Fixed Income and Currency Strategist

Gautam Jain, PhD, CFA

FX & Rates

In this note, we go over the rationale behind the recent outperformance of the Hungarian forint and make the case that the currency can continue to appreciate in the near term.Separately, the attached file is a snapshot of the EM currency market in which we seek to identify the leaders and laggards among currencies by comparing the performance of each to its history as well as to other currencies based on their respective betas to an EM currency index.

In this note, we go over the rationale behind the recent outperformance of the Hungarian forint and make the case that the currency can continue to appreciate in the near term.Separately, the attached file is a snapshot of the EM currency market in which we seek to identify the leaders and laggards among currencies by comparing the performance of each to its history as well as to other currencies based on their respective betas to an EM currency index.

FX Dashboard: Hungary’s Outperformance Is Playing Catch-Up

Asia Economist and CEO, Centennial Asia Advisors

Manu Bhaskaran

Asia Economist and CEO

Centennial Asia Advisors

At Centennial Asia Advisors, we tell it like it is. We have no vested interests, no need for a China wall, and no reason to skew our outlook any other way. With over 30 years experience covering Asia’s political economy, you can be sure our conclusions and analyses are based on the unadulterated facts. Through years of fine-tuning our research methodologies, we deliver a quality of macroeconomic analysis few other houses can match.

Centennial Asia Advisors is an independent research and advisory firm that works with governments, multilateral institutions, financial firms and leading MNCs.

Economic Policy and Strategic Advisors

Macroeconomics

<ul>
<li>Bank Indonesia kept policy rates unchanged - as expected and in line with market consensus. BI is toeing a delicate line between supporting the domestic economy and keeping downside risks for <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/idr" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:22831:1" rel="noopener">IDR (USDIDR CURNCY)</a> to a minimum. Our view, albeit a contrarian one, is for BI to raise rates once later this year to fend off the downward pressure on the Rupiah as the external recovery in global demand, and particularly in the US, firms up.</li>
<li>The government bungled the messaging for the tax amnesty. Contrary to remarks by the coordinating economics minister, the government intends to step up enforcement checks on once-delinquent tax payers who registered for the 2017 tax amnesty. The tax measures appear to be targeted at affluent and well-heeled Indonesians. As such, the measures are revenue-positive, but it will not do much to broaden the tax base or bring the informal sector into the tax net.</li>
</ul>


Bank Indonesia kept policy rates unchanged - as expected and in line with market consensus. BI is toeing a delicate line between supporting the domestic economy and keeping downside risks for IDR (USDIDR CURNCY) to a minimum. Our view, albeit a contrarian one, is for BI to raise rates once later this year to fend off the downward pressure on the Rupiah as the external recovery in global demand, and particularly in the US, firms up.
The government bungled the messaging for the tax amnesty. Contrary to remarks by the coordinating economics minister, the government intends to step up enforcement checks on once-delinquent tax payers who registered for the 2017 tax amnesty. The tax measures appear to be targeted at affluent and well-heeled Indonesians. As such, the measures are revenue-positive, but it will not do much to broaden the tax base or bring the informal sector into the tax net.


Indonesia: Bungled Messaging Aside, Tax Measures Do Not Go Far Enough

The US dollar has weakened since the end of March, leaving it flat from the start of the year. If the dollar moves sideways for the time being, as we expect, then it should lead to a carry trade environment. We identify the best EM currencies for such an environment.Separately, the attached file is a snapshot of the EM currency market in which we seek to identify the leaders and laggards among currencies by comparing the performance of each to its history as well as to other currencies based on their respective betas to an EM currency index.

The US dollar has weakened since the end of March, leaving it flat from the start of the year. If the dollar moves sideways for the time being, as we expect, then it should lead to a carry trade environment. We identify the best EM currencies for such an environment.Separately, the attached file is a snapshot of the EM currency market in which we seek to identify the leaders and laggards among currencies by comparing the performance of each to its history as well as to other currencies based on their respective betas to an EM currency index.

FX Dashboard: Which Currencies to Target in a Carry Trade Environment?

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.

The past week has seen a short-lived flurry of market price action, with daily volatility in the US Dollar and equities edging higher on 30th April and again on 4th May. However, volatility overall has remained subdued, particularly in the benchmark US 10-year Treasury yield. Moreover, the Dollar NEER and US 10-year yields – increasingly a bellwether for financial markets – remain firmly within their multi-week ranges while the S&amp;P 500 yesterday closed in the middle of a narrow 3-week range of just 1.8%. US markets are seemingly sitting on the fence at this juncture, unwilling to take material directional positions given the uncertain outlook for US and global inflation and central banks’ reaction functions.  However, the gradual 6bp fall in the US benchmark 10-year Treasury yield between 29th April and 5th May to about 1.58% and the flattening of the 2s5s and 2s10s yield curves alongside a 0.4% gain in the Dollar NEER is noteworthy.Our take is that markets may have become marginally less worried that the Fed will have no choice but to tighten monetary policy sooner than it has indicated despite expectations that year-on-year US CPI-inflation will rise further in coming months. Moreover, the inverse relationship between the “safe-haven” Dollar and riskier assets has remained strong. US macro data released in the past week have been strong enough to put a floor under the S&amp;P 500 but not strong enough to push it to new highs. Finally we think that markets, in particular real-money funds, have once again been paying greater attention to valuations, including the relative cheapness of the Dollar.Notably most of the other major NEERs have also traded in narrow ranges since early March and few have moved much in the past month. Central banks, particularly in Asia, have been willing and able to keep their currencies on a short leash in order to maintain export competitiveness and minimise inflationary or deflationary pressures.Within Asia, the Taiwan Dollar is looking expensive relative to the Korean Won, in our view.

The past week has seen a short-lived flurry of market price action, with daily volatility in the US Dollar and equities edging higher on 30th April and again on 4th May. However, volatility overall has remained subdued, particularly in the benchmark US 10-year Treasury yield. Moreover, the Dollar NEER and US 10-year yields – increasingly a bellwether for financial markets – remain firmly within their multi-week ranges while the S&amp;P 500 yesterday closed in the middle of a narrow 3-week range of just 1.8%. US markets are seemingly sitting on the fence at this juncture, unwilling to take material directional positions given the uncertain outlook for US and global inflation and central banks’ reaction functions.  However, the gradual 6bp fall in the US benchmark 10-year Treasury yield between 29th April and 5th May to about 1.58% and the flattening of the 2s5s and 2s10s yield curves alongside a 0.4% gain in the Dollar NEER is noteworthy.Our take is that markets may have become marginally less worried that the Fed will have no choice but to tighten monetary policy sooner than it has indicated despite expectations that year-on-year US CPI-inflation will rise further in coming months. Moreover, the inverse relationship between the “safe-haven” Dollar and riskier assets has remained strong. US macro data released in the past week have been strong enough to put a floor under the S&amp;P 500 but not strong enough to push it to new highs. Finally we think that markets, in particular real-money funds, have once again been paying greater attention to valuations, including the relative cheapness of the Dollar.Notably most of the other major NEERs have also traded in narrow ranges since early March and few have moved much in the past month. Central banks, particularly in Asia, have been willing and able to keep their currencies on a short leash in order to maintain export competitiveness and minimise inflationary or deflationary pressures.Within Asia, the Taiwan Dollar is looking expensive relative to the Korean Won, in our view.

Sitting on Range-Trade Fence: Complacent Comfort

In this note, we highlight the widening performance gap between commodities and EM currencies along with going over the reasons behind it and the timing when it can start reversing.Separately, the attached file is a snapshot of the EM currency market in which we seek to identify the leaders and laggards among currencies by comparing the performance of each to its history as well as to other currencies based on their respective betas to the broad market.

In this note, we highlight the widening performance gap between commodities and EM currencies along with going over the reasons behind it and the timing when it can start reversing.Separately, the attached file is a snapshot of the EM currency market in which we seek to identify the leaders and laggards among currencies by comparing the performance of each to its history as well as to other currencies based on their respective betas to the broad market.

FX Dashboard: Divergence Between Commodities and EM Currencies Grows

Indonesia

The Indonesian rupiah is the official currency of the Republic of Indonesia. 

Price Gauge
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IDR (USDIDR CURNCY)

FX Dashboard: Hungary’s Outperformance Is Playing Catch-Up

In this note, we go over the rationale behind the recent outperformance of the Hungarian forint and make the case that the currency can continue to...

Gautam Jain, PhD, CFA

Indonesia: Bungled Messaging Aside, Tax Measures Do Not Go Far Enough

The government released details on the proposed tax measures as it clarified that another tax amnesty is not on the cards. The measures are revenue...

Manu Bhaskaran

FX Dashboard: Which Currencies to Target in a Carry Trade Environment?

If the dollar moves sideways for the time being, as we expect, then it should lead to a carry trade environment. We identify the best EM currencies...

Gautam Jain, PhD, CFA

Sitting on Range-Trade Fence: Complacent Comfort

Vol & directionality in Dollar, Treasuries and S&P 500 modest in past week and most EM currencies remain rangebound. Markets sitting on fence, but...

Olivier Desbarres

FX Dashboard: Divergence Between Commodities and EM Currencies Grows

In this note, we highlight the widening performance gap between commodities and EM currencies along with going over the reasons behind it and the...

Gautam Jain, PhD, CFA

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