Market update: USD consolidates at lows

Stuart Cowell HFM

Market News Today – USD up from 1-month lows (USDIndex 92.00 from 91.75 Friday) – Chinese & Asian stock markets rise, despite weak Chinese PMI & other Asian data. US equity markets closed lower on Friday (-0.54% USA500 4395) led by -7.56% fall for AMZN. Yields closed the week down at 1.239%. Overnight – HSBC beat earnings significantly, adding to good news from other European banks. AUD housing market still hot, JPY consumer confidence ticks up, German Retail sales bounce back significantly. Gold down again at 1808, USOil also down, but up from a test of 72.00, earlier.

Week Ahead – Another key week to start the month – RBA, BoE, CAD Jobs, NFP & a raft of PMI data.

European Open – DAX & FTSE 100 futures up 0.5% & 0.4% respectively, US futures posting gains of 0.5-0.6% after an upbeat session across Asia-Pacific region overnight. In FX markets both EUR & GBP little changed against USD, with EURUSD at 1.1873 & Cable at 1.3909. China jitters eased & there was some progress on the (much reduced) US infrastructure spending plan, which helped underpin sentiment. Virus developments in Asia continue to cause worries, but for Europe, at least the hope is that advanced vaccination campaigns will allow economies to get through this wave without the type of restrictions that could seriously hurt the recovery. Central banks are cautious though as there are still lingering risks that will likely also keep the BoE in wait & see mode this week.

Today – EU, UK, US Manufacturing PMI (Final), US ISM Manufacturing PMI Earnings: AXA, Heineken.

Biggest FX Mover @ (06:30 GMT) AUDNZD (+0.19%) Has moved up from 1.0517 (2021 and 33 week lows) on Friday. Weak breach of 21 EMA earlier, Faster MA’s aligned higher, MACD signal line & histogram under 0 line but moving higher, RS 55, neutral but rising, Stochs rising and already into OB zone. H1 ATR 0.0008, Daily ATR 0.0051.

Author

Stuart Cowell

HFM

With over 25 years experience working for a host of globally recognized organisations in the City of London, Stuart Cowell is a passionate advocate of keeping things simple, doing what is probable and understanding how the news, c

EUR/USD makes a U-turn, focus on 1.1900

EUR/USD’s recovery picks up further pace, prompting the pair to retarget the key 1.1900 barrier amid further loss of momentum in the US Dollar on Wednesday. Moving forward, investors are expected to remain focused on upcoming labour market figures and the always relevant US CPI prints on Thursday and Friday, respectively.

GBP/USD sticks to the bullish tone near 1.3660

GBP/USD maintains its solid performance on Wednesday, hovering around the 1.3660 zone as the Greenback surrenders its post-NFP bounce. Cable, in the meantime, should now shift its attention to key UK data due on Thursday, including preliminary GDP gauges.

Gold holds on to higher ground ahead of the next catalyst

Gold keeps the bid tone well in place on Wednesday, retargeting the $5,100 zone per troy ounce on the back of modest losses in the US Dollar and despite firm US Treasury yields across the curve. Moving forward, the yellow metal’s next test will come from the release of US CPI figures on Friday.