Marketmind: Restive markets simmer after oil sideswipe
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[September 06, 2023] A
look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike Dolan
Roiled by an oil price spike and dour August business soundings, world
markets struggled again on Wednesday as they assessed a messy
disinflation picture that complicates prospects hopes for peak interest
rates.
With this month's Federal Reserve meeting hoving into view, Tuesday's
decision by Saudi Arabia and Russia to extend voluntary oil supply cuts
to year end sent international crude oil prices to more than $90 per
barrel for the first time this year.
That's a moment in the whole disinflation story as it virtually wipes
out the negative annual base effect so powerful this year in helping
drag headline inflation rates back down.
At the very least, it suggest the low-hanging fruit on the disinflation
path may already have been picked, and central banks may have to battle
harder from here to get inflation down to 2% goals. And it may mean
headline rates tick up again this month.
U.S. Treasury yields have been spurred again by energy price
developments, alongside pressure from a swathe of new corporate debt
issuance this week that sees hedging activity in benchmark bonds. U.S.
10-year yields hovered near two-week highs just under 4.30% on Wednesday
and stocks fell across the world again.
The Bank of Canada is, on Wednesday, the latest G7 central bank to
review policy. It's expected to stand pat on rates for now but leave
options open for further hikes if necessary.
The more complicated inflation picture comes against the week's downbeat
business surveys from Europe and Japan. U.S. service sector equivalents
for August are due later on Wednesday.
The big fear for investors is that what looked like an emerging
'goldilocks' scenario of cooling inflation and resilient growth starts
to shape more like the 'stagflation' of sticky price gains and crumbling
demand.
For now, futures market thinking on the Fed's Sept 20 meeting remains
unchanged - with pricing still suggesting the U.S. central bank's
tightening campaign is over.
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Traders work on the floor of the New
York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 20, 2023.
REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
That take was reinforced overnight by a New York Fed study that
suggested the theoretical 'neutral' interest rate keeping the
economy at equilibrium continued to fall in the second quarter.
NY Fed researchers said their 'R-Star' estimate for the second
quarter ticked down to 0.57% from the first quarter’s 0.68% -
cooling post-pandemic speculation that the Fed may be inclined to
revise up its view of the inflation-adjusted, long-term sustainable
interest rate.
And that new estimate would tally to the nominal long-term policy
rate Fed officials have most recently pencilled in at 2.5% - less
than half the prevailing policy rate.
Elsewhere, slightly calmer bond markets saw the dollar come off the
boil too and its DXY index edged back from six-month highs hit on
Tuesday.
The energy picture saw Asia and European bourses in the red again,
with Japan's Nikkei bucking the trend. Wall St futures were also
marginally lower again ahead of the open and the VIX volatility
gauge a touch higher at 14.
Events to watch for on Wednesday:
* U.S. August ISM and S&PGlobal service sector business surveys,
U.S. July international trade, Canada July international trade
* Bank of Canada policy decision
* Dallas Federal Reserve President Lorie Logan and Boston Fed
President Susan Collins speak. Fed publishes Beige Book of economic
conditions
(By Mike Dolan, editing by John Stonestreet; mike.dolan@thomsonreuters.com.
Twitter: @reutersMikeD)
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