Global Market Update
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GLOBAL MARKET UPDATE 22 TO 28 MAY: PAPER SHUFFLING THIS WEEK’S GLOBAL EQUITY MARKET MOVERS Top 3: New Zealand 2.78%, Luxembourg 2.38%, Finland 1.67% DEVELOPED Bottom 3: Italy -1.78%, Belgium -1.35%, Norway -0.99% Top 3: Turkey 3.83%, Brazil 2.95%, China "H" 2.90% EMERGING Bottom 3: Dubai -1.51%, Abu Dhabi -1.41%, Indonesia -1.19% Top 3: Kenya 4.74%, Pakistan 3.74%, Nigeria 3.38% FRONTIER Bottom 3: Tanzania -7.44%, Bermuda -2.54%, Jamaica -2.09% After a 9-month odd bull market, some divergence and loss of momentum has prevailed over recent weeks. Over the next month, a number of policy announcements could shape market direction. In particular: • FED and ECB monetary policy decisions at which the US will likely raise rates and Europe may signal a more hawkish stance on policy. • UK general elections and the start of Brexit negotiations. • Italian electoral reform (setting up an Autumn election) and the conclusion of Greek negotiations with the EU to unlock the latest tranche of funding. under quantitative easing gained greater prominence in UNITED STATES discussions. Specifically, “nearly all policymakers expressed S&P 2,416 +1.43%, 10yr Treasury 2.23% +1.19bps, HY Credit a favourable view” of a plan whereby the bank would Index 327 -3bps, Vix 9.81 -2.23Vol announce limits on the dollar amounts of securities that would not be reinvested each month. These caps would The minutes to the FED’s May meeting contained two then increase every 3 months. “Most participants…judged points of interest: that a change in the committee’s reinvestment policy would likely be appropriate later this year” and that “the 1. As broadly expected, the committee continue to approach would also likely be fairly straightforward to look through recent weak data as “primarily reflecting communicate.” transitory factors”. As such, “most participants anticipated that gradual increases in the federal funds rate would Since 2008, the FED’s balance sheet has expanded from continue” prompting the market probability of a 15th June under USD 1trn to over USD 4.5trn (an increase of over 30% rate hike to rise to 84% (from 78% a week ago and 67% a of US GDP). Allowing some of this portfolio to “run-off” as month ago). bonds mature, is the next step in policy “normalisation”. However, the outlook is still very much for a “new normal” 2. The reinvestment policy for interest and principal in which interest rates have limited scope for increases. repayments from the FED’s stock of assets purchased Chris Wehbé Aaron Armstrong Florian Gueritte CEO Investment Analyst (Asia) Investment Analyst (Africa & LatAm) [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Twitter: @cswehbe 1 This is well demonstrated by US bond yields. Despite an this year appears to have increased. In an interview with approximate 1% gain in 2-Year Treasury yields over the last 3 “Il Messaggero”, former PM Renzi said that he favours years (reflecting realised hikes), the 10-year yield is lower by a German style “proportional representation” electoral 0.4%, sitting at only 2.23%. This is to say the market expects system with a cut-off of 5% to enter parliament. Moreover, a very shallow hiking cycle and therefore little potential for he commented that Italy could go to the polls at the same strong growth and inflation. time as Germany this autumn. This constitutes a shift from Renzi and comes after Silvio Berlusconi, the leader of the From a market perspective, the S&P has now returned 7 centre-right Forza Italia party, and Beppe Grillo, the head consecutive daily gains since the Trump/Russia “sell-off of of the Five Star Movement, also backed the German model the year”. This is despite weakness in the energy sector, in recent weeks. Opinion polls are very tight, with no clear which continues to lag the rest of the market (by over winner between Renzi and Grillo. 20% YTD) on lower oil prices. In terms of economic data, the second estimate of Q1 GDP growth was revised up to Although there are tentative signs of life in the Italian 1.2%, however personal consumption remained weak and economy over the short term (we were tactically bullish more recent releases disappointed. In particular, new and at the end of last year on market positioning and could existing home sales contained broad based declines and become so again given certain electoral outcomes), in the Michigan consumer sentiment survey was revised lower. the context of the Euro, the country remains terminally The employment report is released later this week. economically ill. Like in Japan, there is no way to generate proper and sustained real economic growth. Indeed, the country has not been helping itself; there has been no reform and the banking system is still to be properly EUROPE recapitalised. Eurostoxx 3,553 -0.35%, German Bund 0.30% -3.70bps, Xover Credit Index 254 -4bps, EURUSD 1.113 +0.24% In the UK, Q1 GDP was revised down to 0.2% QOQ (with consumption growth at a 2-year low) whilst pre- Sentiment surveys across the Eurozone continue to go election polls signalled a tightening in the lead of PM from strength to strength; the PMIs for May held at 6-year Theresa May’s Conservative party over the opposition highs whilst the German IFO “Business Climate” recorded Labour party (to as low as 5% from as high as 19%). The an all-time high. As in the US, this strong “soft data” is out- Conservative’s poor showing in opinion polls comes after performing “hard” activity data. Nonetheless, the European a campaign which has been seen by most as complacent. economy continues to display good momentum. This pushed both GBP and Gilt yields lower. The UK 10-year currently sits at a 1% yield versus CPI inflation at 2.7%. The The next ECB meeting on the 8th June has the potential general election falls on the 8th June, with formal Brexit to shape market direction over the summer months. On negotiations commencing on the 19th. the one hand, the governing council have a (German influenced) history of reacting quickly to any pick-up in The NBH in Hungary left interest rates unchanged at 0.9% activity. This is to say, with the French election in the past, as it continues its reliance on unconventional measures. there could be a change in rhetoric aimed at preparing the market for a wind-down of quantitative easing and eventual rate hikes. On the other hand, there is no real threat of inflation breaching the 2% target (in fact it is more likely ASIA PACIFIC headline inflation moderates over the coming months). HSCEI 1,061 +2.90%, Nikkei 1,967.00 + 0.57%, 10yr JGB Indeed, yesterday Mario Draghi commented “At its June 0.04% +0bps, USDJPY 110.850 +0.06% monetary policy meeting the Governing Council will receive an update of the staff projections and a more complete On Wednesday, former Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke information set on which it will be able to formulate its spoke at a BOJ seminar. He suggested current stimulus judgement on the distribution of risks around the most efforts may be losing their effectiveness and that the BOJ likely outlook for growth and inflation…overall, we remain may need to raise the inflation target above 2% whilst firmly convinced that an extraordinary amount of monetary coordinating with the Government on a fiscal stimulus plan. policy support, including through our forward guidance, The suggestion is all well and good, but we see no way is still necessary for the present level of underutilised the country can reduce its Debt-to-GDP in a “real” sense. resources to be re-absorbed and for inflation to return to That is to say it can only inflate its debt away rather than and durably stabilize around levels close to 2 percent within stimulate real growth. a meaningful medium-term horizon.” Moody’s downgraded China’s sovereign credit rating In a meeting with senior EU officials,Donald Trump spoke from Aa3 (negative outlook) to A1 (stable outlook). with his usual eloquence stating “The Germans are bad, The rationale was based on an expectation for increasing really bad…look at the millions of cars they sell in the US. leverage across the economy due to slower progress on It’s terrible. We’ll put a stop to that.” Also because of the economic reform. expanding auto emissions scandal, this saw the auto sector under-perform broader equities. Equity markets paid little attention to the news, with H shares finishing the week +2.9% in USD and A shares +0.7%. Greek government bonds gave back some of their recent The RMB also strengthened 43bps against the dollar gains after the Eurogroup meeting did not manage to close the second review. Nonetheless, the overall impression was We agree with Moody’s underlying thesis that China has positive, with a conclusion apparently in sight. In other been back-sliding on its targets to reduce leverage. This political news, the probability of a snap Italian election Chris Wehbé Aaron Armstrong Florian Gueritte CEO Investment Analyst (Asia) Investment Analyst (Africa & LatAm) [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Twitter: @cswehbe 2 analysis is far from ground breaking, hence the lack of Bank of Korea left interest rates on hold for the 11th reaction from the market. consecutive meeting at 1.25%, with a unanimous decision and in line with expectations. The MPC statement showed Chinese policymakers have clearly made a significant a slight increase in optimism, commenting that there is U-turn over the last three years.