GBP/USD eyes UK employment reportThe British pound has drifted lower on Monday. GBP/USD is trading at 1.2827 in the European session, down 0.09%.
The UK labour market remains resilient despite a cooling economy and high interest rates. Tuesday's June jobs report is expected to show strong numbers. The economy is expected to produce 158,000 jobs in June, after a banner reading of 250,000 in May. The unemployment rate is projected to remain at a low 3.8% and unemployment claims are expected to continue declining. Wage growth is expected to rise to 6.8%, up from 6.5%.
That sounds like great news, but not when you're the Bank of England and need the labour market to show some cracks and wage growth to slow down. A tight labor market and strong wage growth have hampered efforts by the central bank to lower inflation and the OECD said last week that the UK was the only major economy where inflation is still rising. The May inflation report was a disappointment, with headline inflation remaining at 8.7% and the core rate rising from 6.8% to 7.1%.
BoE Governor Bailey will likely comment on the job numbers and investors will be looking for clues about the BoE's plans at the August 3rd meeting. The BoE has raised rates to 5.0%, but more tightening will be needed in order to curb inflation and the money markets have fully priced in a peak rate of 6.5% by February.
The US dollar was broadly lower against the major currencies on Friday, after nonfarm payrolls slid to 209,000, below from the downwardly revised reading of 306,000 in May but not far from the 225,000 consensus estimate. The downturn may have surprised many investors who were caught up in the hype of a massive ADP employment release which showed a gain of 497,000.
There was speculation of a blowout nonfarm payroll reading but in the end, the consensus estimate was close and the US dollar was broadly lower on expectations that the Fed could be close to winding up its rate-tightening cycle.
GBP/USD tested support at 1.2782 earlier today. The next support level is 1.2716
There is resistance at 1.2906 and 1.2972
Inflation
30Y: Housing Cost Jumps Amid Falling Headline InflationCBOT: 30-Year Micro Yield Futures ( CBOT_MINI:30Y1! ), Treasury Bond Futures ( CBOT:ZB1! )
As a result of runaway inflation and rising interest rates, US home buyers are confronted by high home prices, high down payments, and high monthly mortgage payments.
A sneak peek into official housing market data between 2021 and 2023:
• Median sales price of houses sold in the US ( FRED:MSPUS ) was $436,800 in the first quarter of 2023, per Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED);
• The median home price was $433,100 in Q1 2022 and $369,800 in Q1 2021. In the span of merely two years, home price jumped 18.1%;
• Thirty-year fixed rate mortgage averaged 6.81% on July 6th ( FRED:MORTGAGE30US );
• The same mortgage was quoted at 5.30% a year ago and only 2.90% in July 2021.
A typical family of four living in the State of Illinois earned a median income of $113,649 in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s survey data. The example cited below illustrates the dramatic rise in housing cost from a family perspective:
• If a 30-year-fixed mortgage is taken with a 20% down payment, the upfront cost is $87,360 (20% of FRED:MSPUS at $436,800), which is up $13,400 or 18.1% from two years ago;
• Assuming the family’s take-home pay is 75% of gross income, their after-tax income would be $85,237 per year, or $7,103 per month;
• Down payment already exceeded annual income. Adding in closing fees, moving cost, appliances and new furniture, upfront home investment could be well over $100K;
• Using a mortgage calculator, we find that monthly mortgage payments were $1,724 if the home was bought two years ago; this equates to 24.3% of take-home pay;
• New monthly payments would be $2,682, up sharply by 55.6%; mortgage expense now takes up 40.3% of the family’s after-tax income!
This shows that an average US family these days can’t afford a median-price new home.
A Tale of Two Cities
The sharp increase in housing cost flies in the face of official US inflation data. June CPI report will be released on Wednesday. Economists forecast headline inflation to fall to 3.0% from 4.0% and core CPI to be lowered to 5.0% from 5.3% in May.
The subset of inflation data shows Shelter cost growing at 8.0% annual rate in May. This doubles the headline CPI but is still a vast understatement for the soaring housing cost.
So, where is the disconnection? Here is my theory.
High mortgage rates have a bigger impact on mortgage payments than home price appreciation. Based on my calculation, each 1% increase in interest rate would translate into 9% more in monthly mortgage payments. In our example, mortgage rate grew about 4% from 2021 to 2023, and a mortgage is taken on a home priced at 18% higher. The resulting monthly payments jumped 55.6%.
The compounding effect of higher prices and higher rates is fatal. I do not foresee either dropping in a meaningful way by next year. Therefore, do not expect the lower inflation to provide immediate relief to home buyers.
Housing Market is not likely to crash
US new home sales ( ECONOMICS:USNHS ) peaked at 1 million units in October 2021. Since then, it has nosedived and almost cut in half to 550K units by September 2022.
Existing home sales ( ECONOMICS:USEHS ) followed a similar trend. It topped out at 6.6 million units in August 2020, and dropped to 4.0 million units in January 2023.
Despite the hurdles facing home buyers, the US housing market appears to have recovered. New home sales reached 763K units in May, up nearly 12% from April. Existing home sales were 4.3 million units, up 300K from the beginning of the year.
How could the housing market hold up? Isn’t homeownership already beyond reach? According to the National Association of Realtors, 65.5% of US families are homeowners. We could say that those with a “lock-in” rate are insulated from rising housing costs.
Homeowners are “trapped” in their home in a rising interest rate environment. If they sell their houses and buy new ones, they will forfeit their 3% mortgage. This explains why existing home sales recovers at a much slower pace than new home sales. Low inventory and fewer sellers relative to buyers, together keep the housing market going strong.
Prospective home buyers are not so lucky. But they have options. First is to lower their expectation and buy a smaller home; Second is to downgrade from single family home to townhouse or condominium. Finally, postpone home purchases and continue to rent.
Several Economists predicting a housing market crash as big as the 2008 Subprime crisis. I think the Big Shorts would be disappointed this time. Prior to 2008, up to one third of homeowners had adjustable-rate mortgages. They survived rate-reset only because their house value went up. When it didn’t, they couldn’t refinance and defaulted on their loan.
These days, adjustable-rate accounts for just 5% of all mortgages. The housing market is healthier now. FRED data shows the mortgage delinquency rate at 1.73% in Q1 2023, and the rate has been declining consistently for seven quarters.
How Is This Relevant for Trading?
I hold the view that the US housing market is very resilient. As long as the job market does not deteriorate, it could weather significant challenges including higher interest rates, indicating that the demand for home mortgages would stay strong.
Whether you buy a new home or an existing one, a single-family home, a townhouse, a condo, or a trailer home, chances are you need a mortgage. The 30-year fixed rate mortgage is the most popular type of home loans in the US. Hence, this is where we should find solutions to manage interest rate risk.
Interest rate data shows that the 30-year fixed rate is not closely correlated to the Fed’s interest rate decisions. In the past 12 months, the Fed Funds rate gained 130%, while the 30-year Fixed only moved up 28%. Since last November, the Fed raised interest rates five times, but the 30-year Fixed stayed relatively unchanged.
My theory is that the decline in home sales countered the effect of rising funding cost, putting the mortgage rates in sideway moves. Now that the housing market recovers, 30-year Fixed could be on the way up. The July FOMC meeting could provide a boost if the Fed raises 25 bp as the market predicts.
There is no liquid financial instrument on the 30-year fixed rate mortgage. However, it is closely correlated to the 30-year Treasury yield. The mortgage rate currently is priced at 2.8% above the Treasury yield. The spread appears to be stable over time.
If we are bullish on the 30-year fixed mortgage rate, we could consider the following:
One, to set up a short position on CBOT Treasury Bond Futures ( $ZB ). Remember that bond price and yield are inversely related. Rising yield would cause the bond to lose value.
Each Treasury Bond futures contract has a face value of $100,000. The price quotation is based on $100 par value. The minimum tick is 1/32 of one point (0.03125), or 1,000/32 = $31.25. SEP contract (ZBU3) is quoted $123 and 22/32 on Monday July 10th.
Two, to set up a long position on CBOT 30-Year Micro Yield Futures ( $30Y ). On July 10th, the August contract is quoted 4.029%.
Each 30Y contract has a notional value of interest rate times 1000 index points. A move by a minimum tick of 0.001 index point would result in a gain or loss of $1 per contract.
What’s the difference between these two? Treasury bond futures are very liquid. It traded 387,170 contracts and had an Open Interest of 1.25 million on July 7th.
Micro Yield Futures are more intuitive. If yield goes up, futures price goes up too. The contract is catered to individual investors. Its margin requirement is $290, compared to $4,200 for the bond futures.
Happy Trading.
Disclaimers
*Trade ideas cited above are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management under the market scenarios being discussed. They shall not be construed as investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services.
CME Real-time Market Data help identify trading set-ups and express my market views. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com
My trading tactic and journal XAUUSDI place limit short selling order at the resistance level
because i think at the end of this month the price of gold will close at the lower price in order to rebound next month (September)
therefore, i am bearish on gold from today 10 Jul until at the end of this month.
Example of grid trading
I place limit sell order at 1930$ and STOPLOSS at 1960$ Target 1900$
risk 30$ reward 30$
I place buy limit oder at 1893 and STOPLOSS at 1860$ Target 1940$
my second order is at 1940$ / STOPLOSS at 1972$ Target 1900$
(0.618 fibonacci retracement resistance level)
risk 32$ x 2 = 64$
reward 72$ x 2 = 144$
My third order is at 1952 / Stoploss at 1972$ Target 1900$
(0.782 fibonacci retracement resistance level)
risk 20$ x 3 = 60$
reward 52$ x 3 = 156$
$DXY reverse head and shoulders? 👁🗨️*This is not financial advice, so trade at your own risks*
*My team digs deep and finds stocks that are expected to perform well based off multiple confluences*
*Experienced traders understand the uphill battle in timing the market, so instead my team focuses mainly on risk management
!! This chart analysis is for reference purposes only !!
If you want to see more, please like and follow us @SimplyShowMeTheMoney
XLRE possible BreakoutXLRE is trying to breakout of a small basing formation.
With rates surging recently one has to question a potential failure of this breakout, however if it does breakout there may be some significant momentum to the upside. Could this breakout coincide with a sudden drop in rates?
EUR/USD Daily Chart Analysis For Week of July 7, 2023Technical Analysis and Outlook:
This week, the Eurodollar did its Jumpgate performance. It established the newly created Mean Sup 1.085, indicating its potential to retest the completed Outer Currency Rally with determination. However, the price may decrease to Mean Sup 1.099 (the opposite of Mean Res) before returning to the crime scene.
NFP: Jobs cool off but is Inflation knocking on the Fed's door? Long story short:
it's a video, watch it!
BTC LONG
USD SHORT
Learn why in this video.
NFP:
Jobs are ok, still good new jobs in the basket but less than previous month (cool off).
AVERAGE HOURLY EARNINGS:
Nobody talks about this but it means wages are rising, labor is going higher, services and products might become more expensive on expensive labor = INFLATION
FEDS DUAL PURPOSE:
To create jobs and to control prices (stability through monetary and other policies).
Will the FEDS hike again?
I think yes, they will but i also think that NOBODY CARES MUCH!!
We almost done with rate hikes but are we done with systemic risks? Are banks ok now that real estate is not favored?
I will finish the same way this started:
BTC LONG
USD SHORT
One Love,
The FXPROFESSOR
Canadian dollar on a roll ahead of US and Canada job reportsThe Canadian dollar is drifting in the European session, trading at 1.3378.
It has been a good week for the Canadian currency, which is up about 1% against its US cousin. We can expect some significant movement from USD/CAD in the North American session, as both Canada and the US release the June employment reports.
The US labour market has been surprisingly resilient in the wake of relentless tightening by the Fed. After 500 basis points of hikes, the labour market remains strong and has been a driver of inflation, interfering with the Fed's efforts to curb inflation.
The ADP employment report usually doesn't get much attention, as it is not considered a reliable precursor to nonfarm payrolls, which follows a day or two after the ADP release. The June ADP reading was an exception, as the massive upturn couldn't be ignored. ADP showed a gain of some 497,000 new jobs, crushing the consensus estimate of 267,000 and the May reading of 228,000. The nonfarm payrolls report is expected to ease to 225,000 in June, down from 339,000 in May, but investors are nervous that nonfarm payrolls could follow the ADP release and head higher.
If nonfarm payrolls defies the consensus estimate and climbs higher, the US dollar should respond with gains. The Fed, which is very much hoping that the labour market weakens, would be forced to consider more tightening than it had anticipated. The money markets are widely expecting a rate hike on July 27th but have priced in a September pause at 67%, according to the CME FedWatch tool. If nonfarm payrolls jump higher, all bets are off and I would expect the probability of a September pause to fall.
Canada releases the June report later on Friday, which is usually overshadowed by US nonfarm payrolls. As in the US, the Canadian labour market has been strong - the economy added jobs for nine consecutive months until the May report. Canada is expected to add 20,000 new jobs in June, while the unemployment rate is projected to inch higher to 5.3% in June, up from 5.2% in May.
USD/CAD is testing resistance at 1.3318. Next, there is resistance at 1.3386
1.3217 and 1.3149 are providing support
USD/JPY gains ground, Fed minutes show policy divisionsThe Japanese yen is showing strong gains on Thursday. In the European session, USD/JPY is trading at 143.82, down 0.57%.
The Federal Reserve has been aggressively tightening rates in order to curb inflation but took a pause in June after ten consecutive hikes. At the meeting, the Fed said that a pause would provide members with time to assess the impact of the hikes, which have amounted to some 500 basis points.
The minutes of the June meeting were significant in highlighting that Fed members were in disagreement about the decision to pause rates. The decision to pause may have been unanimous, but the minutes made it clear that there was a difference of opinions, with some members preferring a hike but reluctantly agreeing to a pause. There was also disagreement over the pace of tightening in the second half of the year, with 16 of 18 members expecting at least one hike and 12 members expecting two or more hikes.
After the minutes, the money markets slightly raised the probability of a 0.25% hike in July from 86% to 91%, according to the CME FedWatch tool. The pricing could continue to change, with two key reports ahead of the July meeting. The non-farm payrolls report will be released on Friday. Job growth is expected to have cooled to 225,000 in June, down sharply from 339,000 in May. This will be followed by the June inflation report next week, with headline inflation expected to fall from 4.0% to around 3.0%.
Japan releases Household Spending and Average Cash Earnings on Friday. Household Spending declined by 4.4% in April and another decline of 2.4% is expected for May, as inflation has dampened consumer spending. Average Cash Earnings gained 1% in May and the consensus for June stands at 0.7%.
There is resistance at 145.28 and 146.23
144.11 is a weak support level. The next support line is 143.16
Key Drivers of the Market - A Deep DiveHello everyone! Today we will talk about five different important concepts. Many things are happening in markets, so I will create similar reports to help people understand why things are how they are. This will be my first report, so it might be a bit harder to go through, especially because on Tradingview, I can't easily share economic data or random non-Tradingview charts, so I will try to make each concept as simple as possible.
Positioning
1) Positioning in markets appears to be quite extreme. Looking at the CoT long/short data for hedge fund positioning, we can get a pretty good sense of whether speculators are long or short. Overall, the market remains short on stocks and bonds.
Regarding bond data, it is possible that the positioning is like this for other reasons, which doesn't mean they are bullish. As contrarians, we usually want to go against most speculators, but sometimes the speculators take one position for reasons other than making a directional bet (maybe they are hedged).
Another significant market to look at is the energy market, and more specifically, oil, which in my opinion, is very close to transitioning back into a bull market. I am expecting one more shakeout here, with a dip toward 55-60$. I think one more shakeout for oil to take out all the lows (hunt stop loss), and speculators will fully turn short. Speculators have been cutting their longs for a year and are almost about to turn short for the first time in many years.
Inflation
2) Expected inflation in the next CPI print is around 3% YoY and 0.3% MoM, potentially influenced by recent commodity spikes. These short-lived spikes could affect June's print, as some food-related commodities had a little rally. I believe inflation could come back with a vengeance, as there are too many potential issues with producing several materials and products. These issues could be exacerbated due to deglobalization and climate change (not the climate getting hotter, but colder).
Truflation shows 2.3% YoY inflation, inflation expectations are at 2.3%, and interest rates are between 3.7% and 5.25% across the yield curve. My main view is that inflation will trend lower for a little longer, and its downtrend could end with a deflationary spike, as current real rates are substantially positive. It's even possible that we will get negative CPI MoM prints in Q3-Q4, but inflationary pressures will probably resume once we are done with that. Many argue that core inflation is sticky and too high, and I believe it might stay elevated for a while, but eventually, I think it will start falling.
My view on inflation mainly has to do with outright shortages and not with money printing. The current disinflationary trend seen across most countries will probably continue for a little longer as we haven't seen substantial money printing for a while, while interest rate hikes are starting to affect consumers negatively. The biggest issue I see is that commodity producers are struggling and face severe problems due to green policies, deglobalization, and climate change. Another important point is that OPEC+ is about to cut 1-2m barrels/day of production, which means oil could spike as demand remains relatively strong.
One of the reasons I think the biggest inflationary threat comes from the supply side (goods/services) is that Japan has had lower inflation than the US, despite keeping rates at 0. China didn't raise rates either and has been pumping liquidity into the system, as well as cutting rates, and yet inflation there is almost 0%. It shows that inflation has come down independently, with markets slowly shorting through various imbalances, not because interest rates increased. At this stage, higher rates might actually have the opposite effect than the one intended. Why? Because of the massive debts at the government level, which are being inflated even further as governments borrow at higher rates.
Housing
3) The housing market remains strong, and a deficit exists. More supply will be coming online over time, but there are no signs of weakness or that the supply won't be able to be absorbed by the market. Many people are still waiting for rates and prices to drop in order to buy a house, while those with a mortgage are not selling their houses because they don't want to get a more expensive loan. Therefore we essentially have a balance in the market, with new houses and defaults being absorbed by those with cash and those willing to get an expensive mortgage.
Rents have not gone up YoY but seem to be about to trend higher again. As there is still a lot of cash in the market and the US government keeps spending, it's reasonable to expect rents to stay flat or slowly tick higher, even if interest rate hikes are starting to affect the economy. Some countries are really suffering from higher interest rates, as most people have variable-rate mortgages; however, the US is in a better situation as most had their mortgages fixed at low rates. So far, it looks like banks and central banks are taking a loss on all the mortgages issued or refinanced during 2020 and 2021, and this effect won't be reverted any time soon.
GDP
4) Q1 GDP growth was revised higher at 2% (from 1.4%), showing resilience in the US economy amidst recession fears. Despite growth in the US markets, concerns over a recession remain. As the US government keeps spending at a high pace, a recession will probably be delayed; without that meaning, it will never arrive. Interest rates have been rising, and the Fed wants to hike rates once or twice again.
The Fed will likely intervene to support the economy in 1-2 years. As the deficit grows and rates increase, within the next few years, the government will have absorbed all excess liquidity trapped in the RRP or banks. That means that the Fed will then be forced to start buying bonds. The Fed is currently losing over 50B annually because it has to pay high rates to those that deposit at the Fed, which is effectively direct money printing. With so much government debt, the Fed can't raise rates much higher without adding this inflationary component.
Although unemployment and bankruptcies are trending higher, the market is showing resilience. As stated above, the US economy is the most resilient, while many other countries are suffering heavily. What has been very helpful is that so far, we had strong oil production despite the war in Ukraine, while the US was releasing a lot of barrels from SPR. This strengthened consumption and boosted the economy. One important data point that proves that the US hasn't been in a recession is that the Travel Numbers of people flying in the US are at ATHs. How could someone call for a recession with these numbers? It's possible that interest rate hikes and all the printing in the US, along with a strong dollar, helped the US consumer to stay in relatively good shape.
How bad do bankruptcies and unemployment get, and when? I don't know. I believe that the yield curve will eventually be right, and we will get a recession, but it's hard to call for one. Although lots of data points to the US being in a recession or close to getting into one, we haven't had proper confirmation for a downturn. Maybe we have been in a mild recession, and that's why the market is rallying so much, as people feared something awful, and this hasn't played out.
Stocks
5) Stocks seem to remain in a bull market. After hitting the targets that I mentioned in some of my previous ideas, they had a mini-correction. I never turned fully bearish, but I thought at once, the SPX got at 4450 and the NDX at 15200, the market might have topped. This hasn't played out, and I must admit that the market looks bullish here. I can't say anything with certainty yet, but I'd avoid shorting or being all out.
There are still many signals that point to higher stock prices. Apple just had a massive breakout and looks strong. Now at a 3T valuation, which seems too much, but when someone thinks that Apple is one of those companies that are essentially powering a 500T financial system, along with its growth potential with AI, then 3T doesn't seem that much. Although stocks seem expensive relative to the current GDP, let's not forget that AI will boost global GDP massively over the next few years. That means that tech companies like Microsoft and Google will keep expanding.
Also, let's not forget that unprofitable tech deflated last year and hasn't recovered yet, so a lot of garbage got washed out and isn't a drag on the market. Finally, many people are missing something important: leverage didn't fuel this rally. The market deleveraged massively in 2022 and is now free from excess leverage. If this rally was driven by leverage, it would be fragile, and a reversal could occur at any moment.
Summary
To sum things up and add a few final touches... The main things leading the market are: NDX is a monopoly, AI, stock buybacks, passive investing, and government spending. It's improbable that these factors will cease to exist, and things will turn ugly immediately after the best first half the Nasdaq 100 has ever had.
Sentiment might be changing and leaning toward bullish, but I am not seeing anything that's seriously worth paying attention to. Sure, maybe we get another little correction, but nothing more than that. The market looks very strong. Some leading indicators even show that liquidity and financial conditions will improve from here. I believe that too many people are stuck looking at interest rates but forget how bad the government deficits are and that the only way to keep moving forward is to print more money and accelerate growth and consumption.
The NDX (Nasdaq 100) has broken above its double top in Q1 2022 and could easily sweep its Q4 2021 double top next. The index is just 11% away from new ATHs, which it could achieve in 2023.
AUD/USD pares losses ahead of RBA rate decisionThe Australian dollar is showing some movement right off the bat on Monday. AUD/USD fell as much as 70 pips in the Asian session but has recovered most of those losses. In the European session, AUD/USD is trading at 0.6657 down 0.03%.
The Reserve Bank of Australia meets on Tuesday, and it's a coin-toss as to whether the central bank will raise rates for a third straight time or will it take a pause. Traders have priced in a 52% chance of a pause, according to the ASX RBA rate tracker. Just one week ago, the odds of a pause were 70%, after May inflation declined more than expected. Headline CPI fell from 6.8% to 5.6%, its lowest level in 13 months. Core CPI eased to 6.1%, down from 6.7%.
The split over what call the RBA will make on Tuesday is indicative of the case that can be made both for a hike and a pause. The drop in inflation is certainly welcome news, but the RBA wants inflation to fall faster, as it remains almost triple the target of 2%. Additional rate hikes would likely send inflation lower, but that would raise the risk of the economy tipping into a recession.
The Australian economy has cooled down, but the labor market remains strong and consumer spending has been resilient, despite high inflation. Retail sales for May jumped 0.7% m/m, up from 0.0% in April and smashing the consensus of 0.1%. RBA members in favor of a hike can point to employment and retail sales data as evidence that the economy can withstand additional hikes.
The RBA minutes, which can be considered a guide to its rate policy plans, might point to a pause at Tuesday's meeting. The April and May minutes were hawkish and the RBA raised rates after these releases. The June minutes were more dovish, sending the Australian dollar lower. Could that signal a pause?
In the US, the week wrapped up with the PCE Price Index, the Fed's preferred inflation indicator. In June, the index rose 0.1% m/m, down from 0.4% in May. This indicates that the disinflation process continues and traders have raised the probability of a July hike to 88%, up from 74% a week ago, according to the CME FedWatch tool.
0.6659 is a weak resistance line. Above, there is resistance at 0.6722
0.6597 and 0.6534 are providing support
EUR/USD climbs as key US inflation gauge ticks lowerEUR/USD is trading at 1.0872 in the European session, up 0.07%. The euro is under pressure and is down close to 100 pips since Tuesday.
Inflation in the eurozone continues to fall. Eurozone CPI is expected to fall to 5.5% in June, down from 6.1% in May and a notch below the consensus of 5.6%. Headline inflation has fallen to its lowest level since January 2022.
The problem for the ECB is that Core CPI, which is a more reliable gauge of inflation trends, moved the wrong way. Core CPI ticked higher to 5.4%, up from 5.3% and below the consensus of 5.5%. These levels of core inflation are incompatible with a 2% inflation target and today's inflation report won't prevent the ECB from delivering a rate hike in July. The ECB may be forced to increase rates beyond the July meeting until there is evidence that core inflation has turned the corner and shows clear signs of deceleration in the second half of the year.
Germany's inflation report was worse, as both headline and core inflation moved higher, as expected. Headline inflation rose to 6.4% in June, up from 6.1% in May, while the core rate climbed from 5.4% to 5.8%. Inflation had fallen over six straight months and the June numbers could be an anomaly, but as ECB President Lagarde stated earlier this week, the battle against inflation isn't over yet.
US Core PCE Price Index, the Fed's favourite inflation gauge, eased lower in May. The index dipped to 4.6% y/y, down from 4.7% in April, which was also the consensus. On a monthly basis, the index fell to 0.1%, down from 0.4%. The decline in inflation hasn't had much effect on market rate pricing, with an 86% probability of a 25-bp rate hike, according to the CME FedWatch tool.
The week wraps up with UoM Consumer Sentiment, which is expected to rise to 63.9 in June, up from 59.2 in May.
EUR/USD continues to put pressure on resistance at 1.0916. This is followed by resistance at 1.0988
1.0822 and 1.0750 are providing support
USD/CAD pares gains, Canadian inflation easesThe Canadian dollar is flat on Friday, trading at 1.3258 in the European session.
Canada releases GDP for May later on Friday. The consensus stands at 0.2% m/m, which translates into 2.4% annualized, a respectable gain. If the GDP report beats the consensus, the Canadian dollar could post gains.
Canada's economy showed strength in the first quarter, with a gain of 3.1%. This was higher than expected and was one reason cited by the Bank of Canada in its surprise decision to raise rates earlier this month. I would expect that GDP growth will again be a key factor when the BoC makes its rate decision at the July 12th meeting.
The BoC, like most other major central banks, has aggressively tackled high inflation by raising interest rates. The policy appears to be working, as headline inflation eased to 3.4% in May, down sharply from 4.4% in April. The core rate, which is comprised of three indicators, fell to an average of 3.8% in May, down from 4.2% a month earlier. The drop in inflation is certainly welcome news for the central bank, but the key question is whether inflation is falling fast enough for BoC policy makers.
A third factor in the BoC's decision-making process will be employment. Canada's labour market has shown strong resilience in the face of rising interest rates, although the economy shed jobs in May, after eight straight months of gains. Another decline in new jobs could dampen the Bank's appetite for a rate hike in July.
The US is coming off solid GDP and jobless claims data on Thursday and all eyes are on the Core PCE Price Index, the Fed's favourite inflation gauge. The index is expected to remain at 4.7% y/y, which would mean that inflation remains uncomfortably high compared to the target of 2%. We'll also get a look at UoM Consumer Sentiment, which is expected to rise to 63.9 in June, up from 59.2 in May.
USD/CAD is putting pressure on resistance at 1.3254. Next, there is resistance at 1.3328
1.3175 and 1.3066 are providing support
Markets Awaiting the PCE and FOMC – Day 3S&P 500 INDEX MODEL TRADING PLANS for WED. 06/28
Our models indicate choppy trading with no directional momentum until PCE release later this week. Depending on the number, it may bring inflation and interest rates back onto the market radar, with downside pressure added on the markets, which could crescendo into the FOMC meeting next week.
In our trading plans for Fri. 06/16, we wrote: "The spectacular bull run of the last few weeks fueled by speculation around the Fed policies and, possibly, an epic short squeeze, could be consolidating in the week ahead". It appears gaining traction with Powell's comments about inflation and interest rates since then.
The index slightly consolidated downwards from 4409.59 from the close on Thursday, 06/15 to the close of 4381.89 Thursday, 06/22. Our models indicated 4315-4325 as the next support level, which was tested within next few days and the market rebounded from there. 4400-4410 is the resistance level, below which the bias is choppy at best.
Positional Trading Models: Our positional models went short on the break below 4350 on Friday, with a hard stop at 4406. For today, models indicate carrying the short, with the hard stop updated to 4416 and a take-profit instituted at 4325. If the short is closed out through one of these exits, models indicate staying flat until indicated otherwise.
By definition, positional trading models may carry the positions overnight and over multiple days, and hence assume trading an index-tracking instrument that trades beyond the regular session, with the trailing stops - if any - being active in the overnight session.
Aggressive/Intraday Models: Our aggressive, intraday models indicate the trading plans below for today.
Aggressive, Intraday Trading Plans:
For today, our aggressive intraday models indicate going long on a break above 4380, 4373, 4363, or 4351 with a 9-point trailing stop, and going short on a break below 4377, 4370, 4360, or 4348 with a 9-point trailing stop.
Models indicate no explicit exits for today. Models also indicate a break-even hard stop once a trade gets into a 4-point profit level. Models indicate taking these signals from 11:01am EST or later.
By definition the intraday models do not hold any positions overnight - the models exit any open position at the close of the last bar (3:59pm bar or 4:00pm bar, depending on your platform's bar timing convention).
To avoid getting whipsawed, use at least a 5-minute closing or a higher time frame (a 1-minute if you know what you are doing) - depending on your risk tolerance and trading style - to determine the signals.
(WHAT IS THE CREDIBILITY and the PERFORMANCE OF OUR MODEL TRADING PLANS over the LAST WEEK, LAST MONTH, LAST YEAR? Please check for yourself how our pre-published model trades have performed so far! Seeing is believing!)
NOTES - HOW TO INTERPRET/USE THESE TRADING PLANS:
(i) The trading levels identified are derived from our A.I. Powered Quant Models. Depending on the market conditions, these may or may not correspond to any specific indicator(s).
(ii) These trading plans may be used to trade in any instrument that tracks the S&P 500 Index (e.g., ETFs such as SPY, derivatives such as futures and options on futures, and SPX options), triggered by the price levels in the Index. The results of these indicated trades would vary widely depending on the timeframe you use (tick chart, 1 minute, or 5 minute, or 15 minute or 60 minute etc.), the quality of your broker's execution, any slippages, your trading commissions and many other factors.
(iii) These are NOT trading recommendations for any individual(s) and may or may not be suitable to your own financial objectives and risk tolerance - USE these ONLY as educational tools to inform and educate your own trading decisions, at your own risk.
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USD/CAD pares gains, Canadian inflation easesThe Canadian dollar spiked and gained 50 points after Canada released the May inflation report but has pared these gains. USD/CAD is unchanged at 1.3158.
Canada's inflation rate fell sharply in May to 3.4%, down from 4.4% in April. As expected, much of that decline was due to lower gasoline prices. Still, this is the lowest inflation rate since June 2021.The core rate, which is comprised of three indicators, fell to an average of 3.8% in May, down from 4.2% a month earlier.
The decline should please policy makers at the Bank of Canada, as inflation slowly but surely moves closer to the 2% target. The BoC cited the surprise upswing in inflation in April as one reason for its decision to hike rates earlier this month. With headline and core inflation falling in May, will that be enough to prevent another rate increase in July? Not so fast. The BoC has said its rate decisions will be data-dependent, and there is the GDP on Friday and employment next week, both of which will factor in the rate decision.
The US released a host of releases today, giving the markets plenty to digest. Durable Goods Orders jumped 1.7% in June, up from an upwardly revised 1.2% in May and crushing the consensus of -1%. The core rate rebounded with a 0.6% gain, up from -0.6% and above the consensus of -0.1%. Later today, the US publishes the Conference Board Consumer Confidence and New Home Sales.
Wednesday is a light day on the data calendar, with the Fed will in the spotlight. Fed Chair Jerome Powell will participate in a "policy panel" at the ECB Banking Forum in Sintra, Portugal, and investors will be looking for some insights into Fed rate policy. As well, the Fed releases its annual "stress tests" for major lenders, which assess the ability of lenders to survive a severe economic crisis. The stress tests will attract more attention than in previous years, due to the recent banking crisis which saw Silicon Valley Bank and two other banks collapse.
There is resistance at 1.3197 and 1.3254
1.3123 and 1.3066 are providing support
AUD/USD pushes higher, CPI nextThe Australian dollar is in positive territory on Tuesday. AUD/USD rose as high as 50 pips earlier but has pared these gains and is trading at 0.6685, up 0.16%.
The Australian dollar is showing some life after last week's awful performance, in which it declined by 2.87%.
On Wednesday, Australia releases the monthly inflation report for May. Inflation is expected to ease to 6.1% y/y, down from 6.8% in April. If the consensus is accurate, this would mark the lowest inflation level since March. The Reserve Bank will be keeping close tabs on the inflation release, especially core CPI, which is a more accurate gauge of inflation trends. The core rate fell from 6.9% to 6.5% in April, but that is incompatible with a 2% inflation target, and the RBA will need to see core inflation fall much more quickly before it can think about winding up the current rate-tightening cycle.
The markets have priced in a rate pause from the Reserve Bank of Australia at 77%, and a significant drop in inflation on Wednesday should cement a pause at the July meeting. The RBA surprised the markets earlier this month when it raised rates by 25 basis points, bringing the cash rate to 4.35%. The minutes of the meeting indicated that the decision to hike was close, and a key factor in the decision was concern over persistently high inflation.
The central bank is well aware of the pain inflicted on households and businesses due to rising rates, and a pause in rate hikes would provide some relief, as well as allow the RBA to monitor the effects of its rate policy. At the same time, the central bank has made it absolutely clear that its number one goal is curbing high inflation, which means Wednesday's inflation release could have a significant effect on the direction of the Australian dollar.
AUD/USD put pressure on resistance at 0.6729 in the Asian session. Above, there is resistance at 0.6823
0.6598 and 0.6518 are providing support
Gold - War Breaking Out?Many would like to perceive the pause in interest rates by the US Federal Reserve as a bullish take for markets at large. However the forward direction by Powell signals towards the bigger picture; inflation cannot be stopped by the Fed.
March 2022, shortly after the invasion of the Donbas region by Russia the Fed began significant hikes in the Discount rate. See comparaison to SPX.
This has put pressure on domestic and international markets. As foreign central banks try to follow along with hikes to avoid capital outflows, they have not been able to keep up. The international value of the US Dollar has risen considerably since January 2021, the trend accelerating as flight to quality has driven capital towards the US in the face of war. See below US02-year and US10-year treasuries plotted on the same axis, compared to the US Dollar Index.
During this time, the price of gold COMEX:GC1! has made a few rallies towards the 2011 high, relating to geopolitical and sovereign risk.
This price level in gold could prove very significant moving forwards. The market has indicated towards a long-term trend. It should be noted, that entities involved in potential geopolitical conflicts will move assets accordingly in advance.
It is inevitable that war will continue to escalate, and so long as it does inflation will persist across the globe. In spite of capital flows towards the United States, global scarcity driven by shortages, insurance rate increases, impaired logistics and corrupt governments will continue to erode the domestic value of the dollar. The inflation we have been experiencing is war inflation, and no central bank has the power to stop the reactionary shock in financial markets that occurs when capital must seek cover.
There appears to be political turmoil in Russia, but the question unanswered is why? It must be understood, that there is a strong belief in Russia that Putin has been too restrained by only invading the Donbas region. What is being stoked by NATO, is an ethnic conflict. Subtle difference in language and religion separate two relatively new nations, Russia and Ukraine. Kyiv the home of the Russian Orthodox church, established in what was the capital of a greater empire, collapsing in the late 1800s. That is to say, the contested regions in this war are hotbeds for an ethnic conflict. Paramilitary groups in Russia and Ukraine (of which there are many) have quite a well known and gruesome history between them, despite receiving little attention since 2022.
With neither government viewed at large as capable, there is a massive tailwind risk with the US' approach to funding. It seems well established by now there is nobody accountable for how the weapons and munitions being shipped to Ukraine are being handled, and Nazism is rampant in the army. In addition to repeated attempts on Putin's life, the US is now discussing giving Zelensky of Ukraine access to nuclear weapons.
With a "coup" having now taken place, it must be clear that there is a quickly growing threat of war escalating quickly. No attempts at negotiation have been made by Ukraine, despite massive loss of life on both sides. Therein lies our why. Consider the paramilitary groups are now willing to march against Moscow, what prevents them from marching on Kyiv? The negotiation between them has been settled, a new leader appointed and separation from the Russia government is complete. The dogs of hell let loose.
Gold, Silver COMEX:SI1! and mentioned in a previous post, Natural Gas NYMEX:NG1! , are all forming lows after making new major highs. Inflation will persist and push the nominal price of gold up, but capital flows will nullify that effect to NY COMEX gold prices, as AMEX:GLD follows. This market is pushing towards a significant breakout, and this will move the price as global markets respond by moving capital. Gold becomes a target for flight to quality at this time.
Friday was an ideal major low, the market may continue to make minor lows but a sustained rally to 2000 and beyond should be considered a bullish sign.
We’ve been here before. 2000’s Nasdaq vs Today.The Nasdaq's formidable recovery from the October 2022 bottom resulted in an impressive 42% surge, a rare feat for a major index. However, as it grapples with resistance at the 15250 level this past week, we are compelled to question if this upward momentum is running out of steam. Notably, historical instances where the Relative Strength Index (RSI) soared past the 70 level have often been followed by a downward shift for the index.
We diligently monitor the Nasdaq's ratio against other major indices to gauge its relative value. At its current level, the Nasdaq seems to be trading at a premium compared to several other major indices.
When we consider this ratio, the Nasdaq appears to be near its all-time highs. In fact, it's trading close to or above the levels seen during the dot-com bubble of the 2000s in all comparisons. When juxtaposed with the S&P and Dow, we find that this level is not unprecedented; each time the ratio has previously reached this level, it was swiftly corrected.
Drawing a parallel between the economic conditions of the 2000s and now, it seems that we are in familiar territory, or as they say, ‘we’ve been here before’.
To illustrate the similarities, let's consider the dot-com peak in March 2000 as a reference point.
The current economic indicators closely mirror those from the 2000s, as reflected in measures such as Dollar strength, inflation, unemployment, and interest rates. In particular, the US 2Y-10Y spread indicates an inversion of the yield curve that surpasses even the extent seen during the 2000s. Simultaneously, the other indicators nearly align with their respective levels from that period.
This begs the question: What has been propelling the Nasdaq higher? Could it be the hype surrounding AI and technology, or is it the liquidity in the market?
We posit that it's a combination of both factors, as the tech rally and increased reserve balance seem to coincide with the ratio’s upward movement. Although we don't foresee a tech bubble bursting as it did in the 2000s, there's undeniable enthusiasm for the Nasdaq. Given the current setup's striking resemblance to the 2000s, we can glean lessons from that period to position ourselves optimally.
One potential strategy could be to short the Nasdaq 100 Futures on CME outright at the current level of 15086, with the take profit at 13900 and a stop loss at 15600. Alternatively, investors expressing a bearish view on the Nasdaq 100 ratio could consider shorting 2 Nasdaq 100 Futures and going long on 3 S&P500 Futures.
In the second setup, the dollar value of the position is equal, as the contract value of the Nasdaq 100 Futures and the S&P500 Futures is approximately the same, at roughly 600,000 USD for the full-sized contract at the current price level for both index. The same setup can be replicated using the micro Nasdaq 100 and S&P500 futures at the same ratio, where the position value is now roughly 60,000 USD.
For each 1 point move in the standard size E-MINI S&P 500 Futures contract, the equivalent value is 50 USD and 5 USD for the Micro contract. Similarly, each 1 point move in the standard-sized E-MINI Nasdaq 100 Futures contract equates to 20 USD, and 2 USD for the micro contract.
Trading this spread could potentially benefit from a margin offset of up to 70%, meaning that the capital required to initiate this trade is significantly reduced. This setup could be particularly attractive for traders seeking to optimize their capital usage while gaining exposure to these major indices.
The charts above were generated using CME’s Real-Time data available on TradingView. Inspirante Trading Solutions is subscribed to both TradingView Premium and CME Real-time Market Data which allows us to identify trading set-ups in real-time and express our market opinions. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com
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The contents in this Idea are intended for information purpose only and do not constitute investment recommendation or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products or services. They serve as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate fundamental concepts in risk management under given market scenarios. A full version of the disclaimer is available in our profile description.
Reference:
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Virulent inflation raises pressure on the Bank of EnglandThe inflation battle is far from over in the UK. In fact, the nature of inflation is taking a new form as the root cause moves away from external to more domestically driven shocks. While the headline rate remained unchanged at 8.7%yoy in May, core inflation accelerated to 7.1% in May from 6.8% in April, marking the highest rate since March of 19922.
In response the Bank of England (BOE) raised interest rates by a bumper 50Bps to a 15-year high. While the Federal Reserve (Fed) and the European Central Bank (ECB) have made progress on bringing down inflation, the BOE still has some ways to go. Current market pricing assumes the terminal policy rate will go to 6% by year end3.
UK inflation proving to be virulent
The UK has the most severe entrenched inflation problem across developed markets. The domestically driven increase of services prices advanced from 6.9% to 7.4%yoy in May4. As services are labour intensive, they are being impacted by strong wage gains. Employment growth has been stronger than projected underscoring continued robust demand for labour. This high demand caused the rise in weekly average earnings (ex-bonus) to 7.5% in April5, well above the BOE’s forecast.
Brexit has been partly responsible for the rise in wages. Brexit reduced the mobility of European workers. The resulting lack of non-qualified workers has not yet been reabsorbed. The situation was clearly exacerbated during the Covid pandemic that left a large part of the workforce sick. The shortage of workers in the UK continues to weigh on the supply side and has been the key reason inflation has remained stubbornly high.
The resilient gains in employment (up 1.2% in April 20236) have allowed UK households to continue spending on services. Thereby contributing to higher services inflation, prices for recreational and cultural goods and services rose by 6.8%yoy in May 20237. At the same time, due to the shift away from floating rate mortgages towards fixed rate products over the last decade, the pass through of higher rates is taking longer to feed through the economy, thereby enabling the consumer to appear more resilient. However, headwinds are appearing from higher mortgage rates, with at least 800,000 fixed mortgages due to move on to significantly higher rates in H2 20238. Rents have also been rising, at an annualised pace of 5.6% in May compared to 3.2% in 20229. This is likely to place further pressure on real disposable incomes and simultaneously fuel core inflation higher.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that higher interest rates will cause the average mortgage holder to suffer an 8.3% fall in disposable income compared to a scenario where rates remained at March 2022 levels. For 1.4 million of those borrowers, disposable income will fall by more than 20%10.
BOE guided dovish
The BOE’s guidance implied that no further rate hikes should be needed bar evidence of more persistent inflationary pressures however the market ignored this. Money markets priced a terminal rate of 6.25% by February 202411. The BoE did not rule out further rate increases should the inflation data continue to be unfavourable. However, they did downplay the unexpected surge in core inflation in May owing to special contributing factors such as the sharp rise in vehicle excise duty and the erratic contribution of airfares and holiday packages. The BOE also highlighted that forward looking indicators are pointing to material falls in future wage inflation which could then lower the pressure on services prices.
We share that view, as producer price inflation which tends to serve as a leading indicator for consumer price inflation, eased more than expected in May. The June composite Purchasing Managers Indices (PMI) dropped for a second month in June, showing price pressures easing across the board, suggesting the economy could be turning.
Sterling
Positive rate surprises are not always positive for the currency. The Pounds muted response (-0.17%)12 to the BOE meeting despite the hawkish surprise and its negative reaction (-0.21%)13 to the hawkish May inflation data suggest that the BOE is prepared to endure a deeper slowdown in order to bring inflation under control. As a growth sensitive currency this is likely to remain an important headwind for the Pound.
Sources
1 Bloomberg as of 23 June 2023
2 Bank of England as of 22 June 2023
3 Bloomberg, as of 23 June 2023
4 Bank of England as of 21 June 2023
5 Office for National Statistics as of 31 May 2023
6 Office for National Statistics as of 31 May 2023
7 Bank of England as of 22 June 2023
8 Source: Bank of England, Bloomberg as of 22 June 2023
9 Office for National Statistics, as of 22 June 2023
10 Institute for Fiscal Studies as of 30 April 2023
11 Bloomberg as of 23 June 2023
12 Bloomberg GBP/USD as on 22 June 2023
13 Bloomberg GBP/USD as on 20 June 2023
EURGPB RISING PRICEEuro has been completely destroyed by GBP money market rates. As of now all expectations have been released and further hikes may be required. EURGBP has been trading in the same price for 3 weeks and is starting to turn the tide.
The market seems bottomed out.. as long as UK inflation data and employment data does not show hotter than expected data, then EUR might have a rebound trade here.
Give your opinion of EURGBP in the comments below. Thank you for your attention.