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ECB Meeting Unlikely To Move Euro Exchange Rate

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Dear Traders,

It’s decision day at the European Central Bank today but whether this event risk carries much weight will depend on ECB President Mario Draghi’s comments at the ECB press conference. Traders are looking for hints on when interest rates will begin to rise but ECB policy makers suggested earlier that a rate hike won’t come at least until the end of summer 2019. If there is no change in guidance, the euro could give up some of its recent gains.

General speaking, it seems unlikely that Draghi intents to move the single currency at today’s meeting, so watch out for range-bound price action.

As for the dollar, the most interesting piece of data will be released tomorrow with the U.S. 2Q GDP.

EUR/USD: The next hurdle is now seen at 1.1750 before we turn our focus to the crucial resistance area between 1.18-1.1850. Looking however at larger time frames, the currency pair remains trading sideways between 1.1850 and 1.15.

 

Summer trading break: We are slowly preparing for our summer holiday break which means that we are reducing risk exposure while adopting a cautious approach.

Announcement: Shortly after the summer break our Chief Currency Strategist will commence her maternity leave, which is why daily analysis and signals will be paused until the end of her period of maternity leave.

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GBP/USD Tests Crucial Price Levels

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Dear Traders,

The British pound has broken lower against the U.S. dollar after rejecting the 1.34-hurdle. The cable is still trading within a bullish channel, at least as long as 1.33 holds. We therefore may see a run for 1.3420, provided that the pound remains above 1.3290.

The EUR/USD failed to show any signs of a sustained recovery Monday while the upward movement was limited to a high of 1.1744. As long as the euro holds above 1.1675 we may see a leg higher towards 1.1850. On the bottom side we will pay attention to lower supports at 1.16 and 1.1550.

This week we will see a slew of Bank of England speakers as well as ECB President Mario Draghi who is scheduled to speak in Frankfurt today at 13:00 UTC.

For sterling traders, the U.K. Services PMI due at 8:30 UTC might be of interest, followed by a speech of BoE member Cunliffe.

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Draghi Is Unlikely To Signal Early Exit From The ECB’s QE Program

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Dear Traders,

As expected, the euro rejected the 1.2450-level in a first attempt but the single currency was able to hold above $ 1.24 ahead of the upcoming ECB monetary policy announcement. While no changes in interest rates are expected, the focus will be on a fresh set of economic projections and ECB President Draghi’s commentary on what could happen to the central bank’s QE program which is due to run until September.

There is still a high degree of ECB optimism in the market and given that optimistic sentiment market participants may tend to push the EUR/USD higher even though Mario Draghi is unlikely to signal an early exit to their QE program. Traders should bear in mind that making significant adjustments to their communication right now could cause confusion which is why ECB policymakers could maintain a cautious stance for the time being. Mr. Draghi is not in a hurry to announce a change right now. Therefore, the ECB could hold off until the summer to start talking about unwinding QE and tell the market when rates will begin to rise.

The ECB will announce its rate decision at 12:45 UTC, followed by the ECB’s press conference 45 minutes later.

EUR/USD

The euro is still calm but, as usual, we will prepare for heightened volatility during the day.

For bullish momentum to continue we would need to see a break above 1.2480 and 1.25. A higher target could then be at around 1.2560. In the chart below we have sketched out potential support areas which could be tested in case of a bearish twist. The nearest support comes in at 1.2350 from where buyers could swoop in – depending on the ECB’s commentary.  A break below 1.2330 could send the euro lower towards 1.2280.

Let us be surprised.

GBP/USD: The price action in the cable is still messy with the pair struggling to find a clear direction. Yesterday we saw the pound confined to a small trading range between 1.3910 and 1.3845. In terms of profitable trading opportunities, the recent price development leaves much to be desired for day traders.

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The Euro’s Fate Is In Draghi’s Hands

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Dear Traders,

What a trading day! The U.S. dollar extended its slide against other major currencies on the back of protectionism while the pound’s rally intensified the uptrend in GBP/USD.

Moreover, comments from U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin steepened the dollar’s dive. He said that” obviously a weaker dollar is good for us as it relates to trade and opportunities”, a departure from America’s traditional strong dollar policy.

Our yesterday’s long entry in the GBP/USD has proved highly profitable even though we have been on the lookout for corrections. Despite the cable’s strong uptrend which could persist over the medium-term, we may see some pullback tomorrow when both U.K. and U.S. GDP reports are due for release.

GBP/USD

The pair jumped to the highest level since June 23, 2016 – the day of the Brexit referendum. The reasons for the strong rally lie not only in the weakening dollar but also in good U.K. data and the progress in Brexit talks. On a weekly basis we got a bullish breakout suggesting that there could be accelerated bullish momentum on the way towards 1.46 – the next crucial resistance zone. As long as the pound remains above 1.40, the overall outlook remains constructive.

While the biggest story was the pound’s strong rise, the performance of the euro was not bad either. The euro broke above 1.2350 and headed towards 1.2450 ahead of the ECB meeting. Whether the euro can hold onto its high levels or can even extend its rally, will hinge on the rhetoric of Mr. Draghi at the ECB press conference at 13:30 UTC.

If ECB President Mario Draghi joins the chorus of policymakers speaking against the euro’s strength, the euro could quickly give up some of its gains. However, the devil is in the details and if Draghi fails to convince the market of the ECB’s concerns about the currency’s strength, the euro could further rise.

EUR/USD

We prepare for higher volatility today and expect larger market swings. On the topside, we will now focus on the 1.2460-barrier, which could act as a short-term resistance. For bearish momentum to accelerate, it would need a break below 1.23 and further 1.22. As long as the euro remains above 1.23 chances are in favor of the bulls.

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USD Weakness Sends EUR And GBP Soaring

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Dear Traders,

While the House passed its version of tax bill Thursday, the U.S. dollar was little impressed and plunged during the Asian session amid low trading volumes.

The EUR/USD traded higher in the early European trading hours and we now focus on the 1.1850-barrier, which could prove crucial in terms of further bullish momentum. If the euro is able to stabilize above 1.1850, the next target is 1.1905. Sellers should, however, wait for a break below 1.1720 in order to sell euros towards 1.1670 and 1.1580.

Most attention will be paid to a speech of ECB President Mario Draghi today at 8:30 UTC, which could affect the euro’s price action.

The British pound soared on new Brexit optimism. After the U.K. has shown a “willingness to conclude a positive outcome” according to German MEP Manfred Weber, the EU is growing more confident that the current Brexit impasse will be broken and that exit talks will progress. While there might be some room for further gains in the GBP/USD, we bear in mind that as long the pair remains range-bound between 1.3340 and 1.30 there is no directional bias.

We wish you a nice weekend.

Additional daily and long-term entries are available for subscribers.

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We wish you good trades and many pips!

Any and all liability of the author is excluded.

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EUR/USD: 1.19 Could Be A Make-It Or Break-It Level

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Dear Traders,

Yesterday was dominated by a weakening U.S. dollar, which extended its slide against the euro and British pound after the market interpreted the FOMC minutes as slightly dovish. While Fed policy makers see another rate hike this year, many issued concern that low inflation was not a temporary phenomenon. The priced-in probability of a December rate hike is still unchanged around 75 percent but if Fed officials believe that inflation could stay low for longer, then they might be less inclined to stay committed to a steep rate hike path in the future. The minutes were neither more dovish nor more hawkish but market participants interpreted the increasing concern about inflation as dollar-negative.

The focus now shifts to tomorrow’s U.S. Consumer price report, which, if positive, could boost the dollar.

EUR/USD

The euro rose steadily up to a high of 1.1878 and the linear movement seems quite an atypical performance of the market. The 1.19-level could now serve as a ‘make-it’ or ‘break-it’ barrier. If the euro is able to break significantly above 1.1910, we expect further gains towards 1.20 and possibly even the September high of 1.2092. If the price, however, remains below the 1.19-barrier, the euro could start giving up some gains and may fall back towards 1.1780. Moreover, we bear I mind that the RSI index approaches overbought territory, a situation that could limit near-term gains in the euro.

ECB President Mario Draghi will hold a speech today at 14:30 UTC in Washington and if he touches on monetary policy the euro could respond to his comments with volatile swings.

The GBP/USD traded range-bound between our entry levels at 1.3235 on the upper and 1.3175 on the lower side. During the Asian trading session, the pound sterling was finally able to break above 1.3235 and rose to a high of 1.3265. As mentioned in previous analysis, we expect a next resistance near 1.33 and this level could be crucial for the future price development in the cable.

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All Eyes On Draghi: Will He Talk Down The Euro?

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Dear Traders,

The British pound finally broke above 1.2865 this morning and a next hurdle could now be at 1.29. If the pound rises above 1.2910 we may see a run for 1.30. Let’s us wait and see.

The much anticipated U.S. tax plan disappointed investors as it left too many unanswered questions and did not reveal anything new. The U.S. dollar weakened against the euro and pound as a result. The “phenomenal” tax plan came in as a one-page list of bullet points and was largely devoid of detail.

Euro traders will shift their focus to the European Central Bank meeting while no changes are expected from the central bank. ECB President Mario Draghi will most likely maintain a dovish monetary policy stance since a strong euro is the biggest problem for policy makers and makes it more difficult for the ECB to achieve its inflation target. In a nutshell, we doubt that Draghi is debating an exit from its extraordinary stimulus. With no fresh insights, the ECB meeting could thus be a non-event for traders but let us be surprised.

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ECB Decision: Stimulus Change Would Be Premature

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Dear Traders,

It’s ECB decision day and the euro trends slightly lower against the U.S. dollar ahead of the event risk. Meanwhile, the dollar received some support by an unexpectedly robust ADP employment report which nearly doubled the 185K forecast, lifting estimates for tomorrow’s non-farm payrolls report. A Fed rate increase is therefore priced in as a near-certainty. However as certain as next week’s FOMC rate decision seems, the tightening cycle in subsequent meetings has not accelerated. Hence, the greenback seems to be unimpressed by the hawkish outlook.

Euro traders will pay close attention to comments from European Central Bank president Mario Draghi. The bar is high and investors are looking for clues as to whether the conditions are right for a stimulus change. However the central bank is not expected to signal any change in policy today as policy makers will keep QE probably going until the end of the year. Even with euro-zone inflation at 2 percent for the first time in four years, Draghi is expected to maintain a dovish bias for the time being. The ECB must very cautiously reduce the level of current stimulus and it will therefore seek to avoid unnecessary turmoil. Nevertheless, inflation forecasts are expected to be revised higher for 2017 and 2018, which is why some market indicators point to the possibility of a rate hike in 2018.

The ECB’s decision will be announced at 12:45 UTC, followed by the ECB press conference 45 minutes later.

As usual, traders should prepare for volatile swings around the time of the press conference. Technically, the euro’s downtrend remains intact with the focus being on a next lower target at 1.0515/10. The 1.05-support level could lend a strong support to the euro which is why traders should also consider possible pullbacks in short-term time frames. A current resistance is seen at 1.0550, a level where sellers might jump back in. If the euro breaks however above 1.0575 we may see further gains towards 1.0640 and possibly even 1.0670. A break below 1.0490 could increase bearish momentum towards 1.0390.

The pound sterling extended its losses against the greenback and dropped to a low of 1.2139. We still anticipate some corrections in short-term time frames, sending the pound higher towards 1.23 and possibly even 1.24. On the bottom side there is a crucial support area ranging from 1.21 to 1.20. The pound may have difficulty to break that support zone ahead of the trigger of Article 50. No date has yet been fixed for the potential Brexit trigger, which is supposed to take place before the end of March.

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Fed December Rate Hike Has Been Almost Completely Priced In; Time For A Correction?

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Dear Traders,

After the dust settled around the U.S. Presidential elections, market participants returned to business as usual while risk appetite has been boosted by the Trump reflation trade. The focus now shifts back to Federal Reserve rate hike in December, while there was some concern that a Trump victory would give the Fed reason to delay further tightening. Instead the U.S. dollar and U.S. yields are running higher amid speculation Trump’s plans to boost infrastructure spending will spur rate hikes as inflation and economic growth pick up. Fed rate hike odds are currently holding above 80 percent and economic data this week may further support the Fed’s hawkish bias.

Most attention will be paid to Tuesday’s economic calendar with Eurozone GDP data, U.K. Consumer Prices and U.S. Retail Sales due for release. On Thursday, U.S. Consumer Prices are worth watching followed by Janet Yellen’s testimony before the Joint Economic Committee. CPI figures should be strong enough to keep the Fed on track to hike rates next month while Yellen is expected to maintain her bias towards higher rates. Last but not least, ECB President Mario Draghi is scheduled to speak at the Euro Finance Week in Frankfurt on Friday. The European Central Bank is expected to hold its course while analysts focus on a small alteration in the size and scope of the QE program in December rather than a rate cut.

Overall, economic conditions for the Eurozone remain stable and euro traders should bear in mind that the recent dip in EUR/USD can be attributed to the dollar’s rate expectations. Thus, the appetite for USD will continue to dominate the price action for the time being.The currency pair tested the support area around 1.0770 and it will now be interesting whether this support proves to be strong enough to withstand the downward pressure. If the euro drops below 1.0770 we expect further losses towards 1.07 and 1.0630. Near-term resistances are seen at 1.0850 and 1.0950.

The GBP/USD dropped back below 1.26 but the decline came to a halt slightly above 1.25. If the pound is able to climb back above 1.26, we expect further gains towards 1.2720. Sterling bears should however focus on a break below 1.2440, reinvigorating fresh bearish momentum towards 1.2350 and 1.2270. U.K. CPI data on Tuesday will receive most attention but Wednesday’s U.K. Employment Report may also be worth watching.

We wish you a good start to the new week and many profitable trades.

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Market Listens To Draghi: Tapering Or Expanding Stimulus Plan?

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Dear Traders,

Top event risk for the upcoming session is the European Central Bank meeting and ECB President Draghi‘s comments on tapering. While recent ECB meetings have rendered little market reaction, there has been speculation recently that the central bank will begin tapering its bond purchase program at one of its next meetings. While Draghi was optimistic about the outlook for the Eurozone economy, most economists predict the ECB won’t start tapering before the second half of 2017. Quantitative easing is currently scheduled to end in March and with consumer prices still hovering close to zero, policymakers should at least be comfortable with the current level of stimulus or even extend the program before gradually phasing it out once inflation approaches the ECB’s goal of 2 percent.

The ECB will announce its policy decision at 11:45 UTC but no changes are expected. The main focus will be on the press conference 45 minutes later and Draghi’s comments. If he pushes back aggressively against recent talk of tapering, the euro could be vulnerable to further losses. Any signal that the ECB plans to reduce bond purchases will provide a strong boost to the euro. If the central bank however refrains from providing any signals and defers any changes until December, today’s announcement could turn out to be a non-event for euro traders.

To cut it short, let us have a look at the technical chart and prepare for both possible scenarios.

EUR/USD

The euro recently weakened against the U.S. dollar but found some halt around the 1.0950-level, the descending trend line of the euro’s recent downward channel. If the pair breaks below 1.0940 we see a higher likelihood of further losses towards 1.09 and 1.0830. On the upside, the euro would need to break above 1.1060 in order to spark some bullish momentum towards 1.1170.

chart_eur_usd_daily_snapshot20-10-16

Apart from the ECB meeting we have U.K. Retail Sales at 8:30 UTC, the Philly Fed index at 12:30 UTC as well as U.S. Existing Home Sales at 14:00 UTC scheduled for release but all these reports could take a backseat to the ECB.

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We wish you good trades and many pips!

Any and all liability of the author is excluded.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved 2016 Maimar-FX.

www.maimar.co