Japan's effort at super QE is likely to export its deflation to trading partners. John Mauldin has a long a analysis of this in his current newsletter. Our occasional guestblogger Yves comes to a similar conclusion. He wraps it into several conclusions:
Stocks: his bullish indicator has turned Yellow - time to take profits. It may shortly go into full sell mode. Neely has a similar view, that we may be in the final capitulation UP above S&P 1700 before a dramatic reversal.
Bonds: the effort to reflate the Japanese currency has caused damage to the confidence of Japanese bond investors due to a big pullback in bond prices. Ignore the bond vigilantes at your peril, Yves says! The vigilantes will work against the effort to reflate by dropping bond prices and negating monetary expansion. Instead, if this rolls into an even larger correction, it is deflationary.
Currency Wars: the drop in the Yen (30% so far) has a short term impact on Japanese profits due to increased sales (largely to China) but engenders a currency devaluation by trading partners. Already calls in Europe for a more expansion ECB approach. Profits in countries around Japan that also export to China - Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan - are being hammered.
Deflation: The weakening of the Yen creates deflation in trading partners due to their relative currency strength, at least prior to a competitive devaluation.
US Dollar: In general it is thought to be going higher, in part due to the export of deflation by Japan combined with competitive devaluation by trading partners, and eventually Europe. Yves however thinks it is shortly to weaken, especially if the bond vigilantes thwart the super QE of Japan.
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