NAB Morning Call

Friday 16th April 2021The news was largely positive overnight. Retail sales in the US were better than expected, initial jobless claims were down, the Philly Fed and Empire Manufacturing Surveys were strong – yet bond yields fell sharply in the US, spreading across much of Europe. It’s not the response you’d expect. NAB’s Ray Attrill says bond analysts had been expecting a period of consolidation, but perhaps not quite so much in one day, particularly surrounded by such positive economic data. The Aussie dollar has been one beneficiary of the positive sentiment surrounding that data, and there could be more to come if the numbers out of China are strong, including Q1 GDP, March Industrial Production, Retail Sales and Fixed Asset Investment, all out later on today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thursday 15th April 2021Equities came back off the highs we saw on Tuesday/Wednesday, but their decline didn’t reflect the sentiment in the market. In fact, a four percent rise in oil has been a better indicator, along with the strength of the Aussie dollar. NAB’s David de Garis says we have sen a rotation out of the tech stocks, but the banks have generally been doing well, helped by better than expected earnings results. Our local currency has been bolstered by yesterday’s consumer confidence read, with high hopes for today’s employment data for Australia. Today there will be a lot of attention paid to US retail sales – will they add to the positive vibes? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wednesday 14th April 2021It’s been a session with mixed messages. Inflation is showing up in data, including higher than expected CPI in the US yesterday. We’re seeing it in input prices in the NAB Business Survey too, Of course central banks continue to say that any rise will be transitory, but are the markets convinced? Meanwhile, the global recovery that will give rise to that inflation could be temporarily stalled as the Johnson and Johnson vaccine deployment has been halted in the US and in Europe, where it was is expected to inoculate a quarter of all adults. Phil Dobbie talks to NAB’s Rodrigo Catril about the day’s market action. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tuesday 13th April 2021It’s been a fairly quiet session overnight, with bond auctions garnering a little less interest than last time, and more to come today. We also get CPI numbers for the US today. NAB’s Ray Attrill says the market is well prepared for a big jump in the yearly reading, but a significant upside surprise could raise questions about how transitory the rises are. Fed’s Bullard spoke about the potential to look at tapering of asset purchases when the US vaccine rate reaches 75% of the population. That’s assuming having the jab results in lower infection rates – Brazil is struggling to contain an outbreak after rolling out a vaccine with a low efficacy rate. NAB’s Business Survey is out today as well. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monday 12th April 2021Equities in the US finished Friday on new highs, ahead of corporate earning this week and despite a rise in bond yields. NAB’s Tapas Strickland says a lot of the optimism is being driven by vaccine optimism, as President Biden once again brings the dates of his vaccine targets forward. The spectre of rising inflation continues to hang over markets, particularly as PPI prices rose last week. But Jerome Powell sued his 60 minutes appearance on US TV to again make the point that any rise in inflation would be transitory. Nonetheless, a poll of economists are expecting a rate rise at least a year ahead of the Fed’s schedule. Aussie jobs data will be a focus this week, along with China’s aggregate financing data. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Friday 9th April 2021Australia has become the latest nation to express concern about the use of the Astra Zeneca vaccines on young people, except here young is anyone under 50. N AB’s Tapas Strickland says it’s unlikely to slow down the speed of the vaccine rollout, but it could have consequences in Europe. Jerome Powell offered little new when he spoke on an IMF panel overnight, talking down the prospect of sustainable inflation. But the ANZ business survey for New Zealand showed rising inflation expectations. Phil Dobbie asks, what does the RBNZ do if inflation is maintained above its target rate, whilst the rest of the world doesn’t? And CPI numbers of China will be worth looking out for later today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thursday 8th April 2021It’s been one of the quietest sessions for some time. The FOMC said nothing that surprised markets, and Janet Yellen detailing how they would pay for the $2.25 trillion infrastructure package was met with a similar muted response. NAB’s Gavin Friend suggests the markets are considering a bit of rebalancing, particularly when it comes to Europe. Even if they are slower to recover the difference between the US and Europe will only be a few months. The destination is the same. The pound struggled today as an announcement was made about limiting use of the Astra Zeneca vaccine for the under thirties. Generally, though, the word ‘lacklustre’ sums up market action overnight. Sadly, the only currency to see significant losses was the Aussie dollar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wednesday 7th April 2021There were no significant market moves overnight. The US dollar has fallen a little further, bond yields are down and equities have cooled somewhat. NAB’s David de Garis says, maybe markets are taking Jerome Powell’s words to heart that it’s a long road ahead and the Fed is going to stay the course. That’s certainly the line echoed by the RBA yesterday even though, like the US, the news is largely positive. Vaccination rates continue to be a determinant of economic recovery, with Canada’s President Trudeau announcing a third wave on his home soil, where the number of people having the jab remains very low. FOMC minutes are out tomorrow; we’ll talk about those, hot off the press, tomorrow morning. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tuesday 6th April 2021US equities have been boosted by a string of positive data. The ISM manufacturing read at the end of last week bounced back sharply, and the services number reached a new record high this morning. Plus, non-farm payrolls on Friday also punched the lights out. NAB’s Ray Attrill says even though shares responded, Treasury yields are actually lower than they were before this swathe of positive numbers and the US dollar has fallen, indicating it is responding negatively to risk sentiment at the moment. Today the RBA meets, job vacancy numbers are out for Australia and the Caixin Services PMI is out in China. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thursday 1st April 2021Joe Biden and Treasury Secretary Yellen are about to give the details of their long-awaited infrastructure spending plan, but NAB’s Tapas Strickland tells Phil Dobbie that most of the detail has already been released. And the response to the markets has clearly been favourable, with share prices reaching new highs overnight. Bond yields have also been rising. They also discuss Australia’s residential building approvals, US jobs data and China’s rising PMIs. Tapas explains how a slower recovery in Europe could actual be good for the Chinese economy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.