The week of synchronized rate hikes

The Daily Shot: 16-Dec-22
The Eurozone
The United Kingdom
Europe
The United States
Japan
Asia – Pacific
China
Emerging Markets
Energy
Equities
Rates
Food for Thought



 

The Eurozone

1. The ECB hiked rates by 50 bps and struck a hawkish tone.
 

 
Source: CNBC   Read full article  
 
The hawks on the Governing Council wanted to go with 75 bps, but a compromise was struck to deliver hawkish guidance on rates and quantitative tightening.
 
Source: @WeberAlexander, @jrandow, @business   Read full article  
 
The market now sees the terminal rate above 3%. Here is the pricing for May.
 

 
Below is Wells Fargo’s forecast.
 
Source: Wells Fargo Securities  
 
2. The euro surged on the ECB announcement but then retreated amid global risk-off sentiment.
 

 
Short-term bond yields jumped, …
 

 
… and the Bund curve inverted further, signaling recession.
 

 
Italian yields spiked as the ECB focuses on balance sheet reduction.
 

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3. Germany’s wholesale prices are moderating.
 

 
4. French business confidence is holding up relatively well.
 

 
However, the December PMI report showed further contraction in business activity.
 
Source: S&P GlobalĀ PMI  

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5. Germany’s business activity declined at a slower pace this month, according to the flash PMI report. More on this next week.
 
Source: S&P GlobalĀ PMI  
 
6. Car sales improved in November but remain below 2020 levels.
 


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The United Kingdom

1. The BoE delivered a dovish 50 bps hike.
 

 
Source: ING   Read full article  
 
The MPC vote was more dovish than expected. According to Dan Hanson of Bloomberg Economics, “The vote split was 1-6-0-2 with Catherine Mann preferring a 75-bps hike. Swati Dhingra and Silvana Tenreyro favored no increase.” Here is the MPC’s voting history from Pantheon Macroeconomics.
 
Source: Pantheon Macroeconomics  
 
Below is Wells Fargo’s forecast for the BoE rate.
 
Source: Wells Fargo Securities  

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2. The pound tumbled (2 charts).
 

 

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3. UK consumer confidence bounced from the lows this month.
 


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Europe

1. Three other European central banks raised rates on Thursday.
 
Norway:
 

 
Source: Reuters   Read full article  
 
Denmark:
 
Source: Nordea Markets  
 
Source: Reuters   Read full article  
 
Switzerland:
 
Source: Tradingeconomics.com  
 
Source: Reuters   Read full article  

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2. Sweden’s unemployment rate remains very low.
 

 
3. Next, we have some data on corruption concerns in the EU.
 
Source: Statista  


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The United States

1. Retail sales declined last month.
 

 
Vehicle sales dropped sharply.
 

 
However, when adjusting for inflation, retail sales held steady or improved.
 
Total sales:
 

 
“Core” retail sales:
 

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2. Industrial production and manufacturing output also declined in November.
 

 
These charts show the manufacturing production level and capacity utilization.
 

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3. Slower retail sales and industrial production signal softer economic growth.
 
Source: @WSJ   Read full article  
 
The Q4 GDPNow model estimate declined to 2.8% (annualized). Forecasters see growth at around 1%.
 
Source: @AtlantaFed   Read full article  

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4. Regional manufacturing reports from the NY Fed and the Philly Fed show soft factory activity in December.
 
Philly Fed:
 

 
Orders and shipments:
 

 
Employment and workers’ hours:
 

 
Price indicators:
 

 
The index of expected orders bounced from the lows this month.
 

 
NY Fed:
 

 
Employee hours:
 

 
Price indices:
 

 
The index of expected business conditions showed an improvement (from extreme lows).
 

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5. The job market remains tight, with unemployment claims hitting multi-year lows for this time of the year. Initial claims were well below pre-COVID levels last week.
 

 

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6. Goldman sees the Fed hiking another 75 bps next year.
 
Source: Goldman Sachs; @MikeZaccardi  
 
The market is now pricing about 130 bps of rate cuts in the second half of next year and the first half of 2024.
 


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Japan

1. Manufacturing contraction worsened in December.
 

 
But service firms’ activity continues to expand.
 

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2. Land prices have started to rise.
 
Source: BCA Research  


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Asia – Pacific

1. Taiwan’s central bank hiked rates again.
 

 
Source: ING   Read full article  

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2. Singapore’s exports slowed in November.
 

 
3. Australia’s business activity softened further.
 
Manufacturing:
 

 
Services:
 

 
Australian household spending shows more caution.
 
Source: @ANZ_Research  


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China

1. The spreading pandemic is pressuring mobility.
 
Source: Capital Economics  
 
2. The housing market continues to struggle.
 
Source: @PkZweifel  


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Emerging Markets

1. Banxico followed the Fed with a 50 bps rate hike.
 

 
2. Argentina’s inflation breached 90% last month.
 

 
3. Brazil’s market-based inflation expectations are rising, even as inflation eases.
 

 
Source: Reuters   Read full article  

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4. Colombia’s economic activity is losing momentum.
 

 
5. Economists downgraded India’s FY 2023 GDP, but the nation’s growth is expected to outpace most other countries.
 

 
India’s trade gap eased in November.
 

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6. The Philippine central bank hiked rates on Thursday.
 

 
Source: @SiegfridAlegado, @iamditaslopez, @dreocalonzo, @business   Read full article  

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7. There is more EM policy tightening in 2023, according to Goldman.
 
Source: @acemaxx, @GoldmanSachs  
 
Which central banks are behind the curve? Here are the rankings from Oxford Economics.
 
Source: Oxford Economics  


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Energy

1. US gross crude oil exports remain near record levels.
 

 
2. Tanker rates are still elevated.
 
Source: @EIAgov   Read full article  
 
3. US natural gas in storage is holding at the 5-year average. But there will be a sharp drawdown amid frigid weather over the next few days.
 
Source: @EIAgov  


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Equities

1. Stocks tumbled on Thursday in response to the hawkish Fed. The S&P 500 is at the low end of its recent trading range.
 

 
2. $4 trillion worth of options contracts expire today.
 
Source: Goldman Sachs, @luwangnyc, @markets   Read full article  
 
3. Investment managers have been increasing their exposure to stocks.
 
Source: NAAIM  
 
4. This chart shows the ETF market share over time.
 
Source: @EricBalchunas  
 
5. Next, we have some sector performance data (over the past five business days).
 
Banks:
 

 
Housing:
 

 
REITs:
 

 
Retail:
 

 
Consumer Discretionary:
 

 
Communication Services:
 

 
Semiconductors:
 

 
Utilities:
 

 
Energy:
 

 
Metals & Mining:
 

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6. Finally, we have some equity factor performance charts.
 
Small caps:
 

 
Small-cap growth vs. value (value is underperforming):
 

 
Low-vol:
 

 
High vs. low operating leverage:
 


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Rates

1. The 10-year Treasury note’s term premium is correlated with changes in the Fed’s balance sheet.
 
Source: Longview Economics  
 
The term premium and TED spreads have also been somewhat correlated.
 
Source: Longview Economics  
 
Higher bond volatility points to a higher term premium.
 
Source: Longview Economics  
 
2. But Treasury implied vol declined this week.
 


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Food for Thought

1. US labor force participation gap:
 
Source: S&P Global Ratings  
 
2. Relative contributions to frontier technologies:
 
Source: CEP   Read full article  
 
3. Popularity of APIs in financial services:
 
Source: @FactSet   Read full article  
 
4. Average US car loan size:
 

 
5. Alcohol-related death rates in Europe:
 
Source: @conradhackett   Read full article  
 
6. The global warming trend:
 
Source: Statista  
 
7. Views on marijuana legalization:
 
Source: Pew Research Center   Read full article  
 
8. Happy Hanukkah!
 

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Have a great weekend!


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