Inflation
Reduce inflation rate from 6.5% to 3% this years, says WilliamsFOMC's Williams speech did not do much, as he was echoing what Jerome Powell already said 2 days ago. Rate hikes to resume, but at slower pace. Williams mentioned that inflation rate in the US should cool off to 3% this year, now at 6.5%. That's 50% lower.
Question is, how much more rate hike is required to push inflation down by 50%? Will that be somehow somewhat slowdown the US economy as a whole? A whole lot more tightening will need to take place, as I see it. Lending has already begun to tighten and credit is more difficult to obtain due to stricter requirements by banks.
Hmm... how will this play out?
By Sifu Steve @ XeroAcademy
#usdollar #usd #dxy #interestrates #useconomy #federalreserve #FOMC #inflation
German inflation data in focusToday we will be getting German Inflation data within the next 1h and 15m.
This German CPI will be in focus as Eurostat had problems in their systems the previous week and they gave an Estimation of Eurozone inflation along with estimating where possibly the German Inflation would land.
So at the back of this and while German's economy is 25% of EU's GDP , we are expecting some volatility to come in play , in case we get any big deviation in German Inflation data.
Now what the so wanted big deviation can be and what are we expecting at the back of this ?
German inflation printing higher than 9.5% and German Harmonised inflation printing higher than 10.3%
EURUSD - EURJPY 🔼
German inflation printing lower than 8.5% and German harmonised inflation printing lower than 9%
EURUSD - EURCAD 🔽
-Extra notes-
-Currently money markets are pricing in 41 bsp for the ECB meaning that we can go in any direction in case we get the deviation that we need and markets might price out 16 bsp (0.25% rate hike) or price in 9 bsp or more (0.50% rate hike).
-In case of higher inflation metrics possible targets can be EURUSD 1.0750 - 1.0775 - 1.0800 and EURJPY 141.50 - 141.80 - 142.20
-In case of lower inflation metrics possible targets can be EURUSD 1.0710 - 1.0690 - 1.0670 and EURCAD 1.4400 - 1.4380 - 1.4360
-Preferably we want to see MoM inflation metrics aligning to the one or to the other side and not get a mixed data out of it
-Higher conviction will come if headline inflation prints higher than 9.9% for the hawkish scenario or lower than 8% for the dovish scenario FX:EURUSD
Is Gold telling us something?Gold is forming a picture perfect Bear Flag.
If this pattern breaks and triggers we have 2 downside targets.
The importance of analyzing this pattern is Gold encompasses much of the macro landscape in its price action.
If Gold is acting bearishly based off this pattern it could be foreshadowing a dollar strengthening.
It could also foreshadow perhaps a good jobloss claims number tomorrow that could force yields higher.
Whatever the catalyst may be, based off of this pattern were likely to see some additional weakness in the near term unless we break out of the bear flag upper range.
Lumber & Stocks DivergeLumber is signalling disinflation.
Stocks are signaling inflation.
There has bee a high correlation with stocks and lumber for about 18 months. Is this correlation officially breaking or does it imply we will see some weakness in stocks?
Right now lumber is showing weakness.
Microsoft - Extreme Bearish SentimentI see a gruesome bloodbath in the American stock market. Stocks are showing heavy bearish sentiment. Microsoft rose to as high as $349. A drop started at that price point and will continue right down to 141. A BREAK OF STRUCTURE at 141 will then send the price falling to around $14 (My Point Of Interest).
Things are really getting interesting!!!
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Smart Money Concepts are king in the market. Move with the big sharks or get ravaged!!!
Fight or Flight?On February 1st, the Federal Reserve (Fed) announced a widely-expected 25bps rate hike. This was the rallying cry for the current market rally to continue.
Is this confidence warranted? An interesting note is that the FOMC meeting minutes and the associated press conference appeared contradictory in nature because there was not a straightforward hawkish or dovish narrative across both. The statement was hawkish. Meanwhile, Fed Chairman Powell’s language in the press conference was remarkably dovish, describing the disinflation process as having started and as "encouraging and gratifying". This was the point that markets took as the signal to continue the recent rally. Precious metals, equities, and risk assets have all seen significant post-meeting relief.
The first innings of a recession always appear to be somewhat of a soft landing in which inflation and growth begin to slow gradually. Yesterday’s meeting echoed the idea that recent indicators point to a modest increase in spending and that inflation has eased, precisely what the first innings of a recession would predict. As markets, potentially shortsightedly, adopt the soft landing narrative, the Fed’s lack of pushback against easier financial conditions added fuel to the fire. Given this, it is doubtful that markets will stop rallying until one of two cases occurs: First, if data comes in hot, it potentially frightens markets into thinking the Fed will turn back hawkish and raise rates more than the recently observed 25bps hike. The second scenario is the other extreme. Should data start coming in highly recessionary with lower inflation and weak growth, this will eliminate all believers in the soft landing narrative, thus halting the rally. However, at present, it looks like the market rally of 2023 could continue until either of these scenarios happen. An important thing to note is that whenever inflation has exceeded 5% in the past, it has never come back down without the Federal Funds Rate exceeding the rate of CPI inflation. Considering the Federal Funds Rate is currently between 4.5% and 4.75% whilst CPI inflation is at 6.5%, more rate hikes are on the horizon unless data comes in highly recessionary. CPI data on the 14th of February will provide significant insight into whether or not the Fed will follow the likes of the European Central Bank & Bank of England and go with a 50bps hike rather than a 25bps hike.
Another important thing to note is that Apple , Amazon , and Alphabet (the parent company of Google ) all missed earnings last night. If three of the world's largest companies missed earnings, it does not breed confidence for economic hopes of avoiding a recession. One thing seems certain, the S&P500 is likely to take a hit when the NYSE opens later today.
Don't Fight The FedOn February 1st, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting minutes were released, and the Fed announced a 25bps rate hike. As such, markets started to rally.
An interesting note is that the FOMC meeting minutes and the associated press conference appeared contradictory in nature because there was not a straightforward hawkish or dovish narrative across both. The statement was hawkish. Meanwhile, Fed Chairman Powell’s language in the press conference was remarkably dovish, describing the disinflation process as having started and as “encouraging and gratifying”. This was seen by markets as the signal to continue the recent rally. Precious metals, equities, and risk assets have all seen significant post-meeting relief.
The first innings of a recession always appear to be somewhat of a soft landing in which inflation and growth begin to slow gradually. Yesterday’s meeting echoed the ideas that recent indicators point to a modest increase in spending and that inflation has eased, precisely what the first innings of a recession would predict. As markets shortsightedly adopt the soft landing narrative, the Fed’s lack of pushback against easier financial conditions added fuel to the fire. Given this, it is doubtful that markets will stop rallying unless one of two cases occurs: First if data comes in hot, it potentially frightens the market into thinking the Fed will turn back hawkish and raise rates more than the recently observed 25bps hike. The second scenario is the other extreme. Should data start coming in highly recessionary with lower inflation and weak growth, this will eliminate all believers in the soft landing narrative, thus halting the rally. However, at present, it looks like the market rally of 2023 could continue until either of these scenarios happen. An important thing to note is that whenever inflation has exceeded 5% in the past, it has never come back down without the Federal Funds Rate exceeding the CPI . Considering the Federal Funds Rate is currently at 4.65% and CPI inflation at 6.5%, more rate hikes are on the horizon unless data comes in highly recessionary. CPI data on the 14th will provide significant insight into whether or not the Fed will follow the likes of the European Central Bank & Bank of England and go with a 50bps hike rather than a 25bps hike.
Another important thing to note is that Apple , Amazon , and Alphabet (the parent company of Google ) all missed earnings last night. If three of the world's largest companies missed earnings, it does not breed confidence in the hopes of avoiding a recession. One thing is for sure, the S&P500 will take a hit when the NYSE opens later today.
GBP/USD sliding after dovish BoE hikeThe British pound has posted sharp losses on Thursday and continues to lose ground in the North American session. GBP/USD is trading at 1.2251, down 0.98%.
The major central banks remain the focus of the market's attention. The Bank of England raised rates by 50 basis points, just one day after the Federal Reserve's 25-bp hike. This marked a second straight increase of 50 bp, bringing the cash rate to 4%. As with the Fed decision, the hike was expected, but investors found plenty to cheer about, resulting in the pound reversing course and losing ground.
Governor Bailey said in a follow-up news conference that inflation pressures remained and inflation risks were skewed to the upside. Still, investors found plenty of reasons to be optimistic. Bailey said that inflation had turned a corner and noted that members had removed the word "forcefully" from its forward guidance statement. The BoE is now projecting that inflation will fall to around 4% by the end of the year and that the recession will be shallower than it had anticipated. The less pessimistic outlook for inflation and the economy sent risk appetite higher and pushed the pound lower. The markets were in a good mood after the decision, but there are plenty of problems ahead - inflation is above 10% and some half a million workers went on strike on Wednesday.
The Fed raised rates by 25 basis points as was widely expected. The Fed noted that inflation has eased but reminded listeners that it remained much higher than the 2% target. Jerome Powell signaled that more rate hikes are coming and said he did not expect to cut rates this year. This was essentially a repeat of the hawkish message we've heard before, but the markets chose to focus on Powell saying that the disinflation process had started and that he expected another couple of rate hikes before winding up the current rate-hike cycle. This sent the US dollar broadly lower on Wednesday.
Besides inflation, the Fed is focused on employment data, which will make Friday's nonfarm employment report a key factor in future rate policy. In December, nonfarm payrolls fell from 256,000 to 223,000 and the downturn is expected to continue, with an estimate of 190,000 for January. This release could result in further volatility in the currency markets on Friday.
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CRYPTO CRIPPLED?Bitcoin bounces off $25246.29 which is the new resistance. Btc is down -60.74% since march 21th & I currently see it dropping another 100% in the coming months the way the chart is structured currently.
Rising US yields are applying a visible downside pressure on the pricing of cryptocurrencies. The latter hints that this alternative asset class may not be immune to the rising interest rates and a tighter monetary policy environment globally. We could see the downside pressure building stronger in the medium run, and cause a bit more bleeding as the Fed walks towards concrete tightening.
There is also the fact that higher energy prices make crypto mining more expensive. So that’s also a fundamental reason that prevents Bitcoin from being a safe haven asset in the actual environment.
You Can Have the Cake and Eat it TooCBOT: Treasury Yield Spread 10Y-2YY ( CBOT_MINI:10Y1! CBOT_MINI:2YY1! ), Micro Dow ( CBOT_MINI:MYM1! ), Micro S&P ( CME_MINI:MES1! )
On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve raises its benchmark Fed Funds rate by 25 basis points to a target range of 4.5%-4.75%. The move marked the eighth consecutive hikes that have began in March 2022. The overnight risk-free rate is now at its highest level since October 2007.
Fed Chairman Jerome Powell sends mixed signals in his post-FOMC meeting news conference but appears more dovish comparing to previous speeches.
The Committee thinks that “on-going increases in the target range will be appropriate”. These words send stocks down minutes after the speech begins at 2:30PM.
However, during the Q&A session, when the Fed Chair confirms, for the first time, that “the disinflationary process has started,” the stock market rebounds strongly and finishes in the positive territory for the day.
Other mixed messages:
• Inflation data shows a welcome reduction in the monthly pace of increases;
• It would be “very premature to declare victory or to think we really got this”;
• It’s “possible” that the funds rate could stay lower than 5%;
• Unlikely the Fed would cut rates this year unless inflation comes down more rapidly.
Actions speak louder than words. In two rate-setting meetings, the Fed has slowed the pace from 75 bps to 25 bps. The path is not likely to reverse, and future rate hikes will come down to just two options, either 0 or 25 bps. In my opinion, the terminal rate will end at 5% or 5.25% after the March and May meeting.
In recent months, the “Risk” button has been pressed on for risky assets:
• The Dow is up 19% since October, and the S&P and the Nasdaq are up 17% and 18% for the same period, respectively;
• Gold futures rallies 21% since November, while Bitcoin jumps 58%;
• Tesla and Ark Innovation ETF gain 47% and 33% year-to-date, respectively.
Historically, it’s rare for the stock market to dip two years or more in a row. For the S&P 500, it only happened four times in the last 100 years. The odds favor stock investors in the Year of Rabbits after a brutal double-digit selloff in 2022.
Fed rate hikes and high inflation are like a brake that decelerated the running economy car. Now that the driver’s foot is off the brake, will the economy improve immediately?
Not so fast. We will endure higher costs for months to come. Take the example of food items, once the price goes up, it usually stays up for the year. Sometimes, suppliers resolve to reducing the size of package for the illusion of keeping the same price, a tactic known as “Shrinkflation”. Wages, rent, phone bill, cable TV, utility, homeowner association fees and sales tax also seldom go down. All these point to a sticky inflation. Without massive government stimulus to press the gas pedal, subdued growth is on the horizon.
However, the stock market is forward looking. Investors already see an "invisible foot" on the accelerator and begin buying in the dip. On balance, I’m bullish about risky assets, but would consider protecting my investments carefully.
The inversed yield curve is a proven and tested signal of a potential recession. The 10Y-2Y Treasury yield spread is at -64 bps after the Fed rate decision. The yield spread turned negative last July and stayed below zero in the last seven months.
Major crises could break out unexpectedly, crashing our party. The year-long Russia-Ukraine conflict could intensify, tensions in the Taiwan Strait could escalate, and the US government might not be able to avoid a national debt default.
A Hedged Position on Stock Index Futures
We could consider using the CME Micro E-mini S&P futures to establish a bullish position on the U.S. stock market. The June contract MESM3 is currently quoted at 4177, which is 58 points above the cash index. To protect my position from any adverse market movement, an out-of-the-money put option could be placed at the 3950-strike. If you are more pessimistic, a lower strike of 3840 may be considered.
The benefit of futures over cash index ETFs lies with the leverage. With a smaller margin deposit upfront, investment return could be amplified if the market moves in your favor. The downside is that the loss will also ramp up quickly if the market moves against you.
Put options protect us from any downfall below the strike price. Unlike futures, the maximum loss from a long options position is the premium you have paid upfront. A combination of long futures and long put options is, in theory, limited downside with unlimited upside.
The risk and return tradeoff are asymmetry in this case. As a result, you can have the cake and eat it too!
Happy trading.
Disclaimers
*Trade ideas cited above are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management under the market scenarios being discussed. They shall not be construed as investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services.
CME Real-time Market Data help identify trade set-ups and express my market views. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, check out on CME Group data plans in TradingView that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com