Overview: The Australian dollar powered to marginal news highs for the year as the move against the US dollar continued yesterday. The euro stopped a few hundredths of a cent below the high seen at the end of last week. However, neither sustained the upside momentum and have come back offered today. The greenback is …
There is no reason to expect the investment climate is going to change next week. The key drivers remain the same. The resurgence being seen in the virus is posing a speed bump in the re-opening and recovery process. The work of monetary and fiscal policy is not over. The low real and nominal interest …
Data and the Virus may Determine the Magnitude of the Dollar’s Bounce Read More »
Overview: Investors begin the new week, perhaps slowed a bit by the weekend developments and the growth of new infections. Equities are mixed. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index snapped a four-day advance, though India bucked the regional trend and gained 1%. Europe’s Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is recovering from an early dip to four-day lows. US …
Overview: China’s new pledge to meet its trade commitments under the Phase 1 agreement with the US coupled with signs that the virus flare-up in Beijing may have been brought under control is helping underpin risk appetites today. Led by Chinese shares, equities in the region rose, giving the MSCI Asia Pacific Index a four-day …
New Optimism Lifts Sentiment Ahead of the Weekend Read More »
Overview: There is a nervous calm in the capital markets today after a late sell-off in US equities yesterday on the back of concerns about new virus cases in some states and revelations in a new book by former National Security Adviser Bolton. Asia Pacific equities were mixed, though, of note, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, …
Markets Finding it Difficult to Rebuild Bullish Momentum Read More »
Overview: Shortly after the US stock market opened sharply lower, the Federal Reserve announced that it’s Main Street facility was up and running. US stocks never looked back. After the S&P 500 recouped its full decline, the Fed announced it would begin buying corporate bonds. Up until now, it had been buying representative ETFs. Stocks rallied …
Next week is important. Two G7 central banks meet and at least half a dozen emerging market central banks. There is a European Summit and perhaps a political effort to reinvigorate the UK-EU trade talks, which seem to be crashing on the shoals of stubbornness. The ECB offers its most generous long-term targeted loan that is …
Overview: The nearly three-month rally in risk assets ended with high drama and a stomach-churning almost 6% slide in the S&P 500 yesterday. Follow-through selling was seen in the Asia Pacific region, but most markets recovered from their lows, and although losses were still recorded, the downside momentum seemed broken. The same holds true for …
The new week starts slowly with the US and UK markets closed on Monday, May 25. Even then, the economic calendar is light. With shutdowns easing in May, April data is too dated to be of much interest to investors. The preliminary May PMIs last week offered a hint that the low point for many high-income …
Overview: Despite somber warnings that the US economic recovery can stretch to the end of next year, investors have begun the new week by taking on new risks. Most equity markets in the Asia Pacific region rose, with Australia leading the large bourses with a 1% gain. India was an outlier, suffering a 2.4% loss, and …