Daily Market Reviews by MAYZUS.com - page 4
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26 FEBRUARY 2013: ITALIAN ELECTIONS BECAME A REASON FOR CORRECTION IN THE MARKETS
DAILY MARKET REVIEWS
by Arne Treholt Vice-President of Business Development and Investments
Yesterday the world markets showed different dynamics. So, the European indexes finished Monday’s trading session moving upwards. Meanwhile, the American indexes began week with essential decrease. As a result of sales the Dow Jones and S&P 500 indexes could not keep the key levels - 14000 and 1500 points accordingly. Following the results of Monday the Dow Jones index lost 1,55%, the S&P 500 index lost 1,83%.
Markets were correcting due to the news coming from Italy. It became known that following the results of processing about 90% of bulletins two parties received identical result. The victory was won by Pierre Bersani's left-centrist coalition and Silvio Berlusconi's right-centrist coalition. Let's remind that Bersani already declared commitment to the economic reforms which are carried out by the old government led by Mario Monty. Berlusconi's victory is extremely undesirable for the Eurozone.
One of the most expected events for today is speech which will be given by the head of FRS B. Bernanke to bank committee. The head of FRS in his speech, most likely, will give an assessment to carried-out stimulating programs of FRS, namely repayment of assets as after announcement of protocols from the last meeting of FRS fears about early turning of programs increased.
USD/JPY pair yesterday has been decreasing from a level of 94.7 to a level 91, losing 4%, but at the current time is back to a level of 92.2. Most likely such movement was caused by strong weakening of euro and, respectively, a capital overflow in traditionally protective currencies - dollar and yen. EUR/USD is traded on a level 1.3062.
On Monday we have seen rather volatile session in the oil market where the positive news on oil import coming from China (+7% in January), have boosted price back to $115.8, but at closing price went again back and this morning Brent is losing 0.63% and traded on a level of $113.719.
Copyright: MAYZUS Investment Company Ltd
27 FEBRUARY 2013: BERLUSCONI “DERAILED” WORLD STOCK MARKETS
DAILY MARKET REVIEWS
by Arne Treholt Vice-President of Business Development and Investments
Yesterday we again could not see a uniform dynamics on the world stock markets. The European indexes fell off on news on outcome of the Italian elections, having lost on the average 2,5%. At the same time the American indexes could show ascending dynamics, having added about 0,7%.
There were a few reasons for activity of buyers in the American market. First, speech of the head of the Federal Reserve System (FRS) Ben Bernanke. The banker sounded the position concerning influence of a new round of the program of quantitative easing (QE3) on economy of the USA. Bernanke focused attention of investors on advantages of QE3, among which economic recovery against control of inflation at the level of 2%. According to the head of FRS, benefit from soft monetary policy outweigh the related risks so turning of stimulating measures is not necessary at the current stage.
Besides that, another source of a positive was data coming from the market of real estate of the USA. So, sales of new houses in the country unexpectedly grew by 15,6% in annual expression. Let's note that last year became the most successful in the housing market in the USA after 2009. In 2012 growth of sales of new buildings became maximum since 1983, having made 19,9%. It is necessary to note, that we can expect that real estate market will continue to develop this year as well, but definitely much slower.
Meanwhile, in Europe the main subject for discussion there are parliamentary elections in Italy. They caused a lot of noise and confusions in the financial markets. Profitability of the Italian bonds in the secondary market flew up to 4,8% that became a maximum level since the beginning of December, 2012. Besides, political risks in Italy led to euro exchange rate falling to a minimum level since the beginning of year. This morning, we can see EUR/USD pair traded on a level of 1.3076.
Risks of strengthening of debt crisis dragged off down world prices for oil. Brent is bargaining on a level 112.66$ and WTI on 92.78$ per barrel.
Copyright: MAYZUS Investment Company Ltd
28 FEBRUARY 2013: BERNANKE AND DATA LIFT WALL STREET
DAILY MARKET REVIEWS
by Arne Treholt Vice-President of Business Development and Investments
Stocks rose on Wednesday with major indexes posting their best daily gains since early January, as Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben Bernanke, gave robust support for continued stimulus policy and data pointed to modest economic improvement. In his second day before a Congressional committee, Bernanke defended FED’s buying of bonds to keep interest rates low to boost growth. Bernanke’s comments helped market rebound from its worst decline since November. Dow Jones Industrial closed at a level not seen since 2007.
A relatively smooth auction of Italian government bonds further helped temper concerns about the country’s political deadlock. The Euro held its ground against both dollar and Japanese yen on Thursday. The common currency edged up 0,1% to USD 1.3147 after steep losses following the Italian elections. The Euro hit an eight-week low on 1.3018 on Tuesday. Solid sales of Italian government bonds yesterday helped soothe the jitters that the political deadlock could destabilize Europe’s second biggest sovereign debt market.
Strong US business spending data also boosted investors’ sentiment easing worries about looming US fiscal spending cuts and prompting the yen to resume its decent after a brief spell of sharp gains earlier in the week. In Washington positions between President Barack Obama and congressional leaders over the budget crisis hardened yesterday as last ditch talks to prevent harsh automatic spending cuts beginning March 1st, failed to make substantial progress.
British sterling (GBP) is still weak trading at 1.5169 against the dollar. The Australian dollar is stronger and oil has regained some ground. Brent crude is trading above USD 112 a barrel. Also gold is somewhat stronger trading close to the critical USD 1600 level an ounce.
Copyright: MAYZUS Investment Company Ltd
01 MARCH 2013: EURO FALL STEADIES IN ASIAN TRADE
DAILY MARKET REVIEWS
by Arne Treholt Vice-President of Business Development and Investments
The Euro steadied in Asian trade Friday morning after steep losses yesterday and after notching its biggest monthly fall – 4% - against the dollar in nine months. This as investors digested slightly disappointing Chinese data, political uncertainty in Italy and impending US government spending cuts. These combined factors sapped investor’s risk appetite and put the Euro under increased pressure.
China’s official purchasing managers’ index for February showed manufacturing activity at its slowest pace in four months at 50.1 against the predicted consensus poll of 50,2 slightly lower than expected. The data is not dramatic. Risk-off sentiment doesn't usually help the Euro, but the Chinese data is not a major factor. The unclear situation in Italy is the basic worry. Euro/USD is trading at 1.3073 well above the 1.3018 hit earlier in the week. The European Central Bank (ECB) will consider interest rates today. A further cut will put the Euro under new pressure.
The Japanese yen was relatively steady against both Euro and USD. USD/JPY trades at 92.64. The yen which usually is regarded as a safe haven in times of heightened market stress, continue to under perform after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe nominated an advocate of aggressive growth and stimulus policy to head the Bank of Japan.
The big worry in global markets is nevertheless how the sweeping US budget cuts worth USD 85 billion starting from this month, will hit growth in the world’s biggest and the global economy. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that the cuts would hit US biggest trading partners especially hard. In Washington the blame game between Republicans and Democrats are in full swing with both parties accusing each other for failure to prevent the fiscal crisis.
Copyright: MAYZUS Investment Company Ltd
04 MARCH 2013: ASIA TUMBLES ON CHINA WORRY
DAILY MARKET REVIEWS
by Arne Treholt Vice-President of Business Development and Investments
Asian shares slipped on Monday as China tightened its grip on the property sector. Beijing increased Friday required down payments and loan rates for buyers for second homes in cities where prices have been quickly increasing in an effort to contain housing costs. This had immediately a negative effect on the Chinese markets and led to a tumble in Asia. The MSCI-index for SIA-Pacific shares are 1,3% down after Shanghai shares slipped 2,3%.
Slower growth in Chinese increasingly important services sector had also an impact. The growth in this sector was slower than in five months, reinforcing the view that the Chinese recovery remains modest. The slower Chinese growth had an immediate effect on Australia where the AXJO index fell 1.2%. Japan was the only positive spot. The Nikkei 225 rose 0,6% as the sole gainer in the region. Export companies were boosted by a weaker yen and surprisingly strong US manufacturing and consumer sentiment.
The new Governor of Bank of Japan (BOJ) stated that BOJ is ready to take whatever measures necessary to get Japan out of the vicious deflation circle. USD/JPY trades at 93,33. In spite of its budget problems USD is trading on a six months high against a basket of currencies. Currency speculators have over the last week increased their bets in favor of the US dollar.
Evidence of Europe’s problem with Spain at risk needing a state bailout is weighing in on the Euro. Data presented on Friday showed that Germany and Ireland are the only Euro zone members with factory output growth last month. Joblessness within the Euro zone rose to an all-time high. The Euro steadied at 1.3015 after slipping to a low of 1.2966 on Friday, the lowest level seen in 3 months.
Concerns about the negative impact from the S spending cuts also weighed in on US crude which is down to USD 90.59 a barrel. Brent is trading at 110,50. Gold and silver prices are hurt by the strong dollar.
Copyright: MAYZUS Investment Company Ltd
05 MARCH 2013: WALL STREET HIGHER IN CLOSING RALLY
DAILY MARKET REVIEWS
by Arne Treholt Vice-President of Business Development and Investments
In a late-day rally Wall Street pushed major stock indexes near all-time highs despite concerns about growth and China’s housing market. Any slowdown in China could affect US growth. Commodities and US-materials have a big exposure towards China. This goes especially for giants as Caterpillar and Alcoa which lost respectively 1,8% and 1,1% and were the big losers in yesterday’s trade.
Asian shares followed suit and rebounded strongly on Tuesday after a sharp sell-off triggered by slumping Chinese stocks the previous session. The MSCI-index for Asia-Pacific shares won back 1.1% of the 1.3% lost on Monday. In a prepared statement for the opening of China’s annual parliament meetings, outgoing Premier Wen Jiabao, stressed that China would boost fiscal spending in 2013 in a bid to deliver on the promised 7,5% economic growth for 2013.
This boosted the Australian stock market which rose 1,5% outperforming its Asian peers. Japan’s Nikkei stock average rose 0,8% to 53 month high. At least for now markets continue to be bullish in spite of spending cuts in the US, lack of any kind of political resolution in Italy and weaker data from China including an overheated property market. Markets are flush with capital due to monetary easing and continuous low interest rates. For the time being this seems to trump every other concern.
There are no big movements in the currencies. Euro/USD is steady on 1.3015. EU Finance Ministers met yesterday to discuss bail-out terms for Cyprus (see separate article). USD/JPY is at the same 93,50 levels as seen at the start of the week. British pound, GBP, has avoided to slump below 1.50 and trades above 1.51. Oil prices have recovered from yesterday’s low. New York crude, NYMEX, is above USD 90 a barrel. Brent crude trades at 110,25. Gold and silver are marginally higher than at the start of the week. Gold at USD 1580 an ounce.
Copyright: MAYZUS Investment Company Ltd
05 MARCH 2013: SPECIAL REPORT: CYPRUS STARTS BAILOUT TALKS
DAILY MARKET REVIEWS
by Arne Treholt Vice-President of Business Development and Investments
Michailis Sarris, the newly appointed Minister of finance in President Nikos Anastasiades’ government, met yesterday with his Western European colleagues in Brussels in an effort to hammer out a bailout agreement with international lenders. Cyprus needs about Euro 17 billion in aid of which 10 billion is needed to shore up the banking sector. That is fraction of what has been pledged to Greece. For Cyprus with a gross domestic product (GDP) on 18 billion it represents a colossal sum.
Speaking prior to the Ministerial meeting which is expected to focus on options to address the debt crisis in Cyprus and over renewed concerns over the future of the Euro following the Parliamentary elections in Italy. In the elections one week ago Italy rejected in large numbers reforms and austerity measures demanded by the European Commission, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Mario Monti, a former EU-commissioner which for the last year has headed a caretaker government, obtained only 10 % of the electoral votes.
Cyprus is following in the footsteps of Greece, Ireland and Portugal as the fourth country inside the Euro zone to ask for a bailout. Cyprus faces a bond repayment of Euro 1,4 billion in June. The European Union wants consequently that Nicosia reach a deal with the so-called troika of international lenders (EU-Commission, ECB and IMF) by end of March.
Troika-representatives have negotiated with the previous AKEL, a communist-led government for the last months. These talks stalled at disagreements on terms including the privatization of government assets. The Christofias-government sought aid from Russia before finally accepting a European bailout. Christofias succeeded two years ago in obtaining a Euro 4 Billion loan from Russia on favorable terms. There are now negotiations on prolonging this loan from 5 to 10 years.
Mr. Sarris stated that he did think it is necessary to make major changes to a draft bail-out agreement reached with the previous government. Sarris warned against taking an overly aggressive approach to combating money-laundering which he feared could only worsen the fragile economy of the island.
Worried by the threats for a “hair-cut” on investors deposits billions of Euros have over the last months left Cyprus for safer banks and locations as Latvia. Sarris stressed that these outflows already had been very damaging to the Cyprus banking system and worked against the common objective to stabilize the banking system. Sarris who served as a Minister of Finance between 2005 and 2008, is a former World Bank economist.
Cyprus has since the breakthrough of the Soviet Union been one of the preferred “safe havens” for Russian flight capital which have contributed heavily to Cyprus prosperity and made it possible for the three banks, Bank of Cyprus, Laiki and Hellenic bank, to take big exposures in Greek treasury bills and unsecured loans to Greek individuals. Totally the loans given to Greece over the last years are estimated to Euro 27 billion.
Prominent European politicians and especially Germans have lately stressed that Cyprus with its low taxes (10 5 flat taxation on company net profit) and lax banking regulation, have made the island a hub for money laundering.
This has been strongly rejected by the previous government. The new government also rejects these accusations. In a token that Cypriots want to maintain some level of banking secrecy to lure investors and financial services (the FX industry in Cyprus has boomed over the last years), Mr. Sarris said that there was great skepticism in Cyprus about money-laundering investigations. That would mean that anybody who has any money in the banking system has to have their name analysed and reported when they have nothing to hide.
Copyright: MAYZUS Investment Company Ltd
06 MARCH 2013: INCREASED RISK APPETITE ON DOW’S RECORD-HIGH
DAILY MARKET REVIEWS
by Arne Treholt Vice-President of Business Development and Investments
Asian shares extended gains on Wednesday following Wall Street’s record close. The Industrial average index, Dow Jones, ended at an all-time high as the pan-European Euro first 300 index closed at its highest level in 4-and-a-half year. The MSCI-index for Asia-Pacific added 0,9% while the Japanese Nikkei surged 1,3%. Copper, crude oil and commodity related currencies are all up. The USD DXY-index eased 0,2% against a basket of currencies.
The markets were spurred by fast February growth in the huge US services sector and bolstered by China’s announcement of record government spending in 2013. These factors boosted investors’ sentiment and hopes of economic growth and increased demand for gods. EURO, British sterling, GBP, and JPY which have been the big losers over the last weeks, have consolidated and gained some ground. Euro/USD trades at 1.3065. USD/JPY is at 93.22.
The strong rally in the stock markets is partially a product of the monetary easing policies conducted by the US Federal Reserve since last summer and followed intentionally and in practice by several other Western central banks. There have been a lot a spare capital on the side lines waiting to strike. Over the last weeks and months we have witnessed a recirculation of capital into the more risk prone equity market. The new records are a result of this recirculation. Major investors are gambling on a turnaround in the global economy and pushed their free cash into stocks in spite of the problems in the Eurozone and an overheated Chinese property market.
Oil prices are also up this morning. Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez lost his two years long fight with cancer and passed away this morning 58 years old. Venezuela is one of the biggest oil producing countries in the world, and Chavez has led a policy where a substantial part of the country’s oil riches have been transferred to the poor and have-nots. Chavez has also been a guarantor for domestic political stability and encouraged other Latin American countries to follow his suit. It remains to be seen whether the power vacuum created by his death is filled in such a way that political unrest and renewed pressure on oil prices are avoided.
Copyright: MAYZUS Investment Company Ltd
07 MARCH 2013: GBP AND EURO FACE STRONG PRESSURE
DAILY MARKET REVIEWS
by Arne Treholt Vice-President of Business Development and Investments
A solid job report showing that US private employers added a larger-than-expected 198 000 jobs in February, gave the dollar a strong boost yesterday, trading at its highest level against a basket of currencies in 6-1/2 months. Both the Euro and Pound sterling (GBP) are under strong downward pressure. Euro/USD dipped below 1.30 and trades at 1.2990 prior to meeting in the ECB, European Central Bank, later today. USD/GBP traded below the critical 1.50 level on rumors on monetary easing.
While the job data fueled hopes that the US economy is improving, the British pound fell to its lowest level in 2-1/2-year as market players positioned for more stimulus from the Bank of England (BOE). The strict austerity measures introduced by the British government over the last two years have not been working, and the UK economy is facing the threat of triple-dip recession. While BOE and other central banks are considering the same monetary easing policies as the US FED has practiced, US is debating whether to exit their bond buying program.
After the dollar index, DXY, hit, a bottom level of 78,918, in the beginning of February it has rallied 4% since. The stronger employment data along with better housing figures are likely to fuel speculation that fed will end its bond buying program sooner than expected in spite of FED Chairman, Ben Bernanke’s strong statement to the contrary only weeks ago.
Of the three major Western central banks; ECB, BOE and FED, BOE is the most likely to act in favor of more easing. Three of BOE’s members voted in favor of quantitative easing last month. It is expected that a majority this week will opt for a moderate 25-billion-pound balance sheet expansion. That would put sterling under further strong pressure. ECB meets in Frankfurt today on the backdrop of a political deadlock in Italy and prospects for a further fall in the Euro. It is, however, expected that ECB will keep its policies unchanged.
Copyright: MAYZUS Investment Company Ltd
08 MARCH 2013: USD/JPY RALLIES BEFORE US JOBS
DAILY MARKET REVIEWS
by Arne Treholt Vice-President of Business Development and Investments
The dollar surged to its highest level against Japanese yen in 3-1/2-year before US job numbers for February are going to be presented later today. USD stands at 95,43 yen up 0,6% since yesterday. It is expected that that the US economy last month created net 160 000 new jobs. The unemployment rate still stands at 7,9% far from the 6,5% which the Federal Reserve (FED) has set as target for ending monetary easing.
Investors waiting for more dovish signals from the European Central Bank (ECB) at its press conference yesterday was disappointed. The single currency posted its biggest rally this year and jumped more than 100 points against the dollar and stands at 1.3092 after flirting with 1.29 figures earlier in the week. ECB President Mario Draghi plaid down the threat of contagion to other euro members following the Italian political stalemate. Draghi stressed growing market confidence in the Euro which had EURO bears quickly to cover short positions.
The Euro skyrocketed 2% to 124,57 against the JPY. It stood at 118,74 last week. The 34 month peak of 127,71 set last month is thereby brought back in play. The rally might, however, be short played with investor’s attention back on Chinese trade data and whether the US unemployment rate will stay at 7.9%.
Bank of England (BOE) kept its guns yesterday and held fire on the expected more economic stimulus. The downward pressure on British sterling (GBP) continues, however. USD/GBP trades again below 1.50 after seeing some recovery yesterday. There is no change in the choppy trading pattern in commodity related currencies. Oil prices are steady. Gold fell back from USD 1583 an ounce reached yesterday to 1567 this morning.
The stock rally in the United States continue. Dow Jones ended at record high for the third straight day boosted by expectations of a pick-up in the payrolls report. Growth oriented sectors led the gains with strong jumps in Bank of America (up 2,9%) and JP Morgan Chase (1,2%). Worries about the path of US fiscal policy and the Euro zone crisis loom, however, in the background. For the moment the Bulls are in advance.
Copyright: MAYZUS Investment Company Ltd