RUSSIA: Putin Defends Tight Monetary Policy, EU Weighs New Sanctions on Russia
- The EU is exploring new sanctions on about half a dozen Russian banks and energy companies as part of its latest round of measures to pressure President Vladimir Putin to end the war against Ukraine, Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter. The package would be the bloc’s 19th and could also see the EU target Russia’s payment and credit card systems, crypto exchanges as well as further restrictions on the country’s oil trade.
- Vedomosti report that President Vladimir Putin defended the CBR's tight monetary policy at the Eastern Economic Forum on Friday and said authorities will manage to maintain the necessary economic growth rates and curb inflation. He also said the growing budget deficit, which reached RUB 6.2trln as of August 28, is nothing to worry about given Russia's low government debt. “Experts” cited by the newspaper believe the government might increase domestic bond issues to finance the deficit after interest rates drop.
- The largest projects to mine rare earth metals planned under Russia's federal project to develop this sector will eliminate the country's dependence on imports for the most scarce metals by 2030, the Industry Ministry said in a presentation cited by local press. Production of such metals is expected to more than triple to RUB 100bln by 2030 from RUB 29bln in 2024.
- Later today, President Putin participates in an online meeting of BRICS leaders. Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry may report August budget balance data. August CPI data is due on Wednesday ahead of the CBR meeting on Friday. The median estimate as per an analyst survey looks for a 200bp key rate cut to 16%.
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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.
