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Thriving Yuan Signals Better Days Ahead for Economy, Risk Assets

Published 13/01/2020, 19:43
Updated 13/01/2020, 20:31
© Reuters.  Thriving Yuan Signals Better Days Ahead for Economy, Risk Assets

© Reuters. Thriving Yuan Signals Better Days Ahead for Economy, Risk Assets

(Bloomberg) -- Trade-deal optimism drove the Chinese yuan to a five-month high Monday, which could spur global economic growth and prompt investors to ditch the U.S. dollar in favor of riskier assets.

A stronger yuan is good for growth and should encourage capital flows out of the safety of greenbacks, said Societe Generale (PA:SOGN) strategist Kit Juckes, who recommends shorting the U.S. currency against the Canadian dollar, Norwegian krone and Swedish krona.

The rally may mean a “tighter policy for the Chinese and looser policy for the rest, but in the end, even China does better if the developed world it sells to is doing better,” Juckes said. “More demand overall helps China even if a stronger currency is a bit of a drag.”

Brad Bechtel of Jefferies also sees the improving U.S.-China trade dynamic pressuring the dollar as investors get comfortable taking more risks. He prefers the yuan, Indonesian rupiah, Philippine peso and Australian dollar.

The yuan advanced past 6.9 per dollar Monday, with the move accelerating after news broke that the U.S. plans to stop labeling China a currency manipulator. A weaker dollar may appease President Donald Trump, who has accused China and other major trading partners of weakening their currencies to juice exports. The overall U.S. trade deficit narrowed in November to the smallest in three years amid a thaw in the trade war with China.

Investors embraced risk Monday. The S&P 500 headed for a record high and Treasuries declined across the yield curve.

The yuan is sending signals this trend will continue, with technical indicators flashing bullish signals while multiple measures of expected volatility are hovering near their lowest in about five months, suggesting investors aren’t bracing for a retreat. The yuan has gained more than 4% since early September.

Deutsche Bank (DE:DBKGn) Chief International Strategist Alan Ruskin said it’s questionable whether the Chinese authorities would want the offshore yuan to go below 6.80, but “the market feels like there’s some room to the downside before the strength of the currency starts to generate its own sense of angst from monetary officials.”

He sees the currency headed in that direction, with a floor around 6.70.

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