EM PM, Ecstrat

Emad Mostaque

EM PM

Ecstrat

Ecstrat is a consultancy advising on asset allocation between global equity markets, with a focus on the intersection of governments, geopolitics, governance and markets.
 
Over the past few years and more especially since the Great Financial Crisis (GFC), investors have become more focused on short-term market movements and real-time returns and have consequently neglected the analysis of the underlying structural themes that underpin longer term performance.
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More specifically we believe that the evolution of governance-based relationships between investors, controlling shareholders, labour and the state is one of the primary determinants of both relative and absolute performance between individual equity markets.
 
We will endeavour to provide investors with some of the context surrounding governance-related issues which encompass many different disciplines including history, economics and political science, as well as the financial metrics which are the most obvious manifestation of the structural characteristics of each market.
 
We will pay particular attention to the shifts and potential inflection points for governance in individual markets as these are often the best lead indicators for both economic and market performance.

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<div>Oil prices have had a jittery week after the shock of the US elections leading to a dollar resurgence and abject confusion over the impact on the potential impending OPEC deal. </div><div>Short positions have steadily been building under the assumption a deal likely won't be done, or if it is done then it won't be enforceable and not take enough barrels off the market. </div><div>This had sparked a predictable series of leaks and a flurry of diplomatic activity from oil ministers and the OPEC Secretary General to try…</div>

Oil prices have had a jittery week after the shock of the US elections leading to a dollar resurgence and abject confusion over the impact on the potential impending OPEC deal. Short positions have steadily been building under the assumption a deal likely won't be done, or if it is done then it won't be enforceable and not take enough barrels off the market. This had sparked a predictable series of leaks and a flurry of diplomatic activity from oil ministers and the OPEC Secretary General to try…

SGX Market Strategist, Equity & Fixed Income, Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX)

Geoff Howie

SGX Market Strategist, Equity & Fixed Income

Asia’s leading multi-asset exchange

Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX)

Singapore Exchange is Asia’s leading and trusted market infrastructure, facilitating the exchange of capital and ideas to create value for people, businesses and economies. As a multi-asset exchange operating equity, fixed income and derivatives markets to the highest regulatory standards, SGX is a vertically integrated business that provides listing, trading, clearing, settlement, depository and data services.

With about 40% of listed companies and over 80% of listed bonds originating outside of Singapore as well as established linkages across the region and in Europe, SGX is Asia’s most international and connected exchange. Offering a full suite of derivatives products across Asian equity indices, commodities and currencies, SGX is the world’s most liquid international market for the benchmark equity indices of China, India, Japan and ASEAN.

As Asia’s pioneering central counterparty, SGX is globally recognised for its risk management and clearing capabilities, and was one of the first globally to adopt the Principles for Financial Market Infrastructure.

Headquartered in AAA-rated Singapore, SGX has over 800 employees including offices in Beijing, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, New York, Mumbai, San Francisco, Shanghai and Tokyo.

<ul><li><strong>Singapore’s Energy Sector was the strongest of Singapore’s stock Sectors in October, with a 10.4% market capitalisation weighted total return on oil and coal price swings. This followed on from Energy also being the strongest of the Sectors back in September.</strong></li><li><strong>The 10 largest capitalised stocks of Singapore’s Energy Sector averaged a 12.5% total return in October, consisting of seven advancing stocks and three declining stocks. CAO, the largest capitalised stock of Singapore’s Energy Sector is scheduled to report 3Q16 results Wednesday.</strong></li><li><strong>Two of the 10 largest capitalised Energy stocks, Geo Energy Resources and KrisEnergy also ranked amongst the 10 actively traded stocks that saw the biggest increase in their October traded volume, compared to respective three month average volumes. Geo Energy Resources was the fifth biggest volume leader while KrisEnergy was the sixth biggest volume leader.</strong></li></ul>

Singapore’s Energy Sector was the strongest of Singapore’s stock Sectors in October, with a 10.4% market capitalisation weighted total return on oil and coal price swings. This followed on from Energy also being the strongest of the Sectors back in September.The 10 largest capitalised stocks of Singapore’s Energy Sector averaged a 12.5% total return in October, consisting of seven advancing stocks and three declining stocks. CAO, the largest capitalised stock of Singapore’s Energy Sector is scheduled to report 3Q16 results Wednesday.Two of the 10 largest capitalised Energy stocks, Geo Energy Resources and KrisEnergy also ranked amongst the 10 actively traded stocks that saw the biggest increase in their October traded volume, compared to respective three month average volumes. Geo Energy Resources was the fifth biggest volume leader while KrisEnergy was the sixth biggest volume leader.

Energy the Strongest Sector in October on Oil & Coal Price Swings

<p>This weekend saw the retirement of long-serving Saudi oil minister Ali al-Naimi and his replacement by the Chairman of Aramco, Khalid al-Falih.</p><p>At 80 years of age, the retirement of al-Naimi had been on the cards for a number of years, with some indications that it had been scheduled to occur five years ago, but was postponed given the need for stability as the Arab Spring erupted in the region.</p><p>Now that he has moved on to a position as advisor to the Royal Court, whether Saudi oil policy will…</p>

This weekend saw the retirement of long-serving Saudi oil minister Ali al-Naimi and his replacement by the Chairman of Aramco, Khalid al-Falih.At 80 years of age, the retirement of al-Naimi had been on the cards for a number of years, with some indications that it had been scheduled to occur five years ago, but was postponed given the need for stability as the Arab Spring erupted in the region.Now that he has moved on to a position as advisor to the Royal Court, whether Saudi oil policy will…

New Saudi Oil Minister, Old Saudi Oil Policy

<p>It has been an interesting few weeks for observers of Saudi Arabia as Doha oil freeze talks failed, concerns re-emerged over the stability of the Saudi-US relationship and months of press coverage culminated in the announcement of Saudi Vision 2030 today.</p><p>This note analyses some of the drivers of the changes we have seen in Saudi policy and the likely impact of these going forward on local markets and the oil price.</p><p>The upshot is that I am, just as was the case in 2015, once more bearish on oil and oil-related equities into summer, although I retain my bullish view longer term.</p><p>This should also prevent significant appreciation in Middle East markets short-term, although it is likely to be an interesting few years ahead as reforms, many of which necessitate increased economic and market liberalization and sharp increases in FDI, start to come in force.</p><p> </p>

It has been an interesting few weeks for observers of Saudi Arabia as Doha oil freeze talks failed, concerns re-emerged over the stability of the Saudi-US relationship and months of press coverage culminated in the announcement of Saudi Vision 2030 today.This note analyses some of the drivers of the changes we have seen in Saudi policy and the likely impact of these going forward on local markets and the oil price.The upshot is that I am, just as was the case in 2015, once more bearish on oil and oil-related equities into summer, although I retain my bullish view longer term.This should also prevent significant appreciation in Middle East markets short-term, although it is likely to be an interesting few years ahead as reforms, many of which necessitate increased economic and market liberalization and sharp increases in FDI, start to come in force. 

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

<p><em>The recent rising trend in the JPY and falling trend in the USD have had a life of their own this year, unwinding excessive positioning built up from end 2012 to mid-2015 for the JPY and from mid-2014 until January this year for the USD.  These trend reversals have contributed to the volatility in global markets that were being buffeted by the upheaval in Chinese markets and commodity prices, and more recently by Brexit fears. The rebounding JPY added to risk aversion, while the falling USD boosted risk appetite, the feedback from a falling to USD to a rising JPY added to the churn and uncertainty.  However, the JPY and USD have started to stabilize in recent days and excessive positioning appears to have been significantly cleansed, allowing markets to see more clearly improving conditions in Chinese and EM economies and focus on the rebound in commodity markets.  Brexit fears are likely to remain heightened and indeed may intensify as we approach the 23 June referendum.  This may tend to keep risk appetite and USD/JPY contained below 110.  But investors may still tend to seek out EM and commodity currencies to avoid negative rates and record low yields in major economies.  Brexit fears have weighed on European currencies and we may see further gains in EM and commodity currencies against the EUR</em>.</p>

The recent rising trend in the JPY and falling trend in the USD have had a life of their own this year, unwinding excessive positioning built up from end 2012 to mid-2015 for the JPY and from mid-2014 until January this year for the USD.  These trend reversals have contributed to the volatility in global markets that were being buffeted by the upheaval in Chinese markets and commodity prices, and more recently by Brexit fears. The rebounding JPY added to risk aversion, while the falling USD boosted risk appetite, the feedback from a falling to USD to a rising JPY added to the churn and uncertainty.  However, the JPY and USD have started to stabilize in recent days and excessive positioning appears to have been significantly cleansed, allowing markets to see more clearly improving conditions in Chinese and EM economies and focus on the rebound in commodity markets.  Brexit fears are likely to remain heightened and indeed may intensify as we approach the 23 June referendum.  This may tend to keep risk appetite and USD/JPY contained below 110.  But investors may still tend to seek out EM and commodity currencies to avoid negative rates and record low yields in major economies.  Brexit fears have weighed on European currencies and we may see further gains in EM and commodity currencies against the EUR.

AmpGFX - Calmer USD and JPY, Weaker EUR, More Upside for EM and Commodity Currencies

China

Jizhong Energy Resources Co., Ltd. produces and markets coal products, generates electric power, and manufactures cement.

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Jizhong Energy Resources A (000937 CH)

Playing the OPEC Deal

Oil prices have had a jittery week after the shock of the US elections leading to a dollar resurgence and abject confusion over the impact on the...

Emad Mostaque

Energy the Strongest Sector in October on Oil & Coal Price Swings

Singapore’s Energy Sector was the strongest of Singapore’s stock Sectors in October, with a 10.4% market capitalisation weighted total return on...

Singapore Exchange Ltd (SGX)

New Saudi Oil Minister, Old Saudi Oil Policy

This weekend saw the retirement of long-serving Saudi oil minister Ali al-Naimi and his replacement by the Chairman of Aramco, Khalid al-Falih.At...

Emad Mostaque

Saudi: A New Hope?

It has been an interesting few weeks for observers of Saudi Arabia as Doha oil freeze talks failed, concerns re-emerged over the stability of the...

Emad Mostaque

AmpGFX - Calmer USD and JPY, Weaker EUR, More Upside for EM and Commodity Currencies

The recent rising trend in the JPY and falling trend in the USD have had a life of their own this year, unwinding excessive positioning built up...

Greg Gibbs

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)