USD/KRW Price Analysis: South Korean won corrects further from 7-week tops on exports slump

USD/KRW extends rebound for the second straight day.
USD bounce and S. Korea’s exports slump underpin.
Focus stays on USD trades ahead of the US macro news.

Dhwani Mehta FXStreet

USD/KRW extends its recovery mode from seven-week lows into a second straight day on Friday, as the bulls take advantage of the broad-based US dollar rebound and downbeat South Korean fundamentals.

The South Korean won came under aggressive selling after the country’s exports suffered the worst slump in 11 years due to the coronavirus pandemic impact. The Trade Ministry data showed that exports dived 24.3% YoY in April. Asia’s fourth-largest economy saw its biggest contraction since 2008 in the first quarter.

Meanwhile, a generalized comeback staged by the US dollar amid risk-off market profile also aided the ongoing recovery in the cross. The US dollar index slumped on Thursday, in light of the month-end flows and rebalancing while downbeat US economic data combined with a dovish Fed continued to keep the buck undermined.

The attention now shifts towards the US Manufacturing PMI reports from both Markit and ISM while fresh US-China trade tensions will continue to weigh on the investors’ sentiment.

At the time of writing, USD//KRW rises 0.60% to trade near 1,221.50, with the bulls looking to regain the 10-DMA at 1,224.22 on its way to 1,230. To the downside, the 5-DMA at 1,217.96 will be the immediate hurdle, a break below which the seven-week low of 1,203.75 will be back in play.

South Korean won: Additional levels to watch

USD/KRW

Overview
Today last price	1220.51
Today Daily Change	6.57
Today Daily Change %	0.54
Today daily open	1213.94

Trends
Daily SMA20	1221.79
Daily SMA50	1219.03
Daily SMA100	1195.5
Daily SMA200	1192.41

Levels
Previous Daily High	1215.54
Previous Daily Low	1202.94
Previous Weekly High	1241.71
Previous Weekly Low	1215.06
Previous Monthly High	1243.16
Previous Monthly Low	1202.94
Daily Fibonacci 38.2%	1210.73
Daily Fibonacci 61.8%	1207.75
Daily Pivot Point S1	1206.07
Daily Pivot Point S2	1198.21
Daily Pivot Point S3	1193.47
Daily Pivot Point R1	1218.67
Daily Pivot Point R2	1223.41
Daily Pivot Point R3	1231.27

Author

Dhwani Mehta

FXStreet

Residing in Mumbai (India), Dhwani is a Senior Analyst and Manager of the Asian session at FXStreet. She has over 10 years of experience in analyzing and covering the global financial markets, with specialization in Forex and commodities markets.

USD/JPY eyes August swing low, near 155.20 ahead of US NFP

USD/JPY retests the August monthly swing low during the Asian session on Friday as a more hawkish repricing of BoJ rate-hike bets and a suspected intervention continue to underpin the Japanese Yen. Meanwhile, the US Dollar is seen consolidating the previous day's heavy losses amid soft US bond yields, further weighing on the currency pair as traders keenly await the US NFP report.

AUD/USD consolidates above 0.7200; US NFP awaited

AUD/USD holds steady above 0.7200, near its highest level since mid-May, as bulls await the US NFP report for more cues on the Fed's policy path before placing fresh bets. Meanwhile, the recent decline in US bond yields keeps the US Dollar depressed near its lowest level in over a week and acts as a tailwind for the Aussie amid the RBA's hawkish tilt.

Gold tumbles as blockbuster US NFP lift US Dollar, Treasury yields

Gold (XAU/USD) falls sharply on Friday, snapping a two-day recovery after the US Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report surprised strongly to the upside. The metal briefly climbed above $4,500 on Thursday, gaining nearly 2%, but has since erased a large part of that advance.

Crypto’s $638 million buyback boom may not be as bullish as it looks

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) protocols reportedly spent $638 million to buy back their native tokens in August, up 17% from a year earlier. On the surface, the buyback trend suggests the cryptocurrency industry is maturing fast, adopting one of Wall Street’s oldest tools to bolster valuations and distribute revenue. The headline becomes less impressive once the number is opened up.

Why hawkish Bank of Japan expectations aren't enough to sustain the Japanese Yen rally

The Japanese Yen (JPY) experienced a sudden burst higher after falling back below the 160.00 psychological mark against the US Dollar (USD) earlier this week amid a more hawkish repricing of Bank of Japan (BoJ) rate hike expectations.

Diesel’s record $100 warning: The oil shock hiding in plain sight

The Oil market may look calmer than it did a few months ago, but diesel is sending a very different message. The US diesel crack spread, the premium of ultra-low sulphur diesel futures over WTI, recently surged above $100 per barrel for the first time, reaching an intraday record of just over $102.00.