World markets experienced relief as this month's bond squeeze eased and investors turned their attention to the Federal Reserve conference in Jackson Hole and the potential for a resurgence in the artificial intelligence market.
Asian currencies slightly rose as U.S. yields increased, prompting Thailand's and China's central banks to stabilize their currencies, while the Philippines' central bank stated it may intervene to support its currency; additionally, traders are anticipating the U.S. Federal Reserve's symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Japan is unlikely to intervene in the market unless the yen weakens past 150 to the dollar and becomes a major political issue, according to a former central bank official, who also noted that the benefits of a weak yen are becoming clearer due to the re-opening of Japan's borders.
The recent spike in U.S. bond yields is not driven by inflation expectations but by economic resilience and high bond supply, according to bond fund managers, with factors such as the Bank of Japan allowing yields to rise and an increase in the supply of U.S. government bonds playing a larger role.
China should resist the urge to use monetary easing to combat deflation and focus instead on market-driven restructuring and real economic activities in order to achieve healthier and more sustainable growth, according to economist Andy Xie. Japan's reliance on quantitative easing and zero interest rates has perpetuated asset bubbles and hindered innovation and productivity, serving as a cautionary tale for China.
Financial expert Izuru Kato warns that a delay in the Bank of Japan's monetary policy normalization could result in steep interest rate increases and highlights the bank's concerns over inflation stabilization, government debts, and housing loans.
China needs to fully utilize policy space to bolster economic growth and market expectations by making significant adjustments in fiscal and monetary policies, according to a senior economist and political adviser. The economist emphasizes the importance of sending strong signals to the market and considers options such as interest rate cuts, increased deficit-to-GDP ratio, and infrastructural improvements to address economic challenges caused by global demand stagnation and tightened US monetary measures.
The Federal Reserve's monetary tightening policy has led to a surge in mortgage rates, potentially damaging both the demand and supply in the housing market, according to Mohamed El-Erian, chief economic advisor at Allianz.
The Federal Reserve meeting in September may hold the key to the end of the tightening cycle, as markets anticipate a rate hike in November, aligning with the Fed's thinking on its peak rate. However, disagreement among Fed policymakers regarding the strength of the economy and inflation raises questions about the clarity and certainty of the Fed's guidance. Market skeptics remain uncertain about the possibility of a "soft landing," with sustained economic expansion following a period of tightening.
Japan's inflation is "clearly in sight" of the central bank's target, according to board member Naoki Tamura, suggesting the possibility of ending negative interest rates early next year.
The Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge increased slightly in July, suggesting that the fight against inflation may be challenging, but the absence of worse news indicates that officials are likely to maintain interest rates.
Emerging-market central banks are resisting expectations of interest rate cuts, which is lowering the outlook for developing-nation bonds, as central banks in Asia and Latin America turn hawkish in response to the "higher-for-longer" stance taken by the Federal Reserve, currency pressures, and the threat of inflation.
Former Bank of Japan board member Goushi Kataoka believes that the central bank can only shift away from its easy monetary policy once it has achieved its 2% inflation target sustainably, with wage negotiations in 2024 playing a key role in this process. Kataoka expects the Bank of Japan to gradually remove its yield curve control and negative interest rate policies before exiting its easy policy. He also emphasizes the importance of cooperation between the Japanese government and central bank in achieving the inflation target.
Bank of America Securities' Savita Subramanian sees the recent jump in Treasury yields as a positive signal for the economy, with companies focusing on efficiency and productivity rather than leveraging buybacks and cheap financing costs, driving the next leg of the bull market.
Leading US financial institution JPMorgan Chase & Co. warns that the recent weakening of the Israeli shekel may indicate long-term trends for the currency, citing political risk and a shift in foreign allocation by Israeli investors as contributing factors.
Bond traders are anticipating that the Federal Reserve will continue with interest-rate hikes, and next week's consumer-price index report will provide further insight on how much more tightening may be required to control inflation.
The yen strengthened and government bonds slumped as traders reacted to potentially hawkish comments from Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda on the negative interest rate policy, causing Japanese bank shares to jump and the benchmark bond yield to rise.
Asia stock markets are softer ahead of U.S inflation data, with investors looking for signals about the Federal Reserve's next moves on interest rates.
The Bank of Japan has signaled a possible early end to its easy money stance, with the central bank considering interest rate hikes and an early end to its bond-buying policy, which caught markets off guard and caused the yen to surge and Japanese government bond yields to reach a 9-year high.
Bank of Japan policymakers are discussing the need to shift away from the massive monetary stimulus of the past decade, suggesting a potential policy change in response to growing price pressures and changes in Japan's deflation-prone economy.
The Wall Street Journal reports a notable shift in the stance of Federal Reserve officials regarding interest rates, with some officials now seeing risks as more balanced due to easing inflation and a less overheated labor market, which could impact the timing of future rate hikes. In other news, consumer credit growth slows in July, China and Japan reduce holdings of U.S. Treasury securities to record lows, and Russia's annual inflation rate reached 5.2% in August 2023.
The Japanese yen strengthens against the US dollar as Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda hints at a potential shift away from negative interest rates.
Japanese long-term interest rates and the yen rose after Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda hinted at the possibility of ending the bank's negative interest rate policy.
The Bank of Japan's potential shift away from negative interest rate policy has ignited the Japanese Government Bond and currency markets, with the yen seeing its biggest rise in two months and the 10-year JGB yield reaching its highest point in almost a decade.
Japan's ruling party lawmaker Hiroshige Seko supports maintaining an ultra-loose monetary policy, following comments by the Bank of Japan governor that caused the yen and bond yields to rise.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Goldman Sachs may be optimistic about a "soft landing" scenario for the US economy, but the author remains skeptical due to factors such as a deeply inverted yield curve, declining Leading Economic Indicators, challenges faced by the consumer, global growth concerns, and the lagging impact of the Fed's monetary policy, leading them to maintain a conservative portfolio allocation.
Speculation is growing that the Bank of Japan may be moving away from ultra-loose policy and negative interest rates, with its policy meeting being the highlight of the week in Asian markets.
Asia-Pacific markets slipped as investors await central bank decisions, including the U.S. Federal Reserve's announcement on Thursday and the Bank of Japan's meeting on Friday, while Australia's central bank will release its policy meeting minutes on Tuesday and China's central bank is set to release loan prime rate decisions on Friday.
The Federal Reserve is expected to signal that another rate hike may be necessary due to strong economic growth and inflation metrics, creating a difference of opinion between the equity and bond markets.
The Bank of Japan is expected to maintain ultra-low interest rates and reassure markets that monetary stimulus will continue amidst China's economic struggles and the global impact of US interest rates.
The Federal Reserve's continued message of higher interest rates is expected to impact Treasury yields and the U.S. dollar, with the 10-year Treasury yield predicted to experience a slight increase and the U.S. dollar expected to edge higher.
