|

Euro firms against British Pound on hopes of a Hormuz deal

  • A reported US-Iran ceasefire that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz is easing energy-cost fears and lending the Euro a modest bid against the Pound.
  • The Eurozone data slate is busy later this week, with German unemployment due.
  • Reports say Iran moved its military doctrine onto a more offensive footing.

EUR/GBP is trading around 0.8570 on Wednesday, on the front foot as hopes of a de-escalation in the Gulf hand the Euro (EUR) a modest lift. The pair has broken above its 20- and 100-period moving averages, which sit bunched together near 0.8558 on the 4-hour chart, and is testing the session high in the 0.8574 area.

Russian agency RIA Novosti reported on Tuesday that Washington and Tehran had agreed to a ceasefire that would restore free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, the route that carried about a fifth of the world's Oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) before the conflict, with an announcement expected in the coming days. For the energy-importing Euro area, the prospect of calmer shipping lanes and softer fuel costs is a relative positive, and it is helping the single currency edge ahead of the Pound (GBP).

Reports that Iran has moved its military doctrine onto a more offensive footing, and that talks with Oman over managing the strait remain on-and-off, are keeping the move measured. Traders look set to wait for the deal to be confirmed before pricing it in fully.

German unemployment figures are due on Friday, with the jobless rate expected to hold at 6.4% in July, ahead of the Eurozone's August confidence surveys.

With the United Kingdom (UK) calendar quiet, Sterling is left to trade off the broader risk mood, leaving the initiative with the Euro for now. A solid set of Eurozone surveys, or formal confirmation of the Hormuz reopening, could see EUR/GBP extend toward the 0.8575 region.

Chart Analysis EUR/GBP

Short-term technical analysis:

On the 4-hour chart, EUR/GBP trades at 0.8571, retaining a mild bullish bias as it holds above both the 20-period and 100-period Simple Moving Averages (SMAs) clustered around 0.8558. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) near 61 hints at firm but not overextended upside momentum, while immediate topside pressure emerges from the nearby horizontal resistance at 0.8574.

On the downside, initial support appears at the latest close around 0.8571, with a dense demand zone forming between the horizontal levels at 0.8565, 0.8562 and 0.8560, ahead of the SMA base near 0.8558. On the topside, a clear break above 0.8574 would open the way for further gains, keeping the short-term constructive tone intact as long as price stays over the underlying moving average cluster.

(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)

Author

Agustin Wazne

Agustin Wazne joined FXStreet as a Junior News Editor, focusing on Commodities and covering Majors.

More from Agustin Wazne
Share:

Editor's Picks

AUD/USD bulls regain control above 0.6950 amid USD retreat

AUD/USD regains traction and extends the previous day's bounce from the weekly low, aiming for 0.7000 in Asia on Friday. The overnight pullback in US bond yields keeps the US Dollar below an 18-month high, which in turn offers some support to the pair. Meanwhile, hawkish RBA expectations also keep the major underpinned.

USD/JPY holds gains near 158.00 after Japan's weak Household Spending data

USD/JPY clings to gains around 158.00 after data showed on Friday that Japan's Household Spending fell for the ninth straight month, undermining the Japanese Yen. Meanwhile, the US Dollar remains depressed as the overnight fall in US bond yields counters a hawkish Fed and geopolitical uncertainties, could cap any downside in the pair.

Gold remains range-bound below $4,200

Gold has given up some ground after an initial bullish attempt to reach weekly highs, returning to below the $4,200 mark per troy ounce on Friday. The US Dollar’s strong upside momentum, combined with rising US Treasury yields across the curve, seems to keep further gains in the yellow metal under scrutiny.

Has Bitcoin really escaped the macro forces it was built to fight?
Over 17 years ago, Satoshi Nakamoto designed Bitcoin (BTC) on the back of a global financial crisis as an alternative to the global monetary system outside the control of central banks, governments and traditional intermediaries. This raises a key question: has Bitcoin really become independent of the macroeconomic forces it was built to challenge?
The Euro is not the sick man of Europe. France's bond market is
EUR/USD remains under pressure, near the 17-month low of 1.1161 reached on Monday. The pair has lost more than 7% since its yearly peak, as concerns over France's public finances increasingly weigh on the single currency. But behind the weakness of the Euro (EUR), the problem does not necessarily lie with the European economy as a whole.
Has Bitcoin really escaped the macro forces it was built to fight?
Over 17 years ago, Satoshi Nakamoto designed Bitcoin (BTC) on the back of a global financial crisis as an alternative to the global monetary system outside the control of central banks, governments and traditional intermediaries. This raises a key question: has Bitcoin really become independent of the macroeconomic forces it was built to challenge?