|

EUR/USD: Positive EZ macro backdrop should limit euro downside – MUFG

The EUR/USD is trading modestly higher on Friday, but remains under pressure- Analysts at MUFG Bank, point out PMIs next week will provide an update on Euro-zone macro conditions.

Key Quotes:

“The short-term positives for the US dollar are compelling when risk is deteriorating and with global growth concerns escalating, USD strength is set to persist. At these times, euro-zone macro conditions can be ignored. If the dollar is advancing, by default the euro will weaken. But next week should serve as a reminder that the macro conditions in the euro-zone remain very positive and indeed could soon be viewed more favourably than in the US. Earlier this year, Europe was heavily criticised for the slow rollout of vaccinations.”

“Looking at the latest vaccination data, eleven key euro-zone countries have a higher proportion of population vaccinated with at least one dose than the US. That seems to be reflected in the Apple Mobility data (chart below) that shows considerably higher mobility based on our GDP-weighted index covering 70% of EZ GDP. We suspect the PMIs will show a drop reflecting concerns but the PMIs should prove more resilient than elsewhere.”

“Given the backdrop of increased risk aversion and positive USD momentum, downside risks remain for EUR although we would argue that the relatively positive macro backdrop in the euro-zone should limit EUR downside, certainly below 1.1600.”
 

Author

Matías Salord

Matías started in financial markets in 2008, after graduating in Economics. He was trained in chart analysis and then became an educator. He also studied Journalism. He started writing analyses for specialized websites before joining FXStreet.

More from Matías Salord
Share:

Markets move fast. We move first.

Orange Juice Newsletter brings you expert driven insights - not headlines. Every day on your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to our Terms and conditions.

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD bounces toward 1.1750 as US Dollar loses strength

EUR/USD returned to the 1.1750 price zone in the American session on Friday, despite falling Wall Street, which indicates risk aversion. Trading conditions remain thin following the New Year holiday and ahead of the weekend, with the focus shifting to US employment and European data scheduled for next week.

GBP/USD nears 1.3500, holds within familiar levels

After testing 1.3400 on the last day of 2025, GBP/USD managed to stage a rebound. Nevertheless, the pair finds it difficult to gather momentum and trades with modest intraday gains at around 1.3490 as market participants remain in holiday mood.

Gold trims intraday gains, approaches $4,300

Gold retreated sharply from the $4,400  area and trades flat for the day in the $4,320 price zone. Choppy trading conditions exacerbated the intraday decline, although XAU/USD bearish case is out of the picture, considering growing expectations for a dovish Fed and persistent geopolitical tensions.

Cardano gains early New Year momentum, bulls target falling wedge breakout

Cardano kicks off the New Year on a positive note and is extending gains, trading above $0.36 at the time of writing on Friday. Improving on-chain and derivatives data point to growing bullish interest, while the technical outlook keeps an upside breakout in focus.

Economic outlook 2026-2027 in advanced countries: Solidity test

After a year marked by global economic resilience and ending on a note of optimism, 2026 looks promising and could be a year of solid economic performance. In our baseline scenario, we expect most of the supportive factors at work in 2025 to continue to play a role in 2026.

Crypto market outlook for 2026

Year 2025 was volatile, as crypto often is.  Among positive catalysts were favourable regulatory changes in the U.S., rise of Digital Asset Treasuries (DAT), adoption of AI and tokenization of Real-World-Assets (RWA).