ECB: Unanimous and Preparing Deutsche Bank Markets Research Special Report

Deutsche Bank
Markets Research
Eurozone
Rates
Gov. Bonds & Swaps
Inflation
Rates Volatility
Special Report
ECB: Unanimous and Preparing

Two key additional elements were added to the November ECB
introductory statement which was agreed upon “unanimously” making the
message from the ECB more dovish than was expected

Firstly, there was an explicit statement that TLTROs and the asset
purchases were expected to move the balance sheet “towards the
dimensions it had at the beginning of 2012“, i.e. an expansion of the
balance sheet by EUR 1trillion

Secondly, the Governing Council has “tasked the ECB staff and relevant
Eurosystem committees with ensuring the timely preparation of further
measures to be implemented, if needed“

Even with very optimistic estimates we could see the current measures
result in expansion of the ECB balance sheet by only ~EUR 580bn, i.e.
slightly more than half of the stated target. Therefore, today’s statement
implies that the discussion about further unconventional measures is now
a question of when rather than if

The Governing Council is, however, likely to wait until the December
TLTRO and the initial pace of ABSPP and CBPP3 removes any doubt about
the need for additional measures to achieve the balance sheet target.
Therefore, further measures are more likely to be announced in January
rather than in December unless activity and inflation expectations
deteriorate significantly over the next few weeks

Updating the analysis of the performance of a number of assets since the
last ECB meeting and taking into account the ECB’s statement we find the
following trades attractive: (a) Long front-end of EUR curve: Receive Jun16 Eonia and Jun-15/Jun-16 Eonia flatteners, (b) re-establish longs in 3Y5Y sector of Italy and/or Spain and (c) 30Y semi-core spread tighteners and
10s30s box in semi-core vs. Germany (flattener in semi-core, steepener in
Germany)
Date
6 November 2014
Abhishek Singhania
Strategist
(+44) 207 547-4458
[email protected]
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Deutsche Bank AG/London
DISCLOSURES AND ANALYST CERTIFICATIONS ARE LOCATED IN APPENDIX 1. MCI (P) 148/04/2014.
6 November 2014
Special Report: ECB: Unanimous and Preparing
ECB: Unanimous and Preparing
Two key additional elements were added to the November ECB introductory
statement which was agreed upon “unanimously” making the overall message
from the ECB more dovish than was expected. Firstly, there was an explicit
statement that the TLTROs and the asset purchases were expected to move
the balance sheet “towards the dimensions it had at the beginning of 2012“.
Beginning of 2012 was later clarified to mean after the settlement of the
second 3Y LTRO (i.e. March-12) when the size of the ECB balance sheet was
just above EUR 3trillion, i.e. EUR 1trillion above current level. Secondly, the
unanimous commitment to take additional unconventional measures was
given greater credence by the fact that the Governing Council had “tasked the
ECB staff and relevant Eurosystem committees with ensuring the timely
preparation of further measures to be implemented, if needed“. This was
further emphasized by Draghi in the Q&A when he mentioned that the Council
has established credibility in delivering on the tasks assigned to the staff and
the committees.
However, there was also clear evidence to suggest that the governing council
is not likely to announce any new measures at the December meeting. Firstly,
the statement highlighted that monetary policy had already responded to “low
inflation, a weakening growth momentum and continued subdued monetary
and credit dynamics”. Secondly, the additional measures would be
implemented only in case of realization of either of two contingencies
highlighted: (1) if the current measures are not enough and/or, (2) if the ECB’s
medium-term outlook for inflation deteriorated. It is worth noting that Draghi
chose not to emphasize market based measure of medium-term inflation
expectations and instead highlighted ECB’s own assessment of the same.
Finally and most importantly it appears that the governing council remains of
the view that the balance sheet target could be achieved with the measures
already announced.
Despite the conditional nature of the ECB’s commitment to do more, today’s
statement implies that the discussion about further unconventional measures
is now a question of when rather than if. The first contingency, i.e. whether the
current measures are enough is likely to prove binding even if the ECB staff
forecasts for inflation for 2017 is seen to be close enough to the 2% level for
the Governing Council to argue that medium-term outlook for inflation has not
as yet deteriorated.
We estimate the take-up at the Dec TLTRO could be EUR 170bn, the upper end
of our estimate of take up at the six subsequent TLTROs is ~EUR 450bn while
the upper-end of the estimate of net liquidity injection via asset purchases (net
of the impact of ECB purchases currently repoed at the ECB) is ~EUR 250bn.
The gross liquidity injection of EUR 870bn would imply net balance sheet
expansion of ~EUR 580bn after considering ~EUR 290bn of maturing 3Y
LTROs. This makes it clear that the current measures are unlikely to be enough
for the ECB to achieve its balance sheet target. Further, it should also be noted
that these estimates are based on (a) highly ambitious takeup at the TLTROs
and asset purchases and therefore there is significant risk to the downside to
these estimates and (b) the balance sheet expansion will be heavily back
loaded.
Given the governing council’s stated belief in the sufficiency of the current
measures it is likely wait to wait until the December TLTRO (to be held after
the December ECB meeting) and steady ABS & covered bond purchases
remove any reasonable doubt that additional measures will be needed to
achieve the stated balance sheet target. Hence, the January meeting is more
likely for the announcement of additional unconventional measures although
Page 2
Deutsche Bank AG/London
6 November 2014
Special Report: ECB: Unanimous and Preparing
the risk of some announcement at the December meeting cannot be ruled out
should activity and inflation expectations deteriorate significantly over the next
few weeks.
Trade ideas post November ECB meeting
Heading into the ECB we had used the relative performance of a variety of
rates, credit and other broad risky barometers to identify attractive risk-reward
trades. Updating the analysis with the addition of few more variables and
taking into account the key “dovish” message from the ECB we find the
following trade ideas attractive.
Relative performance of assets since October ECB meeting
Variable
MARKIT ITRX EUROPE 12/19
Euro Spot
EUR-USD XCCY BASIS SW 5Y
EUR SWAP (EONIA) 12X24
EUR swaps 10s30s
Euro Stoxx 50 Pr
France 10Y spread
EUR BUND ASSET SW SP 1ST
MARKIT ITRX EUR SNR FIN 12/19
MARKIT ITRX EUR XOVER 12/19
MARKIT ITRX EUR SUB FIN 12/19
Italy Generic Govt 10Y Yield
EUR SWAP
20Y10Y
EUR HICPxT 5y5y
EUR HICP 2y1y
EUR BOBL ASSET SW SP 1ST
EUR SWPTN NORM 3M30Y
Germany Generic Govt 10Y Yield
EUR BS(EONIAv3M) 2SW 2Y
Italy - Germany 5Y spread
France-Germany 10s30s box
Delivery
64.12
1.24
-15.4
0.0
77.7
3138.7
34.0
22.2
63.6
335.0
145.4
2.30
2.27
1.92
1.04
31.3
49.8
0.925
13.0
85.2
13.6
Disappointment
77.22
1.28
-11.3
0.0
71.8
2874.7
46.3
27.5
78.2
403.5
186.0
2.60
2.03
1.72
0.80
35.05
68.4
0.756
15.7
117.0
17.9
Latest
64.12
1.24
-15.3
0.0
77.0
3099.3
36.0
23.1
66.4
350.7
156.0
2.38
2.19
1.85
0.95
32.9
58.3
0.83
14.6
105.3
17.3
Pointer
0.0%
0.0%
2.4%
9.3%
11.4%
14.9%
16.3%
17.1%
19.3%
22.9%
26.3%
27.9%
32.0%
36.4%
38.3%
42.7%
45.9%
56.2%
59.3%
63.4%
86.8%
Source: Deutsche Bank, Bloomberg Finance LP
Maintain long Jun-16 Eonia and Eonia flatteners
The most direct beneficiary of the ECB’s commitment to expand its balance
sheet towards the Mar-12 levels is the front-end of the EUR curve. As we have
mentioned in the past, the Eonia curve is not pricing in additional excess
liquidity of EUR 300-400bn let along EUR 1trillion. If excess liquidity increases
to EUR 400-500bn we should see Eonia trade at around 20% of the corridor,
i.e. Eonia at -13.75bp. The trough in Eonia forwards is currently at around -8bp.
Also, the trough in Eonia (i.e. peak in excess liquidity) is currently priced in for
back-end of 2015 while the ECB’s incremental approach suggests that the
liquidity injection will be over a period of 1 to 2 years rather than front-loaded
in 2015. Hence, we maintain our recommendation of received positions in Jun16 and also maintain our Jun-15/Jun-16 Eonia flattener.
Deutsche Bank AG/London
Page 3
6 November 2014
Special Report: ECB: Unanimous and Preparing
ECB excess liquidity of ~EUR400-500bn should see
Eonia at -13/-14bp
Trough in IMM Eonia should be lower and later than
current pricing
120%
(Eonia - Depo) / (Refi - Depo)
Jan-10 to Dec-12
100%
Jan-13 onwards
Current maintenance period
80%
y = -0.1528ln(x) + 1.0853
R² = 0.7256
60%
40%
20%
0%
0
200
400
600
Excess liquidity in EUR bn
800
Source: Deutsche Bank, Bloomberg Finance LP
Source: Deutsche Bank, Bloomberg Finance LP
Re-establish long in 3Y-5Y Italy/Spain
The ECB’s overall dovish tone should be supportive of the periphery even
though it refrained from signaling explicit government bond QE as yet. Given
the underperformance of the front-end of the peripheral curves over the past
month, the increased volatility in peripheral bond markets with greater
increase in volatility further out on the curve and the potential impact of the
TLTRO liquidity we would recommend a long position in 3Y-5Y sector in the
more liquid peripheral curves, i.e. Italy and Spain.
3Y-5Y sector of Italian curve has underperformed over
the past month
Source: Deutsche Bank, Bloomberg Finance LP
Page 4
Increased volatility in periphery, especially further out on
the curve
Source: Deutsche Bank, Bloomberg Finance LP
Deutsche Bank AG/London
6 November 2014
Special Report: ECB: Unanimous and Preparing
Long-end semi-core spread tighteners or 10s30s box vs. Germany
Semi-core markets should also benefit in the current environment. However,
with semi-core spreads up to the 10Y part of the curve at the tight-end of their
recent range a strong rally in these markets might need a catalyst in the form
of actual ECB QE announcement. Long-end semi-core spreads are highly
correlated to volatility and the ECB’s statement today should not only reduce
volatility but also lead to a hunt for yield which should be supportive of spread
tighteners at the long-end of the semi-core curve. With 10s30s curve in these
markets steep relative to Germany we would also recommend a 10s30s spread
box vs. Germany.
Long-end semi-core spread tighteners should be
supported by low volatility and hunt for yield
Source: Deutsche Bank, Bloomberg Finance LP
Deutsche Bank AG/London
10s30s semi-core box vs. Germany looks attractive
(flattener in semi-core, steepener in Germany)
Source: Deutsche Bank, Bloomberg Finance LP
Page 5
6 November 2014
Special Report: ECB: Unanimous and Preparing
Appendix 1
Important Disclosures
Additional information available upon request
For disclosures pertaining to recommendations or estimates made on securities other than the primary subject of this
research, please see the most recently published company report or visit our global disclosure look-up page on our
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Analyst Certification
The views expressed in this report accurately reflect the personal views of the undersigned lead analyst(s). In addition,
the undersigned lead analyst(s) has not and will not receive any compensation for providing a specific recommendation
or view in this report. Abhishek Singhania
Page 6
Deutsche Bank AG/London
6 November 2014
Special Report: ECB: Unanimous and Preparing
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consistent or inconsistent with Deutsche Bank's existing longer term ratings. These trade ideas can be found at the
SOLAR link at http://gm.db.com.
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6 November 2014
Special Report: ECB: Unanimous and Preparing
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Page 8
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