by Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA, and Thomas Wash

[Posted: 9:30 AM EDT] | PDF

Our Comment today opens with an update on the Russia-Ukraine war, where there are many questions regarding the “partial mobilization” announced by Russian President Putin last week.  We next review a wide range of other international and U.S. developments with the potential to affect the financial markets today, including rumors of a potential coup against Chinese President Xi and a steep drop in the value of the British pound after the tax cuts announced by the U.K. government last week.

Russia-Ukraine:  The latest battlefield reports indicate Ukraine continues to regain territory with its ongoing counteroffensives in the northeastern region around Kharkiv and in the southern region around Kherson.  However, the gains have now become more modest, and Russian forces have apparently managed to turn the Ukrainians back in some places.

• Meanwhile, protests against last week’s mobilization order continue to spread, with arson attacks against army recruitment offices now reported in at least 16 regions and protestor arrests topping 2,200. As military-age men continue to flee Russia, independent media outlets claim the Kremlin is also considering closing the country’s borders.
  • Various reports suggest the call-up is being applied much more broadly than indicated in the official announcement. For example, young men with no prior military experience have reportedly been rounded up, despite official assurances that the military would only be mobilizing reservists who had previously served in the military.
  • If the call-up is indeed much broader than advertised, it would likely generate even more pushback and further threaten President Putin politically. The Kremlin has therefore been blaming the call-up violations on over-zealous local officials.
• In another effort to find new troops, Russian military leaders in occupied areas of Ukraine are rounding up local Ukrainians and forcing them into military service against their own countrymen. As with the overly broad mobilization within Russia itself, the roundups in Ukraine are unlikely to result in new units with high morale or a dedication to the fight, even if they could be trained, equipped, and supplied quickly (which they almost certainly cannot).

United Kingdom:  Even though the government’s announcement of massive tax cuts last week pummeled the pound, Chancellor Kwarteng doubled down yesterday and said in an interview that there would be further cuts over the coming year.  With the tax cuts generating fears of out-of-control budget deficits and inflation that could further undermine the currency, investors are increasingly expecting the Bank of England to hold an emergency meeting to hike interest rates further.

• The decline in the currency continues today, with the pound sliding earlier this morning to an all-time record low of $1.0349, down some 10.9% so far this month and 23.3% year-to-date.
• In recent hours, the pound has rebounded somewhat, but it’s important to remember that Britain’s energy crisis, impending recession, and now the out-sized tax cuts are likely to continue putting downward pressure on the currency in the near term.

Germany:  As the German government desperately seeks new energy supplies to replace those shut off by Russia, it has struck a deal over the weekend for 137,000 cubic meters of liquified natural gas from the UAE to be delivered later this year.  The delivery will be the first at Germany’s new Brunsbüttel LNG import terminal, which is still being built.

• Under the deal, the UAE will send another five LNG cargoes to Germany in 2023.
• Despite the agreement, we suspect Germany will still find it difficult to meet all its energy needs over the next year or more, leading to continued high prices, economic disruption, and financial market turmoil.

Italy:  In parliamentary elections yesterday, a bloc of three right-wing parties including the neo-fascist Brothers of Italy, the League, and Forza Italia won a majority in parliament but apparently failed to win the two-thirds majority needed to push through constitutional changes.  The new government is expected to be led by Brothers of Italy leader Georgia Meloni, who would become Italy’s first female prime minister.

• Meloni has vowed to keep supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia, and to maintain Italy’s fiscal discipline in order to avoid a sell-off in the country’s bonds, although other members of her coalition will likely try to push her in the opposite direction.
• In any case, Italian stock prices and bond yields both rose modestly on the election news.

China-Coup Rumors:  Over the weekend, alternative media sources, primarily from India, were swirling with rumors of a coup against Chinese President Xi, possibly driven by Xi’s absence due to his quarantining after his trip to Uzbekistan last week.  However, mainstream media reporters said they have seen no signs of military activity or other coup signals in major Chinese cities.  With Xi preparing to take a precedent-breaking third term in office at the Communist Party’s 20^th National Congress next month, a coup in China would have major implications for global politics, economics, and financial markets.  We will continue to monitor the situation closely.

China-Currency Intervention:  Although the renminbi hasn’t depreciated nearly as steeply as the British pound, its recent weakness did prompt the People’s Bank of China to intervene today in the market by boosting reserve requirements for banks betting against the currency.  The onshore renminbi touched 7.1685 during early Asian trading hours today, hitting its lowest level since May 2020.

China-Hong Kong:  Beginning today, Hong Kong’s municipal government is ending its rule that visitors quarantine in a hotel for several days in order to stop imported COVID-19 infections.  The change marks a significant easing of one of the world’s toughest anti-pandemic regimes after more than 2½ years.

• The hotel quarantine and other anti-pandemic rules have alienated travelers, shut out tourists, and frustrated local residents, which in turn has diminished Hong Kong’s attractiveness as a world financial center. Even if the city government keeps easing its pandemic rules, it may take some time for Hong Kong to regain its past attractiveness.
• Although the government linked the eased rules to improvements in the city’s pandemic situation, the announcement came even as the municipal health authorities recorded 5,387 new coronavirus infections on Friday, including 156 imported ones, along with 12 more related fatalities. The easing of rules despite continued high infections could mean that the authorities are responding to domestic political pressure to get life back to normal.
• That could potentially be a harbinger for the mainland’s Zero-COVID policy, although we suspect any change there would be postponed until after the Communist Party’s 20^th National Congress in October.

China-United States-Solomon Islands:  In his address to the UN General Assembly on Friday, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Sogavare parroted many of China’s complaints about the behavior of the U.S. and its allies in the Indo-Pacific region, including what he called their “intimidation” after he recently signed a security pact with China.  Among other worrisome feathers, that deal gave the Chinese military the right to use Solomon Islands’ ports.

• Sogavare’s strident speech underscores how he has become a key political and military asset for Beijing in the region.
• In turn, China’s “win” in the Solomon Islands will likely exacerbate U.S.-China tensions even further.

United States-United Kingdom-Australia:  In a Friday statement marking the one-year anniversary of their AUKUS partnership, the Australian, British, and U.S. governments said that they have made “significant progress” toward Australia acquiring conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines.  The alliance aims to bolster Australia’s ability to defend itself and help its allies counter China’s growing military threat in the region.

• Other reports say that the Biden administration is negotiating with Australia to build its first few nuclear-powered attack submarines in the U.S.
  • That’s consistent with our view that the U.S. defense industry will initially be the main beneficiary as the world’s liberal democracies boost their defense spending in the face of greater threats from authoritarian countries like China and Russia.
  • Even though the U.S. defense industrial base has shrunk significantly since the end of the Cold War, the U.S.’s allies have let their defense industrial bases shrink even further. For the time being, at least, the U.S. industry has most of the key technology and production capacity needed to help the liberal democracies re-arm.
• The statement also said AUKUS has made “significant strides” in other areas besides submarines, including hypersonic weapons, cyber, electronic warfare capabilities, and additional undersea capabilities.

U.S. Residential Housing Market:  According to property data firm CoStar Group, asking rents at U.S. apartment complexes fell 0.1% in July, marking their first decline since December 2020.  Meanwhile, apartment-listing site Rent.com said asking rents for one-bedroom apartments fell 2.8% in the same month.  If the cooling economy and the recent apartment building spree drive rents down further, it could eventually help reduce inflation and allow the Federal Reserve to slow its interest-rate hikes.

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by Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA, and Thomas Wash

[Posted: 9:30 AM EDT] | PDF

Good morning and buckle up! Today’s Comment will focus exclusively on the central banks. We begin with a broad overview of the latest Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting followed by an assessment of the future path of policy hikes. Next, we cover the market reaction to the Fed’s rate decision and discuss implications for the global economy. Lastly, the report summarizes how central banks responded to the Federal Reserve’s rate announcement.

It Will Be Enough: The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate by 75 bps for the third meeting in a row and signaled that it has the tools necessary to corral inflation.

• In a press conference, Fed Chair Jerome Powell reaffirmed that his position is unchanged since giving his Jackson Hole speech three weeks ago. He reiterated the central bank’s will to keep interest rates in restrictive territory until it sees compelling evidence that inflation is coming down. Although his comments were mostly hawkish, Powell signaled the Fed could slow the pace of increases at some point.
• The Fed’s latest “dot plot” shows the implied year-end fed funds rate above 4.25%. Although Powell mentioned that no decision has been made on the size of the next hike, it is widely believed the Fed will raise rates 75 bps and 50 bps, respectively, at its next two meetings. The plot also shows that policymakers favor a mild hike of 50 bps for all of next year.

• • Although there were no dissenting votes in the Fed’s rate decision, the dot plot reveals that at least one Fed member on the committee was uncomfortable lifting the fed funds rate above 4.00%. We would guess the outlier was one of the new Fed governors, either Lisa Cook or Philip Jefferson. If that is the case, future hikes could face resistance, especially if the economy falls into recession.
• The Fed’s economic projection showed that the U.S. economy could expand by only 0.2% in 2022. This tepid growth forecast suggests that central bank officials are possibly factoring in a recession later this year. Although the Fed does forecast more robust growth in 2023 and 2024, the sharp increases in the policy rate imply that the central bank does not plan to reverse course if economic growth slows.

The Markets React: Equities whipsawed, major currencies tanked, and long-duration bond prices surged as investors weighed the impact of higher interest rates on financial assets.

• The central bank has been able to raise rates because the unemployment rate remains low, but policymakers will likely not be able to sustain this pace of hikes once the economy contracts. While Powell maintains the bank plans to keep rates high for as long as it takes to bring down inflation, the central bank could face political pressure as the economy weakens and labor markets soften. For example, hours after the rate announcement, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) slammed the Federal Reserve for its hawkish actions for not looking out for workers. Accordingly, the recent volatility is likely attributable to investors being unsure of whether the Fed will blink when confronted with poor economic data.
• The U.S. dollar rallied against its peers following the Fed’s decision to raise rates. The euro fell further below parity, and the British pound dipped to its lowest level since 1985. The greenback’s strength will exaggerate inflation in other countries as most commodities are priced in dollars. Additionally, the currency’s strength encourages capital outflows, especially from emerging markets, as investors look to move away from risk assets into safe-haven assets. As a result, non-U.S. central banks will be forced to raise rates if they want to prevent their currencies from weakening, thus increasing the likelihood that the global economy will fall into recession.
• The yield curve inversion deepened as recession fears led to a plunge in long-duration yields and a spike in short-end yields. Because financial institutions like to borrow in the short term and lend in the long term, an inverted yield curve can hurt bank profitability. Thus, financial institutions may be less inclined to issue loans to potential borrowers. As a result, the potential decline in lending activity will hinder investment spending and may be already negatively impacting the housing market.

• • The number of existing home sales plummeted as the Fed’s interest rate hikes pushed up mortgage rates to their highest level since 2008. In his speech, Powell mentioned that he expects the housing market to enter correction territory.

The World Strikes Back: Central banks are altering their monetary policy to prevent a stronger dollar from hurting their respective economies.

• The Bank of Japan intervened in the foreign exchange market for the first time since 1998. The move was aimed at protecting the yen from depreciation, while the central bank maintained its ultra-accommodative monetary policy. The intervention pushed the dollar down 2% to around 140.2 against the yen. However, the BOJ’s action will provide limited relief for the currency as traders will still attempt to offload their yen holdings until the central bank backs away from its loose monetary policy.
  • Despite the recent central bank’s action, BOJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda maintained there would be no change in the bank’s monetary policy.
• In contrast to the BOJ, the Bank of England lifted its benchmark rate by 50 bps to 2.25%, its seventh consecutive rate hike. The bank’s actions were relatively modest compared to the hikes of 75 bps from the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank. The BOE’s moves are likely related to confidence that the U.K. government’s plan to cap energy bills will also lower inflation. Following the hike, the pound briefly rallied above $1.13 before settling back to its 1985 lows. Although the BOE was the first major central bank to raise interest rates, we suspect it could be the first bank to pause its policy tightening as the country battles recession.
  • PM Liz Truss’s new administration has advocated for pro-growth policies as she looks to jump-start the British economy. Thus, if the bank tightens policy too much and the economy contracts, the bank will likely be blamed. This dynamic should push the British pound closer to dollar parity over the next few months.
• Several other central banks also tightened their policy to slow the rise in import prices. For example, the Swiss National Bank hiked interest rates by 75 bps, bringing the country out of negative territory for the first time since 2015. Meanwhile, the Philippines and Indonesia raised rates by 50 bps each, and Taiwan hiked interest rates by a modest 12.5 bps. Import goods, especially commodities, are primarily priced in dollars; thus, a surging greenback generally adds to inflationary pressures abroad. As a result, we suspect other central banks will continue to tighten policy until the Fed ends its hiking cycle.

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by Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA, and Thomas Wash

[Posted: 9:30 AM EDT] | PDF

Our Comment today opens with an update on the Russia-Ukraine war, in which Russia has announced a mobilization of its reserves and has made new threats to use nuclear weapons.  We next review a wide range of other international and U.S. developments with the potential to affect the financial markets today, including an overview of today’s interest-rate decision by the Federal Reserve.

Russia-Ukraine:  As Ukrainian forces continue to press their counteroffensives in their northeastern region around Kharkiv and in their southern region around Kherson, ethnic-Russian separatists in occupied areas yesterday announced they will hold referendums on annexing themselves to Russia.  The sham referendums are likely aimed at strengthening President Putin’s narrative that the war is all about “liberating” Ukraine and bringing the ethnic Russians there under Moscow’s protection.  After such a sop to Russian nationalism, Putin may hope to encourage more Russian men to volunteer for the war.  Indeed, in a speech defining the war as an existential struggle for Russia’s survival against what he described as a hostile West, Putin today announced a “partial mobilization” of Russia’s reserve forces.  Defense Minister Shoigu later said that the mobilization would eventually provide about 300,000 fresh troops for the armed forces, although he emphasized that the measure would not involve mass conscription.  Finally, in a further reflection of Russia’s continued manpower shortcomings, the Duma yesterday rushed into place a new law that dramatically increases penalties for desertion, refusing conscription orders, and insubordination. It also criminalizes voluntary surrender and makes surrender a crime punishable by ten years in prison.

• Russia’s mobilization of reserves is unlikely to have much impact on the war in the near term, since the country’s wartime losses to date have depleted many of the officers, weapons, and supplies needed to train and equip any new troops. The mobilization, coupled with a new Russian threat to use nuclear weapons, is probably mostly geared toward intimidating the West and showing Chinese President Xi, Putin’s key patron, that Russia can turn the war around.  Another reassuring sign is Shoigu’s assurance that there would be no mass conscription, which suggests the government still fears the political consequences of a true mass mobilization.
• As a reminder, government readouts from their summit last week suggest that Xi raised tough questions for Putin regarding the war. However, it’s unclear whether the message was that the Russians need to stop fighting with one hand tied behind their backs, or that they need to start winding down the war.
  • Putin’s mobilization and the new nuclear threat today could signal that the message was the former. In that case, Russia could now throw its full weight into the war and create much more risk for global geopolitics and the global economy.
  • However, since the Chinese readout didn’t mention Ukraine, and since Indian Prime Minister Modi explicitly questioned the wisdom of the war, it may be that Putin’s most important patrons and enablers are telling him to look for a way out. In that case, Putin’s latest move could merely be a last gasp before starting to search for an eventual wind-down of the war, perhaps by simply settling for a Russian annexation of Ukraine’s Luhansk, Donetsk, and other occupied regions.

European Union-China:  The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China issued a report saying EU companies are being forced to “reduce, localize, and silo” operations in China because of President Xi’s regulatory crackdowns on previously booming industries and his draconian Zero-COVID policies.

• The bleak report also warns that because of those and other problems, China is losing its attractiveness as an investment destination.
• The report is consistent with our view that the world is fracturing and regionalizing, with countries breaking up into relatively separate geopolitical and economic blocs. The result is likely to be less efficient production, higher costs, higher inflation, and lower profits.

European Union-United States:  In another example of how many key countries allied to the U.S. are coalescing into a U.S.-led bloc, companies in Europe that make steel, fertilizer, and other feedstocks of economic activity are shifting operations to the U.S., attracted by more stable energy prices and muscular government support.  The trend is likely positive for U.S. investment and employment going forward.

Germany:  The federal government announced it will nationalize the country’s largest electric utility Uniper (UNPRF, 4.27), after it was pushed to the brink of insolvency by Russia’s cutoff of energy supplies and soaring prices for natural gas.  The move is a fine example of how war and crises can lead to long-lasting increases in government power over the economy.

• The German government, which had already planned to take a 30% stake, will now completely buy out Uniper’s previous owner for €480 million.
• Berlin will also take on a €7.5 billion credit line from the previous owner.
• Finally, the government will recapitalize the struggling utility with €8 billion. That move comes on top of a €13 billion government credit line that the government already provided to Uniper earlier this year.

United Kingdom:  To help its businesses weather surging energy prices touched off by the war in Ukraine, yesterday the government said it will cut the wholesale price of energy for businesses and public organizations by more than half this winter.

• The move to subsidize business and government energy costs is the second half of Prime Minister Truss’s plan to get the U.K. through its expected energy crisis this winter.
• While helping to shield households and businesses from skyrocketing energy prices, the plan does little to produce new energy supplies. It is also expected to boost financial strains on the government into the future.  Rising interest rates are already boosting government interest payments and creating investor worries about the U.K.’s debt levels.

South Korea:  Even though the country’s currency is depreciating rapidly and is now at its lowest level against the dollar since 2009, the Bank of Korea has denied government suggestions that it will announce a currency swap arrangement with the Fed this week.  At 1,394.90 per dollar, the won is currently down 15.1% against the dollar so far this year, worse than any other major Asian currency except the Japanese yen.

Haiti:  In yet another sign of how high global prices for food, energy, and other commodities are feeding political unrest in developing countries, a government plan to cut fuel subsidies has sparked large protests throughout Haiti.  Demonstrators across the country are calling on Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign, saying he failed to address a spiraling economic and security crisis that has destabilized the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country.

U.S. Monetary Policy:  Today, Fed officials will wrap up their latest two-day policy meeting, with their interest-rate decision and updated economic projections due out at 2:00 pm ET.  Investors are broadly expecting that the officials will again hike their benchmark fed funds interest rate by an aggressive 75 bps.  We’ll also be watching with keen interest to see what their new economic and interest-rate forecasts say about the path of monetary policy going forward.

• As we mentioned yesterday, there has been some whispering among observers that the rate hike could be a full percentage point as the officials try to re-establish their inflation-fighting credibility amid continuing fast price hikes.
• Investors in late summer seemed too complacent about the Fed’s rate-hiking program. While many investors thought the policymakers would quickly pivot to steady or falling rates, we think there is a high chance they will keep hiking and spark a recession.  Indeed, market indicators suggest investors are currently coming around to that view, not just for the Fed, but also for other major central banks.  The prospect for unexpectedly high interest rates will likely continue to challenge stocks, bonds, commodities, and foreign currencies in the near term.

Hurricane Fiona:  After battering Puerto Rico earlier this week, Hurricane Fiona has now strengthened to a Category 4 storm and is moving north-northwest through the Caribbean Sea.  The hurricane is expected to slam into Bermuda later this week.

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by Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA, and Thomas Wash

[Posted: 9:30 AM EDT] | PDF

Our Comment today opens with an update on the Russia-Ukraine war, including a near miss yesterday when a Russian missile almost struck a Ukrainian nuclear power plant.  We next review a wide range of other international and U.S. developments with the potential to affect the financial markets today, including a preview of the Federal Reserve’s latest policymaking meeting which begins today.

Russia-Ukraine:  Ukrainian forces continue to consolidate and extend their gains in the northeastern region around Kharkiv and the southern area of operations near Kherson.  Although the gains have slowed since last week, Russian nationalist bloggers and influencers seem to be panicking to the point where they are urging the government to annex the ethnic-Russian provinces of Luhansk and Donetsk, despite the fact that Russian forces only control a portion of those two regions.

• Highlighting the risk that Ukraine’s nuclear power plants could be damaged in the fighting, a Russian missile yesterday struck just 300 meters from the Pivdennoukrainsk nuclear power plant in the Mykolayiv region. The explosion caused no damage to the reactors, but it could well have caused a disaster if it had scored a direct hit.
• Despite the recent Turkey-Russia-Ukraine deal easing exports of Ukrainian agricultural commodities, world food supplies remain tight. In fact, executives at major agriculture companies now say at least two more years of good harvests in North and South America are needed to ease the pressure.  Because of a wet spring followed by drought and intense heat in the Great Plains and Midwest, it now appears that the U.S. grain crop this year will be below last year’s, putting further upward pressure on prices.

European Union:  In what could be a major political development for Europe, EU affairs ministers from across the bloc are meeting today in Brussels to discuss ways to scrap or limit the unanimity rule for foreign affairs.  Under that rule, any one EU country has a veto over the bloc’s foreign affairs initiatives, such as Hungary’s recent veto of tighter sanctions on Russia.

• Officials from major countries such as Germany and France believe the move can be accomplished via current treaty provisions, which allow shifting from unanimity to “qualified voting” in certain circumstances.
• If that isn’t possible, the move would likely require a change in EU treaties, which would be highly unlikely in the near term.

 Sweden:  The Riksbank today hiked its benchmark short-term interest rate by a whopping 1.0%, marking its biggest rate rise in three decades and lifting the rate to 1.75%.  As with other major central banks, the Riksbank is belatedly fighting to get control over a surge in consumer prices.  Sweden’s August consumer price index was up 9.8% year-over-year.

Iran:  Anti-government riots have broken out across the country in response to the death of a young woman in police custody who had been arrested for not wearing a headscarf as prescribed by the country’s “morality police.”  The government is cracking down hard on the protests, but the situation reveals increased unhappiness with Iran’s religious leaders and potential political instability in one of the world’s key oil producers.

China-Ecuador:  Yesterday, the government of Ecuador said it had secured a deal in which China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China (Eximbank) will provide debt relief worth $1.4 billion and $1.8 billion, respectively. Consistent with China’s reluctance to write down any principal on its problem loans, the deals will extend the loans’ maturity, reduce interest rates, and slow amortization.

• The deal will allow Ecuador to keep up public spending in order to diffuse recent public protests over rising food and fuel prices.
• The deal also demonstrates how Ecuador has become a Chinese toehold in South America. Not only has it provided major financial assistance to Ecuador, which alone would boost its influence, but it is also negotiating a free-trade deal with the country that could be finalized as early as December.

Brazil:  Ahead of the first round of presidential elections on October 2, supporters of conservative President Bolsonaro have murdered at least two prominent supporters of leftist Former President Lula da Silva, the frontrunner.  The Lula campaign has also been hit with bombings and other political violence.  The incidents raise concerns about broader clashes as the election nears, or if President Bolsonaro refuses to accept the results of the election.  Naturally, such destabilization would be negative for Brazilian equities.

Mexico:  An earthquake registering at least 7.6 on the Richter scale hit the southwestern state of Michoacán yesterday, killing at least one person and damaging several buildings.  So far, the quake doesn’t appear to have caused any significant damage to the country’s economy or financial markets.

United States-United Kingdom:  In an interview on her way to the United Nations General Assembly, British Prime Minister Truss admitted that a U.S.-U.K. free trade deal is not in the cards anytime soon.  The admission belies Brexit supporters’ insistence that a major benefit of the U.K. leaving the EU would the opportunity to strike a major deal with the U.S.  Without such a deal, Brexit will leave the U.K. with a much more difficult trade relationship with the EU, adding to the U.K.’s economic problems and probably weighing on its financial markets.

U.S. Monetary Policy:  Today, Fed officials begin their latest two-day policy meeting, with their interest-rate decision and updated economic projections due out on Wednesday afternoon.  Investors are broadly expecting that the officials will again hike their benchmark fed funds interest rate by an aggressive 75 bps.

• However, there has been some whispering among observers that the rate hike could be a full percentage point as the officials try to re-establish their inflation-fighting credibility amid continuing fast price hikes.
• As we have been warning, investors in late summer seemed too complacent about the Fed’s rate-hiking program. While many investors thought the policymakers would quickly pivot to steady or falling rates, we think there is a high chance they will keep hiking and spark a recession.  Indeed, market indicators suggest investors are currently coming around to that view, not just for the Fed, but also for other major central banks (see chart below).  The prospect for unexpectedly high interest rates will likely continue to challenge stocks, bonds, commodities, and foreign currencies in the near term.

U.S. Labor Market:  Even though a major railroad strike was narrowly averted last week, workers emboldened by the tight labor market continue to make tough wage and benefit demands across industries.  It now appears that contract talks for 22,000 port workers on the West Coast have started to stall, raising the risk of a strike that would further impede international trade and snarl global supply chains.  Some isolated work stoppages have already occurred.

• The increase in labor action is likely boosting wage, salary, and benefit costs in a number of industries.

Those cost increases will probably exacerbate inflation, encourage the Fed to hike interest rates further, and weigh on corporate profits.  Any way you cut it, the increased labor activism is a threat to stock values going forward.

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by Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA, and Thomas Wash

[Posted: 9:30 AM EDT] | PDF

Our Comment today opens with an update on the Russia-Ukraine war, where the Ukrainians continue to make progress in their key counteroffensives.  We next review a wide range of other international and U.S. developments with the potential to affect the financial markets today, including a preview of this week’s Federal Reserve policy meeting and how it’s affecting the financial markets so far this morning.

Russia-Ukraine:  Ukrainian forces continue to press their counteroffensives both in the country’s northeast near the city of Kharkiv and in the south around the Russian-occupied city of Kherson.  The northeastern attacks have slowed somewhat as the Ukrainians focus on consolidating last week’s gains, although the Ukrainian military says it now controls the key eastern bank of the Oskil River.  The bulk of the Ukrainian effort now appears to be on the Kherson axis.  Meanwhile, Russian forces continue to cede ground and are struggling to establish new defensive lines, at least in part because they are mostly left with poorly trained, poorly motivated volunteers, and other irregular troops.  The Russians are progressively turning to rocket and missile attacks on Ukraine’s civilian energy and other infrastructure in an effort to break the Ukrainians’ will to fight.

• On the economic front, Russia’s effort to undermine the West’s will to support Ukraine by shutting off energy supplies is increasingly looking like it’s blowing back on Russia itself. The strategy will undoubtedly cause economic pain in Western Europe this winter but falling global prices and reduced exports have sharply curtailed the Russian government’s revenues.  As Western European countries quickly build infrastructure to import energy from the U.S. and elsewhere, Russia’s strategy will have even less impact on Western Europe while leading to ever-increasing budget deficits at home.
• Meanwhile, we continue to assess Russian President Putin’s meetings with Chinese President Xi and Indian Prime Minister Modi last week. The press read-outs from those meetings suggest China and India have stepped back from their support for Russia, whether it be tacit or otherwise.  A key question is whether Putin will respond by doubling down on his Ukrainian attacks in an effort to win the war quickly, or whether he will start looking for an excuse to start winding down the effort.
• Of course, another key consideration for Putin is that Russia’s recent failures in the war have prompted increased criticism of his government, and, by implication, himself.

Global Diplomacy:  Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral was held today in Westminster Abbey, with leaders from dozens of major countries in attendance.  With all those leaders rubbing shoulders, it would be no surprise if we see lots of market-impacting diplomatic news from the gathering.  Remarkably, many of those leaders will then head off to New York for this week’s opening of the United Nations General Assembly, so there will actually be several days of major diplomacy to wade through.

• One event we’re especially keen on is British Prime Minister Truss’s speech at the UN, in which she is expected to link domestic economic conditions to geopolitics and argue that the liberal democracies must reduce their dependence on commodities and other goods from authoritarian countries.
• That argument would dovetail with our belief that globalization is being replaced with regionalization, in which the world’s countries are fracturing into relatively separate geopolitical and economic blocs. As we’ve written before, this regionalization will probably lead to shorter supply chains, less efficient production, higher prices, and higher inflation going forward.

European Union:  Today, the European Commission proposed new legislation that would give it the power to force member states to stockpile key products and break contracts during a crisis such as the war in Ukraine or the coronavirus pandemic.

• The proposed law would give the Commission ample space to declare an emergency. It would then be able trigger a number of interventionist measures to ensure the availability of goods, for example, by facilitating the expansion or repurposing of production lines.
• The proposal is an example of how geopolitical frictions, war, and other crises often strengthen the state over the private sector.

European Union-Hungary:  The European Commission yesterday proposed freezing about €7.5 billion of EU “cohesion funds” earmarked for Hungary over corruption concerns, although it also opened the door for a compromise under which Hungary could get the cash if it addresses its corruption issues.  The move is the latest in the EU’s long-running battle with Hungary, which has chafed at many EU regulations and policies, including the EU’s support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.

Taiwan:  An earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale struck southeastern Taiwan and reverberated across the island yesterday, causing building damage, derailing a train, and triggering concerns of a tsunami.  As of this writing, however, there have been no reports of damage at the country’s globally-critical semiconductor production facilities.

United States-Taiwan-China:  In an interview yesterday, President Biden again said the U.S. would defend Taiwan “if in fact there was an unprecedented attack” on the island by China.  That marks at least the third time Biden has made the commitment, which suggests he has decided to deliberately shift the U.S. away from its previous “strategic ambiguity” policy toward the island.

• Under that policy, the U.S. left its commitment to the island unclear, both to discourage any Taiwanese independence moves and to deter China from getting too aggressive with the island.
• The administration’s decision to explicitly commit to a defense of Taiwan likely reflects concerns about China’s growing military strength and aggressiveness. The new U.S. commitment hasn’t been expressed formally, but it does suggest a tougher approach that will likely help keep U.S.-China tensions high and create more headwinds for Chinese stocks.

U.S. Monetary Policy:  Tomorrow, Fed officials begin their latest two-day policy meeting, with their decision due out on Wednesday afternoon.  Investors are broadly expecting that the officials will again hike their benchmark fed funds interest rate by an aggressive 75 bps.

• However, there has been some whispering among observers that the rate hike could be a full percentage point as the officials try to re-establish their inflation-fighting credibility amid continuing fast price hikes.
• As we have been warning, investors in late summer seemed too complacent about the Fed’s rate-hiking program. While many investors thought the policymakers would quickly pivot to steady or falling rates, we think there is a high chance they will over-shoot and spark a recession.  As more investors buy into our view, we are noting meaningful drops in the values of stocks, bonds, commodities, and foreign currencies so far today.

U.S. Petroleum Industry:  New reports indicate smaller private oil companies that helped boost the country’s oil output over the last couple of years have now begun to deplete their fracking opportunities and are starting to pull back from the market.  With publicly-traded companies still held under a tight leash by investors demanding capital discipline, that raises the prospect of further tightness in supply that could again give a boost to prices, and inflation, going forward.

• Separately, the continued rise in natural gas prices prompted by the war in Ukraine and supply shortages is pushing up electricity prices in the U.S.
• The rise in gas and electricity prices threatens to impose big costs on households as autumn turns to winter and heating demand rises.

Hurricane Fiona:  Over the weekend, Hurricane Fiona slammed into Puerto Rico, knocking out electricity for the entire island at times.  The island’s power company warned that fully restoring electricity service could take several days.

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by Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA, and Thomas Wash

[Posted: 9:30 AM EDT] | PDF

Good morning! Today’s Comment begins with an update on the conflict in Ukraine, which includes a discussion about China and Russia’s relationship. Next, we review the dollar’s impact on the global economy. We conclude the report with an overview of U.S. efforts to adapt to a changing geopolitical landscape.

Ukraine Updates: The war shows no signs of ending soon, but Ukraine’s odds of retaking lost territory have drastically increased.

• The UN’s nuclear watchdog urged Moscow to remove its forces from the Zaporizhzhia Power Plant to avoid a potential catastrophe. Russian troops took over the area early in the war and used the region to launch attacks against Ukrainian forces. The call from the regulators for Russia to depart the site reflects the clear and present danger the conflict is having on the region. The plant’s strategic importance suggests that it is unlikely that the Russians will leave the area. Thus, the possibility of a nuclear disaster is elevated.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted that China has concerns about the ongoing war in Ukraine. The rare acknowledgment of the two countries’ differences likely signals that Russia does not feel as if it has Beijing’s full support. If correct, this could potentially force Putin to take more decisive action in Ukraine to prevent further losses in the conflict. History shows that Russian leadership does not survive after the country loses a war. Therefore, we expect Putin to take more extreme action to change the tide of the conflict.
• Ukraine’s recent success in its war efforts has encouraged the West to provide the country with more military support. President Biden announced that the U.S. would provide Ukraine with $600 million in additional weaponry, while Germany said it would send two more rocket launchers and 50 armored vehicles. The increase in Western military aid shows that the war is far from over. As a result, Europe will likely not be able to avoid an energy-supply crunch in the winter.
  • In a related story, Germany seized refineries owned by Russian oil giant Rosneft as Berlin looks to take over its energy sector. The move is designed to prevent disruptions in German energy supply as the country weans itself from Russian gas. In addition to taking over Rosneft, the country plans to take over Uniper (UNPRF, $4.03) and two other gas importers.

Dollar takes off: The greenback’s rise against global currencies will prevent central banks from providing policy stimulus even as economies slow.

• The yuan surpassed 7 per dollar for the first time since 2020. This sharp decline in the yuan was driven by the deceleration in GDP growth and the rise of the U.S. dollar against global currencies. Although the depreciation of the yuan has typically led to a surge in capital flight to safer currencies, new regulation prevents this from happening. The decline in the yuan could prevent the People’s Bank of China from easing monetary policy while also pushing up the cost of imports. As a result, the depreciation of the yuan will likely add to a long list of economic woes in China, which already include COVID lockdowns, consumer pessimism, and slowing exports.
• Today, concerns over the U.K. economy have pushed the pound to its lowest level since 1985. The British currency fell to $1.137 after weak retail sales signaled a slowdown in consumer spending. In addition to the sales numbers, investor expectations of a jumbo rate hike from the Fed also weighed on the sterling. The currency’s depreciation will force the Bank of England to continue tightening, possibly even if the economy contracts. Hence, the currency’s weakness could trigger a long and deep recession.
• The U.S. Dollar Index, which tracks the greenback’s strength relative to global currencies, is up 14.5% year-to-date. For comparison, Energy is the only stock market sector with better performance. As a result, the dollar’s rise has pushed up import prices, making global inflation worse. This trend will likely continue as long as the Federal Reserve continues its currency policy path.

Geopolitical Shifts: The U.S. is adjusting to changes in the geopolitical landscape.

• S. policymakers cannot agree on whether they want to send military aid to Taiwan. The new legislation, the Taiwan Policy Act, is criticized for being too provocative toward China. The bill would grant the sovereign island $4.5 billion in aid over four years and includes extensive language on sanctions toward Beijing if it were to become more hostile toward the region. As we have mentioned in previous reports, there are many political benefits to getting tough with Beijing. A recent poll showed that 82% of Americans hold an unfavorable opinion toward China. This bravado could backfire at some point if China retaliates, but it is unlikely that Beijing will take aggressive actions before its National Party Congress on October 16. However, this will likely not be the case once the summit is over. Further provocation from the U.S. might lead to a direct conflict with China.
  • China has imposed sanctions on U.S. defense companies for selling arms to Taiwan. The measure is another example of Beijing’s sensitivity to the One China Policy in Taiwan.
• S. Secretary Tony Blinken has assumed a crucial role in ending military clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The two sides began fighting on Tuesday over disputed territory. A previous cease-fire brokered by Moscow earlier this year failed as Russia was distracted by its invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. involvement in ending the conflict is a possible sign that Washington would like to fill the void left by Russia.
  • House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will visit Armenia during her trip to Europe for the G-7 Summit, another example of the increased U.S. interest in the region.

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