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MaxIG

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  1. MaxIG
    Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia
    Fleeting relief: The Chinese and Americans are talking again; and the UK and European Union are nearing a deal. Those are the two stories that have turned the dour sentiment that characterized the first trading day of the week into something resembling optimism. Perhaps it’s another relief rally – every time the world doesn’t end we get one of those. Like when US mid-terms passed with few surprises, things going as they ought to engender nice feelings in the guts of traders. And not unjustifiably, either: the trade war and Brexit have become the two biggest bugbears in developed markets. In fact, 2018 may well be remembered in financial market history as the year the three biggest economic blocs’ almost tore one another apart – well that, and the very significant turn in US Fed monetary policy, of course.
    Is this the turning point? If this sounds all a little grand, that’s because it is; and it is why although the headlines read well this morning, the text of the story is one that we’ve read before. Could this time be different? Quite possibly. The steps taken by Chinese Vice Premier Liu He and US Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin to re-engage in talks is a considerable step forward, ahead of what is a planned meeting between the two nation’s Presidents, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, at the sidelines of this month’s G20. And the news that UK Prime Minister May has effectively secured a deal with her European Counterparts – one that includes an Anglo-friendly outcome on the Irish border, it’s been reported – bares the signs that (at the very least) the British and Europeans are on the same page.
    A long way to go: Nevertheless, there is an amplitude to cover for the negotiating teams on all sides relating to both respective issues to feel comfortable that, this time around, this is the true beginning of the end. The political machinations driving both matters forward are occurring (naturally) behind closed doors – away from the prying eyes of the press and the public. For all we know, both or either one of the conflicts may be well advanced towards a resolution. From what has simply been reported thus far however, little has materially changed – at least for now. Even when stripping aside the important point that even if these issues were to disappear, the bigger fundamental challenges facing financial markets would remain, the very many sticking points to arrive at an end in the Trade War or Brexit means that turbulence inevitably lies ahead, whatever the outcome.
    Asian action: The price action in markets, as it evolved throughout global trade, apparently reflects this notion. When the news broke about a possible step forward in negotiations between the Chinese and Americans, China’s equities flew, erasing a one per cent loss to close day one per cent higher. The Yuan – a better barometer– pared its losses to trade back at the 6.95 handle, and the Australian Dollar rallied above 0.7200 and the New Zealand Dollar paid a visit above 0.6750. The Nikkei, which had been down by 3-and-a-half per cent on less than one per cent breadth, rallied to contain losses to – a still considerable – 2 per cent, courtesy, in part, to a fall in the Yen to 114.00 resistance.

    European follow-through: Futures markets also turned to price in the relief-pop across US and European equities, and as news filtered through about the potential Brexit-deal during European trade, traders hit the buy button. The DAX, which would have certainly fed on the prospect of reduced tensions between the US and China, added 1.30 per cent, and the Eurostoxx 50 gained 0.96 per cent for the day. The FTSE100, it must be said, only managed to register a flat finish for the session; but this was largely due to the rally in the Pound. The GBP/USD rallied above the 1.30 handle briefly and the EUR/USD pushed above 1.1250, forcing the USD to recede from its 18-month highs – a dynamic that also saw commodities generally turn higher for a period.
    Wall Street fizzle: Flash forward to this moment (or really, to the moment at which this is being written): US equities are entering the final hour of trade having erased the gains attained in early trade. As has been described, the attractive headlines about the Trade War and Brexit have proven not enough to change the fundamental landscape, for now. The VIX remains hovering just below the 20-level, and a general sense of risk aversion has pushed the yield on 10 Year US Treasuries back to 3.14 per cent. Another day of losses for oil, that has seen the price of Brent Crude plunge to $US65.14, has also been blamed for the poor showing for US stocks. In a choppy end to the session caused by below average volume, the Dow Jones is down around 0.5 per cent, the S&P500 is down 0.2 per cent, while an early tech-bounce has (thus far) supported a flat day for the NASDAQ.

    Australia today: SPI futures have followed US indices down at the back end of the North American session, indicating that now the ASX200 is expecting a more-or-less flat open. It was another wipe out for the local market yesterday, with the Australian share market closing 1.8 per cent lower, led by losses in the healthcare and information technology sector. A handful of companies going ex-dividend, including heavy weight Westpac, certainly exacerbated he ASX200’s fall, however a breadth of 10 per cent shows this was a widespread sell-off. 
    Australian trade could prove to be eventful today following Wall Street’s lead. The economic calendar is robust: locally, Wage Price Index data is released, while abroad, Chinese Fixed Asset Investment and Industrial Production data is printed. The Australian Dollar is exposed to downside in the event these three releases underwhelm – 0.7150 is a realistic level of support to watch for – and the ASX200 appears vulnerable to break below a key level at 5820, if Wall Street’s selling follows through.    

  2. MaxIG
    Flight to safety: There's been a general flight to safety in global markets over the past 24 hours, adding to the bearish sentiment that's been mounting for several weeks. The risks remain the same and there wasn't an event to precipitate yesterday's sell-off. It apparently began in the Asian session, after Chinese equities pared the gains it had added over the previous two trading sessions, then swept through European and North American markets as the day unfolded. Haven assets have caught a bid, the most pertinent of which are US Treasuries and gold (which tested $US1232 resistance once more), while the Yen has experience a broad-based boost from the unwinding of the carry trade, to test the support of a significant medium-term trend line.


     
    US Treasuries: Arguably, the most illuminating asset during overnight trade were US Treasuries, and the activity of its yield. Of course, that should come as no surprises, given the dominant theme in markets is the US Federal Reserve's rate hiking ambitions. The tussle in markets regarding heightened global growth risks and the impacts of higher global rates is manifesting on the hour across the US yield curve. The yields on interest rate sensitive 2 Year Treasury Note jumped to near-decade-long highs during Asian trade yesterday, seemingly inciting a minor panic amongst investors. The shift subsequently looks to have hastened the liquidating of equity positions, driving funds back into bonds, pushing yields down first at the back end of the curve, before driving the front end down with it, as havens have been sought.
    Asian equities: The edginess amongst investors played out most acutely in Chinese equity indices, which let go of much of the optimism engendered by policy makers' recent assurances of State-backed support for financial markets. The relatively blue-chip CSI300 dropped 2.66 per cent for the day, capping off an Asian session in which the Nikkei shed a comparable amount, the Hang Seng lost over 3 per cent, and the ASX200 dropped over 1 per cent. The downward trend continues for China's markets, which despite exhibiting stronger fundamentals (on paper) than what markets are conveying, can't managed to hold onto a sustained rally. It points to a market that may well believe that the worst impacts of the trade-war are still to play out – that is, that the trade war will transform China's mild economic slowdown into something graver.

    ASX200: The action on China's markets accelerated the momentum of selling on the ASX200 in yesterday's trading session, however it must be said bearish sentiment had already been pervading the local share market by the time China’s markets opened. SPI Futures have undergone a noteworthy reversal early this morning, indicating currently a 13-point jump at the open today. The shift in price can be attributed to a late run on Wall Street, which has seen US indices bounce off the day's lows to contain the session's losses to about half-a-per-cent. What Wall Street’s lead reveals about what lies ahead for the ASX today is opaque; but considering that yesterday’s activity saw losses across every sector, perhaps simply a general retracement is in store today.
    Europe: Europe took the weak Asian lead yesterday and added to it the continent's own idiosyncratic risks. The result was a 1.24 per cent fall in the FTSE 100 and a 2.17 per cent fall in the DAX. Combined with fears about global growth, higher global interest rates, and stalling Brexit negotiations, was another deterioration in the relationship between the Italian Government and European Union bureaucrats, after Brussels threatened Italy with hefty fines if it did not revise its controversial budget in the next 3 weeks. The spread between German Bunds and Italian BTPs expanded to around 320 basis-points once again, as markets priced in a greater chance of an Italian credit default. Despite this, the Pound and the Euro kept flat for the day, by virtue of a slightly weaker USD, which lost some of its haven bid to gold on the back of investors cutting exposure to fiat currencies.
    Wall Street: At Wall Street's close, the major US indices have all closed effectively 0.5 per cent lower for the day. Another poor session undoubtedly, making this the twelfth time in fourteen days that the S&P500 has registered a loss – however it must be remarked that the result comes after US equites fell by as much as 2 per cent intraday. The overriding theme again for US markets was the building angst regarding the various risks that posed to earnings growth in 2019, especially after Caterpillar flagged a suggested a crimp to its profits from the expected impacts of the US-China trade war. How this narrative holds will hold increasing weight in the final days of this week, as markets anticipate earnings release from the likes of Microsoft, Amazon, and Alphabet.
    Saudis and Oil: Oil prices experienced some of the highest levels of volatility overnight, as the sinister politics of the black stuff played out in price action. Brent Crude prices dropped by over 4 per cent, breaking its dance with the $US80 per barrel level. A degree of the tumble in prices comes as fears mount about the sustainability of global economic growth. However, the major catalyst for the very acute fall came as Saudi Arabia pledged yesterday to boost oil production, in the face of growing pressure from the global community regarding its (all but proven) murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. If last night's move is indeed a turn of trend, time will tell; though it isn't a stretch now to suggest that the Saudi's may look to push oil prices down as an act of recompense to the global community for their heinous behaviour.

     
  3. MaxIG
    A night loaded with information: The pointy end of the week is under-way, and if only relatively speaking, markets are moving on the back of several key stories. Naturally, the centrepiece of this is Wall Street; and there’s been a timely mix of corporate data, economic developments, central bank meetings, and politics for market participants to digest. The intra-day battle of these narratives has caused some modest, but interesting enough, price action in financial markets overnight; with Apple’s earnings beat, weak ISM Manufacturing PMI data, a more neutral US Federal Reserve, and sputtering trade-talks between the US and China combining to twist market sentiment in interesting ways.
    The Fed centre of market attention: Proving itself once more to be the gravitational centre of the financial universe, the US Fed meeting has had the greatest hold over market participants overnight. The Fed delivered the news that many traders had been expecting: it doesn’t possess the “dovish” disposition that interest rate markets are implying. While the Fed did effectively downgrade its inflation forecasts, and dropped the interest on excess reserves to 2.35 per cent, Fed Chair Jerome Powell went to lengths to implore in his press conference that the Fed remains truly patient. That is: interest rates could move either higher or lower from where they are now.
    Markets sell-off on Powell’s neutral tone: After somewhat of a tussle, intraday price action suggests a market that has bought into Fed Chair Powell’s words. Having eked out another small gain to its all-time highs, touching 2954 in early North American trade, the S&P500 has sold of post-Fed meeting, to have shed in the realm of 0.7 per cent in the final two hours of the Wall Street session. Predictably, the US Dollar has rallied as traders unwind some of their bets on interest rate cuts from the Fed this year, leading to a lift in US Treasury yields at the front end of the US yield curve.

    Weak US economic data compounded sell-off: As it stands right now – and this reflects the knee **** nature of the price response – markets have an implied probability of 19 basis points of cuts from the Fed by year end. It’s worth noting, that although the Fed was the primary concern for markets last night, econo-watchers were taken aback by some poor US economic data early in the session’s trade, and probably compounded the impacts of the Fed’s “neutral surprise”. US ISM Manufacturing PMI numbers were released, and showed a significant miss: it printed at 52.8, versus expectations of 55.0 – the lowest print of this measure in 2-and-half years.
    US earnings lose some of their shine: The Fed, and to a lesser extent the ISM PMI numbers, have taken the steam out of what has been an otherwise solid earnings season. For one, US futures had been priming market participants for a bullish day on the market yesterday, after market bellwether Apple Inc exceeded expectations in their earnings Overall, US earnings have been positive, at least in relation to what has been priced in by the market leading into reporting season. But the little retracement in US equities last night betrays how much this market still relies on cheap money, and favourable discount rates, to sustain itself.
    ASX to follow Wall Street: Taking Wall Street’s lead: the ASX200 ought to shed 30 points this morning. The ASX is in the throes of its own earnings season; and thus far, it too has provided investors plentiful information. But for the index trader, this reporting season centres around the banks, and how their earnings drive bullishness of bearishness in the overall ASX200. And so far, after the ANZ reported yesterday, the impact has proven the former. Likely owing to a bit of “buy the rumour sell the fact” activity, the financials sector lifted the overall ASX200 yesterday, adding 30 points to the index.

    The banks in the bigger picture: For macro watchers and traders, despite the short-term lift in bank shares yesterday, the question regarding the banks pertains to whether what was revealed could spark a turnaround in trend in their share prices. The answer to this, which will be further illuminated when NAB reports today, isn’t compelling: in the big picture, the banks have traded lower for several years in-line with credit growth and property prices — two things the ANZ in its half-year results said it expects to be a challenge for the bank, and by extension the Australian economy, going forward.
    Written by Kyle Roddda - IG Australia
  4. MaxIG
    Are things not so bad after all? It appears there’s emerged a self-reinforcing belief that economic fundamentals aren’t as bad as once thought. There’s not a simple binary that can be reduce out of this – a clear “risk-off” or “risk-on” signal. It’s clear there remains a general sense that the global economy is entering a soft-patch. But in that, is the key: slower growth is taken as granted, however the extent of such a slowdown is ostensibly being revised. There isn’t quite (just for the moment) the same level of catastrophism filling the news wires in financial markets right now. It raises the question whether the fundamentals have changed at all, or whether its actually market participants’ perception of the fundamentals that’s changed.
    Improved perceptions towards fundamentals: An answer to that one is very difficult to grasp just looking at the price-action. To rattle-off one of the stalest of undergraduate clichés: perception is reality. In the case of traders, the rosier perception of economic fundamentals has inspired the emergence of a virtuous cycle in financial market bullishness. Very often, a break from fundamentals, and a movement towards some imagined state of affairs, gives birth to a sufficient enough divergence between sentiment and hard-data that a relatively small catalyst can spark a jolting correction in market-pricing. That may well be the situation market participants are operating. A blithe optimism or not, some key markets are approaching now key inflection points.
    The will to end the trade-war: The big stories that are making this dynamic possible can still be rooted in a dovish US Federal Reserve (and dovish central banks across the world, at that) and a compounding hope that global trade skirmishes are reaching a resolution. Sharing that hope, or maybe trying to fan it, US President Trump is demanding freer trade. Tweeting on the weekend, Trump claimed to have “asked China to immediately remove all Tariffs on our agricultural products… based on the fact that we are moving along nicely with Trade discussions”. Such a statement is to be expected and will be of negligible consequence in the short term. The demand is indicative of where markets see the trade dispute: political will shall drive a breakthrough.

    The (President) Donald Trump Show: Speaking of the US President, and he captured the attention of markets again over the weekend. In a 2-hour monologue at the CPAC conference, he addressed many of the concerns, controversies and crises enveloping his Presidency. Speaking “off the cuff”, as he phrased it, the spectacle could be considered comical, evening entertaining, if it weren’t for the stark reality that the man is the world’s most powerful person. Of financial market import, President Trump fired-up his belligerence towards the US Fed and Jerome Powell: “we have a gentleman that likes raising interest rates in the Fed, we have a gentleman that loves quantitative tightening in the Fed, we have a gentlemen that likes a very strong dollar in the Fed”.
    Higher Treasury yields; stronger USD: It will be interesting to see today how markets react to the President's tirade. Unfortunately for him, his crass words will prove of marginal significance in the bigger picture. The US Dollar is finding plenty of advocates, driven by a renewed belief in the strength of the US economy. Chances of a rate cut from the Fed this year have been unwound. Treasury yields climbed markedly on Friday, despite weaker than expected ISM Manufacturing figures, and a PCE inflation reading that revealed price growth continues to amble below target at 1.9 per cent. The higher yield environment and stronger greenback has wiped the shine off gold (and really, most commodities) falling below $1300 per ounce.
    US markets show risk appetite: The risk is that markets will end up in the position that assets, like equities, will lose their appeal again amidst the higher yield environment. A pertinent and high-impact concern, but seemingly one some way from materialising. Though at a multi-month highs at 2.75 per cent, the 10 Year US Treasury is some way from the 3.26 per cent yield that stifled global markets last year and precipitated the Q4 sell-off. Riskier growth stocks in US tech are seemingly attracting buyers, indicating an underlying bullish moment in the US equity market. Having closed at 2803 on Friday, the S&P500 eyes the 2815 resistance level now as the crucial test for US stock market strength.

    ASX to follow the US lead: For the first time in several sessions, the ASX200 appears poised to follow the US lead this morning. The last traded price on the SPI Futures contract is indicating an 18 point jump this morning, on top of Friday’s closing price of 6192. The market experienced robust trade on Friday, despite soft (but above forecast) Caixin PMI numbers, and CoreLogic data that showed another monthly fall in domestic property prices. In fact: the latter, and its implications for monetary policy, was apparently seen as supportive of Real Estate stocks, which rallied 2.22 per cent on 95 per cent breadth. As far as milestones go, the ASX200 will eye 6230 resistance, ahead of what is a jam-packed week for Australian markets.
    Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia
     
  5. MaxIG
    New headlines to chase: The discourse in markets shifted early this week to where the next upside catalyst would come from. It needn't be substantial; just enough to fuel sentiment and attract buyers back into the market. In the last 24 hours, market participants received what they'd be yearning for: the combination of an in-principle deal in US Congress for border-security funding, along with the announcement that the US-China trade-truce deadline could be extended, has stoked bullish sentiment. These stories are more headlines than substance, however one thing traders ought to have heard ad nauseum recently is that, indeed, this is a headline driven market. So: for the last 12-18 hours in the financial world, markets have shown all the trappings of a renewed risk-on impulse.
    Short-term bullishness depends on Trump: It can be for some an uncomfortable thought: the key variable for both the US government funding and trade-was issues is the mercurial US President Donald Trump.
    The US President, it must be said, has outwardly advocated for a resolution to each concern. The worry for markets may be though whether Trump maintains his balanced temperament on the matters, and that there isn't an ulterior motive held by the President on either issue that could subvert the market's positivity. There isn't a clear timeline, other than those which have been imposed upon the President, to arrive at a decision regarding border funding or the trade-truce extension. Traders are taking bullish positions, but while doing so must surely be in a heightened state of vigilance, at least until firm validation for the rally arrives.
    Global growth concerns deferred: The activity at the margins driving price activity in financial markets overnight speaks of slightly diminished fears relating to the global growth slow down. It has to be said that the weakening growth outlook for the world economy is still hurtling like a freight train towards markets; the news last night simply increased hopes that perhaps there may be some tapping of the brakes when it comes to this phenomenon. Growth sensitive currencies were the major beneficiaries of last night's trade-headlines: the Australian Dollar, for one, is edging back to the 0.7100 handle. The US Dollar took a breather from its recent rally, as global bond yields climbed, and credit spreads narrowed – for the first time in several sessions. The confluence factors naturally gave a boost to stocks.
    Fear is falling, thanks to a friendlier Fed: Considering the balance of evidence, and the irrational, momentum chasing that pushed Wall Street to all-time highs in September 2018 may not be present right now. Fear is diminishing too: the VIX has fallen into the low 15s as of last night – a level also not seen since September 2018. If one were to infer a crude message from current market behaviour, it might be that maybe the Fed-engineered panic in Q4 2018 has been full remedied now. Of course, it was ultimately the Fed which fed to markets the medicine they were craving – the prospect of higher global rates and tighter financial conditions has evaporated. The strength in fundamentals is indeed waning, but appropriate conditions are in place for traders to take greater risks.

    US stocks recovery possesses substance: Wall Street is registering its best performance in several days on the back of the risk-on dynamic, though it's worth remarking volume has been below average and doesn't do much to validate the market's strength, just on an intraday basis. Market breadth conversely is portraying a broad willingness to jump into equities, with over 80 per cent of stocks higher for the S&P500 on the session -- at time of writing -- led by cyclical sectors and the high multiple tech stocks. What has been encouraging recently about US equities' recovery in 2019 is the substance behind it: the Russell 2000 (a deeper index made up of relatively smaller-cap stocks) is outperforming, and the SMART Money index suggests a market supported by buying from large institutional investors.
    ASX to be guided by global growth: As a trickle-down effect, the circumstances are favourable for Australian equities too, especially as our central bank joins the chorus of policymakers backing away from rate-hikes. Given the power of the RBA pales in comparison to that of the Fed, supportive monetary policy is eclipsed by the global growth outlook as the major determinant of the ASX’s direction. It does help in a meaningful way that market participants are receiving soothing words from central bankers, especially as our economy shows signs of slowing, as evidenced by yesterday’ weak home loan figures. The proof of what market participants see as the main risk to the Australian economy is in the price action, however: since the “Trump-trade-war-truce” news overnight, implied probability of an RBA rate cut in 2019 is once again back below 50%.
    ASX200 demonstrates will to power-on: The overnight lead has SPI futures pricing in a 27-point jump at the open for the ASX200. If realized, the index ought to challenge and likely break in early trade the resistance level at around 6100/05. From here, on a technical basis, the market meets a cluster of resistance, established during the period in September 2018 when the ASX traded range bound for the better part of a month. It’s been repeated frequently by the punditry that the market is overbought at these levels. Technically that appears true. But momentum is still in favour of the bulls, so for those with further upside in their sights, perhaps a break and close above 6100 this week could be the signal for some short-term consolidation, before the ASX200 builds strength for its next move higher.

    Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia
     
  6. MaxIG
    Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia
    Sentiment cooling: Sentiment is cooling and the drivers that have sustained global equity's recovery are subsiding. It's no cause for alarm (yet) by any means. The markets are demonstrating a level of short-term exhaustion after its chaotic December. The same risks remain; traders have just shifted their views. The concerns regarding a slow-down in global growth have abated somewhat, though the issue is still simmering. The outlook for how the Fed will approach policy is being judged as more-dovish, however it remains an ambiguous matter. The US and China appear to be pushing for a trade-deal, but it's known that it will be a protracted process to arrive at one. The US government shut down is down the list of worries for markets for now, although it is gradually gaining greater significance.
    ASX200’s crossroads: SPI futures are currently indicating a modest jump of 5 points for the ASX200 at the open. The conviction for Aussie-market Bulls will be tested today. The ASX200 stands before a reasonably significant wall, that if climbed, goes some way to validate that it's recent rally is more than a counter-trend. The zone between 5780 and 5800 has proven a marshy resistance area in the last two-days. The Bulls have done well to push the market through prevailing downward trend-line resistance, but now a meaningful push through 5800 is required to confirm the move higher. After a lukewarm day, the ASX managed to close at 5797, courtesy of a somewhat inexplicable 0.3 per cent jump in the index's price in the post-market auction.

    Australian Retail Sales: The macro-news for Australian markets has been relatively dull lately. Local shares, along with other assets, have traded very much in sympathy with developments on Wall Street. For justified reasoning too: sentiment to begin 2019 has been dictated by renewed optimism relating to the trade-war – a conflict that impacts the Australian economic outlook more than most. Overall, that will remain so given critical juncture US stocks are at. However today, Australian traders get their first real-dose of economic data: local retail sales figures for the month of November. The print is expected to reveal that sales expanded by 0.3 per cent month-on-month – a figure that is expected to be underpinned by strong Black Friday activity that month.
    Australian interest rates: Following the weaker December GDP figures, and against the backdrop of high private debt levels and falling house prices, analysts have generally expressed the concern that households are in a difficult spot. Given consumption contributes just over 50 per cent of total GDP, the perceived economic headwinds for consumers is driving markets to price in some-degree of an economic slow-down in 2019. On current pricing, interest rate markets have an implied probability of about 30 per cent that the RBA will cut rates before December this year. Today's retail sales figures will offer one of the first glimpses into what state the Australian consumer is in, with rates markets, and the AUD, sure to shift in the event of an upside or downside surprise.

    Global-macro: Of course, given Australia's status as an export driven economy, subject to the whims of the globe's economic (mis)fortunes, the broader macro-backdrop is crucial. Several data releases rattled market's nerves in the last 24 hours. Chinese CPI and PPI figures missed forecasts by some way, indicating softening demand within China's domestic economy; and ECB Monetary policy minutes all but confirmed the continent is heading for a slowdown in economic activity. Stock indices were unmoved on the news; however, a level of risk aversion was observable within markets. US Treasuries caught a small-bid and the US Dollar climbed on a pullback in the Euro. While a rotation into non-cyclical stocks, took place in Europe and to a less extent the US, as growth appetite diminished.
    Powell speaks again: Once again, the night's biggest release came out of the US and related to the US Federal Reserve. Fed-Chair Jerome Powell delivered a speech, and in all, while received in a better way than some of Powell's other addresses, markets didn't like the tone. There was a lot of emphasis on the unwinding of the Fed's balance sheet, and how that endeavour may progress in the year ahead. He also seemed to go to pains to emphasise how flexible and patient the Fed would be. Although it hasn't derailed US stocks so-far today, traders didn't hear enough of what they wanted to turn overly bullish on the market. With an hour left in play, the S&P500 is hovering between slight gains and slight losses for the day.

    Trump dumps Davos; CPI data tonight: To be fair on Mr. Powell, his speech did coincide with a Tweet from US President Trump announcing that he would be abandoning the economic summit in Davos to deal with the US Government shut-down. Markets didn't like that either: it was expected President Trump would further trade-talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the summit. Nevertheless, if US stocks were to close right now, the activity in the market would add-weight to the notion the recent rally is more bounce than recovery. The jury is still out, but momentum is slowing and at about 2600, the market is being faded. US CPI data is released tonight, so that may provide the impetus for even balanced battle between the bulls-and-bears to tip in one direction or the other.
     
  7. MaxIG
    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.

     
  8. MaxIG
    Written By Kyle Rodda - IG Australia
    The bullish week continues: The pointy end of the week has arrived, and so far, the news flow is lining up well for the bulls. The big release, perhaps for the whole week, was this morning’s FOMC Minutes. Naturally, the information is old, relevant mostly to the December 19 period in which the central bank met. But given the market turmoil experienced since then, along with January’s nascent recovery, this set of Fed minutes has taken on slightly greater significance. The reception, as far as investors and other bulls are concerned, has been positive. The document reveals a much more dovish Fed than the one that Chairperson Jerome Powell presented at that meeting’s press conference. The Powell-put is in, it is being judged: the market has Fed support.
    Confidence boosted by dovish Fed: That’s the perception, anyway. It could change but considering sentiment has vacillated recently on shifting “narratives”, a rosy outlook is apparently enough to pique risk-appetite. Combing through the fine-print of the Fed Minutes and few details jump out. Confidence about future growth has waned very slightly, and the need for higher interests has come into question. In fact, a few members voiced their belief the Fed should have kept rates on hold at the December meeting. The board also highlighted the disconnect between financial markets and the “real” economy, though it did add that downside risks to the US economy had increased. Without quoting line for line, the document contains the nuanced and market-sympathetic tone the bulls have been waiting for, vindicating this week’s upside turn in global equities.
    Market response: The response by traders has been to buy stocks and bonds, sell the US Dollar, and seek out other risk-on-assets. The comprehensive S&P500 is dancing with the 2600 pivot point, and the reluctance to go beyond that level shows. Note: it was that psychological-level of support the market bounced off twice before beginning its dive into bear market territory. US Treasury yields have also dipped. The US 10 Year note has fallen by 1 basis point to 2.72 per cent; however, the yield on the more interest rate sensitive US 2 Year note has plunged 4 basis points to 2.54 per cent. Credit spreads, especially on junk bonds, have narrowed further, supporting equity markets, and risk-appetite in general.

    The Greenback tumbles: The US Dollar has maintained its fall consequent to the FOMC Minutes, which it must be stated, experienced the lion’s share of its overnight tumble after a speech from Fed-member Raphael Bostic, after he’d stated that he believed interest rates were very close to neutral. The greenback looks vulnerable to further falls now, having retreated already by 2.3 per cent from its December highs. Gold is looking increasingly in vogue courtesy of the weaker USD and the absence of other appropriate currency safe-havens, climbing to $US1292. While the AUD/USD, having broken resistance at 0.7150 during Asian trade yesterday, is continuing its march towards 0.7200 support/resistance, even despite traders pricing an increased chance of RBA rate cuts at some point in 2019.

    In other news: Of course, the FOMC minutes, though certainly the biggest event in the last 24-hours, wasn’t the only news moving markets. Oil prices rallied by over 4 per cent last night on data showing crude inventories contracted in the US, along with greater expectations that OPEC’s recently announced production cuts would lower global supply. The dynamic has supported the lift in equity markets, aided the narrowing of credit spreads, and pushed-up the yield on US 5 Year Breakevens, as traders re-price for higher inflation. Positive noises coming from US-China Trade negotiations also improved the outlook for growth, adding to the week’s positive momentum toward a trade-war resolution. The only major dark-point thus far this week has been the ongoing US Government shut-down, which is showing no signs of ending any time soon.
    ASX at crossroads: SPI Futures are pointing to a jump at the open for the ASX200 of 13 basis points, at time of writing. Much like the S&P500, the ASX200 sits just shy of a key pivot point for the market, between about 5780/5800. The market yesterday attempted on several occasions to breakthrough that level, only to find any such challenged faded. The ASX is still trading primarily on the lead handed to it by Wall Street, and if that relationship holds true today, a play above the 5780 level ought to be on the cards at the market’s open. From here, a close above 5800 will be hoped for by market-bulls, to validate a change in the short-term trend, and subsequently open upside to ~5950.

    The state of play today: The data-docket is light in the Asian session ahead. The positioning in markets today will largely be concerned with a speech scheduled to be delivered by US Fed Chair Jerome Powell tonight. The tide does feel to be turning in equity markets. Volatility is lower, and the bulls have had delivered to them what they’ve been crying for: good data and a dovish Fed. Debate will continue to rage between the bulls and bears about where markets go from here. The former suggests the worst of the shake-out is over, a bottom has been put in place, and there is more upside to come; the latter points to historical precedent to suggest we are just experiencing a bull trap, and the bear market has only just begun.
  9. MaxIG
    Australian data draws global interest: Australia’s remarkably weak growth figures captured attention, both locally and abroad. The numbers conveyed in yesterday’s GDP were truly disappointing. Growth in the final quarter of 2018 was a paltry 0.2 per cent, and after another set of revisions to previous data, the annualized growth rate fell to 2.3 per cent. Each figure was quite an undershoot of expectations: for one, economists were expecting the quarterly number to come-in-at 0.3 per cent in seasonally adjusted terms. Now, on the face of it, this may not seem too bad. However, this estimate had been revised down several times in the week preceding yesterday’s GDP release, from around 0.6 per cent, in response to other underwhelming Australian economic data.
    RBA’s dissolving logic: As it stands, the picture the GDP print painted of the Australian economy blows the RBA’s base case out of the water. Recently, the RBA had become candid in its assessment of the (let’s say) “crosswinds” in the domestic economy. So cognizant of the risks, they’d adopted a “neutral” stance to monetary policy moving forward into 2019. But still, their optimism remained: growth would remain strong enough to lead to an even tighter labour market, which would eventually feed into a pick-up in wages growth, and subsequently the inflation and consumption growth long-missing in the Australian economy. It was this view that fundamentally created the bedrock for the RBA’s policy bias and supported their hope for improved local economic conditions.
    A further slowdown expected: It’s seems impossible that the RBA could maintain this base case anymore. Simply put: a growth rate where it is now cannot sustain the necessary tightening of the labour market to put the aforementioned process into motion. Historically, GDP has had to grow at a rate at least above 2.5 per cent to see adequate growth in employment. A growth-rate below this market has traditionally led to an increase in the unemployment rate – a phenomenon that, given we are (arguably) at nominally full-employment now, may well manifest quickly in future labour market data. With that credible assumption made, the elusive growth in wages is terribly unlikely to materialize, meaning the Australian economy is unlikely to meet the RBA’s expectations.

    2 RBA rate cuts possible in 2019: The logic hasn’t been missed by market participants. Immediately following yesterday’s news, traders swiftly priced in the new, less-optimistic outlook for the Australian economy. Bets on a rate cut from the RBA before year’s end spiked. Implied probabilities are now suggesting at least 1 cut from the central bank in 2019. The chances of another cut after this also showed for the first time in pricing – at implied odds of about 25 per cent. Naturally, the bears swarmed the AUD/USD as a consequence. Support at 0.7050 broke, after being tested a handful of times during the day, as the spread between 2 Year ACGBs and 2 Year US Treasuries widened to as far as 88 basis points.
    Lower yields, lower currency, higher ASX: Not that the ASX was overly perturbed by what was happening in the currency and bond markets in response to the GDP figures. If anything, it was a welcomed development, just in the short-term, for stocks. The depreciation of the AUD, coupled with the tumble in bond yields, bolstered equities, leading the ASX200 above 6230 resistance, to close 0.75 per cent higher for the day. It was a broad a based rally too: every major sector was in the green, led by the cyclical materials, energy and industrials stocks, which have also been given a boost by the run up in oil and industrial metals prices. The next conspicuous level to watch from here likely becomes 6310.

    Wall Street struggles: For the day ahead, SPI Futures are currently indicating an 8-point jump at the open for the ASX200. If realized, it’ll be no thanks to the lead Wall Street is likely to hand us. With less than hour to go in trade, the S&P500 has pulled further away from its formidable resistance level at 2815, to be trading 0.5 per cent lower on the session. Momentum is building to the downside for US equities still: the MACD and RSI are both pointing to a market that’s lost its drive. Also, of slight concern is breadth and conviction of Wall Street’s overnight falls. Volumes are above average, while only 20 per cent of stocks are higher for the session.
    The currency complex: The anti-risk, anti-growth bent to trade overnight has brought out some of the typical doomsayers. The result has been a modest lift to the US Dollar, and at that, the Japanese Yen, while gold keeps grinding lower. Across the currency complex, commodity currencies have been the worst performing. The AUD, for the reasons earlier described; but also, the Kiwi and CAD, too – the latter in part due to a dovish Bank of Canada last night, and a dip in oil prices. The Euro is steady as it treads water ahead of tonight’s ECB meeting, at which that central bank is expected to cut its growth outlook. The Pound is ambling as further Brexit developments are awaited.
    Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia
  10. MaxIG
    Stocks sell-off in Europe and the US: Global equities appear in pull-back mode. Ignoring Asia’s solid-enough day, European and US stocks have tumbled. The Euro Stoxx 50 shed 1.78 per cent overnight, while the FTSE100 dropped 1.63 per cent, and the S&P500 has given-up 1.65 per cent. It looks as though just when one assumed the latest trade-war developments lacked true bite, the conflicts potential consequences have reared their head in price action. Trade talks this week take-on an even greater significance now. Stamped with the knowledge of how the herd is responding to the latest break down in US-Sino relations, traders will be hyper-sensitive to good or bad trade-talk news.
    Trade-war risk raises questions about fundamentals: It’s a part of why markets have behaved (quite) edgy overnight: trade-related news, and its all-important impact on market fundamentals, has proven had to quantify and predict. The last time trade-tensions were this high, commentators were wrangling with what the material impacts of the trade war would be. Would it derail global growth? How big of an impact would it have on inflation? What might it do to corporate earnings? There were few sufficient answers to these quandaries, and the trade-problem seemed to disappear as US-Sino relations improved last year. They’ll return to the fore now, with market participants no closer to and answer now than then.
    Stocks sell-off in the face of uncertainty: Those answers come with time, and it’s probably not the root of those questions necessarily causing the overnight sell-off, per se. In the short-term, where the vagaries of the market are overanalysed, and the day-to-day movements in the market are rationalized away, a simple dose of uncertainty is all it takes to move sentiment from something “bullish” to something “bearish”. The fact that market participants can’t answer some of the bigger questions relating to the trade war is worse than if they’d received uncomfortable answers to those questions. Faced with uncertainty, traders overcompensate for the lack of information by removing risk, and therefore assuming the worst.
    An overdue pullback? Hindsight is golden, and of course it makes a genius out of us all, but there were signs that the global equity rally has been getting long-in-the-tooth, anyway. And with last night’s relatively big sell-off, price action in US stocks is (for now) behaving as this is a healthy pull-back, rather than another correction. Indeed, all sorts of scenarios sit between those two extremes explanations, and the fortunes of global stocks for the rest of the week will probably manifest as one of them. But given the widely acknowledged disconnect between fundamentals and price, an adjustment in markets looks to be at hand.

    ASX to follow Wall Street’s lead: The SPI Futures contract is suggesting that the tumble on Wall Street will manifest across the ASX200 this morning. According to that measure, the index ought to give up about 67 points, come today’s open. It’ll likely be a broad-based day of losses too, given this information, as safety is sought, and profits are booked by investors. It continues a rather challenging start to the week for ASX bulls. The market was first harmed by the escalation in the trade war on Monday, taking the sheen off of economic growth optimism; and then was bottled yesterday afternoon following the RBA’s interest rate decision.
    RBA rate expectations legs the ASX: Mirroring the dynamic manifesting the world-over, Australian equities were undercut yesterday by the RBA’s decision to keep interest rates on hold, as the repricing of interest rate expectations pushed the marginal investor back into cash and bonds. It’s a dilemma for equity markets here, just like everywhere else: equity valuations have become more attractive for investors due to falling discount rates, rather than true profit growth. Furthermore, a natural lift in the Australian Dollar inhibited enthusiasm within the ASX, rallying towards the 0.7050 mark as traders priced-in a more hawkish RBA than what was expected.
    For the RBA, it’s all about jobs: The market is still expecting the RBA to more-or-less cut interest rates twice this year. Going into yesterday’s RBA meeting, that assumption was unlikely to reverse. However, it was all about the potential imminence of cuts, and with what was handed to traders from the RBA, bets on when cuts will happen has been deferred. There was plenty of detail in the RBA’s communications to the market in their statement yesterday, but the key point was this: the RBA acknowledges that inflation is low and economic activity is soft; however, while the jobs market remains tight, it sees no immediate need to cut interest rates.

    Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia 
  11. MaxIG
    Global markets relatively still: Wedged between the beginning of Chinese New Year and Superbowl Sunday in the US, financial markets, on a global scale, have been a relatively quiet place in the past 24-hours. The excitement, anxiety and anticipation that has catalysed movement and activity in global markets lately was noticeably absent. Last week was a hard act to follow, what with the Fed, US corporate earnings, trade-war negotiations, Brexit, and a litany of fundamental data to keep traders occupied. Not to mention that being a Monday, news flow in the financial press is always a little lighter than what it is the rest of the week. Overall, the major equity markets in Asia closed in the green yesterday, Europe was on-balance lower come the end of the session, and Wall Street should finisher the day higher.

    The Hayne Report handed-down: Considering the quietness – and as this is being written, the hope is US President Trump keeps his fingers away from Twitter – it provides a good opportunity to pop-on the parochial Australian hat and look at how local markets are evolving. In a reasonably significant way, Australia was where the locus of interest lay, if only in the Asian session, during yesterday’s trade. The final report of Kenneth Hayne, QC’s Banking Royal Commission had Aussie markets on edge throughout the day; and had global investors curious as to what game-changing findings would come out of the report. The pre-positioning in the morning’s trade had the ASX experiencing much larger volumes than the average Monday, though that petered out as the session unfolded and attention turned to simply awaiting the report’s release.
    The initial reactions: Avoiding the legalese and focusing simply on the initial market sentiment, and it might be fair to say that investors are quite pleased with the findings handed down in the final Hayne Report. It’s only a very early indicator, and the move was modest, but upon re-opening yesterday afternoon, SPI futures registered a quick 12-point jump after digesting the report’s findings and the subsequent Press Conference addressing them from Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. The move was pared as the European and Middle Eastern markets took control of price action. However, what the activity reveals is that the emotional money – the one that reacts straight-out-of the gates to news and noise – judged what was contained and prescribed within the Hayne Report as being on-balance beneficial to bank stocks.
    Smart money buying bank bargains? Taking a slice of Wall Street’s overnight upside as well, and SPI Futures at time of writing are pointing to a 28-point jump at the open for the ASX200. During intraday trade, the ASX managed to deliver a positive day for market-bulls. Whipsawing for the first hour of trade, the bulls took control of the market as the day unfolded, led by the bank stocks, which added over 17 points to the ASX200 by the day’s end. The price action screams of the classic “dumb-money-versus-smart-money” dynamic: the dour headlines about the Royal Commission spooked the emotional retail investors, who sold at the market’s open and pushed the price lower, only to establish better buying conditions for the “smart” institutional investors, who bid the banks and the index higher throughout the day.

    The banks avoid the worst-case outcome: Given the activity in futures, the market reaction could simply be a matter of “buy the rumour and sell the fact”, as the cliché goes. Alternatively, it could be a sign that market participants believe the 76 recommendations in the report were a little softer than expected on the financial services industry. Looking at what was recommended, and the kind of structural change that some pundits were calling for did not get mentioned. In short: the banks won’t need to be broken apart, and ASIC and APRA will remain the “two-peaks” of the regulatory framework. Most of the pain falls upon mortgage brokers and financial planners, with the general intent of the recommendations looking at existing laws and institutions to kill dodgy sales practices, abolish perverse remuneration programs, improve financial advisory practices, and hold future wrong doers to account.
    Credit and trust: The Royal Commission itself, we’ve been told, is to restore trust in the banking system, while ensuring ample credit-conditions and the necessary competition remain in the financial system. It’s always a poetic reminder: the origins of the word credit come from the Latin word “credere”, which means to “believe” or to “trust”. The extension of financial credit – the thing that invents and keeps capital in the world moving around – is essentially an exchange of trust. Fortunately, given what’s been revealed the Banking Royal Commission, consumers need not believe in the goodwill of a monolithic institution to extend their trust to it. We have legal coercion instead. The hope is now, out of all of this, even if power isn’t redistributed by breaking-up the banks, the legal institutions who are there to “keep the bastards honest” start doing their job.
    RBA day and Retail Sales: Staying focused on the fortunes of the Australian economy, the day ahead will be headlined by local Retail Sales data and the RBA’s first meeting for 2019. It’s a fitting mix, considering the major risk to the domestic economy and RBA policy, given mounting household debt, sluggish wages growth and falling property prices, is the strength of the Australian consumer. Today’s meeting from the RBA is the first we’ve formally heard from the central bank since the start of December. Given the many developments in the world economy since then, there will be plenty for the RBA to catch-up on. They won’t move rates today; that much is known. But the guidance moving forward is key, with rates markets still pricing in a 40 per cent chance of a rate cut this year.

    Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia
  12. MaxIG
    Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia
    Brexit break-down: The headlines in financial markets are mostly Brexit related. What was suspected has become so: Prime Minister Theresa May’s deal with the European Union has fallen by the wayside, potentially (if not, likely) rendering it mute. 24 hours is of course a long time in markets, and this time yesterday optimism was blossoming about a potential Brexit deal to end the years of debate and gridlock. The harsh reality has now bitten though, and the brutal realpolitik has subverted that narrative: Dominic Raab – the UK’s key Brexit negotiator – has resigned from Prime Minister May’s cabinet, amounting to a no-confidence motion in the Prime Minister and her deal. It’s curious still as to what Raab’s motives are: he was in the room with Prime Minister May negotiating the deal with the Europeans. Nevertheless, he has pulled his support, and it’s now believed the castle is about to fall.
    Pound plunges: There was volatility in markets in response to the shock news, however it was mostly contained to Pound. The Cable plunged from the 1.30 handle to trade below 1.2750, in what amounts to its largest intra-day move in over a year, as yields on UK Gilts plunged on back of unwinding bets of more BOE rate hikes. Continental stock indices lost ground, with the DAX shedding 0.5 per cent for the day; however, the plunge in the Pound, coupled with more stable oil and commodity prices overnight, helped the FTSE100 close flat for the day. It’s a very premature call, but futures markets are pointing to a more stable day for European equity markets when they come on line in 10 hours-time, revealing that though Brexit is a massive social, cultural and political issue, for market participants, at least for the time being, it’s more a nuisance than a major concern.

    Wall Street bounce: Activity on Wall Street last night can attest to this: after hitting the skids in early trade as traders digested the Brexit news, US indices gradually turned to trade-off its own themes. It’s resulted in what appears to be a reasonable outcome for the day’s trade. At time of writing, the NASDAQ is up in the realm of 1-and-a-half per cent, the S&P500 has climbed 0.9 per cent, and the Dow Jones is trading 0.7 per cent higher. The real impetus for the shift in market sentiment came upon news that US and Chinese negotiators are in the process of knuckling down terms of a trade agreement to be discussed at this month’s G20 meeting. Industrial stocks have benefitted most from the dynamic, as fears regarding growth risks wane, while Treasury yields have popped higher, with the yield on the US 10 Year note-rallying to 3.12 per cent.
    US fundamentals: Markets were provided with ample material to judge US economic conditions during last night’s trade. US Retail Sales data was released and surprised to the upside, somewhat confirming the US economy’s sustained strength. Of greater import, US Federal Reserve Chairperson delivered two separate addresses in the last 24 hours, hammering-home in both his conviction that the US economy requires further interest rate hikes, even if that means some heightened volatility in asset prices. Traders largely took the news in their stride, taking it as a continuation of messaging markets have received from the Fed for the most part of the year. The US Dollar was rather steady on the news, as interest rate markets held to their current perception regarding future interest rate hikes: that is, a 75 per cent chance for a hike in December, followed by another 2-and-a-bit hikes for the entirety of 2019.
    The big paradox: Moving forward and looking at the bigger picture, herein lies the problem, however: markets are still under-pricing the likelihood that the Fed will hike the 3 times next year that it has flagged. Far be it to argue with the multitude of brilliant minds collectively deciding this. But as recent history has proven, the biggest spikes in volatility have come when traders have mis-forecast the fundamentals and underestimated the conviction of the Fed. It goes back to the big paradox dictating market behaviour currently (although it must be cited this up for debate and is rooted in contestable philosophical assumptions): stronger economic activity will force the Fed to aggressively hike rates, which will suck liquidity from the markets, stretch valuations further, and drive funds into safer, relatively higher yielding assets. The ultimate effect will be tighter financial conditions, higher volatility, and weaker activity in equity markets.
    ASX200: The big picture aside, and the day ahead is shaping up as a positive one for the ASX200. SPI futures are indicating presently a 16-point gain for the local market at the open, inspired primarily by Wall Street’s solid lead. Yesterday’s trade was rather grim for the bulls for the most part of the day, with the ASX200 down by as much as 0.7 per cent intra-day, to test the waters below 5700. Options expiries bailed out the ASX in the end, elevating the market after the formal end of trade to a neutral position for the day. The recovery was supported by positive price action on Chinese indices, which experienced (if using the CSI300 has a guide) a 1.17 per cent gain, along with a rebound in oil prices that lead the energy sector 1 per cent higher.
    Aussie fundamentals: In another example of stock market performance not necessarily marrying up to economic fundamentals, yesterday's local employment figures provided a very healthy upside surprise. The unemployment rate maintained itself at 5.0 per cent, even despite an increase in the participation rate, courtesy of a higher than expected jobs-added figure of 32k last month. The Australian Dollar shot through 0.7240 resistance to rally toward the next key level at 0.7310, opening the possibility of further short-term gains as short sellers continue to be squeezed. Even more remarkably, the labour market numbers resonated enough with (hard to please) interest rate traders: for the first time in quite some time, better than 50/50 odds of a rate hike from the RBA before the end of 2019 is being priced in, as some traders begin to buy the notion of a markedly improving Australian economy.

     
  13. MaxIG
    ASX overbought; but clear-air ahead: The ASX200 ought to add another 22 points this morning, according to SPI futures. There is a lot of enthusiasm about Aussie stocks presently – something surely attractive for the contrarians who like to run counter to prevailing market sentiment. It’s been said so much that it’s become facile: a pull-back must come soon to test the strength of the market’s recovery. Of course, it is a matter of when this eventuates – timing is always the toughest thing to predict in financial markets. The ASX200 has become technically overbought on the daily-RSI; however, by that measure, momentum is still intact and pointing to an uptrend. Clear air exists for the market now too, with the next resistance level sitting slightly above 6100.

    ASX has the wind to its back: It’s often said that compared to other major indices, the ASX200 is a trifle boring to trade. It’s a simple formula, well known to most: get a view on the banks, and get a view on the miners, and you’re almost the whole way to knowing where the index will go. The bulls were thrown a bone on both fronts this week. The soft-touch (“pragmatic” is the word being used) recommendations contained within the Hayne Report has set a fire under bank stocks; and the parabolic rally in iron ore prices has the big-miners looking like an attractive long-proposition. It must be stated the market’s rally is broad-based, with volume and breadth in the market solid. But that had already been so, so-far in 2019: it meant little without the bank-bulls charging.
    Banks rally, but fundamentals questionable: The rally in the banks this week is arguably in large part a “catch-up” rally – the financials sector had been the only sector in the red for 2019. Bank stocks weren’t being touched, despite the bullish macro-drivers in global equity markets. But with this week’s rally, financials are up 4.50 per cent, against an overall index return of 6.7 per cent; perhaps the banks have rebalanced now with where the ‘big-picture” suggests they ought to be. The next question is however, what upside exists for the banks based on their fundamentals? This will take time to flesh-out, as each of the Big-4 progressively update the markets on their performance – and especially as the political cycle turns the findings of the Hayne Royal Commission into an election issue.
    CBA the first to show cards: Markets did receive their first insight into the financial state of the nation’s banks; and fittingly it was the CBA yesterday morning that provided their half-year results. The figures released spoke of a bank de-risking in the face of regulatory pressure, being stifled by higher global funding costs, and struggling with the Australian property market’s downturn. The ratio of Tier-1 capital the bank is holding climbed to 10.8 per cent, and its net-interest-margin shrunk by 4 basis points. Not a disastrous result by any means, however given that credit growth in Australia is still slowing, and the domestic property market seemingly has further to fall, suggesting a turn in the multi-year downtrend in the CBA’s share price will reverse because of diminished of regulatory-risk seems fanciful.

    The RBA becomes “balanced”: The concerns confronting the banks and the Australian economy (as a whole) were addressed in a speech delivered by RBA Governor Philip Lowe yesterday. His view on the economy was decidedly more “balanced” – as the Governor himself explicitly described – than what it had been at any stage in 2018. It was a refreshing take, however one that got market participants moving. What’s been inferred from the speech, is that given the slowdown in the global economy, weakening domestic demand, and issues in consumer credit and the property market, the chances for a rate hike are now even with that of a rate-cut. Gone is the rhetoric that “the next move in interest rates is likely to be higher”: the RBA, for all its optimism, is on standby with policy support if economic conditions deteriorate.
    Australian bonds and the AUD: As one can imagine, the Australian Dollar hated the change in the RBA’s outlook. It was the worst performer of all G10 currencies yesterday, diving to an overnight low of 0.7110 against the greenback. The probability of an interest rate cut at some point in 2019 has spiked, to effectively a 60 per cent implied probability. Australian Commonwealth Government Bond yields tanked consequently, with the 2 Year ACGB tumbling 10 basis points, and the 10 Year ACGB shedding 8 points. The fall in yields, though being brought-about by a less-rosy outlook for the economy, is probably supportive of the ASX for now. The drop-in discount rates have made valuations marginally more attractive, while more significantly, the lower Australian Dollar has visibly provided a boost to the market in the short-term.

    Powell and the BOE the highlights today: With less than an hour to trade, Wall Street looks as though it will finish in the red today, following a weak day in European equities, and a solid day across Asia. Overnight news-flow was bereft of market moving headlines, so traders look to the next 24 hours for inspiration. US Fed Chair Jerome Powell speaks today (11.00AM AEDT), but the big focus may well be on the Bank of England tonight. The GBP has lost its lustre this week, as markets come to the realization that a no-deal Brexit is a higher likelihood than what was being priced-in. The BOE are hamstrung at-the-moment, unable to shift policy stance until a Brexit outcome is known. An optimistic but idle central bank is to be expected until it is.
    Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia
     
  14. MaxIG
    The tariffs get hiked: The latest round of trade talks didn’t have the desired outcome. But nevertheless, the always forward-looking equity market closed last week on something of a high-note. It was a choppy day’s trade in Asia as the news filtered through that an agreement between the US and China in Washington wouldn’t be reached. Ultimately though, and just like the last time tariffs were hiked, financial markets handled the news with aplomb. The simplest explanation for why there wasn’t a huge reaction financial markets is roughly this: it “was buy the news and sell the fact” with markets having already discounted a trade-war escalation.
    Markets (probably) saw it coming: It’s an unhelpful cliché, that one. However, market-moves, ex-post or not, are often chalked up to such a dynamic. It’s one of those helpful mental models to make sense of the madness of financial markets day-to-day. Regardless, it’s ostensibly what financial markets have done in this instance; giving solace to the bulls and bolstering risk-appetite. Fundamentally, the global equity map was a rich-shade of green after the end of Friday’s trade. The S&P500, for one, closed 0.37 per cent higher, CSI300 lifted a remarkable 3.63 per cent, and SPI Futures are indicating a 29 point jump this morning.

    The future feels more uncertain: The question moves today to: where to from here? From a pure fundamentalists point of view, those folks probably just wait to see how new trade-barriers show up in the hard-data. That one is probably going to be a slow-burn. Recall, after the last round of tariffs were implemented, it took the better part of a quarter for them to show in the data, and vaguely reflect in market fundamentals. For the short-term sentiment watchers, an answer to that overriding question will be more immediate, however perhaps more gradual in its unfolding. Afterall, this is a headline driven market, and those headlines are still being produced.
    Trade will remain “headline-driven”: Hence, on the headline front, what was received over the weekend – after the market had closed – was probably not all that favourable for risk-sentiment. While Friday’s trade was buoyed by news that trade-talks were continuing and were “constructive”; trade at the very early stages of this week is being stifled by the harsh rhetoric from the Trump administration, towards the Chinese, over the weekend. Upping his binary “winner-and-losers” language, news has filtered through the wires that the US has delivered China an ultimatum: make-a-deal, or tariffs get applied to all Chinese goods going into the US in a month’s time.

    Higher trade-barriers to stifle global growth: The reliability of this story is somewhat questionable. Regardless, if tariffs are applied to all goods going into the US from China, and retaliatory tariffs are proportionately applied to all goods going into China from the US, then the global economy will almost certainly suffer. Speculation now in financial markets will probably centre in a big-way on trying to quantify the impact of this dynamic. This will take some time to actually materialize. But you can bet the quants and other data crunchers of the world will be adjusting their models to try and predict their impact now.
    US-China conflict possibly the “new-normal”: For traders not-so resource rich, the matter becomes less about predicting the numbers, and more about getting a rational grasp on whether the trade-war will continue to escalate. Given the current circumstances, a bitter spoonful of pessimism may well be the conclusion. That’s because the trade-war, as has been repeated ad nauseum in the punditry, is not an economic issue, but a strategic one. To borrow from the classics, it’s a case of Thucydides-trap. China does not wish to compromise its inexorable rise; while the US is trying to force China to rise within the restrictive confines of the world-order it, itself created.
    The consequences of this new order: The intractability of such an issue means that, at the very least intellectually, a true resolution to the trade-war in the short-term in unlikely. Tariffs may come and go, but financial markets will have to deal with a world in the future where its two biggest economies are “at each other’s throats”. This new reality will probably be internalized by markets, which will move-on over time, and trade according to the market-fundamentals, determined by economic and corporate strength. However, as the economic cycle continues towards its end, the interest will be in how weaker global-trade steepens its descent, and compromises the markets’ fundamentals.
    Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia
  15. MaxIG
    Weaker sentiment: Risk aversion continues to plague global markets. Despite some positive developments on Friday regarding the US-China Trade War and US Federal Reserve policy, confidence appears to be lowly, resulting in a general flight to safety. It was telling that the NASDAQ couldn't close higher along with the Dow Jones and S&P500 on Friday: the desire to jump into growth stocks keeps diminishing in this market. It raises the risk that market participants have internalised the idea that now is not the time to be chasing capital gains in high-multiple shares. The momentum chasers are being unquestionably washed out of the market, with punters changing strategy from one of "buy the dips" to "sell the rally".
    Missing conviction: It can be at these points in which moves to the downside are exaggerated because of an overall bearish bias. Assessing volumes are a terrific indicator of this, and currently and on balance, the days when Wall Street closes higher has generally coincided with days when volumes are relatively thin. The dynamic implies a lack of conviction from the buyers and sets up opportunities for aggressive sellers to profit from rallies in the market. The ASX200 demonstrated this well on Friday, where after a rather volatile week that ended with the index closing 0.10 per cent lower, intraday rallies in Aussie shares were flimsy and quite fleeting, revealing a tangible unwillingness by traders to take long positions in this market.
    Less information, more volatility? It will be curious to see how this theme holds in the week ahead. There is such a dearth of fundamental data: the economic calendar is light and US earnings season is effectively done-and-dusted. Traders will have no choice but to focus on the handful of significant geopolitical stories playing out, all in the backdrop of continued speculation about the very core concerns regarding US interest rates. It's a recipe with all the ingredients for a volatile week, if market participants struggle to price in the many vacillating variables moving markets. Watching how the VIX behaves will be the starting point for many-a trader, to get a gauge on to what degree fear and uncertainty exists.

    Geopolitics: It's conceivable that a new development in Brexit and/or the Trade War could shift sentiment very rapidly. There is a sense a breakthrough -- whether positive or negative for markets -- is upon us in both of those issues. Theresa May's Prime Ministership and her Brexit deal will face an existential threat this week, the possible outcome being a successful no-confidence motion in the Prime Minister, and subsequently the death of her Brexit deal. Trade War negotiations have ostensibly improved, however there are many mixed messages coming from both the US and Chinese governments regarding what this month's planned meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump at the sidelines of the G20 will yield.
    Slight to safety: An absence of certainty and clarity on both subjects has traders seeking safety. US Treasuries have rallied, with the yield on the 10 Year note falling to support at 3.07 per cent, a break of which could open downside to 2.95 per cent. The Japanese Yen has also been bid-up, closing last week's trade at 112.83, while the EUR bounced back above 1.14 -- and the GBP recovered some of its losses -- causing the US Dollar Index to pull back. Gold prices have spiked consequently, trading at $1222 per ounce. Other commodities have been supported by a lift in optimism regarding the trade war, with Copper and aluminium closing last week high, however oil prices still appear vulnerable to the downside, as concerns of a global over supply persist.
    The Aussie pops: Bringing it back closer to home: the Australian Dollar has been a major beneficiary from the weaker greenback on Friday. The Aussie Dollar has broken resistance at 0.7310, to open upside now toward the 0.7450 mark. The trend of US Dollar strength ought not be considered over yet: the yield advantage of holding US Dollars remain and looks likely to persist as the Fed maintains its rate hiking cycle. The tremendous amount of short positioning in the Australian Dollar (still), however, means that a continued pop higher in the A-Dollar is possible, before the more structural factors relating to interest rates differentials reassert themselves. In the week ahead, any sign of a step forward in trade negotiations could fuel an Aussie Dollar rally, with the inverse naturally true if trade negotiations sour.

    ASX today: Finally, the price on SPI futures is indicating a 17-point jump at the open for the ASX200. As alluded to earlier, a read on volume could be valuable today, especially if the market experiences upside. Of course, being a Monday, it will likely read lower irrespective, so perhaps the question should be to what extent volume deviates from the norm. The short-term trend is lower for the Australian share market and should probably considered so until a significant run back and beyond 5930 is achieved. A reason to buy into the market will be required to achieve this - something today is unlikely to deliver.
    Looking at the key sectors that drive the ASX200 and the narratives shaping their activity, briefly: the financials could find themselves supported today by a small army of bargain hunters, but another poor showing from Aussie property on the weekend plus more from the Royal Commission this week could drag on the banks; a sluggish day for the NASDAQ on Friday could indicate weakness in the high-multiple healthcare stocks; while the modest lift in commodity prices to end last week, along with the very slightly brighter outlook in the trade war, may benefit the miners.

  16. MaxIG
    Up, down, turnaround: It’s been a bipolar market of late. Global stocks are moving in unison, and have swung from broad-based losses on Friday, to broad-based gains overnight. US equities are naturally the exemplar and are a responsible for driving overall risk appetite. With an hour left in trade (and as a quick aside, Wall Street closes at 7am AEDT for the next few weeks) the S&P500 is up well over 1 per cent. It’s been a day of relatively low activity. However, breadth is expansive: over 90 per cent of stocks are higher for the session. After last week’s losses, the S&P500 is some way from the key resistance at 2815. The fundamental strength of the market will be assessed by its ability to rechallenge that level.
    ASX to hit the ground running: It was topsy-turvy yesterday, as far as the ASX’s behaviour went within the context of the global rally in equities. Unlike during stages of last week, the ASX200 was a thin-cut of red in an otherwise sea of green, when looking at the global equity index map. Australian stocks will join the party this morning, and according to the SPI Futures contract, will bust out of the gate at today’s open with a 34-point rally. Inducing from European and North American trade what we might see today: materials stocks may follow their international counterparts, energy stocks may track a lift in oil, and Australia’s growth stocks in the biotechnology industry should follow US tech’s run higher.

    US economic fundamentals: US economic data is dense this week, and what it suggest about the US economy will be a theme to watch in the week ahead. After all: growth in the US economy is what many are hanging their hat on to keep global economic activity supported. Retail Sales data last night was the first high-impact event for the week, and it surprised to the upside. Although January’s woeful figure was revised down again, sales growth in February beat expectations. The result didn’t change fundamentals, though they did shift slightly. US Treasury yields lifted modestly, on reduced bets that the US Fed will have to cut interest rates at some stage in 2019 to support the US economy.
    US inflation risk: The far more important US CPI figure is released tonight – and will probably amount to highlight for the week in US data. Inflation concerns have become less-of-a-priority for traders recently, owing to the volatility in financial markets, relatively low oil prices, the dimming prospects for global growth, and the US Fed’s assurances that it does not mind overshooting its 2 per cent inflation target. Nevertheless, inflation risk always reigns – and, if realized, would be quick to quash equity market bullishness. In saying this, the implied probability of this materializing ought still to be considered low. US 5 Year break evens are implying a US inflation outlook of only about 1.85 per cent.
    3-days of Brexit drama: Though US data is an overarching theme this week, the eyes of the world will probably be on the UK for the next 3 days. It’s more-or-less crunch time for UK Prime Minister Theresa May and her wildly unpopular Brexit bill. A series of votes before the House of Commons to decide on what the UK will do come the March 29 Brexit deadline will transpire over the coming days. Crudely put, they’ll determine whether to leave the Eurozone according to Prime Minister May’s deal (unlikely); crash-out of the Eurozone without a deal (a possibility); or extend the Brexit deadline and kick-the-can further down the road (likeliest). The Sterling will be the barometer: short-term moves between the 1.28 and 1.34 handle is conceivable.
    Mixed growth signals: For financial markets, Brexit’s macro-economic impact will probably be contained to UK and European assets. Rightly or wrongly, the view is that the matter concerns regional markets, primarily. Fears about slowing global growth will remain a theme overlayed in the market, nevertheless. And judging from last night’s trade, despite the bullishness in equities, fixed income and currencies, pockets of pessimism still prevail. Growth sensitive commodities, primarily industrial metals, were down overnight, even in the face of a weaker US Dollar. From a technical standpoint, industrial metals prices are reaching technical trend-line support. If broken below, it may indicate that the market’s flirtation with improved global growth conditions was a mere folly.

    China’s got the gold-bug: The always contentious outlook for gold prices was of interest overnight, amid the sell-off in commodities and the confused global growth outlook. Gold pulled away from the $1300 pivot point once more, courtesy of the rise in global yields. An arguably more interesting and significant variable in gold's broader price action was a highlight yesterday: data that revealed China once again increased its reserves of the metal last month. The most parsimonious explanation here for this phenomenon is that, like the Russians, China is looking to reduce its dependence on the United States by diversifying away from USD denominated assets. It's a direct challenge to the post-Bretton Woods global monetary system, and one that may support gold prices into the future.
    Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia
  17. MaxIG
    Wall Street’s follow-through: Markets have basked in the afterglow of Wall Street's bull-friendly Friday session. They've gotten what they've been screaming for: some strong data and a more-dovish US Federal Reserve. For the first time in a month, perhaps more, trade has been characterised by a relative sense of calm. The VIX is drifting lower and toward the 20-mark. Stocks are up on Wall Street after a solid day in Asia, and global bonds are down. This could all change in an instant, that much is known. There are too many moving parts in this market to truly believe stability will be an ongoing theme. For now, a recess from the mad volatility that capped the end of 2018 is being welcomed by investors - and perhaps lamented by your risk-loving active-trader.

    Markets placated… for now: It's the behaviour one might consider akin to that of an obstinate child. Markets, particularly in the equities space, threw as many toys out of the pram as they could find in the past 3 months, in protest of the Fed's tough talk. US Fed Chair Jerome Powell's back down and soothing words finally placated markets, giving the financial equivalent of a candy-bar in exchange for markets' good behaviour. Last night, Fed Speaker Bostic backed his chief up and reaffirmed the dovish-tone: he sees little more than one hike this year, even amid a solid growth outlook. Taking aside whether it’s the right kind of positive reinforcement, the question becomes whether the underlying problem has been fixed or is just a distraction from the facts. 
    Improved sentiment: Perceptions relating to the growth outlook have changed again, and that much is a positive for the bulls. The general description regarding the data coming out of the US is that it's mixed, amid deteriorating activity in Asian and Europe. That in and of itself is justification for hope: there have been some economic low-lights lately, but they aren’t enough to establish a trend. It's a precarious balance and will likely result in further volatility down-the-line as traders become accustomed to a patchwork economy. A dynamic such as this might be palatable for the Bulls in the short-to-medium, on the proviso that the Fed is standing at the ready to jump in to save markets once true signs of economic stress manifest. However, orthodoxy suggests that, at some point, it must.
    The big contradiction: The everyday punter would be happy with this result. An absence of the daily doom and gloom about capital markets’ hardships would be good for economic sentiment. The central conceit remains that a harmony can exist between economic fundamentals and the monetary policy makers seeking to manage them. The primary contradiction confronting financial markets is this: growth needs to be strong so to ensure attractive returns, though not strong enough to inspire a hawkish Fed. Where the middle ground lies in this dynamic is nebulous and up for debate. 2019 could well prove the year that markets and policymakers strike a tacit accord to maintain this condition. It’s understand though that this as an assumption would that far too optimistic: the more likely outcome is confusion and uncertainty.
    An ongoing balancing act: Market participants are often on the look-out for that elusive "Goldilocks-zone" where markets operate calmly in the middle of its inherent extremes. Arguably, the global financial system as it operates now exists to fulfil that objective: to iron out the extremes of unbridled capitalism. And sometimes it succeeds, even if the successful policy amounts to simply kicking-the-can down the road. The challenge (and opportunity) facing markets now is that today's "Goldilocks-zone" is narrower than what it's been in the recent past. The parameters are obscure and moving, meaning achieving market stability takes on the qualities of walking a tight rope. A push from weak economic data will send markets off the rope one way; a push from higher US interest rates will send markets off the rope the other.
    “Risk-on”: Until the next market spill, risk will be “on”. The S&P500, with half an hour left in trade, is tracking roughly 0.9 per cent higher, on solid breadth of about 84 per cent. Indicative of higher risk appetite, consumer discretionary and IT stocks have led the charge. European stocks were lower for the day, as Brexit speculation returned to newswires. US Treasury yields are up very slightly across the curve, which has flattened its inversion somewhat. Credit spreads have narrowed, especially that of “junk bonds. Oil has climbed very slightly on positive-growth sentiment. The US Dollar is down with the JPY and gold is effectively flat, as currency markets take a punt on riskier currencies like our A-Dollar, which is trading around 0.7140.
    ASX200: SPI Futures are indicating a flat start for the ASX200 as it stands, following on from a respectable 1.14 per cent rally yesterday. Activity was still light in the Australian share market, and the psychological resistance level of 5700 was faded when it was reached. But overall, the market belonged from start to finish for the bulls. The materials sector reflected the easing concerns regarding global growth to add 22 points to the index; higher bond yields meant the financials sector was the second greatest contributor. The day ahead has Aussie Trade Balance figures on the calendar, which will inform local investors about whether the economy’s trade surplus held together to end 2018. Not much of a response to that data is expected, however.

    Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia
  18. MaxIG

    APAC brief - April 12

    By MaxIG,

    A week that’s (so far) under-delivered: Anything can happen in the space of 24-hours in financial markets. But as we enter the final day of trade in global markets for the week, activity today is shaping up as being just as tepid as that which we’ve experienced in the week’s first four days. It was hoped some new, market-moving information may have been delivered in what was a back-loaded week. Afterall, there was no shortage of event risk. However, thus far, despite a litany of risk events, many of which yielded positive outcomes, market participants have responded to the stories with a shrug.
    Market fundamentals take priority: Hence, we meander into this Friday having acquired some useful information about the world, but little in market pricing to show for it. It’s been said before (in fact, it’s been said a lot this week): market participants have developed a singular fixation on upcoming US earnings. And perhaps rightly, and comfortingly so: in a world where markets are dominated, even distorted, by macro-drivers and central bank policy, right now, company fundamentals matter more. It may seem trite to suggest so; however, it would be imprudent to underestimate how overwhelmed fundamentals become in a market dominated experimental monetary policy.
    Corporate earnings to be a risk barometer: The matter is now, that with Wall Street perched inches away from record highs, and the world’s other major indices well-off their lows, market participants need evidence to justify such a phenomenon. At that, it goes beyond just a micro-level concern of shareholder earnings. With the major risk to global markets the prospect for an uncomfortable economic slow-down, the forward guidance provided by US corporates will be used to form an abstract story for macroeconomic outlook. Market participants know that in the short term, the current state-of-affairs is unfavourable; what the bulls wish to see now is evidence of strength in the long-term.

    When the micro becomes the macro: A such, the micro-matters become important for macro-watchers, too. Arguably, this week has proven that, in a reversal of the status quo, micro-concerns have superseded those of its overbearing bigger-brother. The state-of-play now is markets have practically discounted fully the 4-and-a-half per cent fall in earnings growth projected by analysts for the quarter. What matters now is how future guidance is modified in response to the commentary and financials put forward by corporates. If that becomes downgraded out of earnings season, too, then Wall Street’s, and global equities big V-shaped recovery may come into question.
    A faith in the market’s high priests: The bar is still set quite high, with a nearly 7 per cent rebound in earnings on a quarterly basis expected come next quarter. This will come seemingly without a major boost to corporate America’s top line. Much of the rosiness in this outlook is embedded within a hope, however reasonable, that the recent monetary-dovishness and fiscal intervention from some major economic players will reignite global growth. From the Fed’s dovishness, ECB’s return to a completely neutral policy bias, and massive fiscal intervention from China’s government and PBOC, the concerted efforts of policymakers are expected to succeed in turning global growth around.
    Bonds recalibrating to growth expectations: Market participants are more optimistic that the worst of the turbulence experienced in the global economy in Q1 is behind us. That’s being revealed in a recalibrating in global bond markets, in response to some reasonable economic data. US Treasury yields are lifting across the curve, following the face-ripping rally in bond markets only a fortnight ago, in response to a tempering of expectations of monetary policy easing by the US Federal Reserve. Though the next move from the Fed is expected to be a cut, the odds this will happen before the end of the year is now about 50/50.

    What will the impact be on the ASX? The correlation between the ASX200 and S&P500 isn’t terribly strong. SPI Futures are betraying this today: the S&P closed flat today, but the ASX200 ought to open 21 points higher. The local share-market has traded on its own themes of late, ranging from the oft-cited lift in iron ore prices, and the weakness in bank stocks in response to local property market weakness. Global growth remains a sensitive-point for the ASX, nevertheless, with the chances the bifurcation in Australian and US markets possible enough in the situation that US reporting season surprises to the upside or downside.
    Written by Kyle Rodda- IG Australia
  19. MaxIG
    ASX’s looming recovery: The ASX200 has clawed itself to a level on the cusp of validating the notion that the market has bottomed. It might feel that we ought to already be at that stage, given we sit 7-and-a-half per cent of the markets lows. But turnarounds take time to be confirmed, and now having broken psychological-resistance at 5800, Australian equities are inches away from that point. There are counterarguments to be made, to be fair: the recent rally has come on the back of lower volumes, and the buyers have lost a degree of momentum. Nevertheless, the capacity to push beyond 5800, and then when the time comes, form a new low when the inevitable short-term retracement arrives, would give credence to the “market-recovery” narrative.
    ASX today: SPI futures this morning is pointing to a gain on 7 points at the open, at time of writing. There are several risks that could undermine that outlook. As the laptop’s keys are being tapped, there is 2 hours left to go on Wall Street, and the UK Parliament have just begun the process to vote on UK Prime Minister May’s Brexit Bill. More on that later. ASX bulls today will be searching for a solid follow through from yesterday’s 0.71 per cent gain. The daily candle on the ASX200 chart showed a market controlled by buyers from start to finish: the market never dipped below its opening price, and it finished by leaping to a new daily (and 2-month high) at the close.

    Sentiment; jumping at shadows: There’s a lot of noise in the commentariat about what the price action this week means. It is entirely justified. The December sell-off has punters and pundits hyper-vigilant for a catalyst for the next 4 per-cent intraday move. Collectively, it’s an irrational fear given how rare such occurrences are, but because it is understood that circumstances haven’t changed so drastically from then to now, such a phenomenon feels conceivable. The sentiment in markets has centred largely on speculation about the strength of China’s economy. On Monday, the fall in risk assets was over-attributed to the poor Chinese trade data, while yesterday it was attributed to the announcement that China’s policy makers are preparing stimulus for the world’s second largest economy.
    Mixed price action: The activity in stocks would lend itself to the belief that it is that story moving markets. The price action doesn’t give such a cut and dry indication to that. Indeed, equities were up across the board, and Chinese and Hong Kong stocks led the way. A better barometer for macro-economic drivers are currencies and bonds, and the activity there was rather mixed. US Treasuries have traded largely unchanged. The Japanese Yen is down, revealing greater appetite for growth and risk, as is gold, for the same reasons.  Commodities are mixed: oil is higher, mostly due to diminishing fears of global over-supply. However, commodity currencies like the A-Dollar are down, on the basis that there has been a bid on the USD at the expense of the EUR.
    European slow-down: The major laggard in the (major) currency-world was the EUR overnight. It’s come as-a-result of a speech delivered by Mario Draghi, who made uncomfortably clear his view that the Euro-zone economy is slowing down. Much of this view has been baked into markets, as it is. A series of really-poor PMI figures across the continent in the past month shows economic activity is in decline. It has diminished the prospect of a hike in interest rates from the ECB at any point this year. Markets have lowered their bets from a 50/50 proposition to less than a 40 per cent chance. German Bunds have rallied consequently, with 10 Year Bund yields retracing their recent climb to settle back at 0.20 per cent.

    Brexit vote: Bringing it back to unfolding events, UK Prime Minister May’s Brexit bill, as expected, has been rejected by Parliament. What was perhaps unexpected was the margin of the loss. It was always going to be ugly for May, but the final vote was an abysmal 432-202 against the Prime Minister’s bill. Thus far, and this is fresh as its being written, the price action appears to reflect the old situation of “buy the rumour sell the fact”. The GBP/USD has bounced on the news, rallying from its intraday low at 1.27 to currently trade above the 1.28 handle. Wall Street now, with an hour left to trade, has pared some of the day’s gains. The benchmark S&P500 is battling with the key 2600-level.
    The Brexit-vote fall-out: The commentary will come thick and fast for the rest of the day on Brexit. Members of the house are still speaking on the matter. Another referendum is being called by some, a general election is being called by others, a popular view seems to be one suggesting a delay of Article 50. How this affects the ASX this morning is contentious. SPI Futures have given up its overnight gains and are currently flat. In all likelihood, given that this morning’s events culminate in another little kick of the can down the road, the lift in volatility will pass for stocks. Markets hate uncertainty, so this relieves that anxiety for now. Using the AUD as a guide, the popular global risk/growth proxy is trading flat as of 7.00AM this morning.

     
    Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia
     
     
  20. MaxIG
    Activity lifts to end last week: A risk laden week has ended with a pop. Asian and European trade was solid, albeit dull. However, it was a clear-cut-case of risk-on during the North American session. The new fuel to the S&P500s fire came as US earnings season kicked-off in earnest. JP Morgan, and a handful of America’s other big-banks, reported and generally surprised to the upside. The catalyst served two purposes: one, it supported (granted prematurely) the view that assumed earnings growth across US equities may be too low; and two, it pushed the S&P500 above key technical levels – notably, psychological resistance at 2900.
    Traders are US earnings focused: That milestone, which has been clocked on three occasions in less than 18 months now, triggered a lift in trading volume that had otherwise alluded US stocks last week. As its been stated before: this is a stock-market primarily concerned now with earnings growth, before anything else. And the reasoning is logical: whether right or wrong, markets have priced in a dovish Fed, and something of a bottoming in global growth. Now what’s needed is a validation in the earnings outlook; less one that applies to the current earnings season, and more those of which to follow in quarters ahead.
    Market internals validate momentum: The first signs of that were delivered on Friday evening, so markets flicked the risk-switch. Once again: there was a marked increase in trading volumes during Wall Street trade, providing a very short-term confirmation signal that substance exists behind the market’s latest foray higher. Intra-day breadth was also solid, with 76 per cent of stocks, and 10-out-of-11 sectors, gaining for the session. This adds to the already bullish breadth signals in other, deeper measures of market internals. For one: the NYSE advanced-decline measure has remained, and again turned positively, to the upside, reveal solid momentum in the market.

    Fear-falling; but anxiety remains: Thus, with 2900 broken on the S&P500, barring any external shocks, the rest of the earnings season on Wall Street will probably end-up a day-to-day countdown to a new record-high for the S&P500. With all the excitement that captured market-participants on Friday, the VIX has plunged to new year-to-date lows. While the drop in the “fear-index” can easily be explained away, it probably doesn’t reflect the true-trepidation in the market at-the-moment. The rationale for very subdued implied volatility is very comprehensible. Nevertheless, memories are crystal-clear of what happened the last couple of times the S&P500 traded this high with volatility so-low.
    The bears are still hungry: Vol-canos, vol-pocalypses: they were two of the portmanteau floating around after big-spikes in the VIX last year following short periods of suppressed implied volatility. Hence, although US stocks sit nominally less than 40-points from new records, historical memory, mixed with market-fundamentals that are less favourable to those that supported previous record highs, has this latest record-run viewed through jaded-eyes. Despite constantly being proven wrong, the necessary pull-back in US stocks during Wall Street’s big V-shaped recovery still ought to be upon us, according to bears. Market participants’ complacency, as betrayed by the VIX, will only contribute to another correction and volatility break-out in time.
    The missing agitator: It’s true that the S&P500 is edging towards overbought levels when looking at a medium-term time frame. However, although the global economy is lacking the fecundity present in previous record-breaking rallies, a few ingredients that were present in recent sell-offs are missing. First of all, price-to-earnings ratios aren’t as stretched as they were in October and February last year. But more importantly, the key impetus for those two sell-offs will probably remain absent this time around: discount rates, although edging higher on Friday, are unlikely to rain-on-the-parade, with the US Federal Reserve all-but locked into keeping interest rates on hold.

    The ASX’s loose relationship: So: with this in mind, entering the week, and a period of high-impact corporate data, risk-assets sit cautiously on the precipice. The gravitational centre of financial markets is Wall Street, and consequently, its internal dynamics will be a large determinant of how markets trade this week – and for a little while yet. Of course, its influence will be of varying significance depending on the market in question. For one, the ASX200 is an index that has recently moved in relation to the S&P500 like Pluto does to the Sun. Today, even despite Wall Street’s bullishness, SPI Futures point to a flat start for the ASX.
    Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia
  21. MaxIG
    A shift in perceptions: The fundamentals shifted on Friday. It wasn't a complete "180", but enough to change market sentiment in favour of the Bulls. The highly anticipated monthly Non-Farm Payrolls figure, along with US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's interview, delivered the goldilocks outcome market participants were craving. For those holding hope for financial markets and the global economy, the information gathered from each event soothed nerves that a major global economic slowdown is upon us. It's too early to make a solid call and form a trend from the circumstances, it must be noted – especially following the poor US ISM Manufacturing data and Apple's revenue downgrade. However, the news was enough to spark bullishness in traders, driving a rally into risk assets and out of safe havens to cap-off last week.
    US Non-Farm Payrolls: The US Non-Farm Payrolls print was blistering, arguably revealing the best set of jobs figures out of the US for 2018. The jobs-added number smashed forecasts, printing at 312k for the month of December, above economist estimates of 179k. Previous month's figures were also revised higher, for a net gain of 58,000 in October and November. The unemployment rate did tick higher to 3.9 per cent from 3.7 per cent, but only on-the-back-of a climb in the participation rate, suggesting spare capacity exists even still in the tight US labour market. And most crucially, wage growth numbers revealed a climb in workers’ pay to 3.2 per cent on an annualised basis -- the best rate of growth roughly since the GFC.
    A dovish Powell: The set of data could have been accused of being too hot, and a potential impetus for a hawkish Fed. The price action pointed to the contrary, perhaps courtesy of US Fed Chair Jerome Powell's interview on Friday night. Markets have been crying-out for attention from the Fed since October, around the time Chair Powell made his “a long way from neutral” comments. For those sympathetic to the view a central bank should be a back-stop for financial market volatility, Powell finally delivered the dovish stance markets had been calling-for. Perhaps taking a few pointers from his predecessors, and interlocutors for the night, Ben Bernanke and Janet Yellen, Powell assured the Fed is “listening carefully” to markets’ concerns and is “prepared with flexible policy”.
    Risk-on: Markets had been pricing in a significant increase in the risk of recession last week, sending Wall Street shares tumbling, consequently. The solid US data and Chairperson Powell’s speech did something to settle these fears, albeit not entirely. In another day of above average activity, Wall Street rallied into the back end of the US session, adding around 3.43 per cent according to the S&P500. While still twisted in an ugly way, the US Treasury Curve flattened out somewhat, as the yield on US 10 Year Treasuries rallied 11 basis points, in response to interest rate markets unwinding bets of a Fed rate-cut in 2019. Gold and the Yen pulled back on diminished haven demand, while emerging markets currencies, and their key proxy the Australian Dollar, went on a tear.
    ASX: SPI Futures are indicating a very solid 69-point jump for the ASX200 this morning, according to that contract’s last traded price. Despite being wedged between the dual global concerns of slower global growth and tighter global financial conditions, the Australian share-market has shown resilience recently. Aside from a temporary tumble on thin liquidity prior to Christmas to new multi-year lows, the ASX200 has more-or-less traded range bound between 5500-5700 for the last month. Our share market hasn’t quite seen the high-octane activity lately that Wall Street has, with volumes below average and swings in price-action only really spurred by sentiment from US markets. There are general signs of consolidation occurring in the index, however a break in either direction, particularly upon the return of normal trading conditions, appears imminent.

    US-China trade talks: The fortunes of the ASX200 on a macro-scale will be dictated first by US markets, then by the outlook for China. The economic calendar presents as quite thin to begin the week, providing traders of riskier assets room to manoeuvre if the newswires remain clear of outside noise. The primary focus for now will be on the mid-level trade talks due to begin between the US and China today. Major breakthroughs are unlikely in the absence of each nation’s heavy hitter, but the communications coming out of this week’s talks will be crucial. Evidence is mounting that the trade-war is starting to bite, exacerbating existing economic challenges for both sides: market participants will be hungry for indications that an urgency amongst policymakers is building now to resolve it.
    The markets’ balancing act: Where markets head from here remains uncertain. Volatility will continue to show-up this week and throughout the rest of January. An easing of fears regarding the state of US economic growth is helpful, but it throws up the paradox: strong growth implies likely tighter monetary policy, which is bad for stocks and riskier assets; weak growth implies the possibility of a recession, which is bad for stocks and riskier assets. There is a middle way, as there often is, between both poles, within which the Fed must traverse. They may well do just that and keep this bull market afloat in doing so. There will be missteps along the way though, meaning (as has often been said) fear and subsequent volatility will spike as market conditions evolve.

  22. MaxIG
    Bullishness settles: The ASX200 was sold into the close on a day where the market's bullishness stalled. Nevertheless, the index ended the day in the green, adding 10 points. It's a very headline driven market currently, and the finger is being pointed to news that the US and China are squabbling over intellectual property protections as the cause for the cooler sentiment. US markets were closed for the Martin Luther King Day public holiday, so the lack of tradeable information probably hindered the market too. But almost universally yesterday, financial markets traded on markedly lower activity. The ultimate result was an overall down day for stocks, a mixed day for bonds, a tinge of a bid for safe-haven currencies, while commodities were higher underpinned by well-supported oil prices.
    ASX set for flat start: SPI futures are positioned for the ASX200 to open flat-to-very-slightly-higher come today's open. It's a resilient market at present, with the trend line derived from recent lows looking clean and dutifully respected. The bulls guided the-200 above the 5900-mark for the first time in roughly two months yesterday. As widely expected, the market met resistance at the index's 200-day EMA around 5909 during intraday trade, registering a daily high only a skerrick above that point. Yesterday’s daily candle indicates one slightly more vulnerable to bearish control in the very short-term: the sellers overwhelmed the buyers into the back end of the day, bringing about a close in the green, but well-off the day's high.

    A strong start in 2019 for the ASX: Sifting through the ASX on a sector-by-sector basis, and the activity in the market indicates the burgeoning hope and bullishness of traders. Year-to-date, the energy sector has paced the gains, led naturally by oil’s recent recovery. While the high-multiple information technology and health care sectors, and the growth-sensitive consumer discretionary sector, also sits high on the table of year-to-date returns. Perhaps unlike US equity markets, the buying in Australian equities lacks evidence of deep conviction, as revealed by relatively lower breadth and volumes so far this year. Regardless, this phenomenon could be waved-off as reflecting normal trading dynamics: January tends to be a month of lower activity when compared to other stages of the year.
    The latest in Brexit: Brexit developments were high on the agenda overnight. Following the profound defeat in last week’s “meaningful vote”, UK Prime Minister Theresa May delivered to the House of Commons her amended vision for a way forward for Brexit. Maybe to the chagrin of traders, little of substance again could be gleaned from the UK House of Commons. The spectacle displayed the same partisanship, gridlock and frustration exhibited last week. Despite this, the Sterling maintained its recent rally and the yield on UK 10 Year Gilts stayed above the 1.3 per cent. Markets still hold the belief that the political dysfunction will force an extension of Article 50 and a delay of Brexit; or even another referendum (despite PM May denying such an event will go ahead), with recent polling suggesting a victory to the Bremainers if it were to occur.

    Chinese data goes to plan: Turning attention to global-macro themes in the past 24-hours, and the most watched fundamental news was China’s economic data-dump yesterday. In the lead-up, it was a potential make-or-break situation for growth-sentiment, and a potentially pivotal set of numbers for the global growth outlook for early 2019. Lo and behold, despite the high anticipation, upon their release, little came from the data. As far as traders were concerned, the figures received came-in at expectation: China’s economy is slowing (GDP printed 6.4 per cent) but at a rate that was already implied in market pricing. There wasn’t much of a kick-up in many parts of the market after the news. Chinese stocks rallied half-a-per cent, bonds fell slightly, and the Yuan dipped – though that may be due to a stronger USD.
    Global growth downgrade: The news pertaining to global growth that proved of greater import was the IMF’s downgrade of its expectations for global GDP in 2019. It’s the second downgrade in three months from the institution, and this time highlighted the impact of Europe’s economic slow-down as being a major cause for concern. Of course, the trade-war has been highlighted as a drag too – Europe’s troubles could well be tied back to that issue, anyway. The drop in the continents economic activity poses challenges for European and global policy makers, as the ECB fights to normalize its monetary policy settings. As it stands, markets are still pricing in a 35 per cent of a rate hike from the ECB this year, but the odds are progressively diminishing.
    Eyes on the elite at Davos: It bares reminding that as a bloc, the Eurozone economy constitutes comparable economic output to the US. A slowdown in Europe will be a considerable drag on the global economy. World leaders gather in Davos beginning tomorrow and the subject-matter will be high on the agenda, along with the trade-war and tighter global monetary policy. How the economic and financial elite broach these issues will be closely watched by market participants. Financial markets at the core are being dictated still by concerns relating to a drop-off in global economic growth, coupled with the impacts of potentially tighter global monetary policy settings. Language will be scrupulously analysed by traders as world leaders speak – maybe in search for a market moving headline or two –  with sentiment liable to swaying on what and how something is said.
    Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia
  23. MaxIG
    Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia
    First trading day of the new year: Traders picked-up right where they left-off in the first trading day of 2019. Hardly a true microcosm by any means, but the last 24 hours could be considered an appropriate metaphor for how analysts expect markets to behave in the year ahead. Dire warnings out of Asia about global growth, backed-up by lukewarm activity in Europe, finished by a wildly fluctuating Wall Street. Trading conditions haven’t totally returned to normal; activity was very low globally, especially in Asia. However, it is lifting slightly when compared to last week, as traders drag their feet back to their desks for another year. Volatility is retracing, to the delight of investors and perhaps the chagrin of (bearish) traders. The fundamentals haven’t shifted even if sentiment has, so let’s keep ourselves strapped in.
    House prices falling: Taking in isolation what was hurled at Australian markets yesterday, and it was a bad day for the bulls. As alluded to, volume was light in Asia, and the ASX experienced volumes 45.85 per cent below the 30-day average. The financial press was handed two big headlines to run with that meant it was left-right-goodnight and straight to the canvas for the Aussie share markets on day-one of 2019. CoreLogic released its latest reading on the Australian residential property market, and for home owners it left much to be desired. The slow-down in the market continues for the major Sydney and Melbourne markets, each down now from their respective highs by 11.2 per cent and 7.2 per cent, according to yesterday’s reading.
    China slowing: The ASX200 didn’t move a terrible amount on that release, though it was a drag throughout the day. The real gut-check came upon the release of Caixin PMI data out of China, which confirmed that Chinese manufacturing has dived into contraction territory. It’s the latest evidence that, owing to standard cyclical factors and the stifling impact of the trade war, the Chinese economy is decelerating in a significant way. Of course, where goes China so goes Australia, more-or-less, and the prospect of an industrial slow-down in the Middle Kingdom, combined with sentiment-sapping consequences of a domestic property collapse, piqued fears our economy is headed for some turbulent times ahead. Naturally, the financials and materials sectors were the big laggards on the ASX200 consequently, with index plunging 1.57 per cent for the day.

    Mining and property: It’s a great summary of the Australian economy, this statement: the Australian economy is founded on digging-up stuff out of the ground, selling it overseas, then blowing the income on residential housing. A bit crude, probably unsympathetic too, but quite pithy and somewhat true. Given it’s the case, a set of circumstances whereby Australian property and mining is facing headwinds is no good for the economy and no good for the ASX. As often appointed-out, for index watchers, half the ASX200 is comprised of materials and financials stocks. Problems for Chinese growth is a challenge for the former, and problems in domestic property is a challenge for the latter. When both problems emerge simultaneously, it’s a big problem for the economy and the share market.
    RBA and the Australian Dollar: The most noteworthy result of yesterday’s difficult circumstances is that traders are pricing in cuts from the RBA this year in a bigger way. A survey of economists built the early consensus that Australian interest rates won’t be hiked until 2020. Traders, often far less forgiving, have in the space of a month already run from holding that view, to one where there is a roughly 30 per cent implied probability that the RBA will cut interest rates this year. Needless -to-say, the dynamic has legged the Australian Dollar: the little battler held up resiliently during Asian trade, bouncing off psychological support of 0.7000. But as we wake up this morning, the local currency has plumbed lows of 0.6982, taking it to its lowest level since February 2016.

    Growth concerns, safe-havens: It can’t be surprising that this is so; arguably its over-due, though one only ever admits that after the fact. Despite the bounce in global equities in certain geographies this past week, assets tied to fundamental growth prospects are still ailing. Last night’s swathe of Europe PMI figures, while not as poor as their Chinese counterparts, were still tepid, and did little to relieve investor anxiety. Copper was off slightly on this basis overnight, and amid continued institutional dysfunction in the White House, gold held above $US1280 as a safe-haven, despite looking a little overbought in the short-term. US Treasuries also caught a bid, as interest rate hikes from the US Fed this year become progressively priced out, with the yield on the US 10 Year note falling to as low as 2.64 per cent.
    Wall Street and ASX Futures: There’s 30 minutes to go in Wall Street trade at time of writing and the benchmark S&P500 is lower by a small margin, and SPI futures are indicating a healthy 86-point bounce for the ASX200 this morning. After opening considerably lower, US stocks recovered and have traded within a 2.11 per cent intraday range. A boost in oil prices was the major catalyst, courtesy of some Saudi-data, revealing how important (and understated) the black stuff’s impact is on this market. Credit spreads are still flashing orange, but higher energy prices are keeping that contained. The trend is still to the downside for stocks, however the likelihood we are experiencing a bounce is higher: for the S&P500, a rally beyond 2600, and for the ASX200, a rally beyond 5800, would be a strong indicator that this is so.
  24. MaxIG
    Sentiment weaker; but ASX to rise: SPI Futures are indicating an 11-point gain at the outset for the ASX200 this morning. It's perhaps a surprising result, given overnight activity. The chorus of pundits calling an economic slowdown grew louder, backed up by weak data and some unfavourable headlines. The Australian Dollar is better reflecting the dynamic: it's fallen through the 0.7100 level to eye support at 0.7040. Perhaps the weaker A-Dollar is behind some of the expected lift in Aussie stocks – along with a trifle greater optimism for the fortunes of Aussie banks after NAB’s rate hike yesterday. Whatever way in which we start the day today though, it will occur within the context that pessimism about global increased just a little bit in the last 24 hours.
    Australian employment: Australian employment data portrayed a mixed picture of the Australian labour market yesterday. The headlines were attractive. The unemployment rate fell to a very solid 5.0%, supported by jobs growth of 21k in the month of December. Digging deeper however, and the outlook is slightly less rosy. The fall in the unemployment rate was primarily due to a decline in the participation rate, and perhaps worse still, the data showed a -3k contraction in full time jobs. Nothing to panic about, by any means. But it does highlight a level of spare capacity in the economy, and further slack in the labour market. It suggests an economy still some way off meaningful wages growth and inflation for which the RBA is waiting.

    Australian Dollar and rates: Markets ran with the positive headline number, regardless of the fine print, happy enough with seeing a jobs market nominally at full employment. The Australian Dollar lifted, supported by an increase in Aussie bond yields, and a slight unwinding of rate cut bets by the RBA in 2019. It all proved rather short-lived however, following the announcement that NAB would be increasing its standard variable mortgage rate, in line with its Big 4 peers. The Aussie Dollar fell through feeble support at 0.7120 on this news, as traders factored in the likely negative consequences that higher rates will have on highly leveraged households, and therefore future domestic consumption.
    Asian equity indices: The ASX responded positively to the NAB news however, with traders welcoming the implications for earnings growth in one of the market's mostly heavily weighted constituents. It was a positive day overall for the ASX200, which managed to add 0.4 per cent for the session to close at 5865. The modest upside developed within what was a rudderless day for Asian equities. China Bulls are attempting to squeeze as much from the optimism surrounding trade talks and new PBOC stimulus. While Japanese equity markets were controlled by the Bears for the day, after Japanese PMI numbers crept closer to the contractionary zone, as the trade war continues to bite Japan's export heavy-economy.
    Global PMI data: It was a day for PMI Manufacturing figures across the global economy. Comparable data was released right across Asia, Europe and the US overnight. Though there were upside surprises, the data, which is considered a strong forward-looking indicator for global growth, was mostly disappointing. Indeed, the US and French number were better than forecast. But the big concern is the marked decrease – into contraction territory – of the German numbers, which apparently contributed significantly to a big miss in the overall European Manufacturing PMI figure. It supports the growing notion that Europe's economy, if not that of the rest of the world, is trending toward a downturn.
    ECBs increasing dovishness: This fear (more-or-less) was explicitly enforced by European Central Bank President Mario Draghi last night, following that central bank’s monetary policy meeting. Markets were pricing in a very dovish Draghi, but the price action suggests that he may have “out-doved’ market participants expectations. He emphasized carefully that risks to the European economy have “moved to the downside”. The Euro tumbled below 1.13, breaking trend, and German Bunds rallied in response, with the yield on the 10 Year Bund dipping to 0.17 per cent. Rate hikes from the ECB have continued to be taken off the table now, falling to an implied probability of 25 per cent that the bank will hike at all this year.

    Wall Street’s mixed day: There's an hour left in trade for Wall Street and US stocks are heading for a mixed-to-slightly-lower session. The NASDAQ is up based on better than expected earnings from US chipmakers. But the sentiment was controlled by (misinterpreted) comments from Trump trade-war ambassador Wilbur Ross that the US and China are "miles and miles" away from a trade pact. The S&P is dancing with that crucial level again at 2630 - a developing pivot point between bullishness and bearishness. It's still a risk-off day, however. US Treasuries have caught a bid on haven appeal, and the US Dollar and Japanese Yen are up courtesy of the nervousness in the market. It's probably not a make or break day; just further confirmation that the recovery might be due for a pullback.
    Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia
  25. MaxIG
    US economy still leads the pack: The bounce in global equity markets has been uniform, but the economic data is pointing to a return of the “diverging global growth” narrative. It was what dominated the latter half of 2018: the US is humming, while the rest of the world economy languishes. The difference in economic fortunes isn’t quite so stark now, however it remains conspicuously extant. It becomes a matter of how long such a dynamic can last. Frankly, market participants had resigned themselves to the fact it was already over. But a quick review of even Friday’s economic data alone suggests the narrative still has legs. An all-encompassing global economic slowdown is likely to arrive, eventually. For now, though, the US economy has its head above the water, while rest of the world doesn’t. 
    Financial conditions and economic data supportive: The dovish Fed are, and will continue to be supportive of this, as financial conditions loosened once again in response to last week’s FOMC meeting. It’s no mystery to markets: the correlation between a recovery in financial conditions and the performance in equities is clear. The fears of a US recession, based purely on the macro-data, is still unfounded. The numbers coming out of the US on Friday weren’t spotless, but they were still very strong. ISM Manufacturing PMI beat economist consensus forecast, and US Non-Farm Payrolls showed an increase in jobs in the US economy of 304k. The jobs data was marred by a downgrade in previous months jobs-gain numbers, a dip in annualized wage growth, and a tick-up in the unemployment rate. Overall, however, the data showed a still strong US economy.

    Asian and Europe tangibly slowing: This contrasts with what came out of Europe, and really the rest of the world, during Friday’s trade. Europe is clearly heading for an economic slowdown, and it’s becoming a matter of true concern. Chinese economic data reminded traders too that the Middle Kingdom finds itself in its own strife. PMI numbers released from both geographies greatly disappointed market-bulls. The Caixin PMI release revealed a far steeper contraction than what had been estimated, while the balance of several European PMI numbers showed general weakness in the Eurozone – especially the embattled Italian economy. To be fair, European CPI numbers did beat forecasts slightly. But at 1.1 per cent annualized, it remains so far below target that the notion the ECB will hike rates before the next recession seems laughable.
    Financial markets neutral bias on Friday: As soft as the numbers were, they didn’t appear to faze traders a great deal. One assumes that the outlook reflected by the data was largely priced into the market. If anything, markets were pricing in a worse (collective) result to the weekend’s data. Interest rate traders lifted very negligibly their bets of rate hikes from the ECB and the US Fed – though it must be said the balance of opinion is in favour of no moves at all in 2019. Bonds sold off based on this, and emerging market assets, which had benefitted most from the dovish Fed, pulled-back to end the week. The US Dollar is in a short-term downtrend, apparently keeping gold prices elevated. The Australian Dollar kept range bound though, hovering around the mid-0.7200’s.
    The recovery keeps on rolling: Friday’s trade when assessed on its full merits belonged to the bulls though. Really, the entirety of last week did. It wasn’t a unanimous decision by any means; but it was enough to keep the “V-shaped” rally in equity markets intact. The extremeness of the January stock market recovery has pundits increasingly questioning what the next sell-off will look like. The “shape” of this price action is quite unusual, they are telling us. What was experienced in the last quarter of 2018 was somewhat extraordinary, so perhaps an extraordinary recovery is a necessary consequence of that. Where the market puts in its next low is a point of curiosity: Wall Street has visibly broken its downtrend, so the next low in the market builds the foundations for the next possible uptrend.

    ASX poised to gain this morning: The US lead will translate into a 20-point gain for the ASX200 this morning, according to the last traded price on the SPI Futures contract. Friday’s trade wasn’t quite as bullish for the ASX as it was for other parts of the global equity market. The index closed effectively flat, on a day of above average volume and relatively poor breadth. Iron ore prices, which have maintained a consistent rally since the tragic Vale dam collapse, have fed a rally in the mining stocks. The materials sector added 4 points to ASX200 on Friday and looks poised for further upside moving forward, as another shifter higher in oil prices, a weaker USD, and general market bullishness support elements of international commodity markets.
    The banks under scrutiny today: The challenge for the market will be trying to sustain a move higher while there remains so many concerns about the financial sector. The final report from the Hayne Royal Commission is released after-market today, and the uncertainty generated by what will be recommended in the report is keeping upside in bank stocks, and therefore the ASX200, at bay. Only time will truly tell what recommendations will come from the report – with less than 12 hours until its released, markets need not wait long for answers. Whatever is revealed, it will be assessed through the lens of how it may impact future credit conditions in the Australian economy, especially given the major slowdown in Australian property prices, and the recent slowing of consumer credit growth in the overall economy.  

    Written by Kyle Rodda - IG Australia

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