A Remembrance Sunday to Forget:
The gravitas of yesterday’s Remembrance services were not enough to spare the fortune of the Pound throughout the Asian session last night and into this morning’s European session. Following another disappointing week for Brexit last week, CFTC data recorded yet another surge in net short Sterling positions, reflecting growing concerns about the progress of negotiations. On Sunday, Democratic Unionist Leader Arlene Foster reaffirmed her party’s intention to vote against a Brexit deal resembling May’s incumbent Chequers-based plan. This news led to an impression at market open of Brexit stagnation and domestic political instability as the impression of Theresa May’s minority Conservative government deteriorated. The rally in Brent Crude and WTI Oil at market open this morning gave yet more support to an already strong US Dollar. EURUSD continued to rally down below 1.1250; reaching the lowest rate in over a year. Once again on Sunday, the Italian Prime Minister reaffirmed the incumbent coalition government to remain within the Euro. However, the commitment gave yet another reminder of the risk that Italy poses to the fiscal stability of the Eurozone and the monetary governance of the ECB. For yet another consecutive day, the Euro has fallen.
Discussion and Analysis by Charles Porter
Negative Rates End The moment that markets seem to have been chasing for forever and a day finally arrived overnight. The Bank of Japan has ended its negative interest rate policy, setting benchmark rates within a positive band. The looseness of Japan’s monetary policy had left the Yen as the funding currency of choice and […]
US Dollar The USD had a strong week more on the realisation that US interest rates are unlikely to fall as soon as hoped than on particularly strong economic data. In particular USD moved up against JPY. The USD index moved up the most this past week since the beginning of January.USD/JPY 149.05. Space VIP […]
Brent Oil Having traded in a range of $75-85 for some time conventional wisdom is that despite some supply disruption, the oil market looks benign when it comes to price volatility. However, that supply disruption is not receding and may in fact be increasing as time passes and stocks are run down. Recent drone attacks […]