Limit Up!

Into The Twilight Zone

Written by Ian Reynolds | Nov 2, 2024 2:58:39 AM

A terminator or twilight zone is a moving line that divides the daylit side and the dark night side of a planetary body. The terminator is defined as the locus of points on a planet or moon where the line through the center of its parent star is tangent. An observer on the terminator of such an orbiting body with an atmosphere would experience twilight due to light scattering by particles in the gaseous layer. Wikipedia

It's going to be a humdinger of a week with the RBA, US election, BoE and FED all in 4 fun packed days.

The big unknown is the US election

  • Who will win ?
  • When are the results known ?
  • Will the loser challenge the results ?

Unless one side wins by a landslide there is a distinct possibility of a period of unrest as the political fighting intensifies.

And markets won't like it. And already the US Treasury market is wobbling, yields having risen 75bps since the last FED meeting (they cut 50bps). The Treasury is buying off-the-run bonds in a weekly program which may help stabilise prices, although their actions are more of a liquidity play - in a sell-off no-one wants to own off-the run issues.

This week we had a slew of data ending with Nonfarm payroll posting a mere 12k gain for October. The Government hired 40k and -28k for the private sector. Finally some unbiased statistics showing the real state of the US labour market

US 10 Year Treasury Yield Monthly

Breaking

Europeans Told to Stockpile Food in Case of War With Russia [Newsweek] 

South Korea Vows to Fight Volatility After Won Hits Three-Month Low [Bloomberg]

Dutch government announces ‘strictest asylum policy ever’ [Politico]

Why the BRICS De-Dollarization Dream Remains a Fantasy [Bloomberg]

Trump 2.0 Haunts World Economy Chiefs Gathering in Washington Before Vote [Bloomberg]

New Zealand Housing Market Bogged Down by Flood of Listings [Bloomberg]

In Focus
CRE / Banks / CLOs

NYCB reports another loss, reveals multifamily pain [Yahoo! Finance]

U.S. Banks Sitting on $750 billion In Losses On Real Estate Debt Related Securities-Which Sectors Are Most Exposed? [Yahoo1 Finance] 

The Commercial Real Estate Crash Is Battering Even the Safest Bonds [Bloomberg] 

Commercial Real Estate Foreclosures Soar By 48% Nationwide While California Sees A 238% Surge [Yahoo! Finance] 

China

China is considering approving next week the issuance of over 10 trillion yuan ($1.4 trillion) in extra debt in the next few years to revive its fragile economy

Reaction to Reuters report on China's stimulus plans

In reality something has to give if all this stimulus doesn't work and that means de-pegging the Yuan and letting the markets decide it's rate. That would be dangerous as a sharp correction would damage investor confidence and rates might have to rise to defend the inflationary forces.

A more measured approach might be linking the Yuan's value to gold.

Beijing mulls buying unsold homes for 4 trillion yuan [Asia Times]

Xi Calls for Efforts to Hit Growth Target Before Lawmakers Meet [Bloomberg]

China loses third of its billionaires as economy falters [FT]

Exclusive: China considers over $1.4 trillion in extra debt over next few years [Reuters] 

China's Central Bank has a New Policy Tool to Manage Liquidity [Bloomberg]

China Industrial Profits Extend Drop as Deflation Takes Toll [Bloomberg]

China’s Economy Shows Flashes of Stimulus Taking Hold [Bloomberg]

Japan

The Bank of Japan meeting on 31st October told us;

  • Short-term interest rate  target steady at 0.25%
  • CPI forecasts lower than previously
  • Unchanged GDP forecasts
  • High uncertainties surrounding Japan's economic activity and prices

You can read it all here [BoJ]. So much of the future of Japan's economy is dependent on outside forces. After some weeks of Ministry of Finance and BoJ Ueda telling us they want to hike rates further, there's still no action ( they don't dare ).

The IMF stuck the boot in about the Debt to GDP ratio

Japan must avoid issuing debt to fund fresh spending, IMF says [investing.com]

Japan election results echoed the economic and fiscal mess, and now a coalition government (not very Japanese).

Japan's ruling party loses its majority in blow to new PM [BBC]

With cross currents in the USD, USD / YEN closed at 153.00 Friday, it was the stock market that capitulated.  

Nikkei 225 Daily


Japan Unemployment September 2024

Japan Household Confidence

Japan Retail Sales September 2024

Japan Construction Orders September 2024

Japan's Ruling Party to Lose Majority for the First Time Since 2009, Exit Poll Shows [Bloomberg]

Japan’s Potential Kingmaker Says BOJ Shouldn’t Hike Before March [Bloomberg] 

US

The tone of the treasury market got even worse with some sloppy auction results.

Treasury Yields Resume Climb After Auctions Stir Supply Anxiety [Bloomberg]

And Treasury Secretary Yellen telling us there was an increase in fraud in the banking system is forewarning us that a bank is going to have to be sacrificed to maintain the system.

Markets were talking about the commercial real estate crisis reportedly threatening a big Wisconsin Bank.

Yellen Says Fraud is Huge, Growing Problem in Banking System [Bloomberg]

Economically a big miss in JOLTS and Nonfarm Payroll shows the labour markets true colours with GDP supported by insane government spending . Inflation seems to have bottomed out above the FED's target and it could be said that the federal government is actually keeping inflation higher. 

So much of the US economy is distorted by out-of-control government spending.

US JOLTS September 2024

US GDP Q3 2024

US Core PCE Price Index September 2024

US Chicago Purchasing Managers Index October 2024

US Nonfarm Payroll October 2024

US Institute of Supply Management Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index 

A 10-Day Test Is Coming for Bond Market Battered by Selloff [Bloomberg]

US Treasury Trims Borrowing Estimate to $546 Billion for Quarter [Bloomberg]

"Treasury anticipates that over the course of the upcoming quarter it will purchase up to $30 billion in off-the-run securities across buckets for liquidity support and up to $22.5 billion in the 1-month to 2-year bucket for cash management purposes." Quarterly Refunding Statement [US Treasury]

In fact US$4 billion every week for the quarter

In The Background

Bitcoin | US Election

Trump is flirting with the idea of making crypto tax free

Bitcoin Exempt From Capital Gains? Bitcoin Becomes ‘Money’ In U.S.[Forbes]

Canada

Canada Wholesale Sales September 2024

Canada GDP September 2024

USD / CAD Daily

After signs of improvement in the last month or so, the GDP report showed a stagnant economy with rising wage prices. And the currency got the message, closing sharply lower with September's bull trap (CAD) a distant memory.

England

The UK Budget finally arrived and Gilt yields climbed. It hasn't been a Liz Truss moment yet though.

Farmers were the big losers and they're planning to blockade Whitehall.

UK 10 Year Gilts Yield Daily

Europe

As Ms Lagarde forewarned us last week, EU CPI rose but GDP is barely positive, showing that stagflation has really got hold. Volkswagen is the first of many economic victims.

Volkswagen plans to close at least 3 German plants and cut thousands of jobs [FT]

Volkswagen Workers Brace for Fallout From Years of Dereliction [Bloomberg]

Germany GDP Q3 2024

EU GDP Q3 2024

Germany CPI October 2024

EU CPI October 2024

EU races to prepare for a Trump win [FT]

Australia

Australia Retail Sales September 2024

Australia CPI Q3 2024

Australia PPI Q3 2024

Australia is just about the only country with both elevated PPI and CPI numbers. What are Australian companies buying where input prices are rising this fast ? 

What's Next ?

RBA will be no change, BoE might be a small cut, the US election will be a nighmare, leading the FED to do what?

This Week's Important Economic Indicators [London time]