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.

Public Relations and Social Media Manager, Dechert LLP

Peggy Heffner

Public Relations and Social Media Manager

Dechert is a global specialist law firm

Dechert LLP

Dechert is a global specialist law firm.
Focused on sectors with the greatest complexities, legal intricacies and highest regulatory demands, we excel in delivering practical commercial judgment and deep legal expertise for high-stakes matters.

Our work is widely recognized. We have 20 standout practices noted by Chambers Global, including global-wide rankings for arbitration, corporate investigations, anti-corruption, investment funds and life sciences. Named Antitrust Team of the Year, Chambers USA commends our “accomplished group” as “routinely sought after to handle some of the most significant litigation and transactions in the antitrust world.” 

In an increasingly challenging environment, clients look to us to serve them in ways that are faster, sharper and leaner without compromising excellence. We developed a first-of-its kind legal project management department, which uses technology, people and processes to drive efficiency and deliver value for our clients.

We are innovators. Dechert ranked #7 in the Financial Times’ Top North American Innovative Law Firms. Financial Times also recognizes us among the Top European Innovative Law Firms and highly commends World Compass, our marketing compliance service, which offers investment firms advice in more than 100 jurisdictions.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

On Saturday, 16 January 2016, the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) submitted a report to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) certifying that Iran has satisfied its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the agreement reached in July 2015 among Iran, the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany and France.1As a result, 16 January 2016 is “Implementation Day” under the JCPOA, triggering the easing of certain sanctions against Iran by the United States, European Union and United Nations Security Council.The sanctions relief creates a significant asymmetry between U.S. and non-U.S. persons in dealings with Iran: U.S. sanctions continue to prohibit U.S. nationals and companies from most Iranian activities (though non-U.S. subsidiaries of U.S. companies now are authorized to engage in most activities with Iran), while EU (and other non-U.S.) persons are now affected only by vastly reduced prohibitions and are largely (but not entirely) free from the threat of “secondary” U.S. sanctions.Below we summarize the timing and scope of the sanctions relief which now comes into effect. We will publish more detailed guidance in the coming days.

On Saturday, 16 January 2016, the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) submitted a report to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) certifying that Iran has satisfied its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the agreement reached in July 2015 among Iran, the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany and France.1As a result, 16 January 2016 is “Implementation Day” under the JCPOA, triggering the easing of certain sanctions against Iran by the United States, European Union and United Nations Security Council.The sanctions relief creates a significant asymmetry between U.S. and non-U.S. persons in dealings with Iran: U.S. sanctions continue to prohibit U.S. nationals and companies from most Iranian activities (though non-U.S. subsidiaries of U.S. companies now are authorized to engage in most activities with Iran), while EU (and other non-U.S.) persons are now affected only by vastly reduced prohibitions and are largely (but not entirely) free from the threat of “secondary” U.S. sanctions.Below we summarize the timing and scope of the sanctions relief which now comes into effect. We will publish more detailed guidance in the coming days.

Implementation Day: Iran Sanctions Eased Today

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.

Recent analysis around a potential float of Aramco, Saudi Arabia's national oil company, has missed the mark. This is not a last, desperate, move on the part of the government, but part of a series of wider trends in the kingdom and its neighbours.

Recent analysis around a potential float of Aramco, Saudi Arabia's national oil company, has missed the mark. This is not a last, desperate, move on the part of the government, but part of a series of wider trends in the kingdom and its neighbours.

Aramco and Saudi Wealth "De-Destribution"

Transport Sector, China and Asia-focused Research

Charles De Trenck

I outlined my 2016 quick takeaways from visiting clients, ex-clients and friends prior to the break (2016 A year of Reckoning, 23 December 2015), and I saw also @Hao Wang outlined a few similar ideas.  In this note I put a little more meat on the bones of the December note. In sum, the blow-ups we saw starting to develop in 2015 should continue in 2016. But given the market’s forward looking powers we should continue examining and accumulating as we did in 4Q15. If we timed the pain in commodities according to tax selling panics during 4Q15, we came out ahead.  New developments in places like Saudi may add more fuel to volatility. But we are looking at a multi-year story with many twists and turns. No easy way out. But a landscape abounding with opportunity.Topics from meetings<ul><li>Hong Kong and malaise of Civil Service…</li><li>Bank revenues from deals, ECM and role of research…</li><li>Space X and other cool updates</li><li>Three scenarios 2016</li><li>A last word on faulty data</li></ul>Long note with core views and investment ideas up front.

I outlined my 2016 quick takeaways from visiting clients, ex-clients and friends prior to the break (2016 A year of Reckoning, 23 December 2015), and I saw also @Hao Wang outlined a few similar ideas.  In this note I put a little more meat on the bones of the December note. In sum, the blow-ups we saw starting to develop in 2015 should continue in 2016. But given the market’s forward looking powers we should continue examining and accumulating as we did in 4Q15. If we timed the pain in commodities according to tax selling panics during 4Q15, we came out ahead.  New developments in places like Saudi may add more fuel to volatility. But we are looking at a multi-year story with many twists and turns. No easy way out. But a landscape abounding with opportunity.Topics from meetingsHong Kong and malaise of Civil Service…Bank revenues from deals, ECM and role of research…Space X and other cool updatesThree scenarios 2016A last word on faulty dataLong note with core views and investment ideas up front.

2016 Names Not Trades and a Tough Energy Environment (And Other Recent Visits)

Hao Wang, CFA

This is a very short note on my top 5 trade recommendations in 2016 after the close of 2015 based on my previous note of 2016 outlook (i.e. be aggressive in Q1 but defensive thereafter). The basis are higher commodities prices led by copper, crude and some bulk, and relatively weaker USD. <figure class="editor-figure"><img src="https://static-prod.smartkarma.com/images/media/000/004/820/original/Fig6.png?1451718588" class="editor-image img-responsive" data-smartkarma-image-id="4820"><figcaption class="figcaption">Top five macro trades in 2016Q1</figcaption></figure>In the above trade recommendations, you also have levels of profit target and stop loss. They are ranked by the ratio of reward/risk. Going forward I will keep updating levels…

This is a very short note on my top 5 trade recommendations in 2016 after the close of 2015 based on my previous note of 2016 outlook (i.e. be aggressive in Q1 but defensive thereafter). The basis are higher commodities prices led by copper, crude and some bulk, and relatively weaker USD. Top five macro trades in 2016Q1In the above trade recommendations, you also have levels of profit target and stop loss. They are ranked by the ratio of reward/risk. Going forward I will keep updating levels…

United States

Valero Energy Corporation is an independent petroleum refining and marketing company that owns and operates refineries in the United States, Canada, and Aruba.  The Company produces conventional gasolines, distillates, jet fuel, asphalt, petrochemicals, lubricants, and other refined products as well as diesel fuel, low-sulfur and ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel, and oxygenates.

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Valero Energy (VLO US)

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

Implementation Day: Iran Sanctions Eased Today

On Saturday, 16 January 2016, the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) submitted a report to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)...

Dechert LLP

Aramco and Saudi Wealth "De-Destribution"

Recent analysis around a potential float of Aramco, Saudi Arabia's national oil company, has missed the mark. This is not a last, desperate, move...

Emad Mostaque

2016 Names Not Trades and a Tough Energy Environment (And Other Recent Visits)

I outlined my 2016 quick takeaways from visiting clients, ex-clients and friends prior to the break (2016 A year of Reckoning, 23 December 2015),...

Charles De Trenck

Top 5 Macro Trades in 2016Q1

This is a very short note on my top 5 trade recommendations in 2016 after the close of 2015 based on my previous note of 2016 outlook (i.e. be...

Hao Wang, CFA

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