Trading with point and figure

Off out for coffee. current chart for ref. Chart trend line is one square out!

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US June 2017 jobs data: "Labour market remains tight, wage growth contained - not a game changer"

a) Payrolls / Establishment survey - Payrolls at 222K with a net upward revision of 47K to May & April were clearly much stronger than expected, and way above the Fed's 'breakeven' rate (80-100K), even if June's headline rate was heftily flattered by a 35K gain in Govt payrolls, which meant that Private Payrolls rose by 187K (still above forecast 170K). In the detail, Services showed broad based strength, with a 35K gain in Professional/Business (generally somewhat better paid jobs) accompanied by a net 26K upward revision to previous readings. Manufacturing Payrolls at +1K continued to be soft, though this should really not be a surprise given secular automation trends in the sector (whatever Trump might propagate in disinformation terms). The job shedding in Retail & Wholesale of recent months took a break, though this is unlikely to be signal that the tide is turning.

b) Unemployment Rate / Household Report - While last month's drop in the Unemployment Rate was flattering in so far as it masked labour force shrinkage (-429K), this month's small rise to 4.4% from 4.3% reflected a 361K rise in the labour force, accompanied by 245K gain in Employment and a 116 rise in Unemployment, which also paced the bump higher in the U-6 Underemployment Rate to 8.6% from 8.4%. The major eyesore in this data remains the U-6 Underemployment Rate for 18-24 yr olds (a very volatile measure), which bounded higher to 17.3% from 15.2% (though still lower than January's 17.8%).

c) Average Hourly Earnings / Weekly Hours - Slightly below expectations at 0.2% m/m 2.5% y/y vs. a forecast of 0.3%/2.6%, but in policy terms this is not a show stopper for the Fed, it merely continues to give the FOMC some room for manoeuvre. Average Weekly Hours returned to the year's high at 34.5, with Manufacturing Hours edging up to 40.8, implying a reasonably solid gain in June Industrial Production.

d) Market reaction - The Treasury curve continues to steepen, with a drop in the 2-yr yield proving short lived, while 10 yr yields continue to focus on a retest of the recent 2.39% high. The USD index looks to be trying to form a short-term base, though price action suggests consolidation rather than implying a s-t trend change. S&P e-mini future remains close to the lows for the month, but still mired in the 2400/2450 range that has prevailed since the end of May. Overall this report looks to have been little more than a five minute wonder, and in so far as it emphatically does not change anything for the Fed policy outlook, attention can now turn to the Fed's semi-annual report to Congress at 16.00 BST, whatever may or may not emerge from the G-20 meeting, and next week's run of key data (Retail Sales, PPI, CPI, Industrial Production) and Yellen's testimony.

and some videos on various topics from earlier:

a) TipTV "Bond Yields abrupt rise, Non-Farm payrolls could be dull, look
for average earnings numbers" -

b) FXStreet "GBP faces big downside vrs EUR and USD"

EUR/USD gains slowing, sellers watching ECB

USD/JPY up on US yields, BoJ keep carry trade attractive

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Marc Ostwald
Strategist
ADM Investor Services International
 
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