Macro Strategist, Saxo Capital Markets

Kay Van-Petersen

Macro Strategist

Saxo Capital Markets

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul><li>Key close on DXY above 94.50 on a Friday, liquidating my thesis on a tactical USD liquidation phase. Seems like we’ve now had a very sharp V-shaped bounce from the pullback 2 wks back</li><li>If the strong USD trend continues, we’d expect risk-off to be the flavour of the moment with EM, Commodities &amp; equities in general set to decline</li><li>Check out the long NOKSEK SaxoStrats idea flagged by our Head of FX Strategy John Hardy – I like the thesis, it definitely worth doing some heavy lifting on this</li><li>Plus a few links to the Sohn Investment Conference where movers &amp; shakers such as Chanos &amp; Druckenmiller were talking their views </li></ul>

Key close on DXY above 94.50 on a Friday, liquidating my thesis on a tactical USD liquidation phase. Seems like we’ve now had a very sharp V-shaped bounce from the pullback 2 wks backIf the strong USD trend continues, we’d expect risk-off to be the flavour of the moment with EM, Commodities &amp; equities in general set to declineCheck out the long NOKSEK SaxoStrats idea flagged by our Head of FX Strategy John Hardy – I like the thesis, it definitely worth doing some heavy lifting on thisPlus a few links to the Sohn Investment Conference where movers &amp; shakers such as Chanos &amp; Druckenmiller were talking their views 

Global Macro Take: WK 20 – The US Dollar Just Won't Die

FX Strategist

Greg Gibbs

Fundamental analysis of topical themes in FX

Amplifying Global FX Capital

Amplifying Global FX Capital was founded in 2015 and is fully owned by Greg Gibbs. It is a registered company both in Australia and Colorado, USA and is a licensed in Australia to provide financial services.

We are producing a regular trading view orientated macroeconomic analysis of topical themes in global financial markets, with a particular focus on foreign exchange. We invite you to view an “executive summary” of these reports in “AmpGFX Reports” under our “Research” menu.

These reports are drawn from the analysis of Greg Gibbs and inform the capital management he undertakes on behalf of the company. The trading performance is posted periodically on our website. We aim to build our company into both a research and capital management business. We are currently in the planning phase for managing capital for wholesale customers.

Greg Gibbs has spent his working life of more than 26 years in financial markets, beginning in 1989 at the Reserve Bank of Australia, after completing a Bachelor of Economics Degree (Honours) at the Australian National University. He has been a CFA Charterholder since 2005. He has worked in Sydney, Singapore, New York and London for major global banks and presented on foreign exchange markets to major financial institutions and companies around the world, and maintained a high profile in the financial media.

Before Amplifying Global FX Capital, Greg was the Head of Asia Pacific Market Strategy at the Royal Bank of Scotland based Singapore. He now resides in Breckenridge Colorado.

Macroeconomics

S interest rates have fallen significantly this year (-36bp) reducing the USD yield advantage.  This has been matched by the GBP and CAD, but AUD and NZD rates have been much more stable than previous episodes of global risk aversion. The Fed is sticking to its outlook for gradual policy tightening, but weak growth is expected to be reported in Q4, activity indicators are weak heading into 2016, medium and longer term inflation expectations are down sharply, and the only plank left supporting rate hike forecasts is the solid labor market.  However, recent unemployment claims have drifted up, and a considerable pause in US rates appears likely.  The US economy has been dragged back to the pack to some extent by the deep fall in oil prices.  While the US energy sector is not all that large, it is much more cyclical than OPEC countries, and activity in this sector has been a factor slowing the US economy.   We may be moving into a phase where confidence in the US economy is waning.  This may tend to weaken the USD in 2016.  Global risk aversion and weaker commodity prices may also weaken commodity and emerging market currencies, but if perceptions on US monetary policy change enough, even these currencies may recover at some point.

S interest rates have fallen significantly this year (-36bp) reducing the USD yield advantage.  This has been matched by the GBP and CAD, but AUD and NZD rates have been much more stable than previous episodes of global risk aversion. The Fed is sticking to its outlook for gradual policy tightening, but weak growth is expected to be reported in Q4, activity indicators are weak heading into 2016, medium and longer term inflation expectations are down sharply, and the only plank left supporting rate hike forecasts is the solid labor market.  However, recent unemployment claims have drifted up, and a considerable pause in US rates appears likely.  The US economy has been dragged back to the pack to some extent by the deep fall in oil prices.  While the US energy sector is not all that large, it is much more cyclical than OPEC countries, and activity in this sector has been a factor slowing the US economy.   We may be moving into a phase where confidence in the US economy is waning.  This may tend to weaken the USD in 2016.  Global risk aversion and weaker commodity prices may also weaken commodity and emerging market currencies, but if perceptions on US monetary policy change enough, even these currencies may recover at some point.

EM PM, Ecstrat

Emad Mostaque

EM PM

Ecstrat

Ecstrat is a consultancy advising on asset allocation between global equity markets, with a focus on the intersection of governments, geopolitics, governance and markets.
 
Over the past few years and more especially since the Great Financial Crisis (GFC), investors have become more focused on short-term market movements and real-time returns and have consequently neglected the analysis of the underlying structural themes that underpin longer term performance.
​
More specifically we believe that the evolution of governance-based relationships between investors, controlling shareholders, labour and the state is one of the primary determinants of both relative and absolute performance between individual equity markets.
 
We will endeavour to provide investors with some of the context surrounding governance-related issues which encompass many different disciplines including history, economics and political science, as well as the financial metrics which are the most obvious manifestation of the structural characteristics of each market.
 
We will pay particular attention to the shifts and potential inflection points for governance in individual markets as these are often the best lead indicators for both economic and market performance.

The events that have occurred in Paris, Baghdad and Beirut over the last few days confirm the rising geopolitical risk we are facing across the world, with these being declared as the first of the coming storm. An Arab Winter is coming and the inability of the world to band together to defeat a relatively small force in Raqqa bodes ill for our ability to handle it. This piece looks at some key questions over Daesh  -- the Arabic acronym for Islamic State -- and how we deal with them. Daesh can…

 The events that have occurred in Paris, Baghdad and Beirut over the last few days confirm the rising geopolitical risk we are facing across the world, with these being declared as the first of the coming storm. An Arab Winter is coming and the inability of the world to band together to defeat a relatively small force in Raqqa bodes ill for our ability to handle it. This piece looks at some key questions over Daesh  -- the Arabic acronym for Islamic State -- and how we deal with them. Daesh can…

European Event-Driven Analyst

Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar

Event-Driven

<ul>
<li>Sidara’s 30p firm offer remains live but hinges on three gates — the 23 Oct GM, a clean FY24 audit, and A&amp;E execution — all non-waivable and binary.</li>
<li>Borrowing-Limit approval has become a pre-audit chokepoint; failure would block the “going-concern” opinion and terminate the scheme before the formal Exceptional Conditions are tested.</li>
<li>Suspension limits trading but not lending: existing borrows persist in CREST, with recall and fee spikes expected around October–December catalysts as counterparties rebalance exposure.</li>
</ul>


Sidara’s 30p firm offer remains live but hinges on three gates — the 23 Oct GM, a clean FY24 audit, and A&amp;E execution — all non-waivable and binary.
Borrowing-Limit approval has become a pre-audit chokepoint; failure would block the “going-concern” opinion and terminate the scheme before the formal Exceptional Conditions are tested.
Suspension limits trading but not lending: existing borrows persist in CREST, with recall and fee spikes expected around October–December catalysts as counterparties rebalance exposure.


Sidara - Wood Group – Audit, Amend, and Exit

<ul>
<li>Sidara’s 30p/share offer, backed by $450m funding and debt extension, is the only viable path; yet “Exceptional Conditions” make this deal unusually binary despite board support.</li>
<li>The audit (clean FY24 balance sheet opinion by 31 Oct 2025) and A&amp;E by 31 Dec 2025 are non-waivable gates; clearing both crystallizes 30p, missing either drives automatic lapse.</li>
<li>Probability-Weighted target price stands at 24.9p; distressed entries retain compelling upside, but pre-existing holders rely heavily on successful completion. Break risk implies severe equity impairment if conditions fail.</li>
</ul>


Sidara’s 30p/share offer, backed by $450m funding and debt extension, is the only viable path; yet “Exceptional Conditions” make this deal unusually binary despite board support.
The audit (clean FY24 balance sheet opinion by 31 Oct 2025) and A&amp;E by 31 Dec 2025 are non-waivable gates; clearing both crystallizes 30p, missing either drives automatic lapse.
Probability-Weighted target price stands at 24.9p; distressed entries retain compelling upside, but pre-existing holders rely heavily on successful completion. Break risk implies severe equity impairment if conditions fail.


Carved in Wood: Sidara’s Firm Offer, but Fragile Conditions

United Kingdom

Wood is a British multinational engineering and consulting company that provides project management and technical services for energy and industrial markets. The company offers solutions in areas such as decarbonization, digitalization, asset optimization, and clean energy. Wood is headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland, and was founded in 1961.

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Wood (WG/ LN)

Global Macro Take: WK 20 – The US Dollar Just Won't Die

Key close on DXY above 94.50 on a Friday, liquidating my thesis on a tactical USD liquidation phase. Seems like we’ve now had a very sharp...

Kay Van-Petersen

Confidence in Fed Hikes Waning

S interest rates have fallen significantly this year (-36bp) reducing the USD yield advantage. This has been matched by the GBP and CAD, but AUD...

Greg Gibbs

Deconstructing Daesh

The events that have occurred in Paris, Baghdad and Beirut over the last few days confirm the rising geopolitical risk we are facing across the...

Emad Mostaque

Sidara - Wood Group – Audit, Amend, and Exit

Sidara’s 30p bid for Wood offers asymmetric value but zero slack—three gates, binary risk, and fee volatility ahead make it a suspended yet...

Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar

Carved in Wood: Sidara’s Firm Offer, but Fragile Conditions

Sidara’s 30p offer is the only credible exit for Wood, but non-waivable audit and refinancing gates make the arb binary—clear both for 30p, miss...

Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar

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