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Trump hits Mexico with tariff threat, China plans âmajorâ retaliation, and bonds reach new records.Â
Peso hit
President Donald Trump said he will impose a 5% tariff on Mexican goods, taking effect on June 10, if the country does not stop immigrants from illegally entering the U.S. The White House warned that the levy could [rise as high as 25% by Oct. 1]( if the issue is not remedied. The Mexican peso weakened by as much as 3% as investors mull the[ long list of goods]( that would be hit by the move. It all dims the prospect of a trade deal with China as the president shows he is willing to [arbitrarily impose punitive trade measures](, according to analysts.Â
Major retaliationÂ
Speaking of China, the Asian nation is progressing with plans to [restrict exports of rare earth minerals to the U.S.](, if needed, as people familiar with the matter say it is ready to go as soon as the government gives the go-ahead. The editor of a ruling Communist Party newspaper said authorities in Beijing plan a â[major](â retaliation against the U.S. The news comes as economic data continues to show a [worse-than-expected performance](, with manufacturing PMI falling further below 50.Â
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Everyone is buying bonds
The yield on Germanyâs 10-year bond fell to minus 0.209% this morning, [the lowest ever](. U.S. Treasury yields are tumbling further, with the 10-year at 2.151% by 5:45 a.m. Eastern Time, and the two-year [dropping below 2%](. Even Greek bonds are getting in on the action with the 10-year yield below 3% for the first time on record. Analysts are quickly revising their bond projections, with some seeing the benchmark U.S. yield [falling to 1.5%](. The market is currently pricing-in three Federal Reserve rate cuts by the end of next year, with Vice Chairman Richard Clarida yesterday giving a hint that the bank would be open to [reducing rates]( if the economy declines.Â
Markets fall
Overnight, the MSCI Asia Pacific Index was broadly unchanged, while Japanâs Topix index closed 1.3% lower as automakers fell in the wake of Trumpâs latest tariff move. In Europe, the Stoxx 600 Index was 1.4% lower at 5:45 a.m. as companies with large exposures to Mexico such as BBVA, Banco Santander SA and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV bore the brunt of the selloff. S&P 500 futures pointed to a [fairly substantial drop at the open]( and gold rallied.Â
Coming up...
With the Treasury market in full-on rally mode, todayâs PCE report â the Fedâs preferred inflation gauge â will be closely read by investors when it is [published at 8:30 a.m.]( Canadian first-quarter GDP is also due at 8:30 a.m. Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic and New York Fed President John Williams are scheduled to speak later. Consumer sentiment data is released at 10:00 a.m. and the latest Baker Hughes rig count is at 1:00 p.m.Â
What we've been reading
This is what's caught our eye over the last 24 hours.
- Trump â[gone rogue](â on trade is the last thing the global economy needs.
- Is there really a [global shortage]( of crude oil?
- Bitcoinâs rally masks uncomfortable fact: [Almost nobody uses it](.
- Barclays London stocks unit is thriving on [tax-reduction trades](.
- HSBC plans hundreds of investment bank [job cuts](.
- The [new poster child]( for European markets isâ¦Â Greece.
- Mathematicians take a step closer to solving the [Riemann hypothesis](.Â
And finally, hereâs what Luke's interested in this morning
The strength of the eye-popping global sovereign bond rally has some searching for reasons why itâs due to come to an end â especially in its epicentre, U.S. Treasuries. In a nod to these technicals, Bespoke Investment Group observes that the 10-year yield is oh-so-stretched, trading more than two standard deviations below its one-year average. Aberdeen thinks USTs are a sell because the Fed wonât be as willing to cut as much or as soon as market participants anticipate. Demand at auctions (including this Wednesday's) hasnât always been stellar. The wind-down of short-volatility trades in Treasuries could remove some of the fuel from the bond rally. But thereâs also cause to suspect the fund managers musing about a 2% 10-year yield arenât blowing smoke. For one, the 10-year yield still trades at a premium to what 31 major investment firms think the federal funds rate will average over the next decade â a survey that was most recently completed before the re-escalation of the trade war, and therefore more likely than not to see an additional move to the downside. Goldman Sachsâ current activity indicator for the U.S. is firmly in negative territory, at its lowest level since 2016. The most recent Chinese manufacturing PMI data also disappointed, pointing to contraction in the sector. All told, the bond market is bellowing that an inflection point for the Fed is nigh â itâs just a matter of whether the central bank will be proactive or reactive, and how much, and how soon, cuts arrive.
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