More great stuff from the excellent Damien Boey today: European growth has slowed sharply in recent quarters. In 4Q, GDP expanded by a meagre 0.2%. This followed another meek 0.2% growth reading in 3Q. Year-ended growth has slowed to 1.2% in 2018 from 2.7% in 2017. Compositionally, there are reasons to be concerned as well.
by Chris Becker A little primer first to get you up to date on the mess that is Brexit – from The Economist: Amid the farcical scenes within the Parliament, overnight a hard Brexit – i.e no deal, just get on with it – looks more and more likely. From the ABC: European Union
by Chris Becker ECB President Mario Draghi pushed the Euro off the cliff early this morning AEDST with his post-meeting press conference comments: “The risks surrounding the euro area growth outlook have moved to the downside on account of the persistence of uncertainties related to geopolitical factors and the threat of protectionism, vulnerabilities in emerging markets and
by Chris Becker One of the most closely watched economic prints on the calendar, the monthly German ZEW Survey, was released on Wednesday. The continued Brexit imbroglio is obviously weighing on the dominant European economy, as does Trump’s Jacksonian trade policies which has seen the “current condition” factor flop to a new four year low,
by Chris Becker The Brexit parliamentary vote has come and gone overnight and it’s bad news for Theresa May. From the BBC: Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal has been rejected by 230 votes – the largest defeat for a sitting government in history. MPs voted by 432 votes to 202 to reject the deal,
by Chris Becker Well it’s a red letter day for the UK as Parliament votes on PM Theresa May’s Brexit deal tonight, AEDT time. The fear, doubt and uncertainty (FUD) brigades are out in force while the continent goes from a Gallic shrug to a stern Prussian frown over the fracas. From the BBC: Theresa
by Chris Becker As we grind ever closer to the end of March, the no-deal/deal imbroglio within the UK Parliament over Brexit is devolving, with even Japanese PM Shinzo Abe putting his two bits in: The World does not want a no-deal Brexit, the Japanese Prime Minister said as he gave his “total support” to Theresa
by Chris Becker Overshadowed by the ongoing US-China trade talks, Brexit shenigans and the Trump wall “crisis”, there’s real reason to be concerned for the global trade machine with the latest German industrial production numbers overnight shocking everyone: From FT: Fears of a prolonged slowdown in the eurozone grew on Tuesday after a sharp fall
by Chris Becker At the end of March this year, or in less than 90 days, the UK is set to leave the European Union. The EU and UK’s Prime Minister Theresa May have struck a deal, but it needs to be voted on in Parliament before such a deal is ratified. The exit from
Via Bloomie: The U.S. dollar may be poised to decline, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Comments from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Friday boosted the chances that the central bank will pause interest-rate increases, strategists at Goldman wrote in a note Saturday. Powell cited the events of 2016, when rates were kept unchanged through
Via Westpac: At the December ECB meeting, the Governing Council confirmed the end of net asset purchases and repeated the forward guidance that key policy rates will remain on hold “at least through the summer of 2019, and in any case for as long as necessary”. In addition, they gave forward guidance on their reinvestment
Via Capital Economics: While US readers were settling in for Thanksgiving dinners, those of us on the other side of the pond were left to pick over the remains of a Brexit deal that looks dead on arrival. Our UK economists have covered the various twists and turns in detail and copies of the various
Via The Australian comes more unsettling revelations about Dan Andrews’ China foray: A staffer in Daniel Andrews’s office has been linked to China’s United Front organisation, which co-ordinates Beijing’s overseas influence operations, amid growing criticism of the Victoria Premier’s decision to sign up to Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative. The Australian can reveal Mr Andrews’s adviser
Via Mark Cudmore at Bloomie: If Italy is going to avoid a full-blown euro zone debt crisis that’s capable of causing turmoil in global financial markets, communication will be key. Much of the investor complacency toward the threat from Italy’s debt crisis is the fallacy that worse scenarios have been survived elsewhere before. Let’s be
by Chris Becker A hallmark of NATO, the European Union and US foreign policy in Europe has been about containing the economic and political behemoth of Germany whilst defending the Western half of the continent from external threats. In the post WW2 era this has worked, save for the creation of the Euro which effectively
Elliot Clarke at Westpac: In July, President Draghi held closely to the tone and narrative conveyed at the June meeting. Of note in the press conference were a number of key points on: the path for policy; the consequence for the Euro; and the need for fiscal authorities to aid the economy, the latter representing
Via the FT: Horst Seehofer, the German interior minister, has set Angela Merkel an ultimatum, saying he would resign unless the chancellor acceded to his demands for tougher controls on the German border. It was the latest development in a conflict that could threatens to shatter the alliance between Mr Seehofer’s Bavarian CSU party and
DXY ground higher last night as EUR fell: AUD managed a weak bounce against DMs: And EMs: The yuan free fall is rapidly assuming epic proportions: Gold is in trouble: WTI is on fire: Base metals are worrying. Copper is testing crucial support: EM stocks managed a very unconvincing bounce: Same with EM junk: Treasuries
And I’m not talking about soccer, via the FT: Italy’s new populist government demanded the EU rip up its system for dealing with migrants at a mini-summit in Brussels on Sunday that laid bare divisions in the bloc over migration policy and piled pressure on German chancellor Angela Merkel. Dubbed the “summit to save Merkel”,
Via FTAlphaville: Following a turbulent week a fortnight ago, markets have calmed and were further assuaged by new finance minister, Giovanni Tria, saying on Sunday that “we are not discussing any proposal to exit the euro. The government is determined to avoid the materialisation of market conditions that push us towards an exit in any way.” However
Oh yes, from Elliot Clarke at Westpac: The past week has, yet again, emphasised the fragile nature of European politics and the Continent’s growth narrative. While the jolt higher in Italian yields was dramatic, this is really only a sideshow to the real issue: the continued absence of governments capable of reform, and the difficulties
Markets! EUR soared last night: AUD too: EMs not so much: Gold ignored it all: Oil rebounded, helped by a US gulf hurricane: Base metals yawned: Big miners recovered some: EM stocks too: Junk held on: Treasuries got flogged: And bunds: Everyone loves Italian debt: And US stocks soared though Europe is unconvinced: What changed?
Via Damien Boey at Credit Suisse: Pandemonium in bond markets Overnight, Italian political deadlock caused: 1. US 10-year yields to fall by 15bps to 2.78%, and German 10-year yields to fall by 8.4bps to 0.26%. US yields are at their lowest since April this year, while German yields are at their lowest since mid-2017. 2. Italian spreads
Via Damien Boey at Credit Suisse: More chaos in Italian politics and bond markets Italy’s prime minister-designate Conte has given up on his mandate to form a populist coalition government after talks with President Mattarella collapsed. The likelihood is that fresh elections will need to be held later this year. In response to the news,
EUR sank Friday night and DXY hit new highs: Hilariously, the market remains spectacularly long EUR meaning much more selling pressure ahead: AUD was soft against the tearaway USD: But not as soft as EMs: AUD CFTC shorts pulled back a touch to -23k: Gold held on and may have found a friend in Italexit:
Via Damien Boey at Credit Suisse: Europe is slowing Recent European data have surprised materially to the downside. For example, German industrial production and retail sales likely shrunk by around 0.9-1% in 1Q, after growing very strongly in 2017. Also, sentiment indicators have fallen sharply off historically high levels. We are not surprised by these
Here’s the chart to lead us off: That’s what a tearaway currency will do to you. Now other components of European boomlet are on the turn, via Westpac: With the benefit of hindsight, we believe that 2017 will be seen as this cycle’s peak year for Euro Area growth. Against the 2.5% year-average outcome for
Via Westpac: ECB President Draghi and the Governing Council were both subtle and direct in March, both with respect to their own economy and evolving global conditions. Beginning first with the Euro Area, having repeatedly revised up their growth expectations, the Governing Council took their first official step towards tightening policy by dropping the reference
Last night DXY copped it: AUD was strong against all DMs, in part owing to the North Korean thaw: It was mixed against EMs: Gold jumped: Brent was stable: Base metals firmed: Big miners lifted: EM stocks too: And junk: Treasuries sold: And bunds: Stocks firmed: It’s all about Europe today and none of it
The polls are not kind to Italian support for the EURO: However, Scope Ratings is sanguine: An important concern of many market participants is the euro exit debate in Italy, pushed by the platforms of euro-sceptic groups like M5S and Lega. According to a Eurobarometer poll released in November, only 34% of Italians said they
