Mighty Dollar Hampered By Current Low Rate Appeal

The forex market relies on interest rate differentials to raise market volume and volatility, twin properties that seem to be lacking ever since central banks began to handcuff capital markets with ultralow monetary policies. The lower-for-longer interest rate policy adopted by most Group of Seven policymakers has maimed forex interest, promoted global bourse trading to a questionable height, and severely cut fixed-income returns. The possibility of an end to a low-rate environment will promote further forex market interest. Under the current rules of engagement — low rate, little volume — the “carry” trade continues to reign.

The mighty USD needs higher yields to outperform. Dealers thought we were getting that, especially after the uptick in last month’s consumer-price index, the fastest one month gain in two years (+0.4%, month-over-month, and +2.1%, year-over-year). Nevertheless, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen and company flattened the market by not being aggressive at the last Federal Open Market Committee meet, and the Fed appears content to extend its low rates policy.

Treasurys on the Climb

However, stronger U.S. data (home sales, employment numbers, and projected short-term growth) has the fixed-income dealer trying to push the U.S. curve back, but there remain a few obstacles in the way for higher U.S. Treasury yields over the short term.

A few reasons why U.S. Treasury yields may struggle to head higher:

Asian appetite for euro paper, particularly periphery, has managed to tighten the bund/periphery spread aggressively, so much so that Spain, Italy, and Ireland have all traded through the U.S. curve at one time or another. By default and indirectly Asian appetite has supported the single unit (€1.3600) to an extent. Currently, it seems accounts are getting a bit wary of how tight euro spreads are again. This has instigated some decent selling interest of emerging market exchange-traded funds at their multi-year highs, with investors happy to take some profit on longs as well as initiating new ‘shorts’ up at these levels.

Low Rates Promise Lays Peripheries Low

The market’s general view is that peripheral nation (Spain, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Greece, etc.) spreads have run their course for the time being and that everything is looking a bit stretched. If investors are looking for yield, perhaps taking on more ‘duration’ risk is a safer and smarter strategy at these spread levels than taking on more ‘credit’ risk. By selling Spanish five-year bonds and buying German bunds, investors maintain the same safe credit and pick-up similar yield. This scenario will provide headwind for further euro periphery tightening. U.S. yields will be dragged down by higher bund prices as their spreads begin to narrow.

Also a potential impediment to higher yields is the fact that a plethora of redemptions get to hit the street in Europe. It has been estimated that €52B worth of capital will be returned to European investors in the form of bond redemptions at the beginning of next month. Where will investors consider putting this cash to work? Due to the reason outlined above — stretched emerging market and credit risks — many expect that most of this cash will be redeployed into the core and semi-core — namely Germany and France, and most of this in the five- to 10-year buckets (duration). This should widen the spread between bunds and Treasurys (10’s, +130) to levels that look increasingly appealing to the global investor. The general flow into U.S. Treasurys out of Europe from more actively managed funds continues, especially now that U.S. 10’s have found some stability in the low +2.60%. A decent bid for German product will slow a U.S. curve backup and destroy the market’s overwhelming interest to want to own dollars.

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