* Risk Aversion is strong once again...
* Currencies get sold...
* What's China really up to?
* RBA to leave rates unchanged?
And Now... Today's Analysis!
China Is Back On The G-9 Docket...
Good day... And a Marvelous Monday to you! Some people have
the day off today, so we'll probably not be back in full force until
tomorrow... Not that we've been in full force, as a workforce in the U.S. for
some time... But that's another story for another day! Today is a new day, and
new week!
Friday's thinned out markets were not what the currencies wanted to see, as the
bias to Risk Aversion was magnified in the thinned out markets, only making the
selling of the currencies even worse... Some "levels" were hit in the
thinned out markets, and that caused even more selling in the overnight markets
as Japan and Asia came on board.
I'm really kind of shocked at the Asian selling... You may recall that last
week we had the wild swing Thursday, after there were reports that China had
obtained approval to attend the G-8 meeting this week in Italy, and discuss
replacing the dollar as the world's reserve currency. The dollar was sold like
funnel cakes at a state fair, after that report hit the news wires... But it
was quickly turned around when the Chinese denied they knew anything about the
contents of the report...
But... This weekend, while the charcoal was burning everywhere, the splashing
in the swimming pools, and the display of fireworks had everyone's attention,
the Chinese admitted that they were going to G-8! Where's the selling now?
Isn't this confirmed now? Has something changed?
The answer to the Has Something Changed question, is yes... Currency
strategists have come to the conclusion that China won't get anywhere with
their desires to replace the dollar with SDR's (special drawing rights). Even
with France throwing their two-cents into the discussion, and having their
Finance Minister (Lagarde), and Bank of France Gov. (Noyer) calling for an increased
discussion of currency coordination, the Currency strategists just aren't
budging... They believe there's no way China, even with the backing of Brazil,
Russia, and India, will get any traction...
Hmmm... So... It's over? Not hardly folks! I think that the comments coming
from the French officials says..."We need to give the emerging markets
more say in how the world's economy is run"... A foot in the door, if you
will... And... When you have the war chests like Brazil, Russia, India and China
have, a foot in the door, is like having a wide enough space that you could
drive a Mack Truck through!
Of course that's just my opinion... I could be wrong... But then, somewhere in
the back of your mind, you're thinking... Hey, this guy may just be, because you never know... He
might be right!
OK... Playing games with your mind isn't what I was trying to do there... I was
simply crossing the T's for the legal beagles...
So... We begin the week with the currencies weaker than they were last week,
and the euro about ready to lose the 1.39 handle. The High Yielders are taking
it on the chin too, with the exception of Brazil, but once that market opens we
could very well see the real play catch-up.
The data cupboard is relatively empty this week, with the Initial Jobless
Claims on Thursday, and the Trade Deficit data on Friday, the only
"real" data this week... So, the G-8 meeting on Wednesday will have
center stage, and any comments from the "outsiders" (China, etc.)
creating pressure points for the dollar this week.
One of the worst performing currencies in the past couple of weeks is the
Canadian dollar / loonie. No wonder, with the price of Oil dropping and Gold
stuck in a rut... Nothing to give the loonie a boost... And overnight, the
price of Oil has "gapped" down to $64, putting even more pressure on
the loonie.
Let me explain what I think we're seeing in the price of Oil... I think a large
part of the run-up in the price of Oil was caused by investors taking positions
to hedge VS inflation... And in recent days, those fears of inflation have been
put on hold... And these investors have no patience... So, those positions are
getting sold, and... That's what's pushed Oil down so much in the past week.
Tonight, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) meets to discuss rates... I fully
expect the RBA to keep rates unchanged at an internal level of 3%. But, I also
expect them to muddy the euphoria of unchanged rates, by leaving their easing
bias intact. Put yourself in the shoes of the RBA... You may want to say the
end of rate cuts has been seen and the next move, whenever that is, will be
higher... But! You don't want to open Pandora's Box of currency rallies... The
RBA would be the only Central Bank in the world that had removed their easing
bias, with an eye on higher rates... The flood gates of investors seeking a
currency that will be raising interest rates, would be thrown open, and an
unwanted at this time, run-up in the A$ would take place.
So... The RBA will be cautious with their words, and keep their rate hike cards
in their back pockets for now... Waiting for the right time to pull them out
and throw them on the table!
I know this sounds like small potatoes... But, these are baby steps for China
and what I believe their goal is... And that is, to gain wider acceptance for
their currency... It's how they will be able to spring the coup someday to
replace the dollar as the reserve currency... I truly believe their call to use
SDR's is just a smokescreen... These currency agreements that China has signed
with Argentina, and the Southeast Asia countries, and have on the table with
Brazil, is the real thing to watch... I see the SDR's as a sort of stalking
horse for China's wish for wider acceptance for the renminbi...
And to round out our discussion today... Our old friend, Jim Rogers, was back
in the news last night. Let's listen in to Jim Rogers, author of a few best
selling books, and long considered an excellent investment mind...
"The government is printing lots of money and borrowing even more; that's
not the basis for a sound currency. The idea that anybody would lend money to
the U.S. government for 30 years at 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 percent interest is
mind-boggling to me." Jim also said that he olds fewer dollar than a year
ago, and plans to short U.S. government bonds someday."
Of course this is a reoccurring theme with yours truly... I have harped and
harped about this since the beginning of this year. In fact, in February, the
title of my Currency Capitalist letter was: U.S. Treasuries the next great
bubble...
The number of bonds being issued... And the question of who's buying them? For
instance, the U.S. had more than doubled bond issuance to $963 Billion in
the first half of this year, with another $1.1 Trillion scheduled to be sold by
then end of the year. U.S. debt issues have lost 4.46% in the first 6 months of
this year, and I just don't see how that trend can be turned around, when $1.1
Trillion in new issuance will be forced down the throats of investors before we
sing Auld Lang Syne for 2009!
The Bank of Japan believes that they are seeing signs of an end to their
recession, saying that they are more optimistic about the economy since 2006...
I wonder how many times since 1990 that Bank of Japan officials have said those
words? Probably enough times to make you wealthy if you had a Gold coin for
every time they said it!
Speaking of Gold... Another $10 off the price this morning, down to $922...
Silver is in danger of losing the $13 handle! Did I hear someone say...
Bargains? Well, only if they go up from here, eh?
Currencies today 7/6/09: A$ .79, kiwi .6265, C$ .8585, euro 1.39, sterling
1.6125, Swiss .9145, rand 8.0230, krone 6.5215, SEK 7.8560, forint 197.25,
zloty 3.16, koruna 18.6750, yen 95.20, sing 1.4575, HKD 7.75, INR 48.47, China
6.8340, pesos 13.36, BRL 1.9530, dollar index 80.86, Oil $63.76, 10-year 3.51%,
Silver $13.09, and Gold... $922.70