NZD USD - FUNDAMENTAL DRIVERS
NZD
FUNDAMENTAL BIAS: WEAK BULLISH
1. Monetary Policy
The RBNZ underwhelmed some market participants who were looking for a 50bsp hike as the bank only delivered on a 25bsp hike as consensus was expecting. Even though the NZD took a plunge after the meeting, we don’t think markets are really giving NZD the upside it deserves after the Nov RBNZ decision. Not referring to the knee-jerk lower after the 25bsp hike of course as that was fully priced in and always ran the risk of underwhelming the bulls, but the outlook in the MPR justifies more NZD strength. The upgrades to the economic outlook between Aug and Nov was positive, with growth seen lower in 2022 but much higher in 2023, CPI is seen higher throughout 2022 and 2023, the Unemployment rate seen lower throughout the forecast horizon, and of course the big upgrade to the OCR which is now seen at 2.6% by 2024, and the bank has brought forward their expectation of reaching the 2.0% neutral rate with 5 quarters. Of course, incoming data will be important (as always) and any new developments with the new Omicron variant will be watched but barring any major deterioration in the economic data the recent sell off in the NZD does seem at odds with the fundamental, policy and economic outlook.
2. Economic and health developments
We heard some good news two weeks 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 and the RBNZ had expected, but markets have not been too bothered with the incoming data. That might start to change as focus turns to the new variant and its potential impact on the global economy. For now, based on the economic and policy outlook the NZD seems undervalued at current prices.
3. 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 CAD 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.
4. CFTC Analysis
Latest CFTC data showed a positioning change of -3309 with a net non-commercial position of +10630. Positioning is not stretched compared to historical net-long levels, but as the second largest net-long for large speculators and the biggest for leveraged funds there is always scope for unwinding if we see strong bouts of risk off sentiment like we had over the past two weeks. However, it’s very encouraging to see that leveraged funds have increased their net-long despite the recent underperformance from the NZD.
5. The Week Ahead
With the RBNZ out of the way until February, the main focus for the NZD in the med-term will be key quarterly economic data points going into the Fed meeting (none of them are expected this week), and of course overall risk sentiment will be in focus in the short-term. The recent Omicron and Fed-inspired risk off has hit the NZD really hard. Given the economic and policy outlook we still see scope to upside in the NZD, but timing will be very important given the amount of uncertainty sparked by Omicron and the Fed. Barring any major Omicron updates it’ll be worth keeping a close eye on cross-asset implied volatility for signals of when some calm might be restored.
USD
FUNDAMENTAL BIAS: WEAK BULLISH
1. Monetary Policy
Another bank that was hawkish in deed by dovish in word in their Nov policy decision. The Fed announced tapering as expected, with purchases to be reduced at a pace of 10bln in Treasuries and 5bln in MBS per month and explained that a mid-2022 conclusion is their base case. There were also some hawkish language changes about inflation , with the bank dropping previous comments that called inflation transitory and replacing it with ‘expected to be transitory’, basically leaving some optionality to pivot more aggressively with tapering should price pressures stay sticky for too long. However, Fed Chair Powell did a really good job to put on a familiar dovish front by explaining that they see the current price pressures as driven by supply bottlenecks and still see those pressures cooling down in in 1H22, essentially giving themselves half a year of ‘tolerating’ the current inflation overshoot. Apart from that, Chair Powell explained that they would need to see maximum employment before their conditions for a lift off in rates would be met, and also explained that it’s likely that full employment could be reached by mid-2022. That endorsed the idea that a 2h22 hike is possible, but the Chair refused to provide any idea of what maximum employment would look like. On the rate front, Powell also explained that they think they can be patient with rates right now as they want more time to see in what shape the economy is in after the current covid shocks have calmed and after bottlenecks have eased. Overall, a policy meeting that was hawkish in their actions but dovish in their words.
2. Real Yields
With a Q4 taper start and a faster 2022 taper on the table, further material downside in real yields looks like a struggle, and upside from here should be supportive for the USD. However, we are growing cautious of nominal yields right now as an aggressive Fed is not a positive for US10Y . But it also means there are risks that inflation expectations fall and place upside pressure on real yields.
3. Global Risk Outlook
Based on the recent global economic data the expectations of a possible reflationary setup have developed as the Citi Economic Surprise Index continues to push higher. Even though this was seen as a possible negative for the USD, the recent hawkish tilt from the Fed (accompanied by the Omicron variant) has seen drastic curve flattening in anticipation that the Fed might be on its way to a policy mistake, and we could see a possible repeat scenario like we had back in 4Q18. If that happens, it should be an additional tailwind for the USD, which means for now a lot of hinges on the new variant.
4. CFTC Analysis
Latest CFTC data showed a positioning change of +104 with a net non-commercial position of +35879. USD longs are looking stretched, and arguably have been looking stretched for the past few weeks. With large speculators at their highest level since 2019, there is some scope for some mean reversion lower in the USD. It’s also important to remember that a lot of the Fed hawkishness should now be reflected in the price. The biggest risk to upside is if the med-term growth and inflation outlook materially deteriorate from here.
5. The Week Ahead
With Fed Chair Powell already giving the markets the prewarning of a faster tapering decision next week, there isn’t much that will change that with this week’s line up of economic data. The biggest even will no doubt be the CPI print on Friday, where markets are expecting a new cycle high for consumer prices. With so many expectations baked in for the Fed and with so many higher inflation projections doing the rounds, the highest tradable event for the USD this week would be a huge surprise miss as that will catch everyone by surprise and offer some decent downside in the short-term for the USD. Even though a beat in the CPI data should see
further expectations of tighter policy, markets are so close to pricing in 3 hikes for next year again which means the upside on a beat might be more limited compared to the Nov CPI print.
FUNDAMENTAL BIAS: WEAK BULLISH
1. Monetary Policy
The RBNZ underwhelmed some market participants who were looking for a 50bsp hike as the bank only delivered on a 25bsp hike as consensus was expecting. Even though the NZD took a plunge after the meeting, we don’t think markets are really giving NZD the upside it deserves after the Nov RBNZ decision. Not referring to the knee-jerk lower after the 25bsp hike of course as that was fully priced in and always ran the risk of underwhelming the bulls, but the outlook in the MPR justifies more NZD strength. The upgrades to the economic outlook between Aug and Nov was positive, with growth seen lower in 2022 but much higher in 2023, CPI is seen higher throughout 2022 and 2023, the Unemployment rate seen lower throughout the forecast horizon, and of course the big upgrade to the OCR which is now seen at 2.6% by 2024, and the bank has brought forward their expectation of reaching the 2.0% neutral rate with 5 quarters. Of course, incoming data will be important (as always) and any new developments with the new Omicron variant will be watched but barring any major deterioration in the economic data the recent sell off in the NZD does seem at odds with the fundamental, policy and economic outlook.
2. Economic and health developments
We heard some good news two weeks 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 and the RBNZ had expected, but markets have not been too bothered with the incoming data. That might start to change as focus turns to the new variant and its potential impact on the global economy. For now, based on the economic and policy outlook the NZD seems undervalued at current prices.
3. 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 CAD 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.
4. CFTC Analysis
Latest CFTC data showed a positioning change of -3309 with a net non-commercial position of +10630. Positioning is not stretched compared to historical net-long levels, but as the second largest net-long for large speculators and the biggest for leveraged funds there is always scope for unwinding if we see strong bouts of risk off sentiment like we had over the past two weeks. However, it’s very encouraging to see that leveraged funds have increased their net-long despite the recent underperformance from the NZD.
5. The Week Ahead
With the RBNZ out of the way until February, the main focus for the NZD in the med-term will be key quarterly economic data points going into the Fed meeting (none of them are expected this week), and of course overall risk sentiment will be in focus in the short-term. The recent Omicron and Fed-inspired risk off has hit the NZD really hard. Given the economic and policy outlook we still see scope to upside in the NZD, but timing will be very important given the amount of uncertainty sparked by Omicron and the Fed. Barring any major Omicron updates it’ll be worth keeping a close eye on cross-asset implied volatility for signals of when some calm might be restored.
USD
FUNDAMENTAL BIAS: WEAK BULLISH
1. Monetary Policy
Another bank that was hawkish in deed by dovish in word in their Nov policy decision. The Fed announced tapering as expected, with purchases to be reduced at a pace of 10bln in Treasuries and 5bln in MBS per month and explained that a mid-2022 conclusion is their base case. There were also some hawkish language changes about inflation , with the bank dropping previous comments that called inflation transitory and replacing it with ‘expected to be transitory’, basically leaving some optionality to pivot more aggressively with tapering should price pressures stay sticky for too long. However, Fed Chair Powell did a really good job to put on a familiar dovish front by explaining that they see the current price pressures as driven by supply bottlenecks and still see those pressures cooling down in in 1H22, essentially giving themselves half a year of ‘tolerating’ the current inflation overshoot. Apart from that, Chair Powell explained that they would need to see maximum employment before their conditions for a lift off in rates would be met, and also explained that it’s likely that full employment could be reached by mid-2022. That endorsed the idea that a 2h22 hike is possible, but the Chair refused to provide any idea of what maximum employment would look like. On the rate front, Powell also explained that they think they can be patient with rates right now as they want more time to see in what shape the economy is in after the current covid shocks have calmed and after bottlenecks have eased. Overall, a policy meeting that was hawkish in their actions but dovish in their words.
2. Real Yields
With a Q4 taper start and a faster 2022 taper on the table, further material downside in real yields looks like a struggle, and upside from here should be supportive for the USD. However, we are growing cautious of nominal yields right now as an aggressive Fed is not a positive for US10Y . But it also means there are risks that inflation expectations fall and place upside pressure on real yields.
3. Global Risk Outlook
Based on the recent global economic data the expectations of a possible reflationary setup have developed as the Citi Economic Surprise Index continues to push higher. Even though this was seen as a possible negative for the USD, the recent hawkish tilt from the Fed (accompanied by the Omicron variant) has seen drastic curve flattening in anticipation that the Fed might be on its way to a policy mistake, and we could see a possible repeat scenario like we had back in 4Q18. If that happens, it should be an additional tailwind for the USD, which means for now a lot of hinges on the new variant.
4. CFTC Analysis
Latest CFTC data showed a positioning change of +104 with a net non-commercial position of +35879. USD longs are looking stretched, and arguably have been looking stretched for the past few weeks. With large speculators at their highest level since 2019, there is some scope for some mean reversion lower in the USD. It’s also important to remember that a lot of the Fed hawkishness should now be reflected in the price. The biggest risk to upside is if the med-term growth and inflation outlook materially deteriorate from here.
5. The Week Ahead
With Fed Chair Powell already giving the markets the prewarning of a faster tapering decision next week, there isn’t much that will change that with this week’s line up of economic data. The biggest even will no doubt be the CPI print on Friday, where markets are expecting a new cycle high for consumer prices. With so many expectations baked in for the Fed and with so many higher inflation projections doing the rounds, the highest tradable event for the USD this week would be a huge surprise miss as that will catch everyone by surprise and offer some decent downside in the short-term for the USD. Even though a beat in the CPI data should see
further expectations of tighter policy, markets are so close to pricing in 3 hikes for next year again which means the upside on a beat might be more limited compared to the Nov CPI print.
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