|

Asia Wrap :Fedspeak backlash, Gold (again), G-20 hedging

Main takeaway 

It's amazing what happens to risk markets when the Feds stop sprinkling monetary policy fairy dust on it.!

Fedspeak backlash

Investors are not in the least bit enamoured by Fed speak overnight as they were hoping for a bigger bang for their investment buck that the Feds would slash the fund's rates by 50 bp July. 

With Powell and Bullard walking down some of the posts FOMC dovish views, Asia risk markets are having a bit of conniption fit but none more so than Gold, which is carrying the moniker as the pain trade of the day after selling off to just below $1405.

 I can't help but think Gold prices will trading very much inversely correlated to the USD for the then next few days, but more short-term pain will come if the Euro falls below the 200dma 1.1346 which could trigger a more significant Gold flush.

Core Gold View

I remain bullish Gold and continue to remind myself that when playing, risk markets if there is no pain, there is no gain as corrections are part of the process. 

We’re in the early stages of US weaker dollar policy (I think), the US-China trade war will morph into a cold war, interest rates most assuredly stay lower for longer, and the never-ending middle east saga endures. So, the gold rally is supported by some dominant narrative.

 G20

There has been a slight picking up in hedging against a protracted trade war risk most convex and liquid instruments. The markets are not flashing red, but there is a zero impulse to buy, suggesting G-20 is clearly on the market's mind.

Author

Stephen Innes

Stephen Innes

SPI Asset Management

With more than 25 years of experience, Stephen has a deep-seated knowledge of G10 and Asian currency markets as well as precious metal and oil markets.

More from Stephen Innes
Share:

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD hits two-day highs near 1.1820

EUR/USD picks up pace and reaches two-day tops around 1.1820 at the end of the week. The pair’s move higher comes on the back of renewed weakness in the US Dollar amid growing talk that the Fed could deliver an interest rate cut as early as March. On the docket, the flash US Consumer Sentiment improves to 57.3 in February.

GBP/USD reclaims 1.3600 and above

GBP/USD reverses two straight days of losses, surpassing the key 1.3600 yardstick on Friday. Cable’s rebound comes as the Greenback slips away from two-week highs in response to some profit-taking mood and speculation of Fed rate cuts. In addition, hawkish comments from the BoE’s Pill are also collaborating with the quid’s improvement.

Gold climbs further, focus is back to 45,000

Gold regains upside traction and surpasses the $4,900 mark per troy ounce at the end of the week, shifting its attention to the critical $5,000 region. The move reflects a shift in risk sentiment, driving flows back towards traditional safe haven assets and supporting the yellow metal.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP rebound amid risk-off, $2.6 billion liquidation wave

Bitcoin edges up above $65,000 at the time of writing on Friday, as dust from the recent macro-triggered sell-off settles. The leading altcoin, Ethereum, hovers above $1,900, but resistance at $2,000 caps the upside. Meanwhile, Ripple has recorded the largest intraday jump among the three assets, up over 10% to $1.35.

Three scenarios for Japanese Yen ahead of snap election

The latest polls point to a dominant win for the ruling bloc at the upcoming Japanese snap election. The larger Sanae Takaichi’s mandate, the more investors fear faster implementation of tax cuts and spending plans. 

XRP rally extends as modest ETF inflows support recovery

Ripple is accelerating its recovery, trading above $1.36 at the time of writing on Friday, as investors adjust their positions following a turbulent week in the broader crypto market. The remittance token is up over 21% from its intraday low of $1.12.