Macro Events & News

FX News Today

European Outlook: SNB’s Jordan sees no need for change in policy. The Swiss central bank President told Bloomberg last night that “there is no need to do anything regarding monetary policy at this morning”. Speaking after the CHF broke through the 1.20 per euro mark for the first time since the SNB gave up that ceiling, Jordan said the franc’s drop goes in the “right direction” but added that the currency is still considered a haven and the situation “fragile” and prone to change. So the SNB “remains very prudent” and “convinced that the current monetary policy is still necessary”. Further confirmation that the SNB is firmly on hold while watching also the ECB’s move very closely. If and when the ECB finally starts to reign in its support it will also increase the room for the SNB to manoeuvre. Bloomberg polls predict the first rate hike from the SNB in the last quarter of 2019.

US Updates: Revealed a Philly Fed rise to 23.2 in April and a 1k initial claims downtick to a slightly-elevated 232k in the BLS survey week of April. The ISM-adjusted Philly Fed beat estimates with only a small April drop to 59.7 from a 45-year high of 61.8 in March, thus outperforming Monday’s Empire State where we saw an April drop to 15.8 from 22.5 with an ISM-adjusted decline to 56.2 from 57.3. For claims, the trend remains tight despite modestly higher readings over the last three weeks, as the moving Easter holiday and school breaks often distort April claims. We still expect a 210k April nonfarm payroll rise. The weekly Bloomberg consumer comfort index hit a third consecutive new cycle-high in mid-April of 58.1, and leading indicators rose 0.3% in March to leave a 22-month stretch without a decline, and a rise in the 6-month annualized reading to a lofty 8.8%

Charts of the Day

Main Macro Events Today

CAD Retail sales –  Expectations are for an  improvement of  0.5% in February after the 0.3% gain in January. The ex-autos sales aggregate is expected at +0.3% after the 0.9% gain in January. The CPI’s gasoline price index edged 0.7% lower in February after jumping 3.2% in January following a 3.3% drop in December. % m/m inline with expectations

CAD CPI – Expect March CPI, due Friday, to expand 0.4% (m/m) after the 0.6% surge in February. The annual growth rate is projected at 2.5% in March, up from the 2.2% y/y pace seen in February that was the fasted rate of CPI growth since the 2.4% pace in October of 2014. The BoC took the recent CPI climb in stride, viewing it as in line with their outlook. The temporary factors that had been restraining inflation, the Bank explained,  “have largely dissipated, as expected.” The close to 2% core inflation rates are consistent with an “economy operating with little slack.” Inflation in 2018 is expected to be modestly higher than they expected in January, but due to the transitory impact of higher gas prices and recent minimum wage increases. See the preview.

IMF Speeches – Saunders (BOE) Weidmann (Buba) Williams (FOMC) 

 Support & Resistance Levels

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