Forex Today: Quiet start to the week packed with key events

Eren Sengezer FXStreet

Here is what you need to know on Monday, May 29:

Following the choppy action witnessed ahead of the weekend, financial markets stay relatively calm early Monday amid thin trading conditions. UK markets are closed due to the Spring Bank Holiday and American traders will be enjoying a long weekend on Memorial Day. Later in the week, several high-tier data releases, including European inflation figures and the US jobs report, will likely ramp up volatility.

Over the weekend, US President Joe Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached an agreement to temporarily suspend the debt-limit to avoid a US debt default. The House of Representatives and Senate still need to approve the deal, which will suspend the $31.4 trillion debt-ceiling until January 1, 2025, in coming days. The market reaction to this development, however, is likely to be observed early Tuesday when US stock index futures and US bond markets return to action.

In the meantime, the US Dollar Index (DXY) rose 1% last week and registered gains for the third straight week. Early Monday, the DXY fluctuates in a tight channel at around 104.00.

EUR/USD managed to shake off the bearish pressure on Friday but still ended up losing more than 100 pips on a weekly basis. The pair edges slightly higher in the European morning and trades below 1.0750.

GBP/USD seems to have gone into a consolidation phase at around 1.2350 at the beginning of the week following last week's slide.

USD/JPY added nearly 300 pips last week and registered its highest weekly close since October above 140.00. The pair moves up and down in a narrow band near 140.50 in the European morning. In the early Asian session on Tuesday, April Unemployment data from Japan will be looked upon for fresh impetus.

Gold price fell sharply last week and touched its weakest level in over two months below $1,940. XAU/USD struggles to gather recovery momentum early Monday and continues to trade below $1,950.

Bitcoin rose nearly 5% on Sunday and broke out of the two-week-old trading channel. BTC/USD, however, lost its traction after meeting resistance at $28,500 early Monday and retreated below $28,000. Following a quiet start to the weekend, Ethereum gathered bullish momentum and advanced to a fresh three-week high above $1,900 on Sunday before staging a technical correction on Monday.

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.

EUR/USD keeps the rangebound trade near 1.1850

EUR/USD is still under pressure, drifting back towards the 1.1850 area as Monday’s session draws to a close. The modest decline in spot comes as the US Dollar picks up a bit of support, while thin liquidity and muted volatility, thanks to the US market holiday, are exaggerating price swings and keeping trading conditions choppy.

GBP/USD trades with negative bias, eyes 1.3600 ahead of UK jobs data

The GBP/USD pair trades with a negative bias for the second straight day, though it lacks bearish conviction and holds above the 1.3600 mark through the Asian session on Tuesday. Traders now look forward to the release of the UK monthly jobs report, which will influence the British Pound and provide some impetus to the currency pair.

Gold sticks to a negative bias below $5,000; lacks bearish conviction

Gold remains depressed for the second consecutive day and trades below the $5,000 psychological mark during the Asian session on Tuesday, as a positive risk tone is seen undermining safe-haven assets. Meanwhile, bets for more interest rate cuts by the Fed keep a lid on the recent US Dollar bounce and act as a tailwind for the non-yielding bullion, warranting caution for bearish traders ahead of FOMC minutes on Wednesday.

AI Crypto Update: Bittensor eyes breakout as AI tokens falter

The artificial intelligence (AI) cryptocurrency segment is witnessing heightened volatility, with top tokens such as Near Protocol (NEAR) struggling to gain traction amid the persistent decline in January and February.

US CPI is cooling but what about inflation?

The January CPI data give the impression that the Federal Reserve is finally winning the war against inflation. Not only was the data cooler than expected, but it’s also beginning to edge close to the mystical 2 percent target. CBS News called it “the best inflation news we've had in months.”

XRP steadies in narrow range as fund inflows, futures interest rise

Ripple is trading in a narrow range between $1.45 (immediate support) and $1.50 (resistance) at the time of writing on Monday. The remittance token extended its recovery last week, peaking at $1.67 on Sunday from the weekly open at $1.43.