Ahead of Samsung's earnings, Korea's equity bulls see a pivotal catalyst, with mixed signals from Hon Hai strength, chip price hikes, tax fears, and casino-like retail ETF activity. Paul Dobson discusses bearish yen dynamics driven by Goldman's 165 USD/JPY call, record hedge fund shorts, and carry trade appeal. Meanwhile, crude oil faces heavy bearish pressure from OPEC supply increases, contango, and a Citigroup call for $60 Brent.
- Samsung Electronics earnings seen as tiebreaker for Korean equities sentiment
- Asian tech sentiment bolstered by Hon Hai earnings but tempered by possible chipmaker tax and risky leveraged ETF trading
- Goldman Sachs forecasts USD/JPY at 165 in one year, favoring yen as a funding currency for carry trades
- Hedge funds hold most extended net short yen positions since 2017
- Crude oil sentiment is deeply bearish with OPEC adding supply and front-end contango
- Citigroup calls for Brent crude at $60 per barrel by year-end