Noticias del mercado & perspectivas
Anticípate a los mercados con perspectivas de expertos, noticias y análisis técnico para guiar tus decisiones de trading.
El anuncio del alto el fuego del 8 de abril y las discusiones paralelas en torno a una tregua de 45 días no han resuelto la interrupción del Estrecho de Ormuz. Por ahora, han puesto un tope al peor escenario posible, pero el tráfico de petroleros se mantiene en una fracción de los niveles normales y la demanda iraní de tarifas de tránsito señala un cambio estructural, no temporal.
Lo que comenzó como un conflicto regional se ha convertido en un shock energético global, y la pregunta para los mercados ya no es si Ormuz fue interrumpido, sino cómo permanentemente la interrupción cambia el piso de precios para el petróleo.
Puntos clave
- Alrededor de 20 millones de barriles por día (bpd) de petróleo y productos derivados del petróleo normalmente pasan por el Estrecho de Ormuz entre Irán y Omán, lo que equivale a aproximadamente una quinta parte del consumo mundial de petróleo y aproximadamente el 30% del comercio mundial de petróleo marítimo.
- Esto es un choque de flujo, no un problema de inventario. Los mercados petroleros dependen del rendimiento continuo, no del almacenamiento de información estático.
- Si la interrupción persiste más allá de unas pocas semanas, el Brent podría pasar de un pico a corto plazo a un shock de precios más amplio, con riesgo de estanflación.
- El tráfico de petroleros a través del estrecho cayó de alrededor de 135 barcos por día a menos de 15 en el pico de interrupción, una reducción de aproximadamente 85%, con más de 150 embarcaciones ancladas, desviadas o retrasadas.
- El 8 de abril se anunció un alto el fuego de dos semanas, con negociaciones de tregua de 45 días en curso. Irán ha señalado por separado una demanda de tarifas de tránsito para los buques que utilizan el estrecho, lo que, de formalizar, representaría un piso geopolítico permanente en los costos de energía.
- Los mercados han comenzado a alejarse del crecimiento y la exposición tecnológica hacia los nombres de energía y defensa, lo que refleja la opinión de que el petróleo elevado se está convirtiendo en un costo estructural en lugar de una prima de riesgo temporal.
El punto de choque petrolero más crítico del mundo
El Estrecho de Ormuz maneja aproximadamente 20 millones de barriles diarios de petróleo y productos derivados del petróleo, lo que equivale a alrededor del 20% del consumo mundial de petróleo y alrededor del 30% del comercio mundial de petróleo marítimo. Con la demanda mundial de petróleo cercana a los 104 millones de bpd y la capacidad sobrante limitada, el mercado ya estaba fuertemente equilibrado antes de la última escalada.
El estrecho también es un corredor crítico para el gas natural licuado. Alrededor de 290 millones de metros cúbicos de GNL transitaron por la ruta cada día en promedio en 2024, lo que representa aproximadamente el 20% del comercio mundial de GNL, siendo los mercados asiáticos el principal destino.
La Agencia Internacional de Energía (AIE) ha descrito a Ormuz como el punto de choque del tránsito petrolero más importante del mundo, señalando que incluso las interrupciones parciales pueden desencadenar movimientos desmedidos de precios. El crudo Brent se ha movido por encima de los 100 dólares el barril, lo que refleja tanto la estanqueidad física como una prima de riesgo geopolítico al alza.
Tanques inactivos a medida que los flujos son lentos
Los datos de envío y seguros ahora apuntan a tensión en tiempo real. Se informa que más de 85 grandes transportistas de crudo están varados en el Golfo Pérsico, mientras que más de 150 embarcaciones han sido ancladas, desviadas o retrasadas a medida que los operadores reevalúan la cobertura de seguridad y seguros. Eso dejaría un estimado de 120 millones a 150 millones de barriles de crudo inactivos en el mar.
Esos volúmenes representan solo de seis a siete días de rendimiento normal de Hormuz, o un poco más de un día de consumo mundial de petróleo.
Los datos actualizados de envío y seguros confirman ahora que más de 150 embarcaciones han sido ancladas, desviadas o retrasadas, por encima de las 85 reportadas inicialmente. Los 1.3 días de cobertura de consumo mundial del crudo inactivo siguen siendo la limitación vinculante: se trata de un shock de flujo, no un problema de almacenamiento, y el alto el fuego aún no se ha traducido en un rendimiento restaurado de manera significativa.
Un mercado basado en el flujo, no en el almacenamiento de información
Los mercados petroleros funcionan en movimiento continuo. Las refinerías, las plantas petroquímicas y las cadenas de suministro mundiales están calibradas para lograr entregas estables a lo largo de rutas marítimas predecibles. Cuando los flujos a través de un punto de choque que lleva aproximadamente una quinta parte del consumo mundial de petróleo y alrededor del 30% del comercio mundial de petróleo marítimo se interrumpen, el sistema puede pasar del equilibrio al déficit en cuestión de días.
La capacidad de producción sobrante, concentrada en gran medida dentro de la OPEP, se estima en sólo 3 millones a 5 millones de bpd. Eso queda muy por debajo de los volúmenes en riesgo si los flujos de Ormuz se ven gravemente perturbados.
Oil market analysis
How long do idle tankers last?
135M idle barrels — days of cover against each demand benchmark
vs. Strait of Hormuz daily flow (20M bbl/day)
vs. Global oil consumption (104M bbl/day)
vs. US Strategic Petroleum Reserve release (1M bbl/day)
135M
idle barrels on tankers (midpoint of 120–150M range)
~33%
of daily Hormuz flow that is idle storage, not transit
<31 hrs
is all idle storage against global daily consumption
Riesgos de inflación y macroderrames
El impacto inflacionario de un choque petrolero suele llegar en oleadas. Los precios más altos del combustible y la energía pueden elevar rápidamente la inflación general a medida que los costos de gasolina, diésel y energía se muevan al alza.
Con el tiempo, los mayores costos de energía pueden pasar por fletes, alimentos, manufactura y servicios. Si la perturbación persiste, la combinación de una inflación elevada y un crecimiento más lento podría elevar el riesgo de un entorno estanflacionario y dejar a los bancos centrales enfrentando una difícil compensación.
Sin compensación fácil, un sistema con poca holgura
Lo que hace que el episodio actual sea particularmente agudo es la falta de holgura en el sistema global.
La oferta y la demanda mundiales cerca de 103 millones a 104 millones de bpd dejan poco colchón de sobra cuando un punto de choque que maneja casi 20 millones de bpd, o cerca de una quinta parte del consumo mundial de petróleo, se ve comprometido. La capacidad sobrante estimada de 3 millones a 5 millones de bpd, en su mayoría dentro de la OPEP, cubriría sólo una fracción de los volúmenes en riesgo.
Las rutas alternativas, incluidas las tuberías que eluden Ormuz y el envío reencaminado, solo pueden compensar parcialmente los flujos perdidos, y generalmente a un costo más alto y con plazos de entrega más largos.
Conclusión
Hasta que se restablezca el tránsito por el Estrecho de Ormuz y se vea como creíblemente seguro, es probable que los flujos mundiales de petróleo sigan deteriorados y las primas de riesgo sean elevadas. Para los inversionistas, los formuladores de políticas y los tomadores de decisiones corporativas, la pregunta central es si el petróleo puede moverse hacia donde necesita ir, todos los días, sin interrupción.
In a bit of an anti-climax in an exciting week in Central Bank action for FX traders today saw the BoJ keep the status quo of an ultra-accommodative monetary policy as expected. But disappointing the Yen bulls was the BoJ offering no clear sign of a shift in its policy stance in the near term after some speculation a clearer hint to normalization of policy could be given at this meeting. This saw re-positioning in USDJPY putting pressure on the yen and spiking the USDJPY higher into the intervention zone where the Japanese Ministry of Finance forcefully entered the FX market late in 2022.
This is setting up as a real game of chicken between the markets and the Bank of Japan, with policy BoJ policy on hold for the foreseeable future, the grind higher in USDJPY seems inevitable while rate differentials between US10Y and JP10Y yields also continue to rise. The close relationship between this differential and USDJPY can be seen on the following chart. Without a change in rates policy, FX intervention is looking like it may be the only way for this trend to change course and with comments like the below from Japanese Finance Minister Suzuki today we may see it sooner rather than later.
US markets took a big hit overnight after a mixed bag of earnings were released from the tech sector. Google’s parent company, Alphabet, took a 9.5 percent hit in yesterday’s session after releasing some disappointing earnings numbers on their cloud computing business. The $1.5+ trillion company has enough weight to pull down the indices with a move like this, and we saw the Nasdaq fall close to 2.5%, and the S&P 500 fall 1.43%.
This sell-off has landed the S&P 500 heavily into a horizontal support zone around 4,170-4,200, so we will be watching to see if this level can hold. If this falls, there is a bit of room to the next level around 4,060-4,080. Over in FX, the Aussie dollar saw plenty of volatility in yesterday’s session off the back of hotter than expected CPI data.
After a temporary spike up to 63.991, price has fallen away aggressively, down over 1.4% since yesterday’s highs. US dollar strength cleared any CPI gains, after markets shifted back into risk-off mode with the disappointing tech earnings and escalating tensions in the middle east. Later today we will have some US GDP data out, plus the ECB is releasing their latest interest rate decision.
Both key data events are worth monitoring for USD or EUR pairs.
The S&P 500 index is currently teetering on the edge, desperately holding onto a crucial support level. This level has proven its resilience with two prior bounces, so traders are keeping a close eye on whether it can endure the pressure once more. After enduring four consecutive red days, there was a sigh of relief overnight as the market managed to post a green day, coinciding with the critical support level.
The broader picture reveals a challenging September for the S&P 500, with a monthly decline so far of 3.78%, following August's 1.77% drop. Lingering concerns of an impending recession, coupled with the Federal Reserve's unwavering commitment to maintaining higher interest rates for an extended period, have been the driving forces behind this recent downturn. Monday's bounce brought some respite, suggesting that investors might be regaining their composure after several days of selloffs.
From a technical standpoint, the current support level is important. Should it fail to hold, the index could potentially see a further decline of 2-3%, targeting the next horizontal support level. Interestingly, there is another layer of support not far below the current horizontal level in the form of a diagonal support line.
This diagonal support line could be something for traders to watch, as it could act as a potential area of activity if the horizontal level falls.
It’s that time again, the looming US FOMC meeting is upon us. Once again, investors and analysts are confident that they know the result. With the rate currently at 5.50%, markets have priced in a hold, with the CME FedWatch Tool giving it a 99.6% probability of the second consecutive hold for the Fed.
Let’s explore that 0.4% chance that a hold might not happen. As you can see from the above chart, there has been a spectacular rise in the Fed Funds Rate since early 2022 when US inflation started to soar. Each Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting that occurs, the members assess economic conditions, monetary policy and make the big decision on what to do regards interest rates.
The rapid ascent of the Fed Funds Rate has been an attempt to tame the post Covid-19 inflation, with a fair bit more to go. While inflation is easing, recent GDP data in the US signaled a growing economy, which would be a key talking point in the upcoming FOMC meeting. Let’s look at a few scenarios on the markets for this month’s FOMC meeting.
Hold – With inflation easing, and no major data released in the past month to indicate a reversal, markets have priced in a hold at November’s meeting. As this has been widely accepted, this has been priced into the markets, and I’d expect minimal movements in both US equities and the USD if rates are on hold. Cut – With inflation still above the Fed’s target range, a cut is very unlikely.
However, in the slim chance they decide they’ve done enough and are ready to take their foot off the accelerator, we could see plenty of volatility across both the US equity markets and the US Dollar. Signalling that the Fed thinks the worst is over, US equities could rally on the newfound confidence that they’ve made it through the uncertain times, and cost of living may begin to ease. A cut could see USD lose strength, as investors may look to rotate into other higher yield currencies.
I’ll be watching the major USD pairs for plenty of volatility if a cut is seen. Hike - While inflation is easing, there are still signs the economy isn’t ‘breaking’ as much as it should be with such high rates. Recent US GDP data came in above forecasts, which I’m sure is being heavily looked at in the November FOMC meeting.
In the chance the Fed believes further work is needed and hike, I’d expect a short-term sell-off in the US equity markets and a rally in the USD. With the US Dollar Currency Index (DXY) bouncing between a range of around 105-107 for the past month, November’s FOMC meeting might be enough to kick it one direction if we see either a Hike or a Cut. As analysts generally price in the expected decision prior to the announcement, eyes generally shift to the FOMC statement and press conference after the data is released.
The statement and press conference sees Fed Chair Powell discuss the decision and gives an indication on their plans. Analysts will be analysing every word to try and get hints on the Fed’s future movements and will be looking for either more aggressive ‘Hawkish’ language or more cautious ‘Dovish’ language. I’m bracing for volatility across the USD pairs during this speech, and the language used will determine the direction.
Hawkish language can see strength in the dollar, while dovish can see weakness.
The first week of the new quarter has so far been an interesting one, rampant US treasury yields breaking out to 16-year highs, a USD that just keeps going up and now it seems the Japanese Ministry of Finance is directly intervening in currency markets. USD rose to a high of 107.35 on the back of a surge in yields and a hawkish US JOLTS report which showed the US labor markets resilience. Fed member Mester also spoke noting the Fed will likely need to hike rates one more time this year adding to the higher for longer narrative.
The USD did dip later in the session on what seemed to be a Japanese FX intervention, DXY still holding the key 107 level though. JPY was again weak early in the session with USDJPY hitting a high of 150.16, above the “line in the sand” at 150. The weakness dramatically reversed on what could only be a BoJ intervention in the FX market seeing USDJPY sharply move lower 3 big figures in a heartbeat, hitting a low of 147.31.
There has been no official confirmation this was an intervention but with recent jaw boning from Japanese officials threatening just that, it seems obvious it was. USDJPY recovered after the dust settled to reclaim the 149 level, but from my experience this won’t be the last intervention so USDJPY longs should tread with caution from here. AUD underperformed with the Aussie struggling against a strong USD, sour risk sentiment and post RBA where the Aussie Central Bank kept rates on hold and gave nothing extra for the hawks in their statement.
AUDUSD dipped below 0.63 before finding some support around the Nov ’22 lows and retaking the 0.63 support level for now. Today’s economic announcements:
USD traded in a tight range on Tuesday despite a big move higher in treasury yields after a beat in US retail sales figures, the headline rising 0.7% M/M vs 0.3% expected. DXY whipsawing within a contained range, hitting a high of 106.52 on the initial reaction to the retail sales figure, but quickly paring gains to hit a low of 106.02. Fed member Barkin Fed’s also spoke noting that the FOMC will have a good debate when asked about the chance of a Fed hike at heir November meeting.
Looking ahead, Fed speakers are set to continue, ahead of Chair Powell on Thursday, also any further geopolitical updates will be closely watched by USD traders. AUD and NZD were divergent on Tuesday, with the Aussie the G10 outperformer and the Kiwi the laggard. AUDUSD continuing its bounce off the major support at 0.6286 to rally to a high of 0.6380, helped along by what was seen as hawkish RBA minutes released during the session.
NZDUSD on the other hand struggled after a not as hot as expected NZ CPI, NZDUSD dipping to test the October lows at 0.5871 before finding some support.. AUDNZD surged higher, retaking the key 1.07 level and within a whisker of also breaching 1.08 JPY faltered against the USD despite seeing strength early in the session after a Bloomberg report that the BoJ was considering revising their inflation forecasts higher. The surge in the Yen swiftly faded with yield differentials pushing USDJPY higher, to hover just below the 150 “intervention zone” Today’s calendar below: