Today the Bank of Canada (BOC) is likely to raise its benchmark interest rates by 25 basis points. Many are looking at the language as the true determinate of the direction of the Canadian stock markets, bonds, and the dollar (CAD). The current rate hike has been priced in but markets are going to look for a conciliatory tone in the report that will determine how likely further hikes are to be. Many of these worried are around the high debt levels in the Canadian economy, some estimates around 170% of GDP. The central bank is likely to say further hikes are 'data dependent' and not have as aggressive of a tone as some fear. The board should look to see if the slowing economy is accelerated by this first hike before looking to adjust policy further. In terms of seeing how this will affect the private consumers one has to just watch the performance of the large banks.

Many of the banks have outrun the overall market in the anticipation of greater profitability in a rising rate environment. That performance can quickly change if we start to see loan delinquencies and a slowdown in lending as a result of these higher rates. A quarter basis point increase should not be the tipping point of the entire lending economy in Canada but how the bank react to the longer term prospects of more increases, especially in their management of in house prime rates on mortgages, will be the deciding factor.

On Tuesday the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) will meet for an interest rate decision and have a meeting. Many are expecting no change in policy and in light of some recent economic numbers, some investors are expecting the debate within the bank to start to hinge towards the possibility of rate hikes and less away from the timing of the next cut. The shift from a loosening to tightening policy will depend more on the outlooks from China and their needs for commodities than domestic growth in the country.

​China will come out with their manufacturing numbers early Tuesday followed by Europe and the UK (the US numbers are today). Watchin these numbers, coupled with Australia's reliance on the commodity sector growth (and inflation) it would be wise to track these numbers, especially in the APAC region.

The RBA mentioning in their meeting about the recent rise in inflation could spur the Aussie dollar to strengthen back down to levels seen after the US elections when the reflation trade was in full swing. The anticipation of higher interest rates would make the currency more attractive and could help stem the growth in debt levels that are keeping many investors on the sidelines in terms of longer term investment in the country.

The Fed will speak in a few hours and the almost no one is expecting rates to remain the same. As discussed earlier the markets seem to be taking this rate hike in stride because the Fed seems to have waited to the very last minute to leave make sure there was nothing that could support a delay in rate hiking. What will be important to look for is the language at the conference. How the conference manages the expectations of the Fed going forward will play a large role in the markets going forward. 

Should the Fed get more aggressive in their language, and appear to want to head off inflation, the markets could take a pause and revalue equities on that assumption. If the Fed instead keeps the appearance of only raising rates in the absence of any data giving a reason to hold, then markets will feel the economy can expand without much interference from higher borrowing costs.

With the Fed minutes today, we are seeing more evidence of the policy and inflation being intertwined. The Fed mentioned that while markets are looking at lower taxes and more fiscal expansion, it is difficult for them to asses the inflation levels that will come through 2017 and beyond. The minutes have shown the vast majority of Fed officials wanted more information on the policy front before taking action in January.

​It will be interesting to see if inflation expectations create a self fulfilling cycle and the Fed is forced to raise rates into an environment that doesn't see fiscal stimulus come. This would no doubt see a re-pricing in the markets, specifically commodities and emerging markets which are participating in this broad rally perhaps unjustly.

On the other side of the spectrum, which the minutes seem to have alluded to, is the Fed holding back on rates due to the uncertainty. This could cause inflation to get ahead of the 2% target and see the Fed either have to aggressively increase rates, shocking the markets, or being seen as behind the curve. This could explain the rise in gold along side the S&P500 along side the markets in 2017.

Eurozone inflation numbers came out higher than expected which gave the ECB signs that their stimulus is working. The bank now believes they will reach their goal of 2% inflation by 2019. While this is a welcoming sign of the Eurozone returning to normalcy Germany might not be as welcoming to staying the course to 2%.

Inflation in Germany is out pacing that of the greater Eurozone, the government will have to make a choice to absorb higher inflation for the greater good of the Eurozone, or push for a dampening of stimulus. What Germany decides is an important part of the equation because their lack of leadership in the fight to stem inflation will prevent the transfer of the debt burden off of the southern countries to the bond holders (namely Germany). Failure to do so will create a greater rift in the two speed Eurozone recovery and put strains on periphery budgets and growth. 

​It will be interesting to watch the Euro and how it reacts to news of Germany not willing to accept more inflation for the greater Eurozone. What should come to strengthen the currency through a more unified economy would start to unravel, with talks of a t class euro and Germany or other leaving the bloc starting to pull the currency down. Spreads on Eurozone debt will also tell the story, with a rise in German Bunds narrowing the spreads with other countries being a sign of markets feeling the country is in lockstep with the measures taken by the ECB.

Good data out of China last night and the highest inflation rate in 2 years in the US pushed pre-markets higher. The lack of a slowing Chinese economy does help with the global economic sentiment, but higher inflation will prompt the Fed to take action in raising rates. Inflation was one of the last excuses the Fed had to remain dovish on rate increases in the near and longer term. Should the rate keep going up it will force the hand of the Fed even in the face of slowing global growth.

There are some signs of a lack of demand in the economy that will be exacerbated when rates increase, and more importantly, when longer term rate expectations start to increase and the longer end of the curve prices this in. One of the only causes of the rising markets could be the decline in the dollar whose strength has become a concern with investors recently. This trend should be watched.

After Friday's sell-off in an "all down" day we look to have our confirmation continued by the opposite occurring. By having a down day and an up day in your portfolio you can better see what asset classes, and what market factors, are moving your portfolio. Looking at what moved the markets up and how that resulted in gainers in your portfolio (and then again in the opposite direction) to see if the market is confirming your theory or there are other factors at play outside your current understanding.

​Friday was a near perfect up day for the US Divergence play in the Inflation space. The dollar rose to the yen while bonds, commodities, and stocks declined. Today started off mixed with the yen up, bond yields up (prices down) and stocks up. Brainard then spoke and came out dovish which the market (at least half of it) didn't expect. Markets quickly came back into line with stocks continuing the rally, the dollar continuing the weakening and a sharp reversal in the short end of the bond curve. Commodities  also came back from their lows making the latter half of the day a 'perfect up' day in terms of the Divergence theory. 

No one likes red in their account (unless you are trading in China) but having a good confirmation of being perfectly right and perfectly wrong lets you know that the theory  and your asset selection is in line with the events you are looking to play. If you do not have perfect up and down days it helps you look at how you can adjust. For example if you were short 30yr treasuries Friday you made money along side the rest of the market but you would have been slightly up as well today. This could be from the inflation expectations that lower rates for longer will have in the future. Either way this play might not be the best for the US divergence trade as other factors are affecting the price movement (inflation expectations in the longer run).

​Nothing unusual about the dollar rising in the wake of a market sell-off, today should be no exception. But looking at asset classes across the board it seem cash will be the winner for the day. The stock markets are down substantially, given recent low volatility and the Yen is selling off to the dollar as well. Taking a look at yields, the US Treasuries are up the same percentage across the curve. 

The move of all asset classes lower is interesting because it shows a smaller version of what could come from a Fed becoming less accomodative. The increase in yields on us treasuries will force all other asset classes to be re calculated, including the equity markets. The dollar increases as a result and hits commodities as well. This divergence in policy (which is just being priced into the markets as of recently) could make allocating between asset classes more difficult and the costs of holding cash much lower in the near term. there will no doubt be more 'all down' days ahead and having the cash on had to take advantage of mis-pricing seems to be a smart bet.

Inflation, specifically wage inflation, could take center stage today leading into the employment report in the US on Friday. A good number will convince the markets that the Fed is going to raise rats as soon as September and put the possibility of a second hike by year end into focus. This could create the gap between countries monetary policies and bring back the concern, and volatility, of divergence. While the world looks to America to see if and when policy will start to diverge, other countries should start of think of their own divergence strategies.
 
Lower unemployment in Germany has the country diverging from Italy, which still has above 11% inflation, which could spark inflation differentials between countries as well. Unlike the US, Germany cannot raise rates to counter higher wage demand. This will result in the government having to try other means in order to keep wages (and overall) inflation tame while other countries in Europe still need easing. The inflow if immigrants proved promising until political backlash started to stem the willingness of the government, and private business, to welcome more workers. Continuous QE within the Eurozone combined with inflation could result in a deeply negative real yield and cause a selloff in the safe haven of Europe.​