If the Fed looks through the rise in prices, the real exchange rate will appreciate. The increased inflation due to tighter labor markets would also tend to increase the real exchange rate, though this almost certainly would not be accommodated by the Fed. We conclude that the Fed’s response to the introduction of border adjustments—under the crucial assumption of no change in the exchange rate— implies a path for the funds rate at least 3.5%-points higher than the baseline, simply because of their response to pressures on resource utilization. Any additional response to import price pass-through would imply even more tightening than that.
Pay 1Y2Y SGD IRS and receive 1Y2Y USD IRS Pay 1Y2Y SGD IRS and receive 1Y2Y USD IRS at a spread of +12bp, with a target of +42bp and a stop loss at -3bp. The roll down is -0.5bp per month and the time horizon is 2-3 months. The forward rate spread curves are steeper for the 1Y and 2Y rates than for longer tenors, while we would like to avoid tenors below 1Y as flush SGD liquidity and/or USD funding needs are factors that can continue to cap front-end SGD rates.
Risk profile: Liquidity; Fed Continued flush SGD liquidity (can be facilitated by b/s USD/SGD flows arising in turn from central bank operations or investor funding needs) will suppress SGD rates.
A week that delivered hawkish Fed testimony, and a solid set of upside data surprises failed to deliver a stronger dollar. This inability to sustain a rally despite a perfect overlap of hawkish fed and bullish data this week, suggests we might need something more phenomenal for the USD to materially retrace back to January highs, much less a break of new highs.
So, if the Fed turns more dovish, the FX impact on SGD rates may not kick in. High negative correlation between 1Y2Y SGD-USD IRS spread and 10Y UST yield – but this precisely reflects the period when SGD rates were resilient amid the uptrend in USD rates which is unlikely to continue in our view.


BlackRock’s Rick Rieder Favors Bonds Over Stocks as Treasury Yields Surge
Bank of America Posts Strong Q4 2024 Results, Shares Rise
China’s Growth Faces Structural Challenges Amid Doubts Over Data
European Stocks Rally on Chinese Growth and Mining Merger Speculation
NEAR Price Surges 11% as Trading Volume Doubles
RBA Hikes Interest Rate to 4.60% as Inflation Risks Rise
BNB Price Faces Pressure as DOJ Investigates Binance
Yen in Focus as BOJ, Fed Rate Hikes Reshape Currency Markets
DeFi Development Adds 22,070 SOL to Solana Treasury
Goldman Predicts 50% Odds of 10% U.S. Tariff on Copper by Q1 Close
China's Refining Industry Faces Major Shakeup Amid Challenges
RBI Raises Repo Rate to 5.50% in Hawkish Shift on Inflation Risks
Oil Prices Dip Slightly Amid Focus on Russian Sanctions and U.S. Inflation Data
Bank of America Predicts Yen Rebound as USD/JPY Faces Risks
RBI Uses $10 Billion Currency Swaps to Drain Excess Rupee Liquidity 



