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*JPM CEO says 2022 could bring more than four Fed rate hikes
*Asian stocks mixed as China locks down second city
*Fed’s Powell vows to prevent inflation becoming “entrenched”
*US, Russia talks yield modest progress amid Ukraine crisis
US equities reversed most of their earlier losses, helping the Nasdaq break a four-day losing streak. The great rotation nearly turned into a grand selloff as US markets traded more than 2% lower. But by the close, the tech-heavy Nasdaq had eked out a gain of 0.05%, the S&P500 closed down 0.14% and the Dow finished with a loss (-0.45%). Healthcare was the main outperforming sector with tech closing 0.1% higher after starting the day heavily in the red. Asian stocks are mixed while futures are modestly lower.
USD gained on Monday as US bond yields hit highs last seen in January 2020. The 10-year Treasury yield posted a top above 1.80% before closing below the 200-week SMA and a long-term 50% Fib level (November 2018-March 2020). The DXY jumped above 96 but was unable to hold its gains. EUR continues to track sideways, but USD/JPY fell 0.3% to 115.23 for a fourth day of declines and at the lowest in a week. AUD and NZD recovered some of their losses.
Market Thoughts –BTD…
The turnaround in US stocks was quite something, after the indices looked to be falling very deeply into the red. Rotation out of tech and into value stocks was eventually reversed and a strong reversal indicator (hammer candle) was posted on the broader S&P500 and to a lesser extent on the Nasdaq.
Is it time to buy the dip? A prominent Wall Street analyst put out a note saying markets can withstand higher yields, as well as Omicron, and the pullback in reaction to the Fed minutes is arguably overdone. Policy tightening is likely to be gradual and is occurring in a strong cyclical recovery.
Earnings season kicks off this week with the big banks reporting on Friday. While the timing of rate hikes has ramped up very recently, many will be looking at the direction of real earnings.
Chart of the Day – Nasdaq’s impressive comeback
The Nasdaq Composite officially broke below its 200-day SMA at 14,688 yesterday. The last time the price traded under this widely watched indicator was back in April 2020. Prices also moved below the 38.2% retracement of the 2021 trading range at 14,754.
But the rebound was quite extraordinary and the close into the green and above both those markers, which now become strong support, is technically positive. The index even closed just above the recent December lows around 14,931. The next Fib level is at 15,311 which is just above the 100-day SMA at 15,274.
Markets are expected to remain volatile after the FOMC minutes last week lit a spark under rates markets. US bond yields have enjoyed a rip-roaring start to the year as bonds have plummeted and the Fed finally starts to tackle persistent price pressures, a tight labour market and robust economic outlook.
Hot inflation will no doubt grab the headlines this week with Wednesday’s release of the US CPI data for December. Numerous analysts forecast a headline print above 7% and the core moving towards 5.4%, with the usual suspects (shelter costs, wage inflation, vehicle prices) continuing to drive prices higher.
With the labour market pretty much in line with the Fed’s maximum-employment goal, even allowing for Friday’s NFP headline disappointment, any surprises in the data could reinforce or reverse some of the year’s market momentum, depending on their direction. A first Fed rate hike in March is now 90% priced in, though the consensus long dollar trade is yet to ignite. The rotation out of growth stocks into value sectors should continue.
Major risk events of the week
10 January 2022, Monday:
-Eurozone Sentix Confidence Survey: Investor morale fell in December to its lowest level since April, while a current conditions index dropped for a third month. Renewed restrictions to contain the Omicron variant are set to cloud the growth outlook further.
12 January 2022, Wednesday:
-US CPI: The must-watch figure of the week may see the headline rate above 7% – near a 40-year high – and the core rising well above 5%. Although it is not the Fed’s preferred measure of inflation, the data is expected to reinforce the Fed’s more hawkish narrative and could push the DXY out of its current range.
14 January 2022, Friday:
-UK November GDP: Economists see slightly faster growth, mainly due to better activity in the services sector. Although momentum may slow in the next few months due to Omicron, hopes are high for a Spring rebound. GBP rose to two-month highs last week on short-covering and as markets ramped up BoE hike bets.
-US Retail Sales: Sales rose for a fourth straight month in November, after surging 1.8% in October. This was a likely payback from consumers starting their holiday shopping early to avoid empty shelves. A rotation in spending from goods to services may drag on the data.
*US yields climb to 1.75% as markets grapple with rate hike, Fed balance sheet
*Gold heads for biggest weekly loss in six on hawkish Fed minutes
*Asia stocks trade mixed as markets await monthly jobs data
*Eurozone flash HICP figure is expected to ease to 4.7%
US equities initially rebounded in early trade but failed to hold on to gains by the close. Higher yields saw cyclical value trades outperform with the Dow and S&P500 both closing modestly lower. Rotation is still the major story with energy and banks contrasting with tech underperformance. Asia is eking out some gains while futures are similarly modestly in the green.
USD continues to trade in a narrow range with EUR still tracking around 1.13. Rangebound markets do eventually break out and the longer the sideways trade, the more expansion we should see. EUR/GBP moved higher but continues to close below 0.8350. USD/JPY printed a narrow “inside” day consolidating just below 116. AUD and NZD lead the declines this week.
Market Thoughts –NFP Day
The first Friday of the month means we get the main US jobs data. Consensus expects a headline print of 426k, so potentially more than double the prior disappointing 210k reading in November. The unemployment rate is forecast to decline from 4.2% to 4.1%, which would be the lowest since February 2020 (3.5%). Average hourly earnings are set to remain robust at 0.4% M/M and 4.1% Y/Y. Other employment numbers have been buoyant with solid weekly initial jobless claims and bumper ADP growth on Wednesday, though the latter is fairly unreliable indicator.
The Fed has laid its cards out in its latest minutes. There’s an 80% chance of a rate hike in March and equity markets have been spooked. The dollar should be well supported by inline data or a beat for sure, while dip buyers will be out in force on a miss. Economists will be looking out for another increase in the participation rate, which could signal that labour shortages are easing.
Chart of the Day – USD/CAD buffeted by risk backdrop
We also get Canada jobs numbers at the same time as this afternoon’s NFP. CAD got roughed up on Wednesday’s FOMC minutes and remains sensitive by the broader risk mood, even as oil marches north. The market is actually assigning the BoC with more chance of a March hike than the Fed (22 bps) with more tightening through the year too. This should eventually offer support to the loonie going forward.
USD/CAD topped out again above 1.29 in mid-December like it did on a few occasions earlier in the year. Prices then fell below trendline support from the late October low and briefly below the 50-day SMA at 1.2685. The 100-day SMA has acted as support at 1.2624 and the pair has consolidated above 1.27. Resistance is 1.2810/15 where yesterday’s spike high failed around the July high.
*Fed warns faster rate rises may be needed to tame surging inflation
*Nasdaq posts biggest daily drop since February, Asia tech stocks plunge
*US 10-year Treasury bond yields continue to rise, above 1.73%
*US private payrolls jump with broad increases led by leisure and hospitality
US equities tumbled immediately after the Fed minutes, as they stoked worries about the prospect of earlier and faster rate hikes. Markets saw a classic defensive, value rotation with tech and small cap stocks getting pummelled. Large cap and low vol stocks like banks and industrials outperformed. The Nasdaq closed down 3.3% in its worst day since February 2021. The Dow lost 1.1% and the broader S&P500 was down 1.9%. Negative sentiment is feeding into Asia with futures heavily down in Europe.
USD remains relatively muted as losses were clawed back after the release of FOMC minutes. EUR continues to trade around 1.13. GBP popped up to 1.3598 as the UK Government didn’t announce stricter Covid restrictions. USD/JPY pulled back from the recent high at 116.35, consolidating its recent sharp gains.
Market Thoughts –Hawkish Fed spooks stocks
The sharp rise in bond yields had already got investor’s attention this year. But the FOMC Minutes from its hawkish December meeting put the boot into bonds, pushing yields up to highs last seen in October. Rotation out of stocks that surged during the pandemic picked up pace, as the looming spectre of higher interest rates prompted funds to buy into companies more linked to the recovery.
Clearly the level of bond yields is not that challenging for equities, but it is the pace of change that is hitting sentiment. The rotation has seen the main bank index jump almost 5% this year, closing in on a record high.
The bumpy ride may continue as focus is fully on the Fed, with last night’s minutes suggesting that March is now a “live” meeting with a 75% chance of a rate hike. A rate rise per quarter could also see four in total this year.
Chart of the Day – Nasdaq suffers in market rotation
The joy of Apple hitting the $3trn mark and Tesla delivering a record number of vehicles has been quickly forgotten within a few sessions. The prospect of rising rates lowers the appeal of the tech sector as high growth stocks are particularly sensitive to policy tightening that crimps future earnings potential, in turn knocking the sector’s high valuations.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq had rebounded before Christmas from the early December lows around 14,931. But resistance above 15,796 proved too much and prices plunged yesterday, back below the 100-day SMA at 15,264. The 15k area is initial support with the 200-day SMA below at 14,667.
*USD recoups some of yesterday’s losses even after equity bounce
*US stocks were mostly higher driven by energy and materials, tech lagged
*Fed’s Powell stated US economy was doing better but “not out of the woods” yet
USD is trading around the 50-day SMA on USDX with a firm resistance zone above at the 50% retrace level and mid-March lows around 91.33. Friday’s sharp rally has blunted last month’s 3% uninterrupted sell-off as traders look to central bank meetings (Bank of England and Norges) plus the payroll data at the end of the week.
US equities pushed higher generally overnight with those tied to the economic reopening rallying on signs of global economic recovery as restrictions were relaxed. European stocks have opened higher while the UK FTSE is better bid as it plays catch-up after its bank holiday.
Market Thoughts – Game of waiting
With Japan and mainland China’s markets still closed and the UK coming back to work, the month is off to a fairly slow start. Beneficiaries of a pandemic recovery were in vogue yesterday with value continuing to outperform growth for the fifth consecutive day, while defensives beat cyclicals despite the risk-on mode. The RBA kept policy rates at 0.1% and they are expected to remain there until 2024, when there is set to be enough wage growth from a tighter labour market to push up inflation to the 2-3% range. The bank did revise growth higher but lingering virus uncertainty and below-target inflation warrants the current supportive monetary stance.
Chart of the Day – $1800 gold in sight…
Speculators cuts their longs in gold futures last week and with ETF holdings remaining near one-year lows, gold has been stuck in a $1760-$1798 range over the last few weeks. The dollar’s recent bounce has stopped any bullish momentum in the precious metal, but US bond yields are key and if they roll over, then gold can potentially push higher. (Yields down, gold up, yields up, gold down). Remember too that sharp moves higher in gold historically see heightened volatility. The rejection of prices below $1760 keep the bias bullish but $1800 has been tough to crack, with the 100-day SMA around this mark as well. If bulls can break higher, then the double bottom target is at $1835.
With the recent running bull markets slipping of late, what could it mean for gold & silver?
First, let’s step back and consider what’s happening fundamentally in the markets today. Or more specifically, let’s consider US Politics, Geo-politics and the overall market health.
Starting with American politics. We have what have been dubbed as the “most important mid-term elections in the history of all mid-term elections” coming up.
Geo-politically, the world is on a knife edge, with tension over Saudi Arabia’s alleged assassination turning heads across the globe. Iran and Israel are at each other’s throats and the situation in Syria shows no signs of getting better. Across the ocean a BREXIT deal is looking less and less likely and in the Americas, trade wars and trade deals are nowhere near anything resembling a resolution.
Why is this important?
Well, despite the gold standard ‘expiring’ in ’71, gold seems to be perfectly priced for economic, market, political and geo-political perfection. And right now, all four of these contributing factors are on the cusp of turning from perfectly peaceful to complete global chaos. That means that the ‘perfection’ that gold is priced at looks to be very short lived.
Let’s Check out the Technicals
You can see that the daily chart of gold on MT4 is currently holding the 50 SMA since its recent pop, though nothing really convincing in terms of a trending move.
While silver does the same and looks to be forming an Inverse Head & Shoulder pattern at the same time.
With the raising of interest rates, we’re seeing a huge amount of money transferring into gold from US treasuries as a ‘safe-haven’ asset, and to aid in hedging against equity market risk. We’re seeing big investment shifts such as Russia ditching nearly all their holdings of US debt and Treasuries, and moving their money into gold, while China are doing the same. But it’s not only the powerhouse countries that are stockpiling gold. We’re seeing plenty of emerging economies as well as countries like Poland, Hungary, Kazakhstan and Mongolia significantly buying up physical gold.
What this all means, is at this stage unclear. However with a high degree of uncertainty in the air, time will tell. If history is any guide, it could spell plenty more turmoil in equity markets and the broader economy as a whole is on its way.