CANADA: CAD Yields Belatedly Slide, GDP Advance Underwhelms

Jan-31 14:15
  • After initially not much of a reaction to various US data/speech releases and Canadian monthly GDP, GoC yields have since pushed more notably lower.
  • 2Y GoC yields are now 6.5bp lower on the day which sees a further tumbling in the Can-US yield differential to fresh multi-decade lows at -155bps. This was at -144bp prior to yesterday’s tariff threat reiteration from Trump.
  • The decline helps fuel a renewed uptick in USDCAD, hitting 1.452 for session highs but still below yesterday’s short-lived spike to 1.4595 on those tariff headlines.
  • Real GDP growth was surprisingly revised lower to -0.2% M/M in November (cons and advance -0.1%) which helped take the gloss of the December advance seen at 0.2% M/M.
  • With the November drag coming in part from Canada Post and port strikes, this December advance looks underwhelming considering it would also have been buoyed by timing of Cyber Monday and the start of the GST/HST holiday.
  • It left the monthly industry-based GDP rising 1.75% annualized on a 3m/3m basis, in line with the 1.8% BoC forecast from Wednesday’s MPR.  
  • It then forecast GDP growth at 2.0% in Q1, i.e. two quarters close to the ~1.8% potential that it estimates for both 2025 and 2026. 
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Historical bullets

US TSYS: Tsy Curves Look To Finish 2024 at June'22 Highs

Dec-31 19:18
  • Treasuries look to finish the last trading session of 2024 lower after reversing Tuesday morning support. Markets closed Wednesday for New Years day, resume full trade Thursday.
  • The Mar'25 10Y contract trades 108-25.5 (-5.5) late in the day, 10Y yield near session high of 4.5871%. Curves bounced off flatter levels, 2s10s climbing to 34.344 -- the highest level since June 2022.
  • Short end support, in turn, helped projected rate cuts into early 2025 gain momentum vs. late Monday levels (*) as follows: Jan'25 steady at -2.8bp, Mar'25 -14.6bp (-13.6bp), May'25 -20.6bp (-19.5bp), Jun'25 -29.8bp (-28.8bp).
  • No substantive reaction to this morning's housing and regional Dallas Fed services activity data. Looking ahead to Thursday data (prior, est): Initial Jobless (219k, 221k) and Continuing Claims (1.910M, 1.890M) at 0830ET; S&P Global US Manufacturing PMI (48.3, 48.3) at 0945ET; Construction Spending MoM (0.4%, 0.3%) at 1000ET.
  • Treasury supply: $85B 4- & $80B 8W bill auctions at 1130ET, $64B 17W bill auction at 1300ET.

COMMODITIES: WTI Futures, Gold Holding Higher

Dec-31 18:47

WTI futures are trading higher today as the contract extends recent gains. A stronger reversal to the upside would refocus attention on key short-term resistance at $76.41, the Oct 8 high. Initial firm resistance is unchanged at $71.97. A bear threat in Gold remains present. The yellow metal traded sharply lower on Dec 18 and the move undermines a recent bull theme. A resumption of weakness would open key support at $2536.9, the Nov 14 low.

  • WTI Crude up $0.9 or +1.27% at $71.88
  • Natural Gas down $0.32 or -8.13% at $3.618
  • Gold spot up $19.24 or +0.74% at $2625.86
  • Copper down $6.95 or -1.7% at $402.3
  • Silver down $0.1 or -0.34% at $28.8383
  • Platinum up $3.96 or +0.44% at $908.02

US STOCKS: Late Equity Roundup: Tech & Interactive Media Sectors Underperforming

Dec-31 18:36
  • Stocks are trading near session lows after reversing early session gains. Though off this year's record highs (SPX Eminis 6178.75, DJIA 45,073.63, Nasdaq 20,204.58) major averages will finish the year with double digit gains: SPX Eminis +19.5%, DJIA +13.1%, while the Nasdaq gained 29.9%!
  • Currently, the DJIA trades down 92.19 points (-0.22%) at 42474.46, S&P E-Minis down 28 points (-0.47%) at 5929.75, Nasdaq down 147 points (-0.8%) at 19337.13.
  • Information Technology and Communication Services shares underperformed continued to underperform late Tuesday, shares of software and semiconductor makers weighing on the tech sector: Nvidia -1.61%, Advanced Micro Devices -1.36%, Crowdstrike Holdings -1.28%.
  • Interactive media and entertainment shares weighed on the Communication Services sector: Alphabet -0.9%, Live Nation -0.76%, Netflix -0.60%, Meta -0.41%.
  • On the positive side, Energy and Materials sectors outperformed in the second half, oil & gas stocks buoyed the Energy sector as crude prices continued to rise (WTI +1.0 at 71.99): APA Corp +3.59%, Marathon Petroleum +2.46%, Occidental Petroleum +2.15%.
  • Meanwhile, shares of chemical & fertilizer makers supported the Materials sector: Mosaic +2.44%, Celanese +1.42%, Dow +1.37%.
  • Looking ahead, the next round of quarterly earnings kicks off mid-January with Blackrock, Bank of NY Melon, Wells Fargo, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, US Bancorp, M&T Bank and PNC all reporting between January 13-16.