Tuesday, April 17, 2012

The euro has fallen against most major currencies this morning, as euro zone debt fears loom over the foreign exchange markets. Against the dollar, the euro slipped below the $1.30 mark for the first time since mid-February, and also hit a two month low against the yen. And while the euro slides, Spanish bonds are also being hit. The yield (effectively the interest rate) on the 10-year Spanish bond has jumped over the 6% mark this morning, to 6.09% at pixel time. Italian bond yields have also risen, with the 10-year yield nudging 5.62%. German bonds, through, are in demand, driving down the yield on the 10-year bund to a new record low of just 1.628%. These are all signs that the crisis is heating up again. As Brenda Kelly, senior market strategist at CMC Markets, comments: The pressure on its bond yields and over-dependence on ECB funding is adding to the mounting evidence that Spain will in fact need a bailout. This has re ignited the fears that should this occur, that the Euro zone will be courting disaster with what is deemed by the markets an insufficient firewall, particularly if Italy follows suit. It's a pretty quiet agenda today. We get the latest euro zone trade data this morning, and the details of the European Central Bank's bond purchases this afternoon. US retail sales data could move the markets this afternoon: In the bond markets, France and the Netherlands are holding debt sales this morning. And the announcement of the next leader of the World Bank should also come this afternoon. You need to sell a lot of Euro denominated debt, easier the cheaper the Euro. You need to create millions of jobs for unemployed Europeans, easier the cheaper the Euro. You need to pay back millions of trillions of Euro's and you don't have them, well who invented the printing press?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sit back, look up and prepare for the big picture. The International Monetary Fund will be releasing its World Economic Outlook later today. The figures for international and national growth are about as authoritative as estimates can be. Is the eurozone heading further down? The UK looking up? The markets will be keen to learn more.

On the subject of economics we get UK monthly inflation figures today. The Bank of England Governor Sir Mervyn King keeps promising the numbers will drop. They remain stubbornly high. We’ll give them to you as soon as we get them, here.

On the other side of the Atlantic there should also be plenty of comment on the decision to appoint another American to the head of the World Bank. Jim Yong Kim was confirmed late last night.

Anonymous said...

Don’t expect much good news though given the struggles gripping the global property market.

“Nobody hurt in small earthquake” was once voted the world’s most boring headline. Fracking company Cuadrilla would disagree. Despite two small quakes created by fracking under Blackpool the company’s controversial gas extraction technique has been given the go-ahead. Exciting stuff for the company, worrying for protestors.

smh said...

The Financial Times (£): Aquascutum, the clothing company, could be placed into administration as soon as today.

Wall Street Journal (£): Beauty group Coty said it has lined up $5bn of financing from investors for its $10bn tilt at door-to-door cosmetics group Avon Products.

The Times (£): Earth moving equipment manufacturer JCB has posted record annual results on surging global demand for its products.


The Guardian: Anthony Bolton is extending his tenure as fund manager at Fidelity's China Special Situations fund despite a 'disappointing' performance.