Government
With 88 days to go until the U.S. presidential election our client meetings are starting to steer towards "all Trump, all the time." In this report we present evidence that Trump's electability is correlated with the chief global safe haven, the 10-year Treasury. Markets may be overreacting, however. Trump has a chance, but Clinton is the clear favorite. We also bust five myths about China's political system, in a continuation of our coverage of rising geopolitical risks in East Asia.
With 88 days to go until the U.S. presidential election our client meetings are starting to steer towards "all Trump, all the time." In this report we present evidence that Trump's electability is correlated with the chief global safe haven, the 10-year Treasury. Markets may be overreacting, however. Trump has a chance, but Clinton is the clear favorite. We also bust five myths about China's political system, in a continuation of our coverage of rising geopolitical risks in East Asia.
There has not been much of an improvement/recovery in the Chinese economy. Credit growth is weakening anew, which warrants a downbeat cyclical outlook for China's industrial sectors. Malaysia is heading into a classic credit/banking downturn. Go short Malaysian banks stocks and short the ringgit versus the U.S. dollar. In South Africa, take profits on the yield curve flattening trade. Continue shorting the rand versus the U.S. dollar.
Signs that the median voter is moving to the left are everywhere. Markets will cheer the move as it means more government spending. In the long term, it depends if policymakers stop at fiscal stimulus. In this <i>Monthly Report</i>, BCA's <i>Geopolitical Strategy</i> reviews prospects for "Bremorse," latest in the U.S. election, Italian political crisis, tensions in South China Sea, and the long-term future of Europe.
There is no evidence of a sharp increase in China's state sector investment in recent months. This, together with the cautious private enterprises, explains why overall Chinese investment has remained downbeat. Public sector investment spending will likely accelerate going forward, which should continue to support business activity.
The Chinese government is engaging in a difficult balancing act between the imperative of maintaining growth momentum and structural reforms. Policymakers have eased off the gas pedal, but the impact of previous stimulative measures should continue to filter through the economy. Investors should also curb their enthusiasm in assessing China's demand-side countercyclical initiatives.
The median voter theory is one of the few genuine theories of political science. It assumes that voters have limited policy priorities and that politicians want power. Therefore the latter will adjust their stances to satisfy the largest swath of voters. The median voter in the Anglo-Saxon world is shifting to the left, and regardless of what happens in the Brexit referendum or the U.S. election, this shift will be the most consequential development for markets.
The window for "stealth" RMB depreciation is likely closed for now. The Chinese authorities are stepping up efforts to boost infrastructure construction with several major announcements last month. Capital spending on transportation infrastructure will likely accelerate at least through next year.
China's reflation policies have succeeded in reviving iron ore and steel prices, which are up 45.6% and 52.6% from their January lows, along with the profitability of domestic steelmakers.
It is widely perceived that China suffers from a massive capital misallocation problem. Our indicators defy this conventional wisdom.