Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia
A (relatively) settled session: It’s been a soft day for global equities. With almost exactly two-hours to go in the US session at time of writing, another modest rally has apparently been faded by traders. Indications are that Wall Street will close lower. If proven true, this will punctuate a mixed day for Europe, and quite a solid day for the Asian region. The former found little impetus to be bid higher, while the Asian session showed the ebullience of diminishing trade tensions. Scanning the major indices, volumes were up compared to their 100-day average, however were slightly down when compared to their 10-day and 20-day average. It reveals a market that is more settled than what it has otherwise been seen during the global share-market correction – but remains vigilant and prepared to turn at the sight of bad-news.
Global growth: Given price action in last night’s trade was relatively more subdued, traders and analysts seemed able to take the clearer air to reflect on current market drivers. The theme that’s popped up consistently in the last 24 hours can be crudely articulated as “downside risks to growth”. It was a theme adopted by ECB President Mario Draghi during his press conference following last night’s ECB Meeting; and it was also referenced by PBOC last night in relation to China’s economic fortunes. It bears repeating: October, November and December in markets have been characterizes by bearishness, of course. However, the causes throughout this period have shifted. What was initially a sell-off catalysed by fears regarding higher US interest rates has transformed into one driven by fears about slower global economic growth.
ECB meeting: Last night’s headline event captures this well. The ECB met and broadly met traders’ expectations: rates were of course kept on hold, and the central bank’s QE program will come to an end. As always, the commentary and press conference were where the interest lay, and ECB President Draghi delivered a cautious but stark message. The balance of risks to the EU economy have shifted to the downside. The ECB lowered its forecasts for growth and inflation, even further below what could be considered objectively strong figures. Overall, President Draghi was judged as quite dovish about the prospects for European monetary policy. Though it was not stated explicitly – central bankers rarely communicate in such a way – the subtext of the speech strongly implied that any true policy normalization from the ECB is some way off.
Whatever it takes: It’s a fascinating conundrum for the ECB. After a decade of experimental monetary policy, on balance the central bank’s greatest endeavours haven’t seemed to work. President Draghi’s “whatever it takes” attitude has supported markets, but evidence for his success is scant. The counter-argument to this pessimistic take on the Eurozone and ECB always seems to go something like “yes, things aren’t good, but imagine how bad things could have if the ECB hadn’t done what it did!”. It could be a valid point – one better for the historians to take care of somewhere down the line. However, the situation is poised to be this: the global economy will eventually experience a recession, and the ECB will more-likely-than-not be at effectively negative interest rates. The whole affair engenders very little hope or confidence in the future of the European economy.
The news flow: That reality considered, traders tipped their hat and gave a sympathetic nod to the ECB after its meeting, and more-or-less moved on. There wasn’t much bullishness to be found in markets last night, however it wasn’t a risk-off night either. A lot of commentary overnight has pointed to the trade-war being behind the session’s softness. China has reportedly detained another Canadian citizen on national security grounds, presumably in retaliation to Canada’s arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou. While on the other side of the world, members of the Trump administration declared that China ought to concede more to resolve the trade dispute. Overall, there was little substantial or game-changing revealed to markets – mostly just noise relating to the familiar and ongoing concerns that have been long-rattling markets. Today’s big Chinese data dump will be now be the one to watch.
Not risk-off; but not risk-on: The price action communicated this reasonably well. US Treasury yields have stayed (fairly) still: the US 10 Year note held at 2.90 per cent, and the US 2 Year note dipped 1 point to 2.75 per cent, widening the spread there to 15 points. Wall Street is heading for a flat day, though with an hour to go in trade, the Dow Jones is a skerrick higher. The DAX and FTSE were both down 0.04 per cent. The greenback pushed-higher, mostly due to a weaker EUR, which fell to 1.1364. The Pound is up a skerrick, while the Yen, reflecting the day’s sentiment, fell slightly, just like gold, which is holding support above $US1240. The Australian Dollar is practically trading sideways at 0.7220. Credit spreads narrowed on the perception of diminished risk. And in commodities markets, copper is flat, and oil and iron ore rallied.
ASX200 today: This is the context for Australian trading today, and with all of that digested, SPI futures are telling us we are set for a 14-point drop at the open for the ASX200. The ASX took the momentum generated by the improved sentiment about global growth yesterday, with the cyclical mining, consumer discretionary and industrial sectors some of the best performing. The rally lost legs throughout the day, as traders seemingly opted to fade the run once again. Volumes were high, but breadth was uninspiring.
The foundations are set for another lower-high for the ASX200 index, reinforcing the notion the market is in some bearish down trend. Some contrary evidence suggests the worst is behind us: the RSI is still showing bullish divergence, and downside momentum is moderating. As it currently stands, a new low, as far above 5510 as possible, and/or a rally through resistance at 5705, is broadly the challenge the market needs to overcome to demonstrate evidence of a possible bullish turn in this market.
Prime Minister Theresa May won a vote of no confidence in her leadership of the Conservative party last night. The results showed that Mrs May won the vote by 200 to 117, securing 63% of the total votes, she is now immune from any further vote's of no confidence for a year.
GBP has fallen back from Wednesday's highs despite Theresa May successfully defending her leadership as investors believed she would win by a larger majority, the pound is currently trading at $1.2617 against the dollar.
Several reports are suggesting that a second Canadian has been detained in China in what is believed to be a retaliation for the arrest of Huawei's CFO Meng Wanzhou, a spokesman said "we have been unable to make contact since he let us know he was being questioned by Chinese authorities".
Asian equity markets ended positive on Thursday, the Hang Seng index was up slightly over 1%, Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 1.06% whist the Shanghai Composite increased by 1.3%.
The US stock markets ended up following on from the positive performance in Asia. The Nasdaq rose 1% to 7,098.31, followed by a 0.64% increase in the Dow and the S&P 500 which climbed 0.54%.
Gold remained steady, currently being priced at $1,244.46 per ounce.
Asian overnight: Asian markets have enjoyed another positive session off the back of improving relations between the US and China. The pound enjoyed a bullish session after Theresa May managed to fend off the vote of no confidence with 200 votes. However, she still faces the same problem of passing a bill that has little support.
UK, US and Europe: Whats next for Mrs May after her victory in the vote of no confidence in her leadership last night? Pressure continues to mount as the Prime Minister now heads off to Brussels for an EU summit to seek concessions on the Irish backstop. EU leaders have already indicated that there will be no renegotiation on Brexit, however founder of G+ Economics, Lena Komileva, believes the chance of meaningful concessions "is actually quite strong". Having said this, Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg has said it was a "terrible result for the prime minister" and has called for her resignation, indicating a third of Tory MPs voted against her leadership.
Looking ahead, the Swiss rate decision from the SNB is joined by the ECB monetary policy decision. The question is whether Mario Draghi will allow the asset purchase programme to end despite ongoing worries about eurozone fiscal and economic stability.
Economic calendar - key events and forecast (times in GMT)
Source: Daily FX Economic Calendar
12.45pm – ECB rate decision (1.30pm press conference): no change in policy expected, but with increased market volatility and a continuing stand-off with the Italian government dominating the news, the press conference may provide some insight about whether the bank is still confident about moving on rates later next year. Markets to watch: eurozone indices, EUR crosses
11.50pm – Japan Tankan large manufacturers index (Q4): index to rise to 22 from 19. Markets to watch: JPY crosses
Corporate News, Upgrades and Downgrades
Ocado said that revenue rose 12% to £390.7 million for the 13 weeks to 2 December, while average orders per week were up 13.1% to 320,000, but the average order size fell 1% to £104.91.
Serco expects earnings per share to be ahead of forecasts by 5-10%, thanks to a lower effective tax rate. Trading profit for 2018 and 2019 is expected to be in line with forecasts.
Bunzl said that it expects full-year revenue growth of between 8% and 9%, but a stronger pound was expected to hit performance.
Johnson Matthey upgraded to buy at HSBC
Pernod Ricard upgraded to hold at Liberum
WPP upgraded to buy at Shore Capital
Elementis downgraded to hold at HSBC
Sabre Insurance cut to equal-weight at Barclays
Ultra Electronics cut to underweight at Barclay
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Information has been prepared by IG, a trading name of IG Markets Limited. In addition to the disclaimer below, the material on this page does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication. Although we are not specifically constrained from dealing ahead of our recommendations we do not seek to take advantage of them before they are provided to our clients. See full non-independent research disclaimer and quarterly summary.
Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia
What’s making headlines: There’s an hour and a half to go in the US session and global equities are up. Let’s assume they finish that way – there is plenty of room for clarification (and rationalization) late-on, if need be. Traders have taken the new green shoots in the trade-war and spun them into a positive narrative. Sure, the old green shots lay trampled below the new ones, but perhaps this time around the positivity will be given a chance to thrive. The other story hogging headlines in the financial press is the vote motion UK Prime Minister May’s leadership of the Tories. Market confidence has been shaken by that development, but as we wake-up this morning, the balance of opinion seems to be suggesting that May will win the day.
The data side-show: Politics is driving markets still, which is always dangerous – it’s often a distortionary influence on prices rather than a revealer of fundamental facts. However, the fundamental economic data that was handed to traders overnight supported their optimism. Arguably the most significant release for the week, US CPI figures delivered a bang-on forecast number. If you’re a bull, locked in an environment where there exists fear of a global economic slowdown on one side, and fears about higher global interest rates on the other, a moderate outcome to any data-release is welcomed. Fundamental data last night was light otherwise, with US crude oil inventories the next most important release. It overshot forecasts, but still showed shrinking supplies, which boosted oil prices and (at the very least) didn’t detract from the bullish sentiment.
ECB on tap: The next release on the data docket is the ECB meeting tonight. It’s that central banks last meeting for the year and ought to be watched, considering all this talk about slower growth and hawkish central bankers. Given the noise in markets and the gradual stagnation in the European economy, it’d be a might surprise if ECB President Mario Draghi and his team deliver any surprises. The situation across Europe is fraught with political, social and economic danger. No central banker is going to want to light a flame under all of that. Going into 2019, France is burning, Italy is agitating for change, the UK is still trying to bail, and the custodian of it all, Germany, is about to lose its steady hand in leader Angela Merkel. The politico-economic landscape doesn’t inspire much confidence in the grand European project, and the ECB will probably reflect that.
Another faded rally? Nevertheless, as mentioned, traders are taking in their stride the ever-present risks in this market. (Stream of consciousness status update: US equities are giving up their gains with about an hour-and-a-half in trade to go, however they remain ahead for the day. Again, let’s check in on that later.) The core question at hand on bullish days is to what extent are rallies a reflection of market-reality or mere perception. US stocks have ended as of today its latest downtrend – another in a line of aggressive sell-offs and rallies within what is overall a sideways pattern since the middle of October. There must be scope for a break-out from this pattern at some point soon. The S&P500 eyes the 2800 again now: maybe we assess the strength of the bulls by their ability to return US stocks to that level again.
ASX200: SPI futures are tracking Wall Street’s performance this morning, as they are wont to do, suggesting an open 5 to 10 points higher for the ASX200, at time of writing. The performance of Australian equities yesterday was solid, in line with major regional counterparts, as fears of trade-wars abated once again. Volume was ample at 15 per cent above average and breadth came-in just below 80 per cent. Each a sign of strong bullish conviction. It seems a desire to get into cyclical, economic-growth stocks constituted the essence of yesterday’s sentiment. The greatest activity was to be found in the materials, industrials and consumer discretionary stocks. Irrefutably, this is a good sign for the many who hold optimistic-enough views on global growth; the test will be whether this view can be vindicated leading into the end of the year.
The seasonal kick? The success and failure of the ASX200 will be strongly correlated to what happens to US stocks for the rest of 2018. It figures: the core issues in the market relates to the ongoing strength of the US economy, and how hawkish the Fed may-or-may not be. There is probably an inherent disconnect on some scale of looking at our market through that lens. The ASX200 never truly saw the parabolic rise in prices that the major Wall Street indices did during the easy money era (Australians engineered a residential property boom instead). All the same, if seasonality is a guide, a December run higher is on the cards come the last half-of December. The measure of any run’s sustainability should roughly be assessed by the index’s ability to challenge levels at 5705, 5790 and 5880.
Price-check: The North American session is nearly at its close. Time for a review on the price action. Wall Street is off its intraday high but has still managed gains over 1 per cent. The benchmark S&P500 is 1.2 percent higher. This backs-up a day in which the DAX and FTSE rallied 1.4 per cent and 1.1 per cent respectively. US 10 Year Treasury Yields are up to 2.90 per cent, and the yield on US 2 Year Note is up 2.77 per cent, widening the spread there to 13 points. Credit spreads have also narrowed. Higher risk appetite has seen the greenback sell-off. The DXY is at 97-flat, thanks in part to a Euro that’s fetching 1.1375 and a pound that’s buying above 1.26. Gold is slightly higher $US1245. The growth-optimism has boosted our AUD to just above 0.7225, while oil is up, and copper and iron ore are down.
Asia stocks were higher Wednesday morning; Nikkei 225 rising over 2%, ASX 200 up by 1.25% and Hang Seng Index around 1.36%. This was followed by the news of China to cut US car tariffs from the planned 40% to 15%, the same tax charge on car imports from other countries
May traveled on Tuesday back to Europe to try and gain a few more concessions from the European side, in regards to the Brexit deal. It is rumoured that 48 letters of no longer supporting May have been sent. May to face a vote of no confidence on Wednesday between 18:00 GMT and 20:00 GMT.
Canada grants bail by setting a $10million CAD bail for Huawei CFO, Meng Wanzhou, following charges of “improperly taking payments from Iran in violation of sanctions against the country”
EU Ambassador states that technology transfers should be regulated as EU companies should not be obliged to transfer technology to gain access to the Chinese market
US President, Trump, announced that he would intervene in the case against Huawei CFO if this could contribute to closing a trade deal with China
New charges are filed against Malaysian former Prime Minister, Najib Razak, and former CEO of 1MDB, in relation to alleged tampering of the audit report and theft of billions of dollars from the fund
Trump comments on the expected rise in interest rates from the Federal Reserve as a “mistake”, as Trump needs the flexibility of lower rates to support the trade war between the US and China
Saudi Arabia convinced two dozen oil producers to cut production levels as part of a “Saudi first” policy
France budget deficit to potentially increase as President Macron announces a plan to raise minimum wage by 100Euros ($114) a month and overtime will not be taxed, as well as a reverse on tax hike on pensions for those earning less than 2000Euros a month
UK government to spend an extra £100million to support the renewable energy projects in Africa, as well as committing to invest £5.8billion in international climate finance by 2020
Asian overnight: Asian markets have enjoyed a bullish session overnight, as improved sentiment over US-China relations is helping drive a more positive outlook for risk assets. A Chinese reduction in tariffs on US car imports looks like the first in many steps, while the US seem to be softening their stance to the Huawei CFO who has been granted bail in Canada.
UK, US and Europe: Looking ahead, the eurozone industrial production release represents the only European event of note, while US CPI brings inflation issues back into the picture. Given the recent deterioration in energy prices, it comes as no surprise to see that the headline CPI reading is expected to decline this month. Finally, watch out for the crude inventories figure, which is expected to follow up last week’s surprisingly sharp decline with another negative reading this time around.
It's also worth looking ahead at tomorrow, when the European Central Bank's president, Mario Draghi, is expected to confirm an end to QE (quantitative easing) in the form of 2.6 trillion euros worth of bond buybacks. The process, echoed by many central banks such as the US Fed and the Bank of England, has been hotly debated within the eurozone where more stable northern states didn't want to take on the political risk of weaker southern areas.
When it comes to energies, a warmer winter is expected to send LNG prices to a 6 month low, whilst forwards buying earlier this year - notably over summer - haven't helped. Whilst heating demand normally pushes the price action of energies up (as seen last year) it looks like some unsold cargoes are still looking for a home.
Economic calendar - key events and forecast (times in GMT)
Source: Daily FX Economic Calendar
1.30pm – US CPI (November): CPI to rise 2.4% YoY from 2.5%, and 0.1% from 0.3% MoM. Core CPI to rise 0.2% MoM and 2.2% YoY. Markets to watch: GBP crosses 3.30pm – US EIA crude inventories (w/e 7 December): stockpiles to rise by 1.9 million barrels. Markets to watch: Brent, WTI
Corporate News, Upgrades and Downgrades
Rolls-Royce expects earnings and cash flow for the year to be at the upper end of previous guidance. The firm’s restructuring remains on target, it added.
British American Tobacco said that it was on track to meet targets, as performance in combustibles and vaping offset weakness thanks to FX markets.
Superdry has issued a profit warning, saying that warm weather in November and December had hit performance, although first half pre-tax profit rose to £26.4 million from £9.1 million a year earlier.
Deliveroo to open its first customer-facing restaurant in Hong Kong
Brandlogic, a clothing brand, launched a legal claim against Bentley Motors, for “badly damaging its business”
Facebook evacuating buildings in Silicon Valley due to bomb threat, but later found no explosives in the building
Alfa Financial upgraded to hold at Berenberg
Rational upgraded to buy at HSBC
Siegfried upgraded to buy at Baader Helvea
DWS downgraded to underweight at JPMorgan
Man Group downgraded to neutral at JPMorgan
Salvatore Ferragamo cut to reduce at Kepler Cheuvreux
Metro Bank downgraded to neutral at Citi
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Information has been prepared by IG, a trading name of IG Markets Limited. In addition to the disclaimer below, the material on this page does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication. Although we are not specifically constrained from dealing ahead of our recommendations we do not seek to take advantage of them before they are provided to our clients. See full non-independent research disclaimer and quarterly summary.
Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia
The pattern continues: Wall Street indices have been swinging about madly again. The pattern continues: an open, a rally or fall, then a retracement or recovery. Today we’ve had an open, a rally, then retracement, then a recovery again. There were stories behind this price-action. Everything that happened overnight appeared perfectly explicable. One wonders though if the swings in trading activity are being overly attributed to headlines. Or perhaps it’s the case that higher volatility and sensitive nerves are leading to accentuated moves. Whatever the cause, fundamentally, the bears still have control of the equity market. There is a softer intensity to the selling on Wall Street this week. However, with the extremeness of last week’s moves having not been unwound yet, what we are seeing is sellers piling in on top of sellers, bit by bit.
ASX200: SPI futures have turned positive, after oscillating wildly during the overnight session. That contract is indicating a 17-point jump for the ASX200 at time of writing. Yesterday was a tepid but respectable day for Australian shares, managing to muster a 0.4 per cent gain for the day. Volume was slightly above the 100-day average and breadth was okay. Growth stocks led the charge, following US tech’s gains the night prior, with the health care sector up 1.7 per cent, courtesy of a strong bid for CSL and ResMed. The materials space was the biggest points score for the index, adding 8 to the overall index’s performance. The trend is still down for the ASX200, as it is with global equity indices presently. However, yesterday’s daily candle, combined with a bullish divergence on the RSI, suggests some buyers are re-entering the market in the short-term, potentially offering temporary upside to ~5700.
Headlines: Asia: Let’s look at the headlines in markets, to place what could be a mixed day for global equities into context – starting in Asia and following the turn of the globe. The Asian session was data-dry and lacking in the way of algo-shaking headlines. The resignation of India’s head central banker was meaningful but failed to move the dial outside of India’s markets. Australian business confidence was released and revealed softening sentiment in the sector. China released money supply data and that revealed stimulus from policy makers is filtering through the economy. Japan had a long-term bond auction that demonstrated how lower global yields is affecting appetite for government bonds. The major stock indices were up, in sympathy with Wall Street, except for the Nikkei, which was lower largely due to a stronger Yen.
Headlines: Europe: Europe handed more information to investors; and it was a very solid day for European equity markets. European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker poured water on any notion of refining the existing Brexit deal. He started that “There is no room for negotiation, but further clarifications are possible”. UK Prime Minister Theresa May met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss massaging the deal, only (in a comical display of cosmic irony) to become briefly locked inside in her German car at the doorstep of the meeting, before (figuratively speaking) being turned away by Chancellor Merkel. The fundamental data released in the UK was positive, though. The unemployment rate was shown to have held strong at 4.1% last month; and wage growth climbed by more than forecast to 3.3 per cent.
Headlines: North America: The US is where all the news and therefore volatility is being made, and last night’s session delivered on that front again. The day’s outset was defined by news the Chinese are willing to lower auto-tariffs on US cars from 40, to 15 per cent. Industrials (auto makers in particular) rallied. Sentiment turned after a combative meeting between Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and US President Donald Trump raised the prospects of a government shut-down if funding for the President’s border wall wasn’t passed through congress. US Vice-President Mike Pence was there too, but he was busy pulling his I’ll-sit-silently-and -look-like-the-next-President face. Behind the reality T.V. show that is US politics, US economic data was solid, albeit ineffectual: US PPI beat estimates, but all eyes are on tonight’s US CPI data.
Snapshot of price (re)action: As of an hour to go in the US session, and with sentiment swinging back into the favour of the bulls again, the described news played out in prices like this. Risk appetite was generally higher. US Treasury yields ticked-up across the board: the US 10 Year note is yielding 2.86 per cent and the 2 Year note is yielding 2.77 per cent, narrowing the spread there to just below 10 points. As was implied earlier, the DAX and FTSE both rallied in European trade, by 1.5 and 1.3 per cent respectively. US credit spreads have narrowed. The US Dollar is flexing its muscles, rallying above 97.40 according to the DXY, as the EUR hangs onto the 1.13 handle and the Cable eyes a plunge below 1.25. Typical anti-risk assets, Gold and the Yen, are slightly lower, while the AUD holds onto 0.7200. And in commodities, copper, iron ore, and oil are higher on growth optimism.
Finding some meaning: Let’s finally try to put a ribbon on things. Going out on a limb: stocks look likely to close higher on Wall Street. So now for a few cursory takeaways from what’s been gathered from the start of the week. CPI tonight will colour this view, but traders are concerning themselves less with Fed-hikes and more with long term growth prospects. Activity in the yield curve last night probably attests to this. Rightly or wrongly, the trade-war is being judged the major threat to economic growth. Breakthroughs in this story last night injected the bullish sentiment into markets. The Huawei story is being ignored for now, which perhaps reveals that US and Chinese policy makers will bite their tongues just to get a deal done. These are good signs for bulls, but as is well understood, these things can turn very quickly.
The question worth considering is whether a de-escalating of the trade-war will do anything to arrest the global economic slow-down. The risk is, the damage is done; or perhaps even worse, there are even bigger forces at play stifling growth. The-trend-is-your-friend, as the cliché goes, and the trend is pointing to downward momentum in markets. Markets are a huge beast, and cycles move like turning ships. For now, the corrective and bearish price action across asset classes indicates the end of a cycle of some description. Until there are signs of definitive change – that is, a rebalancing from bearishness to bullishness – the matter for equity markets is this: is what we are seeing an uncomfortably but relatively benign retracement within the broad, post-GFC trend-channel; or are these signs that in 2019 and beyond, we are entering a true (perhaps recessionary) bear market?
Trading in Asia was mixed as US shares stabilized overnight. In the meanwhile, the ongoing discussions between China and the US adds uncertainty. The bottom performer among major Asian indices was the Nikkei, which fell 0.45%.
Oil climbed higher amidst resuming hopes following the 1.2 million barrels per day production cut agreed by OPEC+. However, concerns that the US could much further increase its shale production and the slowing global economy could make the output cut less effective.
Gold ticked higher in Asian trading as its biggest nemesis – the US dollar – lost ground. Disappointing data about the US construction sector and concerns about a possible global economy slowdown could further have the USD slump, and hence increase bullish bids on the yellow metal.
The Indian Rupee slumped 1.6% overnight following the resignation of its central bank governor.
The Pound kept steady after the initial slump that followed May’s delay of the vote on Brexit.
The yield on US 10-year Treasuries fell one basis point to 2.85% on concerns about trade talks with China and the lack of clarity concerning the faith of the jailed Huawei CFO.
Asian overnight: An 18-month low for Japanese stocks set the seal on a difficult session in Asia, but another strong rebound for Wall Street provided some hope that the selling in equities has abated for now. While the agreed March 1 deadline for further agreement on trade differences with the US looms, China over the weekend had contributed to increasing alarm in financial markets by summoning US and Canada’s ambassadors to answer about the Chinese businesswoman arrest. Stocks in China climbed following news that a timetable for trade talks was discussed.
UK, US and Europe: News that the Chinese Vice Premier Liu He discussed the timetable for trade talks with US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had shares in China rise. Furthermore, the arrest of Huawei Technologies Co’s CEO makes the diplomatic wrestling even more critical. While possible progress on tariff talks had Chinese benchmarks ticked higher overnight, is a positive outcome for US concretely foreseeable?
Macron announced yesterday evening a series of resolutions in an attempt to end to the “yellow vest” protest that is jeopardizing its presidency. While the raft of new spending could undo part of the French government’s gains from tax increases, it could also stabilize the Eurozone politics, after more uncertainty was produced by the power switch in Germany’s CDU. With the Brexit deadline on the pipeline and concerns about a possible meddling in the “yellow vest” protest from Russia, the Old Continent is finding it hard to benefit from the Holiday Season’s higher spending.
Economic calendar - key events and forecast (times in GMT)
Source: Daily FX Economic Calendar
9.30am – UK employment data: September expected to have seen employment drop by 64,000, while the claimant count rises by 7400 in November. Unemployment rate for October expected to hold at 4.1%, while average hourly earnings to rise 3% for October. Markets to watch: GBP crosses
10am – German ZEW (December): economic sentiment to rise to -12 from -24. Markets to watch: EUR crosses
1.30pm – US PPI (November): factory-gate inflation to rise 0.1% MoM, from 0.6% last month. Markets to watch: USD crosses
11.30pm – Australia Westpac consumer confidence index (December): forecast to fall to 104 from 104.3. Markets to watch: AUD crosses
Corporate News, Upgrades and Downgrades
Ashtead retained its full-year outlook, saying that stronger rental revenue growth in North America boosted performance. Pre-tax profit for the first half was up 25% to £610 million, while revenue was 19% higher at £2.25 billion.
WPP said it would spend £300 million over the next three years as part of restructuring efforts. Organic growth in line with peers is expected to return by the end of 2021. Full-year results are expected to be in line with forecasts.
Serco has won two UK contract extensions worth a combined £135 million.
Aviva upgraded to top pick at RBC
Lancashire upgraded to outperform at RBC
Sanofi upgraded to buy at Jefferies
Unicaja Banco raised to buy at Ahorro Corporacion
Derwent London cut to equal-weight at Barclays
Phoenix cut to outperform at RBC
Superdry downgraded to hold at Berenberg
Standard Life Aberdeen cut to sector perform at RB
IGTV featured video
Information has been prepared by IG, a trading name of IG Markets Limited. In addition to the disclaimer below, the material on this page does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication. Although we are not specifically constrained from dealing ahead of our recommendations we do not seek to take advantage of them before they are provided to our clients. See full non-independent research disclaimer and quarterly summary.
Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia
Day 1 of 5: Monday looks like it may be one of those days where Wall Street hesitantly pulls itself up out of the dirt in the final hours of trade. There is just under two-hours to go in the US session, and at a high level, things appear not-too-bad. Let's return to America a little later. Whichever way we happen to end the first 24 hours of trade for the week, heightened risk, growth fears and bearishness is still driving sentiment. There has been no shift in market behaviour to indicate a market turnaround is upon us yet. If anything, the headlines regarding the macro-landscape added to the negativity. The data traders received was mixed; rather it was the numerous developments in the politico-economic sphere that inflamed trader's trepidation.
The Brexit tragicomedy: The big story overnight must be Brexit. This week ought to be about the state of Europe, and at its outset, it has been. If the potential consequences weren't so dire, the situation would appear comical – akin to some absurd, but all-too real life Waiting for Godot re-boot. First-up, the European Court of Justice released a ruling that the UK could unilaterally cancel Brexit and revoke its action of Article 50. UK Prime Minister Theresa May has dutifully shut down that notion. But things did get sticky when Prime Minister May announced she would delay a vote in Parliament of her Brexit bill, on the understanding she lacked anywhere near the required votes to get it passed lawmakers.
European price-action: It's relatively raw news at time of writing, but Prime Minister May's decision looks as though it will drag Brexit-uncertainty into 2019. The Cable has been pummelled consequently: it has pin-dropped 1-and-a-half per cent through a few resistance levels, to familiarise itself now with the 1.25 handle. The region's share indices were unaided by the news, though of course following the Asian lead, the session was always going to be a struggle. The FTSE registered a 0.8 per cent loss, despite the plunging Pound, the DAX shed 1.5 per cent, and the Eurostoxx 50 lost 1.3 per cent. The troubles seemed also to poison the shared currency, which has pulled back into the 1.13 handle.
The European bear market: The year has been a write-off for European markets. Now that the macro-narrative is dominated by fears of slower global growth, it seems any hope things can turnaround for the continent is waning. Last night's data out of the region was mixed: UK GDP printed at the 0.1 per cent forecast, but manufacturing production was shown to contract by -0.9 per cent. Data out of continental Europe is still a couple of days away; there will be little in the way of fundamentals news and information that can shift the tide for Europe, however. We are so far in a bear-market in the region, any turnaround appears unlikely. If anything, with US growth and stock market performance converging with the rest of the world, the falls could easily accelerate.
Asia and the ASX yesterday: The same goes for Asian markets - and more specifically, the hitherto resilient ASX200. Major Asian indices, from China, to Hong Kong, and Japan, all gave up considerable ground in the Asian session. But it was a filthy day for Australian equities yesterday, which was at the bottom of the table in terms Asian equity market performance. Previously solid support levels were brushed aside in early trade for the ASX, as traders collectively decided the share market isn't the place to be right now. Breadth was very narrow at 10 per cent, every sector was in the red, and volume was quite high, particularly for a Monday. The financials were the main culprits, hurt most by fears of domestic economic turmoil: it contributed 57 points to the markets losses.
ASX price-watch: Everything points to a bearish impulse for the overall index. SPI Futures are indicating a bounce of 30 points today, but it pales in comparison to the 128 points given up yesterday. The bottom of a decade long trend channel is exposed in the bigger picture, now: about 5380 (or so) is the level to watch. If this is the unfolding of a true bear market – a 20 per cent correction from previous highs – the stop after breaking this trend would be around 5090. Getting carried away isn't helpful here, and it's too premature to make doomsday calls on the market. However, true bear markets do often correlate with major economic slowdowns: investors could be trying to tell us something here, so if a market bull, being alert (but not yet afraid) should remain the default setting at least for the time being.
Wall Street: Returning to US markets, with less than an hour to go in trade, action could be (generously) described as mixed. It’s still risk-off, however the severity of risk aversion has diminished. US Treasury Yields have climbed modestly across the curve, benefitting the US Dollar, which flexed its might again overnight. The US Dollar Index is around 0.7 per cent higher and back above the 97-mark. Credit spreads have narrowed as the session has worn-on. The S&P500 looks like it could close flat, the Dow Jones has rallied late, and the NASDAQ has added around 1 per cent. Much of this comes courtesy of a bid higher in the major, mega cap FANG stocks. A word of warning (it almost goes without saying): breadth is 40% and uninspiring, with the rally attributable to gains in a select few big-tech names. Little of what occurred on Wall Street should be considered a firm sign of an imminent turnaround.
The Dow will open lower today than its open price for the year following weak jobs data and the resulting sell-off of FAANG companies.
US Non-farm payrolls grew by 155,000 on Friday, missing estimates of 198,000 whilst unemployment is near record lows at 3.7%
Chinese markets had a poor start to the week following missed trade estimates for November. The Hang Seng has fallen 1.41%, the Shanghai composite by 0.84% and the Shenzhen composite by 1.15%
The European Court of Justice has ruled this morning that the UK can unilaterally revoke Article 50 and the withdrawal from the EU.
The FTSE lost over 4% last week. This was likely due to reduced confidence that Theresa May's Brexit withdrawal agreement will be agreed on by MP's when they vote on it tomorrow following last week's 5 day debate.
A range of UK data on today's economic calendar including monthly GDP growth and the October trade balance could see the FTSE and GBP crosses have an eventful start to the week
Oil is up almost 4% following an announcement from OPEC that they will cut production by 800,000 barrels per day.
Gold rose 2.16% last week as we continue to see risk aversion increase with investors.
New York Cocoa saw its largest single day jump on Friday, growing 4.36% coming amidst supply worries from the Ivory Coast, the top producer of the commodity. London Cocoa saw a similar jump of 3.57%
Asia overnight: Japan saw a 3Q contraction of GDP by 2.5%, 0.5% more than the expected 2% reduction. However this move did not move the Nikkei significantly compared to the losses it sustained last week which almost hit 6%. The ASX is now at 2 year lows following US-China tensions as the poor trade data for China. Weaker demand from China could see commodities exports fall for Australia.
UK, US and Europe: Whilst tensions between the US and China have risen once again, the usual suspect of a trade war is not to blame this time. Following last week’s arrest on Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou by Canadian Authorities with the speculated intention of extradition to the U.S, China has demanded her immediate release. They have also stated that the Canadians will face consequences for their “unreasonable” actions. Ms Meng is accused of circumventing US sanctions on Iran via a subsidiary company which had been misrepresented as a separate company to Huawei. The tech giant which recently surpassed Apple to be the second largest smartphone maker in the world (behind Samsung) has seen its fair share of limelight recently. They were banned by both Australia and New Zealand over cyber-security concerns and Japan is expected to follow suit.
Economic calendar - key events and forecast (times in GMT)
Source: Daily FX Economic Calendar
Corporate News, Upgrades and Downgrades
Facebook has increased their stock buyback program to $9 Billion
Nissan's Carlos Ghosn is set to be charged for under-reporting his salary
Softbank has set the price of their telecom IPO at 1500 yen (£10.47). The shares will begin trading on the 19th of December
Interserve shares are down 60% as they are in talks with lenders about converting debt to equity.
Cronos shares were up over 20% on Friday as they announced they are in talks with Altria, the tobacco giant.
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Information has been prepared by IG, a trading name of IG Markets Limited. In addition to the disclaimer below, the material on this page does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication. Although we are not specifically constrained from dealing ahead of our recommendations we do not seek to take advantage of them before they are provided to our clients. See full non-independent research disclaimer and quarterly summary.
Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia
Friday session: Friday capped off another horror week for Wall Street. It was US equities’ worst week since March. Traders are currently operating within a volatility trap – and there are few indications this will soon end. The VIX is elevated, above 23 at the last reading, but occupied time above the 25-mark at stages during the week. Volatility is an active trader’s friend, and for the most part the opportunities it has thrown have been relished. Liquidity is becoming thin though, and there is a sense that the risk-reward dynamics in certain asset classes have changed. For perennial bulls, or those who have long term investments in equities space, there is undoubtedly a lot of pain being experienced. If the activity across equity markets on Friday is any guide, this is something that is set to last.
Shifting narratives: The narrative has definitively shifted. It might even be said for the bulls that it has gone from bad to worse. On the surface, since October, downside risks have manifested and grown in global equities. For many-a trader, whatever the root cause of this dynamic is secondary to being able to play the trend. But something interesting has happened recently, and it’s worth knowing to appreciate the way the market has changed. The initial stages of this market correction were precipitated by the fear an (over)active US Fed would hike rates to a point that would sink the global stocks. In some way, the effects of such a phenomenon played-out in markets just by way of virtue of the pricing in of those expectations. US Treasuries were rallying, the US Dollar trended higher, and growth-stocks plunged on the belief solid economic data would justify interest rate hikes.
The “real” economy: But this isn’t the case anymore; this isn’t about shifts in intermarket behaviour, contained primarily to financial markets. The concerns now relate to the prospects for the real economy. To repeat: October and November were about adjusting to a Hawkish Fed. December has so far been about slower global economic growth. It’s a problem with Main Street, perhaps more than Wall Street, that traders are worried about. The bond market is king, no matter how much attention stock markets get. The best information comes from reading into what is occurring in bond markets – especially US Treasuries. As has been discussed a-plenty, the US Treasury Yield curve is exhibiting signs of inverting. Traders are telling us they think growth in the medium term will be soft.
US Inflation expectations: There is another useful indicator to use in the fixed income market: the TIPS spread. More-or-less: the spread is a crude measure of future inflation. When traders were stressing-out about an over-zealous Fed, it was primarily due to fears that some (albeit modest) outbreak inflation was upon us. Interest rate hikes would be the necessary and mandated response. At this time, the TIPS spread (on equivalent 10-year securities) was about 2.20% -- that is, future inflation was tipped to be around 2.20%. Flash forward to its most recent reading, and that indicator has fallen to 1.95%. Inflation-risk is being priced out of the markets, along with the prospects of healthy economic growth. Ergo, interest rate traders have called-out the Fed and demanded the central bank “Say Uncle!”.
US Non-Farm Payrolls: Whether this reaction proves justified will be fascinating. Markets are forward looking, so current economic data is only good as far as it can be used to extrapolate answers about the future. Nevertheless, the data coming out of the US is (generally) satisfactory. The latest Non-Farm Payrolls release came out on Friday, and the numbers were okay: the US unemployment rate is 3.7 per cent, and annualized wages growth held at 3.1 per cent. The jobs-added figure was a big miss, coming in at 155,000 – also, although respectable, the wages component did print below expectations. However, stripping-out the highly charged emotions in financial markets at-the-moment, the figures produced by Non-Farm Payrolls were objectively solid. The picture it painted of the US economy was good.
Friday’s price action: But that doesn’t matter in this market. The bears are winning, and the bulls are looking for any excuse to sell. Wall Street experienced another poleaxing on Friday night, backing on from a mixed day in Europe: the NASDAQ was down over 3 per cent again, while the Dow Jones and S&P500 were down nearly 2-and-a-half per cent. Rates and bonds didn’t respond well to the Non-Farms data: the yield on the US 2 Year Treasury fell to 2.71 per cent, while the yield on the US 10 Year note fell to 2.85 percent, taking the spread there to 14 basis points. The US Dollar took a dive, breaking upward trend support, launching gold through resistance to $US1249 per ounce. The EUR and Yen naturally benefitted from the weaker greenback, but the AUD is still struggling, unaided by a fall in iron ore, which fell despite climbs in other commodities.
ASX, and the week ahead: The last price on the SPI futures contract is indicating a 30-point drop for the ASX200 this Monday. This comes on the back of a relatively uneventful, but solid day for the index on Friday, which managed to eke out a 0.4 per cent gain. This week is filled with a litany of risk events. The first market to watch might be the oil market, after OPEC+ agreed over the weekend to cut production to stabilize falling prices. The trade war and the developments in it relating to the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wan Zhou will be curious. US CPI, PPI and Retail Sales data will be closely watched too, as traders gauge US economic health.
The week may well prove to be more about Europe, though. There is a stack of event risk coming up. It may well not go ahead, but Brexit is scheduled to vote on UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit bill. The Cable is worth watching ahead of that event. ECB President Mario Draghi speaks, and the ECB meets, with his commentary to be perused for signals that the Europe’s central bank might be stepping away from its potential rate hikes. Whatever is said by Draghi will be assessed against a slew of PMI figures. And finally, the Italian fiscal crisis will probably continue to be a soap-opera, though hopes are rising that the Italians are going to play ball.
Expected index adjustments
Please see the expected dividend adjustment figures for a number of our major indices for the week commencing 10 Dec 2018. If you have any queries or questions on this please let us know in the comments section below. For further information regarding dividend adjustments, and how they affect your positions, please take a look at the video.
NB: All dividend adjustments are forecasts and therefore speculative. A dividend adjustment is a cash neutral adjustment on your account. Special Divs are highlighted in orange.
Special dividends this week
Index
Bloomberg Code
Effective Date
Summary
Dividend Amount
PSI20
RAM PL
12/12/2018
Special Div
1.15
NDX
PCAR US
13/12/2018
Special Div
2
RTY
AMSF US
13/12/2018
Special Div
3.5
SPX
PCAR US
13/12/2018
Special Div
2
RTY
CWH US
14/12/2018
Special Div
0.0732
PSI20
RAM PL
17/12/2018
Special Div
0.085
How do dividend adjustments work?
As you know, constituent stocks of an index will periodically pay dividends to shareholders. When they do, the overall value of the index is affected, causing it to drop by a certain amount. Each week, we receive the forecast for the number of points any index is due to drop by, and we publish this for you. As dividends are scheduled, public events, it is important to remember that leveraged index traders can neither profit nor lose from such price movements.
This information has been prepared by IG, a trading name of IG Markets Limited. In addition to the disclaimer below, the material on this page does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication. Although we are not specifically constrained from dealing ahead of our recommendations we do not seek to take advantage of them before they are provided to our clients. See full non-independent research disclaimer and quarterly summary.
Make or Break for Brexit?
There have already been so many twists and turns in the UK’s efforts to negotiate its separation from the European Union that that investors are getting dizzy. It is troublingly difficult to gain a reliable bead on a probable outcome for this stalemate, but the lack of time and dwindling hope of an outcome that will satisfy the majority of those involved raises the threat of a ‘bad’ outcome and even worse market response. This is not one of those events where ignoring the risks can prompt complacent gains. Once again, we are coming up to a key milestone in this saga where conditions can continue with a narrow course forward where the best case scenario still reflects considerable uncertainty and no small measure of market fallout. Or, it can be pitched into disarray. If you are monitoring the march forward of this fraught Brexit divorce – and you should whether you have direct Pound or UK investment exposure or not – highlight on your calendar Parliament’s vote on Prime Minister Theresa May’s proposal Tuesday.
The draft was made in concert with EU negotiators which produced a result that theoretically both sides could sign off on. That would seem a viable course forward if not for the level of discord in UK politics. Rhetoric surrounding the Prime Minister deal is distinctly harsh from both the conservatives who found vindication in the referendum outcome as a sign of a clean break as well as Labour and other groups who are attempting to keep economically supportive elements of EU access or do not support the withdrawal altogether. It is likely that Parliament votes the plan down which will open up a range of scenarios – very few of which are will avoid deeper trouble. After a rejection, the government has three weeks to work another deal, but the EU will be far less interested in an agreement that asks for more and the rapidly diminishing time frame will leave little opportunity to warm counterparts to their side.
Parliament voted this past week – after finding the Prime Minister in contempt for refusing to release official legal advice on Brexit – to give itself greater say over the proceedings should her plan be rejected. This is likely to empower the MPs to demand more favorable – but perhaps ultimately unworkable – terms. It may also raise the pressure for a second referendum. Previously May has rejected the option outright, but recently she has floated the idea. It comes off more as a threat for conservatives to get in line, but she has said there is a choice of “my deal, no deal or no Brexit at all”. Two of those three options are considered assured crisis to all the relevant parties involved; and unfortunately, that third lesser evil is different for all of them. Beware Pound volatility and the risk of fast moving local capital markets which can be exacerbated by the waning liquidity in these final weeks of the year.
This December is Already Bucking Seasonality Expectations
As we have discussed more and more as of late, there are seasonal norms in capital markets. These unlikely cycles arise through a few different practical market occurrences. Mid-day direction changes in individual trading sessions, summer doldrums, quarterly earnings runs and more draw on reliable conditional developments that can shape conditions – though specifics like direction are still up to the unique circumstances that play out in the given period. In the final weeks of the calendar year, we have one of the most reliable norms in trading. For those that want the scene described in a short phrase, ‘Santa Claus Rally’ usually suffices as they can fill in the circumstances with their imagination. A reduction in liquidity for western holidays and/or a general sentiment is seen as the foundation for a market’s performance. The liquidity aspect is at least correct and conditions earned through collective habit can often fill in the rest. However, when we follow this theme to the assumed bullish-backed trend, there are certain environmental criteria that need to support the outcome.
Normally, the pending risks column needs to either be small or populated with issues that can readily be deferred until more convenient market conditions return. That is not the case now with growth forecasts slowing, warnings of financial risks growing more numerous (from the likes of central banks and IMF), trade war consequences kicking in and political risks splashing the headlines. These are not issues that can readily be shelved and they are receiving media attention on a regular basis. With this backdrop, there are frequent sparks that can provoke panic which makes the backdrop all the more threatening. If an otherwise contained crisis arises somewhere in the world, the thin market conditions can amplify the ill-effects of panic to spread well beyond its normal reach. And, while it may not be capable of a lengthy collapse of the financial system through such diluted conditions, it can lay the groundwork for a vicious cycle that begins the process only to catalyze fully when markets fill out – much like a nuclear reaction.
In portfolio and statistical theory, it is not advisable to position for collapse against these seasonal norms as the probabilities are still skewed in favor of the norms. However, it doesn’t mean that we need to be utterly complacent with the risks that we hold. Reducing size, diversifying away from ‘risk’ markets or buying hedges reduces your beta exposure, but it isn’t like we are missing out on opportunities through a period that will be ‘dead’ in the base case scenario. The volatility we have experienced this past week, the past two months and in two distinct periods over the year (Feb-March and Oct-Nov) are a reminder that we should be more proactive with our reducing our exposure to the capricious unknown.
Who Faces the Greater (Probable) Systemic Threat: Dollar or Euro?
Everything in investing is a probability – that is a mantra I repeat to myself to avoid the delusion of certainty in a view or position. To put belief into action, I try to always lay out the probable scenarios for a particular market, asset, event, etc. Even if I consider a certain outcome more likely, considering the alternatives can help to identify earlier when the theory isn’t panning out and to even help stage an actionable strategy for a lower probability path. Most of the time in trading, the focus is to identify best case (the most productive bullish) scenarios, but there is just as much value in projecting worst case outcomes and their probabilities. This can help us avoid markets with a severe probability/potential imbalance or even identify better trading opportunities – I would rather pursue a short in a productive bear trend than suffer a long exposure in a choppy bull market. In evaluating the majors for their practical ‘worst case scenarios’ (those outcomes that are severe but not wholly unlikely – or qualifiers for a true ‘black swan’ designation) I think the Dollar and Euro deserve closer observation.
For the Pound, the market is well aware of the possibility of a bad fallout from the Brexit which puts investors on guard and making moves that help to hedge risk. The Japanese Yen is so inextricably tied to risk trends and the Bank of Japan’s policy so open-ended that other issues struggle to compete for anxiety. For the Euro, a return to existential rumination on the currency union with the Italy-EU budget standoff is a still-underappreciated issue. The bulls in the market likely look back to the situation with Greece and assume a routine path for any future confrontations to be resolved in the same way. That is presumptuous to be negligent. The fact that this is occurring after Greece and during the UK’s bid for a withdrawal (admittedly from the EU and not Eurozone) should raise the level of concern significantly. It hasn’t. Perhaps the lingering premium afforded the currency for the eventual turn from extreme accommodation by the ECB will be the first dashed enthusiasm to awaken market participants of more unfavorable outcomes. If a country were to leave the currency union (EMU or Eurozone), it would fundamentally change the appeal of the currency as a global unit by significantly reducing the size of its collateral (GDP and capital) which would in turn significantly increase its perceived volatility. And, those are critical properties of a currency.
The situation is unusually similar for the US Dollar. The pursuit of trade wars inherently encourages the world to redirect funds away from the US Dollar to avoid the policy conflicts that it brings (in trading terms, the volatility). Meanwhile, the rising deficit becomes increasingly problematic as the cost to service the massive debt rises and outside demand dries up. This can lead to a general shift away from the Greenback’s use permanently which the market won’t fully appreciate until much deeper into the situation. Similarly here, the market may more readily recognize something is wrong via monetary policy as the Fed adjusts to some form of the systemic risks by slowing its pace of policy normalization. So, which currency faces the longer-term – but still reasonable – risk? The Dollar. The ubiquity of the currency globally (nearly two-thirds of all FX transactions) means that it has far far more to lose should its use diminish. And that is very likely as the threat of further credit quality downgrades occur owing to its appetite for debt and its withdrawal from the global markets.
Bitcoin hit year low falling below $3,500 after a 11% dive.
Chip stocks in Europe and Asia tumbled after the arrest of Huawei CFO . AMS dived 7%, STMicroelectronics fell 4% and Dialog Semiconductor slid 3%.
Dow rebounds after falling 780 points ending the day only slightly lower yesterday.
10-year Treasury yield fell to 2.83% amid stock sell-off compared to the beginning of the week where it was above 3%.
Non-Farm payrolls today expected to have expanded by 198,00 in November.
Oil prices fell, Brent Crude falling below $60 a barrel, trading at $59.50, down 0.9%. This follows delayed OPEC oil cut decision, further talks to be held today with oil producing nations.
Singapore authorities cast shadow over the Noble Group's $3.5 billion debt rescue plan, stating that they would block the relisting of shares.
Asian overnight: Equities have recovered from their lows, with a better session in Asia overnight following on from a steep rebound for US indices that saw the Dow recover from an initial 400-point sell-off to end the day only 80 points down. Investors continue to watch for further signs of fallout between China and the US, but so far the situation is quiet. Markets are also waiting for a decision on oil supply levels from OPEC, the cartel having failed to reach agreement yesterday.
Asian stocks see some improvement after Wall Street Journal report suggests that the US interest rates may not increase as quickly as feared. Consequently, the Nikkei up 0.8%, the Hang Seng rose 0.2% and Shaghai stocks clawed back 0.4%.
UK, US and Europe: The US jobs report is the focus of attention today, with the recent strength in wages likely to recur. Also on the calendar is the Canadian jobs report, plus the Michigan confidence survey.
Last night saw an amendment to the Brexit draft laid down in the House of Commons which offered MPs more say over when and if the contentious Northern Ireland backstop will be triggered. However, DUP leader Arlene Foster dismissed the amendment.
Economic calendar - key events and forecast (times in GMT)
1.30pm – US non-farm payrolls (November): payrolls to be 205K from 250K, while average hourly earnings rise 0.2% MoM, and the unemployment rate holds at 3.7%. Markets to watch: US indices, USD crosses
1.30pm – Canada employment data (November): 10,000 jobs expected to have been created, from 11,200 a month earlier, and unemployment rate to rise to 5.9% from 5.8%. Markets to watch: CAD crosses
3pm – US Univ. of Michigan consumer confidence (December, preliminary): forecast to be 93 from 97.5. Markets to watch: US indices, USD crosses
Source: Daily FX Economic Calendar
Corporate News, Upgrades and Downgrades
Associated British Foods said that trading for the first eight weeks of the year was in line with expectations, although November trading at Primark was described as ‘challenging’. The outlook for the current year was unchanged.
Berkeley Group reported a pre-tax profit of £401.2 million for the first half, down from £539.9 million a year earlier. Despite this drop, the firm has increased its pre-tax profit guidance for the current year by at least 5%. It sold 2027 homes in the period, down from 2190 a year earlier, but the average selling price rose to £740,000, from £721,000 a year earlier.
Premier Oil has reaffirmed annual output guidance, thanks to a stronger performance in November and December. Full-year output is forecast to be around 80k barrels/day. It has also begun drilling at the Zama-2 well offshore Mexico, and has completed the sale of its interests in the Babbage area for £30.3 million.
Walmart announce plans to buy Art.com a e-commerce home décor site.
Fiat Chrysler announces plan to open new factory in Detroit.
Yesterday saw 02 customers without data or facing cellular disruption for 24 hours.
Akzo Nobel upgraded to buy at Jefferies
Amer Sports upgraded to accumulate at Inderes
Rotork upgraded to neutral at Credit Suisse
Schindler upgraded to overweight at Barclay
BMW downgraded to reduce at Commerzbank
Scatec Solar downgraded to neutral at SpareBank
Centamin downgraded to hold at Berenberg
IP Group downgraded to under perform at Jefferies
IGTV featured video
Information has been prepared by IG, a trading name of IG Markets Limited. In addition to the disclaimer below, the material on this page does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication. Although we are not specifically constrained from dealing ahead of our recommendations we do not seek to take advantage of them before they are provided to our clients. See full non-independent research disclaimer and quarterly summary.
Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia
Panic stations, still: The behaviour in financial markets is resembling cats trapped in a burning room: the air is unclear, it’s unbearably hot, and people are scrambling to find an exit – or at least, somewhere appropriate to hide. The chaos is one thing, but the true issue – as is always the case, when these situations become particularly fraught – is no one can really describe why this is going on exactly. Now, we all know the stories: the Fed has equivocated and that’s confused the heck out of markets; US-China relations are hot-and-cold; future global growth expectations are being unwound; Brexit is on-again-off-again; and a breakthrough in oil markets out of the OPEC meeting hasn’t emerged. These issues are ongoing, so it’s not any sort of surprise that they’d all be weighing on markets in some form. The confusion is why they are all conspiring to create such fireworks now.
Risk-off: Maybe traders have just taken too many hits in the last 3-months, and the bulls are effectively tapping out. A premature call, here, to be sure, however there seems so little motivation to hold onto riskier assets. It seems that collectively, a clear strategy to handle the volatility isn’t yet to emerge. The classic plays into safe-havens can be seen: US Treasuries are going on a tear presently, for a variety of reasons to be discussed shortly. An unwinding of the Yen carry trade has pushed the USD/JPY to 112.50. And gold is looking at a break-out above resistance at $1240. Inversely, risk proxies have also been thumped: global equities (needless to say) are getting hammered, the AUD/USD is taking a rinsing, and commodities, led by a 3 per cent tumble in oil, and a 1.1 per cent fall in copper, are plummeting.
US interest rates: Interest rates traders have taken it upon themselves to signal to the market that the Fed ought not to be going anywhere in 2019 with interest rates. A December hike is still considered locked-in for all intents and purposes, but even a single hike in 2019 is progressively being priced out by markets. It’s an incredibly aggressive play ahead of key Non-Farm Payrolls, where wage growth figures will be assessed for inflation prospects. But whether rightly or wrongly, interest rate markets are calling it: hikes-off, cycle over – the share market and the economy have peaked. The dynamic is showing up right across the US yield curve: the yield on the interest rate sensitive 2 Year Treasury note is at 2.75%, above the 5 Year note, which is at 2.74%; and the benchmark 10 Year Treasury bond is yielding 2.87 per cent.
Update on the yield curve: Doing the maths: the yield curve is still inverted, and the key spread between the 2 Year and 10 Year Treasuries is about 12 basis-points. For those who believe in the indicator’s efficacy: this still is flashing signs that markets are moving to price in a recession. To be sure, it’s way too early to call such a thing; but what can be inferred with more certainty is that markets believe an economic slow-down is approaching, and the global economy can’t withstand a non-stimulatory US Fed. It’s an indictment on the economic system that it can’t hold itself to together without extraordinary support. Stepping away from the disorder, though: perhaps this big-long cycle of central banks seeking to control the business cycle is seeing such diminished returns, and that the overall structure is no longer viable or sustainable.
Trade War tensions: First comes the Fed, and then everything else. It has to be when assessing these markets. There are other drivers of the current climate of fear, however, that threaten market fundamentals. The US-China trade war took a nasty turn yesterday when it was reported the Huawei’s CFO has been arrested in Canada, and faced extradition to the United States, on allegations of trade violations. Though a long way from certain, some attributed the mini-flash crash on the CME Futures exchange yesterday to the shock of this news. Nevertheless, US-Sino trade relations have become highly-charged again, with the expectation now the goodwill between the US and China as each nation works towards a trade deal is disappearing. Trade sensitive areas of financial markets got smacked-down consequently: Chinese stocks were walloped, the Yuan plunged to 6.88, and industrial stocks bled.
US Session: There is about an hour-and-a-half left in trade on Wall Street, and while the isn’t as bad Tuesday’s session, it’s still far from pretty. The Dow Jones is leading losses, down 1.8 per cent, followed closely by the S&P500 which is down 1.42%. The NASDAQ is holding up a trifle better, down only 0.8 per cent. This backed up a day in Europe that saw stock indices across that region shed over 3 per cent. Brexit concerns certainly aren’t helping there. The uncertainty around the day’s OPEC meeting is enervating financial markets. The price of oil is down in the realms of 3 per cent itself, sparking jitters in credit markets and therefore global equities, as traders wait-and-hope for a deal to cut oil production by OPEC. The price of Brent Crude has dived below the $US60.00 handle in the interim, while WTI is buying just above $US51.00 per barrel.
ASX200: SPI futures are pointing to another down day for the ASX200. That contract is indicating a 23-point drop at the open. It must be remarked that despite the turmoil in overseas markets, Australian shares are holding up rather well. The session closed with a relatively modest 0.2% loss yesterday, clawing back the losses sustained during the US Futures mini-flash crash. Proven again was the thick support for the index in the low 5600s, which provided a solid floor for the market to bounce off yesterday. Repeated challenges of that mark can’t last forever, but it is heartening to know the buyers are there.
Also positive was a clear rotation within Australian equities yesterday: unlike other parts of the world, traders were discerning enough to rotate into defensives away from cyclical stocks, rather than dumping equities whole-sale. It shows a desire to be exposed to equities at all, at a time where, in some parts of the world, going near the asset class is toxic. A grind lower may well transpire today, with the banks surely to be hurt by falling global yields, the miners to feel the pinch of falling commodity prices, and the energy sector to suffer from oil’s spill. Once again, maybe today can be assessed today on the breadth experienced by markets, and whether defensive sectors can hold it together.
Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada where she faces extradition to the US for violating US sanctions, leading to growing tensions between the China and US that create further doubt about the cease-fire on the tariff war declared over the weekend. Shares in Asian suppliers to Huawei sank on Thursday after the arrest was made pubic.
Asian markets fell on Thursday ahead of the highly awaited OPEC meeting to be held in Austria today. The Hang Seng was down 2.62%, the Nikkei fell 1.91% and the Shanghai composite slipped 1.26% during the morning trading session.
The UK could face “protracted and reported rounds of negotiations” if it tries to exit a backstop customs union with the EU.
The FTSE 100 closed 1.44% lower at 6.921,84 on Wednesday, with a general decline in its constituents led by Ashtead Group PLC, Melrose Industries PLC and NMC Health PLC who lost 5.83%, 5.05% and 5.05% respectively.
European stocks were trading lower on Wednesday as continuing worries about global trade leave investors with concerns regarding the future of economic growth. The Dax was down 1.19% whilst the CAC and the IBEX were down 1,36% and 0.55% respectively.
US markets are expected to continue the sell-off on Thursday as DOW futures drop almost 400 points. As stock markets remained closed on Wednesday for the official mourning day of former US president George H.W. Bush, the growing tensions between China and the US continue to place uncertainty on the viability of the two countries honouring the cease-fire declared over the weekend, leaving investors feeling weary, which is putting downward pressure on the stock market.
Palladium has become one of the best performing precious metals in the year, dethroning gold as the most valuable precious metal. The metal hit $1,257 per ounce, surpassing the price of gold for the first time since 2002. The demand for palladium is expected to rise as tougher emission laws come in to place.
Copper has drifted to a one-week low as US-China tensions resurface.
Join us today at 1pm to discuss the future of Base Metals where you can ask your questions to our guest experts Daniel Lacalle and John Meyer, either via youtube, twitter, facebook or by posting them on the comments section on the following link: https://community.ig.com/blogs/entry/271-igcommoditychat-base-metals/
Asian overnight: The arrest of a senior Huawei executive provided the spark for a fresh round of selling in Chinese equities, adding to a broadly grim session for Asian markets. Tech stocks in Hong Kong suffered heavily, with the overall index down 2.9%. Oil prices have begun to get the jitters ahead of the OPEC meeting today, with the decision expected at 5pm London time.
UK, US and Europe: A full text of advice written by the attorney-general Geoffrey Cox was published on Wednesday, a day after MPs found the government to be in contempt of parliament by not publishing the document, in which Mr Cox states that the backstop which would keep the UK in a customs union with the EU, would “endure indefinitely” until and alternative solution was applied to avoid a hard boarder.
The general negative correlation between the sterling and the UK equity market is starting to diminish. In the past, we have seen that as the pounds weakens, the FTSE100 gains strength. This inverse relationship has faded and we are now coming to see a positive correlation between the sterling and the equities market. This is most likely due to the growing concerns that Britain will leave the EU with a “no deal”, which is seen to be catastrophic for the UK economy.
The OPEC meeting is the main event, with a cut of 1.4 million barrels in daily output the baseline expectation. Anything less than this may result in fresh downward momentum in crude. Aside from this, the calendar is rather quiet although we do have the US trade balance later today.
Economic calendar - key events and forecast (times in GMT)
Source: Daily FX Economic Calendar
1.30pm – US trade balance (October): deficit to hold at $54 billion. Market to watch: USD crosses
3pm – Canada Ivey PMI (November): expected to fall to 60.8 from 61.8. Market to watch: CAD crosses
Corporate News, Upgrades and Downgrades
DS Smith said that first half revenue rose 16% to £3.07 billion, while adjusted operating profit was 32% higher at £304 million (both in constant currency terms).
Ted Baker has appointed law firm Herbert Smith to look into allegations of inappropriate behaviour. The firm added that group sales were down 0.2% for the 16 weeks to 1 December.
Hiscox and Spirax-Sarco will be joining the FTSE100 replacing Just Eat and Royal Mail. Changes will be effective from start of trading on Dec. 24.
Faroe Petroleum raised to equal-weight at Barclays
Genus upgraded to buy at Kepler Cheuvreux
Takeaway raised to sector perform at RBC
Capgemini downgraded to equal-weight at Barclays
Klovern downgraded to reduce at Handelsbanken
Petra Diamonds downgraded to hold at Panmure Gordon
Sage downgraded to add at AlphaValue
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UK government found in contempt of parliament for the first time due to not releasing the full legal advice regarding Brexit. The government has now agreed that it will be published which may cause more instability in the markets
Markets have retreated following their rally attributed to agreements made between the US and China at the G20. The fall comes amidst increasing sentiment of an economic slowdown as well as reduced faith in trade war negotiations following officials of the Trump administration admitting it was too early to say if a longer-term deal could be reached.
The Dow was down over 2.5% whereas the Hang Seng was down over 1.5%. Meanwhile, the EU volatility index was up over 7% over the course of yesterday.
Australian GDP missed growth QoQ by 0.3% and YoY by 0.5%. The growth targets were 0.6% and 3.3% respectively.
Oil prices have fallen again as the Chinese government has warned of a falling demand due to a slowing down of the economy whilst the US oil inventories have continued to grow according to a report by the American petroleum institute. Official US oil inventories will be released today at 15:30 GMT.
Gold has fallen from its recent 5 week high and the dollar has strengthened. The dollar basket gained 0.4% yesterday.
This market sell off comes as bond yields have dropped, showing a flight from equities into the less risky assets. The current US yield curve and what it means for investors is discussed here.
Asian overnight: Asian markets fell sharply after a dismal day for US equities, with 3%+ losses for the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq. Recession fears are rising as investors watch the yield curve warily, while growth fears hit oil prices too, reversing some of the gains from earlier in the week.
UK, US and Europe: US markets are closed today for the funeral of President George H W Bush, which should result in lower volumes across the board. The pound remains in focus, after the prime minister suffered a series of reverses in Parliament, which may however mean that a no-deal Brexit is much less likely, and a possible ‘Norway option’ becomes a possibility if the current deal fails to pass Parliament.
The contempt vote was another blow to British Prime Minister Theresa May as she battles to gain support for her withdrawal agreement. The vote was won by 311 votes to 293 and saw a substantial drop it the pound which briefly hit its lowest level since April 2017. The vote also saw 26 conservative MP’s vote for their leader to release the full details of the legal advice. The vote was also notably backed by the DUP who have a parliamentary pact with the conservatives, however they have been outspoken with their displeasure with how the withdrawal agreement approaches the Irish boarder issue. Jeremy Corbyn has demanded that the advice is published before the parliamentary vote on the withdrawal agreement next week, so MP’s can make an informed decision. Andrea Leadsom has only indicated that she plans to “respond” today as MP’s meet again as part of the 5-day debate. Speaker of the House John Bercow has stated it would be unimaginable that the advice is not provided before the vote. Continued division between and within the parties suggests the PM may need to increase her efforts if she wishes to get this agreement passed when the MP’s make their decision on it on Tuesday the 11th.
Economic calendar - key events and forecast (times in GMT)
Source: Daily FX Economic Calendar
9.30am – UK services PMI (November): activity expected to increase, with the index rising to 54.1 from 52.2. Markets to watch: FTSE 100/250, GBP crosses 1.15pm – US ADP employment report (November): 189K jobs expected to have been created, from 227K jobs a month ago. Markets to watch: US indices, USD crosses 3pm – Bank of Canada rate decision: no change in policy expected. Market to watch: CAD crosses 3pm – US ISM non-mfg PMI (November): expected to drop to 59.5 from 59.7. Markets to watch: US indices, USD crosses 3.30pm – US EIA crude inventories (w/e 30 November):stockpiles to rise by 2 million barrels, from a 3 million increase a week earlier. Markets to watch: Brent, WTI
Corporate News, Upgrades and Downgrades
Stagecoach suffered a pre-tax loss of £22.6 million, compared to a profit of £96.7 million a year earlier, with a writedown in the value of the US business the main culprit. Adjusted pre-tax profit was down 10% to £87 million.
Wood Group has won a $43 million contract to construct 80 miles of steel pipeline in west Texas.
Patisserie Valerie have appointed an interim finance chief following issues with their accounting reported in October
The Civil Aviation Authority has announced it is taking legal action against RyanAir. The airline are claiming that they do not have to compensate customers for delays during strikes from their staff as they believe this constitutes "extraordinary circumstances". The EU mandate that passengers must be compensated for delays does not apply if the situation is deemed to be extraordinary.
Takeda have gained shareholder approval for their £46 billion takeover of Shire, the largest corporate takeover Japan has ever had
Alpine shareholders have approved their merger with Alps Electric
Aker Solutions upgraded to buy at Kepler Cheuvreux
Bayer upgraded to buy at DZ Bank
HeidelbergCement upgraded to overweight at JPMorgan
Salzgitter upgraded to neutral at Macquarie
Electrolux cut to underweight at Morgan Stanley
Ted Baker downgraded to hold at HSBC
Glaxo downgraded to equal-weight at Barclays
Hargreaves Lansdown cut to underweight at Morgan Stanley
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Information has been prepared by IG, a trading name of IG Markets Limited. In addition to the disclaimer below, the material on this page does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication. Although we are not specifically constrained from dealing ahead of our recommendations we do not seek to take advantage of them before they are provided to our clients. See full non-independent research disclaimer and quarterly summary.
Please see the following analysis from Chris Beauchamp, Chief Market Analyst at IG, a global leader in online trading.
OPEC preview
OPEC faces a difficult task this week, as it aims to prop up the oil price without antagonising the US or putting too much strain on state finances by cutting production too much.
The current state of demand and supply
After being in deficit for 2018 and 2019, the oil market is expected to shift back to surplus next year:
Crude output continues to rise despite the decline in Iranian output:
Crude oil seasonality
Usually oil weakens in the first two months of Q4, but it then tends to pick up from the first half of December, beginning a steady rally into the summer.
Expectations
Current forecasts suggest a cut of 1.4 million barrels per day will result from the meeting. Anything less than this would likely cause another drop in prices. The meeting may not go with an explicit number, merely creating an agreement to restrict supply. Again, this is unlikely to be well-received by the oil market.
Saudi Arabia – walking a tightrope
Saudi Arabia faces a difficult balancing act. On the one hand, it must avoid letting the oil price fall too far and hurt its finances (and those of the others in OPEC, though that is less of a concern). On the other, it will seek to avoid cutting too far, too fast, since this might lead to a sharp bounce in the oil price, which would annoy the White House.
Saudi Arabia knows that it has outraged world opinion with its actions regarding Jamal Khashoggi, and that only the lack of outright condemnation from the US has saved them from serious consequences. Trump’s decision to equivocate on the subject, while not conditional on keeping oil prices down, may waver if they cut output by a significant amount.
But then again, with a defence budget running at 10% of GDP (almost five times the global average and three times the US budget in GDP terms), plus large state spending commitments, Saudi Arabia has to look at some cuts in order to restore balance to its finances.
The FT reports that the Saudi energy minister has argued that cuts of at least a million barrels per day are needed.
Russia
Although not an OPEC member, Russia is Saudi’s other major partner in the oil market. Russia too is caught between wanting to boost prices and keeping its oil wells going at full production. Putin is aware that falling oil revenues put pressure on the Russian state, at a time of austerity for the Russian economy. Recent attempts to raise the pension age have not gone down well, and the president faces falling opinion poll ratings. Russia is arguably happy with the current state of affairs, but may be persuaded of the benefits of cutting production in return for higher prices.
A smaller than expected cut, however, might have the opposite effect, sending prices lower and resulting in lower output for Russian wells. This would not go down well in Moscow.
The rest of OPEC
Saudi Arabia could look to persuade other members to cut production. Nigeria and Libya were left out of the last round of cuts, due to the fact that their output was still recovering after shocks arising from political troubles.
But both are keen to keep producing to boost state revenues, while others like Iraq and Iran are also rather cool on the idea of reducing output.
Saudi Arabia faces a tough task convincing the rest of the cartel to cut output, particularly if it does not set out its own production cuts.
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Prepared by IG Markets Ltd.
Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia
Inverted Yield Curves: There’ll probably be a lot of talk about “inverted yield curves” and “recessions” today. For some, reading such headlines will come as a shock. Perhaps even a cause of anxiety. It’s wise to understand why such commentary has emerged – and what that may imply. The price action in US Treasuries has been quite dramatic in the past 24-hours: the (what ought to be) familiar themes regarding a looming global economic slow-down, and the prospect of softer future US inflation has seen traders cut their predictions of future rates hikes from the US Fed. The short-end of the yield curve – the end which is more exposed to the near-term actions of the Fed – has held up well; but it’s the middle-to-end of the curve – the part controlled very much by traders’ expectations about future growth and inflation – that is experiencing the greatest duress.
What it all means: In short: traders are anticipating an imminent end to the Fed’s hiking cycle, and they are now trying to approximate when the Fed may cut rates again. This is where the talk of recession starts to pop-up. As is easy enough to grasp, the Fed would need to cut rates in the event that the economy requires stimulatory support from monetary policy. Such circumstances would emerge if the economy began to slip into something resembling a recession. Hence, when yields at some point in the curve invert, it’s a reflection of traders collectively estimating that in the near-enough future, interest rates will be lower than what they are (around about) now, because the economy will enter into a period of significant weakness to require a rate cut from the Fed.
No reason to panic (yet): It sounds quite ominous when the mechanics are explained. It’s doubly as bad when one considers the last time the US went into recession, it was the GFC. We all have memories of how dire that stage of history was. However, any fears elicited by talks of recession and everything that comes with it must be moderated by some counterbalancing arguments. Indeed, an inverted yield curve has portended the last 9 out 11 US recessions, but the time-lag between yield-curve-inversion and a recession should be noted. After an inversion of the US 2 Year Treasury note and the 10 Year Treasury note (the spread on these two assets being the most popular barometer for the phenomenon) it’s not for another 12-18 months that a recession is realized.
US growth is solid (for now): So: while financial markets will be whipped into a frenzy about what is going on – especially as safe-haven assets like US bonds are gobbled-up as risk appetite wanes – the effects on the “real” economy are unlikely to manifest in the all-too immediate future. And justifiably so: global growth is waning, and it is not as synchronized as it was in 2017, but at least in the US, economic indicators remain relatively strong. The labour market, which is in focus this week with Non-Farm Payrolls figures released on Friday, is still very tight, leading to gradual wages growth; quarter-on-quarter GDP is still around 3-and-a-half per cent; and although business conditions are cooling, Monday’s release of US Manufacturing PMI still posted a much better than forecast result.
What triggered the panic: It begs the question what precipitated this bearishness overnight. In financial markets, an underlying dynamic – such as that which has been experienced in the last 24 hours – may well be present, but it requires a catalyst to ignite it into full motion. Last night’s jitters, in a macro-sense, were brought- about by a slew of disappointing news. The post-G20 rally has been faded, as traders question the longevity and substance behind the so-called deal between the US-China, after several top White House advisers failed to substantiate what outcomes have been agreed upon between the two trade-waring nations. The trade related pessimism was exacerbated by renewed concerns regarding Brexit, and the apparent inevitability of an economically disruptive “hard-Brexit” outcome.
Risk-off, havens-on: A rush to safety, and a subsequent liquidating of positions in riskier assets, has occurred. Touching again on US Treasuries: the yield on the benchmark 10 Year note has plunged to 2.91 per cent, and on the 2 Year note it has dipped to 2.80 per cent, taking the spread there to a narrow 11 points. Equities have been slaughtered, unwinding a considerable amount of last week’s gains: the Dow Jones is off 2.73 per cent, the S&P500 is off 2.3 per cent, and the NASDAQ is off 3.3 per cent (with an hour remaining in trade). The USD has climbed on its haven appeal, as has the Japanese Yen, which is back into the 112-handle, though gold has also rallied, despite the stronger greenback, to $US1238 per ounce. While in other commodities, copper is down 1.8 per cent, and oil is flat (this, leading into Thursday’s OPEC meeting).
Australia today: SPI futures are predicting another punishing day for the ASX200, with that contract at time of writing indicating a 52-point fall for the local index. The heavy hitting financials and materials sectors will probably struggle today: the former due to this tumble in bond yields, the latter as traders unwind the growth optimism piqued by the weekend’s G20 meeting. In line with overseas markets, defensive sectors could be the play today, though a day similar to yesterday which saw 10 out of 11 sectors in the red on 17.5 per cent breadth shouldn’t be discounted.
It’s GDP day today, and that should be watched closely, especially after the RBA at its meeting yesterday talked up the growth prospects of the Australian economy. Whatever the result the numbers produce – forecasts are for annualized growth at 3.3 per cent – it will unlikely shift Australian equities. The interest will be on the Australian Dollar and interest rate markets – the A-Dollar fell below 0.7350 again last night as risk-proxies were dumped – however the likelihood rates traders will bring forward their RBA-hike expectations in from 2020 is rather slim.
Theresa May will begin the five days of her House of Commons debate today, culminating in a historic vote on her Brexit compromise deal on December 11.
The Dow Jones closed 1.13% higher at 25,826.43 yesterday, whilst both the S&P and Nasdaq posted gains of 1.09% and 1.51 percent, respectively.
Asian shares fell on Tuesday as the optimism gathered from the US-China trade truce ends over doubts of a final resolution: the Hang Seng lost 0.3% as the ASX gave up 0.8% and Japan's Nikkei dropped 1.3% lower.
USD was 0.3% weaker against the yen, at 113.28.
Oil prices continued to rise on the back of the US-China trade truce and ahead of a key OPEC meeting this week in Vienna. US crude gained 1.2%, reaching $53.58 a barrel, whilst Brent crude is currently trading at $62.44 a barrel.
Gold rose as a result of a weaker dollar, up 0.4% to $1,235.88 an ounce.
UK, US and Europe: Five days of parliamentary debate are to begin today in the House of Commons, as Theresa May will try to secure backing on her compromise Brexit withdrawal deal, all culminating in a historic vote next Tuesday, on the 11th December. Currently, few MPs at Westminster are confident that the prime minister will win the vote, and many believe that May will suffer a defeat. A defeat next Tuesday could lead to a vote of no confidence and a parliamentary gridlock, likely resulting in further talks with Brussels to seek changes to the deal, or, in a more extreme case, a second referendum leading to a possible no-deal Brexit.
In the rest of Europe, EU finance ministers have struck a reform deal after all-night talks in Brussels. The deal includes measures to bolster the Eurozone against future financial crises by equipping the banking union with more financial backing, and to give its sovereign bailout fund extra flexibility in its ability to help out countries.
Looking ahead, volatility around GBP crosses at 9:15am GMT is likely to increase as the BOE's Mark Carney is due to speak at Parliament, along with three BOE Deputy Governors, about the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement before the Treasury Select Committee. We also have the UK Construction PMI release, which is an indicator of economic health and is expected to be lower than the previous month, signalling a slowdown in industry expansion.
Economic calendar - key events and forecast (times in GMT)
Source: Daily FX Economic Calendar
Corporate News, Upgrades and Downgrades
Altria, the maker of Malboro cigarettes, confirms they are in talks over a potential investment in Canadian cannabis producer, Cronos Group.
Zopa, the 13 year old P2P lender has become the first of its kind to secure a full UK banking license.
Unilever to acquire GSK's consumer nutrition business in a €3.3 billion deal.
Glencore's billionaire chief of copper, Telis Mistakidis, to step down amid US corruption probes of the commodity giant's Africa operations.
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Information has been prepared by IG, a trading name of IG Markets Limited. In addition to the disclaimer below, the material on this page does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication. Although we are not specifically constrained from dealing ahead of our recommendations we do not seek to take advantage of them before they are provided to our clients. See full non-independent research disclaimer and quarterly summary.
Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia
A bullish Monday: That big uplift we were all expecting after the weekend’s events at the G20 has transpired. The trade-war truce, as fleeting as it may prove to be, has supported a substantial enough boost in sentiment. Risk appetite has been teased, and risk assets across the global, beginning in the Asian session yesterday, and carrying through European and North American trade, have dutifully rallied, consequently. It’s a synchronized boost, prevailing across asset-classes, with traders relishing the double-shot of bullishness injected into markets in the last 7 days: a much more dovish Fed, which has lowered the possibility of higher global interest rates; and a de-escalation of the trade-war, which has ameliorated the concerns regarding future global economic growth.
Global stocks: There remains, at time of writing, a few moments left in the North American session, and as it stands, the good-vibrations are waning somewhat. Nevertheless, Wall Street is higher, capping-off a positive day for markets overall. The NASDAQ is leading the charge, up around 1 per cent for the session, while the Dow Jones and S&P500 are 0.7 per cent higher for the day. It follows an Asian and European session which saw the Nikkei up 1 per cent, the CSI300 up 2.8 per cent, the DAX up 1.85 per cent, and the FTSE100 up 1.2 per cent. Volumes have also been very substantial, running 30 per cent above average on the S&P, and a remarkable 45 per cent above average in Chinese share markets, adding conviction behind the day’s trade.
Currencies and commodities: Across the currency and commodity landscape, a comparable appetite for risk has occurred. Growth proxy currencies have generally prospered: the Australian Dollar is (presently) trading at 0.7350 – having challenged the 0.7390-mark yesterday, before a raft of soft local data gut-checked the local unit – and the New Zealand Dollar is up around 0.6920. The Loonie is also rallying, benefitting from the additional support of higher oil prices. The US Dollar has been sold-off, along with other haven currencies like the Japanese Yen, pushing the price of gold to resistance at $US1232. The Euro is modestly higher courtesy of a weaker greenback, but the Pound has left the party following news that a vote of no-confidence looms for Prime Minister May in the British parliament. Finally, Industrial metals are higher, thanks to the uplift in economic-growth-optimism, paced by LME copper, which rallied 1.6 per cent.
Can it last? So that was Monday, and its undoubtedly been a day of positive price-action. But it now begs the question: beyond a sweet one-day rally, does this move higher have more legs? As far as this week goes, the matter is dubious. Markets move on surprises, whether they be good or bad, and what market participants received on the weekend was quite a surprise: a cordial outcome to the trade-talks was expected and priced-in; what wasn’t, however, was the freezing of tariffs for 90-days, coupled with the various commitments to reform certain trade practices. The rush-of-blood for traders came as they attempted to price this new information into markets – naturally, leading to a spike higher in risk-assets. The problem is now that with today’s market activity this has been completed, meaning traders will now go back to looking ahead to the next events at hand.
Risk events loom: Looking forward into just this week alone, there is an abundance of information to keep traders shuffling on their toes. Economic data wasn’t particularly heavy across the globe yesterday, but the next 24 hours will set in motion a fortnight of highly significant economic data. Locally, the RBA meets today, before the big-ticket Australian GDP print is released tomorrow. A slew of PMI figures will be released in the next four days across Asia, Europe and North America, and will provide a proper gauge on the state of global growth. US Non-Farm’s come out on Friday, potentially reshaping once more perceptions regarding the US inflation outlook and possible Fed policy. And OPEC meet on Thursday (AEDT) to discuss oil markets – an event which has taken even greater significance now after Qatar announced yesterday it plans to leave OPEC.
Bonds flashing warning signs: Those are just the headline grabbers, too. There’s considerably more than just that going on. Fundamentally, from a macro-perspective, a reversal in sentiment if a data-point goes the wrong way for the bulls could shift the dial once more. The signs under-the-hood are already presenting this: despite rallying across the curve briefly during Asian trade, US bond yields have retraced their gains – the yield on benchmark US 10 Year note climbed to 3.05 per cent, before plunging back below 3.00 per cent in US trade. Most worryingly, the spread between the 10 Year and 2 Year US Treasury notes narrowed to just below 16 points, while the spread between the 3 Year and 5 Year equivalent has inverted. This is as good as a flashing light as any to suggest that markets are increasingly pricing in slower growth, if not some sort of US recession, moving into the medium-to-long term.
The here and now: ASX200: That’s certainly the alarmist view – and it should be noted that it’s a problem to be confronted in the slightly-more distant future. Bringing the focus back to the here-and-now and to today’s Australian session, SPI futures are pointing to a pull-back in the ASX200 of about 20 points. The day’s trade will be highlighted by the RBA’s meeting, but the central bank will keep interest rates on hold, and there are few surprises tipped to come out of the accompanying statement. Yesterday’s session, during which breadth was a remarkable 88 per cent, could be considered a combination of a recovery from Friday’s substantial losses, and a relief rally off the back of the weekend’s G20 meeting. Maybe futures markets are telling us a necessary moderation of that excitement ought to be in store today.
It was the materials space that unsurprisingly led the charge during yesterday’s trade, supported by a climb in the financials sector. The former added 29 points to the index and the latter added 16. Energy stocks were the best performing in relative terms, as traders took the cues from Russian and Saudi leaders at the G20 regarding likely oil production cuts, to climb 4.6 per cent and tip-in 14 points to the ASX200’s overall gains. Riskier momentum/growth stocks in the health care and information technology sectors experienced a solid bid – a healthy barometer of bullishness. Ultimately, across the overall index, though it may not transpire today given early indicators, a rally beyond support at 5745 towards 5786 is required to maintain a bullish-hue for the ASX200 coming into the Christmas period, to open-up a run at the more meaningful resistance level around 5875.
The US and China have agreed a temporary ceasefire on additional tariffs on each others goods at the G-20 summit in Argentina to allow for trade talks to continue in the new year.
Dow futures soared more than 450 points as investors have reacted positively to the US-China news. Nasdaq futures also rose around 2.7%, followed by S&P 500 futures which jumped 1.7%.
The dollar depreciated on Monday as investors looked to take up positions in riskier assets, such as the Australian dollar which rallied 0.75% and the New Zealand dollar which rose 0.5%. The dollar index, which measures the value of the dollar versus six major currencies, traded down 0.36%.
European markets are expected to open higher this morning, again as a result of the announcement to postpone tariff escalation. The FTSE 100 is currently trading at 7,087, 107 points higher, the DAX 208 points above it's previous close, whilst the CAC is set to open up 83 points.
Asian equity markets also traded higher, the Shenzen composite rose 3.5% followed by the Shanghai composite which increased by 2.9%. The increases came following a data release from the Caixin Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index which indicated factory activity increased in China compared to last month.
Oil prices surged on Monday due to the US-China trade war truce, WTI crude futures were up to $53.63 a barrel, up 5.4%, whilst Brent crude futures were up 4.8%.
Qatar's Energy Minister has announced that the country will leave OPEC on the 1st of January 2019, alluding to a "technical and strategic" change to develop and increase natural gas production.
UK, US and Europe: The European markets are set to rally after a ceasefire in the trade war between the US and China, after Trump and Xi reached an agreement over dinner in Buenos Aires on Saturday. The deal should see both China and the US hold off on additional tariffs on each other's goods for the next 90 days, whilst negotiations continue in a bid to reach a long-term agreement. Helen Qiao, China and Asia economist with Bank of Amarica Merrill Lynch, explained that "In contrast to the fear — especially in Asia —that the hawks in US administration would make impossible demands, evidence of President Trump working towards a trade deal with China has emerged".
With the announcement of a 90-day truce in the US-China trade war, how will this impact commodities? We have seen a surge in the price of oil ahead of the much anticipated OPEC meeting, but what impact will it have on base metals? Join our #IGCommodityChat on Thursday 6 December at 1pm (UK time) to discuss how trade wars are affecting base metals with Author and Economist Daniel Lacalle and John Meyer, partner and analyst at SP Angel. Get involved in the debate by tweeting your questions to @IGTV or by commenting in the section below.
Economic calendar - key events and forecast (times in GMT)
Source: Daily FX Economic Calendar
Corporate News, Upgrades and Downgrades
Netflix is under scrutiny by HMRC as the British operation declared sales of £23.9m, way below what the Times estimates the business generates.
Convenience store chain McColl's has issued a profit warning today, as the company highlights the collapse of supplier Palmer & Harvey as a "significant supply chain disruption".
Stobart Group has announced that dividends will be cut for the fourth quarter to 1.5 pence. The firm said in a statement "The board believes it is prudent financial discipline to use proceeds from further disposals in the medium term primarily to invest in value-creating opportunities based on sustainable operating cash generation and to maintain a strong balance sheet".
IGTV featured video
Information has been prepared by IG, a trading name of IG Markets Limited. In addition to the disclaimer below, the material on this page does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication. Although we are not specifically constrained from dealing ahead of our recommendations we do not seek to take advantage of them before they are provided to our clients. See full non-independent research disclaimer and quarterly summary.
Expected index adjustments
Please see the expected dividend adjustment figures for a number of our major indices for the week commencing 3 Dec 2018. If you have any queries or questions on this please let us know in the comments section below. For further information regarding dividend adjustments, and how they affect your positions, please take a look at the video.
NB: All dividend adjustments are forecasts and therefore speculative. A dividend adjustment is a cash neutral adjustment on your account. Special Divs are highlighted in orange.
Special dividends this week
Index
Bloomberg Code
Effective Date
Summary
Dividend Amount
STI
SPH SP
6/12/2018
Special Div
4
SIMSCI
SPH SP
6/12/2018
Special Div
4
RTY
MBWM US
6/12/2018
Special Div
75
RTY
ORIT US
6/12/2018
Special Div
15
RTY
SGR US
7/12/2018
Special Div
25
RTY
GLOG US
7/12/2018
Special Div
40
RTY
LADR US
7/12/2018
Special Div
23
How do dividend adjustments work?
As you know, constituent stocks of an index will periodically pay dividends to shareholders. When they do, the overall value of the index is affected, causing it to drop by a certain amount. Each week, we receive the forecast for the number of points any index is due to drop by, and we publish this for you. As dividends are scheduled, public events, it is important to remember that leveraged index traders can neither profit nor lose from such price movements.
This information has been prepared by IG, a trading name of IG Markets Limited. In addition to the disclaimer below, the material on this page does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication. Although we are not specifically constrained from dealing ahead of our recommendations we do not seek to take advantage of them before they are provided to our clients. See full non-independent research disclaimer and quarterly summary.
Trump’s G20 Summit: Love him or loathe him, Donald Trump seems to be able to get things done. Given he is the most powerful man in the word – at the very least, in a political sense – perhaps this isn’t such a difficult task. When you have the world’s largest economy, coupled with the world’s most potent military at your disposal, one would have all the leverage needed to get their way. But nevertheless, arguably not since Ronald Reagan has global politics experienced such a rapid ideological shift. There were plenty of little-stories, centring around a myriad of economic and political issues, that were played out at the weekend’s G20 summit. The overarching narrative however, at what was possibly the most historically significant G20 meeting since 2009 – when world leaders gathered to discuss the global economy at the depths of the Global Financial Crisis – was about the pitfalls of global trade and migration, and it had President Trump written all over it.
Typical talk-fest: As generally occurs at these talk-fests, this year’s G20 summit was apparently characterized by the typical jostling and lobbying between the many tiers of power. What happens behind closed doors seemingly stays behind closed doors (it’s hardly surprising the masses treat these engagements with cynicism, if not outright paranoia), so it’s difficult to know the depth of discussion shared by world leaders. What we do get though is a nice little communique at the end of it all, summarizing the broad, shared vision of the member countries, with some normative statements articulating how the world ought to approach itself in the future. The short-term financial market implications of this year’s statement will presumably be limited, and more focused on (somewhat improving) US-Sino relations. Regardless, for those with a concern for the structural matters directing future financial and economic activity, an appreciation of what was spoken over the weekend gives a keyhole insight into what can be expected in tomorrow’s world.
Trumpian philosophy wins: True to Trump’s historic influence, the financial and economic world of tomorrow, if the G20’s communique is a reliable indicator, is one of greater nationalism, higher trade-barriers, and less liberal movement of people. For the first time in its (albeit short) history, the G20 avoided disavowing protectionism, and instead stated that the world trade system is “falling short of its objectives and there is room for improvement”. It pointed out, too, the necessity of institutional reform, naming and shaming the World Trade Organisation as a body failing to meet its mandate, and calling on supranational bodies to do more to ensure fairness in the global economy. Ultimately, the culmination of many days of talks lead to an implied (and what can probably be judged a reluctant, at least for most member-states) rebuke of globalisation, and the liberal democratic order that grew out of the post-World War II world.
A New World Order? Although the reactionary face of this growing impulse of isolationism, nationalism and protectionism in parts of the global political stage possesses the fake-tanned ugliness of US President Donald Trump, some of the genuine criticisms relating to the liberal politico-economic order ought to be treated with some credibility. The virtues of free-trade, liberalization, globalization and the like haven’t always been lived-up to by world leaders, who sometimes have appeared to bastardize the system to preserve the special interests of those who exploit the system. Not only that, in a practical sense, trade-barriers, high borders, and the unequal treatment of certain nations have always existed in some sense, despite the pontificating of world leaders about the benefits of multilateralism, freeness and fairness of the liberal order. It may not ultimately be true that internationalism and institutionalism is undesirable, however whatever the truth, the perception amongst many is that the system is corruptible, ineffective, opaque and (dare it be said) “fake”.
Realism reigns: It’s where the brutal appeal of realist politics – which is exemplified today by Trump, Brexit and other forms of “populism” – takes its hold. It harks back to a notion (an old cliché, really) spouted famously by Paul Keating, channelling his mentor Jack Lang: “In the race of life, always back self-interest: at least you know it’s trying.” Such a brutal, Machiavellian view of the world, if delved into, especially too deeply, is highly disturbing – almost misanthropic. Though for all its base savagery, the idea does seem self-evidently true, and fundamentally real. It isn’t as if such extreme real politick ever truly disappeared as the liberal-democratic global order, and the global economy it produced, emerged and flourished. Ostensibly, it was always there in come capacity, moving the gears of history in one way or another. The difference now – in a time of social crisis, apparently defined by “fake news” and “alternative facts – is that extreme self-interest can be understood, trusted, openly embraced, and even lionized.
Trade-truce to be the focus: In the end, evening if begrudgingly, this system – epitomized by serving the (collective and individual) self at the expense of all others – was tacitly endorsed by G20’s communique, paving the way for meaningful, structural change in the global economy. The potential impacts of this are unlikely to manifest in notoriously short-termist financial markets: whatever the effects, they will be considered and experienced some way down the road. Traders will search for information in the next 24 hours that influence the here and now – and given that the summit appeared to go ahead cooperatively, it ought to be presumed a bullish sentiment will reign across markets. The primary reason this may prove true is that at the coda of the event, the highly anticipated dinner between US President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly went along well, with both trade war combatants appearing cordial, and agreeing in principle to halt new tariffs on one another’s countries for at least 90 days.
Possible price reaction: This being so, risk appetite may well be piqued today, and risk assets could be poised to rally. The last price of SPI Futures have the ASX200 up 25 basis points, having shed a remarkable 1.6 per cent on Friday to close at 5667. Asian equities will surely be beneficiaries today, however considering the major ramifications of the weekend’s events, indices throughout Europe and North America stand to gain, too. Growth currencies like the Australian Dollar and New Zealand Dollar may climb, with the A-Dollar eyeing minor resistance at 0.7360 – a break of which could enable a run to 0.7430. The risk-on tone, combined with a fall in US Treasury yields across the curve, will probably produce a weaker greenback – with other havens in the form of CHF and JPY likely to experience the same. While in commodities prices, notably precious and base metals, should move higher, though it must be stated oil specifically will likely track its own idiosyncratic trading-patterns.
Weeks Left of Liquidity, A Laundry List of Unresolved Fundamental Threats
We have officially closed out November Friday and we are now heading into the final month of the trading year. Historically, December is one of the most reserved months of the calendar year with strong positive returns for benchmark risk assets like the S&P 500 along with a sharp drop in volume and significant drop in traditional volatility measures (like the VIX index). There is a natural, structural reason for this moderation. The abundance of market holidays, tax strategies and open windows for various funds all contribute to this norm. That said, there is another element that plays as significant a role in the seasonal pattern as any practical influence – if not more – and that is habit. Mere anticipation of quiet during this period does as much to ensure a self-fulfilling prophecy as the practical developments of the period. Yet, assumptions of quiet when the market as a whole – and most traders individually – have so much exposure to surprise financial squalls would be particularly poor risk management.
Looking ahead, it is first important to assess the practical time lines of full liquidity. The next two weeks (the first half of December) are only sheltered from unforeseen storms by expectations alone. It would be prudent to at least be engaged and dynamic in the markets through this period. The third week of the month will see position squaring take its toll on speculative positioning and liquidity. This is a useful time as we can establish where investors believe the most aggressive risk exposure is held (‘risk on’ or ‘risk off’) as they unwind anything with a shorter-duration holding period. Through the final full week of the year, the markets will be severely drained by market closures and limited time and market depth to meet the tax and portfolio redistribution windows. To general a strong market move – trend or even a severe drive – would take an exceptionally disruptive event for the financial system. I am concerned over the complacency in the market, but not so apprehensive as to believe we will tip the beginning of a lasting financial crisis through the final week of the year – and yes, it would be a bearish run if anything as there is virtually no chance of a sudden wave of greed that will bring investors back to such a fragmented and thin market.
That said, there is still plenty of potential/risk that conditions could deteriorate exponentially through the first half of the month owing to the convergence of structural and seasonal circumstances. In general, a near-decade of uninterrupted speculative advance has started to lose traction as market participants have recognized their dependence on extreme but limited monetary policy, the growth of securitized leverage and sheer self-enforcing momentum. In 2018, we have seen conviction built on that unreliable mix start to falter with severe bouts of momentum in February and October with sizable aftershocks in March and November. This speaks to the underlying conditions in the market that could fuel a sweeping fire if properly ignited by any of a number of systemic threats that we are tracking across the global markets. Trade wars, Fed policy, convergence of global monetary policy, lowered growth forecasts, breaks in trade relationship (Brexit, Italy, US,etc) and other issues are systemic threats that have gained some measure of purchase these past months. If there were a sudden panic spurred by recession fears for example, then the drain on liquidity naturally associated with this time of year could in turn amplify fear into a full-blown panic with systemic deleveraging into 2019.
Now Everything Fed-Related Carries More Consequence
There has been a notable shift in Fed policy intent, and the markets will be engrossed with interrupting exactly what this course correction will mean for the capital markets. Though there has been subtle evidence of a waning conviction in pace for some weeks, FOMC Chair Jerome Powell made it explicit (well, as explicit as their careful control of forward guidance would allow) in his prepared speech on the bond markets in which he remarked that the group was perhaps closer to its neutral rate than previously expected. Now, some would say that is merely practical observation that after three rate hikes in 2018, they have closed in on their projected ‘neutral rate’ range of 2.50 to 3.50 percent. We could still keep pace and extend the most hawkish forecasts and hit the top end of that scale. That is true, but we have to remember what the central bank’s primary monetary policy tool has been over the past half-decade.
It hasn’t been changes to the benchmark rate or adjustments to the balance sheet but rather forward guidance. They have gone to exceptional lengths to signal their policy intent without making promises for the course so that they could back away from extreme easing without triggering a speculative panic based on exposure leveraged by years of excess backed by the vaunted ‘central bank put’. If so much effort is being put into this tool, then changes should be taken seriously rather than downplayed for convenience of a comfortable trading assumption. If there was intent behind the subtle change in rhetoric, it is an effort to acclimate the markets in advance of an event whereby the forecast will be delivered in black-and-white without the ability to establish nuance before the market’s respond with speculative shock (an event like the December 19 rate decision whereby the Summary of Economic Projections will make explicit the rate forecasts).
If indeed this is the objective to temper the market before the frank forecast is offered, then each speaking engagement and key data update between now and then will carry greater consequence. In the week ahead, we have Powell testifying before the Joint Economic Committee, which is a perfect opportunity to slightly extend the effort to make its intentions known. Recognition of this undertaking is the first step. Establishing what it means for the Dollar with rate premium and risk trends that have found confidence in the central bank’s reassurances will be critical.
G20 Aftermath Produces an Official Communique and US-China Trade War Pause
Pop the corks. The G20 has agreed to an official communique while the US and Chinese Presidents made a breakthrough on the escalation of their escalating trade war. Yet, before we over-indulge in risk exposure build up, we should perhaps look further ahead to the hangover that confidence in which this development is likely to lead us. Typically, an official press briefing that all the leaders agree to (dubbed the ‘communique’) is routine. However, with the rise of populism in the global rank and subsequent deterioration of relationships, simply signing off a commitment to shared goals of growth and stability has become an exceptional milestone. The leading consensus heading into this gathering in Argentina was that no official briefing would be released as the United States would not approve anything that would set its America-first agenda into a negative light. Further, China would not sign off on a statement that cast its own policies as unfair trade.
Perhaps recognizing the deteriorating sentiment amongst businesses, investors and consumers globally; the other parties would not demand these inclusions as protest for making so little traction with their constant protests. The indirect references to US and Chinese policies were left out. That is not genuine progress but simply self-preservation. As for the more remarkable ‘breakthrough’ in US and Chinese relations, the countries’ leaders found enough common ground to compromise a pause in the rapid escalation of their trade war. For discussing key economic issues between the two countries, the US agreed to delay the increase in its tariff rate on $200 billion in Chinese imports from 10 to 25 percent due previously to take effect on January 1st. The threat made by President in the weeks preceding this gathering of adding another $267 billion in Chinese goods to the tax list didn’t seem to warrant specific reference – perhaps as a backdoor strategy or because it would assumed to be included.
This is a pause in the escalation of activities rather than a genuine path back to a state of normalcy where collective growth is the foundation for the global economy. This is the bare minimum for registering an ‘improvement’ in relations, and it will be this thin veneer of progress that will truly test the market’s appetite to source anything of ancillary value to build up speculative exposure. I doubt this will inspire a true effort to significantly build up exposure in these unsteady times. In years past, such a development may have spurred the next leg of a yield chase; but recognition of the risk/reward imbalance is far too prominent nowadays. The question is how long this pause in an explicit outlet of fear lasts? Long enough to carry us through the end of the year? We’ll find out soon enough.
The G20 summit in Argentina begins today, where discussions around trade, Brexit, and tensions between Russia and Ukraine are expected to be the dominant topics to take centre-stage.
FOMC minutes released yesterday pointed towards another rate hike in December, with concerns that trade tensions and corporate debt could impact growth.
China’s official PMI fell to 50.0 in November from 50.2 last month, adding pressure on the country to implement more economic support measures amid the trade war.
The Dow Jones fell 0.11% on Thursday, whilst the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.22% and 0.25%, respectively.
MSCI's index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was last up 0.1%, making a 2.7% gain for the week and reflecting a rebound from the recent sell-off. The Nikkei was up 0.4%.
USD fell 0.07% against the yen to 113.39.
Pakistani Rupee plunges 6% in a suspected devaluation of the currency by its central bank, amidst ongoing bailout talks with the IMF.
US Crude rises 2.3%, settling at $51.45 yesterday as Russia is expected to accept OPEC’s decision in the need to cut oil production. Oil producers are expected to meet in Vienna next week to discuss supply cuts.
Gold is currently trading at $1,224.34 an ounce.
UK, US and Europe: The G20 summit begins today in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The outcome of which has become increasingly more significant due to recent weeks for a few reasons. Firstly, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are expected to discuss trade this weekend, a meeting that will be watched very closely for clues on the path of the ongoing tensions between the US and China, after repetitive duty and tariff increases have amounted to a total of $360 billion across both sides. The escalation between the world's two largest economies has been a major threat to the global economy, the upcoming meeting will attribute to whether the world calms its nerves or continues on edge. Then there is Brexit, where Theresa May has the chance to secure international backing for as she attempts to sell her Brexit deal to world leaders at G20. Finally, amid heightening tensions and the flare-up of exchanges between Russia and Ukraine, Trump has cancelled a planned meeting with Putin, blaming specifically on Russia's failure to return ships and sailors seized from Ukraine last week in the Black Sea.
Oil prices have rebounded to par some of the steep losses in recent weeks, as confidence returned in the commodity on the back of expectations that Russia will co-operate with OPEC next week in Vienna, where the oil cartel and non-OPEC countries are to formulate an agreement on a supply cut that will stabilise crude prices. After hitting a four-year high at the beginning of October, the commodity has tumbled around 30% as sanctions against Iran's supply has proved to be less impactful than expected and concerns over a slowing global economy has curbed demand. Watch the IGTV featured video below, where industry advisor Malcolm Graham-Wood and Spencer Welch, director of oil markets at IHS Markit, discuss the future of the oil market.
Economic calendar - key events and forecast (times in GMT)
Source: Daily FX Economic Calendar
Corporate News, Upgrades and Downgrades
Volkswagen and Tesco to build UK's largest free car-charging network, funding as many as 2,500 electric car charging bays.
Unilever has announced that Alan Jope will take over the helm from former CEO Paul Polman.
Deutsche Bank's offices in Frankfurt were raided by police yesterday over alleged claims of money laundering. Shares fell 3% on the back of the news.
Nio, one of the main Chinese electric car-makers and rival to Tesla, has announced that its U.S. head will step down.
Audi has unveiled a concept electric sedan car that is expected to challenge the Tesla Model S and to be in full production by late 2020.
Autonomy's co-founder and CEO, Mike Lynch, has been charged with defrauding shareholders in the sale of the company for $11bn to HP back in 2011.
IGTV featured video
Information has been prepared by IG, a trading name of IG Markets Limited. In addition to the disclaimer below, the material on this page does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication. Although we are not specifically constrained from dealing ahead of our recommendations we do not seek to take advantage of them before they are provided to our clients. See full non-independent research disclaimer and quarterly summary.
Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia
A relief rally, now onto the next risk: The relief rally for market-bulls was sweet, but fleeting: it’s on to the next risk event now. Traders are being inundated by information, much of it speculative. Against this backdrop, volatility reigns: while off its highs still, the VIX is up 2.7 per cent on the day. To be clear, the Fed’s dovishness and Mr. Powell’s-famous-Put is underwriting the potential for future bullishness. But market participants can’t afford to let their guard down in this environment. We have the world’s most powerful politicians converging on Argentina, and with so many fissures running-through global political economy, the number of issues threatening market stability is considerable. One assumes that every generation thinks of themselves as existing at the end of history – reference: we can thank Fukuyama for that notion, perhaps – but it does sometimes feel that with the world-order trembling, we are living through a historical juncture of some description.
Markets want what’s familiar: Markets don’t like this. They desire support and stability and a protection of the status quo. It’s why, in part, seeing the Fed ostensibly step in to support financial markets is so emboldening, and sparks all sorts of bullish impulses. This is especially so within equity markets, which being able to gorge on cheap credit for years, became spoilt and fattened. The fundamentals of the system itself are shaky. Although this ought to be an inherent virtue when it comes to the nature of capitalism – the notion of creative destruction, as economist Joseph Schumpeter expressed it, whereby viable investments prosper, and wasteful inefficiencies are purged – for the better part of a decade, policy makers (rightly or wrongly) have sought to resist this process to maintain a semblance of economic constancy and social confidence.
Withdrawal symptoms: The problem is weening the macroeconomy and financial markets off the opiate. This is what the Fed is ultimately attempting to do, but with capital having allocated itself to places it ought not to have, removing the support from the system, along with the perverse incentives it produced, is proving no simple task. The Fed yesterday morning – articulated in Powell’s speech – almost certainly backed down in the face of the implicit pressure applied by markets. The message was clear from marker participants: we don’t like the risks of macroeconomic and geopolitical instability, we think growth will slow, we need support, otherwise we’ll melt-down. And so, in the tradition of Fed board’s gone by, Powell did. The message was only affirmed in this morning’s FOMC Minutes: the idea of “further hikes” passed December is debatable, because economic forecasts are softer, and there exists too many risks that could undermine the Fed’s objectives.
Inflation waning? One of these objectives, when looking at the Fed’s strict mandate, is inflation targeting, and it appears that fundamental inflation is petering out once again. Market participants have cooled on the idea of that inflation risk is high, primarily due to a downgrade in growth forecasts and the recent dumping in oil prices. The Fed’s chosen inflation measure, the PCE Index, printed overnight, and revealed inflation slipped below the Fed’s target level of 2 per cent by more than forecast. The number came in at 1.8%. It’s not to say the risk of inflation has disappeared: wages growth is on the up in the US, which could conceivably feed into higher prices – not to mention the effect tariffs or (an unlikely) turnaround in oil prices could have on future inflation. However, as the markets understand things for now, inflation isn’t a bug bear, and that gives an assurance that the Fed will stay steady.
The G20: In the bigger picture: it’s about this weekend’s G20 Summit. The trade war, Brexit, oil prices and global economic prospects are the big talking points; but underneath those we also have new tensions between Russia and the Ukraine, Italy and its fiscal situation, the Saudi’s and the controversy surrounding the Khashoggi murder, along with a myriad of regional issues faced around the globe. It’s a true tinderbox, that unsurprisingly would have world leaders, and thus market participants, very anxious. The core dynamic appears to be that those with the power to influence the direction of the political-economic world order have no interest in preserving it. Trump’s America is descending into paranoid isolationism, China wishes to reshape the neoliberal system to serve its long term national interest, the Russians are apparently trying to consolidate their regional interests, while the Europeans are busy naval gazing and questioning how to keep a unified Europe together at all.
Trade War: Presumably, traders will do their best to ignore the structural power struggles and all the comparatively smaller issues dampening market sentiment and just focus on what will come out of the Trump-Xi dinner date. One would have to be utterly naïve to believe a breakthrough is upon us here. It’s unimaginable – granted, maybe only for those who lack a rich enough imagination – that either side will compromise its strategic interests. President Trump will want concessions from the Chinese before doing a “deal”, the likelihood of which seems very low. China possesses a long-term strategy for its nation and economy – one that extends passed the speedbump that is the Trump Presidency. Compromising the future to appease a bombastic American populist leader in the present is counterproductive. Both sides must know this, and that they are not on the same page right now, whatever the benefits may be. The likely outcome from the weekend will surely be a piecemeal statement committing to ongoing talks, as always seems to emerge from the talk-fests.
Price activity overnight: The price action overnight reflecting the underlying market dynamic described so far has been quite subdued. European indices caught up with their North American and (some) Asian counterparts to put in its own post-Powell relief rally. US equities lost steam however, but in late trade look poised to close 0.3 per cent higher for the day. US Treasuries whipsawed on shifting sentiment relating to interest rates, with the yield on the 2 Year Note is currently at 2.81 per cent and the yield on the 10 Year note is 3.03 per cent. In currencies, the US Dollar is effectively flat, the EUR is slightly higher, the Yen has experienced a haven bid along with Gold, the Pound fell on Brexit fears, and the risk off tone sent the A-Dollar below 0.7300. Finally, commodities are slightly up: oil benefitted from news that Russia was prepared to cooperate with Saudi Arabia on production cuts, but copper is slightly lower.
ASX today: Promisingly for Australian equity market bulls, SPI futures are indicating a 12-point jump at the open for the ASX200, in line with the late run on Wall Street. The ASX experienced an immediate pop-higher at yesterday’s open, but the price action was dull and middling throughout the day. Overall, volume was strong, breadth was healthy, and the large-cap heavy weights in the materials and financials sectors added 13 and 10 points to the index, respectively. Growth stocks were big higher as expected, while defensive sectors were somewhat ignored. Private Capex figures were released and didn’t rock markets too much: it came in below expectations, but there were signs non-mining investment is turning around. The day ahead from a technical perspective should be assessed on whether the ASX200 can clear the small resistance hurdle at 5780 or so. But given what’s on for the weekend though, one shouldn’t be surprised or disheartened if that doesn’t happen today.
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