First quarter is winding down and after a great deal of volatility it is time to reflect on the markets. The SPOOS are virtually unchanged while the Nasdaq 100 is down 5%, the Nikkei is down 10% and the German Dax is down 8%. The global equity markets have been riding a wave of liquidity for a long while but with the aggressive QE programs from the ECB and BOJ the first quarter one would expect the German and Japanese stock markets to have been the star performers. Maybe more QE is losing its power to impact the markets? The DOLLAR INDEX is lower by 3.2%, which is also in contravention of conventional wisdom as QE is done to weaken one’s currency in an effort to aid the domestic economy. In examining the individual currencies the euro is +3%, Swiss franc +3%, yen +8%, Canadian dollar +5% and Aussie dollar +3%. Yes, the easing banks have seen their currencies strengthen against the DOLLAR.
The British pound has declined 2% versus the dollar and almost 7% versus the euro. The short-term effect of the political instability in the U.K. because the referendum is causing the POUND to weaken against its main trading partners as a BREXIT is deemed to be a major negative on the POUND. The idea of a Britain outside the structural regulations of the EU may prove to be more of a positive than some pundits think. For the moment the monetary fascists of the U.K. elite are peddling a vote to leave the EU as a major negative for all British assets. It’s a classic case of Yra’s first law: MONEY IS FASCIST FOR IT ALWAYS CRAVES STABILITY OVER DEMOCRACY. The MEXICAN PESO is virtually unchanged for the quarter as some investors are quietly creeping back to some of the emerging market nations as oil prices and other raw material prices stabilize or find some buying to push prices higher.
Gold as an alternative to the NIRP (negative interest rate policies) has rallied 13% in the first quarter as global investors and speculators have sought some haven outside the immediate control of the central banks. Gold’s rally is still tepid in relation to its previous 30 months of negative price action so the technical picture is still inconclusive on the bullish status of GOLD. Silver and copper have also had positive quarters with silver +10% and copper prices up 5% but overall a positive quarter for commodities while global money seeks other venues for a positive return.
On a side note, many media outlets reported March 16 Munich Re, the world’s largest reinsurer, was buying GOLD and moving to cash to counteract the punishing effects of NIRP. The world’s central banks have embarked on a policy path that is fraught with unintended and unforeseen consequences. The search for positive returns in a NIRP world will rip many previously correlated asset classes asunder and the algo-driven relationships will bring a massive bout of volatility as previous in sync world’s collide. We haven’t even discussed the witches’ brew of politics awaiting the next eight months.
***There was a March 22 Bloomberg article by Candice Zachariahs that piqued my interest, titled, “Aussie Jawboning In Spotlight as U.S. Expressed Concern.” It appears as if Governor Stevens fell afoul of central bank protocol when he deliberately acknowledged that the Australian dollar was overvalued due to the massive decline in commodity prices.U.S.Treasury and the Office of the U.S. Executive Director (OUSED) to the World Bank “… expressed concern over the authorities’ public statements on the desired direction of the exchange rate.” In July, Governor Stevens said “…the Australian dollar depreciation seems both likely and necessary.” It seems that the U.S. complaint put a stop to the RBA’s mentioning of an appropriate exchange rate level, but the signalling out of the RBA by U.S. “authorities” seems to be then hypocrisy for did these bureaucrats ever listen to the ramblings of all the central bank leaders around the world. Welcome to the second quarter.
Tags: Australian dollar, Brexit, British pound, Dollar, Euro, Gold, NIRP, silver, Swiss Franc, Yen
March 28, 2016 at 10:02 pm |
“Come to the cabaret show, old friend”, where “there’s not a big difference between capitalism, socialism and communism”.
If ever you doubted your vote was a democratic one, then you were right.
March 29, 2016 at 4:25 am |
” Maybe more QE is losing its power to impact the markets?” Or maybe an 8% Q1 earnings decline might have something to do the market’s lethargy. The algos may have to rejigger their programs to take into account something besides the activity of the Central Bankers printing press. Used to be that stocks sold on the basis of discounted future free cash flows. With liquidity plus corporate buybacks now distorting proper equity valuations, when the Great Awakening occurs, the market reactions will be something to behold.
March 29, 2016 at 8:17 am |
MONEY IS FASCIST FOR IT ALWAYS CRAVES STABILITY OVER DEMOCRACY.
Yra, can you please expand on your 1st law as I don’t really understand it.
I understand the stability concept just not the democracy part.
Thanks.
March 29, 2016 at 8:49 am |
alex–if democracy was overridden by a coup or a denial of let’s say a referendum ballot so as to keep the present powers in place money would not be fleeing as long as it was made to feel secure and protected—look at the vast amount of capital that seeks high returns in nations which an autocrat maintains power—I can remember being on a panel the week of the Russian crisis in 1998 and someone saying they would rather eat toxic waste then invest in Russia again—three years later the money was back flowing and it did so even as Putin tightened his control—that is a prime example of what I say—the fear of instability is the predominant feeling and the concept of the rule of law rather then a person is secondary—just my opinion but I have seen it play out over years of experience and reading of history
March 30, 2016 at 12:16 am
Got it, thanks for the explanation.
March 29, 2016 at 11:57 am |
Doves appeared today, tomorrow no doubt hawks return.
Remember the child that stands at the light switch rapidly flipping them on and off driving everyone nuts?
March 29, 2016 at 2:20 pm |
It’s called a strobe light
March 29, 2016 at 6:19 pm |
Rob and Chicken–am I the only one suffering vertigo