Week in review
- RBA lifts cash rate by 25bps to 3.60%
- China CPI inflation falls to 1.0% y/y
- U.S. job openings decline to 10.8 million
Week ahead
- U.S. CPI inflation
- Australia labour market report
- ECB policy rate meeting
Thought of the week
In a week of contrasts the RBA become sounded more dovish and the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) more hawkish. The market reacted by increasing the probability that the Fed would increase rates by 50bps at its March meeting, while in Australia there was a growing view that the RBA may take a break in April and resume rate hikes in May. However, a lot can change between now and when these two central banks meet in the coming weeks. Both the RBA and the Fed are hyper-sensitive to the latest data releases and the inflation and labour market data in the coming weeks will be crucial to the market assessment of what the outcome of these meetings will be. In the interim market expectations for a higher terminal rate in the U.S lifting shorted dated U.S bond yields to over 5% and inverting the U.S. yield curve by more than 100bps. The last time this occurred was in 1981. The higher yields on short dated bonds may be attractive, but the rising recession risks in the U.S. suggest building a position further out the curve and increasing duration.
U.S. yield curve the most inverted since the 1980s
Spread between 10 and 2 year U.S.Treasury yields, basis points