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Gavekal Research
Anatole Kaletsky
Dec 11th 2018
The Brexit Game Of Chicken
The Brexit roller coaster seemed to come off the rails on Monday with Theresa May’s effort to prevent parliament voting on what looked like her doomed plan to leave the European Union. May’s decision, which had been denied by her most trusted senior ministers right up to the moment it was leaked to the BBC, initially looked like a typical case of the can being kicked down the road. Yet by the time she had finished her parliamentary statement,...
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Gavekal Research
Tom Miller, Udith Sikand
Dec 11th 2018
A Careless Loss Of Indian Central Bankers
To lose one central bank governor may be regarded as a misfortune. To lose a second one, as India did yesterday, looks like carelessness bordering on recklessness. Urjit Patel’s resignation, after resisting months of pressure from the ruling BJP to ease credit conditions and hand over some of its cash reserves, is another black mark against the government.
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Gavekal Research
Tan Kai Xian, Will Denyer
Dec 10th 2018
Opportunities Beyond The Death Cross
November’s payroll report gave investors in US equities reason to cheer on Friday as it suggested reduced inflationary pressure, yet they chose to focus on an escalating row over the fate of a top Chinese telecom executive that is intensifying trade tensions with China. A -2.3% fall in the S&P 500 had the technically-inclined scrambling to glean meaning from a “death cross” as the 50-day moving average fell below the 200-day level. We remain...
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Gavekal Dragonomics
Rosealea Yao
Dec 10th 2018
Steel Prices Have Overshot
Chinese steel prices suffered their biggest decline in two years in November, falling about 20% over the course of the month. That correction was driven by a combination of a big increase in supply along with worries about future demand. In this piece, Rosealea argues that both problems will be short-lived, and that steel prices can rebound.
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Gavekal Research
Tom Holland
Dec 07th 2018
What Huawei To Go
The arrest last Saturday in Vancouver airport of the CFO of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei at the request of US prosecutors will have major consequences for investors beyond the short term market volatility it contributed to this week. Reaching a permanent US-China agreement is now much more complicated, and the arrest shows the US can use more than tariffs against China.
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Gavekal Research
Louis Gave
Dec 06th 2018
Strategy Monthly: Three Questions For The Year Ahead
This has been a miserable year across most asset classes, with markets roiled by tighter US dollar liquidity. Looking into 2019, Louis sees the investment environment being dictated by whether the US dollar liquidity situation really is easing, the overall US policy and the possibility for the “Chimerica” relationship to rupture.
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Gavekal Research
Louis Gave
Dec 06th 2018
The Evolving Trade War
There is little doubt that the US president is surrounded by advisers who see China as a genuine threat to the long term economic health and geopolitical strength of the United States. But, it is likely that Donald Trump’s most immediate concerns are more down to earth. Specifically, in order to be re-elected in 2020, Trump needs once again to carry states such as Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin. And it is unlikely that he will be able to win the...
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Gavekal Research
Charles Gave
Dec 05th 2018
The Real Gilets Jaunes
France’s yellow vest protest movement may have been the first since 1789 not to stem from left-wing origins, argues Charles. Instead, it reflected a great uprising by the forgotten people of middle France who have had enough of being the piggy bank that funds the lives of an urban elite which has rigged the system to its favor.
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Gavekal Research
Cedric Gemehl
Dec 05th 2018
Macron’s Reform Program Lives On
At first sight, the French government’s decision to postpone its proposed fuel tax increases in the face of popular gilet jaune street protests looks a lot like the climb-downs of 1996, 2006 and 2016, all of which saw attempts at economic reform derailed by mass opposition. Cedric argues such a conclusion would be overly hasty.
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Gavekal Research
Thomas Gatley
Dec 05th 2018
Trade, Earnings And The Chinese Equity Market
Yesterday’s plunge in US equities was partly attributed to fears that the trade war with China is far from settled. A similar mood is taking hold in China: news of the trade truce spurred a rally in Chinese equities on Monday, but gains softened on Tuesday. However, other factors are also weighing on investors in the Shanghai and Shenzhen markets.
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Gavekal Dragonomics
Lance Noble
Dec 04th 2018
Paying For Industrial Policy
China’s ambitious goals to lead in the technologies of the future are backed by huge resources. Since late 2014, there has been an explosion in state-backed funds targeting high technology. Our latest in-depth DeepChina report digs into these government guidance funds to find out how they work, and how successful they will be.
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Gavekal Research
Will Denyer
Dec 04th 2018
Don’t Sweat About The Yield Curve
At least as interesting as the 1.1% rise in US equities on Monday, following the weekend’s news of a three-month US-China tariff truce, was the day’s decline in long-dated US treasury yields and the concomitant flattening of the US yield curve. But was this bond market action good news or bad for investors?
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Gavekal Research
Louis Gave
Dec 03rd 2018
The Next Target Of Trump’s Firepower
In today’s Daily, Arthur Kroeber offered his analysis of the weekend’s Trump-Xi summit in Buenos Aires. In this short report, Louis takes a slightly different tack, reviewing the series of tumultuous events in recent weeks. His conclusion is that few investors’ portfolios are well positioned for the probable outcome.
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Gavekal Research
Arthur Kroeber
Dec 03rd 2018
The Durability Of The Trump-Xi Rally
The Trump-Xi showdown at the G-20 has produced a truce, and Asian equity markets rallied in response. But Arthur is skeptical of the durability of the rally, as the structural nature of the US-China rivalry was not addressed by the deal, and hardliners in Washington are likely to keep ratcheting up the pressure on Beijing.
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Gavekal Research
Nick Andrews
Nov 30th 2018
Winter For Eurozone Credit Growth
A depressing autumn is turning into a dismal winter in the eurozone, as November’s deteriorating PMIs follow weak third quarter growth—and even a quarter-on-quarter contraction in Germany. Much of the softness can be attributed to poor external demand, especially from China and the emerging markets, and to the ongoing disruption to car sales caused by the introduction of new emissions tests. Together these have hammered European manufacturing,...
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Gavekal Research
Will Denyer, Tan Kai Xian
Nov 29th 2018
Christmas Comes Early
The most cherished gifts often come in small packets, and investors duly cheered just two small words yesterday by the Federal Reserve chairman. In a speech, Jerome Powell said policy rates were “just below” the neutral level. That was a big change from a month earlier when he said they were “a long way from” the not-too-hot-not-too-cold level. This suggests that the pace of interest rate hikes may lessen, while on the same day data was released...
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Gavekal Dragonomics
Yanmei Xie
Nov 29th 2018
Germany Is Rethinking But Not Rejecting China
As the US-China trade conflict drags on, both sides are looking to Europe, particularly Germany, for support. Germany does share US concerns about China’s protectionism and expansionism. But it still sees China as an economic boon and is committed to engagement. Berlin is therefore unlikely to fully take the side of either Beijing or Washington.
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Gavekal Research
Udith Sikand, Tom Miller
Nov 28th 2018
India Macro Update: Post-Rout Uncertainty
India is beset with economic problems that range from a deepening credit crunch, a worrying stand-off between the government and central bank and a capital spending cycle that has never really gotten going. Yet despite these challenges, the economy keeps chugging along and should hit 7.5% growth in the current fiscal year. In this quarterly macro update, Udith and Tom consider the outlook in light of political uncertainty ahead of next year’s...
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Gavekal Research
Tan Kai Xian
Nov 28th 2018
What If Oil Stays At US$50?
Since early October, oil prices have plunged more than -30%, while the US equity benchmark is down -8%. You don’t have to be Inspector Clouseau to wonder if these moves are related. Since this oil sell-off has unfolded at a time when US economic growth is slowing, my bet is for a negative short-term effect, but a medium term outlook that is fairly cheery.
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Gavekal Research
Udith Sikand
Nov 27th 2018
EMs Need More Than A Bear Hug
Having fallen -25% since late January, emerging market equities have been this year’s train crash of an investment. The good news is that EM equity valuations are at multi-year lows in both absolute and relative terms, begging the question: what could catalyze a rebound in oversold EM assets?
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