EUR/USD pares back from multi-week highs in 1.1160s, still well supported after hot EZ inflation readings

 

• EUR/USD has pulled back from earlier multi-week highs in the 1.1160s but remains well supported in the 1.1140 area.
• USD continues to suffer from broad weakness versus the majority of its G10 counterparts despite less optimistic Russo-Ukraine updates.
• Meanwhile, hot Eurozone inflation data has encouraged euro buying as US data comes into focus.

Though the pair has waned from its earlier multi-week highs in the 1.1160s after selling pressure ahead of the 50-Day Moving Average near 1.1180 emerged, EUR/USD continues to trade with healthy on-the-day gains of about 0.4% in the 1.1130s. The US dollar continues to suffer from broad weakness versus the majority of its G10 counterparts, even as recent tailwinds in the global equity space subside amid less optimistic headlines regarding Russo-Ukraine peace talks, lifting EUR/USD. Another factor likely encouraging euro buying against the buck is recent hot inflation readings coming out of the Eurozone which, as ECB President Christine Lagarde this morning remarked, support the ECB’s recent shift towards ending QE in Q3 and signaling rate hikes in Q4.

Ahead of the release of preliminary national German Consumer Price Inflation metrics for March at 1300BST, regional state CPI data releases earlier in the session saw sizeable MoM and YoY gains. Meanwhile, the preliminary estimate of Spanish headline HICP inflation in March hit a staggering 9.8%, well above the 8.1% expected. Upcoming German inflation figures are expected to be hot and thus may not provoke a market reaction, and EUR/USD focus will quickly shift to US data scheduled for release shortly after. US private payroll company ADP releases its estimate of US employment change in March at 1315BST and, though ADP’s metric has been a poor predictor of the official NFP in recent months, traders will nonetheless take note.

Shortly after at 1330BST, the final estimate of US GDP growth in Q4 2021 will be released and there will be remarks from Fed’s Thomas Barkin, Raphael Bostic and Esther George, all of whom support the Fed’s recent hawkish shift. Fed hawkishness/strong economic data is arguably well priced into USD at this point, and further profit-taking on US dollar longs coupled with inflationary Eurozone data may well mean EUR/USD remains supported above 1.1100 and eyes a move towards 1.1200.