DXY/ USD: WEAK ISM PMI FLUSHES USD BIDS - FED MESTER SPEECHUSD disappointingly failed to maintain its heavily demanded week when ISM PMIs not only fell short of expectations but also showed a slight contraction by slipping across the 50 mark to the downside. This data pattern however has been consistent for USD, where it has failed to show any upbeat prints, though in the past months the Job market has been able to stand out from this trend so it is difficult to read too much into what the report tomorrow will show.
As discussed in my post last week, i believe the risks are to the downside and even more so that Fed mester has stated that employment has reached capacity and 75k-100k a month will be enough to maintain the rate - a figure like this tomorrow would surely see DXY move back into the 94s, with september expectations likely to drop into the 12-18% range that it had maintained before yellen last week.
Fed Mester on the whole was neutral, offering little to support the dovish or hawkish side.
USD Positioning:
In terms of positioning, given $Yens rapid 6-day appreciation (today would be the 7th on a close above 103.45) I am looking to get short if we can get a close just 15pips higher than market, as a 7th day on the up has only been seen 3 times in the past 16yrs so shorts here are statistically in play - though of course NFP upside bodes a risk, but given my expectations going in (downside) it is a risk I will be willing to take (not to mention i expect market risk to spike increasing yen demand - but i will discuss this in a separate post if we close higher tonight).
My long favoured short GBP$ trade is currently hanging in the balance, with little negative data to illustrate brexit impacts coupled with USD data unable to get a footing it is hard to continue with the "short sterling on rallies" approach, given topside is becoming arguably justifiable, if we see Services Monday and construction friday PMIs above the 50 level, short GBPUSD on rallies will no longer be a conviction trade, as there will be no real macro case outside of the broad "brexit uncertainty" which by all accounts is waning as optimism and confidence measures are fading the downside spike. Ask yourself, going forward assuming data holds up which it should, what further reason does the BOE have to ease or GBP have to fall? Brexit negs arent likely to start until Q2 2017 so we have a firm 6m of "stability".. especially when you think of sterling with respect to the massive 1000-4000pips its lost (cross ccy) into brexit, upside from here is certainly possible even if it is just a recovery rally.
Trading NFP on a 220k print is also possible as a tactical trade e.g. long DXY, as DXY is likely to offer lower some more going into the event as the market derisks.
Fed Mester Speech Highlights:
