Founder

Olivier Desbarres

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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

<ul>
<li>Last week's spike in US asset prices, including US Treasuries, in the wake of gangbuster US CPI-inflation data for October, has proved short-lived.  </li>
<li>However, EM currencies have outperformed developed currencies since 1st November thanks partly to EM central bank policy rate hikes, a lack of currency contagion and domestic macro data.</li>
<li>We focus on low-volatility Asian currencies, the under-pressure Norwegian Krone, Polish Zloty,  Hungarian Forint and Euro and the importance of the release of UK retail sales data on Friday.</li>
</ul>


Last week's spike in US asset prices, including US Treasuries, in the wake of gangbuster US CPI-inflation data for October, has proved short-lived.  
However, EM currencies have outperformed developed currencies since 1st November thanks partly to EM central bank policy rate hikes, a lack of currency contagion and domestic macro data.
We focus on low-volatility Asian currencies, the under-pressure Norwegian Krone, Polish Zloty,  Hungarian Forint and Euro and the importance of the release of UK retail sales data on Friday.


FX Round-Up – Calm Before the Next Storm

Global FX volatility – as measured by the 5-day Standard Deviation (SD) in the daily percentage change in the spot (closing) price of a turnover-weighted basket of 32 major currency pairs against the US Dollar – remains depressed by historical standards.While global FX volatility rose slightly on 11th August to about 0.32 SD following the release of US CPI-inflation data, it is still well below its level one month ago (0.43 SD) and 10-year average (0.47 SD). Notably global FX volatility is at a similar level (0.30 SD) as it was in the run-up to the 16th June Fed meeting and release of a more hawkish FOMC “<a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/files/fomcprojtabl20210616.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dot-chart</a>”.Volatility versus the US Dollar in most of these 32 developed and EM currencies has either fallen in the past month from already modest levels or been broadly stable. Volatility in the high-yielding Brazilian Real and low-yielding Canadian Dollar, Czech Crown, Norwegian Krone and Hungarian Forint has fallen the most in absolute terms. However, there have been a few notable exceptions, including the Turkish Lira, Thai Baht and Chilean, Colombian and Philippines Pesos.USD/THB volatility has risen further in past month and is now near top end of its admittedly narrow 12-month range. The Baht has been choppy against a strong US Dollar, resulting in the Baht NEER appreciating 1.4% since the multi-year low recorded on 6th August.GBP/EUR volatility is currently at its lowest level since early June. Sterling’s appreciation against the Euro has been slow and steady, in line with our expectations. Volatility in global FX (and the S&amp;P 500) also remains very modest compared to volatility in other asset classes, notably US Treasuries and Brent crude oil (see Figure 5). Most of the price action has been in the US rates market in recent months, perhaps unsurprisingly given protracted debate about the timeline for Fed tapering and rate hikes.There are a number of factors behind this low transmission from US rates to Dollar crosses and equities but, as was the case in late-2019, FX markets are ultimately pricing in very little risk of policy, macro data or geopolitical surprises, in our view.

Global FX volatility – as measured by the 5-day Standard Deviation (SD) in the daily percentage change in the spot (closing) price of a turnover-weighted basket of 32 major currency pairs against the US Dollar – remains depressed by historical standards.While global FX volatility rose slightly on 11th August to about 0.32 SD following the release of US CPI-inflation data, it is still well below its level one month ago (0.43 SD) and 10-year average (0.47 SD). Notably global FX volatility is at a similar level (0.30 SD) as it was in the run-up to the 16th June Fed meeting and release of a more hawkish FOMC “dot-chart”.Volatility versus the US Dollar in most of these 32 developed and EM currencies has either fallen in the past month from already modest levels or been broadly stable. Volatility in the high-yielding Brazilian Real and low-yielding Canadian Dollar, Czech Crown, Norwegian Krone and Hungarian Forint has fallen the most in absolute terms. However, there have been a few notable exceptions, including the Turkish Lira, Thai Baht and Chilean, Colombian and Philippines Pesos.USD/THB volatility has risen further in past month and is now near top end of its admittedly narrow 12-month range. The Baht has been choppy against a strong US Dollar, resulting in the Baht NEER appreciating 1.4% since the multi-year low recorded on 6th August.GBP/EUR volatility is currently at its lowest level since early June. Sterling’s appreciation against the Euro has been slow and steady, in line with our expectations. Volatility in global FX (and the S&amp;P 500) also remains very modest compared to volatility in other asset classes, notably US Treasuries and Brent crude oil (see Figure 5). Most of the price action has been in the US rates market in recent months, perhaps unsurprisingly given protracted debate about the timeline for Fed tapering and rate hikes.There are a number of factors behind this low transmission from US rates to Dollar crosses and equities but, as was the case in late-2019, FX markets are ultimately pricing in very little risk of policy, macro data or geopolitical surprises, in our view. 

Low Global FX Vol: Maturity or Complacency?

The Fed updated “dot-chart” of all FOMC members’ expectations of the appropriate policy rate points to only an incrementally less dovish stance. Based on a weighted average FOMC members still only expect one 25bp hike by end-2023, according to our estimates.Fed seems eager to cool market concerns that it will have no choice but to start hiking rates and to ultimately cap Treasury yields or at least slow recent increase in long-end yields. Price action in 2 and 5-year Treasuries suggests it partly succeeded, even if briefly.However, this still very dovish Fed policy rate outlook jars with its updated forecasts for US inflation and particularly GDP growth. The Fed’s twin arguments are that rapid growth this year will not be very inflationary due to slack in labour market and that following a period of inflation-undershoot it’s willing to accept a modest overshoot in PCE-inflation above 2%. The latter will have come as little surprise. The more contentious issue in our view is the Fed’s prognosis that core PCE-inflation will rise only modestly from 1.5% yoy in January to 2.2% yoy by end-year despite US GDP growth hitting a 37-year high of 6.5% this year.The Treasury yield curves have steepened further in the past 72 hours. This suggests that bond markets are not convinced about the Fed’s macro/policy matrix or that the Fed’s pick-up in Treasury purchases in the past couple of months will prove sufficient.Moreover, the 6.9% collapse in crude oil price yesterday and correction in US equities (particularly the more risk-sensitive Nasdaq) are clear pointers that markets remain concerned about the impact of higher US yields on global demand and equity valuations.FX markets have been more sanguine. Global FX volatility has risen in past 72 hours but remains in line with 10-year average and most currencies, particularly in Asia, have moved little. The safe-haven Dollar has proven relatively resilient, in line with our February view. While the Russian Rouble has (perhaps unsurprisingly) weakened most, most other high-yielding emerging market currencies have outperformed, thanks in large part to greater-than-expected central bank rate hikes in Brazil and Turkey of respectively 75bp and 200bp.  The risk now is that markets redouble their attention on central banks perceived as being “behind the curve”. These include the Norges Bank and CE3 central banks in our view.

The Fed updated “dot-chart” of all FOMC members’ expectations of the appropriate policy rate points to only an incrementally less dovish stance. Based on a weighted average FOMC members still only expect one 25bp hike by end-2023, according to our estimates.Fed seems eager to cool market concerns that it will have no choice but to start hiking rates and to ultimately cap Treasury yields or at least slow recent increase in long-end yields. Price action in 2 and 5-year Treasuries suggests it partly succeeded, even if briefly.However, this still very dovish Fed policy rate outlook jars with its updated forecasts for US inflation and particularly GDP growth. The Fed’s twin arguments are that rapid growth this year will not be very inflationary due to slack in labour market and that following a period of inflation-undershoot it’s willing to accept a modest overshoot in PCE-inflation above 2%. The latter will have come as little surprise. The more contentious issue in our view is the Fed’s prognosis that core PCE-inflation will rise only modestly from 1.5% yoy in January to 2.2% yoy by end-year despite US GDP growth hitting a 37-year high of 6.5% this year.The Treasury yield curves have steepened further in the past 72 hours. This suggests that bond markets are not convinced about the Fed’s macro/policy matrix or that the Fed’s pick-up in Treasury purchases in the past couple of months will prove sufficient.Moreover, the 6.9% collapse in crude oil price yesterday and correction in US equities (particularly the more risk-sensitive Nasdaq) are clear pointers that markets remain concerned about the impact of higher US yields on global demand and equity valuations.FX markets have been more sanguine. Global FX volatility has risen in past 72 hours but remains in line with 10-year average and most currencies, particularly in Asia, have moved little. The safe-haven Dollar has proven relatively resilient, in line with our February view. While the Russian Rouble has (perhaps unsurprisingly) weakened most, most other high-yielding emerging market currencies have outperformed, thanks in large part to greater-than-expected central bank rate hikes in Brazil and Turkey of respectively 75bp and 200bp.  The risk now is that markets redouble their attention on central banks perceived as being “behind the curve”. These include the Norges Bank and CE3 central banks in our view.

EM Currencies: Central Bank Friends and Foes

In the past nine weeks major currencies and global equity markets have traded broadly in line with our expectations. The US Dollar has traded in a very narrow range, confounding consistently bearish market expectations. Similarly, most emerging Asian currencies have barely moved, pointing to the ability and willingness of Asian central bank to intervene in FX markets in a bid to manage both the volatility and directionality of their currencies. Conversely, emerging currencies, particularly in Latin America, have been prone to sharp pull-backs.Stretched currency valuations and still very weak global economic growth in January – which tallies with our forecast – has likely been a driver of currencies’ performance. In the past five weeks the inverse correlation between the Dollar and S&amp;P 500 and between the Dollar and the steepness of the US Treasury yield curve has broken down.Our take is that the broad-based diversification out of Dollars, driven by buoyant global risk appetite and market concerns about the Dollar’s real carry, has stalled and slightly reversed. We suspect that central banks and sovereign wealth funds may have re-focussed on domestic factors, which has in turn led to a rotation between other reserve currencies. This includes a rotation out of Euros and move into Sterling and a rotation out of the safe haven Swiss Franc and in particular Japanese Yen into commodity reserve currencies – namely the Canadian and Australian Dollars and Norwegian Krone – and New Zealand Dollar. These four currencies’ NEERs are now near the top end of their three-month ranges. In each case specific drivers have been in play, “in our view. Our analysis suggests that the Norwegian Krone may still be “cheap” relative to the current price of Brent crude oil.Figure 8 suggests that a rotation in and out of other (EM) currencies which were 1-2 months ago trading at the extremes of their ranges may have also taken place.The Dollar NEER has weakened about 0.9% since 4th February and its inverse correlation with the S&amp;P 500 (+1.2%) has re-established itself. We think this is a short-term correction, with another prolonged Dollar downtrend still a couple of months away.

In the past nine weeks major currencies and global equity markets have traded broadly in line with our expectations. The US Dollar has traded in a very narrow range, confounding consistently bearish market expectations. Similarly, most emerging Asian currencies have barely moved, pointing to the ability and willingness of Asian central bank to intervene in FX markets in a bid to manage both the volatility and directionality of their currencies. Conversely, emerging currencies, particularly in Latin America, have been prone to sharp pull-backs.Stretched currency valuations and still very weak global economic growth in January – which tallies with our forecast – has likely been a driver of currencies’ performance. In the past five weeks the inverse correlation between the Dollar and S&amp;P 500 and between the Dollar and the steepness of the US Treasury yield curve has broken down.Our take is that the broad-based diversification out of Dollars, driven by buoyant global risk appetite and market concerns about the Dollar’s real carry, has stalled and slightly reversed. We suspect that central banks and sovereign wealth funds may have re-focussed on domestic factors, which has in turn led to a rotation between other reserve currencies. This includes a rotation out of Euros and move into Sterling and a rotation out of the safe haven Swiss Franc and in particular Japanese Yen into commodity reserve currencies – namely the Canadian and Australian Dollars and Norwegian Krone – and New Zealand Dollar. These four currencies’ NEERs are now near the top end of their three-month ranges. In each case specific drivers have been in play, “in our view. Our analysis suggests that the Norwegian Krone may still be “cheap” relative to the current price of Brent crude oil.Figure 8 suggests that a rotation in and out of other (EM) currencies which were 1-2 months ago trading at the extremes of their ranges may have also taken place.The Dollar NEER has weakened about 0.9% since 4th February and its inverse correlation with the S&amp;P 500 (+1.2%) has re-established itself. We think this is a short-term correction, with another prolonged Dollar downtrend still a couple of months away.

Dollar’s Recent Weakness – Blip, Not New Trend

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>, 10th 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. Identifying monthly seasonal patterns and why they may break down (significant changes in central bank or government policy, market positioning, macro data surprises and unexpected domestic events) can thus potentially augment investment returns and generate alpha.Unsurprisingly the Covid-19 pandemic – a once-in-a-lifetime “black swan” event – and accompanying measures such as national lockdowns severely disrupted typical monthly seasonal currency patterns in 2020, particularly in March and June (the trough and peak in global risk appetite) but also in Q4, with a few exceptions (see <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/insights/monthly-currency-seasonality-down-and-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Monthly currency seasonality: Down and out?</a>, 4th January 2021). A number of emerging and developed market currencies continued to deviate from their 2010-2019 historical patterns in January 2021. In particular the “normally” strong Brazilian Real and to a lesser extent Colombian Peso and Polish Zloty depreciated. The Swiss Franc, contrary to history and in line with our forecast, also weakened slightly. The South African Rand depreciated 2.1%, five times as much as its 11-year historical average.Conversely the “normally” weak Turkish Lira was the outperformer, with the NEER appreciating nearly 4%. Sterling, the Australian Dollar and Norwegian Krone also outperformed in January relative to their historical seasonal patterns. However, and while early days, about 17 currencies, including the Dollar, Euro, Kiwi Dollar, Mexican Peso and most Asian currencies performed in line with their historical seasonality.Based on 2010-19 data Thai Baht, Norwegian Krone, Hungarian Forint and Polish Zloty were strongest currencies in the month of February while Korean Won was the weakest.

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 theBIS (April 2019) and national central banks (see Nominal Effective Exchange Rates: Monthly seasonal patterns, 10th 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. Identifying monthly seasonal patterns and why they may break down (significant changes in central bank or government policy, market positioning, macro data surprises and unexpected domestic events) can thus potentially augment investment returns and generate alpha.Unsurprisingly the Covid-19 pandemic – a once-in-a-lifetime “black swan” event – and accompanying measures such as national lockdowns severely disrupted typical monthly seasonal currency patterns in 2020, particularly in March and June (the trough and peak in global risk appetite) but also in Q4, with a few exceptions (see Monthly currency seasonality: Down and out?, 4th January 2021). A number of emerging and developed market currencies continued to deviate from their 2010-2019 historical patterns in January 2021. In particular the “normally” strong Brazilian Real and to a lesser extent Colombian Peso and Polish Zloty depreciated. The Swiss Franc, contrary to history and in line with our forecast, also weakened slightly. The South African Rand depreciated 2.1%, five times as much as its 11-year historical average.Conversely the “normally” weak Turkish Lira was the outperformer, with the NEER appreciating nearly 4%. Sterling, the Australian Dollar and Norwegian Krone also outperformed in January relative to their historical seasonal patterns. However, and while early days, about 17 currencies, including the Dollar, Euro, Kiwi Dollar, Mexican Peso and most Asian currencies performed in line with their historical seasonality.Based on 2010-19 data Thai Baht, Norwegian Krone, Hungarian Forint and Polish Zloty were strongest currencies in the month of February while Korean Won was the weakest.

Norway

The Norwegian krone is the official currency of the Kingdom of Norway.  The US dollar is the official currency of the United States of America.

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NOK (USDNOK CURNCY)

FX Round-Up – Calm Before the Next Storm

Interest rate and FX vol has subsided with directionality in EM and developed market currencies driven by domestic macro data and monetary...

Olivier Desbarres

Low Global FX Vol: Maturity or Complacency?

Global FX vol is low by historical standards and relative to vol in US Treasuries, and for good resason. But FX markets are pricing in very little...

Olivier Desbarres

EM Currencies: Central Bank Friends and Foes

Fed's updated "dot chart" + forecasts and asset purchases have not convinced bond, equity or crude oil markets. FX reaction more sanguine but...

Olivier Desbarres

Dollar’s Recent Weakness – Blip, Not New Trend

In past 2 months range-bound USD and Asian currencies, pull-back prone EM currencies and buoyant equities have performed in line with our forecast....

Olivier Desbarres

Currency Seasonality’s Slow Comeback?

Identifying currencies' monthly seasonal patterns and why they may break down can potentially generate alpha. Seasonal patterns broke down in 2020...

Olivier Desbarres

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