|

Today's Market Themes: Lower Chinese forecasts weigh on mood, services data awaits

What you need to know today:

  • Chinese Premier Li Keipand announced a growth target of 6-6.5%, another downgrade after the 6.6% level in 2018, the lowest in 28 years. The news weighs on the market mood.
  • Optimism prevails on reaching a trade deal between the US and China, but this is mostly priced in.
  • Brexit negotiations continue in Brussels with UK Brexit Secretary Barclay and Attorney General Cox meeting Chief EU Negotiator Barnier. 
  • Bank of England Governor Mark Carney will testify about Brexit, inflation, and the economy. 
  • Services PMI data is due all over the world with the US ISM Manufacturing PMI standing out. A minor bounce is projected in the forward-looking gauge for the largest sector, which also serves as a hint toward the Non-Farm Payrolls. Services PMI preview
  • The Reserve Bank of Australia left rates unchanged but made a dovish shift, weighing on the Aussie.

Euro-zone:

  • French President Emmanuel Macro called for a "renaissance" for the 19-country bloc as it limps from crisis to crisis.
  • Euro-zone services PMI data are projected to show that Italy and France suffer from a contraction in these sectors, while Germany and Spain are doing well.
  • The Sentix Investor Confidence beat expectations but remained in negative territory at -2.2 points.

UK:

  • The Services PMI is forecast to show stagnation in the UK's largest sector amid Brexit uncertainty.
  • The Construction PMI slipped to 9.5 points, indicating contraction.
  • The eurosceptic European Research Group faction in the Conservative Party has hired a group of top lawyers to examine any changes to the Brexit deal.

 US:

  • Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren will speak later in the day.
  • House Democrats have launched a broad investigation in President Trump's dealings, asking for documents from 81 people, including the President's sons.
  • Construction Spending disappointed with a drop of 0.6% in December. This is expected to push GDP estimates lower.

China:

  • The Caixin Services PMI disappointed with 51.5 points.

Australia

  • RBA Governor Lowe will speak about the housing market at the wake of the Asian session.
  • Australian GDP is set to bounce but remain below the Q1 and Q2 levels.

Author

Yohay Elam

Yohay Elam

FXStreet

Yohay is in Forex since 2008 when he founded Forex Crunch, a blog crafted in his free time that turned into a fully-fledged currency website later sold to Finixio.

More from Yohay Elam
Share:

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD remains depressed below mid-1.1800s; downside potential seems limited

The EUR/USD pair attracts some sellers for the second consecutive day on Tuesday and hovers below mid-1.1800s amid a relatively quiet trading action during the Asian session. The broader fundamental backdrop, however, warrants some caution for bearish traders before positioning for deeper losses.

GBP/USD trades with negative bias, eyes 1.3600 ahead of UK jobs data

The GBP/USD pair trades with a negative bias for the second straight day, though it lacks bearish conviction and holds above the 1.3600 mark through the Asian session on Tuesday. Traders now look forward to the release of the UK monthly jobs report, which will influence the British Pound and provide some impetus to the currency pair.

Gold downside appears capped ahead of US-Iran talks

Gold is off the lows but remains under moderate selling pressure below the $5,000 threshold early Tuesday. Gold now looks to the US-Iran nuclear deal talks for a fresh trading impetus as US traders return after the long weekend.

Top Crypto Gainers: Stable, MemeCore and Nexo rally test critical resistance levels

Stable, MemeCore, and Nexo are among the leading gainers in the crypto market over the last 24 hours, while Bitcoin remains below $70,000, suggesting renewed interest in altcoins among investors.

The week ahead: Key inflation readings and why the AI trade could be overdone

It is likely to be a quiet start to the week, with US markets closed on Monday for Presidents Day. European markets are higher across the board and gold is clinging to the $5,000 level after the tamer than expected CPI report in the US reduced haven flows to precious metals.

XRP steadies in narrow range as fund inflows, futures interest rise

Ripple is trading in a narrow range between $1.45 (immediate support) and $1.50 (resistance) at the time of writing on Monday. The remittance token extended its recovery last week, peaking at $1.67 on Sunday from the weekly open at $1.43.