NZD JPY - FUNDAMENTAL DRIVERS
NZD
FUNDAMENTAL BIAS: BULLISH
1. The Monetary Policy outlook for the RBNZ
In Oct the RBNZ delivered on expectations to raise the OCR to 0.50%. As the hike was fully priced, the lack of new hawkish tones saw a textbook buy-the-rumour-sell-the-fact reaction in the NZD. There was additional focus on the RBNZ’s forecast of >4% in the near term. But the most important part of the statement was that the bank still sees CPI returning towards the 2% midpoint over the med-term and that ‘the current COVID-19-related restrictions have not materially changed the medium-term outlook for inflation and employment since the August Statement’. Thus, despite recent covid concerns, inflation concerns and energy concerns, that part of the statement acknowledged that nothing has changed in terms of the bank’s OCR projections released at the Aug meeting. Unsurprisingly, the bank also stated that their future rate path is contingent on the med-term outlook for CPI and employment, which means keeping close tabs on the data and covid will remain a key focus for us in the weeks and months ahead. With the bank now being the first to hike rates among the major central banks and sitting on the highest cash rate among the majors, and with an OCR projection that is still head and shoulders above the rest, the bias for the NZD remains bullish , and as rates keeps rising, the currency’s carry attractiveness will be a key focus point for the NZD in the months ahead. The upcoming Nov meeting will be an important one so make sure to catch up for this in our Must-Read Section of the terminal.
2. Developments surrounding the global risk outlook.
As a high-beta currency, the NZD benefited from the market's improving risk outlook coming out of the pandemic as participants moved out of safe-havens. As a pro-cyclical currency, the NZD enjoyed upside alongside other cyclical assets supported by reflation and post-recession recovery best. If expectations for the global economy remains positive the overall positive outlook for risk sentiment should be supportive for the NZD in the med-term , but recent short-term jitters are a timely reminder that risk sentiment is also a very important short-term driver.
3. Economic and health developments
We heard some good news last week with PM Ardern announcing that the whole country will be lifting lockdown restrictions from Nov 29th and that their domestic borders will open up from the middle of Dec, which was a positive move for businesses going into the festive season. The recent macro data has been much better than both the markets or the RBNZ had expected and is part of the reason why some participants are looking for a 50bsp hike from the RBNZ this week. Whether 25 or 50, the chance for tradable volatility is definitely there this week.
4. CFTC Analysis (CFTC data delayed with Veteran’s Day)
Latest CFTC data showed a positioning change of -979 with a net non-commercial position of +12882. The NZD now reflects the 2nd biggest netlong positioning for large speculators as well as the biggest for leveraged funds. This is important to know going into the RBNZ meeting on Wednesday as it means the bar is higher for a big upside surprise compared to a big downside surprise. As long as the bank doesn’t downgrade their OCR projections, the carry component of the NZ cash rate will be an important driver to watch in the year ahead.
JPY
FUNDAMENTAL BIAS: BEARISH
1. Safe-haven status and overall risk outlook
As a safe-haven currency, the market's risk outlook is the primary driver of JPY. Economic data rarely proves market moving; and although monetary policy expectations can prove highly market-moving in the short-term, safe-haven flows are typically the more dominant factor. The market's overall risk tone has improved considerably following the pandemic with good news about successful vaccinations, and ongoing monetary and fiscal policy support paved the way for markets to expect a robust global economic recovery. Of course, there remains many uncertainties and many countries are continuing to fight virus waves, but as a whole the outlook has kept on improving over the past couple of months, which would expect safe-haven demand to diminish and result in a bearish outlook for the JPY.
2. Low-yielding currency with inverse correlation to US10Y
As a low yielding currency, the JPY usually shares an inverse correlation to strong moves in yield differentials, more specifically in strong moves in US10Y. However, like most correlations, the strength of the inverse correlation between the JPY and US10Y is not perfect and will ebb and flow depending on the type of market environment from a risk and cycle point of view. With bond yields looking a bit stretched at the current levels any decent mean reversion is expected to be supportive for the JPY, so it remains a key asset class to keep track. Currently we do see more downside risks compared to upside risks for US10Y as we think markets have been too aggressive for what they have priced in for the Fed for 2022. If yields continue to drift lower as we saw on Friday last week, that could see further JPY gains and remains a key asset to keep track of.
3. CFTC Analysis (CFTC data delayed with Veteran’s Day)
Latest CFTC data showed a positioning change of +2273 with a net non-commercial position of -105351. The past few weeks of price action in the JPY was mostly driven by the excessive moves we saw in yields on the US side but was also exacerbated by risk on flows and rising oil prices which is a negative driver for Japan for its terms of trade. However, Friday’s risk off flush as a result of the covid developments in Europe showed why stretched positioning is such an important consideration in our trading. Even though the JPY’s med-term outlook remains bearish, the big net-shorts for both large speculators and leveraged funds always increases the odds of some mean reversion. No harm done in waiting for some of the froth to clear out before looking for new JPY shorts. As always, any major risk off flows is expected to support the JPY, especially with its sizable net-short position still built up in the currency for large speculators as well as leveraged funds.
FUNDAMENTAL BIAS: BULLISH
1. The Monetary Policy outlook for the RBNZ
In Oct the RBNZ delivered on expectations to raise the OCR to 0.50%. As the hike was fully priced, the lack of new hawkish tones saw a textbook buy-the-rumour-sell-the-fact reaction in the NZD. There was additional focus on the RBNZ’s forecast of >4% in the near term. But the most important part of the statement was that the bank still sees CPI returning towards the 2% midpoint over the med-term and that ‘the current COVID-19-related restrictions have not materially changed the medium-term outlook for inflation and employment since the August Statement’. Thus, despite recent covid concerns, inflation concerns and energy concerns, that part of the statement acknowledged that nothing has changed in terms of the bank’s OCR projections released at the Aug meeting. Unsurprisingly, the bank also stated that their future rate path is contingent on the med-term outlook for CPI and employment, which means keeping close tabs on the data and covid will remain a key focus for us in the weeks and months ahead. With the bank now being the first to hike rates among the major central banks and sitting on the highest cash rate among the majors, and with an OCR projection that is still head and shoulders above the rest, the bias for the NZD remains bullish , and as rates keeps rising, the currency’s carry attractiveness will be a key focus point for the NZD in the months ahead. The upcoming Nov meeting will be an important one so make sure to catch up for this in our Must-Read Section of the terminal.
2. Developments surrounding the global risk outlook.
As a high-beta currency, the NZD benefited from the market's improving risk outlook coming out of the pandemic as participants moved out of safe-havens. As a pro-cyclical currency, the NZD enjoyed upside alongside other cyclical assets supported by reflation and post-recession recovery best. If expectations for the global economy remains positive the overall positive outlook for risk sentiment should be supportive for the NZD in the med-term , but recent short-term jitters are a timely reminder that risk sentiment is also a very important short-term driver.
3. Economic and health developments
We heard some good news last week with PM Ardern announcing that the whole country will be lifting lockdown restrictions from Nov 29th and that their domestic borders will open up from the middle of Dec, which was a positive move for businesses going into the festive season. The recent macro data has been much better than both the markets or the RBNZ had expected and is part of the reason why some participants are looking for a 50bsp hike from the RBNZ this week. Whether 25 or 50, the chance for tradable volatility is definitely there this week.
4. CFTC Analysis (CFTC data delayed with Veteran’s Day)
Latest CFTC data showed a positioning change of -979 with a net non-commercial position of +12882. The NZD now reflects the 2nd biggest netlong positioning for large speculators as well as the biggest for leveraged funds. This is important to know going into the RBNZ meeting on Wednesday as it means the bar is higher for a big upside surprise compared to a big downside surprise. As long as the bank doesn’t downgrade their OCR projections, the carry component of the NZ cash rate will be an important driver to watch in the year ahead.
JPY
FUNDAMENTAL BIAS: BEARISH
1. Safe-haven status and overall risk outlook
As a safe-haven currency, the market's risk outlook is the primary driver of JPY. Economic data rarely proves market moving; and although monetary policy expectations can prove highly market-moving in the short-term, safe-haven flows are typically the more dominant factor. The market's overall risk tone has improved considerably following the pandemic with good news about successful vaccinations, and ongoing monetary and fiscal policy support paved the way for markets to expect a robust global economic recovery. Of course, there remains many uncertainties and many countries are continuing to fight virus waves, but as a whole the outlook has kept on improving over the past couple of months, which would expect safe-haven demand to diminish and result in a bearish outlook for the JPY.
2. Low-yielding currency with inverse correlation to US10Y
As a low yielding currency, the JPY usually shares an inverse correlation to strong moves in yield differentials, more specifically in strong moves in US10Y. However, like most correlations, the strength of the inverse correlation between the JPY and US10Y is not perfect and will ebb and flow depending on the type of market environment from a risk and cycle point of view. With bond yields looking a bit stretched at the current levels any decent mean reversion is expected to be supportive for the JPY, so it remains a key asset class to keep track. Currently we do see more downside risks compared to upside risks for US10Y as we think markets have been too aggressive for what they have priced in for the Fed for 2022. If yields continue to drift lower as we saw on Friday last week, that could see further JPY gains and remains a key asset to keep track of.
3. CFTC Analysis (CFTC data delayed with Veteran’s Day)
Latest CFTC data showed a positioning change of +2273 with a net non-commercial position of -105351. The past few weeks of price action in the JPY was mostly driven by the excessive moves we saw in yields on the US side but was also exacerbated by risk on flows and rising oil prices which is a negative driver for Japan for its terms of trade. However, Friday’s risk off flush as a result of the covid developments in Europe showed why stretched positioning is such an important consideration in our trading. Even though the JPY’s med-term outlook remains bearish, the big net-shorts for both large speculators and leveraged funds always increases the odds of some mean reversion. No harm done in waiting for some of the froth to clear out before looking for new JPY shorts. As always, any major risk off flows is expected to support the JPY, especially with its sizable net-short position still built up in the currency for large speculators as well as leveraged funds.
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