FX Update: USD bears celebrate lack of Powell pushback.

FX Update: USD bears celebrate lack of Powell pushback.

Forex
John J. Hardy

Global Head of Macro Strategy

Summary:  Fed Chair Powell’s speech on the economy, inflation and the labor market yesterday only confirmed the market’s forward expectations for Fed policy. The lack of notable pushback from Powell on the market’s pricing of eventual Fed easing saw equity markets in a celebratory squeeze and the USD taken down a few notches as weak data prior to his speech added to the reaction and the drop in US treasury yields. But now that we have the binary reaction, cue the incoming data.


Today's Saxo Market Call podcast
Today's Market Quick Take from the Saxo Strategy Team

FX Trading focus:
USD dumped on Fed Chair Powell speech, but cue the incoming data.

Fed Chair Powell failed to deliver the kind of pushback against easy financial conditions that many had the right to expect in his speech yesterday, as the policy guidance was rather light in the speech. Most of the speech centered on a discussion of inflationary risks and where the Fed felt comfortable with the trajectory and outlook, and where it felt less certain, which was especially notable in the labor market/wage dynamics. The heart of the speech discussed the likely permanent reduction in the potential labor force due to older workers leaving the work force during the pandemic and the uncertainty of how quickly the wage pressures would ease. Near the end of the speech, Powell said “Given our progress in tightening policy, the timing of that moderation is far less significant than the questions of how much further we will need to raise rates to control inflation, and the length of time it will be necessary to hold policy at a restrictive level. It is likely that restoring price stability will require holding policy at a restrictive level for some time.” The lack of certainty and Powell suggesting it may be appropriate to reduce the size of Fed hikes to 50 basis points at the December FOMC meeting emboldened the market. The question is whether the very “binary” interpretation of his speech will feed a new extended sell-off in the US dollar, as incoming data could quickly reject the narrative.

Soft US data added to the reaction function yesterday and helped US yields lower all along the curve, although this did not unfold until the market had a look at what the Fed Chair had to say. The November Chicago PMI plunged to a scary 37.2 (vs. 47 expected and 45.0 in October) and the November ADP private payrolls change were out at a 21-month low of +127k vs. the +200k expected. Today’s key event risk is the core month-on-month PCE inflation print, expected at +0.3% MoM and 5.0% year-on-year. Any upside surprise would sit very poorly with yesterday’s reaction, as would a stronger than expected November jobs and/or earnings data tomorrow.

Chart: USDJPY
USDJPY plunged down through the 137.50 area recent pivot low yesterday in the wake of Fed Chair Powell’s speech as US yields dropped all along the curve, with the US 10-year benchmark yield hitting 3.60%, a new local low ahead of the important 3.50%. The 200-day moving average, currently near 134.50 and rising rapidly, is zooming into view and will be a key test that might be hard to break unless US yields continue lower, which will be far more down to incoming data in coming weeks. The pain trade across markets now will be either a) stronger than expected US data and/or b) more inflationary data regardless of the strength in the real economy (that would require the Fed to remain higher for longer and for the market to eventually reset forward inflation expectations). Also watch global energy prices, a second source of vulnerability for the JPY due to its import of nearly all energy supplies. Some BoJ member jaw-boning overnight on an eventual policy shift also helping the JPY at the margin.

Source: Saxo Group

Not a big focus for traders, but EURSEK is still up in the high part of the range despite what has normally been a supportive backdrop for SEK (the historic SEK sensitivity to risk sentiment). Why? Likely, as the market shields its eyes at the implications of the rate hike cycle into the Swedish domestic economy on the one hand. We recently saw that staggering 7.7% drop in real volumes of Retail Sales for October and the country’s consumers have yet to feel the brunt of higher mortgage payments as the impact on discretionary spending mounts in coming months (well over half of mortgages taken out in 2020-21 were on floating rates of a year or less). As well, European PMIs are weak and are unlikely to pick up significantly as long as energy prices remain an issue, with the Swedish economy traditionally leveraged to the EU economy. The Swedish November Manufacturing PMI was also out this morning and hit a new cycle low at 45.8.

Table: FX Board of G10 and CNH trend evolution and strength.
The US dollar down-trend re-intensified yesterday after Fed Chair Powell’s speech, with the USD breaking to new cycle lows in places, but will the incoming data continue to support both risk on and lower US yields, the ideal combination for USD bears? Elsewhere, note the NZD continuing its remarkable run while the JPY has perked up as a function of falling US treasury yields.

Source: Bloomberg and Saxo Group

Table: FX Board Trend Scoreboard for individual pairs.
AUDNZD hits new cycle lows today as the market may be fretting RBA dragging its heels on rate tightening more than the supportive news out of China on the trend toward reopening. If there is a pair ripe for mean reversion on the one-month time frame or less, it might be NZDCAD, the trending outlier in absolute value terms.

Source: Bloomberg and Saxo Group

Upcoming Economic Calendar Highlights

  • 1230 – US Nov. Challenger Job Cuts
  • 1330 – US Oct. PCE Inflation
  • 1330 – US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims
  • 1420 – US Fed’s Logan (Voter 2023) to speak
  • 1500 – US Nov. ISM Manufacturing
  • 1645 – ECB Chief Economist Lane to speak

Quarterly Outlook

01 /

  • Upending the global order at blinding speed

    Quarterly Outlook

    Upending the global order at blinding speed

    John J. Hardy

    Global Head of Macro Strategy

    We are witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime shredding of the global order. As the new order takes shape, ...
  • Equity outlook: The high cost of global fragmentation for US portfolios

    Quarterly Outlook

    Equity outlook: The high cost of global fragmentation for US portfolios

    Charu Chanana

    Chief Investment Strategist

  • Asset allocation outlook: From Magnificent 7 to Magnificent 2,645—diversification matters, now more than ever

    Quarterly Outlook

    Asset allocation outlook: From Magnificent 7 to Magnificent 2,645—diversification matters, now more than ever

    Jacob Falkencrone

    Global Head of Investment Strategy

  • Commodity Outlook: Commodities rally despite global uncertainty

    Quarterly Outlook

    Commodity Outlook: Commodities rally despite global uncertainty

    Ole Hansen

    Head of Commodity Strategy

  • Macro outlook: Trump 2.0: Can the US have its cake and eat it, too?

    Quarterly Outlook

    Macro outlook: Trump 2.0: Can the US have its cake and eat it, too?

    John J. Hardy

    Global Head of Macro Strategy

  • Equity Outlook: The ride just got rougher

    Quarterly Outlook

    Equity Outlook: The ride just got rougher

    Charu Chanana

    Chief Investment Strategist

  • China Outlook: The choice between retaliation or de-escalation

    Quarterly Outlook

    China Outlook: The choice between retaliation or de-escalation

    Charu Chanana

    Chief Investment Strategist

  • Commodity Outlook: A bumpy road ahead calls for diversification

    Quarterly Outlook

    Commodity Outlook: A bumpy road ahead calls for diversification

    Ole Hansen

    Head of Commodity Strategy

  • FX outlook: Tariffs drive USD strength, until...?

    Quarterly Outlook

    FX outlook: Tariffs drive USD strength, until...?

    John J. Hardy

    Global Head of Macro Strategy

  • Fixed Income Outlook: Bonds Hit Reset. A New Equilibrium Emerges

    Quarterly Outlook

    Fixed Income Outlook: Bonds Hit Reset. A New Equilibrium Emerges

    Althea Spinozzi

    Head of Fixed Income Strategy

Content disclaimer

The information on or via the website is provided to you by Saxo Bank (Switzerland) Ltd. (“Saxo Bank”) for educational and information purposes only. The information should not be construed as an offer or recommendation to enter into any transaction or any particular service, nor should the contents be construed as advice of any other kind, for example of a tax or legal nature.

All trading carries risk. Loses can exceed deposits on margin products. You should consider whether you understand how our products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Saxo Bank does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information provided and shall not be responsible for any errors or omissions or for any losses or damages resulting from the use of such information.

The content of this website represents marketing material and is not the result of financial analysis or research. It has therefore has not been prepared in accordance with directives designed to promote the independence of financial/investment research and is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of financial/investment research.

Please refer to our full disclaimer and notification on non-independent investment research for more details.
- Notification on Non-Independent Investment Research (https://www.home.saxo/legal/niird/notification)
- Full disclaimer (https://www.home.saxo/en-ch/legal/disclaimer/saxo-disclaimer)

Saxo Bank (Schweiz) AG
The Circle 38
CH-8058
Zürich-Flughafen
Switzerland

Contact Saxo

Select region

Switzerland
Switzerland

All trading carries risk. Losses can exceed deposits on margin products. You should consider whether you understand how our products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. To help you understand the risks involved we have put together a general Risk Warning series of Key Information Documents (KIDs) highlighting the risks and rewards related to each product. The KIDs can be accessed within the trading platform. Please note that the full prospectus can be obtained free of charge from Saxo Bank (Switzerland) Ltd. or the issuer.

This website can be accessed worldwide however the information on the website is related to Saxo Bank (Switzerland) Ltd. All clients will directly engage with Saxo Bank (Switzerland) Ltd. and all client agreements will be entered into with Saxo Bank (Switzerland) Ltd. and thus governed by Swiss Law. 

The content of this website represents marketing material and has not been notified or submitted to any supervisory authority.

If you contact Saxo Bank (Switzerland) Ltd. or visit this website, you acknowledge and agree that any data that you transmit to Saxo Bank (Switzerland) Ltd., either through this website, by telephone or by any other means of communication (e.g. e-mail), may be collected or recorded and transferred to other Saxo Bank Group companies or third parties in Switzerland or abroad and may be stored or otherwise processed by them or Saxo Bank (Switzerland) Ltd. You release Saxo Bank (Switzerland) Ltd. from its obligations under Swiss banking and securities dealer secrecies and, to the extent permitted by law, data protection laws as well as other laws and obligations to protect privacy. Saxo Bank (Switzerland) Ltd. has implemented appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect data from unauthorized processing and disclosure and applies appropriate safeguards to guarantee adequate protection of such data.

Apple, iPad and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.