Trump Trade Thoughts - USD at Range Resistance
Where do I start?
Irrespective of your opinions regarding Donald Trump, his recent election win and resounding defeat for the Democrats will unquestionably go down in history. Not only did the Republicans bag a clean sweep of all seven swing states, they secured a majority in Congress – winning both the House of Representatives and the Senate. In political parlance, this is a ‘trifecta’.
While Trump is busy allocating Cabinet and Administrative positions, what does this mean for traders?
Two words: ‘Trump Trade’
US stock markets outperformed in the lead-up to and following the election results, and key indices recently ventured to record highs. Impressively, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 are up 25% year to date. The post-election rally has benefited several stocks, but one stands out: Tesla (TSLA), which surpassed US$1 trillion in market value and is up 25% year to date. Additionally, Trump appointed Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to head up the newly created Department of Government Efficiency.
The US dollar (USD) and US Treasury yields have also been doing well pre- and post-election, with the former up 5% year to date. Despite the spirited advance, the Research Team did a superb job of highlighting a potential technical headwind in the shape of long-term range resistance around the 107.19 region on the US Dollar Index. While many factors govern the USD’s trend, this resistance marks a critical juncture for the greenback and could prompt profit-taking. However, most traders will likely look for a breakout to the upside here, effectively opening the door for breakout plays: a continuation of current momentum with limited nearby resistance seen overhead.
It would also be remiss of me not to reference Bitcoin (BTC) touching record highs just south of US95k versus the USD; while I did not think we’d see US100k quite so soon, this milestone may be reached before the year-end. This perspective is primarily influenced by the incoming Administration's anticipated ‘crypto-friendly’ approach, which is expected to provide regulatory clarity and flexibility. Although previously sceptical of the cryptocurrency market, one of Trump’s pledges involves making the US, and I quote, ‘the crypto capital of the planet’. Coupled with his campaign receiving donations in Digital Currencies and the recent launch of World Liberty Financial, a family business that is designed as a decentralised finance (DeFi) platform where users can invest in Cryptocurrencies, this marks quite a U-turn from his first term as president.
The US Federal Reserve continues to claim some of the limelight. A cooling labour market, resilient growth and robust spending underscore the possibility of another 25 basis point rate cut in December, aligning with market pricing (currently assigning an 80% probability of a cut). However, while further easing could be seen next month, with the Trump era just around the corner and inflation remaining sticky, 2025 is shaping up to be a different story.
For now, though, the Trump Trade is alive and kicking. This suggests that investors will keep a close eye on US stock markets, the USD, Treasury yields, and Crypto assets.
Prepared and written by FP Markets Market Analyst Aaron Hill
Irrespective of your opinions regarding Donald Trump, his recent election win and resounding defeat for the Democrats will unquestionably go down in history. Not only did the Republicans bag a clean sweep of all seven swing states, they secured a majority in Congress – winning both the House of Representatives and the Senate. In political parlance, this is a ‘trifecta’.
While Trump is busy allocating Cabinet and Administrative positions, what does this mean for traders?
Two words: ‘Trump Trade’
US stock markets outperformed in the lead-up to and following the election results, and key indices recently ventured to record highs. Impressively, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 are up 25% year to date. The post-election rally has benefited several stocks, but one stands out: Tesla (TSLA), which surpassed US$1 trillion in market value and is up 25% year to date. Additionally, Trump appointed Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to head up the newly created Department of Government Efficiency.
The US dollar (USD) and US Treasury yields have also been doing well pre- and post-election, with the former up 5% year to date. Despite the spirited advance, the Research Team did a superb job of highlighting a potential technical headwind in the shape of long-term range resistance around the 107.19 region on the US Dollar Index. While many factors govern the USD’s trend, this resistance marks a critical juncture for the greenback and could prompt profit-taking. However, most traders will likely look for a breakout to the upside here, effectively opening the door for breakout plays: a continuation of current momentum with limited nearby resistance seen overhead.
It would also be remiss of me not to reference Bitcoin (BTC) touching record highs just south of US95k versus the USD; while I did not think we’d see US100k quite so soon, this milestone may be reached before the year-end. This perspective is primarily influenced by the incoming Administration's anticipated ‘crypto-friendly’ approach, which is expected to provide regulatory clarity and flexibility. Although previously sceptical of the cryptocurrency market, one of Trump’s pledges involves making the US, and I quote, ‘the crypto capital of the planet’. Coupled with his campaign receiving donations in Digital Currencies and the recent launch of World Liberty Financial, a family business that is designed as a decentralised finance (DeFi) platform where users can invest in Cryptocurrencies, this marks quite a U-turn from his first term as president.
The US Federal Reserve continues to claim some of the limelight. A cooling labour market, resilient growth and robust spending underscore the possibility of another 25 basis point rate cut in December, aligning with market pricing (currently assigning an 80% probability of a cut). However, while further easing could be seen next month, with the Trump era just around the corner and inflation remaining sticky, 2025 is shaping up to be a different story.
For now, though, the Trump Trade is alive and kicking. This suggests that investors will keep a close eye on US stock markets, the USD, Treasury yields, and Crypto assets.
Prepared and written by FP Markets Market Analyst Aaron Hill
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