USD Index Price Analysis: No changes to the consolidative theme

 

• DXY attempts a mild rebound after bottoming out near 111.80.
• Further range bound remains on the cards for the time being.

DXY bounces off multi-session lows in the 111.80/75 band on Tuesday.

So far, the index looks poised to keep navigating within a 112.00-114.00 range at least until the next FOMC event.

The prospects for extra gains in the dollar should remain unchanged as long as the index trades above the 8-month support line near 108.00.

In the longer run, DXY is expected to maintain its constructive stance while above the 200-day SMA at 103.43.

Nervous calm as dollar prepares for inflation test

 

Major currencies held steady on Wednesday, with traders cautious about placing large bets ahead of U.S. inflation data, which markets will scrutinise for guidance on how steeply the U.S. Federal Reserve will raise interest rates in coming months.

The figures are due at 1230 GMT. Economists expect year-on-year headline inflation to be running at a scorching 8.7%, a small retreat from June's whopping 9.1% figure. Core inflation is expected at 0.5% month-on-month.

The greenback was broadly steady, having paused a bit from a retreat that began in the middle of July.

It bought 135 Japanese yen and sat at $1.0215 per euro and $1.2089 versus sterling, all little changed on the day and largely unchanged since the start of this week.

"All eyes are on U.S. CPI," said Carol Kong, a currency strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia (OTC:CMWAY).

"Currencies have been quiet this week, and barring a major news event we don't expect the dollar to move out its range before the data."

Traders expect reaction to turn on the core inflation figure.

"The market will initially get more excited by a downside core CPI surprise than an upside surprise," said Deutsche Bank (ETR:DBKGn) strategist Alan Ruskin. A downward surprise would feed into hopes that falling commodity prices mean inflation can quickly recede.

"It will also play to the market's recent proclivity to buy risk dips, and will be a broad-based negative for the U.S. dollar,

 AUD/USD drops to fresh two-week low, back below 0.7100 on hotter-than-expected US CPI

AUD/USD turned lower for the third straight day in reaction to stronger US inflation figures.

The latest US CPI report reaffirmed hawkish Fed expectations and boosted the greenback.

The risk-off impulse further underpinned the buck and weighed on the risk-sensitive aussie.

The AUD/USD pair witnessed aggressive selling during the early North American session and turned lower for the third successive day in reaction to stronger US consumer inflation figures. The pair was last seen trading around the 0.7080-0.7075 region, or over a two-week low, down 0.25% for the day.

According to the data released this Friday, the headline US CPI rose to 1.0% MoM in May as against 0.7% expected and the yearly rate unexpectedly jumped to a fresh 40-year high level of 8.6%. Adding to this, core inflation, which excludes food and energy prices, came in at 0.6% MoM and 6.0% YoY rate versus consensus estimates for a reading of 0.5% and 5.9%, respectively.

The data reaffirmed market bets that the Fed would need to tighten its monetary policy at a faster pace to curb soaring inflation. This was reinforced by a fresh leg up in the US Treasury bond yields, which, along with a steep fall in the equity markets, pushed the safe-haven US dollar to a fresh three-week high and exerted heavy downward pressure on the AUD/USD pair.

Given the overnight break below the 0.7150 horizontal support, the emergence of fresh selling on Friday favours bearish traders and supports prospects for further losses. Hence, some follow-through weakness, towards testing the 0.7000 psychological mark, now looks like a distinct possibility. The downward trajectory could further get extended towards the 0.6945 support zone.

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GBP/USD consolidates in mid-1.2500 amid holiday thinned trade pre-US jobs data

GBP/USD is trading subdued above 1.2550 amid holiday-thinned trade head of the release of key US jobs data.

Evidence of cooling of US wage pressures could hit the buck and help GBP/USD challenge weekly highs.

But the differential between US/UK growth and Fed/BoE tightening expectations makes a longer-lasting rebound more difficult.

With FX markets in wait-and-see mode ahead of the release of official US labour market data for the month of May at 1230GMT and with volumes further hampered amid a second day of market closures in the UK (London being the world’s top FX trading hotspot) as celebrations for the Queen’s platinum jubilee continue, GBP/USD is trading in subdued fashion and flat on the day just above the 1.2550 level.

That leaves the pair about equidistant between earlier weekly highs in the mid-1.2600s and Wednesday’s lows in the mid-1.2400s, as well as equidistant between the 21-Day Moving Average to the downside near 1.2450 and the 50DMA to the upside just above 1.2700. FX market volatility is expected to pick up if there is a significant deviation from expectations in the upcoming US jobs data release.

Analysts have highlighted wage growth metrics as the most important for traders to watch, given the ongoing debate about the state of inflation in the US (has it peaked yet?) and associated discussion about the outlook for the Fed policy outlook. Fed Vice Chair Lael Brainard set a high bar on Thursday for a pause in rate hikes in September following two 50 bps moves in June and July, though a slowdown to 25 bps moves is likely is the Fed does deem inflationary pressures to have eased.

In that regard, any evidence of easing wage pressures (which often then lead to inflation) could see the US dollar weaken and GBP/USD challenge weekly highs once again. But amid the relatively more optimistic story regarding US growth versus UK, and continued expectations for the Fed to be far more hawkish than the BoE in the quarters ahead, the outlook for a sustained GBP/USD rebound, say back into the 1.2800 area of above, doesn’t look great for now.

US ISM Services PMI survey data for May is slated for release at 1400GMT (after the jobs data at 1230GMT) and should highlight robust continued growth in the dominant US service sector. Fed speak will then be back in focus from 1430GMT with more remarks from Brainard.

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EUR/USD unlikely to gain traction while below 1.0830

EUR/USD has staged a modest rebound to the 1.08 area. Unless the pair manages to clear the 1.0830 resistance, sellers are likely to continue to dominate the pair's action.

1.0760 aligns as key near-term support for the euro

“Investors will keep a close on US T-bond yields. In case the 10-year yield rises above 3%, EUR/USD could come under renewed bearish pressure.”

“In order to extend its rebound, EUR/USD needs to clear the static level that seems to have formed at 1.0830. Above that level, the 1.0850/1.0860 area (50-period SMA, static level) aligns as the next hurdle ahead of 1.09 (static level, psychological level).”

“On the downside, key support is located at 1.0760 (static level, post-ECB low). If that level turns into resistance, 1.0730 (April 24, 2020, low) and 1.07 (psychological level) could be seen as the next bearish targets.”

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GBP/USD supported above 1.3000 ahead of key US CPI release

GBP/USD continues to trade support to the north of the 1.3000 level in the run-up to the release of key US March Consumer Price Inflation data at 1330BST. Mixed UK jobs data released earlier in the session didn’t give cable traders much to go off of, hence the indecisive trading conditions that have prevailed thus far this session.

On the one hand, the UK jobless rate fell to a fresh post-pandemic low of 3.8% as expected in February, taking it even further below its pre-Covid levels. On the other hand, British earnings growth, when adjusted for inflation, slumped the most since 2013, highlighting the cost-of-living crisis faced in the UK even before the start of the Russo-Ukraine war and tax/energy price hikes as of Q2.

According to ING, "for the time being, this kind of data can probably support market expectations of a Bank of England Bank Rate above 2.00% by year-end (versus 0.75% currently)”. But the bank cautioned that any sterling strength as a result of BoE tightening expectations would likely play out versus the euro or yen, not the US dollar.

Indeed, the US dollar continues to trade on the front foot on Tuesday ahead of the release of US CPI data that should further reinforce expectations for Fed tightening. The DXY currently trades above 100 and just below its highest levels since May 2020 and more gains may be in store if the recent trend of higher US yields and lower US (and global) equities continues. ING think that in a continued strong dollar environment, GBP/USD is at risk of slipping towards 1.2850.

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 Euro gains respite from Macron's French election lead

The euro looked set to snap a seven-day losing streak versus the dollar on Monday, as the single currency rallied after French leader Emmanuel Macron beat far right challenger Marine Le Pen in the country's first round of presidential voting.

Investor concerns about the future direction of the euro zone's second-biggest economy have weighed on the euro and added to worries over the economic costs of war in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the dollar has been pushed higher by rising U.S. yields and expectations the Federal Reserve will act quickly to stem inflation. One of the big fallers has been the Japanese yen, which fell to a fresh seven-year low versus the dollar.

Macron will face Le Pen in what promises to be a tightly fought French presidential election runoff on April 24.

Nonetheless, Macron's lead in the first round provided some respite for the euro - lifting it by as much as three quarters of a percent in Asian trading hours to $1.0955. It was last up 0.3% at $1.09080.

Currency analysts said the contest remained on a knife-edge with negative implications for the euro.

"The narrower than expected victory for President Macron will keep alive fears that there is an outside chance that Le Pen can become president," analysts at MUFG said in a note.

"The first-round results and the opinion polls pointing towards a close result in the second round will remain a modest weight on the euro in the coming weeks."

The dollar index - which tracks the greenback against a basket of six peers - was broadly flat on the day, just shy of the 100 mark hit last week for the first time in nearly two years.

As the dollar has gained ground, investors have seen little reason to exit bets against the yen while the Bank of Japan holds yields near zero.

The yen fell as much as 1% on the day to 125.55 yen per dollar, its lowest level since 2015.

"There's nothing there to frighten people out of dollar/yen positions," said National Australia Bank (OTC:NABZY)'s head of foreign exchange Ray Attrill. "So onwards and upwards for dollar/yen."

Sterling was broadly flat versus the dollar at $1.30380.

The Russian rouble weakened in jittery trade, reversing some of the previous week's gains, after the central bank decided to relax temporary capital control measures.

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GBP/USD remains on the defensive near three-week low, just above mid-1.3000s

The GBP/USD pair remained on the defensive through the early European session and was last seen trading just a few pips above the three-week low, around the 1.3055 region.

The pair witnessed some selling during the first half of the trading on Wednesday and dropped to the lowest level since March 16, though showed resilience below the mid-1.3000s. The US dollar gained traction for the fifth successive day and shot to a nearly two-year peak, which, in turn, exerted some downward pressure on the GBP/USD pair.

The markets seem convinced that the Fed would hike interest rates by 100 bps over the next two meetings to combat stubbornly high inflation. Moreover, Fed Governor Lael Brainard said on Tuesday that the US central bank could start reducing its balance sheet at a rapid pace as soon as the May meeting and provided a goodish lift to the buck.

Expectations for a more aggressive Fed pushed the yield on the 2-year US government bond, which is highly sensitive to rate hike expectations, to its highest level since January 2019. Moreover, the yields on the 5-year and the benchmark 10-year bonds jumped to their highest since December 2018 and April 2019, respectively.

Hence, the market focus will remain glued to the FOMC monetary policy meeting minutes, due for release later during the US session. In the meantime, fading hopes for a diplomatic solution to end the war in Ukraine and concerns about more Western sanctions on Russia over its alleged war crimes should benefit the safe-haven greenback.

The fundamental backdrop seems tilted in favour of bearish traders and supports prospects for a further near-term depreciating move for the GBP/USD pair. With technical indicators still far from being in the oversold zone, spot prices seem vulnerable to sliding back to challenge the YTD low, around the 1.3000 psychological mark.

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precious metal Gold bounced up to 1936.

 

Comment on Gold on 05/04/2022:

- In yesterday's trading session, after falling to the 1915 price zone, precious metal Gold bounced up to 1936. Yesterday's session closed with a rising green candle, but this increase was insignificant and according to Gold will continue to move sideways in the range of 1938-1915.

- My personal view in today's trading session is biased towards #sell. We can sell short at the upper edge of the 1930-1937 flat zone with a safe target around 1915-1920. Here we liquidate the order and wait for the signal. I will update later when there is a buying rhythm.

GBP/USD eyes break below 1.3100 and towards key support amid buoyant buck

 

• GBP/USD is trading with a downside bias as the euro underperforms and 21DMA continues to act as a ceiling.
• A break lower to test last week’s 1.3050 lows looks on the cards, with bears also eyeing 1.3000 annual lows.
• Following hawkish Fed commentary over the weekend and ahead of possibly more this week, USD risks are tilted higher.

In a relatively tame start to the week for currency markets, GBP/USD is trading with a downside bias and is currently threatening a downside break of the 1.3100 level. Sterling is likely weighed by underperformance in its cross-English Channel peer the euro, which is underperforming ahead of the resumption of Russo-Ukraine peace talks later in the session and amid further chatter about a possible EU embargo on Russian energy imports. Commentary from BoE policymakers on Monday did not stray into the territory of monetary policy and thus hasn’t impacted cable, which probed last Friday’s lows in the 1.3080s earlier in the session and is eyeing a break lower towards last week’s lows around 1.3050.

“Despite much focus on the heaviest cost of living rise since British records began (1950s), the market still prices the BoE Bank Rate at 2.20% at the December meeting later this year,” noted analysts at ING. “That pricing of the BoE cycle is likely keeping GBP relatively well bid, although we do think the risks are growing of Cable breaking down to the $1.25/28 area over coming months,” they warn. Amid a light UK data schedule this week, the risks posed to GBP from fears of a weakening UK economy likely won’t be the major market focus.

GBP/USD eyes break below 1.3100 and towards key support amid buoyant buck

• GBP/USD is trading with a downside bias as the euro underperforms and 21DMA continues to act as a ceiling.
• A break lower to test last week’s 1.3050 lows looks on the cards, with bears also eyeing 1.3000 annual lows.
• Following hawkish Fed commentary over the weekend and ahead of possibly more this week, USD risks are tilted higher.

In a relatively tame start to the week for currency markets, GBP/USD is trading with a downside bias and is currently threatening a downside break of the 1.3100 level. Sterling is likely weighed by underperformance in its cross-English Channel peer the euro, which is underperforming ahead of the resumption of Russo-Ukraine peace talks later in the session and amid further chatter about a possible EU embargo on Russian energy imports. Commentary from BoE policymakers on Monday did not stray into the territory of monetary policy and thus hasn’t impacted cable, which probed last Friday’s lows in the 1.3080s earlier in the session and is eyeing a break lower towards last week’s lows around 1.3050.

“Despite much focus on the heaviest cost of living rise since British records began (1950s), the market still prices the BoE Bank Rate at 2.20% at the December meeting later this year,” noted analysts at ING. “That pricing of the BoE cycle is likely keeping GBP relatively well bid, although we do think the risks are growing of Cable breaking down to the $1.25/28 area over coming months,” they warn. Amid a light UK data schedule this week, the risks posed to GBP from fears of a weakening UK economy likely won’t be the major market focus.

Rather, the outlook for Fed policy is likely to be a much more important topic. Already over the weekend, there has been fresh hawkish commentary. Fed’s John Williams warned that balance sheet reduction could start as soon as May and Fed’s Mary Daly said the case for a 50 bps rate hike in May has grown. Various Fed policymakers will be making public appearances and talking policy throughout the week and the minutes of the Fed’s most recent, hawkish meeting will be published on Wednesday.

Risks seem tilted towards the upside for the US dollar amid the risk of further hawkish Fed vibes. GBP/USD’s 21-Day Moving Average in the 1.3120s, which has been providing solid resistance over the past few weeks, looks likely to continue acting as a ceiling for the time being.

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When is the US monthly jobs report (NFP) and how could it affect EUR/USD?

 

US monthly jobs report overview

Friday's US economic docket highlights the release of the closely-watched US monthly jobs data. The popularly known NFP report is scheduled for release at 12:30 GMT and is expected to show that the economy added 490K new jobs in March, down from the 678K reported in the previous month. The unemployment rate is expected to edge lower to 3.7% from 3.8% in February. Apart from this, investors will take cues from Average Hourly Earnings amid expectations for a more aggressive policy response to contain high inflation. 

As Joseph Trevisani, Senior Analyst at FXStreet, explains: “It is becoming clear that the reconstitution of the labor market is not enough to prevent inflation from crippling the economic recovery. The crucial factor is consumer spending. About two-thirds of US economic activity can be directly traced to personal expenditures. The availability of jobs and the ability of workers to seek higher wages are the main supports for consumer spending.”

 GBP/USD rebounds from near two-week low, flat-lined below 1.3100 amid risk-on mood

• GBP/USD witnessed some intraday selling on Tuesday amid renewed USD buying interest.
• Hawkish Fed expectations, rising US bond yields continued acting as a tailwind for the buck.
• A positive risk tone capped gains for the safe-haven USD and helped limit losses for the pair.

The GBP/USD pair quickly recovered a few pips from a near two-week low touched in the last hour and was last seen trading around the 1.3175-1.3180 region, nearly unchanged for the day.

The pair struggled to preserve its modest intraday gains to the 1.3115 region and turned lower for the fifth successive day on Tuesday amid the emergence of fresh US dollar buying. Rising bets for a 50 bps rate hike at the next two FOMC meetings turned out to be a key factor that continued acting as a tailwind for the buck.

The market expectations for a more aggressive policy response by the Fed to combat high inflation was reinforced by elevated US Treasury bond yields. In fact, the yield on the benchmark 10-year US government bond moved back above the 2.5% threshold, or back closer to a nearly three-year peak and underpinned the greenback.

The British pound was further pressured by the overnight dovish sounding remarks by the Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey, saying that they are seeing evidence of an economic slowdown. Bailey stuck to the tone from this monthly policy decision, wherein officials softened their language on the need for further interest rate hikes.

This was seen as another factor that exerted additional pressure on the GBP/USD pair. That said, a generally positive risk tone, bolstered by hopes for progress in the Russia-Ukraine peace talks, capped the safe-haven USD and helped limit the downside for the GBP/USD pair. This, in turn, warrants some caution for bearish traders.

Hence, the market focus will remain glued to fresh developments surrounding the Russia-Ukraine saga. The incoming geopolitical headlines will influence the broader market risk sentiment. This, along with the US bond yields, will drive demand for the USD and produce some short-term trading opportunities around the GBP/USD pair.

Later during the early North American session, traders will take cues from the US economic docket - featuring the release of JOLTS Job Openings and the Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index.

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