A strategy for US investors to counter domestic market risk involves buying European bonds and not hedging the currency. This combines a modest ~3% bond yield with an expected ~7% appreciation of the euro against the dollar, driven by diverging central bank policies.
Contrary to typical risk-off behavior, a financial shock originating in the US would likely be positive for the EUR/USD exchange rate. This is because it creates more room for the US Federal Reserve to reprice its policy downwards and can trigger repatriation flows out of US equities.
Analysts expect a continued dollar-centric market where most G10 currencies move in tandem against the dollar, keeping dollar correlations high. However, they are bearish on cross-correlations (e.g., involving Sterling and Euro), anticipating greater divergence between non-dollar currencies, which presents an opportunity for investors.
J.P. Morgan maintains a constructive stance on the Eurodollar due to its asymmetric response to Fed pricing. The currency strengthens more when the Fed's terminal rate is priced lower but shows stickiness when it's priced higher, creating a favorable risk-reward profile for bullish positions despite lowered upside targets.
With both US and European economies growing robustly, the direct EUR/USD currency pair is largely neutralized. A more effective strategy to gain exposure to Europe's strengthening growth is by investing in higher-beta, pro-cyclical currencies like the Scandinavian Kroner, which are less impacted by broad US dollar movements.
Investors have been holding unhedged US dollar assets to capture both high yields and currency appreciation, a speculative strategy traditionally used for emerging market local currency bonds. This parallel indicates a shift in risk perception, where US assets are no longer seen as a pure safe haven.
Contrary to the belief that US strength harms the Euro, historical data shows the EUR/USD pair performs best when growth outlooks for *both* regions are being upgraded. This is because the Euro is fundamentally a pro-cyclical 'growth currency,' benefiting from a global risk-on environment even when the US also thrives.
Despite negative political headlines, the Euro/Dollar spot rate has fallen below its fair value of 1.17, as determined by real yield differentials. This marks a significant shift, suggesting the risk/reward is once again becoming attractive for medium-term bulls on the currency.
The European Central Bank's stable, "on hold" position has created a low-volatility environment for European rates. This policy predictability supports specific trading strategies, such as tactical range trading, using call spreads instead of outright long duration, and shorting gamma to capitalize on the expectation of continued low delivered volatility.
International buyers want exposure to high-performing US companies like NVIDIA but are simultaneously hedging against a declining US dollar. They are separating the appeal of American corporate exceptionalism from growing concerns about US sovereign risk and currency depreciation.
Despite facing similar pressures like high inflation and slowing labor markets, the US Federal Reserve is cutting rates while European central banks remain on hold. This significant policy divergence is expected to weaken the U.S. dollar and create cross-Atlantic investment opportunities.