Making Sense

With my view over the last week on reversal in USD index, it was frustrating to see the moves not playing out on the Dollar Index. Geopolitical Risks were underpriced and Chinese Stimulus (both monetary and fiscal) ahead of the Golden week kept pushing asset prices higher and AUD was the clear beneficiary. Japan Election results also jolted the USDJPY due to PM Ishiba hawkish leanings. For most of the currencies and bond yields, we went no where and closed the week in the middle of the week's range. I could not complete the post yesterday so writing today.  Let's do a quick snapshot of the Economic Data releases this past week. Atlanta Fed GDP is now trending at 3.10% for Q3 and Fed Funds Pricing show an 82% probability of 200 bps of rate cuts i.e. 2.75% - 3.00% by Oct 2025. As of Friday's close, Markets are pricing in a 92% probability of 75 bps cuts by Dec 2024 but are largely seen divided b/w a 25 bps or a 50 bps cut in the next policy. An important thing to note is t...

“Every once in a while, an up-or-down-leg goes on for a long time and/or to a great extreme and people start to say "this time it's different." They cite the changes in geopolitics, institutions, technology or behaviour that have rendered the "old rules" obsolete. They make investment decisions that extrapolate the recent trend. And then it turns out that the old rules still apply and the cycle resumes. In the end, trees don't grow to the sky, and few things go to zero.” ~ Howard Marks Bonds continued to rally this week with yields on US2s printing a high and low range of 3.71% - 3.55% to close the week at 3.584% and US10s printing a high and low range of 3.76% - 3.6050% to close the week at 3.655%. I highlighted in my blogpost on Aug 31, the triangle breakout target at 15.50 bps on US2s10s. We dipped to -0.004% on the CPI release and closed the week at 0.0710%. On Crude Oil prices we dipped to lows of $ 68.71 but closed the week higher at $ 72.09. ECB annou...

 In this Second Part, we look at the economic data prints: A Benign CPI reading - mom inflation at 0.15% mom and Core print at 0.17% mom. Core goods disinflation continued with mom at -0.32% with 3m annualized rate at -1.93%. Core Services Inflation rose at 0.31% mom which is at pace higher than the average 0.18% mom in the prior 2 months. Super Core Services also rose at a mild 0.14% mom. The respite in Shelter inflation seen in June appears short lived with prices rising at 0.38% mom in July. There has also been a talk around re-acceleration in inflation as mild prints in the second half of 2023 weigh on the readings going forward. Fed members have also highlighted that the  Inflation progress last year benefited from supply-side improvements like eased supply chains, increased labor force participation, and lower energy prices.  However, these factors may not continue to reduce inflation, as supply chains have normalized, labor force participation has stabilized, and i...

One of my favorite poem is by Kahlil Gibran and thought I'd share a couple of lines with you all...  Do not live half a life  and do not die a half death If you accept, then express it bluntly,  Do not mask it If you refuse then be clear about it for an ambiguous refusal is but a weak acceptance Do not accept half a solution,  Do not believe half truths,  Do not dream half a dream,  Do not fantasize about half hopes To reach and not arrive, Work and not work The half is a mere moment of inability, but you are able for you are not half a being You are a whole that exists to live a life not half a life” On that note, quick weekly roundup for the US markets below: The Fed Fund Futures are pricing in 88% probability of a rate cut by September Policy.  The Atlanta FED GDPNow Estimates for Q3 growth readings are running at 2.8%. The Cleveland Fed estimates for Core CPI and Core PCE are running at 0.27% and 0.22% respectively mom.  In the last blog piece...

Over the week, US2s found support at the 4.75% level and US10s found support ahead of the 4.35% level.  U.S Monetary policy is in a restrictive territory and Fed projections show 75 bps of rate cuts into 2024. Stickiness of Inflation and reaching the last mile of inflation is a dominant concern for the Federal Reserve and the same has resonated in the Fed Speak. Fed's Barkin commented "I am in no hurry to cut rates" as echoes by Fed Williams and Fed Bostic.  However, the market paused repricing Fed Fund Rates over 2024 as the pricing largely converged with the Fed Projections.   USD index languished between the 103.60 and 104.25 levels. Fed Fund pricing for rate cuts into 2024 largely hovered around the 80 bps mark over the week before slipping to 92 bps post the ISM Mfg Release with 25 bps of rate cuts fully priced into the June meeting.  Yields High Low Close WoW ▲ Weekly Range US 2Y ...

For India, WPI rose 0.27% mom with Food masking the otherwise deceleration in prices of non food article / Fuel and Power / Manufactured Products. System Liquidity Deficit stood at Inr 224K crore and WACR traded at 6.69%.  The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India met with senior management from Public and Private Sector Banks, emphasizing vigilance in areas such as risk management, customer protection, and financial stability. Yield on IN10s opened lower at 7.10% after the 7.14% peak seen yesterday.  US yields pulled back sharply which could be attributed to the Fed Speakers dovish tone / lower Dec PPI revision and expectations of a softer PCE reading. S&P lifted off lows to close 0.90% higher on the day. The market is currently pricing in 97 bps of rate cuts into 2024.  Yields High Low Close DoD ▲ US 2Y          4.67      ...