Get 40% Off
🚨 Volatile Markets? Find Hidden Gems for Serious Outperformance
Find Stocks Now

What's The USD Trying To Say?

Published 09/22/2014, 05:00 PM
Updated 07/09/2023, 06:31 AM

Paul Tudor Jones, once fittingly observed, "Fundamentals might be good for the first third or first 50 or 60 percent of a move, but the last third of a great bull market is typically a blow-off, whereas the mania runs wild and prices go parabolic... There is no training, classroom or otherwise, that can prepare for trading the last third of a move, whether it's the end of a bull market or the end of a bear market."

In today's policy-driven system, where fundamentals have been melded and supplanted by the hand of the Fed, the relative outperformance by our own monetary authorities has not only buttressed our equity markets relative to the world, but also the dollar. This dynamic has been in place since the embers of the U.S. financial crisis in 2008, blew across the pond that summer and ignited a firestorm around the world that fall. In another counterintuitive twist of fate -- despite our clear culpability in setting the world ablaze, we had a head start of working and digging the fire lines, that eventually brought the economic disaster under control -- first. The "new normal" posited directly following the financial crisis, looked a whole lot like the old normal from the late 1990's.

  Stocks And The USD: Monthly

Stocks And The USD: Weekly

*Charts Updated Through Friday's Close

With the U.S. dollar index now flirting with the topside of it's long-term range, a break above might imply that the move was not the last third -- but a new game altogether. Considering the juxtaposition of the Fed withdrawing its fire brigade as the rest of the world turns up their hoses -- how likely does that seem? 
The USD: Weekly

3rd party Ad. Not an offer or recommendation by Investing.com. See disclosure here or remove ads .

At face value -- and from an "old school' fundamental perspective -- quite likely. However, as we alluded to before, since the financial crisis, the doctrines that have instigated the reach for yield and differential of capital flows toward the U.S., have been framed relative to what the balance of the world's major central banks were doing to support their own economies. With the ECB now finding religion and the Chinese seemingly not far behind, the shear stresses that have engendered a positive skew in the US equity markets and dollar should diminish as the Fed walks away. Moreover, we find it noteworthy that the conventional wisdom in the euro today now echoes the expectations from earlier in the cycle, that the U.S. dollar would be pressured lower by Fed policy. 

From a broader macro point of view, it appears more likely that the dollar is completing "the last third of the move", rather than a return to conditions of the late 1990's that an upside range break would imply.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.