Investing

13 January 2016

Dollar-Yen Relationship Quirks

Since the initial spike higher when the BOJ provided some operational tweaks to its asset purchase program on December 18, the dollar has fallen 5.6% against the yen through Tuesday's low near JPY116.70.  We had warned that the break of...

12 January 2016

The BOE Meets This Week, but Likely Won’t Help the Pound

A subdued Chinese session, with the yuan, little changed and local equities securing minor gains, let market participants look elsewhere for directional cues.  The new lows in oil, near $30 a barrel, and the bankruptcy filing of Glencore's US subsidiary...

11 January 2016

When Currency Manipulation is not the Answer

The broad measures of the US dollar are trending higher, and former Fed Chair Bernanke recently refuted claims the US was engaged in a currency war. Many observers had thought that with its unprecedented asset-purchase program, the BOJ was engaged...

10 January 2016

Speculators Surprisingly Add Exposure

Due to the holidays, the CFTC has been releasing its Commitment of Traders report late.  With this week's report, the normal Friday release schedule resumes.  The latest report covers the shortened week through January 5.  It is not surprising to...

8 January 2016

Yeah, I’m the (Bitcoin) Taxman

Bitcoin enthusiasts have recently been roiled by claims that an Australian named Craig Wright and his deceased partner are the mysterious founders behind the cryptocurrency. Bitcoin enthusiasts have recently been roiled by claims that an Australian named Craig Wright and...

6 January 2016

Could Gold be Forming a Bottom?

With equity markets tumbling, escalating tensions between a Saudi-led Sunni bloc against Iran, ongoing hostilities in Syria, North Korea testing what it claims to be a hydrogen bomb, the once precious yellow metal is looking perky.  Gold recorded a six-year...

5 January 2016

The Yen Flexes Some Muscle

Last year was the fourth consecutive year that the yen fell against the dollar.  However, obscured by this factoid is that over the past six months, the yen has been the strongest of the major currencies, rising almost 3.2% against...

5 January 2016

Latin America Investing in 2016

Latin America has quickly become the new go-to spot for investors, with even the country of China having pledged a sum of $250 billion within the next ten years. Latin America has quickly become the new go-to spot for investors,...

30 December 2015

The Dollar Wins over the Euro and Yen

The US dollar will finish 2015 higher against both the euro and yen.  Sometimes those of us who follow the economic and financial news closely can be caught up with the short-term fluctuations.  As traders, that is what we do. ...

24 December 2015

The Renminbi-Dollar Complex

As China’s renminbi has been included in the IMF elite currencies and the Fed has started its rate hikes, conventional wisdom sees the RMB weakening and US dollar strengthening as simple long-term trends. The realities are far more complex, however....

23 December 2015

Halfway to the (First) Holiday

The thinness of the order-driven capital markets is making price action that seems more inexplicable than usual.  The US dollar is mixed. It has recouped all the ground it lows against the euro yesterday, as the single currency briefly dipped...

20 December 2015

Futures Activity Predictably Higher Pre-FOMC

Speculative position adjustments in the currency futures were minimal in the immediate aftermath of the ECB's December 3 meeting and US employment data the following day. However, activity dramatically increased in the days ahead of the FOMC meeting on December...

16 December 2015

Green Bonds Still in Too Few Hands

The climate summit in Paris has shown that global big business is now also on board with the transition to a low-carbon economy. However, the most promising instruments in finance for promoting green investing, particularly green bonds, have been around...

14 December 2015

Caution, Your Yuan Might Be Worth Less

Following the mini-devaluation in August, the yuan appreciated in September and October.  It began depreciating again in November and this has continued through the first half of December.  The dollar finished the local session at new multi-year highs against the...