrats are likely to keep their majority in the Senate but the outcome won’t likely be confirmed for a while as Georgia heads to a runoff on December 6. The end result is still a political gridlock, much as expected, but with far smaller market implications given lack of a firm policy direction. US inflation to test the 8% level, watch core and stickier components Bloomberg consensus expects US October CPI to drop below the 8% mark and come in at 7.9% YoY from 8.2% previously, but still higher at 0.6% MoM from 0.4% in September. The core measure is also expected to ease slightly to 6.5% YoY, 0.5% MoM (prev. 6.6% YoY, 0.6% MoM) but still remain elevated compared to historical levels. Key to watch also will be the drivers of inflation, particularly the stickier shelter and services costs, which if stuck higher could move the December Fed funds future pricing more towards another 75bps rate hike, resulting in another round of selloff in equities and dollar gains. However, there is another CPI report due before the next Fed meeting in December, and we are going into today’s release with a weak risk sentiment following the crypto meltdown seen this week. This suggests that even a print that matches expectations, or is above it, will likely bring another selloff in equities and further support for the dollar. Binance walked away from FTX acquisition, another plunge in Bitcoin The contagion in the crypto and equities we mentioned yesterday is already here, and getting worse as latest developments suggest that Binance backed away from its earlier pledge, tweeting Wednesday afternoon that it would not pursue the acquisition of FTX. It cited due diligence and a reported US investigation into the exchange. Bitcoin plunged below $16,000, , while Ether followed and dipped to its lowest price since July, barely hanging on to the $1,100 level. China is in disinflation 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, falling residential costs, and declines in vegetable prices. Meta to layoff 13% of its workforce Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg announced the social platform’s plan to layoff over 11,000 employees, about 13% of its workforce. Zuckerberg also said Meta is cutting discretionary spendings and extending its freeze on hiring through Q1 2023. The company reaffirmed its Q4 revenue guidance of USD30-32.5 billion, in line with expectations. Capex for 2023, according to the Company, will be in the range of USD34-37 billion, at the low end of prior guidance of USD34-39 billion.   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-10-nov-2022-10112022

Small loan growth is a direct reflection of weak loan demand and a weak economy Small loan growth indicates a weak economy in the fourth quarter The fourth quarter is usually a quiet time for loans and credits, but this set of data for October is just too soft.  Overall credit growth was only CNY907.9 billion in October, lower than the previous month's CNY3530 billion, and less than CNY1617.6 billion a year ago. Among all credit growth, yuan loan growth was CNY615.2 billion, also lower than the previous month's CNY2470 billion. Outstanding yuan loans grew 11.1% year-on-year, slower than 11% in the previous month and 11.9% during the same month in 2021. This indicates that demand for loans was weak in October. Together with PMI and trade data, we believe that there could be a deeper-than-expected slowdown during the month. The housing market should still be quiet as mortgage loans, which are a big part of household long-term loans, grew only CNY33.2 billion. Government and corporate bonds have been big drivers of credit Yuan loans made up nearly 68% of total new credit in the month of October. Most of the rest were net issuance of corporate and government bonds, which contributed nearly 26% and 31%, respectively, of total new credit.  Local government special bonds will raise funds for the 2023 quota in the fourth quarter of this year. The issuance amount for 2023 is likely to be higher than the issuance amount of around CNY4.15 trillion in 2022. We believe funding raised will be used on finishing uncompleted home projects, buying back land from some property developers, infrastructure projects that have already started, and Covid-19-related spending.   What will be interesting to find out is how much more local government bond quotas are set for 2023. We believe that both central government and local governments will be key supporters of the economy until there is more relaxation in Covid measures. We are still keeping GDP growth at 3.3% for 2022 and USD/CNY at 7.4 by the end of the year. Read this article on THINK TagsLoan growth Housing market China 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

Summary:  China released a set of 20-item guidelines on Friday to fine-tune the country’s pandemic control measures aiming at minimizing disruption to people’s livelihood and the economy. The move added fuel to the post-US CPI risk-on sentiments and saw Hong Kong and China stock soaring with Hang Seng Index up 7.7% and commodities prices higher. S&P 500 rallied another 0.9% on Friday and finished the week nearly 6% higher. Over the weekend, China’s financial regulators rolled out a 16-point plan to boost the property sector. What’s happening in markets? The S&P 500 (ESZ2) and Nasdaq 100 (NQZ2) extended post-CPI gains US stocks rallied for the second day, adding to the dramatic surge after the softer CPI prints on Thursday. S&P 500 gained 0.9% and Nasdaq 100 climbed 1.9%. The energy sector, up 3.1%, was the top performer in the S&P 500 as WTI crude oil price bounced 2.8% on China’s easing of pandemic control measures despite a rise in the number of new Covid cases. Gaming and casino stocks and consumer discretionary names also gained from optimism about China’s fine-tuning of Covid policies. FTX filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Friday and its CEO and founder resigned. Coinbase (COIN:xnas), the largest US crypto exchange, bounced 12.8% on Friday after being dragged down by the FTX fiasco earlier in the week. Robinhood (HOOD:xnas), in which FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried has a 7.5% stake, surged 12.9% after steep declines on Tuesday and Wednesday. Over the week, S&P 500 gained 5.9% higher and NASDAQ 100 surged 8.8%. US  treasury (TLT:xnas, IEF:xnas, SHY:xnas) markets were closed for holiday The US treasury cash markets, after the massive 25bp-30bp  post-CPI drops in yields on Thursday, took a break to observe the Veterans’ Day holiday on Friday. Treasury note and bond futures were little-changed. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HSIX2) China’s CSI300 (03188:xhkg) soared on China’s fine-tuning of pandemic control measures Hang Seng Index soared 7.7% on the post-CPI rally in the U.S. stock market and the easing of pandemic control measures in China. Following a meeting of the Chinese Communist Party’s new Politburo Standing Committee on Thursday, China’s health authorities issued 20 new measures on Friday to fine-tune pandemic control policies including relaxing quarantine and PCR testing requirements and prohibiting excessive lockdowns. China Internet stocks soared, with Alibaba (09988:xhkg) up 12.4%, Tencent (00700:xhkg) up 11.7%, Meituan (03690:xhkg) up 12.5%, JD.Com (09618:xhkg) up 16.1%, and Kuaishou (01024:xhkg) up 17.5%. EV maker NIO (09866:xhkg) jumped 20.4% despite missing Q3 earnings. XPeng (09868:xhkg) surged 16%. Macao casino stocks gained 8% to 9%. China consumption names also climbed on China’s easing of pandemic control. Share prices of China property developers were squeezed massively higher, with Country Garden (02007) soaring 35% and Longfor (00960 ) jumping 29%. The debt-laden CIFI (00884:xhkg) soared 72.2%. Subsequently, Bloomberg ran a couple of news reports saying China is rolling out a 16-point rescue plan to boost the ailing property markets and struggling developers. CSI300 gained 2.8%/ Australia’s ASX200 (ASXSP200.1) rises ~4% last week. Stock poised to extend rally on China’s property measures All eyes will be on Australia tech stocks following the stellar run in the US, however Aussie tech stock gains may not shoot the lights be muted today after Australia’s 10-year bond yield rose seven basis points to 3.72%.  However, Commodity stocks will be a focus; on Covid hopes, with the Copper price up 4.1%, while precious metals are higher and aluminum had its best day since 2009. In New York BHP rose 3.6%, gapping up and rising above its 200-day moving average which could be seen as bullish sign, and also means local listed counterpart will likely follow. Lithium stocks will also be in the spotlight, with Australia’s biggest Allkem (AKE) and Pilbara (PLS) a focus with sentiment picking up and the stocks already trading in record-high territory ahead of China reopening. FX: the US Dollar continued to plunge in the aftermath of a softer CPI The US dollar index plunged 1.7% on Friday, bringing the weekly loss to 4%. After falling the post-CPI decline of 3.8% on Thursday, USDJPY fell another 1.5% to 138.81 on Friday. Over the week, USDJPY fell from 1.4662 to 138.81, a 5.3% decline. EURUSD surged 1.4% on Friday, bringing its weekly gain to nearly 4%. The Chinese renminbi strengthened further against the US dollar, benefiting from China’s easing of pandemic control in addition to the impact in the aftermath of the US CPI. USDCNH declined from 7.15 to 7.09 on Friday.The Aussie dollar is gaining on the back of China's property sector rescue package. China introduced 16 property measures to address the developer liquidity crisis; from blanket debt extensions, to loosening down-payment requirements for homebuyers. On top of that that, China’s eased covid restrictions; shortening to five-day quarantines, which is aimed at reducing the economic impact of Covid Zero, rather than relaxing restrictionsThe Australian dollar jumped 1.4% on Friday and 3.7% over the week. While the market still awaits further easing developments, the market is buoyed on forward looking hopes that the AUD will continue to be bid on commodity demand picking up. The iron ore (SCOA) price is back above US$90 after rising 6% last week, the copper price lifted about 5% last week, and the lithium price is also higher, with carbonate prices up 118% year to date.  Crude oil (CLZ2 & LCOF3) WTI crude oil gained 2.8% to finish the week at USD88.96 on China’s easing of pandemic control and a sharply lower dollar but it remained stuck inside its established trading range. In addition, as the fuel product market has been tightening in Europe and the US due to low inventories of diesel and heating oil, the crude oil price is likely to find support here and the tendency is more to the upside. OPEC issues its monthly market report on Monday so all eyes will be on that. Copper (HGZ2) rose nearly 5% on Friday on China easing Covid policies Benefiting from China fine-tuning Covid policies and a sharply lower US dollar, copper rose 4.7% on Friday and nearly 7% for the week to USD3.91. It is poised to challenge a key resistance zone near $4 in the near term. As noted by Ole Hansen, Saxo’s Head of Commodity Strategy, while the prospect of copper mines in Central America, South America, and Africa temporarily increasing production is significant, the outlook for copper prices remains positive since global electrification will continue to drive the demand for copper higher. Globally, especially in Europe, the need to reduce reliance on Russian-produced natural gas, oil, and the use of coal as energy sources will continue to build momentum for accelerated electrification. But enabling the grid to handle the additional baseload will require significant new copper-intensive investment in the coming years. In addition, producers such as Chile, the world's largest copper supplier, are not optimistic about their ability to increase production of copper mines in the medium and long term amid declining ore grades and water shortages. The slowdown of the Chinese economy is temporary, and the Chinese government's economic stimulus measures are focused on infrastructure and electrification, which require a lot of industrial metals, especially copper. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold climbed 0.9% to USD1771 on Friday, with the biggest weekly gain since March. In addition to a softer US CPI on Thursday, according to Ole Hansen, supporting the underlying improvement in sentiment was the recently published Gold Demand Trends Q3 2022 update from the World Gold Council. The update outlines how central bank demand reached a quarterly record of nearly 400 tons, thereby offsetting a 227 tons outflow from bullion-backed ETFs. What to consider? China issued 20 guidelines to fine-tune its dynamic zero-Covid policy measures China’s health authorities released 20 guidelines on Friday to fine-tune the country’s pandemic control measures, a day after the Politburo Standing Committee, led by President Xi, held a meeting to discuss how to best contain the pandemic. The key measures in the guidelines include reducing the number of quarantine days for close contacts from 10 days to 8 days, relaxing some centralized quarantine to home quarantine, limiting PCR testing, prohibiting excessively extending lockdowns, promoting vaccination and treatments, and prohibiting local authorities from shutting down production, schools, and transportation without proper approval. At a press conference on Saturday, the National Health Commission emphasized the fine-tuning was optimization measures based on scientific findings but not representing a shift in the principles of dynamic zero-Covid policy. China’s financial regulators rolled out a 16-point plan to boost the property sector 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 relaxation of previously imposed redlines restricting banks from lending over certain ceilings and calling for financial institutions to treat private enterprise developers equally with state-owned enterprises. A busy week of Fedspeak kicked off by Fed Governor Waller After the sharp easing of financial conditions after the massive asset price movements after the release of the CPI, helped by lower bond yields, higher stock prices, and lower US dollar, the market is eagerly monitoring if Fed officials will push back on pivot speculations in order to bring financial conditions back to tighter levels. Governor Waller previously proposed that the Fed should not pause until the monthly core PCE substantially falls below 3% on an annualized basis. Biden and Xi are set to meet on the sidelines of the G20 summit U.S. President Biden and China’s President Xi will hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Indonesia on Monday. It will be the first time they meet in person since Biden took the presidential office in January 2021. The White House said the meeting could last a couple of hours. 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-14-nov-2022-14112022

Summary:  Equity and commodity markets seem to be on a risk-on frenzy for now, supported by the surprise weaker US CPI print, as well as China introducing 16 property stimulus measures at the weekend, following the easing of some Covid restrictions. However the market doesn’t have too far to look for the next catalysts that could continue the rally, stunt it, or see it take a haircut. Up next we watch US producer prices, and US retail sales, which may give the Fed further ammunition to slow down its pace of tightening if the numbers show the US economy is continuing to crack. UK’s outlook, Japan’s Q3 GDP growth rates, as well as China’s industrial production, retail sales, and fixed investment data are also key to watch. As well as corporate earnings from Nvidia and the Aussie dollar.   US eco data and news on tap; US producer prices, retail sales and big retail earnings Investors will be looking for further signs that point to a slowdown in inflationary pressures. In the October CPI release last week, we saw a fall in health insurance costs due to technical factors, which added to the slowing of the service component of core CPI. This is important to the calculation of core PCE, which the Fed watches most closely. As a result, this week investors will pay more attention to the October producer prices index (PPI) numbers on Tuesday, as they try to gauge if the service component of core inflation is slowing. Bloomberg consensus estimates PPI will rise 8.4% Y/Y and +0.3% M/M for core PPI or +7.2% Y/Y. If the numbers are weaker than this, it could provide further support to the equity market rally, as the Fed would garner more catalysts to slow its pace of hikes. Then on Wednesday, retail sales are on watch and are expected to have rebounded, rising 1% in October after stagnating the month earlier. On top of that, a bevy of large retailers, report earnings including Home Depot, Walmart, and Target, which will help investors gauge the health of the world's largest economy. Elsewhere in America, Canada will release inflation and housing starts data. Look for hints on the Fed’s hiking path in Fed speak this week Investors will get to gauge what the Fed’s latest thinking is, as we hear from a number of Fed officials this week, who will likely focus on the softer CPI print last week and if it’s changed their assessment of inflation and interest rate rates. Remarks from Fed Governor Christopher Waller will likely be a focus as Waller previously proposed not to pause, until core PCE falls below 3% on a monthly annualized basis. On top of that, speeches will be made from Neel Kashkari and Loretta Mester on Thursday G-20 meeting brings focus back on geopolitics and markets G-20 leaders will be meeting Bali, Indonesia this week on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the agenda is likely to be centered around geopolitical tensions and financial market risks. It is interesting to note that China has signaled the easing of its zero covid policy ahead of this event, despite the recent surge in cases. The meeting between Biden and Xi today will be key in the current cold war environment, especially with respect to the US tech controls and the stance on Taiwan. Other key areas of focus will be the Ukraine war, despite Putin’s lack of attendance at the event, as well as the global inflation concerns and what the global tightening wave means for financial markets. Lastly, climate change is likely to remain on the agenda, with progress stalling over the year as the focus shifted to meeting the world’s energy needs. Japan’s Q3 GDP and October CPI to see the drag from a weaker JPY Japan reports preliminary Q3 GDP on Tuesday, followed by the October CPI print on Friday. Growth is likely to weaken in the third quarter, with Bloomberg consensus looking at 1.1% QoQ print from 3.5% previously, mainly driven by a drag from net exports due to the surge in import prices. However, some support may be seen from private consumption with labor cash earnings and retail sales having stayed upbeat in the quarter. Meanwhile, business investment also likely improved, as suggested by large manufacturer’s Tankan report for the third quarter. The outlook also remains supported by the series of fiscal measures announced by the government, along with increased tourism. October CPI is likely to surge to fresh highs of 3.7% from 3.0% previously, with the core measure seen at 3.5% from 3.0% in September, but the outlook is likely improving as the Japanese yen recovers. UK’s medium-term fiscal outlook will be closely watched The UK updates markets on its fiscal plans in a week of reckoning following the collapse of Liz Truss’s administration. Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt on Thursday presents the medium-term outlook accompanied by updated economic forecasts. He’ll try to further restore investor confidence after his predecessor’s announcement of unfunded tax cuts created panic in markets, but spending cuts and tax rises remain on the horizon. While fiscal consolidation is still needed, excessive frontloading will mean more economic pain and backloading could impinge on government credibility. It’s a delicate balance, especially with double-digit inflation and recession concerns also on watch. 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. Nvidia results in focus. Can its outlook and results continue to move its shares off its low? Nvidia (NVDA) is set to release third-quarter earnings on Wednesday, November 16 with analysts expecting revenue of $5.84bn down 18% y/y and EBITDA of $2.1bn down from $3.2bn a year ago and EPS of $0.71 down 30% from a year ago. Nvidia shares appear to be gaining traction of late, so its results will be watched closely, especially its outlook. If they are better than expected, you could see sentiment remain supported and it shares could continue to rebound. NVDA shares have risen about 40% in four weeks, but its shares are still down 52% from its high. Nvidia has been suffering amid restricted chip sales to China and declining PC demand. Pay close attention to if its results meet or exceed expectations, its outlook and what it sees as the potential full effects on the US/China chip restrictions. For detailed analyst, refer to Saxo’s Head of Equity Strategy, Peter Garnry’s note. AUDUSD is now up 9% from its low, gaining extra legs on China’ property rescue package  The Aussie dollar is gaining on the back of China's property sector rescue package. China introduced 16 property measures to address the developer liquidity crisis; from blanket debt extensions, to loosening down-payment requirements for homebuyers. On top of that that, China’s eased covid restrictions; shortening to five-day quarantines, which is aimed at reducing the economic impact of Covid Zero, rather than relaxing restrictions. While the market still awaits further easing developments, the market is buoyed on forward looking hopes that the AUD will continue to be bid on commodity demand picking up. As commodity hope-demand picks up, so have respective commodity prices; the iron ore (SCOA) price is back above US$90 after rising 6% last week, the copper price lifted about 5% last week, and the lithium price is also higher, with carbonate prices up 118% year-to-date. The next key event to watch for the Aussie dollar is the RBA meeting minutes; released Tuesday November 15, which should give more clues on the course of the central bank’s hikes after it made a lower-than-expected 25bps rate hike this months. Major China Internet companies are scheduled to report this week Meituan (03690:xhkg) kicks off the busy earnings calendar of  China Internet companies on Monday, followed by Tencent (00700:xhkg) on Wednesday, Alibaba (09988:xhkg) on Thursday, and JD.COM (09618:xhkg) on Friday. Analysts estimates for top line growth in Q3 are subdue on weak consumption recovery and macro environment. Slow gross merchandize value (GMV) growth during the Singles’ Day festival may point to sluggish Q4 outlook. Alibaba's GMV growth during the Singles' Day festival was flat. JD.COM has not yet announced its numbers except saying GMV had positive growth Y/Y during the period (from Oct 31 evening to Nov 11 end of day). According to estimates, eCommerce platform GMV grew about 14% Y/Y but the large traditional eCommerce platforms were estimated to see GMV growth at just around 3% Y/Y.   Key company earnings releases   Monday: Meituan, Sonova, Tyson Foods, Nu Holdings, Trip.com, DiDi Global Tuesday: Infineon Technologies, Vodafone, Alcon, Walmart, Home Depot, Sea Ltd, Commonwealth Bank 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   Key economic releases & central bank meetings this week Monday, Nov 14 US:  New York Fed Survey of Consumer Expectations (Oct) Eurozone: Industrial Production (Oct) Tuesday, Nov 15 US: PPI (Oct) US: Empire State Manufacturing Survey (Nov) Eurozone: GDP (Q3) Germany: ZEW survey (Nov) UK: Employment (Oct) Japan: GDP (Q3) China: Retail Sales (Oct) China: Industrial Production (Oct) Wednesday, Nov 16 US: Retail Sales (Oct) US: Industrial Production (Oct) UK: CPI, RPI & PPI (Oct) Thursday, Nov 17 US: Jobless claims (weekly) US: Housing Starts (Oct) Eurozone: HICP (Oct, final) Friday, Nov 18 US: Existing Home Sales (Oct) UK: Retail Sales (Oct) Japan: CPI (Oct) Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/macro/saxo-spotlight-14-nov-2022-14112022

It has been an ugly weekend for cryptocurrencies, even though the selloff remained relatively contained in the sector giants like Bitcoin, compared to the size of the bad news that flew in last Friday. Market mood Market mood outside crypto is extremely joyful after last week’s inflation data surprised investors to the downside and China announced to relax Covid measures, and boost its shattered property sector. US And China Although the US inflation remains relatively high to contain a perhaps premature bull run on dovish Fed expectations, news from China could help keeping the mood nice and sweet. We will yet discover if the latest news will be enough to get international investors back on board of a Chinese dream that has been shot to the ground by the very Xi Jinping. Joe Biden and Xi Jinping  Joe Biden and Xi Jinping will talk today on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali. Talks could go either way; they could either boost, or hit risk appetite in Chinese, and global assets. China retailers & Nvidia earnings Other than that, investors will watch the Q3 earnings from Nvidia, and some US and Chinese retail giants throughout this week! Watch the full episode to find out more! 0:00 Intro 0:32 FTX goes bankrupt, crypto distress continues 4:40 Traditional markets trade joyfully post-US CPI… 6:49 And easing in Chinese Covid measures! 8:26 Investor attention shifts to US, China retailers & Nvidia 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. #FTX #bankruptcy #Bitcoin #Ethereum #Solana #crypto #selloff #USD #inflation #data #Fed #expectations #China #Covid #measures #market #rally #retailer #Walmart #Target #Alibaba #JD #earnings #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      

It’s been quite a choppy start to the trading week, with much of the focus on China where Covid relaxation measures and property market support have brought some relief. Unfortunately, both come at a time of record Covid infections in major cities including Beijing and Guangzhou. And those relaxation measures that were announced are not ambitious enough to make any difference in those cities seeing rising cases which means activity is going to weaken. There is hope that China could further relax its zero-Covid policy next spring but for now, mass testing, heavy restrictions, and lockdowns are here to stay, despite growing opposition and fatigue. Those hoping that this initial relaxation phase would be more substantial were always setting themselves up for disappointment. Property stocks in China and Hong Kong were given a big lift at the start of the week as Beijing unveiled its 16-point plan to support the industry. Having almost brought the industry to its knees as part of its reform efforts, Beijing is attempting to build it back up but as it’s already finding, the former is much easier to do than the latter. Confidence is shattered and it will take time, effort, and patience to restore it. Now it’s a question of how much these measures will undermine Beijing’s initial reform measures and whether they’ll even succeed in reinvigorating the industry. Efforts until now have been like pushing on a piece of string. Bad timing Bitcoin waited patiently for this moment, forming a base around $20,000 in anticipation of inflation falling and the Fed narrative becoming much less hawkish. Unfortunately, that moment coincided with the spectacular collapse of FTX which has sent shockwaves through the industry and hammered crypto prices. Rather than taking off, bitcoin has plummeted to levels not seen in two years and further pain may lie ahead. There’s now enormous uncertainty in the space which could hold it back in the near term and weigh on prices. 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.

Summary:  Today we continue to find reason to question the quality of this melt-up in equity markets after last Thursday's soft US CPI print, with the first prominent Fed official already out overnight with pushback against this drop in US yields. Still, that's not to say that the move can't extend in the short term, as the market is also hoping that a shift in China's Covid policy is coming. Xi and Biden will meet today ahead of the G20 meeting. We also look at stocks to watch this week, an important week for earnings, the big moves in metals both precious and industrial, the US dollar and much more. Today's pod features Peter Garnry on equities and John J. Hardy hosting an on FX. Listen to today’s podcast - slides are available via the link. Follow Saxo Market Call on your favorite podcast app: Apple  Spotify PodBean Sticher If you are not able to find the podcast on your favourite podcast app when searching for Saxo Market Call, please drop us an email at marketcall@saxobank.com and we'll look into it.   Questions and comments, please! We invite you to send any questions and comments you might have for the podcast team. Whether feedback on the show's content, questions about specific topics, or requests for more focus on a given market area in an upcoming podcast, please get in touch at marketcall@saxobank.com.   Source: https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/podcast/podcast-nov-14-2022-14112022

OANDA Senior Market Analyst Craig Erlam reviews the latest market news with Jonny Hart. They discuss the latest surge in Covid cases in China, the modest relaxation of its zero-Covid policy, the OPEC+ report and the week ahead. Subscribe on Android 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.

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

Expect the best, but prepare for the worst. As much as investors would like the glass to be half full, the pessimistic forecasts of authoritative organizations are forcing oil markets to ignore supply concerns and focus on slowing global demand. How else, if OPEC cut the estimate of the increase in the indicator by 100,000 b/d to +2.5 million b/d in 2022 and to +2.2 million b/d in 2023, coupled with weak statistics from China, this forced Brent collapse to $92.5 per barrel. The whole world knows firsthand how COVID-19 affects the economy. What the global recession 2020 is worth. Now China is following this thorny road, the deterioration of the situation, which is pushing global GDP to a new recession. In October, retail sales in China decreased by 0.5%, industrial production growth slowed, and real estate investment continued to fall. Dynamics of Chinese indicators China is the largest consumer of oil, so it is not surprising that the outbreak of COVID-19, an increase in the number of infections, lockdowns and a reduction in economic activity are dragging Brent down. China is far from the only dark spot on the map of the global economy. According to Bloomberg forecasts, the eurozone's GDP will shrink by 0.1% in 2023. And that is subject to a mild winter and large-scale fiscal incentives to combat the energy crisis. If the governments of the countries of the currency bloc fail and frosts come to the eurozone, the economy may sink by 3.3%. As for the US, the basic scenario here is a 0.7% GDP growth with a recession in the second half of 2023. The housing market crisis and the Fed's overly aggressive monetary restrictions will lead to a deeper and longer recession. Thus, the situation in the key economies of the world leaves much to be desired, while the IMF warns that it may worsen due to inflation and the armed conflict in Ukraine. As a result, global oil demand will suffer, expectations of which rightly lead to a peak in Brent. As for supply issues, investors are ignoring them due to the increase in maritime transport of oil from Russia to the highest levels since 2017. Buyers seek to increase imports ahead of the EU embargo. Dynamics of sea transportation of oil from Russia In my opinion, a significant part of the negative is already embedded in Brent quotes. For a long time, investors have been talking about a recession, the most aggressive federal funds rate hike in decades. If the Fed succeeds in giving the US economy a soft landing, warm weather in Europe keeps the recession short and shallow, and China can weather the COVID-19 pressure as other countries have, demand for oil will be higher than expected. And with it the prices. Technically, on the daily chart, Brent falling below $92.5 per barrel will activate the 1-2-3 pattern and become the basis for short-term sales. Subsequently, we use the rebound from $91 and $89.2 to fix profits and medium-term purchases.       Relevance up to 08:00 2022-11-20 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/327134

Presidents Xi and Biden strike unexpectedly constructive tone at G-20 summit in Bali Source: shutterstock Macro outlook Global Markets: Perhaps the most unexpected development yesterday, was a surprisingly positive meeting between President Xi and President Biden at the G-20 summit in Bali. The two talked about Taiwan, where Biden noted that the US position on Taiwan and the "One China – two systems" stance, had not changed. That was helpful. For his part, President Xi openly spoke out against the use of nuclear weapons by Russia. That was also helpful. The meeting will be followed up by a visit by Secretary of State, Blinken, to visit senior Chinese officials later in the year. This was far more progress than we, or indeed most commentators had expected, and dominates what may otherwise turn out to have been a fairly irrelevant G-20 summit. That said, the feel-good factor that had been driving markets following the softer-than-expected October CPI release in the US evaporated on Monday. Stocks had been trading higher after a slightly weaker open, but tailed off sharply in late trading, leaving the S&P500 and NASDAQ down about a per cent. There had been more optimism in Asian bourses yesterday following the announcement of measures to reduce the impact of zero-Covid and to prop up the property sector. However, the CSI 300 finished only slightly higher on the day, while the Hang Seng Index put in a more solid 1.7% gain. Equity futures point to a turnaround today with US futures markets suggesting a positive open, while Chinese markets may open lower. Currencies haven’t done a lot. EURUSD is at 1.0317, not much changed from this time yesterday, the same goes for the AUD, though both the GBP and JPY have lost some ground. Asian FX had a mixed day yesterday. The KRW and INR both dropped back about half a per cent, while there was better news for the TWD and CNY. US Treasury yields pushed higher again, and really don’t seem to know which way to go. The 2Y yield is 5.7bp higher, while the 10Y is 4.1bp higher at 3.854%. Lael Brainard got in on the act talking about the Fed soon beginning to moderate the pace of tightening, though noting that they still had work to do. At least she didn't say they had "...a ways to go" which despite being ungrammatical is becoming quite a cliché.   G-7 Macro: Second-tier releases dominate the  G-7 Macro calendar today. UK labour market figures, Germany’s ZEW business survey and US PPI indices are not likely to provide much for markets to base directional trades on.   China: at 10.00 SGT/HKT today we have China’s October data dump, including industrial production, retail sales, fixed asset investment, residential property investment and the surveyed jobless rate. On balance, we don’t think the numbers will be particularly uplifting, in spite of the Golden Week holidays, which ought to have provided some support to retail spending.    Japan: 3Q22 GDP fell 0.3%QoQ, weaker than expectations for a 0.3% QoQ increase. This marks a sharp slowdown from the 0.9% QoQ increase registered for 2Q22. Private consumption grew 0.3%QoQ, down from 1.2% in 2Q22. But the biggest drag on growth came from net exports, which subtracted 0.7pp from the total GDP growth figure, while inventories nicked off a further 0.1pp. Private business investment was a bit stronger, rising 1.5%QoQ and contributing 0.2pp to overall growth, and public investment also added a further 0.1pp to overall GDP growth. Today’s weaker data add downside risk to our 2022 and 2023 GDP forecasts of 1.6% and 1.1% respectively. Indonesia:  Trade data for October is due for release today.  We expect another month of strong gains for imports and exports with the trade balance still likely in surplus.  Export growth however has slowed, which should translate to a less sizable trade surplus.  Record high trade surpluses have supported the IDR for most of 2022 but the gradual decline of this buffer suggests that a key support for the currency may be fading going into 2023.  India: Indian inflation came in at 6.77%YoY for October, which was marginally higher than had been forecast by the consensus (6.7%) but still a decent pull back from the September reading of 7.41%. Inflation will remain at about this level in November, before spiking higher again on base effects in January and February before moving lower again. So the RBI’s job isn’t over yet, even if they can probably take a more laid-back approach to rate hikes from here on. What to look out for: China activity data and G-20 Japan GDP and industrial production (15 November) Australia RBA minutes (15 November) China activity data (15 November) Indonesia trade balance (15 November) US empire manufacturing and PPI inflation (15 November) Fed's Williams, Harker Cook and Barr speak (15 November)   Japan core machine orders (16 November) Australia Westpac leading index and wage price index (16 November) US retail sales (16 November) Japan trade balance (17 November) Australia labor data (17 November) Singapore NODX (17 November) Malaysia trade (17 November) Bank Indonesia policy meeting (17 November) Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas policy meeting (17 November) US housing starts and initial jobless claims (17 November) Japan CPI inflation (18 November) US existing home sales (18 November) Read this article on THINK 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

It is busy day. Reports will be from many economies CPI from European countries and PPI from America. And also Asian countries shared their GDP and Industrial Production reports. Japan GDP Events on the global market started with the publication of GDP in Japan. The results turned out to be negative. GDP fell from 1.1% to -0.3% quarter on quarter, while GDP y/y fell even more sharply, from 4.6% to -1.2%. Both results were below zero, which proves that the recession is starting in this country. RBA Meeting Minutes From Australia came a summary of the economic situation, i.e. Minutes of the Monetary Policy Meeting of the Reserve Bank Board. Members commenced their discussion of international economic developments by observing that inflation abroad. Members also noted that Australian financial markets had followed global trends. Such a summary can help to assess the condition of the country and its sub-sectors and determine next steps. Industrial Production in China and Japan China and Japan have published reports on their Industrial Production. Comparing October this year to October last year, a decrease was recorded in China. The current Industrial Production level was 5.0%, down 1.3% from the previous reading. In Japan there was also a decline, but in Industrial Production M/M. The indicator fell from 3.4% to -1.7%. Which means that the change in the total inflation-adjusted value of output produced by manufacturers, mines, and utilities has dropped drastically. This is a consequence of high inflation and, as far as China is concerned, the fight against the Covid pandemic. UK data The UK released the reports at 9am CET. Two of them were positive. Only the unemployment rate turned out to be negative as it increased slightly from 3.5% to 3.6%. The change in the number of unemployed people in the U.K. during the reported month fell. U.K. Claimant Count Change dropped from 3.9K to 3.3K. This may turn out to be a slight decrease, but in the face of the forecasts of 17.3K, it turns out to be very optimistic. Average Earnings Index +Bonus, although it fell from 6.1% to 6.0%, is a positive reading as it was expected to fall to 5.9%. Which may mean that despite the forecasts, the decline is milder and personal income growth during the given month was only slightly lower, which is good news for households. CPI Two Western European countries, France and Spain, published data on CPI. In France, CPI y/y increased from 5.0% to 6.2%. The opposite was the case in Spain where consumer inflation fell from 8.9% to 7.3%, moreover meeting expectations. Despite high inflation, which is still higher than the expected level of 2%, these European countries, can be said, are doing well and their economies are not facing recession. Speeches Today's attention-grabbing speeches will be from the German Bundesbank. The first one took place at 10:00 CET, and the speaker was Dr. Sabine Mauderer. The next speeches will take place in the second half of the day at 16:00 CET. The speakers will be: German Bundesbank Vice President Buch and Burkhard Balz ZEW Economic Sentiment Economic sentiment in Germany rose once again. Currently, they have risen to the level of -36.7. Previously, they rose from -61.0 to 59.2. Although ZEW have increased but are still below zero, which means that the general mood is pessimistic US PPI The most important event of the day is the result of inflation from the producer side in the US, i.e. U.S. Producer Price Index (PPI). The previous level of 0.4% is expected to hold. This may mean that from the producers' point of view, the situation in price changes tends to stabilise, which may have a positive impact on the dollar as well as on the US economy in general. Canadian data Canada will release its Manufacturing Sales and Wholesale Sales reports at 15:30 CET. Both are expected to be below zero. Manufacturing Sales is projected to increase from -2.0% to -0.5%. This means that progress in this sector is expected. The wholesale sales level is forecasted at -0.2% vs. the previous 1.4%. Summary 1:50 CET Japan GDP (Q3) 2:30 CET RBA Meeting Minutes 4:00 CET China Industrial Production (YoY) 6:30 CET Japan Industrial Production (MoM) (Sep) 9:00 CET UK Average Earnings Index +Bonus (Sep) 9:00 CET UK Claimant Count Change (Oct) 9:00 CET UK Unemployment Rate (Sep) 9:45 CET French CPI 10:00 CET German Buba Mauderer Speaks 10:00 CET Spanish CPI 12:00 CET German ZEW Economic Sentiment (Nov) 12:00 CET EU ZEW Economic Sentiment (Nov) 15:30 CET US PPI (MoM) (Oct) 15:30 CET Canada Manufacturing Sales (MoM) (Sep) 16:00 CET German Buba Balz Speaks 16:00 CET German Buba Vice President Buch Speaks Source: https://www.investing.com/economic-calendar/

The statistics packages from China and Japan - the largest economies in the Asian region - came out below expectations, highlighting weak domestic demand and production. Japan's economy lost 0.3% in the third quarter while it was expected to grow by the same amount. Meanwhile, real GDP added 1.8% y/y. A jump in imports was responsible for the decrease while private consumption showed a relatively moderate positive contribution. Read next: Nike, the market leader in fashion NFTs, to unveil DOT Swoosh, risk appetite in the market increased, AMZN to layoff 1% of its workforce| FXMAG.COM Industrial production lost 1.9% in September, reversing a sharp turnaround after three months of growth, during which the index increased by 13.4%. A jump in energy prices prevents production from taking full advantage of the weaker yen. China's slowdown will likely constrain Japan's industry by not giving it enough orders. China noted a 0.5% y/y fall in retail sales thanks to 0-covid restrictions. These are gradually easing but remain much more restrained than in other major economies worldwide. Industrial Production growth slowed to 5% y/y last month versus 6.3% in September. Weighing retail sales and manufacturing numbers would be enough of a signal for the government to step up support to the economy. Considering the weak data from Japan and China, their currencies have particularly strengthened this month by 6.5% and 4%, respectively. Currency volatility risks hurting exporters for whom exchange rate stability might be a better option after a slump since the start of the year.

Diminishing pipeline price pressures in the US, but heightened geopolitical tensions in Europe after the Poland explosion. Australian 3Q22 wage price index comes in slightly stronger than expected In this article Macro outlook What to look out for: Fed speakers and geopolitical tension Source: Shutterstock Macro outlook Global Markets: US October PPI data provided another indication that inflation in the US has peaked (see more in Macro section below and also linked note here) and this mostly reverberated through markets as you’d expect, with stocks gaining , bond yields declining, and the dollar weakening. As of writing, the S&P500 is up 0.63% and the NASDAQ up 1.44%. The market reaction might have been even greater, but for reports of an explosion in Poland close to the Ukraine border which it is claimed was caused by a Russian missile. NATO allies are expressing their solidarity with Poland, but whether this will lead to any concrete change on the ground remains to be seen. Markets have tempered their enthusiasm accordingly. 2Y US Treasury yields are down 5.1bp and the 10Y yield is down more like 8bp to 3.77%. It’s all very well saying that the Fed doesn’t want to see financial conditions ease like this, but the Fed can’t fight the reality of the data, and no, that doesn’t mean it will have to tighten more to achieve its ends. It means it is on the right track.  In the end, EURUSD gave up some of its early gains and hasn’t moved far from where we were at this time yesterday, currently 1.0350. The AUD has pushed up to 0.6762, Cable is back to 1.1869, though was above 1.20 at one point. And the JPY is comfortably below 140 at 138.80. Of the other Asian currencies, the MYR has topped the billing ahead of this Saturday's General Election, with a 1.35% gain in the last trading session, though high-beta currencies like the THB and KRW have also made strong gains. The CNY has held firm at 7.0455, slightly stronger than the majority of the day before. G-7 Macro: As mentioned, the US October PPI release was the main market moving event yesterday, and although commentators will focus on the year-on-year rate falling to 8.0% from 8.4% (core fell from 7.1% to 6.7%) what encourages us more is the weak monthly increase. The final demand PPI rose only 0.2%MoM, consistent over a full year with a PPI inflation rate of only about 2.5%. The core index didn’t increase at all.  There were also revisions downward to the prior month’s data.  The Fed are unlikely to acknowledge the progress that is being made so quickly, and we don’t think they will change their tune much. But it is worth remembering, that forward guidance doesn’t tell you what the Fed is going to do, merely what they would like markets to believe. The two can be very different. Germany’s ZEW survey expectations component bounced strongly in November from -59.2 to -36.7. This takes it from “awful” to merely “very bad”. Europe also had experienced a slight improvement in their September trade balance, though it remains deep in deficit territory. More inflation data is due today, this time in the UK, where inflation has a direct fiscal cost to the government due to index-linking of pensions. Tomorrow, we get the UK government’s new tax and spending plans, and it is rumoured that the triple lock on pensions will be retained. US retail sales data is also due. A strong 1.0%MoM gain is predicted by the consensus of analysts, reversing the flat reading from the previous month, though the control group of spending is forecast to increase by much less. Australia: The 3Q22 wage price index rose by 1.0%QoQ, slightly more than the 0.9% QoQ expectation, and has lifted the annual rate of wage growth to 3.1% YoY (2.6% in 2Q22). We do not think this will have any material impact on the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) rate setting plans. The RBA  appear to have swapped data-dependent monetary policy for "state-dependent" policy, and now that they believe rates are mildly restrictive, it will take a lot more than this to get them to revert back to 50bp rate hikes. The next few meetings should see rates raised by 25bp. We see the peak for the cash rate target at 3.6% early next year.    China: Positive outcomes like trade and investment are good not only for the Chinese economy to grow but also for their trade partners, e.g. Australia and Korea. But the potential economic benefits could be clouded by politics. It is still uncertain how the economic benefits will play out after the G20 meeting. We have seen China choosing to abstain from a vote condemning  Russia's aggression against Ukraine. This indicates the position of China on the Russia-Ukraine war and on its own geopolitics. What to look out for: Fed speakers and geopolitical tension Japan core machine orders (16 November) Australia Westpac leading index and wage price index (16 November) Fed's Barr and Willi