The Euro dipped to a two-month low against the dollar. Euro/USD is trading at 1.2680 after Euro zone leaders and the International Monetary Fund, IMF, yesterday failed to agree on a long-term plan to reduce Greece’s debt. This has further delayed the disbursement of immediate aid to Athens. The Greek government is said to be running out of funds during this month. In an effort to secure new emergency funding the Greek parliament last Thursday approved new extensive austerity measures. On Sunday the Greek parliament adopted a strict austerity budget for 2013 seemingly to no avail.
Uncertainty over as well short-term financing and long term debt reduction has made the Euro tumble. After stabilizing inside a corridor between 1.28 and 1.30 for weeks, the Euro seems again in free fall. There is little chance that the Euro zone will desert Greece, but investors are frustrated by the lack of clarity. With no emergency funding in place, Greece plans to sell treasury bills during this week to refinance a 5 billion Euro issue maturing on Friday. The outcome of this auction is in the blue. Concerns on Greece’s ability to refinance would for sure put the Euro under new pressure. The Euro has been constantly falling since it peaked at 1.3140 in mid-October as the euphoria over the European Central Bank scheme to buy government bonds to help support Spain’s debt burden faded. uwcfx.com
The European ministers agreed yesterday to grant Greece two more years to reach its budget target, but disagreed over who should shoulder the additional 33 billion Euro cost. Both Germany and Finland have to go back to their parliaments for final approval. The dollar index a measure of the dollar against sic major currencies rose to its highest level since early September. Uncertainties on how US lawmakers shall tackle the “fiscal cliff” of spending cuts and higher tax rates may, however, come back and haunt the dollar. With the dollar also under pressure, JPY will again appear as a “safe haven” among currencies. USD/JPY is trading at 79,285.
Oil prices are under new downward pressure. Brent crude is tipping below USD 109 a barrel. New forecasts from The international Energy agency, IEA, is predicting that the United States would pass Saudi Arabia as an oil exporter by 2015 and become a net exporter of energy by 2020. Precious metals fell back yesterday consolidating heavy gains from last week-lows. Gold is at USD 1725 and Silver trades at 32.40.
By demanding higher taxes for the rich as a condition for any budget agreement with the Republicans, President, Barack, Obama, has opened the fiscal battle that is going to dominate the first months of his second term. Strengthened by the elections Obama has invited Republican leaders to a first round of high-stakes negotiations to prevent the fiscal cliff – a mix of $ 600 billion in spending cuts and tax rises that will go into effect next year unless a deal is reached by 31st December. In spite of some more optimistic signals markets seem to have built in prospects for a no-deal. Combined with technical analysis the development points towards a substantial correction in shares and the security markets in the coming months.
Talks to prevent that scenario, which could tip the US into recession and have disastrous effects on the global economy, were put on ice during the election campaign. Sticking to his principle stand that individuals like himself with an annual income of more than $ 500 000, must take their fair share Obama has kept the door open for details in a compromise package that can open for new ideas. A senior Republican Senator voiced Sunday support for the idea that increased tax revenues from wealthier Americans ought to be a part of a compromise to avoid falling over the “fiscal cliff”.
Global markets are watching Washington’s steps with increased worries. The Asian markets continued to fall in today’s morning trade in spite of a smooth Chinese leadership transition and better industrial production, investment figures and retail sales coming out of China for October. The Chinese authorities also seem to have inflation under better control, and the GDP for 2012 seems to end around the predicted 7,6 percent. A shrinkage in the Japanese in last quarter with 0,9 % also weighed in on investor’s sentiment in Asia. The contraction suggested faltering global demand and weaker consumer spending, and might push the world’s third largest economy into mild recession.
The Greek parliament which last Thursday approved new austerity measures, adopted yesterday night a new tough budget for 2013. European Finance ministers are meeting in Brussels to-day to discuss unfreezing of lending to Greece. There is no agreement within the Euro zone on how to make the debt sustainable. It seems, however, that Athens will be given two more years to cut its debt. Greece’s adoption of a new budget has for now stopped the free fall of the Euro. Euro/USD is trading 0,2 % up at 1.2730. USD is gaining against JPY at 79,485, but is weaker towards Australian dollar, the New Zealand KIWI, Swedish and Norwegian krones. Oil prices have stabilized with Brent trading above 109. Gold and silver, the big winners last week, continue slightly up with Gold at 1735 and Silver 32,62.
Stocks fell in Europe, the United States and in morning trade in Asia and could be in line for more weakness as worries about Washington’s ability to find a timely solution to the “fiscal cliff” continue to dominate investor thinking. Along with new fears on how the Euro zone shall tackle its debt problems, global markets are set for a dumpy ride for the end of the year. As stock markets fall the Euro is under renewed pressure and trades at a two-month low. In spite of the Greek Parliament’s approval of new austerity measures yesterday, Greek bail-out funds are kept on hold. The German Minister of Finance stated that the approval of the austerity package was not enough to keep Greece in the Euro.
McDonald’s shares fell 2 percent after the world’ largest hamburger chain reported its first monthly drop in global sales since 2003. Another heavy weight, Apple, fell 3,6 % and is down 20 percent from its all-time high of USD 705 a share in September. The leading chips supplier, Qualcomm, was the exception gaining 4,4 percent on an otherwise dark session. Investors worry that if no deal is reached in Congress over some 600 billion in spending cuts and tax increases, the slow recovery seen will be reversed. A comprehensive agreement to avoid the “fiscal cliff” still seems possible. A more likely scenario is for political leaders to find a temporary fix to buy time until the new Congress and Obama are sworn in early next year. The prospect of haggling over the budget has deepened investors’ uncertainty and tends to explain market’s reactions over the last days.
The Euro was furtherly undermined after the European Central Bank, ECB, as expected kept rates on hold yesterday. The President of ECB, Mario Draghi, sounded downbeat on the euro zone economy and stated that he was ready to start new purchases of bond. Faced with overwhelming problems European leaders once again seem to be mostly occupied by buying time. This creates downside risks for the Euro which is likely for a new test of bottom levels between 1.20 and 1.25 seen some months ago. The announcement of European bond buying and expectations for continued monetary easing in Obama’s second term has strengthened gold which has jumped more than 50 dollars since the beginning of the week, trading at 1735.
Oil prices have stabilized and copper is up. Brent crude is at 107,58. China presented lower than expected inflation figures and other data that indicates a slow turn around in Chinese economy. The Chinese Communist party congress is simultaneously electing a new leadership, securing a smooth transition to a younger generation of leaders who will be faced with corruption, economic and political reforms as their major challenges.
Posts
