1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,520 Speaker 1: And we're joined that by Rajiv de Mello. He is 2 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:06,320 Speaker 1: Global macro portfolio manager at g m A Asset Management 3 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:09,880 Speaker 1: and Roger. We were listening to president former President Trump, 4 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:13,400 Speaker 1: they're launching his re election campaign for twenty four. One 5 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:16,119 Speaker 1: of the things he mentioned was inflation and how that 6 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:19,120 Speaker 1: surged since he left office. But let's have some context here. 7 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 1: It's urged everywhere as countries exited COVID. But how's the 8 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 1: inflation picture look in the US by four? I mean, 9 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:31,160 Speaker 1: you could argue were turning the corner right now. Inflation, indeed, 10 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 1: is has been a huge issue in the midterm campaign 11 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:39,840 Speaker 1: as well, and people are worried about the higher infatient rates. 12 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 1: But as you mentioned, I mean, we are seeing some 13 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:45,480 Speaker 1: signs of infasient topping out. We've got the CPI number 14 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:50,599 Speaker 1: last week, the PPI which is the Producer price Index yesterday, 15 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 1: and both of them are showing that we're seeing some 16 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 1: moderation and inflation. So indeed, going forward, we could see 17 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:04,640 Speaker 1: infliction come off um by um it's already in moderating, 18 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 1: and other advanced signs of inflation are also showing signs 19 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:13,400 Speaker 1: of moderation, which is positive. A lot of the areas 20 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 1: which were abnormally which had abnormal inflation due to the 21 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 1: exit of COVID lockdowns and a normalization of economy, the 22 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 1: boost and demand for goods, that's all normalizing somewhat and 23 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 1: coming down. So that's uh, that's a positive for for 24 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: a more moderating way of inflation. Now, the speed of 25 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:37,200 Speaker 1: it is what's worrying the FED. So maybe it's not 26 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:39,399 Speaker 1: just the speed, but the fact that the FED has 27 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 1: to be convinced that it's put the genie back in 28 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 1: the bottle, so to speak, a regime. Is there the 29 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 1: risk then that even though we begin to see significant moderation, 30 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 1: that the FED holds a very hard line and keeps 31 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:56,480 Speaker 1: policy tied for for quite some time. The FED is 32 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 1: trying to convince us that that's what they're going to do. Um, 33 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 1: even though they are they are most likely too, you know, 34 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 1: step back to fifty basis point hike in December. Uh, 35 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:09,639 Speaker 1: and then uh, you know, never go back to the 36 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 1: seventy five basis points in next year. But by the 37 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:16,799 Speaker 1: fifty or twenty five, the FETs still wants to tell 38 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 1: us that it is on cost to high rates. It 39 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 1: wants to keep that success. It's achieved in keeping inflation 40 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:27,960 Speaker 1: expectations very well managed, and it's done that remarkably well 41 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: through its very pokish tone and actions as well. Considering 42 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 1: four times seventy five basis points is is really very 43 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: very high. UM, So the FET wants to keep that, 44 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:43,240 Speaker 1: and also in the latest communication wants to tell us 45 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 1: always telling us that it will not cut rates quickly, 46 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: it will keep a high plateau in interest rates. We 47 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 1: have seen a lot of volatility and markets trying to 48 00:02:55,639 --> 00:02:57,639 Speaker 1: guess what the fate is doing next and when it's 49 00:02:57,639 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 1: going to happen. Do you have a sense that maybe 50 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 1: I could say, getting a little bit too far out 51 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 1: in front of this eventual pivot. I I think that 52 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 1: the markets are breathing a sigh of relief. After all, 53 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:15,640 Speaker 1: in the distribution of probabilities, at some stage about a 54 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:18,679 Speaker 1: month ago, it was there was the likelihood that the 55 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: FED terminal rate could be much higher than what's being 56 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 1: priced five and a half six, even in some risk cases. 57 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:28,240 Speaker 1: And I think those tail risks are coming down now. 58 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: So on the upside, expectations are very high, terminal rates 59 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 1: are coming down, and on the downside, I think that 60 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 1: um there is more of a belief that we could 61 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 1: get a soft landing, and so you know that that 62 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 1: means that you know, we would see a huge sell 63 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: off in financial assets, we would force the FED to 64 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 1: do emergency cuts. So I think that distribution is coming down. 65 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 1: And if you look imply it's implied volatilities from the 66 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 1: option markets, that seems to confirm that because they're all 67 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:00,040 Speaker 1: coming off quite well, which is healthy for the on 68 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 1: the anfl markets. So inflation maybe trending down. We've established that. 69 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 1: We also know that at least in terms of the 70 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:10,760 Speaker 1: rhetoric the FED is using policymakers are intented in making 71 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 1: sure that they've really accomplished their goal in getting it 72 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 1: under control. But it's not just the FED. I would 73 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:19,360 Speaker 1: be remiss if we didn't talk about the Bank of 74 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:22,560 Speaker 1: Korea Rajiv. I guess we're about a week and a 75 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:25,599 Speaker 1: half from a policy meeting in Seoul. We know the 76 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 1: situation in South Korea is such that that they are 77 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:34,919 Speaker 1: also or it is also dealing with significant inflationary pressures. Absolutely. 78 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:38,720 Speaker 1: I mean, inflation is a global problem and Korea is 79 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:42,320 Speaker 1: is facing higher inflation as well. The Bank of Korea 80 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:47,000 Speaker 1: is somewhat more dubbish though than central banks in UH, 81 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: in Latin America or the US for many domestic reasons 82 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:54,839 Speaker 1: as well. But inflation has not only gone up for 83 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 1: domestic reasons, but the ones been weak until most recently, 84 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:01,240 Speaker 1: and that's also not been very good for for Korea. 85 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:04,239 Speaker 1: So the Bank of Korea will high creates. We expected 86 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 1: twenty five basis points hike, which is kind of moderate still, 87 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:13,599 Speaker 1: but they also worried about the financial situation taking too much. 88 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 1: They have a lot of mortgages which are very sensitive 89 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:21,919 Speaker 1: to higher rates, and political turmoil is UH is building 90 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:26,039 Speaker 1: in Korea and that's that's negative for the economy. Yeah, 91 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:28,280 Speaker 1: we've seen a few central banks around the world now 92 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:32,280 Speaker 1: either slowing or considering slowing the pace of rate increases. 93 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:34,800 Speaker 1: And I'm just wondering connected to this, I want to 94 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:37,400 Speaker 1: get to the Bloomberg question of the day. What are 95 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 1: the implications for the U s. Dollar? How far do 96 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 1: you see the green bag falling by the end of 97 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 1: the year. Since the beginning of the month, we've seen 98 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 1: the dollar actually declined quite a bit, and that's that 99 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:54,599 Speaker 1: was after of course a significant round part. But broad 100 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:57,679 Speaker 1: broad dollar measures such as the dollar indecks are down, 101 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:02,239 Speaker 1: and probably we have seen the peak in the dollar, 102 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: and the dollar can gradually decline as the Fed doesn't 103 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:11,040 Speaker 1: go for these very sharp increases in rates sort of 104 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:16,760 Speaker 1: moderates them. Other countries recover, groth doesn't collapse as much 105 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 1: as expected, so in sort of boltylock scenario, you don't 106 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:24,600 Speaker 1: have a global growth collapt collapse, so other currencies can recover. 107 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:27,560 Speaker 1: And we've seen we've seen initially a recovery in Latin 108 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:30,160 Speaker 1: American We've seen that propagate to Asia as well, with 109 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:33,400 Speaker 1: Asian currencies have done much better over the last couple 110 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:36,920 Speaker 1: of weeks. Before we let you go, I'm sorry there. 111 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:38,520 Speaker 1: Before we let you go, i'd like to get your 112 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:41,280 Speaker 1: take on China, And we had the ECO data yesterday 113 00:06:41,279 --> 00:06:44,599 Speaker 1: for the month of October. Industrial output was up a 114 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:48,239 Speaker 1: bit a low market forecast, but that retail sales figure 115 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:51,359 Speaker 1: with a decline in of about a half of one percent, 116 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:55,800 Speaker 1: the first drop we've seen since May. Does this necessarily 117 00:06:55,880 --> 00:06:58,920 Speaker 1: mean now that the government has no choice but to 118 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:01,920 Speaker 1: add to some of them measures that it's already undertaken, 119 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:05,159 Speaker 1: to try to prop up things like the property market, 120 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:08,919 Speaker 1: let's say, or or to make some more modifications to 121 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:11,720 Speaker 1: its COVID policy. Because it's really got to kind of 122 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 1: support the economy. I think it has signaled that direction. Um. 123 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:21,360 Speaker 1: Every couple of days we get new announcements about different measures. Ei, 124 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:24,480 Speaker 1: don't there's your COVID front, some kind of relaxation the 125 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 1: property measures as well. I would expect more economic measures 126 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:32,600 Speaker 1: as well, um, because of this data being weak and 127 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 1: they see that what's happening in China is a weakening 128 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:38,880 Speaker 1: and they're really determined how to address that, something that 129 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: we hadn't seen for the last many months of quarters. 130 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:47,440 Speaker 1: Now they're doing something. Go ahead, Paul, I'm sorry to interrupt, 131 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 1: not at all. I was just wondering which sectors that 132 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 1: you see benefiting most from what's going on in China. 133 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:56,960 Speaker 1: And again, has the market getting too out in front 134 00:07:56,960 --> 00:07:58,760 Speaker 1: of this as well? We've seen some big rises and 135 00:07:58,880 --> 00:08:02,840 Speaker 1: property and take over the last couple of days. Yes 136 00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:05,560 Speaker 1: we have. I mean Hong Kong has has really saw it. 137 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:08,480 Speaker 1: But then it really went down to very very low levels, 138 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 1: and a bunch of information on the came in which 139 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:15,680 Speaker 1: was more positive. Even this the Biden she meeting in 140 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:19,080 Speaker 1: Bali was was a positive. All those measures were positive 141 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:23,040 Speaker 1: as well, But I would prefer the domestic site which 142 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:25,440 Speaker 1: moved up a bit less but had also fallen less. 143 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:28,440 Speaker 1: I think the domestic economy is where the focus of 144 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:33,640 Speaker 1: policy will be UM and I expect, you know, Chinese 145 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:37,720 Speaker 1: domestic equities to recover from here. Raschief always a pleasure 146 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:40,560 Speaker 1: to have the chance to speak with you about what 147 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:43,440 Speaker 1: you're observing in markets and to benefit from your insights. 148 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:48,479 Speaker 1: Rajieve Demelo, Global macro portfolio manager at Gamma Asset Managements, 149 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:50,920 Speaker 1: joining from Singapore here on daybreak Asia