FX Strategist

Greg Gibbs

Fundamental analysis of topical themes in FX

Amplifying Global FX Capital

Amplifying Global FX Capital was founded in 2015 and is fully owned by Greg Gibbs. It is a registered company both in Australia and Colorado, USA and is a licensed in Australia to provide financial services.

We are producing a regular trading view orientated macroeconomic analysis of topical themes in global financial markets, with a particular focus on foreign exchange. We invite you to view an “executive summary” of these reports in “AmpGFX Reports” under our “Research” menu.

These reports are drawn from the analysis of Greg Gibbs and inform the capital management he undertakes on behalf of the company. The trading performance is posted periodically on our website. We aim to build our company into both a research and capital management business. We are currently in the planning phase for managing capital for wholesale customers.

Greg Gibbs has spent his working life of more than 26 years in financial markets, beginning in 1989 at the Reserve Bank of Australia, after completing a Bachelor of Economics Degree (Honours) at the Australian National University. He has been a CFA Charterholder since 2005. He has worked in Sydney, Singapore, New York and London for major global banks and presented on foreign exchange markets to major financial institutions and companies around the world, and maintained a high profile in the financial media.

Before Amplifying Global FX Capital, Greg was the Head of Asia Pacific Market Strategy at the Royal Bank of Scotland based Singapore. He now resides in Breckenridge Colorado.

Macroeconomics

Domestic Australian factors are being overshadowed by global developments.  These global drivers account for both its rapid rebound over the last month and its significant correction in recent days.  Throughout this move we have been skeptical that the AUD can sustain its rally with significant local political and economic uncertainty.  These risks remain and continue to make it difficult to hold long AUD positions.  On the other hand, political and economic uncertainty in many alternative currencies are equally troubling. In Australia, economic momentum picked up in 2015, but has been more mixed in 2016.  The housing market is starting to ebb from strong levels, political risks remain elevated, bank equity performance has been weak, potentially a drag on confidence.  However, Global drivers remain in control, and while uncertainty is elevated in Australia, it is not clear that it will be sufficient to throw the Australian economy off course.  The RBA Statement continued to express a steady policy outlook albeit with an easing bias.

Domestic Australian factors are being overshadowed by global developments.  These global drivers account for both its rapid rebound over the last month and its significant correction in recent days.  Throughout this move we have been skeptical that the AUD can sustain its rally with significant local political and economic uncertainty.  These risks remain and continue to make it difficult to hold long AUD positions.  On the other hand, political and economic uncertainty in many alternative currencies are equally troubling. In Australia, economic momentum picked up in 2015, but has been more mixed in 2016.  The housing market is starting to ebb from strong levels, political risks remain elevated, bank equity performance has been weak, potentially a drag on confidence.  However, Global drivers remain in control, and while uncertainty is elevated in Australia, it is not clear that it will be sufficient to throw the Australian economy off course.  The RBA Statement continued to express a steady policy outlook albeit with an easing bias.

AmpGFX - AUD in No Man's Land, Political and Economic Risks Remain Elevated

Leading Independent Investment Research, Morningstar, Inc.

Morningstar

Leading Independent Investment Research

Morningstar, Inc.

Morningstar, Inc. is a leading provider of independent investment research in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. We offer an extensive line of products and services for individual investors, financial advisors, asset managers, and retirement plan providers and sponsors. 

Morningstar provides data on more than 500,000 investment offerings, including stocks, mutual funds, and similar vehicles, along with real-time global market data on more than 16 million equities, indexes, futures, options, commodities, and precious metals, in addition to foreign exchange and Treasury markets. Morningstar also offers investment management services through its investment advisory subsidiaries, with more than $180 billion in assets under advisement or management as of June 30, 2015. We have operations in 27 countries.

Download the Morningstar Fact Sheet : http://corporate.morningstar.com/US/documents/MarketingFactSheets/AboutMorningstarFactsheet.pdf

Equity Bottom-Up

While we view the surprise resignation of Elmer Funke Kupper as a loss for ASX Limited, we do not believe investors should fear underlying business issues or a dispute over his strategic direction of the firm.We believe the existing strategy, which focuses on technology and product innovation has helped defend earnings post the entrance of Chi-X.Analysts: Nathan Zaia &amp; David Ellis

While we view the surprise resignation of Elmer Funke Kupper as a loss for ASX Limited, we do not believe investors should fear underlying business issues or a dispute over his strategic direction of the firm.We believe the existing strategy, which focuses on technology and product innovation has helped defend earnings post the entrance of Chi-X.Analysts: Nathan Zaia &amp; David Ellis

Elmer Funke Kupper Suddenly Departs as CEO but Leaves ASX in Good Shape

Research and consultancy, Tabbush Report

Daniel Tabbush

Research and consultancy

Tabbush Report

We provide research and consultancy on Asian banks. Our focus is on what we call “Asian bank research, without the noise.” We are interested in the most critical swing-factors for banks, the NPL and credit cycle, and where we believe there is a gap between perception and reality. We often focus on the less studied components of bank financial statements.  Our research is highly thematic, sometimes examining unlisted banks and companies as a window on mainstream banks. 

Being independent allows us to look at smaller banks, often overlooked by others. Analysis of BIS bank guidelines in the context of Asia, is also a focal point, while we also analyze global banks operating in the region. We use what we believe is the most comprehensive, reliable financials database, SNL Financial. S&P Capital IQ augments our database, with corporate data and CEIC, with economics. 

Asian bank research, without the noise.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>There is a new proposal from BIS that is seeking to change the way banks calculate their operational risk. </li>
<li>The concern they have is the current method is too simplistic and fundamentally flawed. Of course it is; it is simply a percentage based on gross revenue.  
</li>
<li>Operational risk is all about processes, systems and internal controls. While we may not know exactly how any new calculation will look, what is telling is how three China banks compare with three Australian banks.</li>
<li>Is it even in the realm…</li>
</ul>


There is a new proposal from BIS that is seeking to change the way banks calculate their operational risk. 
The concern they have is the current method is too simplistic and fundamentally flawed. Of course it is; it is simply a percentage based on gross revenue.  

Operational risk is all about processes, systems and internal controls. While we may not know exactly how any new calculation will look, what is telling is how three China banks compare with three Australian banks.
Is it even in the realm…


New BIS Proposal on Operational Risk, Comparing China to Australia

Founder Evidente. Top rated quantitative analyst, Evidente

Sam Ferraro

Founder Evidente. Top rated quantitative analyst

Evidente

Evidente is an independent financial education firm that delivers innovative financial advice to wholesale investors, including active long only funds, hedge funds, pension funds, and sovereign wealth funds, in Australia and globally.  Drawing on academic research in asset pricing, behavioural finance and portfolio construction, Evidente provides wholesale investors with commercial solutions to stock selection and asset allocation decisions across equities and other asset classes.

<ul><li>In the past week, two bottom up developments have dominated the financial market news flow in Australia: the belated announcement of CEO succession at Woolworths and renewed concerns that Australian banks represent a 'big short' thanks to rumours of the imminent collapse of residential house prices. </li><li>The losses announced by Woolworths in its home improvement division this week and decision to exit the business altogether serves as a timely and powerful signal to other companies about the dangers associated with investing for growth in the current environment of deficient demand.  Corporate Australia has already taken heed, with the economy on the precipice of a capex cliff.  The recently released ABS survey of capex intentions points to a 20% slide in business investment in the current financial year, which would represent the largest annual decline in over 25 years.</li><li>Any bubble talk around housing discounts the important role that dwelling investment and household consumption still has to play to support the outlook while the economy is on the precipice of a capex cliff.  Against the backdrop that interest rates will remain low for an extended period (and likely move lower from here), if there is a bubble in Australian housing it might well persist.  To take a cue from John Maynard Keynes, hedge funds seeking to capitalise on Australia's 'big short' will probably need an abundance of patience (and capital).</li></ul>

In the past week, two bottom up developments have dominated the financial market news flow in Australia: the belated announcement of CEO succession at Woolworths and renewed concerns that Australian banks represent a 'big short' thanks to rumours of the imminent collapse of residential house prices. The losses announced by Woolworths in its home improvement division this week and decision to exit the business altogether serves as a timely and powerful signal to other companies about the dangers associated with investing for growth in the current environment of deficient demand.  Corporate Australia has already taken heed, with the economy on the precipice of a capex cliff.  The recently released ABS survey of capex intentions points to a 20% slide in business investment in the current financial year, which would represent the largest annual decline in over 25 years.Any bubble talk around housing discounts the important role that dwelling investment and household consumption still has to play to support the outlook while the economy is on the precipice of a capex cliff.  Against the backdrop that interest rates will remain low for an extended period (and likely move lower from here), if there is a bubble in Australian housing it might well persist.  To take a cue from John Maynard Keynes, hedge funds seeking to capitalise on Australia's 'big short' will probably need an abundance of patience (and capital).

What the Capex Cliff Means for Australia's 'Big Short'

<ul><li>Evidente has updated the performance and ranking of its proprietary systematic model of earnings certainty or predictability and found that stocks that ranked strongly at the end of 2014 (based on real time information) strongly out-performed the worst ranked stocks over the course of 2015, with the long-short return ranging from 10%-30%.  The performance is impressive because the model does not include measures of dividends, growth, momentum or valuations.</li><li>Companies attain a high score for earnings predictability for the following attributes: low volatility, low beta, low dispersion, low EPS volatility and those that have been listed for a long time.  Firm vintage is designed to capture the dynamics around investor learning: investors typically assign higher standard errors to the growth prospects for newly listed firms.  The rationale for firm vintage draws on the work of Lubos Pastor at the University of Chicago.</li><li>I demonstrate that Evidente's model does a remarkably good job of assessing and summarising the key risk attributes of stocks.  The top 5 ranked stocks for 2016 are: AMC, ASX, BXB, RHC and SHL, while the worst ranked stocks include: MYR, BRS, SPO, GMA and SVW. </li></ul>

Evidente has updated the performance and ranking of its proprietary systematic model of earnings certainty or predictability and found that stocks that ranked strongly at the end of 2014 (based on real time information) strongly out-performed the worst ranked stocks over the course of 2015, with the long-short return ranging from 10%-30%.  The performance is impressive because the model does not include measures of dividends, growth, momentum or valuations.Companies attain a high score for earnings predictability for the following attributes: low volatility, low beta, low dispersion, low EPS volatility and those that have been listed for a long time.  Firm vintage is designed to capture the dynamics around investor learning: investors typically assign higher standard errors to the growth prospects for newly listed firms.  The rationale for firm vintage draws on the work of Lubos Pastor at the University of Chicago.I demonstrate that Evidente's model does a remarkably good job of assessing and summarising the key risk attributes of stocks.  The top 5 ranked stocks for 2016 are: AMC, ASX, BXB, RHC and SHL, while the worst ranked stocks include: MYR, BRS, SPO, GMA and SVW. 

Earnings Certainty Continues to Deliver Strong Returns

Australia

ASX Ltd is a demutualized company which operates Australia's primary national stock exchange and equity derivatives market. The ASX operates markets for equities, derivatives, fixed-interest securities and capital-raising for unlisted companies using advanced computer systems for both trading and settlement.

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ASX Ltd (ASX AU)

AmpGFX - AUD in No Man's Land, Political and Economic Risks Remain Elevated

Domestic Australian factors are being overshadowed by global developments. These global drivers account for both its rapid rebound over the last...

Greg Gibbs

Elmer Funke Kupper Suddenly Departs as CEO but Leaves ASX in Good Shape

While we view the surprise resignation of Elmer Funke Kupper as a loss for ASX Limited, we do not believe investors should fear underlying business...

Morningstar, Inc.

New BIS Proposal on Operational Risk, Comparing China to Australia

There is a new proposal from BIS that is seeking to change the way banks calculate their operational risk. The concern they have is the current...

Daniel Tabbush

What the Capex Cliff Means for Australia's 'Big Short'

In the past week, two bottom up developments have dominated the financial market news flow in Australia: the belated announcement of CEO...

Sam Ferraro

Earnings Certainty Continues to Deliver Strong Returns

Evidente has updated the performance and ranking of its proprietary systematic model of earnings certainty or predictability and found that stocks...

Sam Ferraro

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)