DJ Debt Futures Review: Sharp Losses Due To Long Liquidation
By Allen Sykora
BEND, Ore. (Dow Jones)--Interest-rate futures in Chicago finished lower
Monday due to a combination of worries about future Chinese demand for
Treasuries, the recent soft trend for the U.S. dollar and technical factors,
analysts and traders said. Much of the selling was in the form of long
liquidation.
December 10-year notes settled down 19 ticks to 111-14.5, while March
fell 21 ticks to 110-25. December Treasury bonds slid a full point plus 6
ticks to 111-15, while March bonds lost a full point plus 6 ticks to 110-17.
Jun Eurodollars slid 2.5 basis points to 96.805.
"The market is still reeling from last week's commentary regarding
China," said John Person, president of National Futures Advisory Service in
Palm Beach, Fla.
An academic advisor to the Chinese central bank was quoted late last
week as saying the country could pare its purchases of U.S. Treasuries.
The official later said his remarks were misconstrued and that he had no
inside knowledge of the bank's intentions, but the issue remained a bearish
factor.
The dollar's recent tailspin also remains a bearish background factor
for bond and note futures, said Person. A weakening U.S. currency lowers the
value of assets here held by overseas investors, which could make them less
likely to want to buy and hold U.S. government securities.
This all occurs against a backdrop in which the Federal Reserve has been
tightening monetary policy in increments of 25 basis points on a regular
basis. This may well continue since early news reports suggest the holiday-
shopping season got off to a good start over the Thanksgiving weekend, said
Person.
"The Treasuries are seeing a lot of liquidation, especially going toward
year-end," said Person. "Anyone who has been long and holding longer-term
positions is probably wise to take some money off the table before year-end."
Some of the selling is on follow-through due to technical factors, with
stops hit in the long end of the curve, said Person.
"Selling begets selling," said Person. "Once we breach support, momentum
traders start to press the market and locals jump on."
March bonds broke down through the area around and slightly above the
111 handle, said Person. This made the area around 110-15, based on weekly
pivot-point analysis, one of the next major targets. March bonds traded down
as far as 110-09 but were back hovering around 110-15 as the pits closed.
Person pointed out that a monthly pivot-based level in the December bonds
that lies around 111-13, which equates to around 110-09 for the March
futures. This general area for December bonds is also important since the 111-
11 had been a "swing point" for the market back in August and September. Just
below this is the Nov. 5 low of 111 even.
If the market fails below this general area, said Person, it could
trigger more heavy selling that eventually will result in the loss of three
or four full points in the bonds by mid-January.
Alex Manzara, vice president with Refco who works from the floor of the
Chicago Mercantile Exchange, linked some of the selling to comments from Bill
Gross, chief investment officer with Pimco.
"There's no doubt that the dollar is on the run and that higher U.S.
interest rates are the inevitable consequence," said an outlook posted on
Pimco's Web site. He pointed out that dollar depreciation eventually leads to
inflation and also leaves foreign investors wondering if they should hold
Treasuries.
"There was also some talk today that Bush's new economic team might
consider a re-issue of the 30-year bond," said Manzara. "I don't know if that
has any basis, but a couple of people were talking about it, so that was
probably a negative factor for the long end."
He pointed out that the Eurodollar curve steepened. As he spoke late in
the session, the reds, or second year out, were down around 5 basis points,
while the golds (the fifth year out) were down by more than 12.
"That's the first time we've had an aggressive steepening in quite some
time," Manzara said. "It looks like there is an unwinding of flatteners going
on."
No major U.S. economic reports were on the calendar, but several are on
tap each day for the remainder of the week, leading up to the November non-
farm payrolls report due out Friday. Data on Tuesday are to include:
-- third-quarter gross domestic product at 0730 CT (1330 GMT), expected
to remain at the previously reported 3.7%;
-- the consumer-confidence index at 0900 CT, forecast to rise to 96.1 in
November from 92.8 in October; and
-- the Chicago Purchasing Managers Index, expected to slide to 62.8 in
November from 68.5 in October.
-By Allen Sykora; Dow Jones Newswires; 541-318-8765;
[email protected]
(END) Dow Jones Newswires