GLOBAL ECONOMICS AND POLITICS

Leo Haviland provides clients with original, provocative, cutting-edge fundamental supply/demand and technical research on major financial marketplaces and trends. He also offers independent consulting and risk management advice.

Haviland’s expertise is macro. He focuses on the intertwining of equity, debt, currency, and commodity arenas, including the political players, regulatory approaches, social factors, and rhetoric that affect them. In a changing and dynamic global economy, Haviland’s mission remains constant – to give timely, value-added marketplace insights and foresights.

Leo Haviland has three decades of experience in the Wall Street trading environment. He has worked for Goldman Sachs, Sempra Energy Trading, and other institutions. In his research and sales career in stock, interest rate, foreign exchange, and commodity battlefields, he has dealt with numerous and diverse financial institutions and individuals. Haviland is a graduate of the University of Chicago (Phi Beta Kappa) and the Cornell Law School.

 

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EMERGING MARKETS, COMMODITIES, BITCOIN, AND THE S+P 500: TRAVELS AND SIGNS © Leo Haviland December 3, 2019

The movie “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” (Sydney Pollack, director) depicts a Depression Era dance contest marathon with a noteworthy monetary prize for the winning couple left standing. The master of ceremonies declares: “And believe me, these wonderful kids [the “kids” are all adults] deserve your cheers, because each one of them is fighting down pain, exhaustion, weariness, struggling to keep going, battling to win. And isn’t that the American Way?”

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OVERVIEW AND CONCLUSION

Since around first quarter 2018, the price trends in emerging marketplace stocks “in general” and emerging marketplace sovereign debt securities in general have made important highs and lows at roughly the same time. Thus, for example, around year-end 2018, prices (not yields) for sovereign emerging marketplace bonds attained important lows (yields had been rising) alongside troughs in emerging marketplace stocks. United States high-yield corporate bonds have moved in a similar pattern over that time span. Key commodity sectors such as the petroleum complex and base metals likewise have established important highs (lows) around the same time as those in emerging marketplace equities and sovereign debt. The timing of these assorted shifts of course is not always exactly the same, only approximately so. 

Unlike emerging marketplace stocks, during calendar 2018 and calendar 2019, America’s S+P 500 has marched to new highs. Despite this price divergence, many key turns in the interim trends for the S+P 500 occurred “around” the same time as those in emerging marketplace stocks, as well as in emerging sovereign marketplace debt (in both dollar-denominated and local currency arenas), US high-yield corporate bonds, and commodities. 

As the S+P 500 was sinking lower in late 2018, the Federal Reserve Board lifeguard jumped to the rescue and unveiled its monetary “patience” doctrine. It cut the Federal Funds rate three times during calendar 2019. Central banking allies such as the European Central Bank enhanced or maintained existing easy money schemes. Beginning around end-year 2018, this accommodative monetary policy (encouraged by widespread negative yields in advanced nation government debt domains), inspired waves of “investors” (speculators, traders) to hunt, more avidly than ever, for sufficient (good, reasonable, acceptable) “yields” (“returns”) in other provinces. These districts around the globe included emerging marketplace securities, high-yielding corporate debt, and even commodities. 

The exciting cryptocurrency frontier, which includes stars such as Bitcoin, attracts interest from assorted financial pioneers and the economic media (and even central bankers at times). In the opinion of some observers, Bitcoin belongs to some variety of “asset” class. In any case, since “around” first quarter 2018, despite Bitcoin’s wild price adventures, critical turns in its price action have occurred around the same time as in emerging marketplace securities, high-yield US business debt, commodities (petroleum and base metals), and even the S+P 500. 

During 2019, the S+P 500 continued its heavenly climb. Nevertheless, at various points during calendar 2019, emerging marketplace securities, US corporate debt, commodities, and Bitcoin established interim highs and began to retreat. For example, note Brent/North Sea crude oil’s 4/25/19 summit at $75.60 (S+P 500 interim top 5/1/19 at 2954). Thus the run-up in these asset prices which commenced around end calendar 2018/early calendar 2019 probably is over. 

Significantly, emerging marketplace stock, emerging marketplace sovereign debt securities, high-yield US corporate debt, and petroleum and base metals (still “trading together”) renewed their price declines in September 2019. Take a look at Bitcoin too. Given that global economic (and political) spheres intertwine, this pattern signals a top in the S+P 500 and the probability that the S+P 500 (and other advanced nation stock battlefields) will decline alongside (converge with ongoing bearish price patterns in) emerging marketplace securities and related domains such as commodities. 

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The United States dollar, as measured by its broad real effective exchange rate, has remained sufficiently strong to be a factor tending to undermine prices in dollar-denominated emerging marketplace sovereign debt securities as well as dollar-denominated emerging marketplace corporate debt instruments. Rising dollar-denominated yields, especially as the United States dollar generally has remained strong in recent months, tends to push emerging marketplace equity prices lower. Related to this, prices also gradually have fallen since early September 2019 in the US Treasury 10 year note (low yield 1.43 percent on 9/3/19). Also, US corporate earnings have been relatively flat for calendar 2019 year-on-year, suggesting that the joyous tax “reform” enacted at end calendar 2017 is losing power and thus the capability to propel the S+P 500 even higher. Even if America and China agree on a partial trade deal in the near future, will trade conflicts involving them and others disappear? 

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Emerging Markets, Commodities, Bitcoin, and the S+P 500- Travels and Signs (12-3-19)

PETROLEUM: ROLLING AND TUMBLING © Leo Haviland June 10, 2019

“Well, I rolled and I tumbled, cried the whole night long
Well, I woke up this mornin’, didn’t know right from wrong”. Muddy Waters, “Rollin’ and Tumblin’”

OVERVIEW AND CONCLUSION

Of course the petroleum universe “as a whole” has, as do its various individual crude oil streams and assorted refined products, “its own” past, present, and potential future supply/demand/inventory situation. However, the petroleum circus, including so-called specific oil-related variables affecting it, is not a domain entirely separate from other economic and political phenomena. For example, marketplace history reveals that price levels and trends for the petroleum complex intertwine in diverse ways with benchmark global stock, interest rate, and currency arenas, and with other commodity fields such as base and precious metals. These relationships, including convergence/divergence (and lead/lag) ones between the oil marketplace in general and these other financial playgrounds, can and do change, sometimes significantly.

Marketplace history need not repeat itself, either entirely or even partly. Visionaries differ in their perspectives on and conclusions regarding petroleum and other marketplaces, frequently substantially.

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OPEC is an important actor within the oil theater, as are its current producer allies such as Russia. The United States, given its ravenous demand for petroleum plus its booming crude oil output in recent years, also is an important petroleum player. But these entertainers are not independent of other stages and performers.

In the timing and direction of its major price moves, the global petroleum complex does not necessarily or always travel alongside the S+P 500 and other benchmark stock indices. A survey of the critical price turning points since early 2016 for the oil and equity realms nevertheless displays the close connection between petroleum and stock trends.

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For related marketplace analysis, see essays such as: “Wall Street Talking, Yield Hunting, and Running for Cover” (5/14/19); “Economic Growth Fears: Stock and Interest Rate Adventures” (4/2/19); “American Economic Growth: Cycles, Yield Spreads, and Stocks” (3/4/19); “Facing a Wall: Emerging US Dollar Weakness” (1/15/19); “American Housing: a Marketplace Weathervane” (12/4/18); “Twists, Turns, and Turmoil: US and Other Government Note Trends” (11/12/18); “Japan: Financial Archery, Shooting Arrows” (10/5/18); “Stock Marketplace Maneuvers: Convergence and Divergence” (9/4/18); “China at a Crossroads: Economic and Political Danger Signs” (8/5/18); “Shakin’ All Over: Marketplace Convergence and Divergence” (6/18/18); “History on Stage: Marketplace Scenes” (8/9/17).

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Petroleum- Rollling and Tumbling (6-10-19)

US NATURAL GAS: HOME ON THE RANGE © Leo Haviland, April 15, 2017

The classic American song “Home on the Range” requests:
“Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam,
Where the deer and the antelope play,
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
And the skies are not cloudy all day.”

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CONCLUSION AND OVERVIEW

Did the major bull trend for NYMEX natural gas (nearest futures continuation) that started with 3/4/16’s dismal 1.611 depth finish with 12/28/16’s 3.994 top? Although it is a difficult call, assuming normal weather and moderate United States economic growth, it will be hard for the NYMEX front month price to exceed the high neighboring 4.00 by much (if at all) over the next few months. However, significant support rests around 2.50 (lows 8/12/16 at 2.523, 11/9/16 at 2.546, and 2/22/17 at 2.522; high 1/8/16 at 2.495).

The bull trends that began around first quarter 2012 (4/19/12’s 1.902) and during 1Q16 display many similarities, including their commencement following substantial oversupply conditions. Yet bearish signs exist in regard to the 2016 bull charge. The distance and duration travelled by 2016’s bull climb up to its December 2016 height, though less than average for major bull natural gas moves in NYMEX natural gas (nearest futures continuation), was within the historical range. Several previous major peaks in NYMEX natural gas occurred in calendar December. Current US natural gas inventories are above average. The CFTC’s net long commercial position is very high and consequently vulnerable to liquidation. And the 2012 rally showed an interim high in springtime (5/1/13 at 4.444).

As always, audiences should be cautious about linking natural gas price patterns with those in petroleum and other financial marketplaces. And apparent convergence/divergence (lead/lag) relationships between marketplaces can change, sometimes dramatically. However, these other playgrounds currently suggest that natural gas will struggle to advance above 12/28/16’s 3.994 anytime soon. See “The Oil Battlefield: Evolution, Relationships, and Prices” (4/10/17). Note also “Eurozone Under Siege: Currency Trends and Politics” (3/20/17), “Easing Comes, Easing Goes: US Government Interest Rates” (3/13/17), “Rhetoric and Global Currency Trends” (2/13/17), “Gold and Goldilocks: 2017 Marketplaces” (1/10/17), “Back to the Future: the Marketplace Time Machine” (12/13/16). Even the price gap from 3.568 (1/3/17) to 3.690 (12/30/16) represents a formidable near term roadblock.

However, what does looking further around the corner reveal? Everyone knows “much can happen” over the next six months and thereafter. Yet US natural gas days coverage at the end of inventory build season 2017 (October 2017) probably will be slightly bullish, with that (in the admittedly even cloudier distant horizon) at end build season 2018 more so. Thus an eventual retest of a ceiling around 4.00/4.10 is a reasonable conjecture. Looking ahead over the next several months, it probably will take a much colder than normal winter 2017-18 for the price to stay above 4.00/4.10 for long, and especially to spike above resistance at 4.45 to 4.55. Recall that winter 2013-14 required a freeze and resultant sharp stock draw to soar above the May 2013 and 12/23/13 (4.532) highs. Remember too the price collapse from 11/10/14’s 4.544.

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US Natural Gas- Home on the Range (4-15-17)