Fixed Income and Currency Strategist

Gautam Jain, PhD, CFA

Gautam Jain has over 25 years of experience covering global emerging fixed income and currency markets, both as a strategist and a portfolio manager. He has worked in buy-side and sell-side firms, including The Rohatyn Group (TRG Management), Barclays Capital, and Millennium Partners. He has helped manage emerging markets local-currency and hard-currency debt funds. The assets that he covers include currencies, interest rates, sovereign credits, and related derivatives. He specializes in portfolio construction, smart-beta index creation, and asset allocation. Mr. Jain holds a Ph.D. in Operations Research from Columbia University and is a CFA charter holder.

Alpha Bites: Long Hungarian Forint (HUF) Vs Short Czech Koruna (CZK)

Implications of Higher Dollar Volatility for EM Currencies

Speculative Long Dollar Positions Highest Since 2019

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

Alpha Bites: Performance Summary of Trade Recommendations – November 2021

Gravity Works As WeWork Doesn't; Now Plan B

FX & Rates

<ul>
<li>The Hungarian central bank increased the size of the rate hike from the previous meeting, but it failed to provide much support to the currency.</li>
<li>I expect the forint to lag in the near term unless the central bank turns more aggressive because real rates remain negative and the carry of the currency is low.</li>
<li>Complicating the task of the central bank are the upcoming election in 2022, which has led to the prime minister ramping up pre-election spending, adding to inflationary pressures.</li>
</ul>


The Hungarian central bank increased the size of the rate hike from the previous meeting, but it failed to provide much support to the currency.
I expect the forint to lag in the near term unless the central bank turns more aggressive because real rates remain negative and the carry of the currency is low.
Complicating the task of the central bank are the upcoming election in 2022, which has led to the prime minister ramping up pre-election spending, adding to inflationary pressures.


Forint to Lag Even as the Hungarian Central Bank Raises the Pace of Rate Hikes