Eurozone Sentix Investor Confidence edges higher to -16.4 in May

Eren Sengezer FXStreet

Investor morale in the Eurozone improved slightly in May, with the Sentix Investor Confidence Index edging higher to -16.4 from -19.2 in April.

Key takeaways via Reuters

"The index for the German economy, Europe's largest, bucked the trend, fell to -30.9 from -27.7 in April."

"Germany "finds itself not only in a government crisis but also in a distinct economic trajectory of its own," Sentix said."

"Expectations rose to -11.3 points from -15.5 the previous month, while the index measuring the current situation rose to -21.5 from April's -22.8."

Market reaction

EUR/USD showed no immediate reaction to this report and was last seen trading virtually unchanged on the day at around 1.1720.

Author

Eren Sengezer

FXStreet

As an economist at heart, Eren Sengezer specializes in the assessment of the short-term and long-term impacts of macroeconomic data, central bank policies and political developments on financial assets.

AUD/USD drops to two-week low, further below 0.7000 after RBA's less hawkish rate hike

AUD/USD drifts lower for the second straight day on Tuesday, hitting a fresh two-week low during the Asian session after the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) widely expected 25 bps rate hike. The decision was far from unanimous, with three members preferring to hold rates at 4.60%. This tempers expectations of further tightening, which, along with modest US Dollar strength, weighs on the currency pair.

USD/JPY fails near 159.00 amid weak USD, intervention risks

USD/JPY edges lower during Tuesday’s Asian session, reversing part of the previous day's gains to 158.00 as the US Dollar remains depressed amid hopes for Iran diplomacy and ahead of US midterm elections. Meanwhile, intervention risks support the Japanese Yen, though the uncertainty over the timing of the next BoJ rate hike caps gains. This keeps the pair confined within a familiar range and warrants caution before placing directional bets.

Gold holds Monday’s gains near $3,950 on US-Iran deal hopes

Gold clings to previous day’s recovery around $3,945 in the Asian trade on Tuesday, as hopes of a deal between the United States and Iran have kept oil prices under pressure. Still, the Gold price is close to its yearly low of $3,870.23 posted on Friday.

XRP and XLM slide as bearish signal grows

Ripple (XRP) and Stellar (XLM) remain under pressure on Tuesday, with bearish momentum capping recovery attempts. XRP trades around $1.25 as sellers maintain control, while XLM extends its decline below $0.162, raising the risk of a deeper correction. Meanwhile, mixed derivatives data, bearish on-chain metrics and weakening technical indicators all hint at continued downside risk for both altcoins.

What a split Congress means for the US Dollar

The United States is going to the polls on Tuesday, and much is at stake. The mid-term elections mean the renovation of roughly one-third of the Senate and all 435 of the House seats. Additionally, special elections in Florida and Ohio will be held to fill the seats vacated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance.

The 2% inflation target came from a throwaway remark. It now moves trillions

The Federal Reserve's 2% inflation goal grew out of an off-the-cuff remark by a New Zealand politician in 1988. Bond investors still price long-term US debt as if 2% holds, so a change in how the Fed measures inflation would move markets.