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efta-01459597DOJ Data Set 10OtherEFTA01459597
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DOJ Data Set 10
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efta-01459597
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12 January 2016
FX Blueprint: Forever Young
Theme #2: Brussels sprouts - sell GBP vs USD & SEK
•
Stretched valuation, unsustainably large capital
inflows and renewed political risks spell the end for
the sterling uptrend.
•
Stay short GBP/USD as Fed and Bank of England
policy diverges. Short GBP/SEK also makes sense
from a relative value perspective.
Sterling has far outshone its peers since the start of the
dollar uptrend in April 2011. The pound has fallen just
7% against the greenback versus a 30% move in the
broad USD TWI (figure 1), with only the Korean won
doing better among floating rate currencies. There are
now plenty of reasons to think outperformance is over.
The pound is expensrve
First, sterling is expensive on several metrics. Two year
rate spreads suggest cable closer to the low 1.40s. The
cross has also closely tracked the relative number of
months between a US and UK tightening cycle, which
also imply downside based on current market pricing.
Using a medium run valuation framework, the currency
is the most expensive among all the majors on a
combined PPP, BEER and FEER basis.
Record capital inflows may not be sustained
Second, it is doubtful whether the huge capital inflows
the UK has generated and seen the current account
deficit widen to the largest in history can be sustained.
As figure 3 shows, these have been very sensitive to
the UK's relative growth rank with other developed
economies. Britain has fallen from the top of the pack
back in 2014 to number four today, and will drop to
number six if the softer growth momentum implied by
GDP revisions in Q3 December endures.
Drilling down into flows, robust net direct investment
was boosted by record M&A inflows last year. This
may be difficult to repeat given rising US interest rates
and renewed focus by US authorities on tax inversion
deals. Most of the inflows, though, have been portfolio,
broadly balanced between equity and debt. For the
former, EFPR data suggests that healthy inflows in O2
and Q3 have turned. On the latter, fixed income inflows
have been highly sensitive to relative monetary policy
stances, with the UK one of the largest beneficiaries of
the compression of term premia from ECB QE. But
monetary policy divergence may have peaked, with the
prospects of more ECB easing seemingly off the table
for the first half of next year, while the Bank of England
has become much more cautious about tightening.
Fiscal and monetary tightening may prove a challenge
Growth risks appear skewed to the downside too. The
UK is set to undergo renewed austerity next year. At
1.3% GDP, fiscal tightening is less than previously
forecast, yet will still be the largest of major developed
economies. A sharp increase in fiscal tightening may
be the 'hidden' reason growth has slowed this year and
a further pick-up could put rate hikes on ice indefinitely.
IGBP has outperformed almost every other currency
since the start of the USD uptrend
135 ma USD broad index, exclucang GBP
130
USD/GBP. indexed
125
120
116
110
106
100
96
90 1
Jun-II
Jan-I2 Aug-12 Mar-13 04413 May-14 Dmi-14 Ju415 h016
screw cooteriamesfiwarce. OttwIleip Friem LP
The pound already looks expensive to rate spreads
29
2'
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I4
09
0.4
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if
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May-OB
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May-12
May-14
—2y to nerd ate safeee
2 year current
GBP/USD. rhs
sayer Deursan• e.+4 Haman Fivnot LP
2.12
ZO2
192
1.12
1-72
1.62
151
1,42
L32
(Debt inflows mean reverting appear to have peaked
7% I
—Net capital inflows into the UK. % GDP
6%
—Rank of UK growth versus G10. the
L.
2%
If current growth nxamentum continue
Oct.87 Deo-91 Feb-96 Apr-00 Jun-04 Aug-08 Oct-12
SOUK* DIVIIth• sank mrAnityryftnencv tP
-1
3
4
5
6
7
-8
9
Deutsche Bank AG/London
Page 5
1
CONFIDENTIAL — PURSUANT TO FED. R. CRIM. P. 6(e)
CONFIDENTIAL
SDNY_GM_00266297
DB-SDNY-0120113
EFTA01459597
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