Johnson wins UK Conservative leaders, EU Barnier look forward to work constructively

    Boris Johnson wins the six-week Conservative leadership race and is set to become the next UK Prime Minister. Johnson defeated his rival Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt with 92153 to 46656 votes of party members. It’s seen by some as a spectacular victory of the public face of the Brexit campaign. Current Prime Minister Theresa May will leave office tomorrow after meeting Queen Elizabeth, who’s expected to formally appoint Johnson afterwards.

    Brexit, due date on October 31, is the first thing for Johnson to handle. He said the three priorities are to deliver Brexit, unite the country and defeat Jeremy Corbyn. And he pledged to “get Brexit done”.

    EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said EU looks forward to “working constructively with Johnson when he takes office, to facilitate the ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement and achieve an orderly Brexit. Also, EU is ready also to rework the agreed Declaration on a new partnership in line with EUCO guidelines.

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    Australia AiG PMI improved to 54.8, but employment and wage indices dropped

      Australia AiG Performance of Manufacturing Index rose 3.8 pts to 54.8 in April, indicating faster growth. All subsectors except machinery & equipment, and metal products improved. Top concerns for manufacturers in April included the upcoming Federal election, high energy prices, high input costs (due to drought, a low dollar and high commodity prices) and tighter credit conditions.

      Employment index dropped sharply by -5.1 pts to 51.5. The release also noted ABS data indicated that total manufacturing employment fell dramatically over summer, with a reduction in employment of 41,600 over the three months to February 2019 (-6.3% q/q, trend). Average wage index dropped -3.5 to 57.7, indicating lower wage pressures across the manufacturing sector. Also, this wage index has been trending down since peaking at September 2018.

      Full release here.

      BoC Poloz: Canadian labour force could expand by another half million

        BoC Governor Stephen Poloz:-

        • There are utapped potential in the economy, including workforce by youth, women, indigenous peoples, Canadians with disabilities and recent immigrants to Canada
        • It is not much of a stretch to imagine that Canada’s labour force could expand by another half a million workers,”
        • If the economy builds more supply than usual, that will put downside risk on inflation; if less, that will create upside risk to inflation, and it is our job to balance those risks,”
        • “We cannot know in advance how far the capacity-building process can go, but we have an obligation to allow it to occur.”

        Full speech Today’s Labour Market and the Future of Work

        Canada CPI slowed to 5.2% yoy in Feb, below expectation of 5.4% yoy

          Canada CPI slowed from 5.9% yoy to 5.2% yoy in February, below expectation of 5.4% yoy. Excluding food and energy, CPI slowed slightly from 4.9% yoy to 4.8% yoy. All-items CPI excluding mortgage interest costs slowed from 5.4% yoy to 4.7% yoy.

          On a monthly basis, CPI rose 0.4% mom, slowed from January’s 0.5% mom, and below expectation of 0.5% mom. Decline in energy prices were offset by rise in mortgage interest costs.

          Meanwhile, CPI median decreased from 5.0% yoy to 4.9% yoy above expectation of 4.8% yoy. CPI trimmed fell from 5.1% yoy to 4.8% yoy, below expectation of 4.9% yoy. CPI common declined from 6.6% yoy to 6.4% yoy, below expectation of 6.5% yoy.

          Full release here.

          Harker: Fed is on track to meet 2% inflation target

            Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker said “my own view right now is that we should hold steady for a while and watch how developments and the data unfold before taking any more action.” He added, “we haven’t quite met our 2% inflation target, but we’re on track to get there.”

            Harker also said it’s “too early to say what impact the spread of the coronavirus will have on the global economy, but the negative effects on the Chinese economy and international travel are something to watch”. He added, “If the situation gets significantly worse and we start to see significant impact on the U.S. economy, then we have to think about accommodating. But I don’t think we’re at that point right now.”

            EU expect Eurozone inflation to peak at 2.4% this year

              In the Autumn Economic Forecast, European Commission upgraded 2021 GDP growth projection to 5.0% (vs Spring’s forecast of 4.3%). Growth is projected to slow to 4.3% in 2022 (vs 4.4), and then 2.4% in 2023.

              HICP inflation is projected to peak at 2.4% in 2021 (vs Spring’s 1.7%), then slow to 2.2% in 2022 (vs prior 1.3%) and then slow to 1.4%.

              Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice-President for an Economy that Works for People, said: “This is no time for complacency: we continue to face uncertainty with this virus and there are some risks to contend with. Not least, we need to address bottlenecks in supply chains, as well as surging energy prices which will affect many households and companies across Europe. We also need to closely monitor inflation and adjust our policies if needed.”

              Full release here.

              Australian employment grew solidly by 53k, bolstering case for more RBA tightening

                Australian labor market continued to show strength in March, with employment growth significantly outperforming expectations. The strong employment data shows very few signs of weakness in the labor market, suggesting that RBA may need to resume tightening in May.

                According to the today’s data, employment increased by 53k in seasonally adjusted terms, well above expectation of 20k gain. Full-time jobs saw an increase of 72.2k, while part-time employment declined by -19.2k.

                Despite expectations of a rise to 3.6%, unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.5%. Additionally, the participation rate held steady at 66.7%, and monthly hours worked decreased by -0.2%. Lauren Ford, the ABS head of labor statistics, highlighted that the unemployment rate stayed at a near 50-year low of 3.5%.

                Ford also noted that the employment-to-population ratio increased by 0.1 percentage point to 64.4%, with the participation rate remaining at 66.7%. Both indicators were close to their historical highs in November 2022, reflecting a tight labor market that has made it challenging for employers to fill the high number of job vacancies.

                Full Australia employment data release here.

                US CPI and Fed awaited, NASDAQ surges to new record

                  Global financial markets are on high alert today as they await two critical announcements from the US, including the release of May’s CPI and FOMC rate decision accompanied by new economic projections. These events are expected to play a crucial role in shaping market sentiment and monetary policy outlooks.

                  Analysts expect headline CPI to remain steady at 3.4% yoy, while core CPI, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, is anticipated to dip further from 3.6% yoy to 3.5% yoy. On a month-over-month basis, headline CPI is projected to rise by 0.2% mom, and core CPI by 0.3% mom.

                  Regarding Fed’s upcoming decision, the consensus is that interest rates will be held steady at 5.25-5.50%. However, the focus will be on the updated dot plot, which reflects the rate expectations of Fed policymakers. Key questions include how many policymakers now foresee fewer than two rate cuts this year and whether any still see the need for further hikes.

                  Current market sentiment suggests that Fed might only cut rates once this year, with an 88.5% probability of a cut by December. The chances of a rate cut in September stand at 52.6%, while the likelihood of a cut in November is slightly higher at 67.1%. These expectations will be closely scrutinized against the backdrop of today’s announcements.

                  Ahead of theses key events, NASDAQ is looking unstoppable as it surged to fresch all-time highs. S&P 500 also closed at record but its gain was dwarfed by the tech index, while DOW lagged further behind with a loss.

                  Technically, further rise is expected in NASDAQ as long as 17343.54 support holds. Next target is 61.8% projection of 12543.85 to 16538.86 from 1522.77 at 17691.68. Firm break there could prompt upside acceleration to 100% projection at 19217.78. On the downside, break of 17343.54 will bring consolidations first before staging another rally.

                  Gold struggles to break through 1740 resistance, risk stays on downside

                    Focus remains on 1740.32 minor resistance in Gold, to determine whether a short term bottom was formed at 1676.65. The conditions for a stronger rebound are there, with some support seen from medium term falling channel support. Also, bullish convergence condition condition is displayed in 4 hour MACD.

                    Decisive break of 1740.32 will also be the first sign that the fall from 2075.18 has completed as a three wave correction. Attention will then be turned back to 55 day EMA (now at 1792.68).

                    However, rejection by 1740.32, followed by break of 1676.65, could extend the correction to 50% retracement of 1160.17 to 2075.18 at 1617.67 or even 61.8% retracement at 1509.70, before forming a bottom.

                    Fed Bostic: Really important to get to neutral in expeditious way

                      Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic told CNBC yesterday, “I think it’s really important that we get to neutral and do that in an expeditious way.”

                      “I really have us looking at one and three-quarters by the end of the year, but it could be slower depending on how the economy evolves and we do see greater weakening than I’m seeing in my baseline model,” he said.

                      “This is one reason why I’m reluctant to really declare that we want to go a long way beyond our neutral place, because that may be more hikes than are warranted given sort of the economic environment.”

                      Eurozone CPI holds steady at 5.3%, core CPI slows to 5.3%

                        In August, Eurozone’s CPI defied market expectations by remaining unchanged at a 5.3% yoy, contrary to anticipated slowdown to 5.1% yoy. Core inflation, which excludes energy, food, alcohol, and tobacco, did slow down, but only to match expectations, declining from 5.5% yoy to 5.3% yoy.

                        A breakdown of the main components contributing to Eurozone’s inflation rate reveals a mixed bag. Food, alcohol, and tobacco are expected to register the highest annual rate in August at 9.8%, albeit lower than the 10.8% seen in July. Services come next, slipping slightly from 5.6% to 5.5%, followed by non-energy industrial goods which also dipped from 5.0% to 4.8%. Notably, energy costs seem to have eased their downward trend, registering at -3.3% compared to -6.1% in the previous month.

                        Full Eurozone CPI release here.

                        ECB Lagarde: It’s possible to continue on tightening path after march

                          ECB President Christine Lagarde told Spain TV channel Antena 3, “at this point in time, it’s possible that we continue on that path (of tightening after March)… By which amount in each and every meeting is impossible to say at this point.”

                          Regarding the terminal rate, Lagarde said, “the real honest answer is that it will determined by data.”

                          “What’s very certain is that we’ll do whatever’s needed in order to bring inflation back to 2%,” Lagarde said.

                          Australia unemployment rate rose to 5.3%, AUD/JPY completed corrective rebound

                            In seasonally adjusted terms, Australia employment contracted by -19k to 12.9m in October, way below expectation of 16.2k growth. That’s also the largest monthly drop in three years since late 2016. Full-time jobs dropped -10.3k while part time jobs dropped -8.7k. Unemployment rate rose 0.1% to 5.3%, above expectation of 5.2%. At the same time, participation rate dropped -0.1% to 66.0.

                            Looking at some details, unemployment rate increased by 0.3 pts in New South Wales (4.8%), and by 0.1 pts in Victoria (4.8%). The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased by 0.2 pts in Tasmania (5.9%), and by 0.1 pts in Queensland (6.5%), with Western Australia and South Australia recording no change.

                            Full release here.

                            The set of data suggests that Australia remains a long way from RBA’s full employment estimation, i.e., unemployment rate at around 4.5%. More monetary and fiscal stimulus is still needed to support the job and wage markets, and drive up inflation. RBA is still on track for more rate cuts or even QE next year.

                            Today’s sharp fall in AUD/JPY firstly suggests short term topping at 75.67. More importantly, the break of 55 day EMA argues that corrective rise from 69.95 could have completed with three waves up to 75.67, just ahead of 76.16 structural resistance. Further fall is now in favor back to 71.73 support. Break there will reaffirm medium term bearishness for a new low below 69.95 ahead.

                            Fed Brainard: Downside risks have definitely increased and gathering

                              Fed Governor Lael Brainard warned that “downside risks have definitely increased relative to that modal outlook for continued solid growth.” She added that back in December, she “had already noted that crosscurrents were increasing and that tailwinds were dying down, and I think that is even more true today because of those downside risks that are gathering.”

                              Brainard pointed to external risks including China’s economy, US-China trade conflicts and Brexit. And, “We are a very international economy… Our financial system in particular has shown itself to be very responsive to earnings abroad, to financial conditions and volatility abroad. So, yeah, I’m very attentive to the international outlook.”

                              Domestically, she believed that momentum has been “pretty solid”. But today’s retail sales numbers “caught my eye”. Though she “didn’t want to make too much” of one month’s numbers.

                              On monetary policy, she’s “comfortable waiting and learning” and the current policy is “in a good place”. And, she would weigh “what move, if any, later in the year”. Meanwhile, she added that the “balance sheet normalization process should probably come to an end later this year”.

                              IMF global growth at 3.2% in 2022, 2.7% in 2023

                                In the latest World Economic Outlook Report, IMF keeps global economic growth forecasts unchanged at 3.2% in 2022, but downgrade 2023 by -0.2% to 2.7%.

                                It said: “Global economic activity is experiencing a broad-based and sharper-than-expected slowdown, with inflation higher than seen in several decades. The cost-of-living crisis, tightening financial conditions in most regions, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the lingering COVID-19 pandemic all weigh heavily on the outlook.”

                                Global inflation is forecast to rise from 4.7% in 2021, to 8.8% in 2022, but to decline to 6.5% in 2023, and then 4.1% in 2024.

                                IMF said, “Monetary policy should stay the course to restore price stability, and fiscal policy should aim to alleviate the cost-of-living pressures while maintaining a sufficiently tight stance aligned with monetary policy. ”

                                Full report here.

                                EU leaders circulating text of three months Brexit extension

                                  It’s widely reported that, despite objection by French President Emmanuel Macron, EU27 leaders were already circulating the draft texts of granting UK a three month Brexit extension to January 31, 2020. But Brexit could happen earlier on November 30 or December 31 if both sides were able to ratify the agreement in respective parliament in time.

                                  The draft noted: “The period provided for in article 50 (3) TEU as extended by the European council decision (EU) 2019/584 is hereby further extended until 31 January 2020. In the event that the parties to that agreement complete their respective ratification procedures and notify the depositary of the completion of these procedures in November 2019, in December 2019 or in January 2020, the withdrawal agreement will enter into into force respectively on [the first of the month of the relevant month].”

                                  EU diplomats will meet in Brussels to discuss the proposal today, a few hours before UK Commons section on general election. Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for generally election on December 12 but it’s believed that he wouldn’t secure two-thirds majority support for the motion.

                                  UK PM May to meet EU Juncker on Thursday, Irish backstop plan awaited

                                    UK Prime Minister Theresa May will travel to Brussels on Thursday to meet European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker. Obviously Brexit withdrawal agreement and Irish backstop will be the purpose.

                                    Ahead of that, European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said “the European Union’s position is clear.” And, “we are expecting, waiting once again to hear what the prime minister has to tell us.”

                                    Australia retail sales rose 0.1%, missed expectations, AUD/JPY steady

                                      Australia retail sales rose 0.1% mom in May, below expectation of 0.2% mom.

                                      ABS Director of Quarterly Economy Wide Surveys, Ben James said: “There were mixed results across the industries with rises in Cafes, restaurant and takeaway food services (0.7%), Household goods retailing (0.5%), and Other retailing (0.6%). These rises were offset by falls in Food retailing (-0.3%), Department stores (-0.4%), and Clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (-0.2%).”

                                      In seasonally adjusted terms, there were rises in Victoria (0.6%), South Australia (0.5%), the Australian Capital Territory (0.7%), and the Northern Territory (0.5%). There were falls in Queensland (-0.3%), New South Wales (-0.1%), Western Australia (-0.2%), and Tasmania (-0.4%).

                                      Full release here.

                                      AUD/JPY is steady despite the data miss. AUD is lifted this week despite RBA rate cut. Strong rise in iron ore price and solid export data are supporting the Aussie. A short term bottom should be in place at 73.93 after hitting 61.8% retracement of 70.27 to 80.71 at 74.25. For now, further rise is in favor as long as 75.13 minor support holds. Break of 76.28 resistance and sustained trading above 55 day EMA will bring stronger rebound to 61.8% retracement of 80.71 to 73.93 at 78.12. However, rejection by 55 day EMA, followed by 75.13 minor support, will likely resume the fall from 80.71 through 73.93 low.

                                      US initial jobless claims unchanged at 262k

                                        US initial jobless claims was unchanged at 262k in the week ending June 10, well above expectation of 246k. Four-week moving average of initial claims rose 9k to 247k, highest since November 20, 2021 when it was 249k.

                                        Continuing claims rose 20k to 1775k in the week ending June 3. Four-week moving average of continuing claims dropped -6k to 1778k.

                                        Full US jobless claims release here.

                                        Fed Kaplan not advocating a pause after interest rate hits neutral

                                          Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan said he’s based case is for Fed hike once more this year and twice next year. And he added that “mathematically there’s at least a couple more increases” to get to his neutral rate of 2.50-2.75%. He also noted that he “not advocating a pause” from there. But rather, he’ll “make that judgment as we go; I haven’t decided yet.”

                                          Additionally he reiterated his view that GDP will grow 3% this year and slow to 2.5% next as impact of fiscal stimulus fades. Also, he warned that the tailwind from debt-funded stimulus could turn into a headwind in the out years.