Overview: While investors keep a watchful eye on the dollar fix in China (a little firmer than projected) and tensions with the US, two other developments compete for attention. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand and the central banks of India and Thailand surprised the market with lower rates. The RBNZ cut by 50 bp, India …
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: The Brexit drama continues to command attention. A vote on leaving without an agreement will be held today, and if that fails, there will be a vote tomorrow on an extension. Meanwhile, the first increase in headline US CPI in four months failed to impress as the year-over-year pace fell to 18-month lows. Today’s import prices …
Overview: The global capital markets are winding down what appears to be an inconclusive week quietly and on a mixed note. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index is poised to snap a four-day advance but held on to a nearly 2% gain for the week. European bourses are mostly higher, and although the weekly advance of …
Overview: The five-day advance of the S&P 500 stalled yesterday and global equities are mixed today. Most Asian centers remain closed, Japan and some small markets were lower, while Taiwan, Australia, and India moved higher. The seven-day rally in Europe’s Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is under threat today. Australia and New Zealand bond yields fell, …
Overview: Global equities have fared better than the 1.4% slide in the S&P 500 yesterday may have implied. Asian markets were mixed, with China, Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand advancing. The Dow Jones Stoxx 600 from Europe is a little changed after falling for the past two sessions. News after the US close yesterday included better …
Markets Walk Tightrope after Yesterday’s US Equity Drop Read More »
Overview: There is an eerie calm over in the capital market through the European morning today despite some ostensibly worrisome developments. While many, like ourselves, expect UK Prime Minister May to survive a vote of confidence, it hardly clarifies the outlook. The US government shutdown continues unabated, except that some furloughed workers are being ordered back without …
Nearly every investment strategy seems to fall in one of three buckets. There is trend-following–go with the underlying direction of prices–and its opposite, mean reversion, look for the trend to be reversed. Lastly, there are arbitrage strategies. We would put carry trades, where a low yielding currency is borrowed to finance the purchase of a …
Overview: The global capital markets have taken the US latest tariff threats in stride. Most of the Asian equity markets advanced, including Japan, Korea, Taiwan, India, and Australia. China and Hong Kong were exceptions with marginal losses. European markets are trying to extend their recovery for a third session, but the industry performance is mixed …