Market update: B.1.1.529 – Risk off

Stuart Cowell HFM

B.1.1.529 – RISK OFF – JPY, CHF & USD bid – AUD, NZD & CAD pressured – Stocks & Oil tank. (-2.5%) Treasuries in demand as yields slip. UK, Singapore, Taiwan & Israel ban flights from 6 South African Countries – 2 x cases also detected in Hong Kong. “B.1.1.529, has a spike protein that was dramatically different to the one in the original coronavirus that COVID-19 vaccines are based on.”

USD (USDIndex 96.61) holds on around 16-mth highs; elsewhere AUDJPY down 1.4% and still falling, currently.

The ECB Minutes – inflation coming down below 2% in the medium term, elevated inflation uncertainty & possible upside risks were flagged, bank needed to maintain a degree of flexibility on the future policy path The minutes flagged that PEPP could be phased out in steps until the end of the program in March next year, which be expect to be confirmed at the December meeting.

US Yields 10yr trades at 1.54%, down from over 10bps.

Equities – Asian markets sink -2.5% (Nikkei) – USA500.F tanks from a close at 4705 to trade at 4624.

USOil – glugs over 3.5% lower to $74.50, closed $77.42.

Gold rallies from $1788, breaches $1800 to trade at $1802.

FX markets – EURUSD now 1.1234, USDJPY now 114.40 & Cable back to 1.3300.

Overnight – JPY Tokyo CPI inline, AUD Retail Sales big beat (4.9% vs 2.2%) and German Import prices leap +3.8% m/m, a whopping 21.7% in October, up from 17.7% in the previous month. Energy prices were again the main culprit +20.7% m/m jump in October that left prices 141% higher than in October last year.

European Open – The December 10-year Bund future is up 94 ticks at 171.92, Treasuries have outperformed and the ultra long end in both Germany and the U.S. have seen a huge rise in demand as the detection of a new virus variant that is feared to render vaccines much less effective spooked markets. DAX and FTSE 100 futures are down -1.9% and -2.2% respectively, while a 1.7% slide in the Dow Jones is leading the sell off in U.S. futures.

Today – CHF GDP, EZ M3 Money Supply, ECB’s Lagarde, Schnabel, Panetta, BoE’s Pill.

Biggest FX Mover @ (07:30 GMT) AUDJPY (-1.75%) Risk Off – sell off of the most sensitive FX pair. Daily support 81.00, 80.50 and then 80.00. MAs aligned lower, MACD signal line & histogram falling & under 0 line, RSI 7.3 OS & still falling. H1 ATR 0.208, Daily ATR 0.768.

Author

Stuart Cowell

HFM

With over 25 years experience working for a host of globally recognized organisations in the City of London, Stuart Cowell is a passionate advocate of keeping things simple, doing what is probable and understanding how the news, c

EUR/USD holds firm above 1.1900 as US NFP looms

EUR/USD holds its upbeat momentum above 1.1900 in the European trading hours on Wednesday, helped by a broadly weaker US Dollar. Markets could turn cautious later in the day as the delayed US employment report for January will takes center stage.

GBP/USD recovers losses despite rising UK political risks, BoE rate cut bets

Pound Sterling advances against the US Dollar after registering modest losses in the previous session, trading around 1.3650 during the Asian hours on Wednesday. The pair could extend losses as the Pound Sterling faces pressure from rising political risks in the UK and growing expectations of near-term Bank of England rate cuts.

Gold sticks to gains near $5,050 as focus shifts to US NFP

Gold holds moderate gains near the $5,050 level in the European session on Wednesday, reversing a part of the previous day's modest losses amid dovish US Federal Reserve-inspired US Dollar weakness. This, in turn, is seen as a key factor acting as a tailwind for the non-yielding yellow metal ahead of the critical US NFP release.

Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple show no sign of recovery

Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple show signs of cautious stabilization on Wednesday after failing to close above their key resistance levels earlier this week. BTC trades below $69,000, while ETH and XRP also encountered rejection near major resistance levels. With no immediate bullish catalyst, the top three cryptocurrencies continue to show no clear signs of a sustained recovery.

Dollar drops and stocks rally: The week of reckoning for US economic data

Following a sizeable move lower in US technology Stocks last week, we have witnessed a meaningful recovery unfold. The USD Index is in a concerning position; the monthly price continues to hold the south channel support.

BNB prolonged correction signals deeper bearish momentum

BNB (BNB), formerly known as Binance Coin, is trading below $618 on Wednesday, marking the sixth consecutive day of correction since the weekend. The bearish price action is further supported by rising short bets alongside negative funding rates in the derivatives market.