STIR: Senior FOMC Officials In The Spotlight
Apr-22 10:37
- Fed Funds implied rates sit within yesterday’s Easter Monday holiday-thinned ranges as markets assess the latest of US President Trump’s attempts at pressuring the Fed to cut interest rates.
- Cumulative cuts from 4.33% effective: 3.5bp May, 18.5bp Jun, 41bp Jul, 60bp Sep and 91bp Dec.
- Yesterday’s timely MNI policy team exclusive with Lev Menand looked at options away from just Fed Chair Powell’s role (see Fed Independence Facing Imminent Risk – Menand, published 1613ET).
- That sees today’s various scheduled Fedspeakers in particular focus in an another quiet data docket, with messages either of continued caution against cutting rates too soon or a more dovish tone both of note. We imagine permanent voters Jefferson and Kugler will be watched most closely, although Kugler is late on.
- 0900ET – Vice Chair Jefferson (permanent voter) on economic mobility and the dual mandate (text only). He said Apr 3 that there was no need to hurry to adjust rates and that is was crucial to assess the full effect of Trump administration changes. That said, he noted growth was solid but saw signs of slowing and that persistent uncertainty may constrain the economy.
- 0930ET – Harker (retiring June) on economic mobility and regional economies (fireside chat)
- 1340ET – Kashkari (’26 voter) at Chamber of Commerce Global Summit (Q&A only)
- 1430ET – Barkin (non-voter) fireside chat at innovation summit (Q&A only)
- 1800ET – Gov. Kugler (permanent voter) on monetary policy transmission (text + Q&A). She said Apr 7 that inflation was now the more pressing issue with regards to tariffs and that the Fed needs to make sure it doesn’t rise. She warned the tariff impact should be consequential.
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US TSYS: Available "Extraordinary Measures" Pick Up Slightly From Lows
Mar-21 21:00
Treasury has $163B of "extraordinary measures" remaining for authorities to use to fend off hitting the debt limit as of March 19, per the latest release of Treasury data. That's up from $86B on Mar 17 and a low of $34B on Feb 24.
- That's a little under half of the $377B in measures available to Treasury, with most of the amount remaining ($143B) coming from the so-called "G Fund".
- This headroom is in addition to $416B in cash left in the TGA, at last count.
- We haven't seen any changes recently to "x-dates" by when Treasury will run out of cash until the debt limit is lifted.
- Consensus still centers around late July/early August, but much will depend on April's major mid-month tax take. Treasury wrote to Congress last week that they would be able to provide an update on the x-date in the first half of May, after the conclusion of tax season.
USDCAD TECHS: Short-Term Outlook Remains Bullish
Mar-21 21:00
- RES 4: 1.4793 High Feb 3 and key resistance
- RES 3: 1.4700 Round number resistance
- RES 2: 1.4641 76.4% retracement of the Feb 3 - 14 bear leg
- RES 1: 1.4452/4543 High Mar 13 / 4 and a bull trigger
- PRICE: 1.4345 @ 16:27 GMT Mar 21
- SUP 1: 1.4242 Low Mar 6 and a key near-term support
- SUP 2: 1.4151/4107 Low Feb 14 / 50.0% of Sep 25 - Feb 3 bull run
- SUP 3: 1.4011 Low Dec 5 ‘24
- SUP 4: 1.3944 61.8% retracement of the Sep 25 ‘24 - Feb 3 bull cycle
USDCAD is trading closer to its recent lows. The bull cycle that started Feb 14 remains intact and moving average studies remain in a bull-mode position, highlighting a dominant uptrend. Note that the latest pullback has exposed a near-term key support at 1.4242, the Mar 6 low. Clearance of this level would undermine the bull theme and instead highlight potential for a test of 1.4151, the Feb 14 low and a bear trigger. The bull trigger is 1.4543, the Mar 4 high.
US DATA: Current Account Deficit Set To Widen Further In Early 2025
Mar-21 20:37
The Q4 current account deficit reported this week was much smaller than expected at $303.9B ($330B consensus), unexpectedly narrowing from $310.3B in Q3.
- This came despite a widening of the net trade deficit to $250B (widest since Q2 2022), from $236B prior as the goods deficit jumped $17B on the quarter to $326B.
- Offsetting this however were a pickup in primary income (positive $2.3B, after two consecutive negative quarters) as reinvested earnings soared $38B to $42B, the highest in 4 quarters (which appears to account for most of the consensus miss, though offset by a $20B pullback in dividends/withdrawals). There was also a $3B increase in the services surplus and a $4B decline in the secondary income deficit.
- The Q4 current account shortfall came to 4.1% of GDP, slightly smaller than Q3's 4.2% - but still above the sub-4% levels for the preceding 8 quarters.
- Obviously trade is a sensitive topic in policy circles at present, and bump in the primary income account (which looks like a one-off) doesn't obscure the very large sustained trade deficit which looks to have expanded substantially in Q1 even if that's on the back of idiosyncratic factors such as gold imports/tariff front-running.
- January's goods and services trade deficit was $131.4B, representing a material jump from December's $98.1B and by far the largest monthly print in history. Next week we get February advance goods trade data - more in a separate note ("US OUTLOOK/OPINION: Macro Week Ahead: PCE Plus A Rare Flagging Of Trade Data").
