Rising geopolitical tensions fueled a rise in risk aversion at the start of the week. Oil prices spiked amid escalating tensions in the Middle East and the Dollar picked up haven demand. The surprise Hamas attack on Israel boosted Gold and US currency. The USDIndex is trading at 106.12. USOil prices rose in early Asian trading on Monday amid concerns that Hamas’s attack on Israel will increase tensions across the Middle East and affect output from leading producers. The White House confirmed deaths of ‘several’ US citizens in Hamas attacks.
Germany: The industrial production corrected -0.2% m/m in August. If oil prices rise further, the risks to growth will pick up, also because a fresh pick-up in inflation will weigh on consumer demand and complicate the situation for the ECB.
Japan and Hong Kong were closed for holidays. In the US only equity markets are open today, with bond markets and Fed closed for Columbus Day. Chinese stocks declined on Monday morning, as markets returned from a week-long holiday that prompted disappointing levels of spending and travel.
US NFP: Nonfarm payrolls blew past estimates, surging 336k in September, with a net 119k upward revision to the prior two months. That put a November Fed rate hike back on the table and the markets responded as would be expected with Treasury rates surging, the USDIndex popping, and stocks sagging. But other parts of the report were more mixed which helped alleviate Fed fears while dip buyers, short covering, and technical buying ahead of the long weekend helped trim bond losses.
- USDIndex edged up to 106.13 from 105.82 while the Yen steadied at 149 lows. The EURUSD slide back to 1.0540 lows indicating a potential resumption of the long term downtrend while Cable settled at 1.2190. The Australian Dollar, seen as a proxy for risk appetite, slid to 0.6347, while the Kiwi edged lower to 0.5968.
- Stocks: The CSI300 corrected -0.2% as mainland China markets returned from the Golden Week holiday. The ASX managed to nudge 0.2% higher. GER40 and UK100 are in the red, as are US futures.
- Oil: USOil and UKOil gapped up to 85.95 and 87.81 respectively a day after Israel’s PM, Benjamin Netanyahu, warned of a “long and difficult war”.
- Gold at $1855.50, as traders flocked to safer assets.
Interesting Mover: USOil and UKOil both retest 38.2% Fib. from September’s downleg, with USOil posting a death cross in the 4-hour chart.
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Andria Pichidi
Market Analyst
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