Macro traders are wondering if last weeks trend of crude oil moving higher and the U.S. dollar moving lower is only a brief anomaly or greater evidence of things to come? There’s a ton of moving parts this week so make certain you are paying very close attention. Below are the ones the trade seems most heavily focused on. These are also the headlines that will most directly impact the direction of the U.S. dollar and crude oil, hence ultimately deciding the overall direction of stocks and commodity prices:

  • Fed Meeting: Federal Reserve officials start their two-day meeting on Tuesday. Even though most inside the trade doubt we will see any type of rate hike, there’s a very strong chance we could see more hawkish type commentary and increased   thoughts of another rate hike between now and July. Keep in mind employment has strengthened as of late and inflation appears to have gained a little nearby momentum on higher prices at the pump. 
  • U.S. Presidential Campaign: The 2016 race is certainly heating up and drawing a ton of press and uncertainty amongst Wall Street traders. There’s a lot of talk as of late that the recent weakness in the U.S. dollar is a direct result of the uncertainty surrounding who will become the next U.S. president. With several “extreme” candidates still in contention the world is a bit on edge in regard to free trade, immigration, big banks, taxes, etc… The extreme “changes” being discussed make the trade nervous as nobody knows exactly how the worlds #1 economy will be altered during the next four years? Keep in mind there’s some huge presidential primaries this week in key states like Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio. Don’t forget some of these are “winner-take-all” states and could largely impact the race. 
  • Crude Oil & China: There’s a ton of Chinese economic data scheduled for release this week. IN fact over the weekend it was reported that China’s industrial production during the first two months of the year grew at its slowest rate since the global financial crisis. The figures were the weakest since November 2008.  Many insiders I speak with have had little confidence through the years in the accuracy of most Chinese data. This is why crude oil prices have been so heavily influential across the trade as of late. Many insiders believe the price of crude oil tells a more accurate story about the strength of the Chinese economy. Meaning the Chinese government can release whatever data they want and tell the world they are expecting +7% growth in GDP, but when crude oil prices are betting out and the world is seemingly swimming in a glut of over-supply, it’s tough to believe the numbers. Perhaps the recent turnaround and move higher in crude oil price is an indication the trade may have gotten a bit too bearish the Chinese economy and perhaps there are some signs of a recovery, or at least a chance their latest dovish policies changes by the government has stopped the bleeding? OPEC is scheduled to release its monthly oil market report today. Investors will be looking to see whether production increased in February and what the group’s projections are for full-year output. If you recall, Saudi Arabia and fellow OPEC members Qatar and Venezuela agreed with non-OPEC Russia to freeze output at January levels, with the stipulation that other oil exporters also agreed to it. Over the weekend, an Iran state news agency said their oil minister would join in discussions between members about a possible freeze, but only after their output returns to pre-sanction levels, which would be about 4 million barrels per day.
  • Bank of Japan is scheduled to announce tonight whether or not it will expand its quantitative easing program.