Founder

Olivier Desbarres

Exacting. Excellent. Exceeding. Exemplary.

4X Global Research

4X Global Research was founded in 2017 to provide institutional and corporate clients with the substantive research, high-quality analysis and thoughtful insight on Emerging and G20 economies and financial markets they need to make informed and timely decisions and gain an edge in their investments.

FX & Rates

Non-Japan Asian (NJA) central banks’ foreign currency (FX) reserves have gradually increased since end-March 2020, arguably the peak in global risk aversion.We estimate that the aggregate US Dollar-value of FX reserves in China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand increased by about $514bn or 10% in the eleven months to end-February 2021 to about $5.66 trillion. This was just $122bn short of all the all-time high recorded in June-2014.Adjusting for currency-valuation effects – the appreciation of other major reserve currencies versus the US Dollar – we estimate that these NJA central banks’ FX reserves increased by about $342bn or 6.4%. As a percentage of GDP, this increase amounted to about 1.5% for NJA, ranging from only 0.3% in China to nearly 28% in Singapore. While realised investment gains on these central banks’ holdings and other official transactions may have inflated this increase in FX reserves, it was at least partly the result of central banks’ intervention in the FX market (i.e. buying foreign currency), in our view. Importantly, NJA central banks rightly attach greater importance to their currencies’ more relevant Nominal Effective Exchange Rates (NEERs), when setting their exchange rate and interest rate policies, than to their currency’s bilateral exchange rates, in our view.In the past 11 months NJA central banks have continued to show an ability and willingness to both limit daily FX volatility and influence their NEERs’ medium-term directionality.FX reserve accumulation has either capped the pace of appreciation (CNY, IDR, KRW, THB, TWD) or contributed to (albeit modest in most cases) NEER depreciation (INR, MYR, PHP) with NJA central banks seemingly intent on maintaining export competitiveness and limiting imported deflation. The Singapore Dollar NEER was unchanged over this period.Of course the past and future performance of individual currencies is conditioned by both the magnitude of central bank FX intervention AND current account and capital account flows (and the underlying factors behind these policies and FX flows) – the topic of Part Two of this FIRMS report.

Non-Japan Asian (NJA) central banks’ foreign currency (FX) reserves have gradually increased since end-March 2020, arguably the peak in global risk aversion.We estimate that the aggregate US Dollar-value of FX reserves in China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand increased by about $514bn or 10% in the eleven months to end-February 2021 to about $5.66 trillion. This was just $122bn short of all the all-time high recorded in June-2014.Adjusting for currency-valuation effects – the appreciation of other major reserve currencies versus the US Dollar – we estimate that these NJA central banks’ FX reserves increased by about $342bn or 6.4%. As a percentage of GDP, this increase amounted to about 1.5% for NJA, ranging from only 0.3% in China to nearly 28% in Singapore. While realised investment gains on these central banks’ holdings and other official transactions may have inflated this increase in FX reserves, it was at least partly the result of central banks’ intervention in the FX market (i.e. buying foreign currency), in our view. Importantly, NJA central banks rightly attach greater importance to their currencies’ more relevant Nominal Effective Exchange Rates (NEERs), when setting their exchange rate and interest rate policies, than to their currency’s bilateral exchange rates, in our view.In the past 11 months NJA central banks have continued to show an ability and willingness to both limit daily FX volatility and influence their NEERs’ medium-term directionality.FX reserve accumulation has either capped the pace of appreciation (CNY, IDR, KRW, THB, TWD) or contributed to (albeit modest in most cases) NEER depreciation (INR, MYR, PHP) with NJA central banks seemingly intent on maintaining export competitiveness and limiting imported deflation. The Singapore Dollar NEER was unchanged over this period.Of course the past and future performance of individual currencies is conditioned by both the magnitude of central bank FX intervention AND current account and capital account flows (and the underlying factors behind these policies and FX flows) – the topic of Part Two of this FIRMS report. 

Non-Japan Asia: NEERs and FX Intervention

Fixed Income and Currency Strategist

Gautam Jain, PhD, CFA

In this note, we compare and contrast the correction in EM currencies in the current reflationary scare with a similar episode in 2013.The attached file is a snapshot of EM currency market, which we produce daily, and where we seek to identify the leaders and laggards among currencies by comparing the performance of each to its history as well as to other currencies based on their respective betas to the broad market. The analysis, therefore, is not a forecasting tool but to be used for identifying dislocations, which we loosely define as price moves that cannot be justified by fundamentals.

In this note, we compare and contrast the correction in EM currencies in the current reflationary scare with a similar episode in 2013.The attached file is a snapshot of EM currency market, which we produce daily, and where we seek to identify the leaders and laggards among currencies by comparing the performance of each to its history as well as to other currencies based on their respective betas to the broad market. The analysis, therefore, is not a forecasting tool but to be used for identifying dislocations, which we loosely define as price moves that cannot be justified by fundamentals.

FX Dashboard: Taper Tantrum Vs Current Reflationary Scare – Part 1

In this note, we discuss the reasons behind the stability in EM currencies and whether it can continue.The attached file is a snapshot of EM currency market, which we produce daily, and where we seek to identify the leaders and laggards among currencies by comparing the performance of each to its history as well as to other currencies based on their respective betas to the broad market. The analysis, therefore, is not a forecasting tool but to be used for identifying dislocations, which we loosely define as price moves that cannot be justified by fundamentals.

In this note, we discuss the reasons behind the stability in EM currencies and whether it can continue.The attached file is a snapshot of EM currency market, which we produce daily, and where we seek to identify the leaders and laggards among currencies by comparing the performance of each to its history as well as to other currencies based on their respective betas to the broad market. The analysis, therefore, is not a forecasting tool but to be used for identifying dislocations, which we loosely define as price moves that cannot be justified by fundamentals.

FX Dashboard: EM FX Volatility Remains Low

In this note, we discuss the reasons behind the recent lag of the Colombian peso and argue that it may continue to underperform in the near term.The attached file is a snapshot of EM currency market, which we produce daily, and where we seek to identify the leaders and laggards among currencies by comparing the performance of each to its history as well as to other currencies based on their respective betas to the broad market. The analysis, therefore, is not a forecasting tool but to be used for identifying dislocations, which we loosely define as price moves that cannot be justified by fundamentals.

In this note, we discuss the reasons behind the recent lag of the Colombian peso and argue that it may continue to underperform in the near term.The attached file is a snapshot of EM currency market, which we produce daily, and where we seek to identify the leaders and laggards among currencies by comparing the performance of each to its history as well as to other currencies based on their respective betas to the broad market. The analysis, therefore, is not a forecasting tool but to be used for identifying dislocations, which we loosely define as price moves that cannot be justified by fundamentals.

FX Dashboard: Colombian Peso to Continue Underperforming

Economist, Centennial Asia Advisors

Nicholas Chia

Economist

Centennial Asia Advisors

At Centennial Asia Advisors, we tell it like it is. We have no vested interests, no need for a China wall, and no reason to skew our outlook any other way. With over 30 years experience covering Asia’s political economy, you can be sure our conclusions and analyses are based on the unadulterated facts. Through years of fine-tuning our research methodologies, we deliver a quality of macroeconomic analysis few other houses can match.

Centennial Asia Advisors is an independent research and advisory firm that works with governments, multilateral institutions, financial firms and leading MNCs.

Economic Policy and Strategic Advisors

Macroeconomics

<ul>
<li>There are 3 reasons why remittances, the lifeblood of the Philippine economy, will surprise on the upside in 2021 (2021e: +6%; BSP forecast: +4%), aided by the lifting of lockdowns across the globe, more stimulus in the developed world, and the prospect of a weaker <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/philippine-peso" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:24094:1" rel="noopener">PHP (USDPHP CURNCY)</a>.</li>
<li>The Duterte administration approved the creation of asset management companies that would help already-well-fortified banks offload distressed assets and boost credit growth, which contracted for the first time in more than a decade amid tighter lending standards.</li>
</ul>


There are 3 reasons why remittances, the lifeblood of the Philippine economy, will surprise on the upside in 2021 (2021e: +6%; BSP forecast: +4%), aided by the lifting of lockdowns across the globe, more stimulus in the developed world, and the prospect of a weaker PHP (USDPHP CURNCY).
The Duterte administration approved the creation of asset management companies that would help already-well-fortified banks offload distressed assets and boost credit growth, which contracted for the first time in more than a decade amid tighter lending standards.


The Philippines: 3 Reasons Why Remittances Will Surprise On The Upside

Philippines

The Philippine peso is the official currency of The Republic of the Philippines. 

Price Gauge
52-week Range	0.00 - 0.00
Market Cap (USDm)	0.00
P/E	0.00
Dividend (Yield)	0.00

PHP (USDPHP CURNCY)

Non-Japan Asia: NEERs and FX Intervention

Non-Japan Asian central banks have in past year intervened in FX market to cap FX volatility, protect export competitiveness and limit imported...

Olivier Desbarres

FX Dashboard: Taper Tantrum Vs Current Reflationary Scare – Part 1

Attached is our daily FX Dashboard that helps identify dislocations among EM currencies. In this note, we compare the correction this year in EM...

Gautam Jain, PhD, CFA

FX Dashboard: EM FX Volatility Remains Low

Attached is our daily FX Dashboard that helps identify dislocations among EM currencies. In this note, we discuss the reasons behind the stability...

Gautam Jain, PhD, CFA

FX Dashboard: Colombian Peso to Continue Underperforming

Attached is our daily FX Dashboard that helps identify dislocations among EM currencies. In this note, we discuss Colombian peso's recent lag and...

Gautam Jain, PhD, CFA

The Philippines: 3 Reasons Why Remittances Will Surprise On The Upside

Remittances are set to revive with a vengeance in 2021, with risks tilted to the upside as tough lockdowns become increasingly unfashionable across...

Nicholas Chia

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)