FOREX: Leveraged Contracts In Favor Of USD - Per CFTC
Last week's CFTC positioning update (for the week ending the 2nd of Sep) was notable on the leveraged side, where the skew was notably in favor of the USD, see the table below. JPY shorts were added to by 14.6k, while EUR and GBP net longs were cut back in the leveraged space. Indeed, for EUR, leveraged contracts are almost back to a net short position. AUD and CAD net selling by leveraged players was also evident, adding to existing shorts for both currencies.
- These shifts came ahead of the NFP print on Friday, which was weaker than expected, but didn't do material damage to the USD. The BBDXY index dipped under 1200, but rebounded and is slightly firmer in early Monday dealings. USD/JPY gains will be welcomed by the leveraged players (post PM Ishiba stepping down) who extended shorts in yen last week.
- Still, it is difficult to see a meaningful USD rebound as US yield differentials weaken against major currency blocs.
- In the asset manager space, positioning shifts were more modest. GBP shorts were added to, but AUD shorts were cut, along with those for CAD.
Table 1: CFTC Positioning Change & Outright Position By Major Currency
| Leveraged Contracts | Asset manager Contracts | |||
| Weekly Change | Outright Position | Weekly Change | Outright Position | |
| JPY | -14639 | -66914 | 1666 | 78427 |
| EUR | -6771 | 1817 | 2056 | 405115 |
| GBP | -6278 | 21300 | -5098 | -79948 |
| AUD | -5413 | -11860 | 12733 | -66025 |
| NZD | 510 | 285 | -384 | -5127 |
| CAD | -7985 | -46299 | 5712 | -64276 |
| CHF | 1343 | 1632 | -821 | -40327 |
| MXN | 6062 | 34591 | 2101 | 35343 |
Source: CFTC/Bloomberg Finance L.P/MNI
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AUSSIE 10-YEAR TECHS: (U5) Recovers With Treasuries
- RES 3: 96.501 - 76.4% of the Mar 14 - Nov 1 ‘23 bear leg
- RES 2: 96.207 - 61.8% of the Mar 14 - Nov 1 ‘23 bear leg
- RES 1: 95.960 - High Apr 7
- PRICE: 95.710 @ 14:34 BST Aug 8
- SUP 1: 95.415/95.300 - Low May 15 / Low Jan 14
- SUP 2: 95.275 - Low Nov 14 (cont) and a key support
- SUP 3: 94.707 - 1.0% 10-dma envelope
Aussie 10-yr futures received a boost from the US Treasury rally that followed a poor NFP print. This keeps Aussie 10-year futures toward the top end of the recent range. To the upside, next resistance is at 96.207, a Fibonacci retracement point. Next support undercuts at 95.420 (pierced), the Feb 13 low, ahead of 95.275, the Nov 14 low and a key support. Clearance of this level would strengthen a bearish condition.
SECURITY: Trump To Sign Trilateral Peace Accord With Armenia/Azerbaijan Shortly
US President Donald Trump is shortly due to sign a trilateral peace agreement with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the White House. LIVESTREAM The event will provide another opportunity for Trump to style himself as peacemaker, after touting success in brokering peace deals between Rwanda/Congo, Cambodia/Thailand, and India/Pakistan.
- The accord aims to resolve a decade-long dispute over the sovereignty of Nagorno-Karabakh - a breakaway Azerbaijani province that was under de facto Armenian control from the dissolution of the Soviet Union until a 2020 war.
- Trump described the meeting on Truth Social as a “historic peace summit,” noting that the US will also sign “Bilateral Agreements [to] fully unlock the potential of the South Caucasus Region.”
- White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told reporters that Trump would sign deals with both Armenia and Azerbaijan on energy, technology, economic cooperation, border security, infrastructure and trade.
- A White House official said: "It's about the entire region, and [the leaders] know that that region is known to be safer and more prosperous with President Trump."
- Reuters reports that the US will have development rights to build transportation links in the strategic Zangezur Corridor, a mountainous stretch of Armenian territory between Azerbaijan and its Nakhichevan exclave.
- Politico notes: “But whether this is just a photo opportunity or a lasting end to a conflict that has undermined stability in a region dominated by Russia and Iran will depend on whether the US can address several key challenges.”
FED: Balance Sheet Runoff Continues At Steady $20B/Month Pace (2/2)
Fed asset holdings were little changed in the past week. SOMA runoff totaled $2.8B (composed of $4.2B less nominal Tsy holdings and $1.4B more TIPS), with emergency lending/liquidity facilities $0.7B lower.
- Over the last 4 weeks, the $20B/monthly expected QT pace was roughly adhered to: MBS fell $18B, with Treasury net holdings down around $2B (a fall in TIPS holdings offsetting a slight rise in nominals).
- Discount window usage accounted for the fall in lending facility usage this week; takeup is now down to $4.9B, down $1.3B in the last month and down from the 1-year high of $6.4B set in July which looks to have been a temporary blip higher.
