Alton Drew

Reading the shift …

Category: foreign exchange

Interbank Market News Scan: Expecting GBP-USD to top 1.3780, but asking why would I want to buy the British pound?

Posted by on in binary options, British pound, foreign exchange

The GBP-USD currency pair has, at the time of this writing, an exchange rate of 1.3812.  Analysis conducted by FXStreet has support for future increased price movement between 1.3640 and 1.3800 and resistance to price increase anywhere between 1.3840 and 1.3900.  Retail traders are more bearish on the currency pair’s price movement which, from what I gather from the analysis, may be contributing to GBP-USD breaching and staying above 1.3800.

Although, as a binary options trader, I focus on what exchange rate a pair will close out at by the end of the day meaning that what little profit I make is based on getting the price movement call correct, I share with most retail traders the desire to see a currency pair climb.  I will always cheer on the attainment of profit because profit equates to the income the trader needs in order to maintain a roof over her children’s heads.  But given the mostly gloomy news out of the United Kingdom, I have been asking myself, why would anyone want to buy the damned pound?

According to data from the Bank of England, inflation in the UK is running at 3.1% while the UK’s Office of National Statistics has gross domestic product growing at an annualized at 5.5%.  The UK government’s ten-year bond is yielding 1.18% and unemployment is at 4.5%.

Contrast UK performance with the United States and at first blush you wonder why exchange US currency for UK currency unless you just need a getaway to visit relatives in London.  The US is experiencing a rate of inflation more than twice the Federal Reserve’s 2% target (5.4% to be exact); is enjoying 6.7% growth in gross domestic product; and has ten-year government bonds yielding 1.65%. 

If anything, it would appear that a trader would borrow pound and make a few bets in the States.  This relative dollar strength may be what is keeping the 1.3800 lid on the GBP-USD.

In the meantime, I am thinking of conducting a comparison of UK consumer baskets to US consumer baskets.  I never hear anyone in the media make this type of comparison.  I think such a comparison would add to the discussion. Let me know what you think.  

Alton Drew

21.10.2021

Interbank Market News Scan: Trading within your time reality

Posted by on in binary options, foreign exchange

Beginning traders are told time and time again to keep their emotions out of a trade.  It is nerve racking to sit in front of a screen and watch Japanese candles change in color, width, and height as you second guess your trade.  It makes no sense torturing myself like that.  It tells me that I am questioning my homework or lack thereof and if that is the case, I need to work a little harder on analyzing all available data before I pull the trigger on a trade.

Making the above observation, I see why it is important to keep your trading plan and trade journal handy.  Your plan keeps you grounded and disciplined. You put time and thought into writing it. You may as well follow it, knowing that as you amass more experience and knowledge that eventually the plan will be modified. In the meantime, however, like any good athlete, you don’t want to make any changes in the game plan while in the heat of battle.  In the heat of battle is not the time to practice.

When it comes to time constraints, for those of us who are funding our trading desks ourselves, getting out of our comfort zones and trading in sessions that are not in our time zones is a “blessing.”  As I shared in my last blog post, I dipped my toes in the Asian session by trading the dollar-yen for the first time.  My business trade during the day influences when I can do my day trade in binary options.  Taking advantage of the 24/5 nature of the foreign exchange markets means there is always an opportunity to make a return. 

Alton Drew

19.10.2021

Interbank Market News Scan: Dipping my toes into the USD-JPY market

Posted by on in Bank of Japan, European Central Bank, Federal Reserve, foreign exchange

For the past week or so I have been trading the binary options in the GBP-USD market.  I focused on this market primarily because the US and UK sessions intersect during the first few hours of the American session allowing me some time to do some reading and research before making a trade.  Time spent on another project, however, meant missing the opportunity to trade during those sessions, so I decided to dip my toes into the Asian session.

I admit to having had some hesitancy toward trading during the Asian session.  I am less familiar with Japanese monetary policy and the yen.  Their central bankers get a lot less play in the business media than central bankers at the Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, or the Bank of England which means reduced insights into Japanese monetary policy.  But I find that there is upside that can result from fear: the ever-present opportunity to learn.

The first stop in taking an opportunity to learn included a visit to the Bank of Japan’s website where I identified data on the BOJ’s overnight bank rates.  I then compared these rates with the overnight bank rates of the Federal Reserve.   Banks with accounts at the Federal Reserve are getting much better rates than those with accounts at the BOJ.

The business media has been reporting on Japan’s sub-zero rate policy for years, heck decades, so there was no surprise on my part when Bloomberg data showed the wide difference in rates between the U.S. and Japan.  The 150-point spread between U.S. 10-year government bonds and Japanese 10-year government bonds supported in my mind opportunities for those holding yen to move to the dollar thus increasing dollar demand and driving up the exchange rate between the two currencies.

Business media, in my opinion, paints the USD-JPY pair as volatile which I guess can cause some trepidation for traders trying to guess where the exchange rate is going to go.  I am growing increasingly suspect of most business media.  I see them more as purveyor of narrative instead of distributor of fact.  They are as noisy as their political media cousins and contribute to the noise and trepidation I mentioned earlier.

Fortunately, there are outlets such as Daily FX and FX Street that provide analysis that cuts through the noise. Using analysis from these outlets I was able to establish a probable floor of USD-JPY=112.00 and a probable ceiling of USD-JPY=113.50, betting that during a four-hour contract the exchange rate would exceed 113.20 prior to the contract’s expiration.

My biggest takeaway from last night’s trade was one should not allow fear and lack of knowledge to limit the opportunity to profit.  Seek out good information sources and pursue a path of knowledge.  Knowledge helps to process out the fear.

Alton Drew

12.10.2021  

Elizabeth Warren’s “dangerous man” moment should not impact traders, but traders should determine if she has the votes…

Posted by on in Congress, Elizabeth Warren, Federal Reserve, foreign exchange, Jerome Powell

Assuming President Joe Biden nominates Jerome Powell as chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Mr Powell will need a simple majority in the U.S. Senate to support his confirmation.  In 2018, Mr Powell was confirmed via a Senate vote of 84-13 which meant that a number of Democrats also voted to support him. Among those dissenting was Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, who yesterday made it clear that she would not support his nomination in 2022.

Yesterday, during a Senate banking committee hearing, Mrs Warren expressed her belief that Mr Powell is making it too easy for large banks to take on big risks.  “The Fed chair should be like a sentry, standing at the gates, making certain that banks are not loading up on risks that could take down the entire economy,” Warren told Bloomberg News.  Mrs Warren went as far yesterday to mention Archegos Capital, the family office who exposed a number of banks to losses due to bad bets made by the family office.

That Mrs Warren would vehemently express her intent not to support Mr Powell (referencing him as a “dangerous man”) tells me that she has already received signals from the White House that Mr Powell will be nominated by President Biden.  The Secretary of the Treasury, Janet Yellen, has expressed her support for Mr Powell and it is likely that he will garner a large majority of Republican support and the support of a sufficient number of Democrats.  I believe this support will be provided in part to push back against the progressivism in the Congress, particularly in the House of Representatives.

Mrs Warren has not made any compelling arguments regarding the market forces that impact foreign exchange. There has been no discussion from her camp regarding relative income changes, product availability, relative interest rates, or speculation between the U.S. and other countries; market force observations that are of greater importance to traders and central banks.  Such arguments, if substantiated, would have probably swayed support to her position among more senators (maybe), but we will never know.

Mr Biden’s rare smart play will be to nominate Mr Powell thereby providing the interbank market with increased certainty as to monetary policy.  Regarding Mrs Warren, this may be just another “meh” moment.

Alton Drew

29 September 2021

Interbank Market News Scan: Nothing from the European Central Bank indicates the EUR-USD won’t stay flat …

Posted by on in Euro, Europe, European Central Bank, foreign exchangeLeave a comment

The EUR-USD market …

The EUR-USD was trading around 1.1813 about 10:00 pm EST and I read nothing out of the European Central Bank this week that could impact the interbank market today.  The most recent comments out of the ECB regarding the European economy came during a speech by Isabel Schnabel, a member of the ECB’s Executive Board.

Ms Schnabel’s general assessment was that the economy is brightening for the Euro area and although Covid-19 is resurging, consumers and businesses appear upbeat about future economic performance.  Inflation, the universal economic buzzword, is at 3% per an August print, thus exceeding the ECB’s two-percent target rate.  Inflation, according to Ms Schnabel, is likely to keep growing through the end of 2021.

Meanwhile, real interest rates in Germany remain in the negative.  The rate for the ECB deposit facility is at -.50%.  This is the policy rate at which bank excess funds are deposited overnight with the ECB.  Banks, in essence, are paying the ECB to hold their excess funds.  

Contrast the ECB rate with the overnight interbank rate (fed funds rate) of the Federal Reserve which currently has a target rate of 0 to .25%. 

Ms Schnabel warned against premature tightening of rates.  She noted that while inflation may increase through the rest of the year, it may abate around the beginning of 2022.  She also cautioned that while inflation appears high, the economy is coming off of a pandemic-induced slow down and in real terms inflation is still low.

Ms Schnabel was kind enough not to use the word, “transitory.”

Otherwise, the ECB so far has been mum. So has the Federal Reserve as it gets ready for its Federal Open Market Committee meeting on September 22-23.  

Ms Schnabel’s comments also did not veer off from last week’s monetary policy decision to maintain the ECB’s €20 billion in monthly asset purchases while modifying the pace at which the ECB would make asset purchases.

Data from OANDA has the EUR-USD flat lining since 14 September but also reflecting a slight raise in the exchange rate since Ms Schnabel’s speech. While I do not expect the rate to fall below 1.1800, I don’t see an argument for now as to why the exchange rate will not continue to fall below 1.1800 by month’s end.  Like everyone else, I do not have a crystal ball.

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Interbank Market News Scan: I expect that the GBP-USD will continue inching up

Posted by on in foreign exchangeLeave a comment

As of 10:03 am EST, I haven’t seen any news out of the Bank of England discussing modifications to findings in its August monetary policy report.  The current bank rate set by the Bank of England is 0.1% with a target rate of inflation at 2.0%.  The Bank of England currently purchases GBP895 million in government bonds in an attempt to keep borrowing rates low for consumers and businesses. 

The Bank of England expects inflation to continue rising over the Bank’s current 2.0% target for the next two years before falling back to the target.

OANDA reports a .41% increase in the GBP-USD exchange rate between 30 August and 7 September with an exchange rate of 1.3839 as of 10:03 am EST.  As of 10:17 am EST, Reuters reports an exchange rate of 1.3780 while Bloomberg reports an exchange rate of 1.3787.

There is a hearing scheduled at 11:00 am EST on 8 September 2021 to discuss the Bank of England’s August monetary policy report.  The London market closes today at 11:30 am EST.    

Alton Drew

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Interbank Market News Scan: China tightens regulations on foreign exchange market….

Posted by on in central banks, China, foreign exchangeLeave a comment

5 September 2021

Interbank. Chinese officials to tighten foreign exchange market supervision. https://www.forexlive.com/centralbank/!/chinese-officials-to-tighten-foreign-exchange-market-supervision-20210905

Interbank. Nigeria. Naira. Former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), Dr Obadaiah Melafia weekend attributed the dip of the naira in the foreign exchange market to the bad policies of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and the tensions across the country. “Nigeria is a failed state.” https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/09/dip-of-naira-in-foreign-exchange-market-due-to-buharis-bad-policies-mailafia-alleges/

Interbank. Forex. So what fundamentals are impacting the foreign exchange markets? https://finance.yahoo.com/news/introduction-major-fundamental-influences-forex-080046373.html

Interbank. India. India’s management of foreign exchange reserves results in supporting 18 months of imports. https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/panorama/management-of-foreign-exchange-reserves-1026066.html

Interbank. Russia. Russia’s central bank provides alternative economic forecast for the next 18 months; one of a severe down-turn vs. moderate inflation. https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2021/09/03/world-economy-could-face-2008-meltdown-russias-central-bank-warns-a74962

Interbank. Brazil. Digital real. The Central Bank of Brazil is still studying the creation of a Digital Real, according to statements given by Fabio Araujo, a representative of the institution. https://news.bitcoin.com/central-bank-of-brazil-researches-creation-of-digital-real/

Interbank. Dollar Index. As of 10:33 pm EST, the Yahoo Market Watch Dollar Index was at 92.16. https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/index/dxy/charts?mod=mw_quote_tab

Central bank decisions as of 5 September 2021, 11:25 pm EST

AUD/USD 0.7437

As of 11:01 pm EST, no Reserve Bank of Australia decisions impacting rates.

NZD/USD 0.7137

As of 11:13 pm EST, no Reserve Bank of New Zealand decisions impacting rates.

USD/JPY 109.8100

As of 11:20 pm EST, no Bank of Japan decisions impacting rates.

USD/CNY

As of 11:24 pm EST, no People’s Bank of China decisions impacting rates.

For a consultation on any regulatory or legislative discussions or announcements, please reach out to us at altondrew@altondrew.com for information on consultation rates and to reserve an appointment.

Please support my efforts by making a donation via PayPal or visiting our advertisers.

Alton Drew

Interbank Market News Scan: Dollar, yuan see similar price increases in terms of Asian currencies. Euro has to play catch up.

Posted by on in China, Europe, Federal Reserve, foreign exchangeLeave a comment

25 August 2021

As US Vice-President Kamala Harris wraps up her Asia tour this week, I was curious to see how currency prices have moved since the Biden-Harris administration took office on 20 January 2021.  I see a battle for currency preference between the United States, the Eurozone, and China and so far, seven months into the Biden-Harris administration, the Eurozone is being left behind.

Where the dollar, the yuan, and the euro are priced in terms of the ringgit, Indian rupee, and the yen, the yuan has seen the greatest price increase since 20 January 2021.  For example, during the period 20 January 2021 to 25 August 2021, USD/JPY increased 6%; USD/MYR increased 4%, and the USD/INR increased 1.8% for an average of 3.93%.

During the same period, the CNY/JPY increased 6%; CNY/MYR increased 14%; and the CNY/INR increased 1.6% for an average of 7.2%.

Meanwhile, the euro got the least love with EUR/JPY increasing 2.9%; EUR/MYR relatively flat at 0.008%; and EUR/INR decreasing by 1.29%.  Using this bucket of Asian currencies, average euro increase is around .54%

In the immediate run, I don’t see dollar or euro prices in terms of the ringgit, yen, or Indian rupee increasing especially if Asian economies are somehow able to increase their respective economies productive capacities and increase trade with each other, taking advantage of their resource-rich environments.  The Harris-Biden administration’s fall in polling numbers as a result of perceived mismanagement of American withdrawal from Afghanistan and less than stellar campaign to get more of the American population vaccinated may likely weigh on the effectiveness of Ms Harris’ attempt to garner strategic trading partners in the region.  

Alton Drew

 For a consultation on any regulatory or legislative discussions or announcements, please reach out to us at altondrew@altondrew.com for information on consultation rates and to reserve an appointment.

 Foreign exchange rates of interest as of 10:20 am EST

Currency PairFederal ReserveReuters
AUS/USD0.71330.7254
USD/BRL5.39905.2419
USD/CAD1.28531.2623
USD/CNY6.50126.4771
USD/DKK6.36126.3337
EUR/USD1.16901.1739
USD/HKD7.78977.7840
USD/INR74.350074.2250
USD/JPY109.7700109.9300
NZD/USD0.68300.6949
USD/MYR4.23854.2020
Sources: Federal Reserve, Reuters

Interbank Market News Scan: Waiting for Jackson Hole while Kamala Harris attempts to keep the US out of a global trading hole.

Posted by on in China, Federal Reserve, foreign exchangeLeave a comment

24 August 2021

The Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium, hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, is set to begin on 26 August 2021 with oral and written presentations focused on macroeconomic policy in an uneven economy.  Federal Reserve Board chairman Jerome Powell will make a presentation on 27 August.

Since the Federal Reserve released its minutes of the 27-28 July Federal Open Market Committee meeting, the biggest buzz has been speculation s to when the Federal Reserve would begin easing back on its $120 billion per month purchases of agency mortgage-backed securities and U.S. Treasury securities.  These purchases have been instrumental in keeping interest rates low during the Covid-19 pandemic with the intent of spurring business spending and investment, sustaining consumer demand, and maintaining certainty in the financial markets.

The minutes from the FOMC meeting has hinted at a possibility of Fed asset purchases tapering off as early as the end of this year and upward pressure on interest rates, especially in the longer-term range, is expected.

Meanwhile, U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris today heads to Vietnam as part of the second leg of a four-day tour of Asia.  Ms Harris’ primary mission appears to include not only the building of relationships with certain Asian countries, but to let Asian countries know that they have an economic partner alternative to China.

China’s Belt and Road Initiative throughout Asia as well as its claims on the South China Sea through which trillions in dollars of commercial trade passes through poses an economic threat to the United States.  Unless the US can pose itself as a reliable economic trading partner to Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, and Taiwan, amongst other nations, then the United States may be locked out of the Asian markets or forced to buy and sell goods and services in the region on onerous terms.

Ms Harris has been making the argument that China’s efforts in the South China Sea are illegal under international law.

For a consultation on any regulatory or legislative discussions or announcements, please reach out to us at altondrew@altondrew.com for information on consultation rates and to reserve an appointment.

Foreign exchange rates of interest as of 9:00 am EST

Currency PairFederal ReserveReutersOANDA
AUS/USD0.71330.72430.7184
USD/BRL5.39905.37895.3793
USD/CAD1.28531.26181.2718
USD/CNY6.50126.47726.4833
USD/DKK6.36126.33596.3399
EUR/USD1.16901.17351.1728
USD/HKD7.78977.78787.7912
USD/INR74.190074.194074.0634
USD/JPY109.7700109.6700109.8400
NZD/USD0.68300.69490.6867
USD/MYR4.23854.21704.2265
Source: Federal Reserve, Reuters, OANDA

Interbank Market News Scan: As Afghanistan transitions, currency traders should wait for dust to settle in light of China’s influence …

Posted by on in Afghanistan, China, foreign exchangeLeave a comment

15 August 2021

Currency pairExchange rate10-year yield, government securities
AFN/CNY0.07982.88
AFN/USD0.012331.28
Source: OANDA

The transition of political power occurring in Afghanistan today should have traders and brokers asking about the currency trade opportunities under a Taliban-led Afghanistan.  The price of the Afghani has been falling in both US dollars and Chinese renminbi over the last 90 days.  I suspect as Afghanistan moves through its transition over the next 48 hours that western investors will wait for the dust to settle on where yields Afghani-denominated securities will fall out.

After two decades in Afghanistan, the lightening quick deterioration in the ability of the government to maintain control of its territory speaks negatively about the United States as a stabilizing force in the region.  That accolade right now may belong more in China’s court than the U.S.  China has stayed engaged with Afghanistan primarily due to three concerns.

First, the protection of small and medium sized Chinese enterprises in Afghanistan; second, to stop the training of Uygur supporting insurgents from an area of Afghanistan that lies along China’s western border; and third, to maintain a vital component of its Belt and Road Initiative, a policy of transportation and communications infrastructure that facilitates the transfer of resources to China.

China is Afghanistan’s largest investor, having provided Afghanistan with telecom equipment and other telecom infrastructure.  China extracts oil in the Amu Daya basin, and also mines lithium and copper, both essential to providing telecommunications equipment and facilities.

Geographically, Afghanistan provides China with the shortest route between China, the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, and the Arabian Sea, important for cost effective movement of trade.

And because China has shown no interest in “rebuilding Afghanistan”, including altering its political, social, or ideological institutions, it has been able to maintain a dialogue with the Taliban, important now more than ever as Afghanistan sees a change in leadership.

The takeaway:  Traders should monitor the developing government relationships and take note of relative changes in income, prices, commodity availability, and interest rates.

Alton Drew

Sources:

OANDA

China to ‘capitalise’ on West’s Taliban failure as US geopolitical power diminished | World | News | Express.co.uk 

Why China and Russia might find common security ground in Afghanistan | South China Morning Post (scmp.com)

Slowly but surely, China is moving into Afghanistan (trtworld.com)

For a consultation on any regulatory or legislative discussions or announcements, please reach out to us at altondrew@altondrew.com for information on consultation rates and to reserve an appointment.