|

EUR/USD: options markets warn of a potential corrective drop

Monday’s preliminary data for the 6EU7 contract expiring on August 4th by CME Group noted OTM (‘out of the money’) Puts dropped by just 7 contracts vs. an increment of 491 contracts in OTM Calls, mainly in the 1.1600 and 1.1900 strike prices (+217 contracts and +133 contracts, respectively).

Activity in OTM Calls such as this one signals that traders stay mainly focused on the short trade, although they seek ‘protection’ if price action turns against them.

Activity in ITM (‘in the money’) Calls and Puts stayed non-relevant instead, while the Put/Call ratio is at 0.99, showing indecision still prevails among traders.

A leg lower in the offing?

Although calls for an imminent leg lower may seem premature, recent data allow us to infer that the case for a potential correction lower in EUR/USD might be building up. Recent unsuccessful attempts to test/break above the critical resistance area at 1.1440/50 reinforces this view, as EUR-longs could start to unwind if spot stays unable to advance further north of that key area in the next sessions.

Author

Pablo Piovano

Born and bred in Argentina, Pablo has been carrying on with his passion for FX markets and trading since his first college years.

More from Pablo Piovano
Share:

Editor's Picks

GBP/USD holds above 1.3350 with the 200-day SMA capping gains

The British Pound appreciates against the US Dollar on Tuesday to trim previous losses and return to the 1.3375 area, aiming to retest resistance at the key 200-day Simple Moving Average. This is a popular indicator, which lies a few pips below 1.3400 and has been capping Pound’s recovery over the last two weeks.

EUR/USD surrenders some gains, back to 1.1440

EUR/USD now gives away part of the earlier advance and recedes toward thre 1.1440 zone on Tuesday. The pair’s firm uptick comes in response to the marked sell-off in the US Dollar, which has intensified after US inflation figures disappointed expectations in June and investors has assessed Chair Warsh’s testimony.

Gold battles to recover the $4,100 mark

Gold reverses the recent weakness and reclaims the area beyond the key $4,000 mark per troy ounce on Tuesday. The precious metal’s recovery picks up pace and approaches the $4,100 region following the Greenback’s decline and comments from the Fed’s Warsh.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP extend sideways trading amid ETF outflows, US-Iran war escalation

Bitcoin hovers around $62,500 amid prevalent sideways trading. Meanwhile, major altcoins such as Ethereum and Ripple are holding above crucial support levels at $1,700 and $1.05, respectively, reflecting ongoing consolidation across the crypto sector.

Fed Chair Warsh reaffirms they will deliver price stability

While testifying on the Semiannual Monetary Policy Report before the US House Financial Services Committee, Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh reiterated that the Fed is making a commitment on price stability and the goal of 2% inflation.

Five sessions, one round trip: Why the whipsaw is exactly what Warsh ordered

Markets opened July with a December hike as the base case and spent five trading sessions unlearning and relearning it. A 57K payrolls print bled the tightening bets out of the strip; a re-shut Strait of Hormuz is pushing them back in. Wednesday's minutes from the June FOMC meeting landed mid-round-trip, describing a world that had already stopped existing.