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It seems that everyone is willing to offer up a comprehensive list of reason to be sceptical about global equity markets: tumbling macro fundamentals; central banks policy will be an ineffective and or heightened political risk. Be that as it may, equity markets continue to defy the sceptics as after each trade headline triggers a chaotic few hours of risk meltdown, investors come back for more.
Sure, I know we’re supposed to be on razor’s edge blah blah blah, and trading conditions are supposedly treacherous? Not really as the mean reversion trades are very well defined
Sure, the markets are always a negative trade headline away from a risk mini-meltdown, but the fact remains traders are more than happy to bargain hunt even after last weeks “Frantic Friday” as they become more desensitised to trade war headlines risk. Trade war escalation has gone well beyond not only investors worst nightmares but policymakers’ wildest expectations and screams out for a coordinated and all-embracing policy response in coming months.
Sure, markets are digging in for the long haul, but that doesn’t mean investors want to sell off equity positions as liquidity trade remains alive and well.
Oil markets
Crude stocks fell 10.0Mb, bullish vs consensus for a 2.1Mb draw and the 5-year average of -2.6Mb, and roughly in line with the 11.1Mb draw reported by the API yesterday. Declining imports and rising exports drove the draw and bullishly confirming that OPEC supply cuts are effectively working by depleting U.S. reserves.
The Drawdown comes at a very critical time for markets alleviating the fear of oversupplied conditions when gasoline demand typically wanes in September as peak US driving season ends.
However, the Oil rally gave way to demand and trade war concerns as oil traders remain less inclined to run too far ahead of the economic realities trade war has inflicted on the global economy. Moreover, they are certainly not in an overbullish frame of mind while the prospect of more U.S. tariffs is hanging over the markets head.
While the east-west trade war frictions grab most of the international headlines, the regions north and south escalation involving Korea and Japan could impair oil demand as their tit for tat political spat compounds the already export ruinous effect the US-Sino focus is having on both export juggernauts.
Risk-off remains in fashion as trade disputes continue to flare. Post DOE sell-off is typical price behaviour during trade war escalation when oil prices rally at the early part of the week when U.S. government data supports only to give ground to trade war and demand fear the rest of the week. Still, the DOE weekly draw is enormous, so in the absence of trade war escalating Trump tweets, I think even the bears should be more inclined to cool their jets a bit this week.