Stock Futures Dip as Investors Await Key Payrolls Data 
China’s Growth Faces Structural Challenges Amid Doubts Over Data 
Gold Prices Fall Amid Rate Jitters; Copper Steady as China Stimulus Eyed 
Lithium Market Poised for Recovery Amid Supply Cuts and Rising Demand 
U.S. Banks Report Strong Q4 Profits Amid Investment Banking Surge 
UBS Projects Mixed Market Outlook for 2025 Amid Trump Policy Uncertainty 
Bank of America Posts Strong Q4 2024 Results, Shares Rise 
Moldova Criticizes Russia Amid Transdniestria Energy Crisis 
RBA Raises Cash Rate to 4.10% in Closest Vote Since Transparent Voting Began 
Oil Prices Dip Slightly Amid Focus on Russian Sanctions and U.S. Inflation Data 
U.S. Stocks vs. Bonds: Are Diverging Valuations Signaling a Shift? 
Global Markets React to Strong U.S. Jobs Data and Rising Yields 
European Stocks Rally on Chinese Growth and Mining Merger Speculation 
Taiwan Central Bank Expected to Hold Interest Rates Steady Through 2027 
RBA Set to Hike Rates Again Amid Inflation Surge and Global Uncertainty 
Fed Holds Rates Steady as Middle East Conflict Clouds Inflation Outlook 
The FOMC is also scheduled for this week but is expected to be overshadowed by fiscal negotiations. There is some possibility that the Fed could lengthen the duration of its purchases at this meeting, but the key FOMC meeting will be in September when it unveils its framework review and thus will be the more likely forum to make policy changes on forward guidance and asset purchases.
Given these cyclical and political risks, the expectation is that the USD weakness is likely to continue selectively. Within G10, the euro bloc ex-GBP remains the primary candidate for such trades.
In the UK, PM Johnson warned a ‘second wave’ of Covid-19 cases has started in Europe and it was revealed that travellers to Belgium, Luxembourg and Croatia face quarantine measures on return to the UK. The International Air Transport Association was reported as not seeing global air travel returning to pre-Covid-19 levels until at least 2024.
Ahead of the Fed announcement, today’s data releases seem unlikely to have much impact on markets. The Bank of England’s June data for bank lending is likely to note a pickup as lockdown restrictions were eased. In particular, mortgage approvals are forecast to have risen sharply.
OTC Updates & Options Strategy:
Options Strategy, Diagonal Debit Put Spread (DDPS): Contemplating above factors, wise to deploy diagonal options strategy by adding short sterling: Stay short a 2M/2W GBPUSD put spread (1.3075/1.25), spot reference: 1.2962 level.
The Rationale: Observe the 3m GBP’s positive skewness that has stretched towards OTM Put strikes upto 1.25 levels, hence, options traders are expecting that the underlying spot FX to slide southwards.
To substantiate the downside risk sentiment, risk reversal numbers have still been signalling bearish hedging sentiments in the long run. One can observe fresh negative bids that indicates hedgers have shown renewed interests for bearish risks in the months to come.
Hence, we advocate the diagonal options strategy on both hedging and trading grounds. Courtesy: Sentry, Saxo & Lloyds
