Markets calm too soon. Preparing for Fed's decision

Jan 29, 2020

Despite the fact that the coronavirus epidemic is in full swing (the number of deaths has already exceeded one hundred, and the number of infected has approached 5000), investors sighed with relief. The Fear Index (VIX) crashed 15%, safe-haven assets were down, and stock markets and oil were up.

Since we still do not see reasons for optimism, our recommendations remain valid: we are looking for points for buying gold and the Japanese yen within a day, and we are selling the Russian ruble and stock markets in the medium term.

As an argument, we will cite information from the head of the Medical School of the University of Hong Kong, Professor Gabriel Lung, who announced the data from which it follows that 10 times more people are infected with the coronavirus than is officially considered. According to him, in Wuhan alone, 25,000 people are infected with the coronavirus, and the total number is 44,000. He predicts that the number of coronaviruses infected in China will double in 6 days. If the markets decide to respond to this information, then we may well become witnesses of what happened on Monday.

The only recommendation is that we recommend buying oil as a kind of hedge for other positions that are somewhat unidirectional regarding investor sentiment, as well as an independent, not hopeless position. Now everyone is fixated on one component of the oil market situation - demand. But there is still a suggestion. And in this regard, Libya sends a rather strong bullish signal to the market. We are talking about the possibility of an almost complete stoppage of oil production in the country. According to the head of National Oil Corp. Mustafa Sanalla in the near future production may be reduced to 72 thousand b/d. from the current 262 thousand barrels per day.

Meanwhile, the main central bank of the world today will announce its decision on the parameters of monetary policy. With a probability of 87%, the bet will be left unchanged. At the same time, 13% of traders believe that the rate will be increased. Quite symptomatic is the fact that markets do not even consider the possibility of reducing the Fed rate. But unlike the ECB or the Bank of Japan, the Fed still has enough space for this to maneuver.

So, they will almost certainly not touch the bid. So, all attention will be focused on the comments of the Fed. What are the plans of the Central Bank for 2020? How long will the money market continue to pump liquidity through repos? Answers to these and other questions can determine the configuration in the financial markets.

Today we will not make plans and predict the reaction of the dollar to the outcome of the FOMC meeting. Our plan for working with this currency for today is to stay out of the market, study the position of the Fed and tomorrow will formulate a plan of work with the US dollar.