Will The U.S Dollar Collapse ?OANDA:XAUUSD
Currencies fall for various reasons and they include:
1. Political or economic disorder
2. Hyperinflation
3. War
4. A labor market decline
5. Recession, among various other reasons.
1.The United States has weathered several political and economic disorders since its formation in 1776. The country was on the brink of collapse during the Great Depression in 1929 but successfully weathered the storm in 1939. Not only did it withstand the Great Depression, but it also fought World War II with valor the same year. The will to overcome all odds is in the blood of Americans come hell or high water. Therefore, the US has more chances to overcome political or economic disorder due to this very spirit.
2 Hyperinflation
Inflation in the US is high but has not reached hyperinflation yet. The Federal Reserve managed to bring down rates from 8% to 6.5% and are rowing the boat, despite muddy waters. Hyperinflation taking over the country with daily essentials becoming 50 times more expensive might never be a reality.
3. War
The US is technically not at war but funds wars overseas, be it Ukraine, Syria, and Yemen, among other countries. A rogue nation attacking the US since 9/11 is nil, and the country is not at war today. The US is more equipped to handle and thwart terrorist attacks today than it was ever before.
4. Labor Market Decline
The job markets remain robust despite several leading tech firms firing thousands of employees since 2020. Businesses are thriving, and jobs for small and big-level employees remain open for hire. Though the job markets remain on shaky grounds, it managed to sustain and grow, even in muddy conditions.
5. Recession
While talks of a recession are growing louder, a recession has technically not hit the markets yet. Both the stock and cryptocurrency markets are doing favorably well in 2023 and generating decent returns for investors. However, a recession cannot be ruled out, as there’s pressure on the financial markets.
Considering all the above points, the US stands in a favorable position with the only recession being its weak point. Moreover, since a recession is yet to arrive (or might not arrive), the weak point can be removed for now. In conclusion, the other sore spots can be worked upon and brought under control in the coming years.
So Will The US Dollar Collapse?
BRICS is yet to finalize a new currency in the upcoming summit in South Africa. The problem with BRICS nations is that decisions are not made swiftly and quickly due to various factors. Asian countries working with each other is not as easy as said.
The factors involve India’s broken relations with China and vice-versa. India and China have always been on the wrong ends, and the bitter political disputes could only make things worse.
Technically, the US dollar is backed as the default global reserve currency with billions worth of trades being executed each day. The US dollar has a special status globally and is considered one of the safest currencies. The United States is still the biggest economy in the world with an annual GDP of around $23 trillion.
Even if the US falters, it always has and will find a way to remain at the top and be an undisputed global leader. The Great Depression is one big example of how nothing is impossible for Americans to succeed in troubled times.
Inflation
Gold Update Urgent Gold Price Forecast in Light of Finland's NATO Membership and Potential Conflict in Europe
With Finland's recent entry into NATO, there is increasing speculation about the potential for conflict in northern and eastern Europe. As tensions continue to rise between Russia and NATO, the price of gold is likely to see a significant increase.
As a safe-haven asset, gold has historically been a popular investment during times of geopolitical uncertainty and global conflict. With the threat of war looming, investors may turn to gold as a way to protect their wealth.
Furthermore, the increase in demand for gold could be further fueled by the weakening of the U.S. dollar, which typically leads to a rise in the price of gold. As investors seek to hedge against inflation and currency devaluation, the demand for gold may increase, driving up its price.
It remains to be seen how the situation in Europe will unfold, and whether the tensions will escalate into a full-blown conflict. However, if the worst-case scenario does occur, it is likely that the price of gold will continue to rise as investors look for a safe haven amidst the chaos.
In summary, the recent developments in Europe have the potential to significantly impact the price of gold. Investors should closely monitor the situation and consider adding gold to their portfolios as a hedge against geopolitical risks and inflation.
NZD/USD in holding pattern ahead of Reserve Bank decisionThe New Zealand dollar is almost unchanged ahead of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) rate decision on Wednesday (New Zealand time). The US releases JOLTS Job Openings.
NZD/USD is trading quietly at the 0.63 line in the European session.
The RBNZ is widely expected to raise rates by 25 basis points, which would bring the benchmark cash rate to 5.0%. Over the past year, the RBNZ has delivered oversize hikes of 50 and even 75 basis points, marking an aggressive rate-tightening cycle in order to contain red-hot inflation. The battle with inflation has been slow, as CPI came in at 7.2% in Q4 2022, unchanged from the third quarter.
The sharp rise in rates and weak global demand have battered the New Zealand economy. GDP declined by 0.6% in Q4 2022, and the cyclone in February will have a negative impact on GDP for Q1. This backdrop supports the RBNZ taking a break from its relentless rate hikes at the upcoming meeting. In February, the RBNZ projected a terminal rate of 5.50%, but with the economy showing signs of strain, the central bank might end the current cycle at 5.25%, especially if inflation heads south. We could even see a rate cut before the end of the year.
In the US, the highlight of the week is nonfarm payrolls on Friday. After a better-than-expected reading of 311,000 in March, the consensus estimate stands at 240,000 which is still decent. The Fed will be looking at nonfarm payrolls as an important factor in its rate decision in May. Currently, the odds of a 25bp increase are at 59% and a pause at 39%, according to the CME Group. This week's employment releases kick off with JOLTS Job Openings later today. The estimate stands at 10.49 million, following the prior reading of 10.82 million.
NZD/USD tested resistance at 0.6310 earlier in the day. Above, there is resistance at 0.6362
0.6245 and 0.6127 are providing support
What to watch in Q21. Any more bank failure?
Bank crisis stabilized after UBS takeover Credit Suisse and First Republic Bank had been injected deposit to restore confidence. We can’t rule out any bank failure in Q2, especially the collapse of Lehman Brother was after the rescue of Bear Stearns. Having said that, the material different between now and the global financial crisis is the asset quality, that the subprime loan is basically at default while the long-term treasury and MBS many banks are holding now can recoup the floating loss if they can be held until maturity. Situation will improve with time. The drop of treasury yield because of risk aversion is also a self-cure mechanism that reduce the floating loss, and lower depositor’s incentive to move money out from banking system. Therefore, the level of Treasure yield is an important factor to determine whether a bank run might occur again, since higher yield means bigger deposit outflow to seek better yield return and a bigger loss of bank asset. The resurge of yield will worsen the sentiment and dampen confidence. Another good indictor is the size of emergency funding facilitates that Fed is providing to banks. If there is a sudden increase on the size, this could imply there might be another bank in trouble.
2. How lending be impacted after the bank crisis?
Although Fed set the policy rate, it is the Bank to lend money in a rate they desire to the business and individual. In order to improve and avoid further deterioration of asset quality, Bank might take a more conversative approach in lending. The outflow of deposit also reduced Bank’s ability and willingness to lend. Since FDIC is asking Banks to pay the bill for saving SVC and Signature Bank, together with US government is seeking a tighter regulation for banking sector and many bank need to increase deposit rate to keep deposit, higher capital/operating cost might make Bank more selective and ask for higher lending rate to compensate the cost, that is not good for the whole economy.
3. Inflation trend?
Even OPEC+ surprised the market by cutting production that boost price, Energy should still strongly pressure headline inflation downward in Q2, especially on a YOY basis. NYMEX WTI crude oil above $100 most of the time in Q2 2022 and reached $123. Compare to current energy price, there will be an obvious negative impact in headline inflation. The delayed effect of lower property price and rent should also drive the inflation lower. We have seen some signs of lower service inflation, and if banking crisis harm business confidence, we might see a less tight employment market and a less wages growth. Despite OPEC+ action might make thing a little bit complicated, we might still see some decent drop in inflation in Q2.
4. Fed to end hiking cycle after May’s meeting?
May could be the last hike in this cycle. As mentioned, the inflation is cooling down and bank crisis will hurt the economy. Fed will also avoid hiking rate too much that will drive the Treasury yield up that might refuel the bank crisis. February Core PCE is trending lower, so as long as inflation doesn’t accelerate, a full stop of hiking cycle after May’s meeting will be a reasonable bet.
5. Recession possibility?
Inverted yield curve and ISM survey pointed to recession. Q2 could be the turning point of economy growth and we might see some slowdown. Recession has become base case scenario to many investors and they will allocate their asset and conduct trading strategy accordingly. If inflation under control and GDP growth, probably in Q3, recorded a deeper-than-expected negative growth, Fed might start easing by the end of this year.
6. End of War?
Russia-Ukraine war could enter the decisive phase in Q2 when Ukraine could launch the counter attack in Spring. It is very hard to predict the outcome but assuming Russia lost the war, the geopolitical ecosystem might be rewritten as well as the regime. How ally of Russia react is also highly unpredictable.
With interest rate hike cycle coming to the end, there might be more rooms for Treasury yield to go lower. This will benefit growth stock so Nasdaq might outperform Dow again, adding to the gap built in Q1. Recession fears is not friendly to most of the commodities (except gold), and any big change on War might mean a lot to many cyclical commodities such as oil, natural gas, nickel and more.
Good Luck and Good Trading in Q2.
Disclaimers
Above information are for illustration only and there is no guarantee on the accuracy of the information. They should not be treated as investment recommendations or advices.
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Petro Dollar - A controlled Demolition 🇺🇸 🛢 💸 Petro-Dollar chart to illustrate the inevitable collapse of the current world reserve currency:
The U.S. needs cheap oil prices for the dollar to remain competitive globally and to retain the world reserve currency status 🇺🇸 🛢 💸
They accomplish this by controlling oil production globally, flooding the market with oil products, while synthetically increasing our reliance on the product.
When oil prices get too high, it taxes other countries who need to trade their currency for dollars in order to buy oil 🛢 making these dollar transactions very expensive.
If oil prices can't be negotiated lower, then they need to cause a financial crisis to weaken the dollar to make it cheaper to transact in. They create this liquidity by inflating the currency 🖨 i.e. "Quantitative Easing."
If Trump & the BRICS Nations cut ✂️ the oil supply, the FED would soon bleed out as the dollar melts upward and runs out of liquidity. They'd be forced to cause yet another collapse and hyper-inflate the dollar away 💵 to make transacting in it competitive again. Risk assets would soar under these conditions, ending with the pop of the everything bubble.
The Great Reset.....
a planned demolition.
Natural Gas and the Dangers of Swing Trading Leveraged ETFsThinking that the war in Ukraine would cause the price of natural gas to surge higher over the winter, many traders got stuck on the wrong side of a trade. Natural gas futures have plunged more than 90% over the winter.
In this video, I explain that regression analysis was warning that a significant price decline was imminent in late 2022, and I explain that it is now suggesting that a bounce in natural gas prices may soon occur. This video also explains the pitfalls that many novice traders experience when trying to swing trading leveraged ETFs that employ derivatives and which undergo volatility drag over time.
Here is the link to the risk-reward / win-ratio spreadsheet that is referenced in the video.
docs.google.com
Shared with permission from @HeWhoMustNotBeNamed
Note for stats nerds: The log-linear regression channel indicator does not give negative numbers for the Pearson correlation coefficient (r). The indicator gives the absolute value of the Pearson correlation coefficient |r|. So if the correlation is strongly negative or strongly positive, it will appear near 1 in both cases.
Important Disclaimer
Nothing in this post should be considered financial advice. Trading and investing always involve risks and one should carefully review all such risks before making a trade or investment decision. Do not buy or sell any security based on anything in this post. Please consult with a financial advisor before making any financial decisions. This post is for educational purposes only.
AUD/USD - Aussie on the move, RBA expected to pause ratesThe Australian dollar has edged higher at the start of the week. In the European session, AUD/USD is trading at 0.6715, up 0.45%. The RBA meets on Tuesday (Australia time) and is expected to pause rates. The US releases ISM Manufacturing PMI, which is expected to record another decline.
The RBA has aggressively tightened interest rates in the current cycle, raising rates 10 straight times. The fight against inflation continues but there has been some improvement. February CPI fell sharply to 6.8%, vs. 7.4% prior and 7.1% anticipated. Inflation is more than triple the RBA target, but the sharp rise in rates has dampened economic activity and further hikes could jeopardize a soft landing. The RBA is widely expected to stay on the sidelines, with the market pricing in a pause at 86%.
Governor Lowe has said that in addition to inflation, employment and consumer spending data would play a key factor in the RBA's decision. The labour market remains tight, but retail sales hit the breaks in February and slowed to just 0.2%, down from 1.8% in January and just above the consensus estimate of 0.1%. The weak retail sales data supports the RBA taking a breather.
The banking crisis, which roiled global financial markets, raised fears of a financial meltdown. Although the contagion appears to have been contained, central banks are having to think twice about raising rates in an uncertain economic landscape, and if the RBA does pause, it could use the banking crisis as further ammunition in defending its decision.
We're seeing a decline in manufacturing across the globe as demand remains weak. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and China's Covid-zero policy interrupted supply chains and dampened demand, and manufacturing is yet to recover even though China has made an about-face and relaxed its Covid regulations.
The US is no exception to this disturbing global trend. ISM Manufacturing PMI has been in decline for four straight months, with readings below the 50 threshold, which separates expansion from contraction. The estimate stands at 47.5, a bit lower than the 47.7 reading in January.
AUD/USD is putting pressure on resistance at 0.6737. Above, there is resistance at 0.6790
There is support at 0.6678 and 0.6582
Crude shoots higher on announcement of production cutsWe take a look at the resistance levels following the Saudi Arabia announcement.
We have seen a clean bounce off long term moving averages suggesting that we are likely to see the market gravitate to its 55-week ma at 90.09.
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USDCHF Potential Forecast | 3rd April 2023Fundamental Backdrop
1. CHF CPI m/m increased by 0.2%, much lower than the forecast 0.4% and previous 0.7% m/m.
2. The softer print of CPI shows that inflation has been slowing down at a much faster rate which could signify a dovish landing on the SNB.
3. Market Open on Dollar has been very bullish, however, with NFP lurking this week, expect plenty of volatility in the market.
4. USD ISM Manufacturing PMI releasing later on in the day and market has been pricing in a 47.5 compared to 47.7 previous.
Technical Confluences
1. H4 resistance level at 0.921.
2. H4 support level at 0.9085.
3. Price could potentially retest the resistance level at 0.921.
Idea
Given the weak CPI reading on CHF, there is a weak bullish outlook on USDCHF as upcoming ISM news on USD is also slated to be a softer print.
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We are not a licensed financial advisor or professional, and the information we are providing is based on our personal experience and research. We make no guarantees or promises regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided, and users should do their own research and analysis before making any trades.
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My thoughts on USDZMWCurrently, the Zambian kwacha is facing several challenges that are impacting its value in the foreign exchange market. One of the main factors is the high inflation rate, which has been driven by a surge in food and fuel prices. In addition, the country's external debt has been on the rise, and this has led to a decline in investor confidence. These factors, combined with a slowdown in economic growth, have put pressure on the Kwacha's exchange rate. While it's difficult to predict the future movements of the currency, my technical view is that it could take another year before the Kwacha drops below K15 due to the technical factors at play.
EUR/USD edges lower as eurozone inflation slidesEUR/USD is slightly lower on Friday. In the European session, EUR/USD is trading at 1.0883, down 0.21%. The euro continues to look sharp and is poised to record its fifth winning week in a row. Eurozone headline inflation fell sharply, but the core rate ticked higher. In the US, the Core PCE Price Index was within expectations.
ECB policy makers must be pinching themselves today, after eurozone headline inflation tumbled to 6.9% in March, down from 8.5% in February and below the 7.1% estimate. The massive drop was driven by the sharp decline in energy prices. Inflation hasn't been below 7% since February 2022, but the news was not all good, as March core inflation accelerated to a record 7.5%, up from 7.4% in February. Core inflation is seen as a more accurate gauge of inflation trends, which could spell trouble for the ECB in its battle to contain inflation.
The ECB didn't flinch from hiking rates by 50 basis points earlier in the month, even though it was in the midst of the banking crisis. With core inflation remaining stubbornly high, the central bank will have to remain aggressive with its rate path. ECB President Lagarde has suggested that the banking crisis, which shook the financial markets, could dampen demand and lower inflation, but so far, that hasn't been the case with core inflation.
What can we expect from the Federal Reserve? Market pricing has been on a roller-coaster. It was only a few weeks ago that Jerome Powell's hawkish testimony on the Hill had the markets expecting a 50-basis point hike, but the banking crisis squelched any thoughts of an oversize hike. The likelihood of a 25-bp hike is currently at 57% and a pause at 43%, according to the CME Group. The core PCE price index dropped to 0.3% m/m in February, vs. 0.5% in January and the estimate of 0.4%. On an annualized basis, the index ticked lower to 4.6%, in February, vs. 4.7% in January, which was also the estimate. This is within expectations and thus unlikely to have any impact on the Fed rate decision. EUR/USD showed little reaction to the release.
EUR/USD faces resistance at 1.0916, followed by 1.1072
There is support at 1.0774 and 1.0618
GBPJPY Technical Analysis 31.03.2023 1h chart– Previous Daily candle closed Bullish at 164.230 above Daily Resistance formed on 28th February 2023.
– Buys on close above 164.470 targeting Weekly previous Support formed on 5th December 2022 at 164.470, Leaving Runners to the 1h previous Support formed on 28th February 2023 at 165.420.
– Sells on close below 163.930 targeting 1h Support at 163.560, Leaving Runners to the 4h Support formed at 163.200.
– As the Monthly candle coming to a close it is highly recommended to wait for strong confirmations and volume sessions before taking any positions.
A 3 year-sized F. Bull FlagSilver gives the main message on the chart. While financial powers shifting from west to east, all the precious metals will be very important to state the power of any currency like in the old days. No more money printing like no more tomorrows. Otherwise the money will turn to a meaningless paper due to inflation. Gold is already shining but silver, oh my silver. When we break this f. bull flag, we will see 26 and 32 quickly. Silver will move way faster than gold. Look at the XAUXAG ratio. Historical median point is around 32 where it is above 80 nowadays. Stock your precious metals at home, buy more rings to your significant one or get some silver spoon and forks. The real money will take the power again!
Disclaimer – WhaleGambit. Please be reminded – you alone are responsible for your trading – both gains and losses. There is a very high degree of risk involved in trading. The technical analysis , like all indicators, strategies, columns, articles and other features accessible on/though this site is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice by you. Your use of the technical analysis , as would also your use of all mentioned indicators, strategies, columns, articles and all other features, is entirely at your own risk and it is your sole responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness (including suitability) of the information. You should assess the risk of any trade with your financial adviser and make your own independent decision(s) regarding any tradable products which may be the subject matter of the technical analysis or any of the said indicators, strategies, columns, articles and all other features.
USD/JPY steadies after taking a tumble, Tokyo Core CPI loomsUSD/JPY is posted gains on Thursday after dropping sharply a day earlier. In the North American session, USD/JPY is trading at 132.45, down 0.31%. Later today, we'll get a look at Tokyo Core CPI, a key inflation measure.
Wednesday was a day to forget for the Japanese yen, which lost 1.5% against the US dollar. USD/JPY touched a high of 132.89, its highest level in a week. The US dollar was broadly higher on Wednesday and a rise in US yields helped propel USD/JPY to even higher levels. US 10-yr and 2-yr Treasury yields both hit weekly highs, and the widening of the US/Japan rate differential is weighing on the yen.
The banking crisis has eased somewhat, with no spreading of contagion since the stunning collapse of four US banks and Credit Suisse earlier this month. The markets are calmer, risk appetite has improved, and investors have moved away from the safe-haven yen in favour of riskier assets.
Japanese inflation indicators have been pointing downwards and the markets will be keeping a keen eye on the March Tokyo Core CPI release later today. The February release showed a sharp drop in inflation, from 4.4% to 3.4%, but the decline was not all that surprising, as government energy subsidies kicked in last month and dampened inflation. Other core CPI indicators also eased in February. The March Tokyo Core CPI is expected to continue falling, with an estimate of 3.1%.
Japanese inflation releases are closely watched, as higher inflation could force the Bank of Japan to pivot its ultra-loose policy. The central bank has insisted that the high inflation is transient and it expects inflation to fall to 2% later this year. The BoJ has said it would consider tightening policy only if there is evidence that inflation is sustainable, such as stronger wage growth. Japan's labour unions won substantial wage hikes earlier this month, and time will tell if wage growth kick-starts the weak economy and leads to higher inflation, which could force the BoJ, under new management, to reassess its easy monetary policy.
USD/JPY is testing support at 132.60. Below, there is support at 131.12
133.75 and 134.48 are the next resistance lines
AUD/USD - Aussie falls as inflation dipsThe Australian dollar is trading at 0.6670 in Europe, down 0.57%. Australian inflation was lower than expected, raising speculation that the Reserve Bank of Australia might pause at its April meeting.
Australia's inflation rate for February eased to 6.7% y/y, down from 7.4% prior and the 7.2% estimate. It may be too early to declare that inflation has peaked, but there's no question that inflation is heading in the right direction. That is good news for businesses and households, which have been hurt by the double-punch of high inflation and rising interest rates.
The unexpected sharp drop in inflation likely has cemented the RBA pausing at the April 4th meeting, and that is weighing on the Australian dollar today. RBA Governor Lowe had said that this week's retail sales and inflation releases would be key factors in the rate decision. Retail sales slowed to just 0.2% m/m in February, down from 1.2% prior and shy of the estimate of 0.4%. Weak consumer spending and falling inflation point to the economy slowing, and the RBA will likely respond with a pause, which would be the first since the rate-tightening cycle began in May 2022. The markets have fully priced in a pause at next week's meeting, with a likelihood of around 90%.
In the US, higher rates have taken a toll on the housing sector. Pending Home Sales has recorded mostly declines over the past year, as potential home buyers are finding it more difficult to afford a new home. The indicator is expected to come in at -2.9% in February, after an unexpected jump of 8.1% in January.
AUD/USD is testing resistance at 0.6676. Above, there is resistance at 0.6728.
There is support at 0.6565 and 0.6402
Inflation and Business Cycle: What will happen next?Inflation has been rising aggressively since 2021. It accelerated from 2% to hit an all-time high of 9.1% in June 2022. As inflation rose, central banks like the Fed raised interest rates to control inflation . But this effort to control inflation, on one hand made money more expensive for the industries and on the other hand pushed consumers to reduce their spendings.
Many economists had already predicted rising inflation and its impeding worst impact on the global economy and stock markets. Still, there are fears everywhere that bear markets could persist and even a further decline is likely.
Here the basic question arises that must be understood:
WHAT IS INFLATION & WHY DOES IT OCCUR?
In fact, inflation occurs whenever demand for goods and services increases while supply remains constrained.
Growth is everyone's dream...
To capitalize on this aspiration, banks provide cash at low interest rates to support growth, but unfortunately this cash is used by people to buy luxuries like cars, electronics and homes. Cars need fuel and metals, electronics need high R&D spending and skilled human capital, and houses need building materials. Pressure on luxury items leads to price increases.
Technically speaking, when demand accelerates faster than supply, it has a net effect on price. This phenomenon is referred to as the law of demand, which states: "If more people want to buy something, when there is limited supply, the price of that thing will be higher." (The same law of demand applies in the stock market: as demand for stocks increases, their price increases.)
After Covid-19, global demand for goods and services began to normalize (increase). But to boost growth, which had been severely hampered in Covid times, banks made easy loans available at attractive interest rates. The resulting increase in the supply of money in the markets stimulated consumer spending. Ideally, if growth had been at a sustained pace and in the productive sectors, inflation would not have occurred. But that never happens - a phenomenon that creates the business cycle.
A business cycle has phases of expansion and contraction.
We are currently in the contraction phase of the business cycle - inflation is still high, interest rates and yields are unbearable, and industrial performance has declined.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN NEXT?
- Unbearable prices will force consumers to reduce their spending/demand
- High interest rates and reduced demand will reduce industry revenues and profits
- Equity markets will continue to show poor performance
But good times will come again!
When the market bottoms out in the business cycle, expansion begins. This will be an ideal time to invest in growth and value stocks.
Federal Reserve Balance Sheet Projected to Exceed $19 TrillionWave structures on these Economic Indexes tend to play out fairly often, such as in the case for Various CPI and Interest Rate Charts which can bee seen in the Related Ideas tab below. With that in mind, I now turn to The Federal Reserve Balance Sheet; and when I look at the Balance Sheet what I see is that since the Inception of this chart, it has traded within an Equidistant Channel that can be easily viewed and plotted in Log scale.
When I look deeper into this I can also see that since around the end of the 2008 GFC when mass bailouts occurred, the RSI on the Balance Sheet has typically stayed Elevated and Above the Bullish Control Zone: meaning any time spent below the level of 70 has typically been followed by insane expansionary rallies, thus huge continuations in the rapid increases of the Balance Sheet.
Additionally, it can also be seen that as of recent times (notably since the mid 2010s) the MACD has become a great indicator in the form of Hidden Bullish Divergences appearing just before huge continuations to the upside; these mid 2010 events align with the blunder that were the taper tantrums in which the fed ultimately capitulated on their monetary tightening stance and decided to expand the Balance Sheet Exponentially Higher and now looking at the chart we can see yet another Hidden Bullish Divergence forming that will be confirmed at the close of the month after the next trading week signaling that another big wave up is about to begin.
Lastly, when zooming all the way out and taking in all the data at once, it can be seen that we are in what looks to be an AB=CD wave structure in which the first expansion was a 400% Expansion and the Current Expansion is on the way to being yet another 400%. We are currently about halfway there and the AB=CD Wave Structure would suggest that the Federal Reserve will more than double it's Balance Sheet by 2026 as the Federal Reserve capitulates yet again in an attempt to save the current fragile economic system.
Inflation dominates financial stability risks for central banksDespite the banking industry turmoil, central banks continued to raise rates last week. This marked moves from the European Central Bank (ECB) by 50Bps, Federal Reserve (Fed) by 25Bps, Bank of England by 25Bps, Swiss National Bank by 50Bps, Norway by 25Bps, the Philippines by 25Bps, and Taiwan by 12.5Bps. Central banks appear determined to show they have the tools in place to nip financial stability issues in the bud and so monetary policy is free to deal with inflation.
The Fed is likely nearly done
The March Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) turned out to be on the dovish side. This was evident in the written statement in which the FOMC anticipates – “some additional policy firming may be appropriate” from “ongoing increases in the target range will be appropriate”. There was a risk that if the Fed chose not to hike rates, it would raise concerns about further financial system weakness. The reason given was that financial instability was "likely to result in tighter credit conditions for households and businesses and to weigh on economic activity, hiring, and inflation”.
The Fed has clearly signalled to the markets that it can control financial contagion from spreading by providing large amounts of liquidity. Over the past weeks we have seen a combination of measures to stabilise the market turmoil, including 1) The Fed’s proposal to provide immediate deposit protection and emergency lending 2) the intervention by Swiss Authorities to merge Switzerland’s two biggest banks and 3) the resumption of a dollar swap facility among central banks.
If the banking crisis calms down and the economic data looks anything similar to the January/February reports, another rate hike at the May FOMC meeting should not be ruled out. Conversely, ongoing market dislocations could outweigh the data and push the Fed into pause mode. Currently the implied probability for Fed Funds Futures looks for a rate cut during the summer. That scenario can only materialise if the risks emanating from the banking system continue to deteriorate from a market and/or economic perspective.
Gold offers a potential investment solution
There is no doubt that the investment landscape is fraught with elevated uncertainty and, of course, the volatility that comes with it. Gold is benefitting twofold from its safe haven status alongside the earlier than expected pivot in monetary policy by the Fed. While the Fed does not currently see rate cuts this year, in contrast to market expectations, its projections raise the prospect of rate cuts for 2024 which remains price supportive for gold.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has now largely caught up with publishing futures positioning data for gold following the disruption in February due to a ransomware attack on ION Trading. We now know there was a slump in positioning during February, but net longs in gold futures rose back above 154k contracts on 14 March 2023 as the banking crisis was unfolding.
Laying an emphasis on quality stocks
Rising concerns about financial stability tends to cause negative feedback on the real economy. Quality has stood the test of time, displaying the steadiest outperformance over 10-year periods. Dating back to the 1970s, quality has displayed the highest percentage 89% of outperforming periods in comparison to other well-known factors.
The WisdomTree Global Developed Quality Dividend Index (Ticker: WTDDGTR Index) offers investors an exposure to dividend paying stocks in developed markets with a quality tilt. The WisdomTree Global Developed Quality Dividend Index has outperformed the MSCI World Index (Ticker: MXWO Index) by 1.54% over the past five years. The emphasis on quality, by tilting the portfolio exposure to stocks with a high return on equity has played an important role in its outperformance versus the benchmark.
Over the past five years, we also observed the allocation and selection of stocks within the information technology, financial and healthcare sectors contributed meaningfully to the 1.54% outperformance versus the MSCI World Index as highlighted below.
#BOND crisis to fuel monetary expansion The Fed is damned by inflation if they print, damned by bank runs if they dont print. And with recession on the way, history shows we could plumb to new lows if the Fed only prints enough to backstop banks and pensions. Early 2000s and early 1930s were two such cases where the Fed aggressively lowered rates for well over 18 months but markets continued to trend lower anyway. But 2008 ushered in central bank quantitative easing, so with QE at the Fed's disposal, it is more likely the growth of M2 will accelerate which will keep inflation stubbornly high if not higher.
A new factor that wasn't present before is that we have increasing M2 from China and Japan which has been a large driver of the market bounce we've seen in stocks and crypto since the start of the year.
The 2-yr and 10-yr rates are heading lower in a hurry. CME Fed futures currently predicts one more 25 bps hike to a terminal rate of 500-525 then three consecutive drops of 25 bps. Higher inflation would become the standard as the Fed would be forced to accept a higher inflation target well above 2% which Ray Dalio had predicted in one of his published pieces.
USD/CHF - Swiss franc climbs higher, SNB meeting eyedThe Swiss franc continues to rally and is trading in North America at 0.9139, down 0.37%. USD/CHF has fallen some 200 points in just one week.
SNB goes for oversize hike
The Swiss National Bank raised rates by 50 basis points today, bringing the cash rate to 1.50%. It was a toss-up whether the SNB would raise rates by 25 or 50 bp, and in the end, policy makers opted for the larger increase. There were strong reasons to support either move. Swiss inflation jumped to 3.4% in February, its highest level since 1993. Although these levels are very low compared to other major economies, inflation is above the target of 0%-2% and this supported a 50-bp increase. At the same time, the market turmoil triggered by the bank crisis provided the SNB with an out, if it so wished, to opt for a smaller 25-bp hike.
SNB head Jordan said after the rate decision that the UBS takeover of Credit Suisse had averted a financial disaster, not just for Switzerland but for the global economy. Jordan warned that it was critical that the merger take place in a smooth manner in order to maintain financial stability. The SNB has been busy lately, providing $53 billion for the takeover and signing on to a coordinated move by six central banks to boost liquidity.
The Federal Reserve raised rates by 25 bp on Wednesday as expected, but the move was a "dovish hike". The Fed changed the language in the rate statement, stating that tighter policy "may be appropriate", compared to "will be appropriate" in the previous statement. The dot plot chart indicated a forecast of a terminal rate of 5.1% for the end of 2023, unchanged from December.
The Fed's battle against inflation, which is showing results, hit a snag due to the recent bank crisis which sent the markets into turmoil. The Fed made reference to the crisis in the rate statement, stating that, "The US banking system is sound and resilient", but added that it was uncertain how the fallout of the crisis would impact the economy and inflation. ECB President Lagarde said this week that the banking debacle could help curb eurozone inflation, and the same argument, I suppose, can be said about inflation in the US.
The recent turmoil in the markets means that the Fed's rate path is unclear. With inflation still high, there is a need for additional tightening, but at the same time, tighter policy could worsen the stress on the banking system. The markets are expecting the current tightening cycle to end soon, with a pause and rate cuts to follow later in the year.
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USD/CHF is putting pressure on support at 0.9110. The next support level is 0.8935
0.9226 and 0.9304 are the next resistance lines