EUR/USD slumps to 10-day lows below 1.1230 as DXY tests April highs near 97.50
|- Broad USD strength continues to weigh on the pair.
- Upbeat retail sales data from the U.S. fuel the DXY's rise.
- Today's data from the euro remind investors of the slowdown.
The EUR/USD pair, which dropped sharply after breaking below the 1.13 mark in the European session on dismal data, extended its slide in the last hour and touched its lowest level since April 8 at 1.1225, coming within 50 pips of its 2019 low of 1.1175. As of writing, the pair was down 0.57% on the day at 1.1230.
The IHS Markit's advanced PMI reports today revealed that the Manufacturing PMI stayed below the 50 mark in April both in Germany and the eurozone, pointing out to a decline in the sector's business activity and reminding investors of the economic slowdown in the euro area.
Assessing today's PMI readings, “Since the second quarter of 2018, the eurozone economy has been persistently undershooting expectations. Today’s figures continue this long string of underperformance. But we shouldn’t get too pessimistic either. The recent upturn in China is a boon to Europe’s economy as it is much more dependent on foreign demand than the US,” ING analysts said.
In the second half of the day, the US Dollar Index, which tracks the greenback's value against a basket of six major currencies, pushed higher after the data published by the U.S. Census Bureau revealed a much higher than expected growth in retail sales in March. Additionally, the sour market sentiment, as reflected by the more-than-1% drop seen in the 10-year T-bond yield, allowed USD bulls stay in control. At the moment, the DXY is at its highest level since April 2 at 97.47, rising 0.46% on the day.
Tomorrow's macroeconomic calendar won't be featuring any data releases and the Easter holiday is expected to keep the trading action subdued.
Technical outlook by FXStreet Chief Analyst Valeria Bednarik
The greenback heads quite strong into the Asian session, with only Japanese markets´ open, as the rest of the region will celebrate Good Friday, as well as all European countries. In the US, Friday is not a holiday, but both the NYSE and the NASDAQ will remain closed. Activity is expected to remain restricted. The 4 hours chart shows that the pair is struggling with the 61.8% retracement of the 1.1183/1.1323 rally at around 1.1235, while extending its decline below its moving averages, all of them gaining downward traction. Technical indicators maintain their bearish slopes near overbought levels, keeping the risk skewed to the downside and exposing 1.1175 the yearly low.
Support levels: 1.1200 1.1175 1.1140
Resistance levels: 1.1245 1.1280 1.1320
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers.