Gold Price Forecast: XAU/USD to slide below the $1,620 support – ANZ

 Gold prices are likely to fall back to the previous low of $1,620 as bearish momentum is set to continue, economists at ANZ Bank report.

Bearish trend to continue

“Strong US job reports, and higher inflation led gold to resume its downtrend, and it is likely to fall below $1,600.”

“Immediate support lies at $1,620, the previous low. A break of this support should see prices touching the lower bound of the downward channel, which will be below $1,600.

“Immediate resistance is at $1,715, and an upward break of this level would see the next resistance point at $1,800, which will also mark a reversal of downtrend.”

US Dollar Index to ease lower on a Fed that is perceived as less hawkish – OCBC

 The US Dollar Index (DXY) is rising to the 110.00 area following Friday's retreat. This week’s FOMC meeting could send the DXY lower if the Fed is perceived less hawkish than expected, in the opinion of economists at OCBC Bank.

Caution to keep USD supported on dips in the lead-up to FOMC

“While a hawkish Fed is now the baseline scenario, we caution that a Fed that is perceived as less hawkish could see DXY ease lower post-decision. Meantime, in the lead-up to FOMC, expect caution to keep USD broadly supported on dips.”

“Support at 109.30 (21 DMA), 108.45 (38.2% Fibo retracement of Aug low to Sep high) and 107.70 levels (50-DMA, 50% Fibo).”

“Resistance at 110.30 before 110.78 (previous high).”

USD strength to persist into early next year – Rabobank

 In the view of economists at Rabobank, the US dollar is set to remain well supported for several months with the hawkish position of the Fed underpinning the attraction of the greenback as a safe haven.

Scope for further dips in EUR/USD below parity

“As the Fed still has a lot of work to do in taming price pressures and ensuring that inflation expectations are well anchored into the medium-term, it can be assumed that the FOMC will not be ready to relinquish its hawkish position just yet. Since this will impact risky assets, we see risk that USD strength persists into early next year.”

“We expect the USD to remain the favoured safe haven relative to either the JPY or the CHF in view of higher US short-term interest rates.”

“Given also that the eurozone is facing a difficult winter which includes the possibility of energy rationing for some businesses, we see scope for further dips in EUR/USD below parity.”

Euro holds above 2-decade low before ECB decision

 LONDON (Reuters) - The euro was hovering above Tuesday's two-decade low on Thursday as investors awaited a policy decision from the European Central Bank (ECB) and comments from the head of the Federal Reserve for insight on the path for global monetary tightening.

The ECB is expected to raise rates by 75 basis points (bps), taking its deposit rate above zero for the first time since 2012, but the option of a smaller 50 basis point hike hasn't been ruled out.

"We expect the ECB to only do 50 basis points today, instead of the consensus view of 75," said Chris Turner, head of markets at ING. "If that's the case, we think euro-dollar probably corrects back down to about $0.99."

By 0747 GMT, the euro was trading down 0.3% at $0.99795, holding above its lowest level since late 2002 of $0.9864 as Europe's energy crisis keeps the single currency under pressure and the dollar reigns as the Fed reiterates its commitment to bring inflation down to target.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell is scheduled to participate in a discussion at 1310 GMT -- overlapping with ECB chief Lagarde's post-decision press conference -- with Fed officials soon due to enter into a blackout period prior to the central bank's Sept. 20-21 meeting.

Recent Fed rhetoric has continued to be hawkish overall.

Boston Fed President Susan Collins said on Wednesday that bringing inflation back down to 2% is the Fed's "Job One," while Vice Chair Lael Brainard said tight monetary policy will continue "for as long as it takes to get inflation down."

Money markets lay 79% odds that the Fed will hike by another 75 basis points at this month's meeting, which would increase the fed funds rate to 3.0% to 3.25%.

The U.S. dollar index, which measures the currency against six major counterparts, edged up 0.1% lower to 109.82, after hitting a peak at 110.79 on Wednesday, a level not seen since June 2002.

Sterling weakened 0.4% to $1.1486, heading back toward the previous day's 37-year low of $1.1407, ahead of new British Prime Minister Liz Truss's announcement on her plans to tackle soaring energy bills.

Japan's yen showed some resilience on Thursday, trading little changed at 143.77 per dollar, after reaching a 24-year low of 144.99 in the previous session.

The yen has been a particular victim of recent dollar strength, partly due to its sensitivity to rising long-term U.S. yields as hawkish Fed bets ramped up and the Bank of Japan remains the holdout dovish central bank.

"Ongoing depreciation pressure on the yen has raised the probability of a change in policy (from the Bank of Japan) later this year," Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) analysts said in a research note.

"If the BoJ drops YCC (yield curve control), rate differentials vs the U.S. should stop widening, and the rise in USD/JPY should pause or reverse."

Officials from Japan's Finance Ministry, Bank of Japan and Financial Services Agency are meeting today to discuss global financial markets, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said.

Meanwhile, the Aussie fell 0.5% to $0.67345, earlier tumbling as low as $0.6713, after RBA Governor Lowe said in a speech "the case for a slower pace of increase in interest rates becomes stronger as the level of the cash rate rises."

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,

📕 Comment on Gold on June 3, 2022:

 

📕 Comment on Gold on June 3, 2022:

 - In yesterday's session, precious metal Gold went right with the analysis trend when it bounced up from 1844 to 1870 ($26) and closed the day session with a bullish candle around 1868. The strength of the tree.  Yesterday's candle was the strongest in the past 9 sessions.  Therefore, in my opinion, the possibility of Gold will continue to increase in today's session.

 - Switch to the H4 time frame, the nearest support area for this precious metal is around 1863-1867.  Here we can refer to buying with a safe target below 1874 and above 1880.

EUR/USD hovers around 1.0700 amid subdued DXY, US GDP eyed

 EUR/USD is hovering around 1.0700 and is expected to establish above the same amid a broadly subdued US dollar index (DXY). EUR bulls are swiftly scaling higher after the less hawkish Fed minutes downed the US dollar. Focus on US GDP and PCE inflation. 

EUR/USD pares intraday gains around 1.0700 while stepping back from an immediate resistance line. In doing so, the major currency pair reverses the previous day’s pullback from the monthly high during Thursday’s Asian session.

Although a downward sloping trend line from Tuesday restricts the nearby EUR/USD upside around 1.0710, the quote’s ability to stay firmer past the 100-HMA and the 200-HMA keeps the buyers hopeful of overcoming the nearby hurdle.

Also favoring the upside bias is a one-week-old ascending trend line and the bullish MACD signals, not to forget firmer RSI (14).

Bolstered rate hike expectations by the European Central Bank (ECB) have underpinned the euro against the greenback. Inflation is affecting the real income of the households in the eurozone and the ECB has yet not paddled up its interest rates unlike the other Western leaders, which are featuring 50 basis points (bps) rate hikes. The eurozone inflation has reached 7.5% and the ECB needs to tighten its sleeves and announce quantitative restrictions.

Meanwhile, Dutch Central Bank head and ECB Governing Council member Klass Knot stated on Wednesday that inflation expectations will remain well-anchored at its upper limit and a rate hike by 50 bps is not off the table.

On the dollar front, the DXY is underperforming broadly despite the release of the extremely hawkish Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) minutes. As per the minutes, all Fed policymakers were in favor of a jumbo rate hike announcement. Also, they believe that the benchmark rates should be sent close to the neutral rates quickly. Inflation will remain anchored at elevated levels and the labor market is extremely tight.

Going forward, investors will respond to the US Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) numbers. The US GDP is seen unchanged at -1.4% on annual basis. Also, the US PCE is expected to remain stable at 7%.

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.

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.

Singapore: Industrial Production remains robust – UOB

 Economist at UOB Group Barnabas Gan reviews the latest industrial production figures in Singapore.

Key Takeaways

“Industrial production surged 17.6% y/y (+16.6% m/m sa) in Feb 2022, surprising market expectations for a 6.3% y/y (+5.7% m/m sa) growth. Excluding biomedical manufacturing, industrial production rose 16.8% y/y.”

“The strong performance in Singapore’s manufacturing sector is underpinned by the global trade recovery, especially on the back of healthy semiconductor- and biomedical-related demand. Other factors that have supported Singapore’s manufacturing momentum also include the gradual reopening of international borders, which resulted in higher levels of maintenance, repair and overhaul activity from commercial airlines.”

“In all, our outlook is for full-year manufacturing to grow by an average of 4.0% in 2022. This suggests that despite the high-base growth rate seen in 2021, global trade activity is expected to stay buoyant in the new year.”

AUD/USD to advance back toward 0.75 by year-end – ANZ

 After a tough start to the year, the AUD has rebounded convincingly to become one of the leaders in the G10. Economists at ANZ Bank expect the AUD/USD to move sideways in the near-term before staging a leg higher to the 0.75 level by year-end.

Challenging risk environment will keep rallies capped 

“The terms of trade improvement and a strong domestic economy are likely to keep the AUD well supported, though a challenging risk environment will keep rallies capped.”

“We believe the aussie will be mostly rangebound through the middle part of 2022 before a global growth recovery helps propel a move back to 0.75 by year-end.”

Euro sinks to multi-year lows versus dollar, Swiss franc and sterling

The euro fell to a seven-year low versus the Swiss franc and hit its lowest point in almost two years versus the dollar on Friday as the war in Ukraine lowered expectations of European economic growth.

The European single currency fell 2.1% this week, and was set for its worst week since April 2020.

It was down 0.5% to $1.1010 at 0850 GMT, near its weakest level since May 2020, following news Russian forces seized the largest nuclear power plant in Europe after a building at the complex was set ablaze during fighting with Ukrainian defenders, Ukrainian authorities said on Friday.

Authorities later said the fire in a building identified as a training centre had been extinguished. U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said there were no indication of elevated radiation levels at the plant.

Versus sterling, the euro also hit its weakest level of 82.61 pence since July 2016. It touched its lowest level since January 2015 of 1.0114 against the safe-haven Swiss Franc.

Analyst said the effects of surging energy and gas prices will likely undermine European consumption and economic growth prospects.

"The ECB is going to have no alternative but to look through this surge in inflation but the Fed is not going to delay so we will see more monetary divergence again," said Mike Kelly, head of global multi-asset at PineBridge Investments.

"The dollar should be getting a new spring in its step structurally if things do get worse," Kelly added.

The U.S. dollar index rose 0.36% to 98.073, after touching its highest level since June 2020 against a basket of peers.

While money markets do not expect interest rate hikes at the ECB's next meeting, the U.S. Federal Reserve is all but certain to raise interest rates at its March 15-16 meeting for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell repeated his comments that he would back an initial quarter percentage point increase in the benchmark rate.

In Ukraine, Russian forces were pressing on with surrounding and attacking cities.

Elsewhere, the Australian dollar continued its advance, helped by the commodities boom, and rose 0.6% to a four-month high of $0.7370 versus the U.S. dollar.

High energy prices in turn have prevented the Japanese yen from benefiting as much from the safe haven flows, as Japan is a net importer of energy.

The yen briefly climbed on the dollar when news of the fire emerged, but later gave up those gains and was little changed at 115.37 per dollar.

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DAILY NEWS HIGHLIGHTS! On 2 February 2022

 📌 Metaverse real estate sales top $500 million, and are projected to double this year. So far, real estate sales have been concentrated on the “Big Four” — Sandbox, Decentraland, Cryptovoxels and Somnium. 

📌 Sony to buy video game maker Bungie in $3.6 billion deal as industry consolidation heats up. Bungie is behind the multiplayer shooter games Destiny and Halo, the latter of which it developed until 2010. Technology companies are increasingly interested in gaming as they look to expand audiences and prepare for future iterations of virtual- and augmented-reality devices.

📌 China plans crewed moon mission, tourism and Jupiter exploration in space race with the U.S.. China has had some notable space successes in the past few years including launching an uncrewed mission to Mars and beginning construction of its own space station.

📌 Covid-19’s Economic Fallout Batters Latin America. The region is bracing this year for rampant inflation, low growth and high interest rates that spell hardship for tens of millions of people in poverty as businesses struggle to survive.

📌 Bond Market Hints at Calm After Disruptive Selloff. Yields on longer-term U.S. government bonds have shown signs of stabilizing in recent days, easing the pressure generated on stocks by their rapid early-year climb.