US: MNI POLITICAL RISK - US Daily Brief

Feb-06 13:31
  • Sino-US relations have been plunged back into the deep freeze after the US military shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon which had traversed US airspace for seven days.
  • The Chinese spy balloon incident is likely to a cast a pall over tomorrow’s State of the Union speech where President Biden intended to tout a resilient economy, call for tighter gun regulation, and contrast his administration’s achievements with a chaotic Republican party.
  • The Democratic National Committee has voted to approve President Biden’s plan to replace traditional first primary states Iowa and New Hampshire with the more diverse South Carolina.
  • Freshman House Rep George Santos (R-NY) has lost confidence of voters in his Long Island congressional district.
  • The US will provide longer-range Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bombs to Ukraine for the first time.
  • The EU and the G7 have agreed on a revised price cap for Russian seaborne crude oil and a new cap on refined oil products.
  • The US and European Governments have released a joint statement warning that Iran continues to enrich uranium to levels consistent with the development of nuclear weapons.
  • Poll of the Day: Only 22% of voters want President Biden to seek a second term in 2024.

Historical bullets

USDCAD TECHS: CAD Rips on Jobs Data

Jan-06 21:00
  • RES 4: 1.3855 High Oct 21 - Nov 16 bear leg
  • RES 3: 1.3808 High Nov 3 and a key resistance
  • RES 2: 1.3751 High Nov 4
  • RES 1: 1.3680/3705 High Jan 3 / Dec 16 and the bull trigger
  • PRICE: 1.3470 @ 16:15 GMT Jan 6
  • SUP 1: 1.3467 Low Jan 6
  • SUP 2: 1.3385 Low Dec 5 and a key near-term support
  • SUP 3: 1.3317/3226 Low Nov 24/25 / Low Nov 15 and bear trigger
  • SUP 4: 1.3205 61.8% retracement of the Aug 11 - Oct 13 rally

USDCAD finished the week on a distinctly bearish note, with solid Canadian jobs data prompting a broad wave of CAD strength. This put prices below the week’s 1.3470 low and within range of key support at the 1.3385 level - the Dec 5 low. Further weakness will be needed, however, before the bullish trend condition fades and the bear trigger at 1.3226 can be considered. Last month's break of trendline resistance, drawn from the Oct 13 high, strengthened the bullish case and this has opened 1.3751, the Nov 4 high.

AUDUSD TECHS: Remains Above The 50-Day EMA

Jan-06 20:30
  • RES 4: 0.6976 2.00 proj of the Oct 13 - 27 - Nov 3 price swing
  • RES 3: 0.6956 High Aug 30
  • RES 2: 0.6909 76.4% retracement of the Aug 11 - Oct 13 downleg
  • RES 1: 0.6886/6893 High Jan 4 / High Dec 13 and the bull trigger
  • PRICE: 0.6847 @ 16:12 GMT Jan 6
  • SUP 1: 0.6699/29 50-day EMA / Low Dec 20 and key S/T support.
  • SUP 2: 0.6585 Low Nov 21 and a key short-term support
  • SUP 3: 0.6531 50.0% retracement of the Oct 13 - Dec 13 climb
  • SUP 4: 0.6500 Round number support

AUDUSD finished the week close to the best levels, bouncing off support after a spell of weakness Tuesday. This keeps a bullish theme in place and the recovery Wednesday supports the view that moves lower should be considered corrective. Support at the 50-day EMA - at 0.6699 - remains intact for now. A clear break of this EMA is required to suggest scope for a deeper pullback and 0.6629, the Dec 20 low, is seen as a key short-term bear trigger. A resumption of gains would refocus attention on 0.6893, the Dec 13 high and bull trigger.

US TSYS: Yields Tumble With Average Earnings, ISM Services Misses

Jan-06 20:12
  • Cash Tsys have swung from modest cheapening through 2-10Y tenors at the start of the US session to a substantial rally. The latter sees front end to belly yields currently down 21-22.5bps after notably weaker than expected average hourly earnings growth (offset somewhat by a new recent low for the u/e rate) before a significant miss for ISM Services as new orders cratered.
  • US CPI on Jan 12 will most likely still be pivotal but for now, the market leans more heavily towards a 25bp hike from the FOMC on Feb 1 with 32bp priced vs 36-37bp prior to the data and the implied terminal cut 10bps to 4.95% for June (cumulative 62bps of hikes).
  • Further along the curve, still significant rallies of 15bp for the 10Y (led by lower real yields, in turn pushing risk assets materially higher) have limited the steepening in 2s10s to just +5.5bps at -68bps, within yesterday's range. .
  • TYH3 climbs to session highs of 114-09+ (+1-09) on very high volumes currently at 1.85M. It's easily through resistance at 113-15+ (Dec 23 high) to next eye 114-17 (76.4% retrace of Dec 13 – 30 bear leg).
  • Looking to next week, Powell talking twice on Tue (Jan 10) at the Riksbank event will be firmly in focus, all with an eye on CPI on Thu (Jan 12).