Straight from the Desk

Syz the moment

Live feeds, charts, breaking stories, all day long.

21 May 2024

China now settles half of its crossborder trade in renminbi, up from zero in 2010

• Rise in RMB use highlights sanctions-proofing strategy of Beijing and its allies, such as Russia • China's promotion of CIPS, its homegrown alternative to Swift, may support rise in RMB use Source: Agathe Demarais

20 May 2024

🚀 Chart of the Week: Japan's Yield Curve is Steepening Again! 📈

Big moves in the Japanese bond market! The Japanese yield curve, which tracks the difference between 2-year and 10-year yields, has dramatically steepened since late March and surged even more in May. It's now at 63 bps, a level we haven't seen since January! 📊 10-year and 30-year Japanese yields are hitting decade highs, approaching 1% and surpassing 2%, respectively. As the Yen weakens, the Bank of Japan stepped in to support the JPY and recently cut its bond-buying program for the first time this year. What’s next? The BOJ might sell off its US Treasuries holdings, potentially driving US Treasury yields up in the coming months. Higher Japanese yields also mean US Treasuries are less attractive to Japanese investors, who are key players in the US market. Last summer, a sharp steepening of the Japanese yield curve coincided with a major sell-off in US Treasuries...🤔 #Finance #Investing #Bonds #JapaneseEconomy #GlobalMarkets #Economics #Investors #FinancialMarkets #BankofJapan #USTreasuries Source: Bloomberg

14 May 2024

Most-closely watched China stock index just formed the first golden cross in over a year...

Source: David Ingles, Bloomberg

14 May 2024

European companies feeling less positive about investing in China.

Source: Bloomberg

13 May 2024

This is a trend worth keeping an eye on. China’s Gold trading volumes have seen a BIG spike.

Moreover, their Central Bank has been rapidly accumulating Gold These are very positive developments for the precious metal. Source: Game of Trades

13 May 2024

Hang Seng Index just topped 19,000 again.

Rally +27% from the low. And even after that gain, index still trading below 10x earnings Source: David Ingles, Bloomberg

13 May 2024

In case you missed it... In the FT yesterday... "Slowbalization" and East-West divide in the making... 100% tariffs on EVs, wow.

Or is it just about US refusing globalization on industries they can just not compete?

10 May 2024

JP Morgan Says India Index Inclusion on Track, Clients Ready.

Firm expects $20 billion to $25 billion of foreign inflows JPMorgan Chase & Co. is on track to include India in its emerging market debt index from June with most of its clients ready to trade despite some “teething issues,” according to the firm’s global head of index research. The difficulty in setting up to trade in India due to an elaborate documentation process has been one reason why foreign investors have been apprehensive about the nation’s entry into global indexes. Last September, JPMorgan said it would include India in its emerging market bond index, where it will have a maximum weight of 10%. JPMorgan estimates foreign inflows will be between $20 billion and $25 billion, assuming an index-neutral position, Kim said. The firm estimates its emerging-market bond gauge currently has $216 billion of assets under management, she added. India’s entry into global bond indexes will open up an insular market where foreigners own just over 2%, helping develop another investor base. It also adds to the growing heft of the nation and its financial markets, which are seen as the next driver of global growth amid China’s economic woes. Indian sovereign bonds have seen about $8 billion of inflows into the so-called Fully Accessible Route securities since the JPMorgan announcement, though there were some outflows in April amid a global debt selloff. A Bloomberg gauge of the bonds has outperformed major peers this year. Source: BNN

Thinking out loud

Sign up for our weekly email highlighting the most popular posts.

Follow us

Thinking out loud

Investing with intelligence

Our latest research, commentary and market outlooks