PRECIOUS METALS: Silver Continues Outperformance, US ISM Later

Dec-01 03:56

Continuing Friday’s pattern, silver is outperforming gold in Monday’s APAC session. Silver benefits from high physical demand and the market is currently tight. Prices are up 1.3% to $57.22/oz after an intraday high of $57.864, a new record, and 5.8% rise on Friday. In comparison, gold is flat today at $4238.7/oz reaching $4256.48 earlier and rising 2.0% on Friday. Both metals have found support from increased Fed rate cut pricing which is now at 23pp for the 10 December decision. Yields and the US dollar are little changed today. 

  • Silver moved above the bull trigger at $54.480 and three other resistance levels including $56.153, a Fibonacci projection, confirming a resumption of the primary uptrend.
  • Bloomberg reported that silver inventories in the Shanghai Futures Exchange have fallen to their lowest in almost 10 years.
  • However, Pepperstone Group believes that silver is being driven by “speculative flows” which given the substantially lower volumes than gold is creating the recent large price moves.
  • Equities are mixed with the S&P e-mini down 0.7% and Nikkei -1.8% but Hang Seng is up 0.8% and SE Thai +0.8%. Oil prices are higher with WTI +1.6% to $59.50/bbl. Copper is up 1.5%.
  • Later US November manufacturing ISM/PMI, UK October lending and European November manufacturing PMIs are released. 

Historical bullets

AUSSIE 10-YEAR TECHS: (Z5) Returns Lower

Oct-31 23:15
  • RES 3: 95.982 - 76.4% retracement Sep’24 - Nov’24 downleg
  • RES 2: 95.960 - High Apr 7 (cont.)
  • RES 1: 95.900 - High Oct 17
  • PRICE: 95.670 @ 16:16 GMT Oct 31
  • SUP 1: 95.510 - Low Sep 3  
  • SUP 2: 95.415/95.300 - Low May 15 / Low Jan 14 
  • SUP 3: 95.275 - Low Nov 14  (cont) and a key support

Aussie 10-yr futures slipped lower Wednesday on the back of hotter-than-expected Australian inflation. This returned prices lower despite nascent signs of a technical recovery as recently as last week. The sustainability of the pullback will be dependent on prices holding above key short-term support at 95.510, the Sep 3 low. Near-term resistance remains 95.780, the Sep 12 high. A clear break of this level signals scope for a continuation higher and opens 95.960, the 76.4% retracement level for the Sep’24 - Nov’24 downleg. 

AUSSIE 3-YEAR TECHS: (Z5) Struck by Strong CPI

Oct-31 22:45
  • RES 3: 97.796 - 1.618 proj of the Sep 3 - 12 - 15 price swing
  • RES 2: 96.780 - High Jun 26 (cont)
  • RES 1: 96.700 - High Sep 12
  • PRICE: 96.375 @ 16:13 GMT Oct 31
  • SUP 1: 96.280 - Low May 15 (cont.)
  • SUP 2: 95.900 - Low Jan 14 (cont.)
  • SUP 3: 95.760 - Low 14 Nov ‘24

Having bounced well on the back of the mild US CPI print, Aussie 3-yr futures reversed course Wednesday on strong domestic inflation data containing RBA cut pricing through 2026. This keeps prices well below prior resistance at 96.615, the Sep 12 high, and refocuses attention on 96.280 as the next major support.

FED: Gov Waller: Still Advocating For A December Rate Cut

Oct-31 21:05

Gov Waller, one of the FOMC's more prominent doves, makes clear in an appearance on Fox Business that he supports a follow-up rate cut in December. He makes reference to Chair Powell's press conference comment that the Fed could skip a cut at the December meeting due in part to a lack of official government data during the federal shutdown (Powell: “what do you do if you are driving in the fog? You slow down").

  • Waller says today: "Right now, we know that the labor market has been weak... We know inflation is going to come back down. Inflation expectations are anchored, and in that world, the standard of central bank wisdom is to look through it and proceed with worrying about the labor market. So in my view, we should just look at what the data is telling us and proceed on policy that way.... So this is why I'm still advocating that we cut policy rates in December, because that's what all the data is telling me to do. The fog might tell you to slow down. It doesn't tell you to pull over to the side of the road. You still have to go. You may want to be careful, but it doesn't mean to stop, and ... the right thing to do with policy is to continue cutting."
  • This is of particular interest since he appeared to suggest he would have a more cautious outlook on further easing after cutting in October.