CoreMacro
BCA’s flagship global macro and investment strategy platform, helping investors anticipate regime shifts, connect signals across regions and asset classes, and navigate the world’s most difficult macro questions.
There has not been much of an improvement/recovery in the Chinese economy. Credit growth is weakening anew, which warrants a downbeat cyclical outlook for China's industrial sectors. Malaysia is heading into a classic credit/banking downturn. Go short Malaysian banks stocks and short the ringgit versus the U.S. dollar. In South Africa, take profits on the yield curve flattening trade. Continue shorting the rand versus the U.S. dollar.
The latest data releases confirm that the Chinese economy regained its footing. In the near term, growth figures should continue to surprise to the upside. Earnings preannouncements by Chinese listed firms show a significant acceleration in earnings in the second quarter from a year ago, while the market continues to expect sharp earnings contractions for Chinese companies.
Forecast is diverging from strategy for equities. Intermediate-term positives allow for a blowoff to the upside. But we do not expect the rally to have staying power over a 6-12 month horizon.
The perception that central banks have turned even more dovish has pushed down global bond yields, while also giving stocks a lift. Looking out, bond yields are likely to edge higher as investors begin to focus more on the outcome of easing measures: Higher inflation. As long as yields rise gingerly and in the context of firming economic growth, global equities will remain reasonably well supported. Equity investors should favor the euro area, Japan, and China.
Given that the seemingly unthinkable can actually happen, we reassess how financial markets price uncertainty, and whether the current pricing is correct.
The choppy bottoming process in the Chinese economy will likely continue in the coming quarters. Second quarter GDP numbers to be released later this week will likely indicate that the economic downtrend has halted. Our model is currently predicting a pickup in Chinese growth for the first time since 2013.
The breakout in the S&P 500 could boost flows to EM, and momentum could overwhelm fundamentals for several weeks. Nevertheless, U.S. interest rate expectations will rise and it, along with weak EM profits, will cap upside in EM risk assets. Take profits on our short EM stocks/long 30-year U.S. Treasurys position. Reduce short exposure to EM currencies by closing the currency trades where the long side is partially against the yen.
The blowout June nonfarm payrolls report reflects a tightening labor market, consistent with stronger ISM manufacturing and non-manufacturing readings. This will take time to impact Fed policy.
Please see attached our Third Quarter Strategy Outlook which discusses the major investment themes and views we see playing out for the rest of the year.