Trade, central bank policy, and Brexit dominated the investment climate in September. The US-Chinese trade conflict stopped escalating. Although face-to-face talks are planned in October and the list of exemptions from the punitive tariffs has increased (US soy and pork, for example, are now exempt as are 10 components of Apple’s Mac Book Pro from …
Overview: Equities are paring some of their recent losses. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index is posting its first back-to-back gain in a month, led by a more than 1% rally in China. Heightened prospects for an Australian rate cut in a few weeks helped extend the run in the local equity market to a new …
Equities Find Some Traction while the Dollar Firms Read More »
The strategic objective is to integrate China into the world economy. The liberal international solution was trade, investment flows, and cultural exchanges. The rise of nationalism and China’s own willingness to flaunt the international rules are defeating the strategy. President Trump may suggest that China would prefer to negotiate with his main Democrat rival 18-months …
Poor economic data and soft inflation saw several central banks, including the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank, take a dovish turn in March. Contrary to expectations that interest rates would rise as the G3 central banks were no longer adding to their balance sheets on a combined basis. The sharp drop in interest rates …
Overview: The global growth scare may be subsiding. It had been fanned by the ECB and Fed statements and projections. Poor US jobs growth reported in early March and the poor flash EMU PMI late in the month contributed. The slowdown in China and the flurry of measures to combat it also had a role. The …
Overview: The lurch lower in global interest rates continue. The US 10-year yield is at new 15-month lows, five basis points through the average effective Fed funds rate. Late yesterday, it appeared that 10-year German Bund yields slipped below similar Japanese government bond yields for the first time since Q4 16, but when the JGB market …
Overview: The US 10-year yield is trading below the Fed funds target. The two-year yield is trading below the lower end of the Fed funds target range. A warning by New Zealand that the next rate move could be a cut sent New Zealand and Australian yields to new record lows. In Japan, the 10-year …
Global Bond Rally Continues, Greenback Remains Firm Read More »
Overview: The sell-off in equities seemed to peak yesterday, and US indices were narrowly mixed. Traders found comfort in that performance, even though the S&P 500 finished a little below 2800, and took the markets in the Asia-Pacific region higher, except in China, where the Shanghai Composite fell 1.5%. Chinese shares saw the most foreign sales …
Overview: Global equities have soured after the US shares dropped the most since very early in the year before the weekend. Asia’s sell-off was led by the 3% decline in Nikkei, while Malaysia fared among the best, surrendering 1%. Europe’s Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is off for a fourth session. It lost 1.2% at the …
Overview: The S&P 500 recovered from the post-FOMC reversal to close a new 5-month high yesterday, led by technology. Financials were the only main sector to retreat. The large equity markets in Asia, Japan, China, Australia, South Korea, and Taiwan all advanced. Europe’s Dow Jones Stoxx 600 reversed its initial gains and is nursing a …
Dreadful EMU PMI and US Machinations Rival Brexit for Attention Read More »