Investor sentiment has been dominated by fears of a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic that could prolong lockdown measures.
Join us as we follow the top business news through the day.
12:00 PM
Once taboo, investors begin to imagine negative U.S. rates
Could the United States be the next major economy pushing interest rates below zero?
Reuters reports: “Negative interest rates in the United States were once unimaginable. The coronavirus has changed that.
While the Federal Reserve has all but ruled it out, the sweeping economic and financial-markets impact of the pandemic has forced investors to give serious thought to the implications of such a drastic policy shift.
Rate options, which gauge monetary policy expectations, on Monday implied a 23% probability that the key federal funds rate will go below zero by the end of December, according to BofA Securities data, which cited short expiry options on one-year U.S. swap rates. That compares with a 9%-10% probability last week.
Fed funds futures are pricing in rates of about one basis point below zero by June 2021 as the pandemic hammers the U.S. economy toward its steepest downturn since the Great Depression.
“It’s gone from theoretical to distinctly possible,” said Michael Purves, chief executive of Tallbacken Capital Advisors.
He still thinks the Federal Reserve is “so far away” from actually going negative. Yet the unprecedented price moves show a market bracing for the unthinkable, and investors preparing for consequences ranging from a bank profit squeeze to sub-zero bond yields, money market turmoil and capital outflows.
Scott Minerd, global chief investment officer at Guggenheim Partners, sees a chance that bond buying from the Fed pushes benchmark U.S. yields to uncharted negative territory.
A projection on Guggenheim Partners’ website shows benchmark 10-year yields hitting -0.5% at the end of 2021.
Investors worry that the United States crossing the zero bound may have bigger disruptive side effects in money markets than the years of negative rates in Europe and Japan.”
11:45 AM
Maruti resumes operations at Manesar plant on single shift basis
The country’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) on Tuesday said it has resumed operations at its Manesar plant in Haryana after around 40 days of closure due to the coronavirus-led lockdown.
Operations at both Manesar and Gurugram facilities were suspended since March 22.
“Production has commenced at the Manesar plant and the first car would roll out today (Tuesday),” Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) Chairman R.C. Bhargava said.
The facility has commenced operations on a single shift basis with up to 75 per cent employees allowed currently, he added.
11:30 AM
Bonds sell off on tsunami of fresh debt
11:00 AM
Rupee falls 22 paise to 75.95 against US dollar in early trade
The weakness in domestic equities has weighed on the rupee, which has depreciated against the US dollar.
PTI reports: “The rupee depreciated 22 paise to 75.95 against the US dollar in opening trade on Tuesday amid strengthening American currency overseas and weak opening in domestic equities.
Forex traders said the local unit opened weak against the greenback tracking gains in the US gollar. Moreover, selloff in domestic equities and rising coronavirus cases in the country weighed on investor sentiment.
The local unit opened at 75.89, then lost further ground and fell to 75.95 against the US dollar, down 22 paise over its previous close.
It had settled at 75.73 against the US dollar on Monday.
“Most Asian currencies depreciated against the US Dollar this Tuesday morning as investors remained cautious about re-opening the economy too quickly, which could result in a second wave of the COVID-19 infections,” Reliance Securities said in a research note.
On the domestic front, market participants will be keeping an eye on inflation and Index of Industrial Production number that will be released later in the day.”
10:30 AM
Nobel laureate Duflo says cash transfer to poor makes sense economically as well
One more economist has weighed in favor of a larger cash stimulus for the poor to help revive the economy.
PTI reports: “Pitching for cash transfers to the poor for helping them deal with the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, Nobel laureate Esther Duflo on Monday said doing so is not just a moral necessity, but an economic one as well, as it can create demand which will benefit all.
Duflo, a professor of economics at MIT, who was recognised for her work along with husband Abhijit Banerjee, also asked businesses to lobby for such efforts by the government in their own interest.
It can be noted that a lot of analysts have been flagging concerns about the impact of the crisis on individual finances since the lockdowns began.
The government has so far announced income support and upping works under the employment guarantee scheme as part of a Rs 1.7 lakh crore aid package but not taken a universal basic income type cash transfer package.
It is the responsibility of the government to ensure the cash transfer and this is something businesses should be keenly interested in, not just because it is the right thing to do morally, but it is the most responsible thing to do economically, Duflo said.”
10:10 AM
Non-essentials demand to rise, says Walmart
Walmart India on Monday reported a ‘steadying of consumption’ across several essential categories in the last few weeks.
The e-tailer, which operates 28 Best Price stores across nine States, now expects some pent-up demand for non-essentials.The company works on a membership-based wholesale platform, where kiranas, offices, institutions, hotels, restaurants and caterers as well as the army and paramilitary source items such as groceries, personal care and other essentials.
As per Anuj Singh, chief merchandising officer, Best Price, Walmart India, a couple of weeks into the lockdown, supply pipelines had depleted across consumption categories while the demand from kiranas for items such as tea and biscuits continued to be strong.
10:00 AM
Indian shares slip amid fears of new coronavirus wave; banks slide
The benchmark indices continued to show weakness this morning after a weak performance in yesterday’s session.
Reuters reports: “Indian shares fell on Tuesday, tracking Asian markets that dropped on worries about a second wave of coronavirus cases, following news of fresh infections in the Chinese city where the COVID-19 pandemic originated.
The NSE Nifty 50 index was down 1.15% to 9,133.70 by 0355 GMT, and on course to fall for the second straight day, while the S&P BSE Sensex fell 1.27% to 31,161.65.
The central Chinese city of Wuhan reported five new cases on Monday, casting doubts over efforts to lower coronavirus-related curbs as businesses restart and individuals went back to work.
The Nifty banking index fell the most among the 12 sectoral indexes, with a 2.2% drop.
India’s retail inflation data for April was due later on Tuesday. A Reuters poll predicted inflation likely eased to a five-month low last month as India’s lockdown and subsequent sluggish demand drove price pressures down.
As of Tuesday, COVID-19 cases in India had surged well past 70,000 and deaths neared 2,300.”