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EUR USD - FUNDAMENTAL DRIVERSEUR FUNDAMENTAL BIAS: NEUTRAL 1. Monetary Policy Accelerating policy normalization in deed, but just don’t call it that. The March ECB meeting saw the ECB surprise markets by speeding up their normalization pace with the APP set to increase to EUR 40bln in April and then lowered to EUR 30bln in May and EUR 20bln in June, with an aim of ending APP in Q3. This was quite a shift, and alongside 2024 HICP expected at 1.9% it meant a hike for 2022 is still on the table. However, even though the statement was hawkish, the ECB tried very hard to come across as dovish as possible, no doubt trying to get a soft landing. The bank broke the link between APP and rates by saying hikes could take place ‘some time’ after purchases end (previously said ‘shortly’ after they end). President Lagarde also stressed that the Ukraine/Russia war introduced a material risk to activity and inflation (and it’s too early to know what the full impact of this will be). As a result, she stresses more than once that their actions with the APP should not be seen as accelerating but rather as normalizing (pretty sure going from open-ended QE to done in the next quarter is accelerating but maybe owls play by the different rules). To further add dovishness Lagarde also said that the war in Ukraine means risks are now again titled to the downside, compared to ‘broadly balanced’. After the meeting STIR markets and bund yields jumped to price in close to 2 hikes by year-end again, but the dovish push back from Lagarde saw the EUR come under pressure, failing to benefit from higher implied rates. 2. Economic & Health Developments Recent activity data suggests the hit from lockdowns weren’t as bad as feared, the Omicron restrictions weighed on growth. Differentials still favour the US and UK above the EZ. The big focus though is on the incoming inflation data after the ECB’s recent hawkish pivot at their Feb meeting. On the fiscal front, attention is on ongoing discussions to potentially allow purchases of ‘green bonds’ NOT to count against budget deficits. If approved, this can drastically change the fiscal landscape and would be a positive for the EUR and EU equities. 3. Geopolitics Even though the EUR, through Western sanctions, have dodged potential weakness from the CBR selling the EUR to prop up the RUB, the single currency was not immune for long. It held up okay initially, but as proximity risk to the war and economic risk from supply constraints and sanctions grew, the risk premium ballooned, sending EUR risk reversals sharply lower and implied volatility higher. With very big moves lower already, chasing the lows aren’t very attractive, but picking bottoms is equally dangerous without clear catalysts. 4. CFTC Analysis Large specs decreased longs (-40K) and leveraged funds (-19K) increased shorts, both exhibiting a strong bearish sentiment. But after the EUR’s strong bounce from recent lows, it seems additional shorts were added just at the wrong time. Regardless of positioning, trading the EUR with a clear catalyst is a must right now.
by thunderpips
2
EUR USD - FUNDAMENTAL DRIVERSEUR FUNDAMENTAL BIAS: NEUTRAL 1. Monetary Policy Accelerating policy normalization in deed, but just don’t call it that. The March ECB meeting saw the ECB surprise markets by speeding up their normalization pace with the APP set to increase to EUR 40bln in April and then lowered to EUR 30bln in May and EUR 20bln in June, with an aim of ending APP in Q3. This was quite a shift, and alongside 2024 HICP expected at 1.9% it meant a hike for 2022 is still on the table. However, even though the statement was hawkish, the ECB tried very hard to come across as dovish as possible, no doubt trying to get a soft landing. The bank broke the link between APP and rates by saying hikes could take place ‘some time’ after purchases end (previously said ‘shortly’ after they end). President Lagarde also stressed that the Ukraine/Russia war introduced a material risk to activity and inflation (and it’s too early to know what the full impact of this will be). As a result, she stresses more than once that their actions with the APP should not be seen as accelerating but rather as normalizing (pretty sure going from open-ended QE to done in the next quarter is accelerating but maybe owls play by the different rules). To further add dovishness Lagarde also said that the war in Ukraine means risks are now again titled to the downside, compared to ‘broadly balanced’. After the meeting STIR markets and bund yields jumped to price in close to 2 hikes by year-end again, but the dovish push back from Lagarde saw the EUR come under pressure, failing to benefit from higher implied rates. 2. Economic & Health Developments Recent activity data suggests the hit from lockdowns weren’t as bad as feared, the Omicron restrictions weighed on growth. Differentials still favour the US and UK above the EZ. The big focus though is on the incoming inflation data after the ECB’s recent hawkish pivot at their Feb meeting. On the fiscal front, attention is on ongoing discussions to potentially allow purchases of ‘green bonds’ NOT to count against budget deficits. If approved, this can drastically change the fiscal landscape and would be a positive for the EUR and EU equities. 3. Geopolitics Even though the EUR, through Western sanctions, have dodged potential weakness from the CBR selling the EUR to prop up the RUB, the single currency was not immune for long. It held up okay initially, but as proximity risk to the war and economic risk from supply constraints and sanctions grew, the risk premium ballooned, sending EUR risk reversals sharply lower and implied volatility higher. With very big moves lower already, chasing the lows aren’t very attractive, but picking bottoms is equally dangerous without clear catalysts. 4. CFTC Analysis Large specs decreased longs (-40K) and leveraged funds (-19K) increased shorts, both exhibiting a strong bearish sentiment. But after the EUR’s strong bounce from recent lows, it seems additional shorts were added just at the wrong time. Regardless of positioning, trading the EUR with a clear catalyst is a must right now. 5. The Week Ahead Very quiet week ahead for the EUR with the only economic data highlights being the flash PMI numbers for France, Germany and the EU composite measure. The PMI numbers will provide markets with a timely estimate for how recent geopolitical stresses have affected the mood among businesses. Remember that PMIs are diffusion indexes based on the subjective inputs from purchasing managers. It’s basically asking businesses whether they think the outlook is better or worse than it was the previous month and given the war in Ukraine we should not be surprised by a bigger than expected miss. That also means that if PMIs don’t slow down materially, it could ease some of the growing stagflation fears among market participants. Additionally, markets will also be eyeing commodity prices and geopolitical developments. Given the proximity of the war as well as the impact from sanctions, the EUR and GBP has carried the brunt of the geopolitical fallout in the FX space. Thus, given that the EUR is still very close to recent lows, any major positive breakthroughs will arguably have a bigger impact compared to negative ones (unless the negative news involves things like chemical attacks or heightened risk of the war spilling over into the rest of Europe). USD FUNDAMENTAL BIAS: BULLISH 1. Monetary Policy At their March meeting the Fed delivered on a 25bsp hike as expected with Fed’s Bullard the only dissenter voting for a 50bsp hike. The Dot Plot saw a big upgrade from 3 hikes (Dec) to 7 hikes for 2022, with the FFR seen reaching 2.75%-3.0% in 2023 before falling in 2024. The Fed did however lower their neutral rate from 2.5% to 2.4% which were a bit of a negative. Inflation forecasts for 2022 were raised to 4.1% (previous 2.7%) but med-term inflation saw less aggressive upgrades. Even though the overall message and projections were definitely hawkish, the fact that GDP estimates were lowered to 2.8% from 4.0% shows a Fed that expects their actions to impact demand and could also be incorporating some of the recent geopolitical uncertainties. The Fed didn’t provide any new details on QT but did note that the decision to start selling assets will be made at a coming meeting (markets consensus sees a July start as likely) but did add that the FOMC made good progress in their QT discussion with a May announcement very likely. During the presser the Chair expressed his view that the economy is doing really well and, in his view, will be more than able to withstand the incoming rate hikes (a very similar situation like we had in 4Q18). When asked whether 50bsp hikes could be on the table, the chair explained that the FOMC has not made decision to front-load hikes and will keep an eye on incoming inflation data to determine their policy actions going forward, but of course added that every incoming meeting was live. Overall, the Fed was hawkish, but due to very strong pre-positioning and close to peak hawkishness priced for STIR markets the meeting saw a ‘sell-the-fact’ reaction across major asset classes. 2. Global & Domestic Economy As the reserve currency, the USD’s global usage means it’s usually inversely correlated to the global economy and global trade. The USD usually appreciates when growth & inflation slow (disinflation) and depreciates when growth & inflation accelerates (reflation). Thus, current expectations of a cyclical slowdown (and possible stagflation) are good for the Dollar. Incoming data will be watched in relation to the ‘Fed Put’ as there are many similarities between now and 4Q18, where the Fed were also tightening into a slowdown. If growth data slows and the Fed stays hawkish it’s a positive for the USD, once the Fed pivots dovish that’ll be a negative for the USD. 3. CFTC Analysis Overall net-long positioning was a risk for the USD going into the FOMC, where due to very strong performance in recent weeks, it was a very high bar for a hawkish Fed to see a sustained move higher in the USD before seeing a bit of a correction. Leveraged funds now hold a net-short in the USD, but unless geopolitics offer meaningful safe haven inflows or stagflation fears jump higher, some short-term downside is possible. 4. The Week Ahead The week ahead will be one the quietest ones we’ve had in a while on the economic data side. The main highlights will be incoming Fed speak after last week’s hawkish FOMC policy decision, with focus on whether we get any additional insights and opinions on the rate path, inflation and of course QT. With a lack of key data to give further insights into how fast growth is slowing, the stagflation narrative will probably get most of its cues from commodity prices. Keep in mind that the Dollar has an inverse correlation to global growth and usually has a positive expected return during periods of disinflation and stagflation. We’ll also be keeping an eye on further geopolitical developments, where the USD’s safe haven status will play a role in possible short-term directional moves as well. However, if we don’t see any major trending moves in commodities , and we don’t have any major geopolitical developments, the USD is still close to cycle highs and means it remains vulnerable to some profit taking and additional short-term corrective price action. Watching key support at 97.70 will be key as a break and close below that support arguably opens up room for a dive towards 97.00. Just keep in mind that the bias for the USD remains bullish in the med-term , so any moves lower are expected to be more tactical in nature, unless driven by specific catalysts of course.
by thunderpips
EUR USD - FUNDAMENTAL DRIVERSEUR FUNDAMENTAL BIAS: NEUTRAL 1. Monetary Policy Accelerating policy normalization in deed, but just don’t call it that. The March ECB meeting saw the ECB surprise markets by speeding up their normalization pace with the APP set to increase to EUR 40bln in April and then lowered to EUR 30bln in May and EUR 20bln in June, with an aim of ending APP in Q3. This was quite a shift, and alongside 2024 HICP expected at 1.9% it meant a hike for 2022 is still on the table. However, even though the statement was hawkish, the ECB tried very hard to come across as dovish as possible, no doubt trying to get a soft landing. The bank broke the link between APP and rates by saying hikes could take place ‘some time’ after purchases end (previously said ‘shortly’ after they end). President Lagarde also stressed that the Ukraine/Russia war introduced a material risk to activity and inflation (and it’s too early to know what the full impact of this will be). As a result, she stresses more than once that their actions with the APP should not be seen as accelerating but rather as normalizing (pretty sure going from open-ended QE to done in the next quarter is accelerating but maybe owls play by the different rules). To further add dovishness Lagarde also said that the war in Ukraine means risks are now again titled to the downside, compared to ‘broadly balanced’. After the meeting STIR markets and bund yields jumped to price in close to 2 hikes by year-end again, but the dovish push back from Lagarde saw the EUR come under pressure, failing to benefit from higher implied rates. 2. Economic & Health Developments Recent activity data suggests the hit from lockdowns weren’t as bad as feared, the Omicron restrictions weighed on growth. Differentials still favour the US and UK above the EZ. The big focus though is on the incoming inflation data after the ECB’s recent hawkish pivot at their Feb meeting. On the fiscal front, attention is on ongoing discussions to potentially allow purchases of ‘green bonds’ NOT to count against budget deficits. If approved, this can drastically change the fiscal landscape and would be a positive for the EUR and EU equities. 3. Geopolitics Even though the EUR, through Western sanctions, have dodged potential weakness from the CBR selling the EUR to prop up the RUB, the single currency was not immune for long. It held up okay initially, but as proximity risk to the war and economic risk from supply constraints and sanctions grew, the risk premium ballooned, sending EUR risk reversals sharply lower and implied volatility higher. With very big moves lower already, chasing the lows aren’t very attractive, but picking bottoms is equally dangerous without clear catalysts. 4. CFTC Analysis Large specs decreased longs (-40K) and leveraged funds (-19K) increased shorts, both exhibiting a strong bearish sentiment. But after the EUR’s strong bounce from recent lows, it seems additional shorts were added just at the wrong time. Regardless of positioning, trading the EUR with a clear catalyst is a must right now. 5. The Week Ahead Very quiet week ahead for the EUR with the only economic data highlights being the flash PMI numbers for France, Germany and the EU composite measure. The PMI numbers will provide markets with a timely estimate for how recent geopolitical stresses have affected the mood among businesses. Remember that PMIs are diffusion indexes based on the subjective inputs from purchasing managers. It’s basically asking businesses whether they think the outlook is better or worse than it was the previous month and given the war in Ukraine we should not be surprised by a bigger than expected miss. That also means that if PMIs don’t slow down materially, it could ease some of the growing stagflation fears among market participants. Additionally, markets will also be eyeing commodity prices and geopolitical developments. Given the proximity of the war as well as the impact from sanctions, the EUR and GBP has carried the brunt of the geopolitical fallout in the FX space. Thus, given that the EUR is still very close to recent lows, any major positive breakthroughs will arguably have a bigger impact compared to negative ones (unless the negative news involves things like chemical attacks or heightened risk of the war spilling over into the rest of Europe). USD FUNDAMENTAL BIAS: BULLISH 1. Monetary Policy At their March meeting the Fed delivered on a 25bsp hike as expected with Fed’s Bullard the only dissenter voting for a 50bsp hike. The Dot Plot saw a big upgrade from 3 hikes (Dec) to 7 hikes for 2022, with the FFR seen reaching 2.75%-3.0% in 2023 before falling in 2024. The Fed did however lower their neutral rate from 2.5% to 2.4% which were a bit of a negative. Inflation forecasts for 2022 were raised to 4.1% (previous 2.7%) but med-term inflation saw less aggressive upgrades. Even though the overall message and projections were definitely hawkish, the fact that GDP estimates were lowered to 2.8% from 4.0% shows a Fed that expects their actions to impact demand and could also be incorporating some of the recent geopolitical uncertainties. The Fed didn’t provide any new details on QT but did note that the decision to start selling assets will be made at a coming meeting (markets consensus sees a July start as likely) but did add that the FOMC made good progress in their QT discussion with a May announcement very likely. During the presser the Chair expressed his view that the economy is doing really well and, in his view, will be more than able to withstand the incoming rate hikes (a very similar situation like we had in 4Q18). When asked whether 50bsp hikes could be on the table, the chair explained that the FOMC has not made decision to front-load hikes and will keep an eye on incoming inflation data to determine their policy actions going forward, but of course added that every incoming meeting was live. Overall, the Fed was hawkish, but due to very strong pre-positioning and close to peak hawkishness priced for STIR markets the meeting saw a ‘sell-the-fact’ reaction across major asset classes. 2. Global & Domestic Economy As the reserve currency, the USD’s global usage means it’s usually inversely correlated to the global economy and global trade. The USD usually appreciates when growth & inflation slow (disinflation) and depreciates when growth & inflation accelerates (reflation). Thus, current expectations of a cyclical slowdown (and possible stagflation) are good for the Dollar. Incoming data will be watched in relation to the ‘Fed Put’ as there are many similarities between now and 4Q18, where the Fed were also tightening into a slowdown. If growth data slows and the Fed stays hawkish it’s a positive for the USD, once the Fed pivots dovish that’ll be a negative for the USD. 3. CFTC Analysis Overall net-long positioning was a risk for the USD going into the FOMC, where due to very strong performance in recent weeks, it was a very high bar for a hawkish Fed to see a sustained move higher in the USD before seeing a bit of a correction. Leveraged funds now hold a net-short in the USD, but unless geopolitics offer meaningful safe haven inflows or stagflation fears jump higher, some short-term downside is possible. 4. The Week Ahead The week ahead will be one the quietest ones we’ve had in a while on the economic data side. The main highlights will be incoming Fed speak after last week’s hawkish FOMC policy decision, with focus on whether we get any additional insights and opinions on the rate path, inflation and of course QT. With a lack of key data to give further insights into how fast growth is slowing, the stagflation narrative will probably get most of its cues from commodity prices. Keep in mind that the Dollar has an inverse correlation to global growth and usually has a positive expected return during periods of disinflation and stagflation. We’ll also be keeping an eye on further geopolitical developments, where the USD’s safe haven status will play a role in possible short-term directional moves as well. However, if we don’t see any major trending moves in commodities, and we don’t have any major geopolitical developments, the USD is still close to cycle highs and means it remains vulnerable to some profit taking and additional short-term corrective price action. Watching key support at 97.70 will be key as a break and close below that support arguably opens up room for a dive towards 97.00. Just keep in mind that the bias for the USD remains bullish in the med-term, so any moves lower are expected to be more tactical in nature, unless driven by specific catalysts of course.
by thunderpips
EURUSD: Bullish Accumulation & Structure on Focus 🇪🇺🇺🇸 Hey traders, It looks like EURUSD is forming a classic bullish accumulation pattern: the price has recently set a higher low and now it looks like it sets an equal high. I believe that soon we may see a breakout attempt. Watch carefully 1.11 - 1.116 supply area. If the price breaks that to the upside I will expect a bullish movement to 1.126 structure. If you are bearish biased wait for a bearish breakout of a rising trend line, that will trigger a bearish continuation. Good luck! ❤️Please, support this idea with like and comment!❤️
Long
by VasilyTrader
5
Dominant Currency Sentiment – EUR Supported Heading into today’s European trading session, the risk tone is cautious. Asia-Pacific indices are mixed, volatility measures are elevated and safe-havens mixed. Leading Asia-Pacific indices to the downside is the Hang Seng at -5.61%, followed by the CSI 300 at -4.57% and the ASX 200 at -0.73%. The Nikkei 225 and Topix are positive on the session at +0.15% and +0.79%, respectively. In the FX complex, it’s CAD leading to the downside as oil prices continue to tumble, with WTI now trading below $98 per barrel – down almost 5% since the start of the Asia-Pacific session. In contrast to CAD and leading to the upside is EUR as hopes surrounding Ukraine/Russia peace talks continue to support the single currency. Consequently, EURUSD has continued its choppy grind higher to now reclaim the 1.10 handle, while EURJPY tests the 130.00 handle to the upside. Looking ahead, today’s economic calendar is light on tier one data, keeping the market’s focus fixed on the ongoing peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. Other topics of note include monetary policy expectations ahead of this week’s FOMC meeting and China’s rise in coronavirus cases which is beginning to weigh on the commodity outlook.
by thunderpips
1
EUR USD - FUNDAMENTAL DRIVERSEUR FUNDAMENTAL BIAS: NEUTRAL 1. Monetary Policy Accelerating policy normalization in deed, but just don’t call it that. The March ECB meeting saw the ECB surprise markets by speeding up their normalization pace with the APP set to increase to EUR 40bln in April and then lowered to EUR 30bln in May and EUR 20bln in June, with an aim of ending APP in Q3. This was quite a shift, and alongside 2024 HICP expected at 1.9% it meant a hike for 2022 is still on the table. However, even though the statement was hawkish, the ECB tried very hard to come across as dovish as possible, no doubt trying to get a soft landing. The bank broke the link between APP and rates by saying hikes could take place ‘some time’ after purchases end (previously said ‘shortly’ after they end). President Lagarde also stressed that the Ukraine/Russia war introduced a material risk to activity and inflation (and it’s too early to know what the full impact of this will be). As a result, she stresses more than once that their actions with the APP should not be seen as accelerating but rather as normalizing (pretty sure going from open-ended QE to done in the next quarter is accelerating but maybe owls play by the different rules). To further add dovishness Lagarde also said that the war in Ukraine means risks are now again titled to the downside, compared to ‘broadly balanced’. After the meeting STIR markets and bund yields jumped to price in close to 2 hikes by year-end again, but the dovish push back from Lagarde saw the EUR come under pressure, failing to benefit from higher implied rates. 2. Economic & Health Developments Recent activity data suggests the hit from lockdowns weren’t as bad as feared, the Omicron restrictions weighed on growth. Differentials still favour the US and UK above the EZ. The big focus though is on the incoming inflation data after the ECB’s recent hawkish pivot at their Feb meeting. On the fiscal front, attention is on ongoing discussions to potentially allow purchases of ‘green bonds’ NOT to count against budget deficits. If approved, this can drastically change the fiscal landscape and would be a positive for the EUR and EU equities. Geopolitics Even though the EUR, through Western sanctions, have dodged potential weakness from the CBR selling the EUR to prop up the RUB, the single currency was not immune for long. It held up okay initially, but as proximity risk to the war and economic risk from supply constraints and sanctions grew, the risk premium ballooned, sending EUR risk reversals sharply lower and implied volatility higher. With very big moves lower already, chasing the lows aren’t very attractive, but picking bottoms is equally dangerous without clear catalysts. 3. CFTC Analysis Friday’s CFTC data did not show what we expected. Despite the big falls in the EUR and a very big reduction in Asset Manager net-longs, leverage funds reduced net-shorts on the EUR. Unless they reduced shorts in anticipation of a bounced from stretched lows the update does not make much sense right now. Regardless of positioning though, the best way to trade the EUR from these levels is with a clear catalyst. 4. The Week Ahead For the week ahead it’ll be very quiet on the data front, with all the focus for the EUR still on the geopolitical situation, where any escalation in tensions is expected to weigh on the EUR while de-escalations are expected to provide support. Apart from that, given the liquidity of the EURUSD and EURGBP currency pairs, as well as the EUR’s close to 60% weighting in the DXY, the upcoming FOMC and BoE policy decisions could end up being the biggest drivers for the EUR apart from geopolitics. The hurdle is quite high for the Fed to really surprise markets on the hawkish side (certainly possible for them to do so though), which means unless markets price in even more hikes for the Fed and unless the geopolitical situation deteriorates very drastically, the strong USD upside might run out of short-term steam which would be supportive for the EUR. When it comes to the BoE though, the recent amount of downside priced in for the GBP in such a short space of time and the recent dovish tones from the bank, means the bar is very low for a less dovish reaction from the GBP. Why is this important for the EUR? Given the liquidity of the EURGBP pair any major momentum in EURGBP can affect the EUR and GBP pairs in general so worth keeping on the radar. USD FUNDAMENTAL BIAS: BULLISH 1. Monetary Policy The Jan FOMC decision was hawkish on multiple fronts. The statement signalled a March hike as expected, but Chair Powell portrayed a very hawkish tone. Even though Powell said they can’t predict the rate path with certainty, he stressed the economy is in much better shape compared to the 2015 cycle and that will have implications for the pace of hikes (more and faster). Furthermore, he explained that there is ‘quite a bit of room’ to raise rates without damaging employment, which suggests upside risks to the rate path. A big question going into the meeting was how concerned the Fed was about recent equity market volatility . But the Chair explained that markets and financial conditions are reflecting policy changes in advance and that in aggregate the measures they look at isn’t showing red lights. Thus, any ‘Fed Put’ is much further away and inflation is the Fed’s biggest concern right now. The Chair also didn’t rule out the possibility of a 50bsp hike in March or possibly hiking at every meeting this year, which was hawkish as it means the Fed wants optionality to move more aggressive if they need to. We didn’t get new info on the balance sheet and Powell reiterated that they’re contemplating a start of QT after hiking has begun and they’ll discuss this in coming meetings. Overall, the tone and language were a lot more hawkish than the Dec meeting and more hawkish than consensus was expecting. 2. Global & Domestic Economy As the reserve currency, the USD’s global usage means it’s usually inversely correlated to the global economy and global trade. The USD usually appreciates when growth & inflation slow (disinflation) and depreciates when growth & inflation accelerates (reflation). Thus, current expectations of a cyclical slowdown (and possible stagflation) are good for the Dollar. Incoming data will be watched in relation to the ‘Fed Put’ as there are many similarities between now and 4Q18, where the Fed were also tightening into a slowdown. If growth data slows and the Fed stays hawkish it’s a positive for the USD, once the Fed pivots dovish that’ll be a negative for the USD. 3. CFTC Analysis The USD remains a net-long across major participants, but with price action looking stretched and with peak hawkishness for the Fed arguably close with >6 hikes priced, the risk to reward of chasing USD strength is not very attractive right now. Continued stagflation and geopolitical risks it mean that stretched positioning might not be as important as usual. JP Morgan also shared some stats that suggest the USD has a historical tendency to strengthen in the 6 months going into a first hike but then to weaken during the 6 months directly after a first hike. This is an interesting phenomenon which is worth keeping in mind given the USD’s recent performance. 4. The Week Ahead The week ahead for the USD will be dominated by ongoing geopolitical tensions as well as the incoming FOMC meeting. On the geopolitical front, escalation and de-escalation will affect safe haven flows which means it will remain an important driver for the USD, especially with rising commodity prices also stoking growing fears of stagflation. On the FOMC side, a 25bsp hike is fully priced, but markets still have a lot to think about as the March meeting will be accompanied by an updated Summary of Economic Projections, where the markets want to see how the dots have changed (previous meeting showed 3 hikes for 2022). STIR markets currently priced in close to 7 hikes, so anything below 5 ought to be seen as dovish. During his recent testimony, Powell said that markets have responded to their guidance with good transmission and have priced in a much higher tightening path, so if their tone and comments alone have done so much heavy lifting there isn’t much reason for them to suddenly ease off on that. It’s true that the Ukraine/Russia war does add uncertainty, but with the US economy and financial sector far less exposed to Russia compared to Europe, the biggest ‘risk’ from the geopolitical situation is higher commodity prices that feeds into higher inflation expectations. Thus, even though the war adds uncertainty (and the Fed is likely going to say that it does) there is very little reason for them to ease off right now, especially with political pressures building going into the mid-terms. But won’t the Fed be concerned with asset markets by coming across even more hawkish? Despite growth concerns, a war in Europe, global sanctions, additional commodity supply shocks and expectations for 6 Fed hikes and QT, if the S&P is down less than 14% with all of that going on it means that any ‘Fed put’ is probably much further away and no need for the bank to change their tone just yet. How far a hawkish Fed can push long-end yields and the USD is up for debate though.
by thunderpips
3
EUR USD - FUNDAMENTAL DRIVERSEUR FUNDAMENTAL BIAS: NEUTRAL 1. Monetary Policy Hawkish sums up the ECB’s Feb decision. The initial statement was in line with Dec guidance and offered very little surprises (which was initially seen as dovish). However, during the press conference President Lagarde explained that the upside surprises in CPI in Dec and Jan saw unanimous concern around the GC in the nearterm and surprised markets by not repeating Dec language which said a 2022 rate hike was unlikely (which immediately saw STIR markets price in a 10bsp hike as soon as June). The president also made the March meeting live, by stating that they’ll use the March meeting to decide what the APP will look like for the rest of 2022 (which markets took as a signal that the APP could conclude somewhere in 2H22. After the meeting we had the customary sources comments which stated that the ECB is preparing for a potential policy recalibration in March (with some members wanting to change policy at today’s meeting already) and added that it is sensible not to exclude a 2022 hike as a possibility and also stated that the ECB is considering possibly ending the APP at the end of Q3 (which would put a Q4 hike in play). Furthermore, sources stated that if inflation does not ease, they’ll consider adjusting policy in March (which means incoming inflation data will be critical). The shift is stance and tone were significant for us to change the bank’s overall policy stance to neutral and to adjust the EUR’s fundamental bias from dovish to neutral as well. Incoming inflation data will be key from here. 2. Economic & Health Developments Recent activity data suggests the hit from lockdowns weren’t as bad as feared, the Omicron restrictions weighed on growth. Differentials still favour the US and UK above the EZ. The big focus though is on the incoming inflation data after the ECB’s recent hawkish pivot at their Feb meeting. On the fiscal front, attention is on ongoing discussions to potentially allow purchases of ‘green bonds’ NOT to count against budget deficits. If approved, this can drastically change the fiscal landscape and would be a positive for the EUR and EU equities. 3. Geopolitics Even though the EUR, through Western sanctions, have dodged potential weakness from the CBR selling the EUR to prop up the RUB, the single currency was not immune for long. It held up okay on Monday and Tuesday, but as proximity risk to the war and economic risk as a result of sanctions grew, the risk premium ballooned, sending EUR risk reversals tanking lower while implied volatility jolted higher. With very big moves lower already, chasing the lows aren’t very attractive, but picking bottoms is equally dangerous. 4. CFTC Analysis Last week we looked at the big amount of bullish sentiment built up for the EUR over the past 3 months, and we think a lot of those new bulls were caught with their pants down the past week, forcing huge capitulations as the EUR went into free fall across the board. Keep in mind the release date of the COT data means this week’s release won’t show the extent of unwinding until next week, so flying blind is an understatement here. USD FUNDAMENTAL BIAS: BULLISH 1. Monetary Policy The Jan FOMC decision was hawkish on multiple fronts. The statement signalled a March hike as expected, but Chair Powell portrayed a very hawkish tone. Even though Powell said they can’t predict the rate path with certainty, he stressed the economy is in much better shape compared to the 2015 cycle and that will have implications for the pace of hikes (more and faster). Furthermore, he explained that there is ‘quite a bit of room’ to raise rates without damaging employment, which suggests upside risks to the rate path. A big question going into the meeting was how concerned the Fed was about recent equity market volatility. But the Chair explained that markets and financial conditions are reflecting policy changes in advance and that in aggregate the measures they look at isn’t showing red lights. Thus, any ‘Fed Put’ is much further away and inflation is the Fed’s biggest concern right now. The Chair also didn’t rule out the possibility of a 50bsp hike in March or possibly hiking at every meeting this year, which was hawkish as it means the Fed wants optionality to move more aggressive if they need to. We didn’t get new info on the balance sheet and Powell reiterated that they’re contemplating a start of QT after hiking has begun and they’ll discuss this in coming meetings. Overall, the tone and language were a lot more hawkish than the Dec meeting and more hawkish than consensus was expecting. 2. Global & Domestic Economy As the reserve currency, the USD’s global usage means it’s usually inversely correlated to the global economy and global trade. Thus, USD usually appreciates when growth & inflation slow (disinflation) and depreciates when growth & inflation accelerates (reflation). With expectations that growth and inflation will decelerate this year that should be a positive input for the USD. However, incoming data will also be important in relation to the ‘Fed Put’. There are many similarities between now and 4Q18, where the Fed were also tightening aggressively going into an economic slowdown. As long as growth data slows and the Fed stays aggressive that is a positive for the USD, but if it causes a dovish Fed pivot and lower rate repricing it would be a negative input for the USD. 3. CFTC Analysis With peak hawkishness for the Fed arguably close to baked in for the USD, it’s been interesting to view the positioning unfold in the past few weeks. The USD remains a net-long across large specs, leveraged funds and asset managers, but price action has been looking stretched. However, given growing stagflation and geopolitical risks it means stretched positioning might not be as important right now, but worth keeping in mind of course.
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Today’s Notable Sentiment ShiftsEUR – The euro spiked higher on Thursday following the ECB’s decision to phase out its APP by Q3, pushing EURUSD briefly above the 1.11 handle. However, gains were short-lived, with focus quickly turning back to the Ukraine/Russia war and its economic consequences for the Eurozone. BK Asset Management argues the diverging economic outlooks between Europe and the US is causing the market to “price in a rate differential between the dollar and the euro.”
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Today’s Notable Sentiment ShiftsEUR – The euro gained more than 1.5% against the dollar on Wednesday as risk appetite returned to financial markets and energy and commodity prices eased from recent peaks that resulted from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the West’s retaliatory sanctions. TD Securities noted that the move was driven in part by recent reports that the EUR was discussing a joint bond issuance to finance energy and defence spending. Concluded that “looking at the options market, the signal there has been a reduction in downside protection for the euro, so that could be signaling that the market thinks we may be moving on from the very acute phase of the shock.”
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