USD/CAD flat ahead of Canadian retail salesThe Canadian dollar is trading quietly on Friday. In the European session, USD/CAD is trading at 1.3171, almost unchanged.
It has been a busy week in the currency markets, with the US dollar rebounding and posting strong gains against the major currencies. The notable exception has been the Canadian dollar, which has held its own against the greenback this week. We could see some movement from USD/CAD in the North American session when Canada releases retail sales for May.
We'll get a snapshot of consumer spending later on Friday, as Canada releases the May retail sales report. The markets are bracing for a slowdown in May after an impressive April release. The consensus estimate for retail sales is 0.5% in May, down from 1.1% in April. The core rate is expected to fall to 0.3%, compared to 1.3%. If the estimates prove to be accurate, it would point to the economy cooling down and provide support for the Bank of Canada to take a pause at the next meeting in September.
The Federal Reserve meets on July 26th and investors have priced in a 0.25% hike as a near certainty. September is less clear, but the markets have priced another hike at just 16%, according to the CME FedWatch tool. Are the markets being too dovish?
Fed members have said that inflation isn't falling fast enough, which could mean that another hike is coming after July. Former Fed Chair Ben Bernake appeared to side with the market view, saying on Thursday that the July hike could be the final rate increase in the current tightening cycle. Bernanke said that the economy would slow further before the 2% inflation target was reached, but he expected any recession to be mild.
There is resistance at 1.3205 and 1.3318
1.3106 and 1.2993 are providing support
Bernanke
On the lighter side of thingsThe questions in recent times...
- Is the federal reserve going to slow down on future rate increases?
- Could we see a cut in rates in 2023?
- With terminal rates still undecided, could it be revised higher?
Perhaps the height of the Central Banker of the US Federal Reserve could be a leading indicator of interest rate decisions! (I'm not being serious, but it was interesting to see the correlations)
I started trading FX when Chair Bernanke (5ft 8in) was in the prime position and oversaw a steady decline in interest rates (ignoring the fact that the Global Financial Crisis caused significant turmoil in the markets)
The current Chair, Jerome Powell stands at 5ft 10in, an increase from Chair Yellen at 5ft 3in. A change in the Central Banker height trend has led to US interest rates climbing higher from 0% to the current of 4.75%!!
Chair Greenspan (5ft 8in), was THE first central banker I've read about and probably what got me interested in the financial markets, ushered in a strong US economy in the 90s. Greenspan oversaw rate hikes as he too battled with "high" inflation in 1997.
So, perhaps instead of overthinking about employment, CPI, GDP, QE, and YCC, all we have to do is pay attention to the change in the height of the Federal Reserve Chairperson.
What do you think?
UK inflation soars to 9 per centThe British pound has taken a tumble after April CPI jumped to 9.0% YoY, up sharply from 7.0% in March. GBP/USD has fallen 100 points today and is trading at 1.2390 in North American trade.
UK inflation continues to run at a 40- year high, and the cost of living crisis is undoubtedly keeping Finance Minister Sunak and BoE Governor Bailey awake at night. Core CPI didn't provide any relief, as it rose to 6.2%, up from 5.7% prior. This indicates that inflationary pressures are broad-based and aren't about to ease anytime soon. The only positive in the CPI release was that it was a bit lower than the forecast of 9.1%, but I'm sure few in the City of London are taking any solace from that tidbit.
The BoE has essentially raised the white flag on the inflation front, saying that many of the factors at play, such as the Ukraine war and soaring energy costs are beyond the Bank's control. The BoE has warned that things could get worse, projecting that inflation will top 10% later this year and warning of a likely recession. Bailey & Co. are doing their best to catch up with the inflation curve as they aggressively hike rates while trying not to choke off economic growth.
With the spectre of 10% inflation looming, confidence in the BoE may be ebbing. Like the Fed, the BoE has come under heavy criticism for not reacting to spiralling inflation quickly enough, and the 25-bps incremental hikes may not prove to be sufficient. The Fed has gone full throttle with a 50-bps hike and more to follow, and pressure is mounting on the BoE to follow suit.
The US is also facing spiralling inflation, and Fed Chair Powell has signalled that the Fed will deliver 0.50% hikes in June and July. Former Fed Chair Bernard Bernanke weighed in on Fed policy, saying that it was a mistake for the Fed not to react earlier to rising inflation. Bernanke also warned that the US economy could face stagflation in the next year or two.
GBP/USD has broken below support at 1.2436. Below, 1.2374 is under pressure
There is resistance at 1.2557 and 1.2619
GOLD: the effects of tapering (Bernanke 2013 vs Powell 2021)Hi Guys,
to keep it simple...
Financial Crisis 2007-2008 and Pandemic led to the implementations of QE programmes in combination with other accomodative monetary policies.
Following these events FEAR drove the value of Gold to its highest at $2.000 both in 2011 and in 2020.
In both these occasions, after having reached $2000, the precious metal bounced off the support to unfold lower highs to form what may look like descending triangles.
In 2013 the support was finally broken when Ben Bernanke announced a "tapering" of some of the Fed's QE policies contingent upon continued positive economic data. Specifically, he said that the Fed could scale back its bond purchases from $85 billion to $65 billion a month during the upcoming FED policy meeting.
On Sept.22nd, 2021 Jerome Powell said tapering of bond buying coming "soon".
Can you see the similarities? Will Gold react the same way as it did back in 2013?
It seems too easy to be true. LOL.
Hope the above is of interest but if you have any queries please do not hesitate to ask.
Good luck everybody!
Cozzamara
Disclaimer:
Please note that I am not a professional trader and these are my personal ideas only. The information contained in this presentation is solely for educational purposes and does not constitute investment advice. The risk of trading in securities markets can be substantial. You should carefully consider if engaging in such activity is suitable to your own financial situation. Cozzamara is not responsible for any liabilities arising from the result of your market involvement or individual trade activities.
Trading in foreign exchange (“Forex”) on margins entails high risk and is not suitable for all investors. Past performance is not an indication of future results. In this case, as well, the high degree of leverage can act both against you and for you. Before you decide to invest in foreign exchange, you should carefully assess your investment objectives, experience, financial possibilities and willingness to take risks. There is a possibility that you will lose your initial investment partially or completely. Therefore, you should not invest any funds that you cannot afford to completely lose in a worst-case scenario. You should also be aware of all the risks associated with foreign exchange trading and contact an independent financial advisor in case of doubt.