• The Turkish lira was one of the more volatile currencies in 2017.
• High inflation, a central bank apparently hobbled by political resistance to higher rates and persistent political jitters were key factors which made the currency vulnerable.
• In this post we take a closer look at the balance of payments to ascertain whether risks have increased over the last year.
• The euro has been very strong this year (appreciating over 10% YtD against the dollar)
• Fair value (measured using PPP) is 1.33, suggesting the EURUSD pair is still around 15% undervalued
• In this blog post we use a FEER (Fundamental Equilibrium Exchange Rate) framework to investigate what level exchange rate is consistent with a sustainable balance of payments. Our results are broadly consistent with PPP valuations, and suggest that there is a risk of further euro appreciation to come
On 6th April, the Czech National Bank (CNB) announced an end to their currency floor
The market reaction was muted by comparison to that in the response to the collapse of the EURCHF floor in 2015
We analyse the differences in economic fundamentals and central bank policy which allowed this much smoother exit from a currency floor.
• Strategies for earning sustainable return in currency are more nuanced than in equities or bonds due to the absence of a “long-only” beta
• We argue that there are, however, strategies to target sustainable returns in the currency space
• This blog post describes growth, carry, momentum and value as potential sources of return in currency
• 11th January saw data on Turkey’s November current account released
• The drop off in the trade balance can be largely explained by FX effects and continued decline in Tourism revenues
• A careful analysis suggests that in the detail might be some much-needed good news for Turkey
Sterling’s deprecation since June this year has been dramatic and many commentators have welcomed this as a way to rebalance the economy via an improving trade balance. However, this may not be the first and foremost mechanism presently at work : instead, we argue that the income balance is perhaps more important and the key adjustment mechanism in a world where trade responsiveness to currency changes is less than in the past.
Following the attempted coup in Turkey on 15th July, we examine afresh the pressure points in the Turkish economy, and note three themes investors will be watching with interest.
Did safe haven flows drive an ever appreciating Swiss Franc in the run up to January 2015?
The data reveal that, on the contrary, a general lack of Swiss outflows and repatriation of foreign bonds bought by Swiss domestic investors, can explain much of the pressure on the Franc to appreciate.
Ultimately domestic investors created an insurmountable problem for the Swiss National Bank (SNB) in the run up to the removal of the peg.
• A combination of lower oil prices and the weak Yen have both helped restore the trade balance to health but a naïve scenario analysis suggests the trade balance is still subject to uncertainty from energy price and exchange rate dynamics.
• Worries may eventually shift from energy issues to saving rates – a shift in corporate saving behaviour, which has in the past shielded Japan’s external balance from declining household saving rates could have repercussions for the current account.
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