Market Insight – Foreign Exchange – Kiwi strength to fade on further easing
Etikett: RBNZ
Kiwi strength sustainable?
Market Insight – Foreign Exchange – Kiwi strength sustainable?
Surprise cut fails to halt NZD rally
On March 10th the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) surprised markets with a 25bp interest rate cut, citing international weakness and falling inflation expectations as key drivers. Even with the element of surprise, the move failed to halt the NZD’s recent rally, with the currency appreciating a further 2.1%* in the following fortnight on a trade weighted basis, contributing to a broader 5.8%* rise over the past seven months. The NZD has been a key beneficiary of improving risk sentiment and growing demand for high-yielding assets; with its domestic government bonds offering the best return of the G10 currency group (see Figure 1). However, the NZD/USD currency pair is approaching the peak of its recent trading range and the RBNZ appears likely to implement further monetary easing measures at its upcoming meetings; factors which, in the short term, may see the NZD correct lower.
Figure 1
(Click to enlarge)
Falling inflation expectations arouses concern
The recent strength of the NZD has surpassed the expectations of the RBNZ by some margin (with the trade weighted exchange rate sitting 4% higher than December projections) and is exacerbating central bank concern that falling inflation could embed itself in expectations. The latest monetary report revealed that results from business and consumer surveys monitored by the RBNZ indicate that inflation expectations have experienced a “material decline” in recent months (Figure 2); stoking fears that weakness could feed through to wage setting negotiations and trigger a deflationary spiral.
At the press conference following the monetary policy announcement, the RBNZ Deputy Governor identified the deterioration in inflation expectations as the “primary motive” behind the decision to cut rates in March. These concerns increase the importance of Q1 inflation numbers due on April 17th, as a poor reading will increase the likelihood of further interest rate cuts at the RBNZ’s upcoming meetings, which will likely place the NZD under pressure.
Figure 2
(Click to enlarge)
Top of recent range
A combination of dovish commentary from Federal Reserve Chair, Janet Yellen, and NZD strength has pushed the NZD/USD currency pair to the higher end of its recent trading range. From a technical perspective, since falling through the 0.69 level in June of last year the NZD/USD has struggled to breach this level for a prolonged period and so further gains to the upside appear unlikely.
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Gold inflows suggest sentiment is fragile as oil outflows accelerate on profit-taking
Commodity ETP Weekly – Gold inflows suggest sentiment is fragile as oil outflows accelerate on profit-taking
• Gold leads ytd precious metals inflows above US$1.5bn, as investor sentiment remains fragile.
• Oil outflows accelerated last week, as investors booked profits.
• Commodity price moves will depend on the US Federal Reserve meeting last week. Whether the central bank hikes rates or not will be crucial for investor sentiment and the direction for the US Dollar.
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Silver, platinum and palladium outshine gold. Industrially-linked precious metals outperformed gold last week, a potential sign that pessimistic sentiment may be bottoming. Investors appear somewhat more cautious and the third consecutive weekly inflows into silver and platinum totalled US$43.1mn and US$12.5mn, respectively. While palladium was the best performer within the precious metals sector, it is the only metal to see net outflows over the course of 2016. Nonetheless, we expect momentum to gather pace as market volatility moderates and industrial demand picks up in line as global auto sales remain solid.
Profit-taking in oil ETPs sees largest outflows since April 2015. The International Energy Agency announced last week that a bottom in the oil price has potentially been reached. Nonetheless, investors appear unwilling to risk hard won gains, divestingUS67mn last week from long oil exchange traded products. Both Brent and WTI crude prices reached the highest level since early December 2015, but volatility remains elevated and could see gains reverse course as risk appetite is fragile. Although the Energy Information Administration reported that US production in December 2015 was the first year-on-year decline in over four years, stockpiles are at record levels (since 1982). Additionally, the weekly increase in stockpiles was the largest on record, indicating that demand still remains deficient to absorb supply.
Key events to watch this week. Central bank meetings will again take centre stage this week after the surprise moves last week from the ECB and RBNZ. The Bank of Japan, the Swiss National Bank and the Bank of England are all holding policy meetings, but the market will be focussed on the US Federal Reserve (Fed). Commodity price direction will be dictated by two things directly related to the Fed’s decision: investor sentiment and the US Dollar. The last economic data release ahead of the Fed’s meeting, US retail sales and inflation, could be key to whether the central bank raises rates or not. Consumers have been an area of strength, boosted by low oil prices and improving jobs market. If this continues next week, the Fed could take (justified) action. We expect that the chance of a rate rise is still a distinct possibility despite the market pricing in less than a 10% chance of a hike. If the Fed hikes, expect gold to continue its move higher as sentiment slumps, despite a stronger USD.
Video Presentation
Martin Arnold, Research Analyst at ETF Securities provides an analysis of last week’s performance, flow and trading activity in commodity exchange traded products and a look at the week ahead.
For more information contact
ETF Securities Research team
ETF Securities (UK) Limited
T +44 (0) 207 448 4336
E info@etfsecurities.com
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This document may contain independent market commentary prepared by ETFS UK based on publicly available information. ETFS UK does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or correctness of any information contained herein and any opinions related to product or market activity may change. Any third party data providers used to source the information in this communication make no warranties or representation of any kind relating to such data.
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Any products referenced in this document are generally aimed at sophisticated, professional and institutional investors. Any decision to invest should be based on the information contained in the prospectus (and any supplements thereto) of the relevant product issue. The price of any securities may go up or down and an investor may not get back the amount invested. Securities may valued in currencies other than those in which there are priced and will be affected by exchange rate movements. Investments in the securities which provide a short and/or leveraged exposure are only suitable for sophisticated, professional and institutional investors who understand leveraged and compounded daily returns and are willing to magnify potential losses by comparison to investments which do not incorporate these strategies. Over periods of greater than one day, investments with a short and/or leveraged exposure do not necessarily provide investors with a return equivalent to a return from the unleveraged long or unleveraged short investments multiplied by the relevant leverage factor. Investors should refer to the section entitled ”Risk Factors” in the relevant prospectus for further details of these and other risks associated with an investment in any securities referenced in this communication.
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Commodities end volatile week only slightly down
Commodity ETP Weekly – Commodities end volatile week only slightly down
- Inflows into oil ETPs reach highest level since March 2015 as investors bet on unsustainably low prices.
- Physical gold receives highest inflows since August 2015 as investors hedge against market malaise.
- Industrial metal basket ETPs see highest outflows since July 2015.
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Highlights
- After a violent crash in cyclical commodities and other risk assets, prices started to recover in the second half of the week.
- In contrast to the futures market, ETP investors have been contrarian and have built long positions, particularly in oil.
- Market malaise has maintained strong interest in gold as a haven asset.
Physical gold receives highest inflows since August 2015 as investors hedge against market malaise. Gold has traditionally been the first port of call in times of market stress. While most people cannot understand why cyclical assets fell so hard so fast, many realised that gold performs well in times of panic and went long the yellow metal while waiting for an entry point back into other cyclicals. Gold rose 0.7% last week, 3.4% YTD. Inflows into physical gold ETPs rose to US$85.3mn.
Industrial metal basket ETPs see highest outflows since July 2015. Investor panic saw US$8.9mn redemptions from industrial metal baskets. That came even though most industrial metal prices were only marginally down by mid-week and ended the week higher after Chinese GDP data confirmed strong demand from the largest consumer of metals. Both long and short copper ETPs saw outflows of US$2.7mn and US$1.5mn respectively, highlighting polarised views on the metal. The International Copper Study Group forecasts a supply deficit of 0.5% this year, which will be the 6th consecutive year of a supply shortfall. We don’t think that the market can continue to ignore the increasing tightness in the metal and prices are likely to recover after having fallen 23.6% in the past year.
Key events to watch this week. The market will be keenly tuned into the Fed’s post-policy meeting statement and press conference to hear how the US central bank will react to the recent market volatility. The ECB has already hinted that it will offer more QE, but we expect the Fed to hold steady with its announced policy trajectory of continuing to increase rates to ward off inflationary pressures and keep a buoyant labour market in-check. Currently the market is only pricing in one rate increase this year, while the Fed has indicated it will move four times. We expect US dollar strength, which has been weighting on commodity market performance, to fall away when the market gets in line with Fed thinking. The BoJ and RBNZ will also host their policy meetings this week.
Video Presentation
Nitesh Shah, Research Analyst at ETF Securities provides an analysis of last week’s performance, flow and trading activity in commodity exchange traded products and a look at the week ahead.
For more information contact
ETF Securities Research team
ETF Securities (UK) Limited
T +44 (0) 207 448 4336
E info@etfsecurities.com
Important Information
General
This communication has been provided by ETF Securities (UK) Limited (”ETFS UK”) which is authorised and regulated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority.
This is a strictly privileged and confidential communication between ETFS UK and its selected client. This communication contains information addressed only to a specific individual and is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person other than the named addressee. This communication (i) is provided for informational purposes only, (ii) should not be construed in any manner as any solicitation or offer to buy or sell any securities or any related financial instruments, and (iii) should not be construed in any manner as a public offer of any securities or any related financial instruments. If you are not the named addressee, you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this communication. Please notify the sender immediately if you have mistakenly received this communication. When being made within Italy, this communication is for the exclusive use of the ”qualified investors” and its circulation among the public is prohibited.
This document is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as, an advertisement or any other step in furtherance of a public offering of shares in the United States or any province or territory thereof. Neither this document nor any copy hereof should be taken, transmitted or distributed (directly or indirectly) into the United States.
This document may contain independent market commentary prepared by ETFS UK based on publicly available information. ETFS UK does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or correctness of any information contained herein and any opinions related to product or market activity may change. Any third party data providers used to source the information in this communication make no warranties or representation of any kind relating to such data.
Any historical performance included in this document may be based on back testing. Back tested performance is purely hypothetical and is provided in this document solely for informational purposes. Back tested data does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of actual or future performance.
Historical performance is not an indication of or a guide to future performance.
The information contained in this communication is neither an offer for sale nor a solicitation of an offer to buy securities. This communication should not be used as the basis for any investment decision.
ETFS UK is required by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (”FCA”) to clarify that it is not acting for you in any way in relation to the investment or investment activity to which this communication relates. In particular, ETFS UK will not provide any investment services to you and or advise you on the merits of, or make any recommendation to you in relation to, the terms of any transaction. No representative of ETFS UK is authorised to behave in any way which would lead you to believe otherwise. ETFS UK is not, therefore, responsible for providing you with the protections afforded to its clients and you should seek your own independent legal, investment and tax or other advice as you see fit.
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Any products referenced in this document are generally aimed at sophisticated, professional and institutional investors. Any decision to invest should be based on the information contained in the prospectus (and any supplements thereto) of the relevant product issue. The price of any securities may go up or down and an investor may not get back the amount invested. Securities may valued in currencies other than those in which there are priced and will be affected by exchange rate movements. Investments in the securities which provide a short and/or leveraged exposure are only suitable for sophisticated, professional and institutional investors who understand leveraged and compounded daily returns and are willing to magnify potential losses by comparison to investments which do not incorporate these strategies. Over periods of greater than one day, investments with a short and/or leveraged exposure do not necessarily provide investors with a return equivalent to a return from the unleveraged long or unleveraged short investments multiplied by the relevant leverage factor. Investors should refer to the section entitled ”Risk Factors” in the relevant prospectus for further details of these and other risks associated with an investment in any securities referenced in this communication.
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Commodity Currencies Come Under Pressure
Trade Idea – Foreign Exchange Commodity Currencies Come Under Pressure
Pausing for a minute to reflect on something else apart from the Greek drama there are some interesting opportunities outside the EUR. Please find below some comments on the Commodity currencies (AUD, CAD, NOK and NZD) which are likely to face headwinds in coming months. Pressure is likely to come from a temporary downside correction in oil prices and further easing of monetary conditions by central banks. We believe in the longer term, there is upside to the CAD and NOK unlike AUD and NZD where we believe rates will remain depressed (see: Outlook Q3-15: What Happens When Fundamentals Reassert Over Sentiment).
Oil Prices to Push CAD & NOK Lower
Commodity Currencies Look Set to Fall
Commodity currencies (AUD, CAD, NOK and NZD) are likely to face headwinds in coming months. Pressure is likely to come from a temporary downside correction in oil prices and further easing of monetary conditions by central banks. We believe in the longer term, there is upside to the CAD and NOK unlike AUD and NZD where we believe rates will remain depressed (see: Outlook Q3-15: What Happens When Fundamentals Reassert Over Sentiment).
CAD & NOK – Oil Price Influence
Last year’s decline in oil prices has yet to dent global oil production. OPEC has kept production stubbornly high in effort to maintain market share, while US shale producers have managed to exploit efficiency gains in order to maintain output levels. The market has taken confidence from the first sign of strength in oil demand and still anticipates production cuts, which in the last few months, have kept oil prices well supported in the US$65-60 range.
Oil Prices to Push CAD & NOK Lower
We believe the rebound in oil prices in the early part of the year was slightly premature and could partially undermine rebalancing in the global oil market. As such we forecast global oil production remaining strong into next year, which is when the impact of announced capital expenditure cuts is likely to stem oil production from conventional sources. This should see oil prices fall further in the short term only to rally in the early part of next year.
In the last few days the Greek debt crisis and negotiations surrounding Iran’s nuclear program has prompted a retraction in oil prices. Investors are expressing concern over the potential impact on oil demand from an increasingly likely “Grexit” scenario and the introduction of Iranian crude onto global markets. Despite the yesterday’s price drop, we still see risks skewed to the downside for crude prices, creating a good opportunity to go tactically short both the CAD and NOK. Lower oil prices are likely to exacerbate growth concerns in both Canada and Norway and could prompt further currency depreciation, particularly against the US Dollar.
The AUD and NZD have both recently depreciated as both nations have witnessed the price of their primary commodity exports decline. In Australia, weak sentiment towards Chinese growth prospects and oversupply has caused the price of coal and iron ore to crumble. Similarly, in New Zealand excess global production and subdued demand has seen dairy prices collapse.
In response, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) have cut benchmark interest rates in an attempt to buoy growth and stabilise falling inflation. Furthermore, in most recent media statements, both institutions have highlighted the importance of further currency devaluation in supporting economic objectives. Thus, we believe that further interest rate cuts could be in store, which makes the medium term outlook for both the AUD and NZD bearish. Given this outlook, we believe investors would likely benefit from acquiring short exposure to both AUD and NZD.
Commodity Export Prices Have Plunged
Investors wishing to express the investment views outlined above may consider using the following ETF Securities ETPs:
Currency ETPs
EUR Base
ETFS Long AUD Short EUR (EUAU)
ETFS Short AUD Long EUR (AUEU)
ETFS Long CAD Short EUR (ECAD)
ETFS Short CAD Long EUR (CADE)
ETFS Long NOK Short EUR (EUNO)
ETFS Short NOK Long EUR (NOEU)
ETFS Long NZD Short EUR (EUNZ)
ETFS Short NZD Long EUR (NZEU)
GBP Base
ETFS Long AUD Short GBP (GBAU)
ETFS Short AUD Long GBP (AUGB)
ETFS Long CAD Short GBP (GBCA)
ETFS Short CAD Long GBP (CAGB)
ETFS Long NOK Short GBP (GBNO)
ETFS Short NOK Long GBP (NOGB)
ETFS Long NZD Short GBP (GBNZ)
ETFS Short NZD Long GBP (NZGB)
USD Base
ETFS Long AUD Short USD (LAUD)
ETFS Short AUD Long USD (SAUD)
ETFS Long CAD Short USD (LCAD)
ETFS Short CAD Long USD (SCAD)
ETFS Long NOK Short USD (LNOK)
ETFS Short NOK Long USD (SNOK)
ETFS Long NZD Short USD (LNZD)
ETFS Short NZD Long USD (SNZD)
3x
ETFS 3x Long AUD Short EUR (EAU3)
ETFS 3x Short AUD Long EUR (AUE3)
ETFS 3x Long CAD Short EUR (ECA3)
ETFS 3x Short CAD Long EUR (CAE3)
ETFS3x Long AUD Short GBP (AUP3)
ETFS 3x Short AUD Long GBP (SAP3)
ETFS 3x Long AUD Short USD (LAU3)
ETFS 3x Short AUD Long USD (SAU3)
5x
ETFS 5x Long AUD Short EUR (EAU5)
ETFS 5x Short AUD Long EUR (AUE5)
ETFS 5x Long CAD Short EUR (ECA5)
ETFS 5x Short CAD Long EUR (CAE5)
Currency Baskets
ETFS Bullish USD vs Commodity Currency Basket Securities (SCOM)
ETFS Bearish USD vs Commodity Currency Basket Securities (LCOM)
The complete ETF Securities product list can be found here.
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This communication has been provided by ETF Securities (UK) Limited (“ETFS UK”) which is authorised and regulated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”). The products discussed in this document are issued by ETFS Foreign Exchange Limited (“FXL”). FXL is regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission.
This communication is only targeted at qualified or professional investors.
The information contained in this communication is for your general information only and is neither an offer for sale nor a solicitation of an offer to buy securities. This communication should not be used as the basis for any investment decision. Historical performance is not an indication of future performance and any investments may go down in value.
This document is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as, an advertisement or any other step in furtherance of a public offering of shares or securities in the United States or any province or territory thereof. Neither this document nor any copy hereof should be taken, transmitted or distributed (directly or indirectly) into the United States.
This communication may contain independent market commentary prepared by ETFS UK based on publicly available information. Although ETFS UK endeavours to ensure the accuracy of the content in this communication, ETFS UK does not warrant or guarantee its accuracy or correctness. Any third party data providers used to source the information in this communication make no warranties or representation of any kind relating to such data. Where ETFS UK has expressed its own opinions related to product or market activity, these views may change. Neither ETFS UK, nor any affiliate, nor any of their respective, officers, directors, partners, or employees accepts any liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss arising from any use of this publication or its contents.
ETFS UK is required by the FCA to clarify that it is not acting for you in any way in relation to the investment or investment activity to which this communication relates. In particular, ETFS UK will not provide any investment services to you and or advise you on the merits of, or make any recommendation to you in relation to, the terms of any transaction. No representative of ETFS UK is authorised to behave in any way which would lead you to believe otherwise. ETFS UK is not, therefore, responsible for providing you with the protections afforded to its clients and you should seek your own independent legal, investment and tax or other advice as you see fit.
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