USD index at lowest in almost 2 weeks even with 10-year bond yields at 2.93%. EUR and GBP continue to recover, stock market called 200 points higher.
Daily Currency Update
The USD index peaked last Thursday around 90.25; a level it almost, but not quite, regained on Friday afternoon. From then on, as stock markets recovered, its index against a basket of major currencies fell over a full point to a low on Wednesday morning in Sydney around 89.05. When January CPI came in above consensus expectations (see below) the index jumped to a high of 89.60 as 10-year bond yields hit 2.89%, the DJIA fell 460 points and the USD strengthened against all the currencies we follow here. Within 2 hours, however, the stock market was back in positive territory on the day and the USD had a stunning turnaround; losing almost a full point by the time London traders headed for home and hitting the lowest level in 10 days. This morning has seen more of the same combination: stronger stocks and a weaker dollar. Futures markets are indicating the DJIA up more than 200 points but the USD index is down at 88.40; the weakest since the day of the payrolls numbers almost 2 weeks ago.The much-hyped January CPI figures came in higher than consensus expectations which were for a m/m gain of +0.3% which would have taken the annual rate down from 2.1% to 1.9%. Instead, CPI rose 0.5% m/m and the annual rate was unchanged at 2.1%. The so-called ‘core’ rate of inflation which excludes food & energy prices and is seen as a better measure of underlying inflation trends, was one-tenth higher than expected at +0.3% m/m (the biggest monthly increase since last January) which lifted the annual rate from 1.7% to 1.8%. Indeed, the actual unrounded figure for core inflation was just 1/1000th of a point from being revised up to 0.4% m/m. For all the angst over CPI, we should remember that – unlike the RBA, RBNZ or BoE – the Fed does not target this measure of inflation. It tracks a different index, the personal consumption expenditures price index excluding food and energy, which has consistently undershot the central bank’s 2 percent target since mid-2012 and tends to run around 0.3% below core CPI. In this sense, the panic over higher than expected CPI looks a little overdone, even if there’s no denying an upward trend.
As well as inflation numbers, the January retail sales data were also released. These were quite a bit softer than consensus forecasts with the headline number falling -0.3% m/m versus expectations of a +0.2% m/m increase. The ‘core’ number excluding auto sales was unchanged on the month compared to forecasts of a +0.4% increase. This was the first monthly drop in retail sales since last August and was accompanied by downward revisions to some of the back data. Details showed a significant decline in building materials & furniture while online sales and restaurant spending was unchanged. After the data release, analysts rushed to revise down their Q1 GDP estimates. JP Morgan moved from 3.0% to 2.5%, BAML from 2.3% to 2.0% and Morgan Stanley from 3.3% to 2.9%. The Atlanta Fed which just a few weeks ago was up at 5.2% and was 4.0% at the beginning of this week is now down much closer to the pack at 3.2%. With January industrial production figures scheduled for release this morning, The USD index opens in North America around 88.60.
Key Movers
The Canadian Dollar had pretty much exactly the same price action as all the other major currencies on Thursday (though of course we have to invert it for comparison) but having reversed all its losses in the immediate aftermath of the US economic data, (which again took USD/CAD on to a 1.26 big figure), it took several hours to catch up with movements elsewhere. Eventually it broke down through 1.25 and this morning sits at USD/CAD1.2480; the CAD’s best level since Monday last week.In economic data, January’s Teranet National Composite House Price Index rose 0.3% from the previous month, a touch higher than the historical average for January and a second consecutive monthly increase. The composite index was up 8.7% from a year earlier, the smallest 12-month rise since May 2016 and a seventh consecutive deceleration from the record 12-month gains of 14.2% last June. Moreover, only four of the 11 metropolitan markets surveyed showed gains – the first time since January 2016 that a rise in the Composite Index has had so little breadth. The rise was due mainly to a second straight monthly jump of the index for the important Vancouver market (1.2% in January on the heels of 1.3% in December). The Toronto index rose 0.2%, the Victoria index 1.0% and the Montreal index edged up 0.1%. For Vancouver, January was a ninth consecutive month without a decline. The cumulative rise over that period was 14.5%; comprised of 18.2% for condo units and 11.4% for all other housing. Vancouver and Montreal were the only markets surveyed whose index reached an all-time high in January
Today we’ll get to see the ADP payrolls report but coming almost a week after the official labour market data, it’s unlikely to have a great deal of market impact. At lunchtime locally there’s a speech from Bank of Canada Deputy Governor Lawrence Schembri. The Canadian Dollar opens in North America at USD/CAD1.2480, AUD/CAD0.9905 and GBP/CAD1.7545.
The calm which had engulfed the euro at the beginning of the week is now decisively over. EUR/USD traded on three different ‘big figures’ on Wednesday, falling from a high just below 1.24 to the mid 1.23’s immediately prior to the US CPI and retail sales numbers. The EUR then dropped over half a cent to 1.2305 but within ninety minutes had completely unwound its losses and went on to a best level in the mid-1.24’s; its strongest in 10 days. Earlier this morning it briefly touched USD1.2500 but has subsequently settled around 1.2480.
In economic news today, the trade surplus in the Eurozone rose to €23.8bn in December from a revised €22.0bn in November, above the consensus, €22.3bn and continuing a run which has seen the 3-month average (a better guide to trend than m/m numbers) in surplus for the entire period since 2012. This comes on the back of figures yesterday which showed the Eurozone economy expanded 0.6% in Q4 (at an annualized pace of 2.4% to quote it in comparable terms to the US numbers). Healthy growth but a general absence of inflationary pressures leaves 10-year German government bond yields at just 0.77% with the spread between Germany and the US at 216bp; its widest since April last year.
Whilst US trade deficits are most of spoken in the context of US-China or US-NAFTA, today’s figures from Eurostat show the EU had a trade surplus with the United States of 120.8 billion euros ($150.9 billion) in 2017, up from 113.1bn in 2016. Exports from the EU to the US increased to 375bn in 2017 from 363.5bn euros the year prior, while imports from the US grew to 254.2bn from 250.4bn in 2016. The EUR opens in North America this morning at USD1.2480 and EUR/CAD1.5585.
The British Pound spent most of Wednesday morning steadily falling and by lunchtime in Europe was by some distance the worst-performing of all the major currencies. GBP/USD stood just below 1.39 immediately before the US CPI numbers then dropped to a low just a few pips above 1.3800. It was then the quickest of all the major currencies to reverse its losses and went on to a day’s high just below 1.4000; more than a full cent above where it had been prior to the US data release. Overnight in Asia, it has regained a 1.40 ‘big figure’ for the first time in a week, reaching a high in Europe of USD1.4070.
In its annual review of the UK economy, the IMF noted, “Economic growth has moderated since the beginning of 2017, reflecting weakening domestic demand. The sharp depreciation of sterling following the referendum has raised consumer price inflation, squeezing household real income and consumption. Business investment has been constrained. In the medium term, growth is projected to remain at around 1.5 percent under the baseline assumption of continued progress in Brexit negotiations that lead to an understanding on a broad free trade agreement and on the transition process.” Executive Directors noted that “output growth remains positive and labor market performance strong, notwithstanding the moderation in economic activity that reflects the impact of the exchange rate depreciation on consumption and the heightened uncertainty following the decision to leave the European Union (EU). This uncertainty will continue to weigh on growth, and the outlook depends crucially on the outcome of the negotiations with the EU”. We have seen already this year that the GBP can rally on the prospect of positive Brexit outcomes, but the price action during the Foreign Secretary’s speech yesterday is a timely reminder of what can happen in the opposite case.
There have been no official UK statistics today. The next focus of market attention will be the January retail sales figures which are released on Friday morning. The British Pound opens in North America at USD1.4050, GBP/EUR1.1260 and GBP/CAD1.7545.
The Australian Dollar swung just as wildly as most of the world’s major currencies yesterday. AUD/USD stood at 0.7860 just before the inflation numbers and, as stocks tumbled, it fell almost a full cent. Two hours later, the pair had regained all its losses and more and by the close of business in New York it was back on a 79 cents big figure for the first time since February 5th. This morning in Europe it rose as high as 0.7965; the highest in almost two weeks.
The latest Labour Force figures were released overnight. Employment increased 16,000 to 12,453,500. Full-time employment decreased 49,800 to 8,460,900 and part-time employment increased 65,900 to 3,992,600. Since January 2017, full-time employment has increased by 293,200 persons, while part-time employment has increased by 110,100 persons. Seasonally adjusted monthly hours worked in all jobs decreased by 24.1 million hours (or 1.4%) between December 2017 and January 2018 to 1,708.2 million hours. This follows a decrease of 8.6 million hours (or 0.5%) from November to December 2017, and four consecutive increases up to November. The average number of hours worked per employee per week fell to a new record low of 31.7. Employees are on average working 2.7% fewer hours than a year ago and that will limit the boost to household incomes from rising employment.
CBA have already changed their interest rate forecasts to remove the two hikes they previously had penciled-in for 2018. Westpac haven’t yet done this but note, “the Bank’s forecasts are not entirely out of line with our own view and, arguably, consistent with steady rates over the next few years.” NAB, meantime, still has two 25bp hikes in its forecast profile for H2 2018. Amongst the offshore commentators, Capital Economics today say, “while the continued strength of the labour market will provide at least some support to income and consumption growth this year, without much more wage inflation the RBA isn’t going to raise interest rates. We expect the RBA will keep interest rates at 1.5% until the second half of 2019.”. The Australian Dollar starts in North America this morning at USD0.7920, with AUD/NZD at 1.0735 and AUD/CAD0.9895.
The New Zealand Dollar traced out pretty much the same pattern as its Australian cousin in the wild period either side of the US CPI figures. The NZD/USD pair stood at 0.7325 just before the numbers then plunged around three-quarters of a cent. Two hours later it was more than a cent off the low at a 10-day high and finished the day as the top performer of all the major currencies we track here with NZD/USD in the high-73’s and the all-important AUD/NZD cross down near a 6-month low of 1.0735. NZD/USD briefly touched 74 cents in Europe this morning for the first time in two weeks but was unable to consolidate at this level.
Overnight we’ve seen new figures on house sales from the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand. In a snappy Press Release they say that, “As the mercury rose during January to produce the hottest month on record, sales volumes across New Zealand rose when compared to the same time last year for the first time in 19 months”. The number of properties sold in New Zealand during January 2018 increased by 2.7% when compared to January 2017 (4,366 up from 4,251). The number of properties sold in Auckland increased 0.9% year-on-year to 1,157 up from 1,147. REINZ said, “January can often be a quiet month for the industry as people spend much of their time at the beach. However, clearly the warmer weather has helped sales, as it’s the first time we’ve seen a positive year-on-year sales increase in seven months. There were some really positive figures from around the country, with 11 out of 16 regions experiencing an increase in sales when compared to the same time last year.” The median house price for New Zealand increased by 7.1% to $520,000, up from $485,500 in January 2017. Auckland’s median price decreased by 1.2% to $820,000 down from $830,000 at the same time last year.
Tomorrow we’ll get to see New Zealand’s manufacturing PMI survey. The New Zealand Dollar opens this morning in North America at USD0.7375 and NZD/CAD0.9215.
Expected Ranges
- USD/CAD: 1.2440 - 1.2550 ▼
- EUR/USD: 1.2395 - 1.2520 ▼
- GBP/USD: 1.3975 - 1.4095 ▼
- AUD/USD: 0.7880 - 0.7970 ▼
- NZD/USD: 0.7330 - 0.7415 ▼