by winston » Mon Aug 01, 2016 6:53 am
US dollar clout brings own risk
Global financial markets are being distorted by the loose monetary policies of central banks.
That is because as central banks and investors rush to buy bonds, it causes a lot of debt interest rates to fall to record lows, even negative levels.
Due to reductions in bond returns, some high-yield stocks were sought, causing markets to rebound last month.
One problem with that is markets are again looking for economic improvements.
And whether the US Federal Reserve is to raise rates this year has again became the market focus.
Lessons from the past teach us that - if the future of Europe lacks promise, confidence in China's economy is lacking, whether Japan has enough money to stage an economic recovery is still unknown - raising rates would only make the US dollar strong, which will again create global liquidity imbalances.
Therefore, the chance of a US rate hike is not high for this year.
Of course, whether the dollar is too strong or not should not just be the responsibility of the Fed.
The Bank of Japan on Friday disappointed the market.
So, with the Bank of England deciding last month to keep rates at the existing level and the European Central Bank not taking any action in the short term, what is going to happen?
The most ideal situation is one where the monetary policies can solve all economic problems. At the same time, the bond market continues to be weak amid excessive liquidity, causing stocks to rise in the second half.
But is it true a healthy economy can help stock markets around the world? Moreover, by keeping dollar gains in the forex market under control, will the flow of global capital be balanced?
If the European Union problem of the past few weeks is enough to get the euro facing a lot of downward pressure in the next six months, then no doubt this equivalent will drive the dollar up further, which also will be a big risk in financial markets.
Source: Andrew Wong Wai-hong, The Standard
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