People's Bank of China

For the first time in six days, PBOC decided to strengthen the Yuan fix (+0.1% to 6.5385). This sent offshore Yuan surging back to pre-RRR-Cut levels, ensuring that (for the very short-term) speculators don't get any ideas about piling into a Yuan short (again). This action followed the suspension of China's Open Market Operations (due to lack of interest from traders).

Following this morning's surprise RRR Cut, The PBOC decides now is the time to strengthen Yuan...

Long before "The Big Short's" Michael Burry was a household name for his insight into the upcoming subprime crisis of 2006-2007, there were many others among them John Paulson, Kyle Bass, and Corriente Advisors' Mark Hart. Just like Bass, Mark is another Texas-based hedge fund manager who correctly predicted, and profited from, the subprime crisis. He is also an expert on China, and in fact, just last month in the aftermath of the recent Chinese devaluation which roiled markets, he said that "China should weaken its currency by more than 50 percent this year."

Unlike Monday's global PMI deterioration (which sent markets around the globe soaring), there was little in terms of macroeconomic data overnight (German IFO earlier missed on expectations and business climate but beat on current assessment) so the "market made the news." These came most from the USDJPY which has continued to fall, sliding to 111.85 overnight, and dragging the Nikkei to a -0.4% drop.

Not even this morning's mandatory European open ramp has been able to push US equity futures higher, and as a result moments ago the E-mini hit session lows on rising concerns about Brexit as talks drag on in Brussles, but mostly as a result of overnight confusion about China's loan explosion and whether the PBOC has lost control over its maniacally-lending banks.

It would appear the Chinese central bank currency squeeze is back as money-market rates are exploding higher once again. With the outpuring of liquidity heading into the new-year holiday, the post-celebration hangover was always likely unless PBOC just kept pumping but judging by the 500bps spike in overnight Yuan interbank rates to 9.3%, more than a few banks are desperate for some liquidity. We note that the last six times that Chinese banks have suffered liquidity constraints, US equities have tumbled...