Japanese yen soars on Japan’s political dramaThe Japanese yen has steadied on Monday after posting huge gains on Friday. USD/JPY is trading at 142.43 in the European session, up 0.15%.
The yen soared on Friday but it was in response to political rather than economic developments. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) unexpectedly chose Shigeru Ishiba as its new leader and he will take over as Prime Minister on Tuesday. Ishiba’s win was a surprise as Economic Minister Sanae Takaichi was expected to win the LDP leadership race.
The financial markets reacted sharply – the Japanese yen soared 2.1% on Friday while the Japanese stock market is sharply lower today. Takaichi is a strong supporter of lower interest rates while Ishiba favors the Bank of Japan’s moves towards normalization. Ishiba said today that he will call a snap election on October 27, which he is almost certain to win. Ishiba’s election would be a green light for the BoJ to continue tightening policy which would make the yen more attractive to investors.
Overshadowed by the political drama was Monday’s Japanese data, which was a mix. Industrial production slid 3.3% m/m in August, after a 3.1% gain in July and well short of the market estimate of -0.9%. Yearly, industrial production declined 4.9%, compared to a 2.9% gain in July.
There was better news from retail sales, which rose 0.8% m/m in August, up from 0.2% in July and a three-month high. Yearly, retail sales climbed 2.8%, up from a revised 2.7% in July and above the market consensus of 2.3%.
Inflation remains under control and this was reiterated on Friday by the US Core PCE Price Index, the Fed’s preferred inflation indicator. The index rose 0.1% m/m in August, a three-month low. This was down from 0.2% in July and below the market estimate of 0.2%. Yearly, Core PCE ticked up to 2.7%, after three consecutive months at 2.6% and in line with expectations.
USD/JPY tested resistance at 142.86 earlier. Above, there is resistance at 143.19
There is support at 142.26 and 141.93
Industrialproduction
EUR/USD dips after US payrolls misses estimateThe euro has edged lower on Friday. EUR/USD is trading at 1.1088 in the North American session at the time of writing, down 0.20%.
Today’s US nonfarm payrolls wasn’t a disaster but certainly nothing to smile about. The economy created 142 thousand new jobs in August, better than the July gain of 114 thousand but short of the market estimate of 160 thousand. The unemployment rate ticked lower to 4.2%, in line with expectations and a shade below the market estimate of 4.3%.
The US dollar hasn’t shown much reaction to the employment report. However, expectations for an oversize 50-basis point cut from the Federal Reserve in September have shot up to 59%, up from 43% prior to the nonfarm payrolls release, according to CME’s FedWatch.
Had nonfarm payrolls beaten expectations, it likely would have cemented a 25-bps cut. The soft reading means that the Fed meeting is live, with investors unsure about the size of the expected rate cut. The US will release CPI and retail sales before the Fed meeting and any surprises from these releases could impact on the rate decision.
Germany’s economy continues to flounder, which doesn’t bode well for the eurozone economy. German industrial production, released today, declined 2.4% m/m in July, down from a 1.7% gain in June and shy of the market estimate of -0.3%. Manufacturing declined across the board and the automotive sector was especially weak. Yearly, industrial output declined by 5.3% in July, compared to a 3.7% decline in June.
The European Central Bank meets on Sept. 12 and is widely expected to trim rates after an initial cut in July. Inflation has been tamed and is close to the 2% target and the eurozone economy is struggling. The ECB wants to avoid a recession and a rate cut would provide a boost to the economy and provide relief for consumers.
EUR/USD is testing support at 1.1082. Below, there is support at 1.1044
There is resistance at 1.1119 and 1.1102
Surging euro hits four-month highThe euro keeps pushing higher and is up for a fourth straight day. EUR/USD is trading at 1.0913, up 0.34% on the day. Earlier, the euro touched a high of 1.0920, its highest level since March 21.
The US dollar has hit a rough patch in recent weeks and has lost ground against the major currencies. The euro has sparkled in July, gaining 1.9%.
Eurozone industrial production recorded a sharp decline for a second straight month, a reminder that the manufacturing sector is still in trouble, with weakening demand across most of the eurozone and a global economy that is still trying to find its footing.
Annually, eurozone industrial production declined 2.9% y/y in May, following a revised 3.1% decline in April. Monthly, the indicator declined 0.6% in May, lower than the revised April reading of 0%. Both readings were better than expected, but point to contraction in production.
The week ended with the US Producer Price index accelerating unexpectedly in June to 2.6% y/y, up from a revised 2.4% and above the market estimate of 2.3%. This was the highest level since March 2023. Monthly, PPI edged up to 0.2%, up from a revised 0% in May and above the 0.1% market estimate.
The higher-than-expected PPI report didn’t make much of a dent in market expectations for a September rate cut, which stand at 88%, according to the CME’s FedWatch. PPI tends to be erratic and the jump in the June data likely doesn’t point to a buildup in inflationary pressures. Last week’s June CPI report was softer than expected and boosted market expectations for an initial rate cut in September.
EUR/USD has pushed above resistance at 1.0893. Next, there is resistance at 1.0925
There is support at 1.0876 and 1.0844
Aussie calm ahead of RBA decisionThe Australian dollar is showing little movement on Monday. In the North American session, AUD/USD is trading at 0.6655, down 0.07%.
The Reserve Bank of Australia wraps up a two-day meeting on Tuesday and is widely expected to maintain the cash rate at 4.35%. The RBA last raised rates in November 2023 and rates have likely peaked.
There isn’t much suspense ahead of tomorrow’s meeting Economic growth has been hampered by elevated interest rates and the unemployment rate has been moving higher. This essentially precludes a rate hike. As for a cut in rates, the RBA is not in any rush, as inflation is falling but the current clip of 4.1%, it is more than double the 2% target.
The RBA hasn’t signaled it is planning to cut rates and has maintained a rate hike bias, although barring a jump in inflation, it’s very unlikely that we’ll see another rate hike. The markets are looking at an initial rate cut sometime this year.
Investors will be looking for hints at the meeting about future rate policy and the rate statement and Governor Bullock’s press conference could provide some insights. Any signals of a removal of its tightening bias could send the Australian dollar lower.
China, Australia’s largest trading partner, started the week with mixed data. Industrial production sparked with a gain of 7% y/y in January-February combined, its highest level in two years. This followed a 6.8% gain in December and easily beat the market forecast of 5%. Retail sales eased to 5.5% y/y in January-February, down from 7.4% in December but above the market estimate of 5.2%.
There is resistance at 0.6584 and 0.6615
0.6528 and 0.6497 are providing support
EUR/USD steady after soft German industrial productionEUR/USD has posted slight gains on Wednesday. In the North American session, the euro is trading at 1.0773, up 0.19%.
This week's German data has analysts scratching their heads. Industrial production, released today, declined 1.6% m/m in December, compared to a downwardly revised -0.2% in November and worse than the market estimate of -0.4%. It was the ninth decline in ten months.
Just a day earlier, factory orders surprised with a massive gain in December of 8.9% m/m, compared to the downwardly revised 0% reading which was also the market estimate. This marked the strongest monthly gain since June 2020 as foreign and domestic orders were close to double-digit growth. Manufacturing has been in the doldrums in the eurozone's largest economy, but the red-hot factory orders report provides hope that better days lie ahead.
Germany's GDP declined by 0.3% q/q in the fourth quarter, as the economy has been hampered by sticky inflation, high energy prices and weak demand for German exports. The eurozone's largest economy could tip into a technical recession, defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth, if first quarter GDP declines as well.
The eurozone is also grappling with a weak economy and retail sales fell 1.1% m/m in December, after a revised 0.3% gain in January and below the market estimate of -1%. This was the sharpest decline in a year, as consumers have been hammered by high inflation and steep borrowing costs, resulting in consumers holding the purse strings more tightly.
The economic picture in Europe is grim but the European Central Bank is still hesitant to embrace rate cuts, as policy makers have voiced concern that inflation could still show a comeback if the ECB cuts rates too early. The ECB will have plenty of time to digest key economic data, with the next meeting on March 7.
EUR/USD is putting pressure on support at 1.0746. Below, there is support at 1.0704
There is resistance at 1.0822 and 1.0864
AUD/USD edges lower, China data beats expectationsThe Australian dollar started the day higher but has reversed directions. In the North American session, AUD/USD is trading at 0.6357, down 0.13%.
The US dollar has steamrolled the Aussie, which hasn't posted a winning week since September and dropped close to a one-year low last week. The Australian dollar has bounced back this week, however, gaining 1.08%.
The situation in the Middle East remains perilous, with the risk that the Israel-Hamas war could spread and ignite a regional war. President Joe Biden has arrived in Israel, a move intended as a warning to Iran and others not to enter the conflict. The fighting has not affected risk sentiment, as investors haven't panicked and snapped up greenbacks. Still, the Middle East is a powder keg at present and if the situation worsens, we could see a flight to the US dollar.
Australia will release employment numbers on Thursday. Job growth has been solid and posted a strong gain of 64,900 in August. Employment is expected to fall sharply to 20,000 in September. Unemployment has been at low levels and is expected to remain at 3.7% for a third straight month.
China is Australia's number one trading partner, which means that Chinese releases can have a significant impact on the Australian economy. China's post-Covid recovery has been much weaker than expected, and deflationary pressures and a property crisis could have negative implications for the global economy.
Chinese released key data on Wednesday and all three releases beat expectations. GDP for Q3 rose 4.9% y/y, above the consensus estimate of 4.4% but well shy of second-quarter growth of 6.3%. Retail sales for September climbed 5.5% y/y, up from 4.6% in August and above expectations of 4.9%. Finally, industrial production was unchanged in September at 4.5% y/y, compared to the consensus estimate of 4.3%. China's economy may be in better shape than expected, but the road to recovery is likely to be a bumpy one.
AUD/USD is putting pressure on support at 0.6343. Below, there is support at 0.6240
0.6399 and 0.6430 are the next resistance lines
Aussie under pressure ahead of wage growth releaseThe Australian dollar started the week by dropping 50 basis points but has recovered most of these losses. In the European session, AUD/USD is trading at 0.6488, down 0.12%.
It has been a rough ride lately for the Australian dollar. The currency fell 1.17% against the US dollar last week and has plunged 3.39% in the month of August.
Australia's inflation rate remains elevated at 6%. The RBA has aggressively tightened rates, but high wage growth, courtesy of a tight labour market and high inflation, remains a key driver of inflationary pressures. Wage growth accelerated to 3.7% q/q in the first quarter, up from 3.3%, the highest level since the third quarter of 2012. The consensus for the second quarter stands at 3.7%. On a monthly basis, wage growth is expected to rise 0.9%, higher than the Q2 reading of 0.8%.
A strong wage price index reading will make the Reserve Bank of Australia's fight against inflation that much more difficult. The RBA expects inflation to fall slowly, with a forecast of 3.25% by the end of next year and falling to the 2%-3% target only in late 2025.
The RBA will release the minutes of the August meeting on Tuesday. Market expectations were split ahead of the meeting as to whether the RBA would pause for a second straight month or hold rates at 4.10%. In the end, policy makers went for a pause but added that further tightening could be required, depending on the data. Tuesday's minutes may provide some insights into the decision to pause. RBA Governor Lowe said on Friday that the central bank was leaving the door open for further tightening but only expected to make "small adjustments to calibrate policy".
China's economic slowdown could spell trouble for Australia's economy and the ailing Australian dollar. China's exports and imports are down and the country is experiencing deflation. We'll get a look at Chinese Industrial Production on Tuesday, with a consensus estimate of 4.4% for July, unchanged from June.
There is resistance at 0.6607 and 0.6700
0.6475 and 0.6382 are providing support
USD/JPY punches above 140, Tokyo issues warningUSD/JPY is showing little movement on Tuesday. In the European session, USD/JPY is trading at 140.17, down 0.19%.
The Japanese yen continues to underperform and has plunged 2.8% in May. The yen fell as low as 140.93 on Monday, its lowest level since November 21st. The sharp depreciation is raising concerns in Tokyo and Masota Kanda, a top official at the Ministry of Finance (MOF) weighed in on Tuesday. Kanda said officials were not focussing on particular exchange rate levels but said they were monitoring the forex market and "would respond appropriately". Kanda's veiled warning should not be ignored, as he blindsided the markets back in December when the MoF intervened in the currency markets in order to prop up the yen.
Japanese releases have been solid, reinforcing speculation that inflation isn't going anywhere and the Bank of Japan may have to tighten policy. Service and manufacturing PMIs showed slight expansion last week and retail sales and industrial production will be released on Wednesday. Retail sales are expected to remain strong at 7.0% y/y in April, following a prior reading of 7.1%. Industrial production is projected to improve to 1.5% m/m in April, up from 1.1% in March.
President Biden and Republican Speaker McCarthy have reached an agreement in principle on the debt ceiling, after weeks of brinkmanship between Republicans and Democrats. The deal must be approved in both houses of Congress, which is expected to happen despite grumblings from some Republicans. The weeks of uncertainty prior to the deal weighed on risk appetite and the big winners have been US Treasury yields and the US dollar.
USD/JPY has support at 139.61 and 138.50
There is resistance at 140.88 and 141.73
EUR/USD dips to 1-month lowThe euro has fallen for three straight sessions and has extended its losses on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, EUR/USD fell below the 1.07 line for the first time since Jan. 23.
German and eurozone numbers have been soft this week, adding to the euro's woes. Eurozone retail sales fell 2.7% in December, worse than the estimate of -2.5% and well off the November read of 1.2%. German Industrial Production came in at -3.2% in December, down from 0.4% in November and below the expectation of -0.6%. Germany is the locomotive of the bloc but the engine is stuttering, which is bad news for the rest of the eurozone. GDP in Q4 contracted by 0.2%, retail sales for December slumped by 5.3% and Manufacturing PMI remains mired in contraction territory.
The US dollar received a much-needed boost from the January nonfarm payroll report, as the 517,000 gain crushed expectations. There are no major releases out of the US today, but Fed Chair Powell will participate in a panel discussion. If Powell strikes a hawkish tone, the US dollar could extend its gains. There are a host of Fed members speaking this week, and if they reiterate the "higher for longer" stance that the Fed continues to embrace, the US dollar could continue to move north.
How will the Fed react to the stellar employment report? Fed member Mary Daly called the employment release a "wow number" and said that the Fed's December forecast of a peak rate of 5.1% was a "good indicator" of Fed policy. With the benchmark rate currently at 4.5%-4.75%, we're likely looking at two more rate hikes, exactly what Jerome Powell said at the FOMC meeting last week. The spike in job creation has raised hopes that the Fed can pull off a "soft landing" and there is even talk on Wall Street of a "no landing" which would mean that a recession could be avoided.
1.0758 is a weak support line, followed by 1.0633
There is resistance at 1.0873 and 1.0954
Euro slide continuesThe month of July has been an unmitigated disaster for the euro - with only three trading sessions in the books, EUR/USD has declined a staggering 2.73%. Earlier in the day, the euro dropped to 1.0186, its lowest level since December 2002. The euro appears headed for parity with the US dollar, a psychologically significant level.
The economic outlook in the eurozone is not an encouraging one. Inflation surged to 8.1% in May, surpassing the April record of 7.4%. A peak in inflation remains elusive, and the ECB is way behind the inflation curve - the central bank hasn't raised interest rates yet, which are in negative territory. Even so, a lukewarm eurozone economy means that raising rates poses the risk of a recession. The energy situation has been deteriorating, as sanctions against Russia have led to counter moves in which Moscow has reduced its gas exports to Europe, which could result in an energy shortage this winter. If Russia reduces oil or gas exports to Europe, prices will soar and this could cause a severe economic downturn.
A strike by Norwegian oil and gas workers on Tuesday threatened to exacerbate the situation. The Norwegian government has stepped in and ended the strike, but investors remain nervous as the eurozone's energy situation could become precarious.
Today's data out of the eurozone showed some improvement but did little to raise risk sentiment. Germany's Factory Orders rose 0.1% in May, up from -1.6% in April but still a negligible gain. It was a similar story for eurozone retail sales, which came in at 0.2% in May after a -1.4% read in April. On Thursday, Germany releases Industrial Production for May, which is expected to slow to 0.7%, down from 0.4%.
EUR/USD faces resistance at 1.0124. Below, there is support at 1.0075
There is resistance at 1.0221 and 1.0324
Yen posts gains despite weak dataJapan's factory output declined for a second consecutive month as supply disruptions continue to take a toll on manufacturing. Industrial production for January fell 1.3% m/m, worse than the consensus of -0.7%. There was no relief from retail sales for January, which dropped 1.9% m/m, compared to the forecast of -1.2%. Covid health restrictions contributed to the drop in consumer spending.
The weak data will weigh on GDP for the first quarter, which is still expected to show a small gain. Inflation has risen but still remains below the BoJ's target of 2%, which means that the central bank can be expected to continue its loose monetary stance, at a time when most major central banks are tightening policy.
The crisis in Ukraine could further muddy the outlook for the county's fragile economy. Oil has pushed above the 100-dollar level and a disruption in Russian oil deliveries to world markets will send oil prices even higher, which will raise prices and dampen consumer spending.
The war in Ukraine continues, although there was a small ray of hope as Russian and Ukrainian officials met today for face-to-face talks for the first time since the Russian invasion. The crisis has shaken the financial markets and the Russian ruble plunged over the weekend in response to tough sanctions from Western countries. Along with the US dollar, the yen has been an attractive safe-haven asset for panicky investors who have been dumping riskier holdings. USD/JPY has held steady since the crisis began, unlike the other majors which have buckled under the weight of the US dollar as risk appetite has dampened.
USD/JPY has support at 114.71. Next, the 100-DMA at 114.37 is providing support
There is resistance at 116.06 and 116.59
Taking a close look at US STEEL XI really like US STEEL down here. I've had my eye on this one for some time but the trend is still technically pointing down. Following the price direction and watching strength/momentum is key. I can speculate and say this is an excellent buy (I think it's fantastic).. However, the trend is still pointing down even though I see value here. Notice the hidden bearish divergence it's been forming for months..Be smart and stick to price direction. It could flush 50-60% lower before finding a final bottom..In my opinion it might be best to wait for confirmation of trend change and strength.
Industrial Production IndexThe Industrial Production Index (IPI) is an economic indicator published by the Federal Reserve Board of the United States that measures the real production output of manufacturing, mining, and utilities. Production indexes are computed mainly as fisher indexes with the weights based on annual estimates of value added. Since Fisher indexes only preserve growth information, the value in the base year (currently 2012) is arbitrarily set at 100. This index, along with other industrial indexes and construction, accounts for the bulk of the variation in national output over the duration of the business cycle.
USDJPY/ GBPJPY: BUY $YEN IF DATA MISSES; SELL £YEN IF DATA HITSThe Risky BOJ front run trade using CPI inferences
- I find it very interesting that the BOJ is releasing ALL of its key economic data (minus GDP) before making the easing decision, especially as we have already had CPI data this month so we will have an 2 CPI releases in one month which ive never seen happen before (CPI from JPY is usually due next week).
- This to me indicates strongly that 1) All of the data released e.g. CPI, employment, retail sales, industrial production has some weighting on the BOJ decision and 2) that CPI especially has perhaps the strongest weighting on the BOJ decision as they are releasing 2 CPI prints in one month which means they brought forward the measurement by a week - this means they value the CPI print strongly.
- Therefore, knowing this, in an ideal world either 1) ALL of the data will contract, which puts more pressure on a big BOJ easing package or 2) ALL of the data improves which eases the the pressure on the BOJ package - thus from here we are then able to take risk with an "educated" guess of what the policy will tend to be i.e. big or smaller.
Long USDJPY if CPI less than -0.4% and generally weak/ miss other data:
1. The rationale is that a lower than expected and last print shows the JPY economy is decelerating even more aggressively than in previous months and therefore the BOJ will me MORE inclinded to ease heavier, as the data suggests there is a bigger problem.
- Obviously the data/ CPI print imo acts as a function of BOJ easing, if we get massive misses across the slew of data then we should expect a bigger easing package than if there is only a slight miss - therefore we should treat our trades the same way.
2. Long USDJPY by xlots depending on the serverity of the data miss e.g. if CPI was -1.0% and unemployment ticked up to 3.4% i would do 3lots long usdjpy. If it was -0.5% and 3.3% i would do 1lot for example.
Short GBPJPY if CPI is greater than -0.4% and other data generally hits/ is positive
1. The rationale is the opposite of the above - we assume if data improves that the BOJ will be less inclined to do a big easing package so we expect yen to remain strong so we go long yen and short GBP.
- Once again the lot size is a function of the serverity of the data e.g. if CPI turned positive to 0.1% and unemployment dropped to 3% we would short 3lots. vs only 1lot if CPI ticked up only 10bps from last and unemployment ticked down only 10bps.
Risks to the view:
1. The First risk is that data in general is considered to have "underlying trends" so the fact one print is outstandingly bad/ good might NOT impact policy e.g. thin about US NFP that was less than 100k and shocked markets - but it was a one off so didnt make the FOMC cut rates back.
3. Data underlying trends thus can reduce the weighting this data is given e.g. even if CPI improved to 0.1% from -0.4%, the BOJ could argue this is a one off print as the underlying trend for the past 6m+ has been negative inflation thus they will go ahead with a big easing package.
- HOWEVER , the above point "3" in mind i believe data to the downside will be given a greater weighting than data to the upside, so we should have a short yen bias as weak data has been the underlying trend for most data points (especially CPI).
-Further, i also think tail-end/ RHS/ LHS results will be given a proportionately larger weighting in their decision so this should also be reflected in our trading e.g. if CPI was -2% from -0.4% i would be a much much more aggressive buyer of UJ than if a -0.5% print from -0.4% is seen. The same can be said to the topside, if i saw +1.5% inflation from -0.4% last i would be a much greater seller of GBPJPY than if i saw -0.3% CPI from -0.4%.