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Economy | US | Europe

Central Banks to the Rescue

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Last week, the European Central Bank (ECB) delivered significant monetary expansion to stimulate the economy and meet its 2% inflation target. This week, all eyes will be on the Federal Reserve as they meet on 17-18 September.

  • Europe: Deposit rate cut by 10bp to -0.5%, the lowest level ever. It is unlikely that rates will be further lowered this year given President Draghi’s concerns over the side effects of negative rates.
  • The Bank will purchase €20bn of bonds a month starting November to inject money into the economy.
  • Targeted longer-term refinancing operations (TLTROs) was extended again, with slightly lower rates, helping to provide cheaper financing for banks.

 

  • US: President Trump tweeted his longing for ECB style monetary policy in the US, demanding Federal Reserve to lower interest rates to “zero or less”. However, the background of ongoing US economic growth and the potential interim US-China trade deal, are casting doubt on the Fed's potential easing path.
  • Core CPI rose 2.4%yoy, the third straight monthly gain and the highest since 2008, indicating strong consumer spending.
  • Citi analysts think the Fed is unlikely to be swayed by this data at its 17-18 Sept meeting, so a 25bp rate cut is still likely. However, it could complicate the Fed's communication on forward guidance.  

 

 

Citi’s investment strategy

  • Neutral on Fixed Income: Citi analysts see decreased opportunities in global bonds, especially at the short end of the yield curve, given that central bank easing is priced in.
  • That said, US bond market yields are still globally attractive. The average UST market yields 1.6%, which is around 130bp higher than the average non-US developed sovereign bond market. US Investment Grade bonds also offer relative value, especially in 5-7 year maturities.
  • Fixed income also still performs a useful function in dampening portfolio volatility. This includes higher quality emerging markets debt which Citi favours.

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