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EUR CAD - FUNDAMENTAL DRIVERSEUR FUNDAMENTAL OUTLOOK: NEUTRAL BASELINE The EUR has had a bumpy ride over the past few months. At the onset of the war in Ukraine the EUR tumbled across the board. However, in recent weeks, the persistently high inflation has seen the ECB take a more hawkish turn with the bank confirming at least a 25bsp hike for July and possibility of a 50bsp hikes in September. Despite the hawkish policy shift, the concerns over fragmentation in bond spreads like the BTP\Bund spread as well as fears of growing stagflation risks has seen the EUR struggled to hold onto any real momentum. The ECB did try to comfort spread concerns this past week with an ad-hoc meeting and decided to use PEPP reinvestments as a way to calm fragmentation. This was not enough to calm concerns though as reinvestment would amount to only 20 billion Euros per month. However, the bank’s decision was enough to push the BTP\Bund down 50bsp, and if that trend continues lower should be supportive for the EUR. The bank did back up their attempts at calming fragmentation fears after their ad-hoc meeting by saying they are looking at introducing an additional ‘tool’ as quick as possible, so markets will be focused on any insights into what that might be. POSSIBLE BULLISH SURPRISES Geopolitics remains a focus for the EUR, where any possible de-escalation or cease fire in the Ukraine war would open up a lot of appreciation for the EUR. Stagflation fears are high right now for the Eurozone, with growth expected to slow while inflation stays persistently high. However, a lot of bad news has already been priced in for the EUR, which means any materially better-than-expected growth data could spark some upside for the single currency. ECB Lagarde testifies before the EU’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs this upcoming week. If Lagarde talks up even more aggressive policy or offers enough conviction that they will handle any spikes in BTP\Bund spreads could trigger some bullish reactions in the EUR. POSSIBLE BEARISH SURPRISES Fragmentation risks in spreads will remain a hot topic next week, and if ECB’s Lagarde fails to calm market’s fears or if she walks back on some of the hawkish takes for rates following their recent meeting (to help spreads) it could trigger bearish reactions in the EUR. Just like the EUR’s weighting in the DXY is an upside risk for the currency, the weighting is also a potential downside risk. Any potential catalysts that spark short-term upside in the Dollar (upside in yields, risk off sentiment, very hawkish rhetoric from Fed officials) can trigger upside in the USD and weigh on EUR. As growth is a concern in the Eurozone the incoming flash PMIs will be watched closely, and any bigger-than-expected contraction in PMIs could trigger bearish reactions in the EUR. BIGGER PICTURE The fundamental outlook for the EUR remains neutral right now as we have positive and negative forces impacting the currency. On the negative side we have geopolitics, stagflation and spread fragmentation acting as negative drivers. But we also have hawkish ECB policy and better-than-expected recent growth data as supportive drivers. Thus, the best course of action with the EUR right now is taking short-term plays which are driven by clear short-term bearish or bullish catalysts. CAD FUNDAMENTAL OUTLOOK: NEUTRAL BASELINE The CAD has enjoyed far more upside in the past few weeks than we anticipated. We’ve been cautious on the currency given Canada’s dependency on the US (>70% of exports) where the clear signs of a faster than expected slowdown and possible recession should deteriorate the growth outlook for Canada. Apart from that, the risks to the Canadian housing market can negatively impact consumer spending as interest rates rise higher at aggressive speed. Potentially damaging the wealth effect created by the rapid rise in house prices since covid. However, despite the risks to the economy and the outlook, markets still price in a very favourable growth environment for Canada, also supported by a big push higher in terms of trade due to the rise in commodity prices. Furthermore, despite clear warning signals, the BoC has chosen to ignore the negatives and has stayed surprisingly optimistic and hawkish. We’ve missed most of the move higher in the CAD as our bias has kept us cautious, but the risks are still present and with the currency close to 9-year highs (at the index level) we have very little appetite for chasing it higher from here and will be actively looking for opportunities to trade the CAD lower with the right type of bearish catalyst. POSSIBLE BULLISH SURPRISES As an oil exporter, oil prices are important for CAD. Catalyst that sees further upside Oil (deteriorating supply outlook, ease in demand fears) could trigger bullish CAD reactions. The correlation has been hit and miss in recent weeks though. As a risk sensitive currency, and catalyst that causes big bouts of risk on sentiment could trigger bullish reactions in the CAD. With more market participants noticing cracks in the housing markets, a very solid House Price Index print could ease some of those concerns and provide some upside. Even though a lot of tightening has been priced in for the BoC , a big enough surprise in CPI that triggers further hike expectations could provide some short-term support. POSSIBLE BEARISH SURPRISES As an oil exporter, oil prices are important for CAD. Any catalyst that triggers meaningful downside in oil (deteriorating demand outlook, ease in supply shortage, less supply constraints) could be a negative catalyst for the CAD as well. As a risk sensitive currency, and catalyst that causes big bouts of risk off sentiment could trigger bearish reactions in the CAD. Since a lot of policy tightening has been priced into STIR markets, any negative catalysts that triggers less hawkish BoC expectations (faster deceleration in growth or inflation ) could trigger outsized downside for the CAD. In recent communication, Governor Macklem started to mention some hiccups in housing. A big miss in the House Price index could trigger more speculation of a less hawkish bank and could trigger some downside for the CAD. BIGGER PICTURE The bigger picture outlook for the CAD remains neutral for now. Given the clear risks to the growth outlook due to the slowdown in the US, as well as rising risks to the consumer and the housing market, we remain cautious on the currency, even though it’s move much higher than we anticipated. With a lot of upside priced into the CAD and Canadian yields, our preferred way of trading the CAD would be to look for short-term negative catalysts to trade the CAD lower instead of chasing it higher.
by thunderpips
AUD CAD - FUNDAMENTAL DRIVERSAUD FUNDAMENTAL OUTLOOK: WEAK BULLISH BASELINE Despite a decent recovery from the start of the year, the AUD has struggled in the midst underlying negative risk sentiment, but the bigger short-term negative driver has been China’s covid struggles. China’s economy is always a key focus point for the AUD. While all major economies are expected to slow this year, China (which has been slowing for the past 18 months) is expected to recover (monetary and fiscal policy is at a big divergence between China and the rest of the world). This expected recovery in China has been a key positive driver for the AUD. As long as China’s recovery expectations remain alive, that should continue to support the Australian economy as it means further support for key commodity exports like Iron Ore, Coal and LNG. There was some news out this past week that China is looking to set up a centralized iron ore buyer to counter Australia’s dominance. Iron Ore has not taken this news well and will be an important one to watch as Iron Ore is Australia’s top export and 80% of it goes to China. The RBA finally woken up from their slumber and starting their hiking cycle fairly aggressively is also supportive for the AUD. The short-term problem to the current bullish bias for the AUD is the continued covid dilemma facing China right now. As long as the covid situation stays bleak, and China continues to lock down parts of the country due to their draconian covid-zero policy, the AUD might struggle to take advantage of the other positive drivers and makes it more sensitive to underlying risk. POSSIBLE BULLISH SURPRISES Positive Covid developments in China (easing restrictions, more fiscal or monetary stimulus, or letting go of the covidzero policy) could trigger bullish reactions in the AUD. As a risk sensitive currency, and catalyst that causes big bouts of risk on sentiment could trigger bullish reactions in the AUD. With the RBA just getting started with their hiking cycle, there is scope for them to turn more aggressive, and any catalyst that triggers higher hike expectations (RBA speak, inflation and wage data) could trigger a bullish response from the AUD. Any catalyst that triggers further upside in Australia’s key commodity exports (China stimulus, lifting covid restrictions, new infrastructure projects in China, higher inflation fears) should be supportive for the AUD. POSSIBLE BEARISH SURPRISES Negative Covid developments in China (increasing restrictions or adding additional ones) could trigger bearish reactions in the AUD. As a risk sensitive currency, and catalyst that causes big bouts of risk offsentiment could trigger bearish reactions in the AUD. Any catalyst that triggers downside in Australia’s key commodity exports (additional China restrictions, demand destruction fears, and additional news on recent centralized iron ore buyers) could be negative for the AUD. With the RBA just recently shifting policy and hitting the ground running on hikes, there is more room for them to get more aggressive, but of course any RBA speak or info in upcoming meetings that talks down aggressive hikes could still be a short-term negative for the AUD. BIGGER PICTURE The bigger picture outlook for the AUD remains positive for now, but that is largely dependent on what happens to China. The short-term covid issues have pushed back but not removed recovery expectations, but until the covid fog clears and the Chinese economy shows recovery signs, the AUD might struggle to maintain upside short-term momentum. CAD FUNDAMENTAL OUTLOOK: NEUTRAL BASELINE The CAD has enjoyed far more upside in the past few weeks than we anticipated. We’ve been cautious on the currency given Canada’s dependency on the US (>70% of exports) where the clear signs of a faster than expected slowdown and possible recession should deteriorate the growth outlook for Canada. Apart from that, the risks to the Canadian housing market can negatively impact consumer spending as interest rates rise higher at aggressive speed. Potentially damaging the wealth effect created by the rapid rise in house prices since covid. However, despite the risks to the economy and the outlook, markets still price in a very favourable growth environment for Canada, also supported by a big push higher in terms of trade due to the rise in commodity prices. Furthermore, despite clear warning signals, the BoC has chosen to ignore the negatives and has stayed surprisingly optimistic and hawkish. We’ve missed most of the move higher in the CAD as our bias has kept us cautious, but the risks are still present and with the currency close to 9-year highs (at the index level) we have very little appetite for chasing it higher from here and will be actively looking for opportunities to trade the CAD lower with the right type of bearish catalyst. POSSIBLE BULLISH SURPRISES As an oil exporter, oil prices are important for CAD. Catalyst that sees further upside Oil (deteriorating supply outlook, ease in demand fears) could trigger bullish CAD reactions. The correlation has been hit and miss in recent weeks though. As a risk sensitive currency, and catalyst that causes big bouts of risk on sentiment could trigger bullish reactions in the CAD. With more market participants noticing cracks in the housing markets, a very solid House Price Index print could ease some of those concerns and provide some upside. Even though a lot of tightening has been priced in for the BoC, a big enough surprise in CPI that triggers further hike expectations could provide some short-term support. POSSIBLE BEARISH SURPRISES As an oil exporter, oil prices are important for CAD. Any catalyst that triggers meaningful downside in oil (deteriorating demand outlook, ease in supply shortage, less supply constraints) could be a negative catalyst for the CAD as well. As a risk sensitive currency, and catalyst that causes big bouts of risk off sentiment could trigger bearish reactions in the CAD. Since a lot of policy tightening has been priced into STIR markets, any negative catalysts that triggers less hawkish BoC expectations (faster deceleration in growth or inflation) could trigger outsized downside for the CAD. In recent communication, Governor Macklem started to mention some hiccups in housing. A big miss in the House Price index could trigger more speculation of a less hawkish bank and could trigger some downside for the CAD. BIGGER PICTURE The bigger picture outlook for the CAD remains neutral for now. Given the clear risks to the growth outlook due to the slowdown in the US, as well as rising risks to the consumer and the housing market, we remain cautious on the currency, even though it’s move much higher than we anticipated. With a lot of upside priced into the CAD and Canadian yields, our preferred way of trading the CAD would be to look for short-term negative catalysts to trade the CAD lower instead of chasing it higher.
by thunderpips
3
NZDCAD Buy upon a pull-back, target the 1D MA200The NZDCAD pair has been trading on a Channel Down within a Bearish Megaphone pattern. Right now the price is testing the 1D MA50 (blue trend-line) as a Resistance and is struggling, trading below it since April 13. Both the 1D RSI and the candle action resembles the sequence at the start of the Megaphone, which after one last pull-back upon rejection on the 1D MA50, it rebounded to the Lower Highs. As a result, we will be waiting for one last opportunity to buy near the bottom of the Channel and target its top or the 1D MA200 (orange trend-line) should it come first. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Please support this idea with your likes and comments, it is the best way to keep it relevant and support me. ** --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
by TradingShot
6
CAD JPY - FUNDAMENTAL DRIVERSCAD FUNDAMENTAL OUTLOOK: NEUTRAL The CAD has enjoyed far more upside in the past few weeks than we anticipated. We’ve been cautious on the currency given Canada’s dependency on the US (>70% of exports) where the clear signs of a faster than expected slowdown in the US should have deteriorated the growth outlook for Canada. Apart from that, the risks to the Canadian housing market risks to negatively impact consumer spending as interest rates rise higher at aggressive speed, potentially damaging the wealth effect created by the rapid rise in house prices since covid. However, despite the risks to economy and the risks to the outlook, markets still price in a very favourable growth environment for Canada, also supported by a big push higher in terms of trade due to the rise in commodity prices. Furthermore, despite clear warning signals, the BoC has chosen to ignore the negatives and has stayed surprisingly positive and hawkish. We’ve miss most of the move higher in the currency as we’ve been cautious in our bias, but the risks are still present and with the currency at 9-year highs (at the index level) we have very little appetite for chasing it higher from here. POSSIBLE HAWKISH SURPRISES As an oil exporter, oil prices are important for CAD. Catalyst that sees further upside Oil (deteriorating supply outlook, ease in demand fears) could trigger bullish CAD reactions. The correlation has been hit and miss in recent weeks though. As a risk sensitive currency, and catalyst that causes big bouts of risk on sentiment could trigger bullish reactions in the CAD. POSSIBLE DOVISH SURPRISES As an oil exporter, oil prices are important for CAD. Catalyst that sees further upside Oil (deteriorating supply outlook, ease in demand fears) could trigger bullish CAD reactions. The correlation has been hit and miss in recent weeks though. As a risk sensitive currency, and catalyst that causes big bouts of risk off sentiment could trigger bearish reactions in the CAD. Since a lot of policy tightening has been priced into STIR markets, any negative catalysts that triggers less hawkish BoC expectations (faster deceleration in growth or inflation ) could trigger outsized downside for the CAD. BIGGER PICTURE The bigger picture outlook for the CAD remains neutral for now. Given the clear risks to the growth outlook due to the slowdown in the US, as well as rising risks to the consumer and the housing market, we remain cautious on the currency, even though it’s move much higher than we anticipated. With a lot of upside priced into the CAD and Canadian yields, our preferred way of trading the CAD would be to look for short-term negative catalysts to trade the CAD lower instead of chasing it higher. JPY FUNDAMENTAL OUTLOOK: BEARISH The Yen has fallen off the proverbial cliff over the past few months, driven by very negative fundamentals. Yield differentials has by far had the biggest negative impact . With other major central banks starting aggressive hiking cycles, it has lifted yields quite dramatically, compared to the BoJ which has stubbornly kept their yields capped through continued Yield Curve Control. The inverse correlation to US10Y is usually important but has taken centre stage in recent months as the biggest driver of the JPY. Even though the JPY is considered a safe haven, the inflows has been more limited compared to other cycles. The main reason for that is that the bank’s current account surplus (a main reason for safe haven appeal) has deteriorated and expected to continue to deteriorate due to the rise in commodity prices. Japan imports over 90% of their energy commodities , so the continued rise in oil prices has added to the downside and also eroded some of the classic safe haven appeal. Monetary policy is the other negative driver. Despite inflation starting to push higher in Japan, and despite the lessons from other central banks now struggling with inflation last seen since the 70’s, and despite the market’s relentless attempts at testing the JGB 10-year yield cap at 0.25%, the bank has stayed stubbornly dovish. At this stage the bank is playing a very dangerous game by allowing the JPY to weaken, further adding to inflationary risks. Their dovish persistence remains a negative for the JPY. The BoJ and MoF’s reluctance to intervene to stop the rapid and violent depreciation in the JPY has been noticeable. As long as they just voice their dislike but fail to act and actually do something, the market will keep testing them and shorting the JPY. POSSIBLE HAWKISH SURPRISES Any catalysts that trigger meaningful downside in US10Y (less hawkish Fed, faster deceleration in US CPI , faster deceleration in US growth) or triggers meaningful bouts of risk off sentiment could trigger bullish reactions from the JPY. Any catalyst that triggers meaningful downside in key commodities like Oil (deteriorating demand outlook, ease in supply shortage) could trigger bullish JPY reactions. Monetary policy is stubbornly dovish. Any catalyst that triggers speculation that the BoJ would drop YCC or hike rates or both (big upside surprises in inflation ) could trigger a big recovery in the JPY, especially with stretched short positioning. Any intervention from the BoJ or MoF to stop JPY depreciation (buying the JPY or giving firm and clear lines in the sand for USDJPY ) could offer decent reprieve for the JPY. POSSIBLE DOVISH SURPRISES With yield differentials playing such a huge role for the JPY, any catalysts that push US10Y higher (more aggressive Fed, further acceleration in US CPI , better-than-expected US growth data) could trigger further bearish price action for the JPY. Any catalyst that creates further upside in oil prices (further supply concerns, geopolitical tensions) poses downside risks for Japan’s current account surplus and could trigger further bearish reactions in the JPY. Further reluctance from the BoJ and MoF to address the concerning depreciation in the JPY is a continued negative driver for the JPY to keep on the radar. BIGGER PICTURE The bigger picture looks bleak for the JPY right now, and as long as US10Y gain ground and as long as the BoJ stays unnecessarily dovish and as long as the BoJ and MoF does nothing to address JPY weakness, the bias remains lower. However, given stretched tactical and CFTC positioning, and given growth concerns in the US, we don’t want to chase the JPY lower from here.
by thunderpips
1
AUD CAD - FUNDAMENTAL DRIVERSAUD FUNDAMENTAL OUTLOOK: WEAK BULLISH After a tumultuous ride in 2021, the AUD has seen a decent recovery so far this year. The geopolitical tensions in Europe gave the commodity dependent currency a boost as commodity prices surged and seeing record highs for Australian terms of trade. Apart from that, China’s economy has been a key focus point for the AUD. With China having a very different cyclical outlook compared to other major economies, that has been a key positive driver for the AUD. While all major economies are expected to slow this year, China (which has been slowing for the past 18 months) is expected to recover (monetary and fiscal policy is at a big divergence between China and the rest of the world). Thus, as long as China’s recovery expectations remain alive, that should continue to support the Australian economy as it means further support for key commodity exports like Iron Ore, Coal and LNG. The fact that the RBA has finally woken up from their slumber and started their hiking cycle fairly aggressively is also supportive for the AUD. However, the short-term problem to the current bullish bias and something that has been weighing on the currency is the continued covid dilemma facing China right now. As long as the covid situation stays bleak, and China continues to lock down parts of the country due to their draconian covidzero policy, the AUD might struggle to take advantage of the other positive drivers and also makes it more sensitive to the overall underlying negative risk sentiment in risk assets. POSSIBLE HAWKISH SURPRISES Positive Covid developments in China (easing restrictions, more fiscal or monetary stimulus, or letting go of the covidzero policy) could trigger bullish reactions in the AUD. As a risk sensitive currency, and catalyst that causes big bouts of risk on sentiment could trigger bullish reactions in the AUD. With the RBA just getting started with their hiking cycle, there is scope for them to turn more aggressive, and any catalyst that triggers higher hike expectations (inflation and wage data) could trigger a bullish response from the AUD. Any catalyst that triggers further upside in Australia’s key commodity exports (China stimulus, lifting covid restrictions, new infrastructure projects in China, higher inflation fears) should be supportive for the AUD. POSSIBLE DOVISH SURPRISES Negative Covid developments in China (easing restrictions, more fiscal or monetary stimulus, or letting go of the covidzero policy) could trigger bullish reactions in the AUD. As a risk sensitive currency, and catalyst that causes big bouts of risk offsentiment could trigger bearish reactions in the AUD. Any catalyst that triggers downside in Australia’s key commodity exports (additional China restrictions, demand destruction fears) should be negative for the AUD. BIGGER PICTURE The bigger picture outlook for the AUD remains positive for now, but that is largely dependent on what happens to China. The short-term covid issues have pushed back but not removed recovery expectations, but until the covid fog clears and the Chinese economy struggles, the AUD will struggle to maintain upside momentum in the short-term, despite positive catalysts. CAD FUNDAMENTAL OUTLOOK: NEUTRAL The CAD has enjoyed far more upside in the past few weeks than we anticipated. We’ve been cautious on the currency given Canada’s dependency on the US (>70% of exports) where the clear signs of a faster than expected slowdown in the US should have deteriorated the growth outlook for Canada. Apart from that, the risks to the Canadian housing market risks to negatively impact consumer spending as interest rates rise higher at aggressive speed, potentially damaging the wealth effect created by the rapid rise in house prices since covid. However, despite the risks to economy and the risks to the outlook, markets still price in a very favourable growth environment for Canada, also supported by a big push higher in terms of trade due to the rise in commodity prices. Furthermore, despite clear warning signals, the BoC has chosen to ignore the negatives and has stayed surprisingly positive and hawkish. We’ve miss most of the move higher in the currency as we’ve been cautious in our bias, but the risks are still present and with the currency at 9-year highs (at the index level) we have very little appetite for chasing it higher from here. POSSIBLE HAWKISH SURPRISES As an oil exporter, oil prices are important for CAD. Catalyst that sees further upside Oil (deteriorating supply outlook, ease in demand fears) could trigger bullish CAD reactions. The correlation has been hit and miss in recent weeks though. As a risk sensitive currency, and catalyst that causes big bouts of risk on sentiment could trigger bullish reactions in the CAD. POSSIBLE DOVISH SURPRISES As an oil exporter, oil prices are important for CAD. Catalyst that sees further upside Oil (deteriorating supply outlook, ease in demand fears) could trigger bullish CAD reactions. The correlation has been hit and miss in recent weeks though. As a risk sensitive currency, and catalyst that causes big bouts of risk off sentiment could trigger bearish reactions in the CAD. Since a lot of policy tightening has been priced into STIR markets, any negative catalysts that triggers less hawkish BoC expectations (faster deceleration in growth or inflation ) could trigger outsized downside for the CAD. BIGGER PICTURE The bigger picture outlook for the CAD remains neutral for now. Given the clear risks to the growth outlook due to the slowdown in the US, as well as rising risks to the consumer and the housing market, we remain cautious on the currency, even though it’s move much higher than we anticipated. With a lot of upside priced into the CAD and Canadian yields, our preferred way of trading the CAD would be to look for short-term negative catalysts to trade the CAD lower instead of chasing it higher.
by thunderpips
2
EUR CAD - FUNDAMENTAL DRIVERSEUR FUNDAMENTAL OUTLOOK: NEUTRAL The EUR has had a bumpy ride over the past few months. At the onset of the war in Ukraine the EUR tumbled across the board. However, in recent weeks, the persistently high inflation has seen the Governing Council take a more hawkish turn. At their June meeting the bank confirmed that a 25bsp hike for July, but also kept the door open for 50bsp hikes from September onward. Despite this hawkish tilt from the bank, and despite bund yields pushing up into fresh cycle highs, the EUR struggled to gain any real momentum after the meeting. For some this was a sign that the market had already priced in too much hawkishness for the ECB. This seems a bit unlikely though as the bank faces more energy price risk compared to the US and is at a greater risk of needing to tilt even more aggressive in months ahead. One reason for the downside is due to the market’s worries about fragmentation with spreads like the BTP/Bund spread jolting higher as higher interest rates increases the default risk of highly indebted countries like Italy. Even though hawkish policy opens up room for upside, the spread fragmentation and USD strength means there is two-way drivers for the EUR. POSSIBLE HAWKISH SURPRISES The customary post-ECB sources revealed some GC hawkish were still not satisfied despite a hawkish tilt. Any ECB comments that signal even more aggressive policy could trigger bullish reactions for the EUR. Geopolitics remains a focus for the EUR, where any possible de-escalation or cease fire in the Ukraine war would open up a lot of appreciation for the EUR. Stagflation fears are high right now for the Eurozone, with growth expected to slow while inflation stays persistently high. However, a lot of bad news has already been priced in for the EUR, which means any materially better-than-expected growth data could spark some upside for the single currency. The EUR has a 57% weighting in the DXY, which means any big fluctuations in the USD can impact the EUR quite a bit. Thus, this week’s upcoming FOMC could offer some reprieve for the EUR if the Fed is not able to surprise on the hawkish side. POSSIBLE DOVISH SURPRISES One caveat with incoming ECB comments is that hawkish comments can also counterintuitively pose downside risk. With markets quite concerned about spread fragmentation, hawkish comments that trigger further upside in BTP/Bund spreads could trigger bearish reactions in the EUR. Just like the EUR’s weighting in the DXY is an upside risk for the currency, the weighting is also a potential downside risk. With US headline CPI reaching 8.6% there is a risk that the Fed surprises markets with a 75bsp hike at the upcoming meeting. Any outsized upside in the USD as a result of that is expected to weigh on the EUR, potentially more than other majors. BIGGER PICTURE The fundamental outlook for the EUR remains neutral right now as we have positive and negative forces impacting the currency, we have geopolitics, stagflation and spread fragmentation being negative inputs and we have more hawkish ECB policy and less bad than expected recent growth data as supportive drivers. Thus, the best course of action with the EUR right now is taking short-term plays which are driven by clear short-term bearish of bullish catalysts. CAD FUNDAMENTAL OUTLOOK: NEUTRAL The CAD has enjoyed far more upside in the past few weeks than we anticipated. We’ve been cautious on the currency given Canada’s dependency on the US (>70% of exports) where the clear signs of a faster than expected slowdown in the US should have deteriorated the growth outlook for Canada. Apart from that, the risks to the Canadian housing market risks to negatively impact consumer spending as interest rates rise higher at aggressive speed, potentially damaging the wealth effect created by the rapid rise in house prices since covid. However, despite the risks to economy and the risks to the outlook, markets still price in a very favourable growth environment for Canada, also supported by a big push higher in terms of trade due to the rise in commodity prices. Furthermore, despite clear warning signals, the BoC has chosen to ignore the negatives and has stayed surprisingly positive and hawkish. We’ve miss most of the move higher in the currency as we’ve been cautious in our bias, but the risks are still present and with the currency at 9-year highs (at the index level) we have very little appetite for chasing it higher from here. POSSIBLE HAWKISH SURPRISES As an oil exporter, oil prices are important for CAD. Catalyst that sees further upside Oil (deteriorating supply outlook, ease in demand fears) could trigger bullish CAD reactions. The correlation has been hit and miss in recent weeks though. As a risk sensitive currency, and catalyst that causes big bouts of risk on sentiment could trigger bullish reactions in the CAD. POSSIBLE DOVISH SURPRISES As an oil exporter, oil prices are important for CAD. Catalyst that sees further upside Oil (deteriorating supply outlook, ease in demand fears) could trigger bullish CAD reactions. The correlation has been hit and miss in recent weeks though. As a risk sensitive currency, and catalyst that causes big bouts of risk off sentiment could trigger bearish reactions in the CAD. Since a lot of policy tightening has been priced into STIR markets, any negative catalysts that triggers less hawkish BoC expectations (faster deceleration in growth or inflation) could trigger outsized downside for the CAD. BIGGER PICTURE The bigger picture outlook for the CAD remains neutral for now. Given the clear risks to the growth outlook due to the slowdown in the US, as well as rising risks to the consumer and the housing market, we remain cautious on the currency, even though it’s move much higher than we anticipated. With a lot of upside priced into the CAD and Canadian yields, our preferred way of trading the CAD would be to look for short-term negative catalysts to trade the CAD lower instead of chasing it higher.
by thunderpips
USD CAD - FUNDAMENTAL DRIVERSUSD FUNDAMENTAL BIAS: WEAK BULLISH 1. Monetary Policy In May the Fed delivered on hawkish expectations by hiking the Fed Funds Rate by 50bsp and also confirmed that the committee expects further 50bsp hikes to be appropriate. The fed also stuck to a familiar hawkish tone by downplaying the prospects of an imminent recession by explaining that even though the economy contracted in Q1, that household spending and business investment remained strong. The Chair also stuck to their guns regarding the rate path by suggesting that they think reaching neutral (currently estimated at 2.4%) before year-end would be appropriate and will assess the need for further hikes when they get there. There were however some less hawkish elements which saw a very classic ‘sell-the-fact’ reaction in major asset classes. The first one was on the Quantitative Tightening front where the bank decided on a phased approach for balance sheet reduction by starting the monthly caps at 30bn (treasuries) and 17.5bn ( MBS ) and pushing it up to the expected $60bn (treasuries) and $35bn ( MBS ) over a three-month timeframe. The second less hawkish element was comments from Chair Powell who took 75bsp hikes off the table saying the committee was not actively considering rate moves of that size. Interestingly, it seems STIR markets did not really believe the Fed as the probability of a 75bsp hike stood at >70% directly following the presser. All-in-all, the meeting provided a short-term ‘sell-the-fact’ opportunity, but also cemented the view that despite signs of a slowing economy and despite clear stress in financial markets, the Fed is sticking to their aggressive tightening for now. 2. Global & Domestic Economy The USD’s global usage means it’s usually inversely correlated to the global economy and global trade. The USD usually appreciates when growth & inflation slows (disinflation) and depreciates when growth & inflation accelerates (reflation). Expectations of a cyclical slowdown have been USD positive. However, we think a lot of the growth concerns might be reflected in recent USD appreciation already. Furthermore, the USD has not been responding positively to bad data like we’ve seen from the start of the year. More recently we’ve seen the USD depreciate on bad data which could suggest that the USD’s driver has temporarily shifted away from the growth focus and shifted towards a Fed focus as the worse the incoming data becomes the higher the likelihood of a less aggressive Fed in the months ahead. Incoming data will be watched closely in relation to the infamous ‘Fed Put’. If growth data slows but not enough to stop the Fed’s hawkish path it’s USD positive, but if the data cause a Fed pivot that’ll be a big negative for the USD. 3. CFTC Analysis An overall bearish positioning change across major participant categories last week. Aggregate USD positioning remains close to 1 standard deviation above the mean, and close to prior tops where the USD topped out in previous cycles. That means we don’t want to chase the USD higher from here in the short-term. CAD FUNDAMENTAL BIAS: NEUTRAL 1. Monetary Policy In June the BoC delivered on market expectations by hiking rates by 50bps to 1.75% and kept its QT process intact. The statement-only decision was interpreted as more hawkish than expected with the bank saying it was ‘prepared to act more forcefully if needed’ to meet its inflation target. This saw markets implying either a few more additional 50bsp hikes or potentially opening the door to 75bsp hikes. The bank also delivered a hawkish tone regarding price pressures, noting that risks of elevated inflation becoming entrenched had risen and price pressures was persisting well above target. The biggest surprise was the lack of any real concern regarding growth. Instead, the bank was very optimistic about activity by noting it was strong and still operating above trend. The lack of concern about the clear slowdown in growth in their biggest trading partner, and the lack of concerns about debt levels and the housing market was a big surprise for us. Instead of sounding concerned about falling house prices and its possible effect on the economy, they welcomed the drop as a sign that their normalisation process is taking effect. To summarize, the bank remained much more hawkish than we anticipated and means our neutral bias for the CAD is taking a bit of a beating as CAD continues to trade at 9-year highs at the index level. 2. Intermarket Analysis Considerations Oil’s impressive post-covid recovery has been driven by many factors such as supply & demand , global demand recovery, and more recently geopolitical concerns. At current prices the risk to demand destruction and stagflation is high, which means we remain cautious of oil in the med-term . Reason for caution: Synchronised policy tightening targeting demand, slowing growth, consensus longs, steep backwardation curve, heightened implied volatility . We remain cautious oil , but geopolitics are a key driver and focus for Petro-currencies like the CAD (even though the CAD-Oil correlation has been hit and miss). 3. Global Risk Outlook As a high-beta currency, the CAD usually benefits from overall positive risk sentiment as well as environments that benefit pro-cyclical assets. Thus, both short-term (immediate) and med-term (underlying) risk sentiment will always be a key consideration for the CAD. 4. CFTC Analysis Positioning was more mixed last week for the CAD, but we continue to think that markets are setting up a similar path compared to April 2021, Oct 2021 and Jan 2022 where markets were too aggressive to price in CAD upside only to see majority of it unwind later. As always though, timing those shorts will be very important.
by thunderpips
4
EUR CAD - FUNDAMENTAL DRIVERSEUR FUNDAMENTAL BIAS: NEUTRAL 1. Monetary Policy The ECB used the April meeting as a place holder meeting for the most part by not announcing any additional policy tweaks. The plans to phase out the APP into Q3 remained intact by reducing purchases from 40bln to 30bln in May and then down to 20bln in June. Markets were leaning towards a slightly more hawkish take from the bank (given recent inflation pressures), but the lack of conviction to remove the conditionality regarding the APP removal was seen as dovish. President Lagarde added to this dovish tone by explaining that Q3 has three months and IF the bank stops the APP, it could happen July, August or September. This was an important statement as the difference between a July and September end could mean the difference between a Q3 or Q4 rate hike. The president also added to the dovish tone by stressing that risks for the economic outlook are tilted to the downside and have recently intensified with geopolitical and virus-related challenges. When asked about policy normalization, the president made a strange comment by saying it is premature to think about monpol normalisation. As the bank is currently embarking on normalization this comment seemed out of place and reaffirmed the overall dovish take from the meeting. There were the usual sources releases after the presser which said policymakers see a July hike as still possible after Thursday's meeting, which provided some reprieve. With inflation >7% and growth slowing, the June meeting which accompanies staff economic projections will be critical for markets to solidify whether expectations of 1 or 2 hikes this year is correct or not. 2. Economic – Health – Geopolitics Growth differentials still favour the US over EU capital flows, but differentials have turned positive and remain positive against the UK. Given growing stagflation fears the ECB is in a tough spot, being forced to normalize policy to try and combat inflation but could as a result further damage growth. Ongoing EU fiscal discussions to possibly allow ‘green bonds’ NOT to count against budget deficits remains in focus, alongside debt issuance for energy purchases. If approved, it will offer a flood of fiscal support which would be positive for the EUR and EU equities. Geopolitics remain a focus point as well given the ongoing war in Ukraine, but after the initial geopolitical scares but have been trying to carve out a base. Proximity to the war and the impact of sanctions remains a risk if the situation deteriorates. With lots of negatives already priced, chasing lows on bad news is not as attractive as chasing the EUR higher on good news. 3. CFTC Analysis Another very bullish signal with all three major categories seeing another week of net-long weekly changes. It seems as if all three categories added longs at the worst possible time last week as the EUR failed to garner much upside momentum. With recent growth & inflation differentials turning in favour of the EUR we prefer trading the EUR higher on good news as opposed to chasing it lower on bad news right now. CAD FUNDAMENTAL BIAS: NEUTRAL 1. Monetary Policy In June the BoC delivered on market expectations by hiking rates by 50bps to 1.75% and kept its QT process intact. The statement-only decision was interpreted as more hawkish than expected with the bank saying it was ‘prepared to act more forcefully if needed’ to meet its inflation target. This saw markets implying either a few more additional 50bsp hikes or potentially opening the door to 75bsp hikes. The bank also delivered a hawkish tone regarding price pressures, noting that risks of elevated inflation becoming entrenched had risen and price pressures was persisting well above target. The biggest surprise was the lack of any real concern regarding growth. Instead, the bank was very optimistic about activity by noting it was strong and still operating above trend. The lack of concern about the clear slowdown in growth in their biggest trading partner, and the lack of concerns about debt levels and the housing market was a big surprise for us. Instead of sounding concerned about falling house prices and its possible effect on the economy, they welcomed the drop as a sign that their normalisation process is taking effect. To summarize, the bank remained much more hawkish than we anticipated and means our neutral bias for the CAD is taking a bit of a beating as CAD continues to trade at 9-year highs at the index level. 2. Intermarket Analysis Considerations Oil’s impressive post-covid recovery has been driven by many factors such as supply & demand , global demand recovery, and more recently geopolitical concerns. At current prices the risk to demand destruction and stagflation is high, which means we remain cautious of oil in the med-term . Reason for caution: Synchronised policy tightening targeting demand, slowing growth, consensus longs, steep backwardation curve, heightened implied volatility . We remain cautious oil , but geopolitics are a key driver and focus for Petro-currencies like the CAD (even though the CAD-Oil correlation has been hit and miss). 3. Global Risk Outlook As a high-beta currency, the CAD usually benefits from overall positive risk sentiment as well as environments that benefit pro-cyclical assets. Thus, both short-term (immediate) and med-term (underlying) risk sentiment will always be a key consideration for the CAD. 4. CFTC Analysis Positioning was more mixed last week for the CAD, but we continue to think that markets are setting up a similar path compared to April 2021, Oct 2021 and Jan 2022 where markets were too aggressive to price in CAD upside only to see majority of it unwind later. As always though, timing those shorts will be very important.
by thunderpips
5
CADJPY Top confirmed. Huge success with previous pattern.The CADJPY pair has been trading within a Bullish Megaphone as outlined by our last analysis almost two months ago: As you see the Fibonacci Channel helped to very efficiently identify the pressure points and the price moved exactly as per our trading strategy. As seen, it found support on the 1D MA50 (blue trend-line) and rebounded, imitating the pattern of March 15 - May 15 2021. Yesterday it almost hit the Higher Lows trend-line of the Megaphone and is being rejected currently. As the 1W RSI Double topped in the same fashion as late May, it is more likely that this was the top on the medium-term. It is now that the Fibonacci levels will come in play again and if the pattern continues to replicate the 2021 one, expect a strong correction during the summer months towards the 1.5 Fib level, were the price should find support within the 1D MA200 (orange trend-line) and the 1W MA50 (red trend-line), or earlier if they rise faster. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Please support this idea with your likes and comments, it is the best way to keep it relevant and support me. ** --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Short
by TradingShot
4