Quarterly Outlook
Fixed Income Outlook: Bonds Hit Reset. A New Equilibrium Emerges
Althea Spinozzi
Head of Fixed Income Strategy
FX Trader, Loonieviews.net
Summary: US markets were boosted by Apple and Boeing, but the Fed, Microsoft and Facebook still loom.
Wall Street rallied at the open thanks to Apple (AAPL: Nasdaq) and Boeing (BA: NYSE) results. Apple reported earnings after the market closed yesterday, and the results showed that there is more to Apple than an iPhone. CEO Tim Cook said the quarter’s results “demonstrated the underlying strength of [Apple's] business units” which helped lift earnings-per-share to a record $4.18.
Markets liked the news, and Apple shares jumped 4.43% in early trading.
Walls Street got an added lift when Boeing (BA: NYSE) results were better than forecasts. BA reported Q4 earnings of $5.48/share and earned a record $101.1 billion in revenue. Traders are hoping for similar positive outcomes from Microsoft (MSFT: Nasdaq), and Facebook (FB: Nasdaq) after the close of business today.
Financial markets are looking to Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell to do his part to keep the party going. The Fed is widely expected to deliver a somewhat dovish policy statement today, emphasising “caution” and “flexibility.” The concern is whether Powell sticks to the script during his press conference and avoids a repeat of the market carnage following the December 21 meeting.
The US dollar has climbed against all the G10 majors since the New York open. This morning’s better than expected ADP employment change data (Actual 213,000 versus a forecasted 178,000) suggests there could be some upside risk to Friday’s nonfarm payrolls, where forecasts call for a gain of 166,000 jobs.
The US dollar strength may be partly driven by trimming of positions ahead of this afternoon's FOMC statement. USDCAD is the only losing currency pair, falling from 1.3235 to 1.3207, undermined by the jump in WTI oil prices to $54.00/barrel.
For those interested in US economic data:
Disclaimer
The Saxo Bank Group entities each provide execution-only service and access to Analysis permitting a person to view and/or use content available on or via the website. This content is not intended to and does not change or expand on the execution-only service. Such access and use are at all times subject to (i) The Terms of Use; (ii) Full Disclaimer; (iii) The Risk Warning; (iv) the Rules of Engagement and (v) Notices applying to Saxo News & Research and/or its content in addition (where relevant) to the terms governing the use of hyperlinks on the website of a member of the Saxo Bank Group by which access to Saxo News & Research is gained. Such content is therefore provided as no more than information. In particular no advice is intended to be provided or to be relied on as provided nor endorsed by any Saxo Bank Group entity; nor is it to be construed as solicitation or an incentive provided to subscribe for or sell or purchase any financial instrument. All trading or investments you make must be pursuant to your own unprompted and informed self-directed decision. As such no Saxo Bank Group entity will have or be liable for any losses that you may sustain as a result of any investment decision made in reliance on information which is available on Saxo News & Research or as a result of the use of the Saxo News & Research. Orders given and trades effected are deemed intended to be given or effected for the account of the customer with the Saxo Bank Group entity operating in the jurisdiction in which the customer resides and/or with whom the customer opened and maintains his/her trading account. Saxo News & Research does not contain (and should not be construed as containing) financial, investment, tax or trading advice or advice of any sort offered, recommended or endorsed by Saxo Bank Group and should not be construed as a record of our trading prices, or as an offer, incentive or solicitation for the subscription, sale or purchase in any financial instrument. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, would be considered as a marketing communication under relevant laws.
Please read our disclaimers:
- Notification on Non-Independent Investment Research (https://www.home.saxo/legal/niird/notification)
- Full disclaimer (https://www.home.saxo/en-gb/legal/disclaimer/saxo-disclaimer)