Fixed Income and Currency Strategist

Gautam Jain, PhD, CFA

Gautam Jain has over 25 years of experience covering global emerging fixed income and currency markets, both as a strategist and a portfolio manager. He has worked in buy-side and sell-side firms, including The Rohatyn Group (TRG Management), Barclays Capital, and Millennium Partners. He has helped manage emerging markets local-currency and hard-currency debt funds. The assets that he covers include currencies, interest rates, sovereign credits, and related derivatives. He specializes in portfolio construction, smart-beta index creation, and asset allocation. Mr. Jain holds a Ph.D. in Operations Research from Columbia University and is a CFA charter holder.

Drivers Behind the Turnaround of Asian Currencies

Is Carry Driving the Returns of EM Currencies?

Will Latin American Currencies Continue to Outperform Against Asia and CEEMEA?

Is the Period of Underperformance for Asian Currencies Over?

FX Dashboard: Is the Thai Baht Finally Turning?

Battle Lines Drawn As BABA Builds Out First/Last-Mile Capacity; But Who Will Fund 75+ Bn CNY CapEx?

FX & Rates

<p>In this week’s Alpha Bites, we recommend buying the Thai baht (THB) against the Singapore dollar (SGD) in a beta-neutral ratio. After lagging for much of the year, THB has finally started catching up with its EM peers as coronavirus cases have peaked and vaccinations have picked up, allowing for tourism to return. In the case of Singapore, the MAS started tightening monetary policy at the last semiannual review, but growth is not strong enough to justify significant further tightening yet. Besides, SGD appreciated immediately after the MAS announcement, reflecting the move.</p>

In this week’s Alpha Bites, we recommend buying the Thai baht (THB) against the Singapore dollar (SGD) in a beta-neutral ratio. After lagging for much of the year, THB has finally started catching up with its EM peers as coronavirus cases have peaked and vaccinations have picked up, allowing for tourism to return. In the case of Singapore, the MAS started tightening monetary policy at the last semiannual review, but growth is not strong enough to justify significant further tightening yet. Besides, SGD appreciated immediately after the MAS announcement, reflecting the move.

Alpha Bites: Long Thai Baht (THB) Vs Short Singapore Dollar (SGD)