With A Rate Decision Looming, Weakening Australian Dollar Sends Poor Signal for Stocks

This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on February 1, 2013. Click here to read the entire piece.)

While all eyes are trained on U.S. economic data this week, Australians are looking ahead to Monday, February 4th when the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) makes its next statement on monetary policy. Consensus forecasts pin rates right where they stand at 3.0%. Yet, the Australian dollar (FXA) has traded steadily downward against all major currencies except the Japanese yen (FXY) going into this meeting as if the odds are relatively high that the RBA will cut rates yet again.

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While the euro remains significantly down versus the Australian dollar, the recent rally has taken EUR/AUD 13% off August lows
While the euro remains significantly down versus the Australian dollar, the recent rally has taken EUR/AUD 13% off August lows

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AUD/USD cracks support at its 200DMA for the first time since October as it goes negative for 2013
AUD/USD cracks support at its 200DMA for the first time since October as it goes negative for 2013

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…This means the typically strong correlation between the Australian dollar and the S&P 500 is once again broken. In fact, this correlation has trended downward over the past year or so as the Australian dollar has failed to make further gains as the S&P 500 has churned higher {snip}… I strongly expect that the current weakness in the Australian dollar is providing the same early signal it did in 2012. The RBA may hold the final key.

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Even if the Australian dollar rebounds after the RBA announcement, I think the overall downtrend will soon reassert itself. {snip}


The S&P 500 has churned higher slowly but relentlessly since the start of 2013
The S&P 500 has churned higher slowly but relentlessly since the start of 2013

Source for charts: FreeStockCharts.com

Be careful out there!

This is an excerpt from an article I originally published on Seeking Alpha on February 1, 2013. Click here to read the entire piece.)

Full disclosure: long SSO puts

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