Category: Australia & NZ

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ASX 200: Retracing in a strong up-trend

The ASX 200 is retracing for another test of support at 4980/5000. Breakout would warn of a correction, while recovery above 5100 would signal an advance to 5500*. Declining 21-day Twiggs Money Flow indicates medium-term selling pressure.
ASX 200 Index

* Target calculation: 5000 + ( 5000 – 4500 ) = 5500

A monthly chart of the ASX 50 [$XFL] puts the retracement into perspective. Rising 13-week Twiggs Money Flow indicates buying pressure. Respect of support at 5000 is likely, but even a stronger correction would not disrupt the primary up-trend: respect of 4500 would present a buying opportunity.

ASX 200 Index

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Forex: Euro declines while Aussie follows through

The euro retreated below support at $1.30, indicating a correction to primary support at $1.2650. A 63-day Twiggs Momentum trough close to zero would suggest a primary advance, with a long-term target of $1.50*.
Aussie Dollar/USD

* Target calculation: 1.35 + ( 1.35 – 1.20 ) = 1.50

Pound sterling found short-term support against the dollar but the long-term target for the decline is $1.43*. Declining 63-day Twiggs Momentum, below its 2011 lows, strengthens the signal.
Aussie Dollar/USD

* Target calculation: 1.53 – ( 1.63 – 1.53 ) = 1.43

The Aussie Dollar followed through after breaking out above $1.03, signaling a rally to $1.06. Reversal below $1.02 is now unlikely, but would warn that primary support at $1.015 is again under threat. Narrow fluctuation of 63-day Twiggs Momentum around zero suggests a ranging market.

Aussie Dollar/USD

The Canadian Loonie found medium-term support at $0.97 against the greenback, but we should still expect a test of primary support at $0.96. Failure would warn of a decline to $0.90*, but respect is just as likely and would signal a rally to $1.02.
Aussie Dollar/USD

* Target calculation: 0.96 – ( 1.02 – 0.96 ) = 0.90

The US dollar continues to advance against the Japanese Yen, suggesting that the 30-year down-trend is over. Expect resistance at ¥100, with a possible correction back to ¥90, but breakout would test the 2007 high above ¥120*.
Aussie Dollar/USD

* Target calculation: 100 – ( 100 – 80 ) = 120

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Why British prosperity is hobbled by a rigged land market | Centre for European Reform

Simon Tilford, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform, writes:

The British have the least living space per head, the most expensive office rents and the most congested infrastructure of any EU-15 country. Thanks to a rapidly growing population – the result of a healthy birth-rate and immigration – these trends are worsening steadily. At the same time, the British economy is languishing in a prolonged slump brought on by a collapse of demand. The answer is obvious: Britain needs to build more. Unfortunately, the obstacles to development are formidable….

A similar problem to Australia: restricted land release drives up prices, making home ownership inaccessible to the younger generation while damaging the construction industry.

Read more at Centre for European Reform: Why British prosperity is hobbled by a rigged land market.

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ASX 200 advancing

The ASX 200 broke resistance at 5000 on the strength of strong buying pressure, signaled by rising 13-week Twiggs Money Flow. Retracement that respects the new support level would confirm an advance to 5500*.
ASX 200 Index

* Target calculation: 5000 + ( 5000 – 4500 ) = 5500

On the daily chart, mild bearish divergence on 21-day Twiggs Money Flow warns of retracement to test the new support level at 5000. Reversal below 4980 is unlikely but would warn of a correction.
ASX 200 Index

ASX small-caps ($XSO – ASX Small Ords) continue to under-perform the ASX 50 [$XFL]. The opposite of what one would expect in a bull market: treat it as a caution. The current $XSO down-swing should test the lower channel at 2300, presenting a buy opportunity for swing traders.

ASX 200 Index

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Australia: Net international investment position worse than Italy

Wikipedia provide a ranking of countries net international investment position, as a % of GDP, from highest to lowest.

Top of the list are the usual suspects:

Country Date NIIP as % of GDP
Hong Kong 2009 353
Singapore 2010 224
Republic of China 2010 153
Switzerland 2010 136
Norway 2010 96

But Australia and New Zealand are in the wrong sort of company at the bottom of the list.

Country Date NIIP as % of GDP
Poland 2010 -63
Australia 2011 -64
Slovakia 2010 -66
Estonia 2010 -71
Spain 2010 -87
New Zealand 2009 -90
Greece 2010 -93
Ireland 2009 -98
Portugal 2009 -108

Interestingly, Italy’s 2010 net international investment position is only -24%.

Source: Wikipedia: Net international investment position

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Australia: SMSF – a matter of self-interest

Reece Agland, senior policy adviser at the Institute of Public Accountants, compares the performance of self-managed super funds to retail and industry funds:

Let’s look at the facts. For the three most recent years where performance has been measured SMSFs out performed both retail and industry funds. The average operating cost of an SMSF fell from 0.72% of assets in 2007 down to 0.57% in 2009 – less than average costs for either industry or retail funds1. With average assets of over $888,000 in 2009/10 (up from $475,000 in 2003/4) they exceed the average assets per member compared to other types of funds. Their rate of non-compliance at 2% is at around the same for other superannuation funds and the number of funds that fail in any one year is very small.

Read more at Publicaccountant: SMSF – a matter of self-interest

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Forex: Aussie consolidates above primary support while Euro weakens

The euro is testing medium-term support at $1.30. Breach of the rising trendline against the greenback already warns of trend weakness; failure of $1.30 would test primary support at $1.25. Reversal of 63-day Twiggs Momentum below zero would warn of a primary down-trend, while a trough above zero would suggest another advance, with a target of $1.42*.
Aussie Dollar/USD

* Target calculation: 1.36 + ( 1.36 – 1.30 ) = 1.42

Pound sterling broke long-term support at $1.53 against the greenback, offering a target of $1.43*. Fall of 63-day Twiggs Momentum below 2011 lows strengthens the signal.
Aussie Dollar/USD

* Target calculation: 1.53 – ( 1.63 – 1.53 ) = 1.43

The Aussie Dollar is consolidating between $1.02 and $1.03 after respecting primary support at $1.015. Breakout above $1.03 and the declining trendline would suggest a rally to $1.06. Reversal below $1.02 would warn that primary support is again under threat. Narrow fluctuation of 63-day Twiggs Momentum around zero suggests a ranging market.

Aussie Dollar/USD

The Canadian Loonie is headed for a test of primary support at $0.96. Breach of support would offer a long-term target of $0.90*, but respect is just as likely and would signal a rally to $1.06.
Aussie Dollar/USD

* Target calculation: 0.96 – ( 1.02 – 0.96 ) = 0.90

The US dollar has broken its long-term declining trendline against the Japanese Yen, suggesting that the 30-year decline is over and the greenback likely to appreciate for some time. Advance to ¥100 is likely to be followed by a correction to test new support at ¥90 before breakout to test the 2007 high around ¥120*.
Aussie Dollar/USD

* Target calculation: 100 – ( 100 – 80 ) = 120

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Australia: Highest cost of living

Purchasing power parities (PPPs), exchange rates, and relative prices, by country, 2011

At 1.61, Australia has higher relative prices than Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Japan (listed in descending order). 61% higher than the US and 48% higher than the UK.

Index

Source: BLS

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Non-mining Australia “in recession” last quarter | MacroBusiness

Leith van Onselen considers that Australia’s non-mining economy may be in recession based on two consecutive quarters of negative growth in state final demand:

The blanket statement that Australia grew close to trend in 2012 not only obfuscates the fact that the current growth rate is well below trend and declining even further but also hides the fact that the majority of the population are living in regions which are in recession. That paints a totally different picture than the political spin coming from the Government.

Read more at Non-mining Australia “in recession” last quarter | | MacroBusiness.

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