FX Daily: Dollar Demand Persists Amidst Waiting Game
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FX Daily: Waiting game keeps the dollar in demand
Another mixed US jobs report on Friday has maintained choppy conditions in FX markets. While consensus expects the dollar to edge lower through the year, we are yet to see both the decline in inflation and activity (particularly jobs data) that would cement this trend. Key inputs to FX markets this week will be Thursday's CPI data and the Treasury refunding.
USD: CPI and quarterly refunding will be the highlights
Friday's release of a mixed US July jobs report was enough to deliver some calm to the US bond market. Recall that the sharp sell-off at the long end of the curve had upset benign market conditions on Wednesday and Thursday last week. Lower headline employment in July saw 10-year Treasury yields drop nearly 15bp on Friday and investors jump back into their preferred high-yielding currencies such as the Mexican peso.
Looking ahead, we see two key US highlights this week. The main event will be Thursday's release of July CPI figures. Despite base effects nudging the YoY rate higher, MoM readings should deliver another benign 0.2% outcome at the core level and provide another piece of disinflation evidence for the Fed. The problem for FX markets is that it seems that disinflation is not enough to get the dollar lower. Instead, we also need to see signs of softening activity - especially in the labour markets. Unless initial claims spike on Thursday or consumer sentiment falls sharply on Friday, there are few real signs of softer activity coming through just yet.
The second highlight of the week will be the US Treasury's quarterly refunding, where a collective $103bn of three, ten, and thirty-year US Treasuries are auctioned Tuesday through Thursday. It is very rare to have a bad Treasury refunding - e.g. consistently low bid to cover ratios or other such metrics. But the risk is that dealers build concessions into bond prices ahead of the auctions - keeping US yields firm and the investment environment mixed.
On the face of it then, this week looks unlikely to trigger the kind of benign dollar decline around which the Rest of the World currencies can rally. Additionally, events in the Black Sea and what they could mean for food and energy prices could keep investors nervous about embracing disinflation trends. For today, we doubt Fed speakers will have a meaningful impact on the dollar and can see DXY trading well within a 101.80-102.80 range.
