The euro initially gapped higher to kick off the Monday session but has given back all of the gains to slam into the 1.05 level again. The 1.05 level is an area that should continue to attract a lot of attention because it is a large, round, psychologically significant figure, and the fact that it is an area where we have seen support and resistance in the past.
At this point, the euro is struggling due to a massive amount of problems in the European Union. The first thing would be that we could be looking at a serious lack of energy. That would destroy the European economy, and that could cause a significant amount of downward pressure on growth. The size of the candlestick is not necessarily crucial or impressive, but it does suggest that we still have quite a bit of negative pressure. Ultimately, I think that rallies will continue to be sold into as there seems to be no real hope of that situation sorting itself out.
The market rallying will offer a nice opportunity to pick up “cheap US dollars” at the first signs of exhaustion in this market. Ultimately, the market is in a very negative downtrend, and I do not think that is going to change anytime soon. That being said, you should keep in mind that the area below is going to be difficult to chew through, but as long as the Federal Reserve continues to be hawkish, it is difficult to bet against the US dollar. Furthermore, we have a Federal Reserve meeting coming out that people will be looking for a 50 bps rate hike at the least, and some are even starting to price in 75 bps. If the statement suggests that they are “on autopilot” to add 50 bps every meeting, that is going to continue to drive money into the greenback.
Economic numbers out of the European Union are very weak at the moment, and they do not look like they are improving. With all of that being said and the complete lack of risk appetite out there, I just do not see how this pair will change anything anytime soon. I like the idea of fading rallies as it gives a bit of value to what is the strongest currency right now.