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efta-01459707DOJ Data Set 10OtherEFTA01459707
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12 January 2016
FX Blueprint: Forever Young
Theme #10: Yen up and be koreageous Buy JPY/KRW, USD/KRW
For years, the market has been wary of pushing for
KRW weakness, given Korea's sizeable balance of
payments surplus. However, the era of sizeable
surpluses is over We expect the recycling of the current
account surplus via domestic capital outflows to pick up
pace this year, driving USD/KRW higher The thinning
out of the BoP surplus will in general make the won
more susceptible to the global risk environment The
change in flow dynamics also has ramifications for the
domestic rates market The increasing supply of duration
°striated with the prospect of portfolio outflows should
translate into a steepening bias given already inverted
yield differentials between the long-end KTB and UST
curves.
For years, the large current account (CA) surplus Korea
possesses helped partly insulate the won from the
strong USD environment. Although the currency
started to depreciate more notably in 2015, KRW
performance has been in line with that of the region.
However, the tide is turning, and we believe the won
can depreciate more forcefully, for two main reasons.
First, DB Economics expects the CA surplus to shrink
to around $97bn in 2016 from $121bn in 2015, driven
by two factors; 1) slowdown in import compression;
and 2) the ongoing slowdown in exports. Note that
over the past few years, the widening of the current
account surplus has been driven mostly by falls in
commodity prices - most notably oil prices (peak to
trough, oil prices have declined by 45%).
Second,
the
recently-announced
measures
to
encourage outflows will also likely play a key role in
further recycling the CA surplus, tilting the balance of
payments towards a deficit, or neutral at a minimum.
These channels can be categorized broadly as; 1)
promoting overseas portfolio investment; 2) a change
in the overseas investment mandate for National
Pension Service (NPS); and 3) encouraging overseas
mergers and acquisitions. In our view, the measures
could be more effective this time around compared
with 2007. Back then, and despite the sizeable portfolio
outflows by domestic investors, the high FX hedge
ratios had countered the impact on FX of domestic
outbound investment. This time around, however, the
government has e<plicitly stated that IX gains on
equity investment are to be exempted from tax. On the
bond side, over the past few quarters we have seen a
strong pick-up in overseas bond investments by lifers
in search of higher returns (see chart), which in our
view will persist. Simaru to equity,
hedoirto on these
flows is likely to gradually reduce. As of the start of
2016, NPS is now allowed to reduce its FX hedge ratio
on overseas bond investment by half in 2017 and to nil
in 2018. This profound change will also likely be
followed by domestic lifers.
Deutsche Bank AG/London
Jan-11
Jan-12
Jan-I3
Net OA • Fin ace
Sizeable surpluses that kept KRW on an appreciation
path until late 2014 are no longer the case
• 1.000
1.020
1,040
SOSO
• SCSO
1.100
• 1.120
1,143
• isi50
sled
1.200
Jan-14
Jan-I5
USOKR1/4 spot
Scarce Dann* driet &Wrritel> Paws 1P. rinwetWin CSC
in 2007, the strong portfolio outflows were neutralized
by active hedging activities, which is unlikely this time
FX) 1 Unite. 12Pd
60
moving etas
-60J
Jan-00
Jan-03
Jan-06
Jan-CO
Jan-12
Jan-15
0
po dci
not by indents
—ST
axonal bestowing and EX depo
Oadl0PM Bat eloomberg Pow LP. MIMail•Wits.
Falling domestic bond yields are pushing more
investors to diversify offshore
Others
50 men
Insurers
ss
lint minden
SIR
dM between 1.15•5K SY Weld Orteeeted R
35
30 -
25
20
Is
10
5
0
CNI
0 5, 2g 0 9.2?°29g 0 9..2 .R 0 9,,9?°(9,
Spec* Odesich• art elloCenberg Finny LP. M...”1/2 49004 eec an vekona
0.0%
05%
1.0%
2.0%
2 5%
3.0%
Page 21
CONFIDENTIAL — PURSUANT TO FED. R. CRIM. P. 6(e)
CONFIDENTIAL
DB-SDNY-0120341
SDNY_GM_00266525
EFTA01459707
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