Fixed Income and Currency Strategist

Gautam Jain, PhD, CFA

FX & Rates

In this week’s Alpha Bites, we recommend receiving the 2-year rate vs paying the 5-year rate in Russia while keeping a paying bias. Russia’s 2s5s curve slope is currently the flattest among liquid EM countries and the only one that is inverted. The flatness was driven by sharply rising inflation leading to aggressive rate hikes by the central bank. If the central bank delivers the rate hikes of over 100 bp that are priced in, then monetary policy would have switched to tightening from the earlier accommodative stance, which combined with inflation peaking in H2 should lead to curve steepening in our view.

In this week’s Alpha Bites, we recommend receiving the 2-year rate vs paying the 5-year rate in Russia while keeping a paying bias. Russia’s 2s5s curve slope is currently the flattest among liquid EM countries and the only one that is inverted. The flatness was driven by sharply rising inflation leading to aggressive rate hikes by the central bank. If the central bank delivers the rate hikes of over 100 bp that are priced in, then monetary policy would have switched to tightening from the earlier accommodative stance, which combined with inflation peaking in H2 should lead to curve steepening in our view.

Alpha Bites: A 2s5s Steepener in Russia with Paying Bias

We examine the EM FX space for opportunities in the aftermath of the hawkish FOMC meeting last week which led to a sharp rise in the US dollar. Two currencies that have underperformed and stand out as buying opportunities are the Chilean peso (CLP) and the Romanian leu (RON).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.

We examine the EM FX space for opportunities in the aftermath of the hawkish FOMC meeting last week which led to a sharp rise in the US dollar. Two currencies that have underperformed and stand out as buying opportunities are the Chilean peso (CLP) and the Romanian leu (RON).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: Did the Dollar Spike Create Opportunities in EM FX?

EM FX volatility has dropped to its lowest level since the start of pandemic, which is likely leading to a positive scenario for currencies. In this note, we highlight the currencies most likely to benefit in 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.

EM FX volatility has dropped to its lowest level since the start of pandemic, which is likely leading to a positive scenario for currencies. In this note, we highlight the currencies most likely to benefit in 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: Declining EM FX Volatility Foreshadows a Positive Environment

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?

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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.

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

Russia

The Russian ruble is the official currency of The Russian Federation. 

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Alpha Bites: A 2s5s Steepener in Russia with Paying Bias

We recommend a steepener in Russia as short-end rates should come off once the central bank indicates that its tightening cycle is over, which in...

Gautam Jain, PhD, CFA

FX Dashboard: Did the Dollar Spike Create Opportunities in EM FX?

We examine the EM FX space for opportunities in the aftermath of the hawkish FOMC meeting last week which led to a sharp rise in the US dollar.

Gautam Jain, PhD, CFA

FX Dashboard: Declining EM FX Volatility Foreshadows a Positive Environment

With EM FX volatility dropping to its lowest level since the start of pandemic, we highlight the currencies most likely to benefit in the likely...

Gautam Jain, PhD, CFA

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

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