Bailey speech: Bank rate may have to go up further

 Bank of England (BoE) Governor Andrew Bailey is delivering his remarks on the policy outlook and responding to questions from the press following the bank's decision to hike the policy rate by 75 basis points to 3%.

Key takeaways

"If we do not act forcefully now, it will be tougher later."

"Bank rate may have to go up further."

"We think bank rate will have to up by less than priced in markets."

"We are increasing bank rate because inflation is too high."

"Low and stable inflation is the bedrock of a stable economy."

About Andrew Bailey (via bankofengland.co.uk)

"Andrew Bailey previously held the role of Deputy Governor, Prudential Regulation and CEO of the PRA from 1 April 2013. While retaining his role as Executive Director of the Bank, Andrew joined the Financial Services Authority in April 2011 as Deputy Head of the Prudential Business Unit and Director of UK Banks and Building Societies. In July 2012, Andrew became Managing Director of the Prudential Business Unit, with responsibility for the prudential supervision of banks, investment banks and insurance companies. Andrew was appointed as a voting member of the interim Financial Policy Committee at its June 2012 meeting."

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.

USD Index Price Analysis: Extra gains could challenge the 2022 peak

 

• DXY meets some decent hurdle around the 113.60 area.
• Further north emerges the YTD high near 114.80.
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DXY’s multi-session strong advance has faltered around the 113.60 region on Wednesday.

If bulls push harder and the index surpasses 114.00, then the next target of note should turn up at the 2022 high at 114.78 (September 28) prior to the round level at 115.00.

The prospects for extra gains in the dollar should remain unchanged as long as the index trades above the 7-month support line near 107.80.

In the longer run, DXY is expected to maintain its constructive stance while above the 200-day SMA at 103.10.

AUD/USD to fall towards 0.60 after RBA’s dovish decision – MUFG

 The Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) surprise decision to slow the pace of tightening by delivering a smaller 25 bps hike weighed on the aussie. Economists at MUFG Bank expect the AUD/USD pair to challenge the 0.6000 level.

RBA policy update reinforces downside risks

“We continue to believe that risks remain tilted to the downside for commodity currencies in the near-term.”

“The RBA’s policy shift has increased the likelihood that AUD/USD will fall towards the 0.6000 level.”

Silver Price Analysis: XAG/USD maintains a large top, further downside ahead – Credit Suisse

 Silver maintains the top analysts at Credit Suisse have been highlighting since mid-May. Therefore, XAG/USD is expected to decline towards the $15.56 support.

Break above $21.39 remains needed to negate the top

“Silver has risen back above the crucial 61.8% retracement support of the whole 2020/21 upmove at $18.65/15, however, still maintains a large top below $21.39 and we hence expect further downside from here towards the $15.56 support from a technical analysis perspective.”

“Next resistance is seen at $20.87 and above $21.39 remains needed to negate the top.”

BOE’s Pill: All inflation forecasts are dependent on very volatile gas prices

 

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Bank of England (BOE) Chief Economist Huw Pill is testifying on the bank’s Monetary Policy Report (MPR) before Parliament's Treasury Committee on Wednesday.

Also read: Bailey speech: Confident BOE will respond to price shock

Key comments

Goldman Sachs UK inflation forecasts are mechanical implication of wholesale gas markets.

Goldman Sachs forecasts illustrate how much market prices have changed since BOE prepared Aug inflation forecast.

Some of rise in gas prices has reversed since Goldman inflation forecast.

All inflation forecasts are dependent on very volatile gas prices.

Inflation forecast also depends on machinery by which wholesale gas prices translate into retail prices.

Politicians are considering transmission of wholesale gas prices to consumer.

Seems clear to me we will see changes in this area.

Inflation impact of future fiscal stimulus depends on details.

Supporting household incomes will boost demand, leading to slightly stronger inflation.

I would expect headline inflation to decline in short term.

Implication for inflation at monetary policy relevant horizon is unclear, given lack of detail.

Very short-term impact on government measures on inflation may not be most important thing for BOE.

Must emphasise importance of BOE inflation target as anchor, not consider new regime.

We are here to ensure fiscal policy does not generate inflation.

We think output measures of GDP are better measures of activity, as less distorted by problems with trade figures.

Hopefully quality of trade data will improve over time.

GBP/USD needs to clear strong resistance at 1.1870 to gather bullish momentum

GBP/USD has managed to recover above 1.1800 on Friday ahead of FOMC Chairman Jerome Powell’s remarks at the Jackson Hole Symposium. The pair will reveal a buildup of bullish momentum on a break past 1.1870, FXStreet’s Eren Sengezer reports.

Pound struggles to turn bullish ahead of Powell

“In case the chairman's comments suggest that the bank could opt for another 75 basis points in September, GBP/USD could turn south amid a stronger dollar. On the other hand, an optimistic tone inflation outlook should hurt the greenback and help GBP/USD gain traction.”

 On the upside, cable faces key resistance at 1.1870, where the Fibonacci 23.6% retracement level of the latest downtrend is located. Above that level, the 50-period SMA forms interim resistance at 1.1900 ahead of 1.1940 (Fibonacci 38.2% retracement).”

“1.1800 (psychological level, 20-period SMA) aligns as initial support before 1.1750 (static level, end-point of the downtrend) and 1.1720 (Aug. 23 low).”

Bailey speech: Will not comment on Conservative leadership candidates' plans

 

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Bank of England (BoE) Governor Andrew Bailey is delivering his remarks on the policy outlook and responding to questions from the press following the bank's decision to hike the policy rate by 50 basis points to 1.75%.

Key takeaways

"BOE will not comment on Conservative leadership candidates' plans."

"BOE has a very clear mandate of price stability."

"Consequences of Russia's actions in Ukraine have a serious economic impact."

"Political pressures have been very well managed since BOE independence."

"I have not abandoned the narrow path analogy for UK policy outlook."

"A number of central banks have a similar narrow path to tread."

About Andrew Bailey (via bankofengland.co.uk)

"Andrew Bailey previously held the role of Deputy Governor, Prudential Regulation and CEO of the PRA from 1 April 2013. While retaining his role as Executive Director of the Bank, Andrew joined the Financial Services Authority in April 2011 as Deputy Head of the Prudential Business Unit and Director of UK Banks and Building Societies. In July 2012, Andrew became Managing Director of the Prudential Business Unit, with responsibility for the prudential supervision of banks, investment banks and insurance companies. Andrew was appointed as a voting member of the interim Financial Policy Committee at its June 2012 meeting."

Fed's Bostic: Fed is going to have to do more with interest rates

  "The Federal Reserve is going to have to do more with interest rates but details depend on the flow of data in coming months," Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic said on Friday, as reported by Reuters.

Additional takeaways

"The country is not in recession, but the real question is whether current conditions are creating hardship, inflation needs to be addressed."

There is still more work to be done on bringing demand and supply into balance."

"Rate hikes could hurt job growth, but so far seems there is momentum for continued hiring."

"Possible to control inflation while limiting the number of families who have really bad outcomes."

"The US is a ways from a recession, though concerned that recession fears could become self-fulfilling."

Market reaction

These comments don't seem to be having a significant impact on the greenback's performance against its rivals. As of writing, the US Dollar Index was down 0.25% on the day at 105.92.

GBP/USD strengthens beyond mid-1.2000s, hits fresh multi-week high amid weaker USD

• GBP/USD jumped to a fresh multi-week high amid the emergence of fresh USD selling.
• A positive intraday turnaround in the risk sentiment weighed on the safe-haven buck.
• Brexit woes might cap gains for the British pound ahead of the crucial FOMC decision.

The GBP/USD pair attracted some dip-buying near the 1.1960 area on Monday and shot to a nearly three-week peak during the mid-European session. The pair was last seen trading around the 1.2065-1.2070 region, up over 0.50% for the day.

Friday's better-than-expected flash UK PMI prints reaffirmed market bets for a 50 bps rate hike by the Bank of England in August and continued acting as a tailwind for the British pound. On the other hand, a positive turnaround in the global risk sentiment - as depicted by a strong intraday rally in the equity markets - weighed on the safe-haven US dollar. In fact, the USD Index languished near its lowest level since July 5 touched on Friday, which, in turn, was seen as another factor that provided a goodish lift to the GBP/USD pair.

Downing Street Resignations: Housing Minister Stuart Andrew quits NEWS | 7/6/2022 12:16:19 PM GMT | By Eren Sengezer

 

"It is with sadness that I am resigning as Housing Minister," Conservative MP for Pudsey Stuart Andrew announced via Twitter on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Sajid Javid, former British Health Minister who quit in protest at Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday, told Parliament that it had become increasingly difficult to be in PM's team.

 "It's not fair on conservative voters who expect better standards," Javid added. "At some point, we have to conclude that enough is enough. That point is now."

Market reaction

GBP/USD stays under heavy bearish pressure on Wednesday and was last seen trading at its weakest level since March 2020 at 1.1877, losing 0.67% on a daily basis.

Germany's Habeck: We want to prevent a domino effect in gas market

  

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Tuesday that they will stick to their plan of prioritizing private households in case of a gas emergency, as reported by Reuters.

"The gas market situation is tense, cannot say whether more protection measures will be needed," Habeck added. "We want to prevent a domino effect in the gas market."

Market reaction

Safe-haven flows continue to dominate the financial markets following these remarks. As of writing, Germany's DAX 30 Index was down 1.5% on the day at 12,580.50 points.

EUR/USD Price Analysis: Sustained gains seen above 1.0670/80

 

• EUR/USD keeps the erratic activity well in place this week.
• The 1.0670/80 band continues to cap the upside so far.

EUR/USD resumes the upside bias past the 1.0500 mark following Thursday’s decent pullback.

So far, and as long as the 4-month line in the 1.0670/80 band limits the upside, extra pullbacks in the pair should remain on the cards in the near term. The surpass of this area, however, could spark a bull run to the June top at 1.0773 and the May peak at 1.0786.

In the longer run, the pair’s bearish view is expected to prevail as long as it trades below the 200-day SMA at 1.1136.

Russia's Putin: Will react to expansion of military infrastructure in Finland, Sweden

 Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that the expansion of NATO is a problem and it is in the interests of the USA, reported Reuters. Russia has no problems with Finland and Sweden, he continued, but Russia will react to the expansion of military infrastructure in these countries. Putin added that Russia needs to pay additional attention to NATO plans to increase its global influence. 

Finland and Sweden both announced their commitment to applying for NATO membership over the weekend and most NATO nations have come out in support. 

US Dollar Index Price Analysis: Room for a test of YTD highs

 

• DXY resumes the upside beyond the 103.00 yardstick.
• Next on the upside comes the cycle tops near 104.00.

The index leaves behind the pullback seen at the end of last week and advances above the 103.00 area on Monday.

Price action in DXY remains supportive of the resumption of the uptrend with the initial target at the 2022 highs just below the 104.00 yardstick (April 28). Above this level comes 105.63 (December 11 2002 high).

The current bullish stance in the index remains supported by the 8-month line near 96.80, while the longer-term outlook for the dollar is seen constructive while above the 200-day SMA at 95.56

📕 Comment on Gold on April 20, 2022:

📕 Comment on Gold on April 20, 2022:

 - In yesterday's trading session, precious metal Gold had one day of decline from 1981 to 1943 ($38), closing the day session with a strong bearish candle around 1949. Gold has returned.  back to the upper boundary of the previous sideways range.  With Gold approaching this support zone, I think it's likely that Gold will have a rebound in the early trading session today.

 - On the H4 chart, Gold may recover to around the threshold of 1950-1951 and is expected to rise around the threshold of 1962-1965.  Here, there is a high possibility that Gold will face selling pressure and drop again.

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 GOES UP TO 200%

 There has been a cause for pause against that moving average level over the last few hours. However a break above should open the door for further upside probing with the 50% midpoint of the move down from the January 13 high at 0.71403 as the next target to get to and through.

What next?

With traders pausing near the 200 hour moving average, there is the risk of sellers to take back more control and move the price back below the 0.70995 level ( 38.2% retracement) and toward the swing area between 0.7080 and 0.7090. Move below that level, and the 100 hour moving average will be targeted once again.

As mentioned above, a move back above the 200 hour moving average would open up the door for a test of the 50% of 0.71403

Fundamentally today, the Reserve Bank of Australia said they would stop the quantitative easing (that was expected). They also said that they expect inflation to move higher albeit temporarily, but above there 2% target (you can read the details on FOREX ADVICE CLUB). That projection helped to reverse the trend and pushed the price back above its 100 hour moving average.

Silver, Gold Forcast for Next Week: BULLISH

• Last summer Gold prices went into an aggressive bullish breakout, eventually setting a fresh all-time-high in early-August.
• Since then, however, Gold bulls have been on their back feet as prices have spent most of the past six months in varying forms of digestion.
• More recently, Silver prices have been getting the attention from metals bulls, along with the Reddit crowd which has helped to prod the bid throughout this week.

When investors look to hedge against governments or monetary policy or even just the prospect of fiat debasement, they’ve long looked to the most precious of precious metals to hold as a store of value. I’m of course talking about Gold, and its role in economics spans back for pretty much as long as we’ve followed economics. This helps to explain Gold price action from last summer when prices were flying higher in response to the Fed’s actions devised to offset slowdowns from the coronavirus pandemic. Gold prices began to surge in June and by August, prices had jumped up to a fresh all-time high of $2,075. But that’s when the proverbial music stopped in the breakout; price action began to digest and here we are almost six months later and bulls remain in wait.

Silver prices, however, have received a recent shot-in-the-arm, and with some help from the same Reddit crowd that roiled many equities this week put in a strong topside breakout up to a fresh 2021 high. I wrote about this on Thursday, highlighting the deeper breakout potential that remained in the matter, and that theme continued through Friday trade with Silver prices jumping up to test trendline resistance.

Gold Signals Service