FXStreet reports that the Fed kept rates unchanged at this meeting, two officials voted for a rate hike, and the dollar was broadly flat. The original text provides only the headline and summary, without giving the rate range, the identities of the voters, or the specific performance of the dollar index.
The U.S. PPI in September was 6.3%, higher than the expected 5.3%, but the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield still fell 9.9 bps to 5.09%, and the U.S. dollar weakened across the board. There are rumors in the market that an AI-themed fund may have been liquidated. Its AUM may be $40 billion, with heavy holdings including Nebius, Bloom, Lumentum and CoreWeave. The decline in yields was interpreted as the market's concerns about AI-related credit risks, and attention will be paid to Federal Reserve Warsh's speech at the IMF roundtable.
The decline in U.S. bond yields coincided with the overall weakening of the U.S. dollar, breaking the normal reaction after inflation data exceeded expectations, indicating that the market's short-term trading focus turned to the credit risks caused by rumors of AI-themed fund liquidations. For gold, the weakening of the U.S. dollar constitutes a supporting variable, but it is more necessary to observe whether credit risks evolve into liquidity shocks, which often complicates gold's hedging logic. The follow-up speech by the Federal Reserve Warsh at the IMF roundtable is a key window for judging changes in policy expectations.
Why we picked this
原文把美债收益率下行与 AI 基金爆仓传闻并置,为观察 AI 交易风险如何传导到美债和美元提供了一个时点切面。
Inflation data were strong but the dollar fell from an 18-month high, indicating that the market may have digested some tightening expectations in advance, and marginal changes in interest rate expectations became the key to affecting the exchange rate. This contrast prompts the need to pay attention to whether the linkage between the U.S. dollar and U.S. bond yields is weakening, and the corresponding adjustment of gold's sensitivity to real interest rates. Traders can combine subsequent policy signals to observe whether market expectations are further revised.
U.S. retail sales increased by 0.8% month-on-month in September, higher than market expectations of 0.3%. The previous value was revised up to 1.2%. However, after excluding gasoline and automobiles, it only increased by 0.2%, and the control group only increased by 0.1%, which was lower than expected; gasoline stations contributed 71% of the increase in US dollars in September. The author believes that overall consumer spending growth is not as strong as the headline, with gasoline and restaurants being the main contributors.
The overall US retail sales in September exceeded expectations, mainly driven by gasoline sales. After excluding gasoline and automobiles, growth slowed down significantly. The control group fell short of expectations, indicating that consumption momentum is not widespread. Traders need to pay attention to the disruption of this data to the Fed's policy expectations and whether the subsequent core retail component will continue to be weak, which may affect the short-term reaction of the U.S. dollar and gold.
The U.S. dollar index fell below 102.00, reflecting the short-term weakness of the U.S. dollar relative to major currencies. The fall of this psychological barrier may intensify the market's concern about the weakening momentum of the U.S. dollar. For the gold and foreign exchange markets, we need to pay attention to the recovery or continuation of the US dollar index near this position, as well as the linkage performance of non-US currencies and gold.
The author believes that US inflation concerns are not over yet, and intraday PPI and retail sales may bring new risks to the market. Previously, higher-than-expected CPI has put pressure on the stock market. If PPI is hot and retail sales are stronger than expected, it may push up U.S. bond yields and the dollar, and the stock market will continue to weaken. However, the probability of the Federal Reserve raising interest rates in October is about 29%, which has not increased significantly from about 22%. A rate hike in December is almost certain.
Concerns about U.S. inflation have not dissipated. If PPI and retail sales are hot during the day, it may intensify the upward risk of U.S. bond yields and the U.S. dollar, thereby affecting the valuation environment of gold and non-U.S. currencies. Traders need to pay attention to the degree to which the data consolidates expectations for a rate hike by the Federal Reserve in December, as well as the marginal change in the probability of a rate hike in October.
The U.S. CPI forecast distribution shows that the overall CPI year-on-year consensus is 3.6%, and the core CPI month-on-month consensus is 0.2%. The market is paying attention to the core CPI month-on-month. If it rises to 0.4%, it may trigger risk aversion, the dollar rises, and U.S. stocks and precious metals fall; if it is in line with or lower than expectations, it will provide short-term respite.
The market is more sensitive to core CPI month-on-month than the overall data, and the 0.4% threshold is clearly regarded as the risk aversion trigger line. Traders need to pay attention to the deviation of 0.2% between the actual value and the consensus, rather than just looking at the year-on-year data, because exceeding expectations may simultaneously suppress precious metals and push up the dollar. In line with or below expectations would provide short-term respite for risk assets, but the sustainability of this situation remains to be seen.
Elev8 conducts momentum and position analysis on foreign exchange and commodities, judging that the US dollar index is close to an 18-month high, while the EURUSD has fallen for five consecutive weeks and hit an 18-month low. Its 14-week RSI readings are highest for USDMXN, Sugar, European Coal, TTF and NBP and lowest for EURUSD and Iron Ore. The French government's borrowing costs have risen to their highest level since the European debt crisis in 2011, coupled with uncertainty about the leadership of the European Central Bank, which are the main factors putting pressure on the euro.
The U.S. dollar index is close to an 18-month high while the euro hits an 18-month low against the U.S. dollar. French borrowing costs have risen to highs since the European debt crisis, coupled with uncertainty about the leadership of the European Central Bank, indicating that the euro zone risk premium is the core source of pressure in the current foreign exchange market. The RSI of energy and sugar commodities is relatively high, in contrast to low RSI products such as the euro. Traders can use RSI, three-year range deviation and CFTC position framework to observe momentum differentiation and potential reversal signals.
Bitcoin continued to approach $84,000, up about 2%, at Tuesday's open on Wall Street; U.S. stocks failed to follow a 5.4% drop in South Korea's KOSPI index. CryptoQuant analysis pointed out that the U.S. dollar index rose to an 18-month high of 102.57, putting upward pressure on BTC and insufficient risk appetite in the crypto market.
The U.S. dollar index rose to an 18-month high and was accompanied by a lack of risk appetite in the crypto market, indicating that the current macro liquidity environment poses constraints on non-income assets and risk assets simultaneously. Gold traders need to pay attention to the suppressive effect of a stronger US dollar on gold prices, while the foreign exchange market needs to pay attention to whether the interest rate and risk aversion logic behind the high US dollar index continues.
South Korea's Kospi index plunged more than 6% to fall below 6,000 points, hitting a new low since July 31. It was dragged down by inflation concerns caused by a sell-off in chip stocks and rising oil prices. Japan's Nikkei 225 Index fell 2.6%, China's ChiNext Index fell 3%, the CSI 300 Index fell 1.3%, and the Shanghai Composite Index fell 1.2%. Brent crude oil was near a two-week high as the dollar strengthened on safe-haven demand.
The sharp correction in Asian stock markets combined with the strengthening of the US dollar as a safe haven reflects the market's repricing of high-valuation sectors and energy cost pressures. For gold traders, they need to pay attention to the tug-of-war between oil prices pushing up inflation expectations and tightening US dollar liquidity, and whether risk aversion can provide independent support for gold prices. In terms of foreign exchange, pay attention to the persistence of the US dollar index in risk aversion and its transmission to non-US currencies.
Gold prices in Vietnam rose on Friday, with Saigon Gold and Jewelry Company gold bar prices rising 0.91% to VND144.3 million (US$5,585.55) per tael, and global spot gold rising 1.1% to US$4,177.44 per ounce. The price of gold rings simultaneously increased by 0.91% to VND143.8 million per tael. The global rally was driven by the weakening of the U.S. dollar, falling U.S. bond yields and falling oil prices. The Federal Reserve unanimously raised interest rates by 25 basis points last month, and the market is paying attention to subsequent economic data and policy clues before the Federal Reserve's October meeting.
Vietnam's gold price has risen along with global gold prices, driven by a weakening U.S. dollar and a fall in U.S. bond yields, showing that the short-term gold market still uses the U.S. dollar and real interest rates as pricing anchors. Traders should pay attention to the marginal changes in subsequent U.S. economic data on the Fed's policy expectations, and whether Vietnam's local gold prices can continue to follow the fluctuations of international gold prices.