* Goldman under fire from SEC for selling CDO;s without disclosing who structured it - in this case the -now famous hedgefundmanager John Paulson.
Politics, politics,,, well, so what else is new?
Question is whether this really holds water.
Alledgedly Goldman invested alongside it and lost 90m Usd on it - excluding their 15m Usd fee.
Legally Goldman was not obliged to disclose John Paulson in the offering . End of story.
From a populistic and political point of view, however, Goldman might still be viewed as guilty.
In any case, this means the door is open for more financial regulation.
* The Volcano impact
Well, apart from threatening to lower European GDP and world trade ditto plus some heavy impacts on certain industries and business models, it seems certain to generate the favourite European political answer to any economic problem these days; yet more subsidies.
Its interesting to note that so far sovereign debt within the OECD equals 50% of OECD savings and global sovereign debt equals 25% of global savings,,,, Higher yields, anyone?
It would be interesting to hear the riskmanagementplan from various countries, on how to handle the tremendous sovereign leverage currently at hand. Politicians in Brussels may well believe they are in the process of saving the Euro area, but there is an unquantified risk that may very well be substantial, that they actually are in the process of sinking it instead.
With the sovereign debt mountain growing and growing, perhaps it would just be prudent if a Volcano popped the bubble in time. The Icelandic bigger sister Volcano Katla, might just do this, if it too comes to life. Unfortunately, we might now be beyond the point of control due to the leverage situation. Hence, the fall out (pardon the punt) could be very scary indeed. Til then, low rates means low volatility and a continuation of already inflated assetprices. And then?
*Positions
- After having pushed through 1,3530, theres been some noice. Given the background macro scenario and the fact that we pushed below 1,3530 again, I am now short Eur/Usd, looking for 1,30.
- After Equities pushed through on the topside, I went long. I have now reversed to short. Looking for 2-5% retracement in this current low volatility environment.
- Short European airlines via options
- Short GLD ETF via options
- Short Oil via long SOIL ETF
As usual, good luck
The comments and posts published in this blog ARE NOT trading recommendations. They can NEVER be considered as trading calls or advices. If you decide to use the information offered here for your real trading it is at your own risk.
Trading on margin carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you. Before deciding to trade you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience and risk appetite. The possibility exists that you could sustain a loss of some or all of your initial investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with trading and seek advice from an independent financial advisor if you have any doubts.
Errors and Omissions may occur.
Any opinions, news, research, analyses, prices or other information contained on this website is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute investment advice."www.todaysmacrotrading.blogspot.com" will not accept liability for any loss or damage, including without limitation to, any loss of profit, which may arise directly or indirectly from use of or reliance on such information.
© 2008 "www.todaysmacrotrading.blogspot.com:The traders blog" All Rights Reserved.
19 April 2010
26 March 2010
Eur/Usd consolidating post Greece announcement; 1.3530 should cap it.
* Eur/Usd has moved higher since yesterday
I took profit on my short Eur/Usd position as spot broke through 1.3350.
Alledgedly there are real money on the bids today. Whether that is an indication that we will see a correction higher or not well have to see. A consolidation/correction might very well take place here but any move higher should be capped in the 1.3530 area or Ill reevaluate. Til then 1.30 will remain my near term target. I will be looking to reenter short Eur/Usd positions.
* Equities correcting lower; take profit/squeeze friday?
Not to me. Equities looks toppish and should cave in before long. Im running short equity positions on US and European indexes, spiced with some shorts on weak banks, looking for a 10% move nearterm. Ill stop out and reevaluate if indexes push above their highs from yesterday.
As usual, good luck
The comments and posts published in this blog ARE NOT trading recommendations. They can NEVER be considered as trading calls or advices. If you decide to use the information offered here for your real trading it is at your own risk.
Trading on margin carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you. Before deciding to trade you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience and risk appetite. The possibility exists that you could sustain a loss of some or all of your initial investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with trading and seek advice from an independent financial advisor if you have any doubts.
Errors and Omissions may occur.
Any opinions, news, research, analyses, prices or other information contained on this website is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute investment advice."www.todaysmacrotrading.blogspot.com" will not accept liability for any loss or damage, including without limitation to, any loss of profit, which may arise directly or indirectly from use of or reliance on such information.
© 2008 "www.todaysmacrotrading.blogspot.com:The traders blog" All Rights Reserved.
I took profit on my short Eur/Usd position as spot broke through 1.3350.
Alledgedly there are real money on the bids today. Whether that is an indication that we will see a correction higher or not well have to see. A consolidation/correction might very well take place here but any move higher should be capped in the 1.3530 area or Ill reevaluate. Til then 1.30 will remain my near term target. I will be looking to reenter short Eur/Usd positions.
* Equities correcting lower; take profit/squeeze friday?
Not to me. Equities looks toppish and should cave in before long. Im running short equity positions on US and European indexes, spiced with some shorts on weak banks, looking for a 10% move nearterm. Ill stop out and reevaluate if indexes push above their highs from yesterday.
As usual, good luck
The comments and posts published in this blog ARE NOT trading recommendations. They can NEVER be considered as trading calls or advices. If you decide to use the information offered here for your real trading it is at your own risk.
Trading on margin carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you. Before deciding to trade you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience and risk appetite. The possibility exists that you could sustain a loss of some or all of your initial investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with trading and seek advice from an independent financial advisor if you have any doubts.
Errors and Omissions may occur.
Any opinions, news, research, analyses, prices or other information contained on this website is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute investment advice."www.todaysmacrotrading.blogspot.com" will not accept liability for any loss or damage, including without limitation to, any loss of profit, which may arise directly or indirectly from use of or reliance on such information.
© 2008 "www.todaysmacrotrading.blogspot.com:The traders blog" All Rights Reserved.
25 March 2010
Greece;"Old" Plan "B" is launched, lower Eur, Equities to follow.
* German profile on Greece rescue plan increasing pressure on the Euro
Focus now on yield curves; with yet more European peripheral deflationary pressure unleashed and US yield curve steepening, the scene is set for a lower Eur/Usd still.
It seems the EU rescue plan for Greece is a copy of a German proposal presented three weeks ago. And as such, it is not really "new". Anyhow, the proposal is short on detail and will certainly mean severe hardship for the citizens of Greece. They are about to share the Latvian people´s experience. Question is, will the Greece citizens handle the hardship in a similar way? I doubt it. To me, civil unrest risks are higher in Greece.
EU politicians are hardly united, but more importantly, the ECB is voicing quite strong objections against any IMF led resue plan, emphasising an EU led solution. Markets will want more details on the proposal, translated into concrete action. I does not seem we will get it for the time being.
* Eur/Usd to go lower still
With a steepening US yield curve and longer end long term correlation to break up with the European ditto and Europe facing yet another wave of deflation initiated by Greece and upcoming fiscal budgetary measures for the other southern European PIIGS countries represented by Spain and Portugal, Eur/Usd should be heading lower still. The 1.30 level is within striking distance.
* Eur/Usd, US yield and equities
There has been a breakup there for a while now. However, I believe equities will play catch up. Ie equities will soon go lower. US yields will be important to watch as any move by the 10 year bond above 4% - 4.25% is likely to make many institutional investors consider scaling back on their equity holdings. With equity vols at close to pre crisis low levels, long equity puts seems an interesting proposition. The timing seems to be right. Famous last,,,,
* Usd/Jpy going higher
Japanese institutional flows to seek higher yields abroad post fiscal year end as Japan is going back to QE. Besides, majority of outflows during this fiscal year has been currency hedged by Japanese institutions, buying Jpy in the process. Going forward, due to the Japanese QE and the Usd strength, the FX hedging ratio may well be lower, meaning less Jpy buying.
The important 91 level in Usd/Jpy has broken to the topside. I go for a continuation towards the high nineties.
As usual, good luck.
The comments and posts published in this blog ARE NOT trading recommendations. They can NEVER be considered as trading calls or advices. If you decide to use the information offered here for your real trading it is at your own risk.
Trading on margin carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you. Before deciding to trade you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience and risk appetite. The possibility exists that you could sustain a loss of some or all of your initial investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with trading and seek advice from an independent financial advisor if you have any doubts.
Errors and Omissions may occur.
Any opinions, news, research, analyses, prices or other information contained on this website is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute investment advice."www.todaysmacrotrading.blogspot.com" will not accept liability for any loss or damage, including without limitation to, any loss of profit, which may arise directly or indirectly from use of or reliance on such information.
© 2008 "www.todaysmacrotrading.blogspot.com:The traders blog" All Rights Reserved.
Focus now on yield curves; with yet more European peripheral deflationary pressure unleashed and US yield curve steepening, the scene is set for a lower Eur/Usd still.
It seems the EU rescue plan for Greece is a copy of a German proposal presented three weeks ago. And as such, it is not really "new". Anyhow, the proposal is short on detail and will certainly mean severe hardship for the citizens of Greece. They are about to share the Latvian people´s experience. Question is, will the Greece citizens handle the hardship in a similar way? I doubt it. To me, civil unrest risks are higher in Greece.
EU politicians are hardly united, but more importantly, the ECB is voicing quite strong objections against any IMF led resue plan, emphasising an EU led solution. Markets will want more details on the proposal, translated into concrete action. I does not seem we will get it for the time being.
* Eur/Usd to go lower still
With a steepening US yield curve and longer end long term correlation to break up with the European ditto and Europe facing yet another wave of deflation initiated by Greece and upcoming fiscal budgetary measures for the other southern European PIIGS countries represented by Spain and Portugal, Eur/Usd should be heading lower still. The 1.30 level is within striking distance.
* Eur/Usd, US yield and equities
There has been a breakup there for a while now. However, I believe equities will play catch up. Ie equities will soon go lower. US yields will be important to watch as any move by the 10 year bond above 4% - 4.25% is likely to make many institutional investors consider scaling back on their equity holdings. With equity vols at close to pre crisis low levels, long equity puts seems an interesting proposition. The timing seems to be right. Famous last,,,,
* Usd/Jpy going higher
Japanese institutional flows to seek higher yields abroad post fiscal year end as Japan is going back to QE. Besides, majority of outflows during this fiscal year has been currency hedged by Japanese institutions, buying Jpy in the process. Going forward, due to the Japanese QE and the Usd strength, the FX hedging ratio may well be lower, meaning less Jpy buying.
The important 91 level in Usd/Jpy has broken to the topside. I go for a continuation towards the high nineties.
As usual, good luck.
The comments and posts published in this blog ARE NOT trading recommendations. They can NEVER be considered as trading calls or advices. If you decide to use the information offered here for your real trading it is at your own risk.
Trading on margin carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you. Before deciding to trade you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience and risk appetite. The possibility exists that you could sustain a loss of some or all of your initial investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with trading and seek advice from an independent financial advisor if you have any doubts.
Errors and Omissions may occur.
Any opinions, news, research, analyses, prices or other information contained on this website is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute investment advice."www.todaysmacrotrading.blogspot.com" will not accept liability for any loss or damage, including without limitation to, any loss of profit, which may arise directly or indirectly from use of or reliance on such information.
© 2008 "www.todaysmacrotrading.blogspot.com:The traders blog" All Rights Reserved.
19 March 2010
Low rates, low vol - what more can assetmarkets ask for?
* CB;s are clinging to QE, but the correlation in long duration bonds between Us and Europe is likely to break up, generating increased assetvolatility in the process.
We are entering a new phase where many western countries will find themselves in a situation where synthetically low rates is increasingly making a workable exitplan very difficult.
My guess is that Centralbanks will wait too long before they raise rates, risking stagflation to develop pre raising. Once they do raise they will be unnecessesarily far behind the curve, generating a swift and drastic rate rise once the trigger is pulled.
* Whats happening next then?
Greece still in focus, and may remain there for a while still, as the Greece April and May refinancing is rapidly approaching. Otherwise, it seems the headline frequency would indicate it is a bit overdone.
Nearterm I am positioned for lower equitymarkets, banksectors and Eur/Usd, weaker Zar and Try.
* The Swedish bullcase
The increased focus on sovereign debt has served Sweden well, since Swedish finances, from a relative perspective is doing quite well. A word of caution is warranted here however.
1) This is now a clear consensus trade by every category of the market.
2) Europe and Sweden has not cleaned up their toxic assets in the same way US has. Sweden and their baltic assets being a case in point. Swedbank still has baltic assets valued at very weird levels; Swedbank lost 11Bn SEK last year, they have baltic goodwill valued at 12 Bn SEK.
This equates to the board expecting a 6%-7% annual growth for the Baltic assets for the next 30 years!
Now, thats a crystalball for you.
The Baltics is still an unstable asset area no matter what the banks say,
3) Sweden is one of the few countries where the vast majority of household loans are floating shortterm rates. and loanvolumes are still rising sharply,,,,,,, Should/when the Riksbank be forced to sharp interestrate rise,,,,
Well see,,,,
Anyway, short term I expect weaker SEK assets.
As usual, good luck
The comments and posts published in this blog ARE NOT trading recommendations. They can NEVER be considered as trading calls or advices. If you decide to use the information offered here for your real trading it is at your own risk.
Trading on margin carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you. Before deciding to trade you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience and risk appetite. The possibility exists that you could sustain a loss of some or all of your initial investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with trading and seek advice from an independent financial advisor if you have any doubts.
Errors and Omissions may occur.
Any opinions, news, research, analyses, prices or other information contained on this website is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute investment advice."www.todaysmacrotrading.blogspot.com" will not accept liability for any loss or damage, including without limitation to, any loss of profit, which may arise directly or indirectly from use of or reliance on such information.
© 2008 "www.todaysmacrotrading.blogspot.com:The traders blog" All Rights Reserved.
We are entering a new phase where many western countries will find themselves in a situation where synthetically low rates is increasingly making a workable exitplan very difficult.
My guess is that Centralbanks will wait too long before they raise rates, risking stagflation to develop pre raising. Once they do raise they will be unnecessesarily far behind the curve, generating a swift and drastic rate rise once the trigger is pulled.
* Whats happening next then?
Greece still in focus, and may remain there for a while still, as the Greece April and May refinancing is rapidly approaching. Otherwise, it seems the headline frequency would indicate it is a bit overdone.
Nearterm I am positioned for lower equitymarkets, banksectors and Eur/Usd, weaker Zar and Try.
* The Swedish bullcase
The increased focus on sovereign debt has served Sweden well, since Swedish finances, from a relative perspective is doing quite well. A word of caution is warranted here however.
1) This is now a clear consensus trade by every category of the market.
2) Europe and Sweden has not cleaned up their toxic assets in the same way US has. Sweden and their baltic assets being a case in point. Swedbank still has baltic assets valued at very weird levels; Swedbank lost 11Bn SEK last year, they have baltic goodwill valued at 12 Bn SEK.
This equates to the board expecting a 6%-7% annual growth for the Baltic assets for the next 30 years!
Now, thats a crystalball for you.
The Baltics is still an unstable asset area no matter what the banks say,
3) Sweden is one of the few countries where the vast majority of household loans are floating shortterm rates. and loanvolumes are still rising sharply,,,,,,, Should/when the Riksbank be forced to sharp interestrate rise,,,,
Well see,,,,
Anyway, short term I expect weaker SEK assets.
As usual, good luck
The comments and posts published in this blog ARE NOT trading recommendations. They can NEVER be considered as trading calls or advices. If you decide to use the information offered here for your real trading it is at your own risk.
Trading on margin carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you. Before deciding to trade you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience and risk appetite. The possibility exists that you could sustain a loss of some or all of your initial investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with trading and seek advice from an independent financial advisor if you have any doubts.
Errors and Omissions may occur.
Any opinions, news, research, analyses, prices or other information contained on this website is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute investment advice."www.todaysmacrotrading.blogspot.com" will not accept liability for any loss or damage, including without limitation to, any loss of profit, which may arise directly or indirectly from use of or reliance on such information.
© 2008 "www.todaysmacrotrading.blogspot.com:The traders blog" All Rights Reserved.
21 January 2010
Chinese tightening fears and the Greek´s fiscal problems
* Chinese tighteningfears and Greek budget issues are currently weighing on equities
The Chinese tighteningfears may be well placed, but the Chinese numbers seem to indicate that inflation is no big issue as of yet. Question is if one can trust the numbers.
Same goes for the Greek fiscal numbers. There is an obvious market risk with the Greek CDS rate climbing higher. Countries with similar or worse problems might get under the market´s spotlight, increasing market volatility. A few CEE countries are still suffering from overleveraging in hard currencies. The Baltics are still in dire straits, with Latvia still a case in point. It seems there is a discrepancy between the market pricing of assetrisk vs the current macro realities.
* If 2009 was the year for Centralbank conformity, will 2010 become the year of Centralbank differentiation?
Although the Western world is still in a world of deflation, Asia is not. Liquidity is abundant. Capital is not. Asia will likely increasingly focus on domestic demand and less on exports. Hiking interestrates in the process, sucking in hot money. To prevent hot money inflows, regualory measures will have to be taken in order to disincentivise these flows.
A net effect will still be stronger Asian currencies, increasing the speed of global rebalancing.
This will increase the pressure for a stronger CNY, and thus a ditto USD.
Macrowise this should weigh on equities, especially if China starts exporting inflation, increasing the impetus for higher global rates.
On a positive note, this should also mean increased margins for Western exportcompanies with solid finances and an Asian distribution.
* New positions and position changes
- Took profit on my Long Eur/Usd position.
- Short Eur/Usd
- Long R/R on various banks with exposure to the Baltics and the CEE.
As usual, good luck
The comments and posts published in this blog ARE NOT trading recommendations. They can NEVER be considered as trading calls or advices. If you decide to use the information offered here for your real trading it is at your own risk.
Trading on margin carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you. Before deciding to trade you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience and risk appetite. The possibility exists that you could sustain a loss of some or all of your initial investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with trading and seek advice from an independent financial advisor if you have any doubts.
Errors and Omissions may occur.
Any opinions, news, research, analyses, prices or other information contained on this website is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute investment advice."www.todaysmacrotrading.blogspot.com" will not accept liability for any loss or damage, including without limitation to, any loss of profit, which may arise directly or indirectly from use of or reliance on such information.
© 2008 "www.todaysmacrotrading.blogspot.com:The traders blog" All Rights Reserved.
The Chinese tighteningfears may be well placed, but the Chinese numbers seem to indicate that inflation is no big issue as of yet. Question is if one can trust the numbers.
Same goes for the Greek fiscal numbers. There is an obvious market risk with the Greek CDS rate climbing higher. Countries with similar or worse problems might get under the market´s spotlight, increasing market volatility. A few CEE countries are still suffering from overleveraging in hard currencies. The Baltics are still in dire straits, with Latvia still a case in point. It seems there is a discrepancy between the market pricing of assetrisk vs the current macro realities.
* If 2009 was the year for Centralbank conformity, will 2010 become the year of Centralbank differentiation?
Although the Western world is still in a world of deflation, Asia is not. Liquidity is abundant. Capital is not. Asia will likely increasingly focus on domestic demand and less on exports. Hiking interestrates in the process, sucking in hot money. To prevent hot money inflows, regualory measures will have to be taken in order to disincentivise these flows.
A net effect will still be stronger Asian currencies, increasing the speed of global rebalancing.
This will increase the pressure for a stronger CNY, and thus a ditto USD.
Macrowise this should weigh on equities, especially if China starts exporting inflation, increasing the impetus for higher global rates.
On a positive note, this should also mean increased margins for Western exportcompanies with solid finances and an Asian distribution.
* New positions and position changes
- Took profit on my Long Eur/Usd position.
- Short Eur/Usd
- Long R/R on various banks with exposure to the Baltics and the CEE.
As usual, good luck
The comments and posts published in this blog ARE NOT trading recommendations. They can NEVER be considered as trading calls or advices. If you decide to use the information offered here for your real trading it is at your own risk.
Trading on margin carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you. Before deciding to trade you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience and risk appetite. The possibility exists that you could sustain a loss of some or all of your initial investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with trading and seek advice from an independent financial advisor if you have any doubts.
Errors and Omissions may occur.
Any opinions, news, research, analyses, prices or other information contained on this website is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute investment advice."www.todaysmacrotrading.blogspot.com" will not accept liability for any loss or damage, including without limitation to, any loss of profit, which may arise directly or indirectly from use of or reliance on such information.
© 2008 "www.todaysmacrotrading.blogspot.com:The traders blog" All Rights Reserved.
04 January 2010
Government debt - the ignored risk.
* Although markets have recently been reminded of the dangers of too high government debt, it is not really viewed as a major risk.
To some extent, this makes logical sense. After all, last year governments and centralbankers coordinated their efforts in taking on debt on a massive scale and it worked, right?
It sure did. For the markets. Shortterm. From here though, there is not a lot of room to take on more government debt. Rather the opposite. The build up has been massive. Still though, the private sector is struggling with high unemployment, low growth, weak corporate balancesheets and a still highly leveraged household sector as well as a mixed realestate world, where some realestatemarkets have not really adjusted as of yet.
To top it off, the creditplug is still in place.
On the positive side, the patient is out of the hospital, but still high on drugs. Whether everything actually works as it should it far from certain. However, the patient viewed as if this is the case.
Against this background, I am focusing on macro fundamentals to get it right. I suggest will likewise have a sovereign theme to start off the year.
Hence, NOK and CAD should be preferred, GBP, EUR, JPY, ZAR and NZD should not. Although in the ZAR and NZD case, the yield factor will likely be counterproductive to such position in a low volatility environment.
China´s and India´s PMI rises to 56.6 and 55.6 respectively will support the stockmarkets. However, this will also drive expectations of Asian rate rises. This in turn will affect US rate hike expectations. Which in turn will generate expectations of a stronger USD in order to compensate for undervalued Asian ones. This could tip the stockmarket lower,,,,,,,
* The US ISM number should be under scrutiny today. A strong one will likely drive US yields higher still, dragging the Usd with it. I view the last two weeks low correlation between the USD and equities as temporary due to year end flows. A strong Usd from here should weigh on equities.
As usual, good luck
The comments and posts published in this blog ARE NOT trading recommendations. They can NEVER be considered as trading calls or advices. If you decide to use the information offered here for your real trading it is at your own risk.
Trading on margin carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you. Before deciding to trade you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience and risk appetite. The possibility exists that you could sustain a loss of some or all of your initial investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with trading and seek advice from an independent financial advisor if you have any doubts.
Errors and Omissions may occur.
Any opinions, news, research, analyses, prices or other information contained on this website is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute investment advice."www.todaysmacrotrading.blogspot.com" will not accept liability for any loss or damage, including without limitation to, any loss of profit, which may arise directly or indirectly from use of or reliance on such information.
© 2008 "www.todaysmacrotrading.blogspot.com:The traders blog" All Rights Reserved.
To some extent, this makes logical sense. After all, last year governments and centralbankers coordinated their efforts in taking on debt on a massive scale and it worked, right?
It sure did. For the markets. Shortterm. From here though, there is not a lot of room to take on more government debt. Rather the opposite. The build up has been massive. Still though, the private sector is struggling with high unemployment, low growth, weak corporate balancesheets and a still highly leveraged household sector as well as a mixed realestate world, where some realestatemarkets have not really adjusted as of yet.
To top it off, the creditplug is still in place.
On the positive side, the patient is out of the hospital, but still high on drugs. Whether everything actually works as it should it far from certain. However, the patient viewed as if this is the case.
Against this background, I am focusing on macro fundamentals to get it right. I suggest will likewise have a sovereign theme to start off the year.
Hence, NOK and CAD should be preferred, GBP, EUR, JPY, ZAR and NZD should not. Although in the ZAR and NZD case, the yield factor will likely be counterproductive to such position in a low volatility environment.
China´s and India´s PMI rises to 56.6 and 55.6 respectively will support the stockmarkets. However, this will also drive expectations of Asian rate rises. This in turn will affect US rate hike expectations. Which in turn will generate expectations of a stronger USD in order to compensate for undervalued Asian ones. This could tip the stockmarket lower,,,,,,,
* The US ISM number should be under scrutiny today. A strong one will likely drive US yields higher still, dragging the Usd with it. I view the last two weeks low correlation between the USD and equities as temporary due to year end flows. A strong Usd from here should weigh on equities.
As usual, good luck
The comments and posts published in this blog ARE NOT trading recommendations. They can NEVER be considered as trading calls or advices. If you decide to use the information offered here for your real trading it is at your own risk.
Trading on margin carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you. Before deciding to trade you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience and risk appetite. The possibility exists that you could sustain a loss of some or all of your initial investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with trading and seek advice from an independent financial advisor if you have any doubts.
Errors and Omissions may occur.
Any opinions, news, research, analyses, prices or other information contained on this website is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute investment advice."www.todaysmacrotrading.blogspot.com" will not accept liability for any loss or damage, including without limitation to, any loss of profit, which may arise directly or indirectly from use of or reliance on such information.
© 2008 "www.todaysmacrotrading.blogspot.com:The traders blog" All Rights Reserved.
03 January 2010
Happy new year and decade
* A new calendar year, a new decade
If leverage up was the theme for the last decade, it certainly still hangs around as a theme going into the new one. With centralbanks keeping rates artificially low it is bound to continue.
Question is for how long.
Sovereign risk is definitely high up on the agenda and will likely play an important part in the macro world from here. As the creditplug remains, this is still a big risk ..factor to be reconned with.
The vanilla household realestate market are is not really viewed as a big risk factor for creditlosses in the northern European countries, but it is likely underestimated.
* Initial assetviews on 2010
- Stronger Usd via a flatter US yieldcurve and an increased volatility for US yields, shift in Asian investment patterns from exports to domestic investments, contributing to global rebalancing.
Short term the most recent Usd strength looks a bit stretched. Shortterm I am selling Usd, looking to go long it once the correction is completed.
- Weaker equity indicies, especially in Europe, Euro related sovereign problems will remain, as will ditto creditplugs, creditlosses, high unemployment.
- Strong asian demand for soft commodities keeping them well supported, not so for other dittos.
- Increased pressure on "pegged" currencies due the global rebalancing process.
- Emerging market currencies increasingly vulnerable due to risk of higher global rates and a stronger Usd, disruptions to the "global recovery" story.
As usual, good luck
The comments and posts published in this blog ARE NOT trading recommendations. They can NEVER be considered as trading calls or advices. If you decide to use the information offered here for your real trading it is at your own risk.
Trading on margin carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you. Before deciding to trade you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience and risk appetite. The possibility exists that you could sustain a loss of some or all of your initial investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with trading and seek advice from an independent financial advisor if you have any doubts.
Errors and Omissions may occur.
Any opinions, news, research, analyses, prices or other information contained on this website is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute investment advice."www.todaysmacrotrading.blogspot.com" will not accept liability for any loss or damage, including without limitation to, any loss of profit, which may arise directly or indirectly from use of or reliance on such information.
© 2008 "www.todaysmacrotrading.blogspot.com:The traders blog" All Rights Reserved.
If leverage up was the theme for the last decade, it certainly still hangs around as a theme going into the new one. With centralbanks keeping rates artificially low it is bound to continue.
Question is for how long.
Sovereign risk is definitely high up on the agenda and will likely play an important part in the macro world from here. As the creditplug remains, this is still a big risk ..factor to be reconned with.
The vanilla household realestate market are is not really viewed as a big risk factor for creditlosses in the northern European countries, but it is likely underestimated.
* Initial assetviews on 2010
- Stronger Usd via a flatter US yieldcurve and an increased volatility for US yields, shift in Asian investment patterns from exports to domestic investments, contributing to global rebalancing.
Short term the most recent Usd strength looks a bit stretched. Shortterm I am selling Usd, looking to go long it once the correction is completed.
- Weaker equity indicies, especially in Europe, Euro related sovereign problems will remain, as will ditto creditplugs, creditlosses, high unemployment.
- Strong asian demand for soft commodities keeping them well supported, not so for other dittos.
- Increased pressure on "pegged" currencies due the global rebalancing process.
- Emerging market currencies increasingly vulnerable due to risk of higher global rates and a stronger Usd, disruptions to the "global recovery" story.
As usual, good luck
The comments and posts published in this blog ARE NOT trading recommendations. They can NEVER be considered as trading calls or advices. If you decide to use the information offered here for your real trading it is at your own risk.
Trading on margin carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you. Before deciding to trade you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience and risk appetite. The possibility exists that you could sustain a loss of some or all of your initial investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with trading and seek advice from an independent financial advisor if you have any doubts.
Errors and Omissions may occur.
Any opinions, news, research, analyses, prices or other information contained on this website is provided as general market commentary and does not constitute investment advice."www.todaysmacrotrading.blogspot.com" will not accept liability for any loss or damage, including without limitation to, any loss of profit, which may arise directly or indirectly from use of or reliance on such information.
© 2008 "www.todaysmacrotrading.blogspot.com:The traders blog" All Rights Reserved.
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