|

EUR/USD to come under increased pressure amid the Fed's taper talk

EUR/USD is trading below 1.22. Top-tier US figures and concerns about virus variants could push the pair lower, Yohay Elam, an Analyst at FXStreet, reports.

See: EUR/USD to drop substantially towards 1.15 by year-end – ABN Amro

Federal Reserve is tiptoeing towards tapering

“Randal Quarles, a Governor at the Fed, said that the bank could consider having a discussion on reducing purchases in one of the upcoming meetings if conditions improve. Fear that the world's most powerful central bank would begin cutting down on its $120 billion/month bond buys is boosting the dollar.”

“Economists expect a minor upgrade of US first-quarter Gross Domestic Product growth from 6.4% to 6.5% in the second release. Without a major surprise in GDP, the focus will likely be the more recent Durable Goods Orders statistics for April, which are set to show a slower increase in investment. Low expectations mean that a minor upside surprise could boost the dollar.” 

“Another factor supporting the greenback is end-of-month flows. As Monday, May 31, is a bank holiday in the US and the UK, money managers are adjusting their portfolios and this seems to benefit the greenback.” 

“Across the Atlantic, optimism about Europe's vaccine-led recovery seems to be priced into the euro while fears of the variant first identified in India are creeping in. France joined Germany in demanding quarantines from UK visitors, potentially hurting the rebound of the tourism sector.” 

“Support awaits at the daily low of 1.2175, followed by 1.2155, 1.2105 and 1.2075.” 

“Some resistance is at 1.22, which is the daily high. It is then followed by the former triple top of 1.2245, and then by the May peak of 1.2266.”

Author

FXStreet Insights Team

The FXStreet Insights Team is a group of journalists that handpicks selected market observations published by renowned experts. The content includes notes by commercial as well as additional insights by internal and external analysts.

More from FXStreet Insights Team
Share:

Editor's Picks

AUD/USD hangs close to monthly lows, still defends 0.7100 ahead of Fed decision

AUD/USD retains its negative bias for the third straight day, defending 0.7100 while trading close to a monthly low in Wednesday's Asian session on Wednesday. The US Dollar stands firm near a two-week high as the anticipated Fed rate hike and oil-driven inflation fears continue to push US bond yields to a multi-year high. Furthermore, escalating Middle East tensions benefit the safe-haven buck and weigh on the risk-sensitive Aussie.

USD/JPY holds firm above 155.00, awaits Fed policy announcements

USD/JPY climbs to a fresh one-week high above 155.00 in the Asian session on Wednesday amid a bullish US Dollar. Oil-driven inflation fears, along with the anticipated Fed rate hike, continue to support surging US bond yields. Moreover, rising US-Iran tensions underpin the USD's reserve currency status. The pair, however, remains below the mid-155.00s as bulls seem hesitant ahead of the Fed decision later today and the BoJ meeting, starting on Thursday.

Gold traders seem noncommittal below $4,350; eyes Fed rate decision

Gold clings to modest intraday gains through the first half of the European session, albeit it lacks follow-through buying and remains below $4,350. The US Dollar eases from a two-week high amid some profit-taking, offering support to the commodity. Traders, however, seem hesitant to place aggressive directional bets and opt to wait on the sidelines heading into the key central bank event risk.

Cardano's bearish breakout warns of a 15% downside risk
Cardano (ADA) hovers around $0.1900 at press time on Wednesday after a 6% decline the previous day, breaking below a crucial support level. Declining on-chain activity across the Cardano ecosystem, with reduced transaction count and Real Economic Value (REV), suggests waning user demand.
Fed decision in focus

Starting with the most important, the Fed decision. Heading into the event, data showed a rather punchy US August jobs report, which, you will likely recall, triggered a hawkish Fed rate repricing in rates markets. However, the recent US August CPI print mattered more.

How Japan became the World's Banker and why that era may be ending

Japan's ultra-low interest rates helped finance trillions of dollars in global investments for more than a decade, making the Japanese Yen one of the world’s cheapest sources of funding. With the Bank of Japan expected to tighten policy again this week, that advantage may be entering a new phase. While most major economies raised interest rates, Japan remained the world's outlier.