Bond
Outlook [by bridport
& cie, January 8th 2003]
You do not have to be a Democrat to see the new Bush package as a
short-term fix to a long-term problem. Cynics like us might even say that
the only explanation is that the Cowboy so much wants to be re-elected
that he is prepared to throw money at the economy to keep consumers (and
voters) happy till the Presidential Election. Obviously the new Economic
Adviser, Stephen Friedman, has yet to exert much influence in the
direction of balanced budgets! |
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Freeing dividends of tax to investors is quite the wrong way to
eliminate the double taxation of dividends. A bias in favour of corporate
debt over equity has been present for as long as anyone can remember
because interest payments are tax deductible for companies, but dividends
not. A great opportunity to correct that distortion is being missed. If
the Bush plan goes through unaltered, dividends will be taxed at corporate
level and interest at investor level - totally irrational!
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Just a year ago most commentators expected a recovery in six
months' time. We were more pessimistic in foreseeing a recovery only after
a year. Yet we were too optimistic. This time round, commentators are
again writing of a recovery in six months. They have been a permanently
rolling six months since the end of the bubble and we expect them to keep
on rolling! Nevertheless, we do see positive signs towards a long-term
rebalancing of the US economy in the lower dollar and the gradual debt
reduction of corporate America. The negative forces on the American
economy are the continued encouragement by the Administration of consumer
spending in preference to corporate investment, plus an ever-increasing
internal deficit, which is bound to compete with corporations for funds.
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No one, not even the most powerful economy in the world, can
continue indefinitely spending more than they earn. The USA has been
allowed to get away with this because the rest of the world is so happy to
hold dollars and to buy American securities. A parallel might be seen with
the neighbour who enjoys a much higher standard of living than everyone
else on the street, but is really only living on borrowed money. A day of
reckoning always comes. When will it be for the USA? Possibly years away,
possibly any time. Bush will certainly do all he can to put it off till he
has won a second term. He will be fighting market forces and, presumably,
his new economic team, who are not yet able to bring in a sense of realism
beyond the need for a weaker dollar. The consumer, however, does appear to
be spending less and reducing the rate of remortgaging. The sooner he
tightens his belt, the better for the economy in the long run, even if it
means a one-term Presidency! |
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As readers will be well aware, corporate bonds spreads have come in
strongly since their widest point last October. Arguments are advanced
that corporate debt reduction is well underway, that the bad apples have
now been eliminated, and that overall credit risk has now declined. Debt
reduction may indeed have progressed, and a good thing too, but readers
will forgive us for warning them about the many traps for the unwary in
corporate bonds. Our sense is that the sheer frustration of investors in
losing so much money over three years of equity losses, and in seeing the
apparent end of the Government bond rally, is pushing them towards the
"search for yield" despite the current situation calling for "protection
of assets" as the leitmotiv for portfolio management - as it has been
since we first wrote in early 2000 of this decade being one of poor
returns while past excesses are worked off. |
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As the euro climbs against the dollar by default, the danger of
European deflation increases, with Germany dragging the rest of the euro
zone into the same pit as Japan. Inaction rules the day in Germany, unless
you count as "action" the forthcoming public sector strikes, whose only
result will be to push a stagnant economy backwards. Let us hope that
German inaction does not rub off onto the ECB, said to have more room for
manoeuvre in lowering rates now that the currency is stronger. Unlike in
the USA, a little encouragement to European consumers to spend would work
wonders. |
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Sufficient investors expect the weaker dollar to create inflation
in the USA for "TIPS" to be proving attractive. Their case is unproven in
the light of Asian competition and spare US production capacity. We see
inflation returning only when exports pick up and when spare capacity is
absorbed. |
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Recommended average maturity for bonds in each currency
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No move yet from an average of five years, but we have rolled
forward with the change of year. |
Currency: |
USD
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GBP
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EUR
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CHF
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As of
8.01.02 |
2008
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2008
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2008
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2008
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It is perhaps unfortunate, but the market is going to be
politically driven over the next couple of weeks. Sentiment remains
extremely negative towards the dollar, and a good strategy will be to sell
the USD on rallies. The huge stimulus package announced by Bush yesterday
did not impress the forex market at all, in the light of the USA needing
about USD 2 billion capital inflows per working day to finance its growing
external deficit. |
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It looks likely that
an agreement will soon be reached in between OPEC and non-OPEC members to
increase drastically their daily output as a countermeasure to the rise in
oil prices. |
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EUR/USD: In thin market conditions our
objective of 1.0500 has nearly been reached, and we would only look for
further euro strength on a weekly close above that level. Support comes in
at 1.0380, 1.0250 and, important, at 1.0180. A close below that last
figure would challenge parity. |
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USD/CHF: Our target of 1.4000 has been
reached and even overshot to 1.3850. Only a weekly close below that would
speak for further USD weakness in the short term. Upside is 1.4060,
1.4150, 1.4280, 1.4350 and 1.4500. |
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USD/JPY: Here as well, the break of
120.-- provoked stop/loss selling nearly down to 118.--. We established a
long USD/JPY position at 118.90, with a S/L at 117.80. Strong support is
at 118.00, upside resistance at 120.60, 121.30, 121.80 and 122.50
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EUR/JPY: The euro remains strong against
the JPY, but 125.50 currently looks tough to break. Supports are coming in
at 124.80, 124.30, 123.50 and 122.50. |
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USD/CAD: We took profit on our long CAD
position at 1.5533 (397 points on a position established at 1.5930).
Consolidation above the key support of 1.5480 is expected. Upside
resistance is at 1.5650, 1.5730, 1.5780 and 1.5850 |
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AUD/USD: The Aussie finally benefited
from strong buying interest by the investment community and was able to
break the 0.5650 resistance zone, which is now acting as a strong support.
The next levels are 0.5780, 05850 and 0.5910. |
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USD/CHF |
EUR/USD |
EUR/CHF |
USD/JPY |
EUR/JPY |
Resistance/Breakout |
1.4060
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1.0480
1.4060
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1.0480
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1.4610
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120.60
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125.50
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Current
spot level |
1.4000
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1.0410
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1.4580
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120.20
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125.05
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Support/Breakout |
1.3850
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1.0380
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1.4520
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119.50
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124.80
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AUD/USD |
NZD/USD |
USD/CAD |
GBP/USD |
XAU/USD |
Resistance/Breakout |
0.5780
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0.5350
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1.5670
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1.6030
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351.00
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Current
spot level |
0.5730
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0.5285
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1.5620
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1.6005
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346.00
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Support/Breakout |
0.5650
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0.5230
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1.5480
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1.5950
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343.00
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