Heading into tonight’s US non-farm payroll (monthly unemployment) print, Asian stock markets have put on another strong finish to the week as risk sentiment goes back to its excessive highs following an all too brief pause. Non USD currencies are doing well before the report with gold the only undollar not to make any meaningful
By Chris Becker Risk markets finally returned to some semblance of sanity overnight, with stock markets pausing and eventually retreating slightly from their orgiastic excess all week. Meanwhile risk currencies continued to new highs as the USD weakened further, while bond yields also rose in the wake of the ECB increased its asset purchase program
Stock markets are yet to take a breather after a week of excess with only Chinese markets pulling back ever so slightly. Risk sentiment remains well above macro reality going into tonights ECB meeting with most currencies slipping against USD except gold which has recovered slightly to just above $1700USD per ounce. In mainland China,
By Chris Becker Risk markets continue to transmit the message that the pandemic is completely over, business is back as usual, that there are no macro structural issues at all and earnings are going to be tremendous! European markets surged despite record low contractions in service PMIs overnight as unemployment numbers stabilised, while in the
Stock markets are inflating fast as the lack of any connect with reality and a weaker USD sends them careening back to their overvalued pre-COVID19 valuations. The technical recession in Australia was celebrated with the Aussie dollar almost reaching its start of year high while Brent futures shot through the $40 level on more OPEC+
By Chris Becker You can beat protestors, but you can’t beat exuberant sentiment across risk markets overnight with European stocks surging to new highs while Wall Street finished with a flourish despite traders having to drive their Maseratis through broken glass to get to work. The Aussie dollar again outperformed against all the major currencies,
Stock markets are once again oblivious to real world macro settings as the Dictator-in-Chief sends the USD plummeting against major currencies at a similar rate of decline of the US standing in the world. The RBA maintained its historically low interest rates, not going negative as many economists are pushing locally, while Bitcoin breached the
By Chris Becker Stock markets continue to diverge from economic reality with Wall Street lifting higher despite rising civil unrest and growing tensions with China over Hong Kong and other trade disputes. The latest ISM manufacturing survey had some glimmer of hope within but still showed extremely weak conditions across the US as unemployment ravages
A modest start to the week as Chinese equity markets react to the wet lettuce rhetoric from Trump on China’s boot on Hong Kong’s neck as most capital cities in the US burn, which should send housewares/DIY/retail stocks up when Wall Street opens later tonight. The USD is falling sharply, particularly against the Aussie dollar,
By Chris Becker Action on markets on Friday night was centered around the US reaction to the Chinese boot on the neck on Hong Kong, with Trump unable to enact anything but hot air in response which calmed stocks on Wall Street somewhat even though the headline Dow fell slightly. The weekend race riots across
A flat end to the week as the window dressing month end meme takes place across risk assets with most stock markets pulling back here in Asia. Besides the usual end of month reshuffle, risk is still waiting Trump’s policy announcement on China, but it seems he’s too busy having a dummy spit about Twitter
By Chris Becker The risk edifice continues to push higher, helped along by a reduction in continuing jobless claims in the US even though all the other economic markers show the world’s biggest economy in a deepening recession. Wall Street stumbled at the finish due to some Trump remarks with US Treasury yields rising slightly,
A busy day in Asia with lots of economic reports confirming the impact the coronavirus is having on world economies, with the RBA all but ruling out negative interest rates as the local appetite for capital expenditure falls sharply. Despite the economic reality, the unrelated share market rally’s continue across the region, save for embattled
A mixed mood in Asia despite the orgy of buying still going on in the northern hemisphere with only Japanese stocks advancing on the whiff of more stimulus measures. Meanwhile the Chinese Yuan hit a new low versus USD again, with offshore trading pushing through the 7.17 handle as other majors kept firm against USD
By Chris Becker The return of Wall Street sent risk sentiment higher overnight as stock markets continued their push to return back to normal overinflated bubble like status before the COVID-19 pandemic. The USD took a big hit against the majors with Pound Sterling back to a two week high and the Australian dollar pushing
A solid up day here in Asia despite the lack of a lead from US and UK markets with a sea of green across stock markets. The USD is weakening against all the majors, save Yen, with gold still asleep on the sidelines. In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite closed 1% higher to 2846 points,
By Chris Becker Even a closed Wall Street couldn’t keep the bulls away overnight with European markets surging as the prospect of more economies opening up post-COVID19 overshadowed any concerns over the Chinese/US tensions. Currency and bonds were relatively stable, although gold lost further ground while industrial commodities lifted with oil prices hitting another new
Despite the rising tensions with China and the West over Hong Kong and the and a long weekend for US markets, risk is going all in again in Asia, starting the week with a flourish outside of the Middle Kingdom. In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite is off a handful of points, still hovering above
By Chris Becker The Trading Week ended with a whimper on Friday night on Wall Street as tensions over the US/China relationship continued to simmer over as the rhetoric ramped up going into the CCP’s national congress. Meanwhile, the long weekend caused many traders to pare their positions with US stocks ending mixed, and Treasuries
It looks like the risk complex has had enough of buying, with all stock markets coming up against resistance and unable to push through, the catalyst today being the Chinese revision in official GDP growth targets, coupled with the clear death of freedom in Hong Kong. The USD continues to firm against all the majors
By Chris Becker Risk sentiment just can’t seem to get above the current elevated levels on stock markets around the world and are snaring back to reality everytime a macro issue raises its head. US stocks fell back nearly 1% overnight on US/China tensions and the rising coronavirus case load, with the USD reasserting itself
Stocks are slipping again, coming up against significant buying resistance as other risk assets like oil are still flying ahead as caution spreads across Asia. Gold also fell back as the USD strengthened against all the major currencies, with the Aussie also back to its prebreakout high. In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite is selling
By Chris Becker Risk markets re-engaged the buy levers again with the release of the latest FOMC minutes providing a catalyst for further advances, Wall Street lifting nearly 2% while other risk assets like the Australian dollar and oil rose in kind with industrial metals mixed. Treasury yields fell back to historic lows again while
Stocks were all over the place today, initially starting out rough with gap downs across the region before most recovered in late trading on optimism that Wall Street will pull the rest of the risk edifice along. Gold nudged higher for a new daily high towards $1750USD per ounce while the Aussie dollar was largely
By Chris Becker A hiccup in risk taking overnight as stock traders read the fineprint attached to the new vaccine news, coupled with steeper than expected declines in a variety of economic reports, namely housing starts, European unemployment and the closely watched German ZEW survey. Gold held on while other major currencies fell back slightly
The pandemic crisis is over:buy stocks! That’s the message from risk markets across the world at the moment, as stocks breakout of their holding patterns and all the short positions are wound back, while rational investors remain on the sidelines. In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite is up nearly 1% to be one or two
By Chris Becker Here comes the breakout and the second phase in the relief rally as risk markets go ga-ga over a potential vaccine for the coronavirus, while lapping up all the central bank “we will throw the kitchen sink at risk assets” mantra that continues to be rolled out by all and sundry. The
A solid start to risk taking here in Asia with the usual Monday morning gaps absorbed with aplomb, especially viz currencies as investors look towards the Powell Put over the weekend, as the US Federal Reserve turns Japanese. In mainland China, the Shanghai Composite is up over 0.5% to start the week almost reaching 2900
By Chris Becker Friday night saw a relatively good end to a hectic week across risk markets with European stocks playing catchup while Wall Street lifted slightly, its optimism about economic life opening contained somewhat by the growing China/US trade dispute, nevermind the pandemic issues. Gold continued its significant breakout as all central banks seem
A somewhat mixed day here in Asia with Chinese shares pulling back on the brouhaha developing between The Middle Kingdom and the Flailing Empire as Trump again ramps up the rhetoric on trade and other measures. The USD is strengthening somewhat going into the European open while gold continues to advance after its breakout last
