Founder

Olivier Desbarres

Exacting. Excellent. Exceeding. Exemplary.

4X Global Research

4X Global Research was founded in 2017 to provide institutional and corporate clients with the substantive research, high-quality analysis and thoughtful insight on Emerging and G20 economies and financial markets they need to make informed and timely decisions and gain an edge in their investments.

FX & Rates

This report updates the monthly seasonal patterns of 31 major Nominal Effective Exchange Rates(NEERs) going back to January 2010, using over two million daily data points with trade-weights derived from the<a href="https://www.bis.org/statistics/eer.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> BIS</a> (April 2019) and national central banks (see <a href="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/948838a86ce72ab6d8019a39d/files/15f4d8a9-56a4-46fd-9d78-607e5fd523e6/4X_Global_Research_Nominal_Effective_Exchange_Rates_Monthly_seasonal_patterns.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nominal Effective Exchange Rates: Monthly seasonal patterns</a>, 10 January 2019). A number of factors can drive currency seasonality, including underlying seasonal patterns in balance of payment flows, the timing of public holidays and market liquidity. However, significant changes in central bank or government policy, major domestic events (e.g. Brexit) and once-in-a-lifetime “black swan” events such as the Covid-19 pandemic January can break down even well established seasonal currency patterns. In emerging Asia interventionist central banks have in part eroded monthly currency seasonality.Unsurprisingly, typical monthly seasonal currency patterns broke down in 2020, with a few exceptions. In particular, when global risk sentiment collapsed in March and peaked in June only a handful of currencies moved broadly in line with their historical patterns. Historical seasonal patterns somewhat re-established themselves in Q3 (notably August) with domestic factors once again driving asset prices, including currencies. But the resurgence in Covid-19 cases and deaths in Q4 along with the re-imposition of national lockdowns once again contributed to a breakdown in historical seasonal patterns, albeit not as marked as in March or June.The Brazilian Real and Colombian Peso NEERs recorded the strongest average rates of appreciation in the month of January in 2010-2019, while the Turkish Lira and Russian Rouble were the weakest. About 15 NEERs traded broadly in line with their historical patterns in January 2020.However, the Covid-19 pandemic was still in its infancy and its impact on global economies and financial markets still modest. The risk is that many currencies, including the typically strong Swiss Franc, may in January 2021 continue to deviate materially from their 2010-2019 seasonal patterns in our view.

This report updates the monthly seasonal patterns of 31 major Nominal Effective Exchange Rates(NEERs) going back to January 2010, using over two million daily data points with trade-weights derived from the BIS (April 2019) and national central banks (see Nominal Effective Exchange Rates: Monthly seasonal patterns, 10 January 2019). A number of factors can drive currency seasonality, including underlying seasonal patterns in balance of payment flows, the timing of public holidays and market liquidity. However, significant changes in central bank or government policy, major domestic events (e.g. Brexit) and once-in-a-lifetime “black swan” events such as the Covid-19 pandemic January can break down even well established seasonal currency patterns. In emerging Asia interventionist central banks have in part eroded monthly currency seasonality.Unsurprisingly, typical monthly seasonal currency patterns broke down in 2020, with a few exceptions. In particular, when global risk sentiment collapsed in March and peaked in June only a handful of currencies moved broadly in line with their historical patterns. Historical seasonal patterns somewhat re-established themselves in Q3 (notably August) with domestic factors once again driving asset prices, including currencies. But the resurgence in Covid-19 cases and deaths in Q4 along with the re-imposition of national lockdowns once again contributed to a breakdown in historical seasonal patterns, albeit not as marked as in March or June.The Brazilian Real and Colombian Peso NEERs recorded the strongest average rates of appreciation in the month of January in 2010-2019, while the Turkish Lira and Russian Rouble were the weakest. About 15 NEERs traded broadly in line with their historical patterns in January 2020.However, the Covid-19 pandemic was still in its infancy and its impact on global economies and financial markets still modest. The risk is that many currencies, including the typically strong Swiss Franc, may in January 2021 continue to deviate materially from their 2010-2019 seasonal patterns in our view.

Monthly Currency Seasonality: Down and Out?

Market volatility has been reasonably subdued in recent weeks, despite acute event (and macro data) risk in the next four weeks, including of course US presidential elections on 3rd November, and a number of significant macro, policy and geopolitical developments.In the past month volatility in major developed and emerging market currencies versus the US Dollar has only risen materially in the high-yielding Turkish Lira and Mexican Peso and the low-yielding Polish Zloty, Korean Won and more surprisingly the Taiwan Dollar.However, this is not a case of more confident financial market participants finding their feet, in our view, but rather a reflexion of financial markets unable to see through the smoke and reluctant to pit themselves against their peers going into year-end and/or test monetary authorities’ resolve at time of acute uncertainty. S&amp;P 500 (realized) volatility has edged lower since its early September spike, with markets seemingly undecided whether a Trump or Biden victory will be a net positive for equities.For similar reasons the Dollar, Euro, Sterling, Yen and Swiss Franc have shown little directionality since late-July. Headwinds and tailwinds for these reserve currencies have either tended to cancel each other or simply fade, leaving market participants in two-minds and opting for the path of least regret. Back in November 2019 we correctly predicted that “global FX volatility would rise in coming weeks, with the potential for a volatility spike in mid-December”. We once again think the risk is biased towards FX volatility rising in coming weeks, particularly given the still very uncertain outcome of US elections to be held in just 26 days.We think the risk of higher volatility is most acute if US President Trump once again defies opinion polls to win or if a prolonged period of uncertainty ensues in the event of either candidate contesting the result of a very close election.Moreover, the odds Sterling volatility spiking higher in the next fortnight are high, in our view, whatever the outcome of UK-EU negotiations over a new trade deal which will likely reach a crescendo ahead of the European Council meeting on 15-16 October.

Market volatility has been reasonably subdued in recent weeks, despite acute event (and macro data) risk in the next four weeks, including of course US presidential elections on 3rd November, and a number of significant macro, policy and geopolitical developments.In the past month volatility in major developed and emerging market currencies versus the US Dollar has only risen materially in the high-yielding Turkish Lira and Mexican Peso and the low-yielding Polish Zloty, Korean Won and more surprisingly the Taiwan Dollar.However, this is not a case of more confident financial market participants finding their feet, in our view, but rather a reflexion of financial markets unable to see through the smoke and reluctant to pit themselves against their peers going into year-end and/or test monetary authorities’ resolve at time of acute uncertainty. S&amp;P 500 (realized) volatility has edged lower since its early September spike, with markets seemingly undecided whether a Trump or Biden victory will be a net positive for equities.For similar reasons the Dollar, Euro, Sterling, Yen and Swiss Franc have shown little directionality since late-July. Headwinds and tailwinds for these reserve currencies have either tended to cancel each other or simply fade, leaving market participants in two-minds and opting for the path of least regret. Back in November 2019 we correctly predicted that “global FX volatility would rise in coming weeks, with the potential for a volatility spike in mid-December”. We once again think the risk is biased towards FX volatility rising in coming weeks, particularly given the still very uncertain outcome of US elections to be held in just 26 days.We think the risk of higher volatility is most acute if US President Trump once again defies opinion polls to win or if a prolonged period of uncertainty ensues in the event of either candidate contesting the result of a very close election.Moreover, the odds Sterling volatility spiking higher in the next fortnight are high, in our view, whatever the outcome of UK-EU negotiations over a new trade deal which will likely reach a crescendo ahead of the European Council meeting on 15-16 October.

Event Risk and Market Volatility: Partners in Crime

Switzerland

The Swiss franc is the official currency of Switzerland.

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CHF (USDCHF CURNCY)

Monthly Currency Seasonality: Down and Out?

Covid-19 pandemic and national lockdowns in 2020 wreaked havoc with historical monthly seasonal patterns for developed and EM currencies. But what...

Olivier Desbarres

Event Risk and Market Volatility: Partners in Crime

Market volatility has been reasonably subdued in recent weeks, despite acute event (and macro data) risk in the next four weeks, including of...

Olivier Desbarres

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)