17-09-2015, 07:52 AM
Federal Reserve decision: get used to more volatility if Fed raises rates, says RBA’s Debelle
Adam Creighton
[Image: adam_creighton.png]
Economics Correspondent
Sydney
Andrew Main
[Image: andrew_main.png]
Senior Business Reporter
Sydney
[Image: 848260-941ba034-5c5b-11e5-8de3-ef21996958ae.jpg]
S&P/ASX 200 Source: TheAustralian
[b]A more erratic bond market and the spread of high-frequency traders will likely worsen feared financial volatility in the wake of any increase in US interest rates this week, but investors should get used to it, a senior Reserve Bank official has said.[/b]
Guy Debelle, the RBA’s head of financial markets, yesterday said new regulations on banks in the wake of the global financial crisis that increased the cost of holding and trading bonds meant the “depth” of banks’ trading books was “nowhere near as good, and worse than it’s been for quite some time”.
“Overshooting (of prices) will be more likely and that can have long-lasting and more deleterious consequences,” he said, speaking at an Institute of Actuaries conference in Sydney.
With financial markets indicating a one-in-three chance the US Federal Reserve will lift US interest rates by early tomorrow morning, investors worldwide are bracing for the kind of volatility that rocked global markets in 2013 when the Fed hinted it might “taper” its then bond-buying program.
Mr Debelle said he “wouldn’t be surprised” if volatility increased after the meeting, which concludes Thursday Eastern Time and could produce the first increase in US official interest rates in nine years.
“There’s a decently large chunk of people in market who have never experienced rates going up, or even seen them change at all,” he said.
“We’ve had low rates for nine years so behaviours have probably evolved that aren’t sustainable,” he added.
Richard Coppleson, former head of sales trading at Goldman Sachs Australia, said the Australian sharemarket had yesterday made up all the ground lost on Tuesday, closing two points ahead overall at just over 5098 on the S&P/ASX 200 index. The Australian dollar traded in the top half of the US71c range, the highest it has been since late August.
Asian markets were also buoyant, with Shanghai Composite Index surging in the last hour of trading to finish up 4.9 per cent at 3152.26. The benchmark notched its sharpest daily gain in percentage terms in two weeks. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was up 2.4 per cent while Tokyo ended 0.8 per cent higher.
“There’s a lot of volatility still and of course the Fed meeting is keeping a lot of investors on the sidelines but the news that we have a new prime minister with a good grasp of economics is turning into a bull factor in markets such as New York,’’ Mr Coppleson said.
“The prospect of Scott Morrison as Treasurer is also being seen as a positive locally,” he added.
Mr Debelle raised questions about the resilience of high-frequency traders, which contribute a third of the trades in the Australian government bond market and half in the US.
“These firms are providing increased liquidity at the top of the book, but are not necessarily contributing to the depth of the book, given their preference to trade in small size, as well as in many cases, inability to trade in large size because of balance sheet constraints,” he said.
“(But) it is important to adjust to the current environment rather than wishing it was something else,” Mr Debelle said, pointing out that it was the intention of new regulations to curb excessive trading that had been “underpriced”.
“It is not going back to what it was any time soon.”
He said it was “neither here nor there” whether they rise this week or in coming months. “This is the most well telegraphed rate rise in the history of rate rises; if you’re not ready you sure as hell have been warned,” he said.
Mr Coppleson said that the US market appeared finally to be getting out of its habit of dropping at positive economic news because of fears of a rate rise. “Positive news there is now being seen for what it is and meanwhile, China appears to be finding some firm ground.’’
“Global market falls tend to happen in September so this one we’ve had was a month early. We’re getting into the season now when some $19 billion or $20bn in dividends are going to be paid out and that’s a positive in one of the highest-yielding markets in the world. “It’s clear there will be a lift in rates from the Fed sooner or later and once it happens, he said, there’s a good chance markets will move up.’’
- THE AUSTRALIAN
- SEPTEMBER 17, 2015 12:00AM
Adam Creighton
[Image: adam_creighton.png]
Economics Correspondent
Sydney
Andrew Main
[Image: andrew_main.png]
Senior Business Reporter
Sydney
[Image: 848260-941ba034-5c5b-11e5-8de3-ef21996958ae.jpg]
S&P/ASX 200 Source: TheAustralian
[b]A more erratic bond market and the spread of high-frequency traders will likely worsen feared financial volatility in the wake of any increase in US interest rates this week, but investors should get used to it, a senior Reserve Bank official has said.[/b]
Guy Debelle, the RBA’s head of financial markets, yesterday said new regulations on banks in the wake of the global financial crisis that increased the cost of holding and trading bonds meant the “depth” of banks’ trading books was “nowhere near as good, and worse than it’s been for quite some time”.
“Overshooting (of prices) will be more likely and that can have long-lasting and more deleterious consequences,” he said, speaking at an Institute of Actuaries conference in Sydney.
With financial markets indicating a one-in-three chance the US Federal Reserve will lift US interest rates by early tomorrow morning, investors worldwide are bracing for the kind of volatility that rocked global markets in 2013 when the Fed hinted it might “taper” its then bond-buying program.
Mr Debelle said he “wouldn’t be surprised” if volatility increased after the meeting, which concludes Thursday Eastern Time and could produce the first increase in US official interest rates in nine years.
“There’s a decently large chunk of people in market who have never experienced rates going up, or even seen them change at all,” he said.
“We’ve had low rates for nine years so behaviours have probably evolved that aren’t sustainable,” he added.
Richard Coppleson, former head of sales trading at Goldman Sachs Australia, said the Australian sharemarket had yesterday made up all the ground lost on Tuesday, closing two points ahead overall at just over 5098 on the S&P/ASX 200 index. The Australian dollar traded in the top half of the US71c range, the highest it has been since late August.
Asian markets were also buoyant, with Shanghai Composite Index surging in the last hour of trading to finish up 4.9 per cent at 3152.26. The benchmark notched its sharpest daily gain in percentage terms in two weeks. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was up 2.4 per cent while Tokyo ended 0.8 per cent higher.
“There’s a lot of volatility still and of course the Fed meeting is keeping a lot of investors on the sidelines but the news that we have a new prime minister with a good grasp of economics is turning into a bull factor in markets such as New York,’’ Mr Coppleson said.
“The prospect of Scott Morrison as Treasurer is also being seen as a positive locally,” he added.
Mr Debelle raised questions about the resilience of high-frequency traders, which contribute a third of the trades in the Australian government bond market and half in the US.
“These firms are providing increased liquidity at the top of the book, but are not necessarily contributing to the depth of the book, given their preference to trade in small size, as well as in many cases, inability to trade in large size because of balance sheet constraints,” he said.
“(But) it is important to adjust to the current environment rather than wishing it was something else,” Mr Debelle said, pointing out that it was the intention of new regulations to curb excessive trading that had been “underpriced”.
“It is not going back to what it was any time soon.”
He said it was “neither here nor there” whether they rise this week or in coming months. “This is the most well telegraphed rate rise in the history of rate rises; if you’re not ready you sure as hell have been warned,” he said.
Mr Coppleson said that the US market appeared finally to be getting out of its habit of dropping at positive economic news because of fears of a rate rise. “Positive news there is now being seen for what it is and meanwhile, China appears to be finding some firm ground.’’
“Global market falls tend to happen in September so this one we’ve had was a month early. We’re getting into the season now when some $19 billion or $20bn in dividends are going to be paid out and that’s a positive in one of the highest-yielding markets in the world. “It’s clear there will be a lift in rates from the Fed sooner or later and once it happens, he said, there’s a good chance markets will move up.’’