It was another rocky day in the foreign exchange market with currencies taking their cue from equities. At the start of the NY session, the greenback traded lower against all of the major currencies but as the day progressed and stocks came off their lows, so did the U.S. dollar. In the past few days, the Dow lost what it earned over a 2-month period and given the magnitude of the moves seen this week, there's no doubt that sentiment is shifting. Unfortunately the declines can become lasting as investors who fear further losses take profits on positions they have held onto for some time. A lot of money was made in the equity market over the past 2 years and with U.S. interest rates expected to rise further, liquidation or the usage of stops to protect these positions will become even more attractive to investors. And when these stops are triggered, the selling will exacerbate. The U.S. dollar has been falling all week but the decline in equities pushed it even lower. What's unique about the recent moves is that risk currencies such as euro and the Australian dollar are not being hurt by risk aversion. Investors are looking at this as a U.S. story because the Federal Reserve is the only major central bank tightening monetary policy. The softer consumer price report added salt to the wound as economists had been looking for a strong CPI report. Instead, price growth slowed to 0.1% in September with the year over year rate sinking to 2.3% from 2.7% the previous month. Is the dollar dead? Certainly not but it could decline further before buyers come in.
Euro was one of the primary beneficiaries of U.S. dollar weakness. The single currency hit 1.16 on the back of anti-dollar flows and positive ECB minutes. Although the account of the last central bank meeting showed a concern that the risks are tilted to the downside, the ECB feels that the "uncertainty about their inflation outlook appears to recede." We've heard quite a bit of comments from Eurozone policymakers recently about rising inflation including from President Draghi and the message is consistent, which is that price pressures are growing. Part of this is due to the higher oil prices but the weaker euro also boosts inflation. While we could see more short covering in EUR/USD, the pair also has multiple moving average resistance between 1.1.1580-1.1630.
The best performing currencies today were Australian and New Zealand dollars.Considering that there was very little economic data out of the region, there are only a few reasons that we can point to for their outperformance. First AUD and NZD have been hit particularly hard this year so they are benefitting the most from anti-US dollar sentiment. The Chinese Yuan also experienced its strongest one day rise in 5 weeks. Coming on the heels of the U.S.' warning against currency devaluation and the Chinese government's promise to not weaken its currency, some investors believe that this could a mark a bottom for the Yuan. Although we are skeptical of these hopes, if the Yuan were to bottom, it would be exceptionally positive for AUD and NZD. China will be releasing its trade balance this evening and softer numbers are expected but for AUD and NZD the most significant parts of the report will be import and export levels. The Canadian dollar also appreciated against the greenback but with house prices stagnating and oil prices falling sharply, its gains were limited.
Unlike euro, the Japanese or commodity currencies, sterling did not benefit from U.S. dollar weakness. It ended the day right where it started which is a concern given the extent of the dollar's decline against other currencies. Although EU Chief Brexit Negotiator Barnier said yesterday that a deal next week is within reach it still hinges on Prime Minister May acceptance of a customs union. May is resistant as she said that she cannot in good conscience recommend a Brexit deal that places a trade barrier on businesses moving goods from one part of the UK to another so it remains to be seen whether she'll be willing to concede. With a major EU Summit in less than a week, reports from Brussels show "no breakthrough yet" in the talks. Ireland's Prime Minister isn't optimistic - he said today that a November deadline is achievable but may not be possible. So the bottom line is that until a deal is done, sterling traders remain skeptical.
Past performance is not indicative of future results. Trading forex carries a high level of risk, and may not be suitable for all investors. The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you. Before deciding to trade any such leveraged products you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite. The possibility exists that you could sustain a loss of some or all of your initial investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with trading on margin, and seek advice from an independent financial advisor if you have any doubts.
Recommended Content
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD drops below 1.0800 after German Retail Sales data
EUR/USD has come under fresh selling pressure and trades below 1.0800 after the data from Germany showed that Retail Sales declined by 1.9% MoM in February. Resurgent US Dollar demand is adding to the downside in the pair. US data are next in focus.
GBP/USD stays weak near 1.2600 amid market caution
GBP/USD remains defensive near 1.2600 in European trading on Thursday. The hawkish tone from Fed Governor Christopher Waller keeps the US Dollar afloat amid a cautious trading environment ahead of key US data releases and the Good Friday trading lull.
Gold price bulls keenly await US PCE Price Index on Friday before placing fresh bets
Gold price (XAU/USD) continues with its struggle to make it through the $2,200 mark on Thursday and oscillates in a narrow trading band through the early part of the European session.
XRP price falls to $0.60 support as Ripple ruling doesn’t help Coinbase lawsuit against SEC
XRP programmatic sales ruling by Judge Torres was completely rejected by another US Court that ruled in favor of the SEC in a lawsuit against Coinbase.
The other terminal rate: How far will policy rates be cut?
Recent communication by the Federal Reserve and the ECB has made it clear that the first cut in official interest rates is coming. Both central banks are saying the same but the ECB communication is more opaque than that of the Fed.