Draghi - Last word, Johnson's threats, EU and USA statisticsThe main event will be the announcement of the ECB decision on the monetary policy parameters in the Eurozone. Given the general tendency toward easing monetary policy in the world and the recent actions of the Central Bank of Europe, euro can be expected a pretty unpleasant surprise, In theory. But in practice, most likely everything will be ok.
Mario Draghi is ending his eight-year term at the European Central Bank. Accordingly, there is simply no reason for him to present any surprises and slam the door after leaving. However, follow the ECB's comments on the quantitative easing program and the size of bond purchases by the Central Bank is needed.
Given the general state of the global economy in general and the Eurozone in particular, the ECB does not have to rely on positive signals for the euro today. But they are unlikely to sell the euro. In this regard, today we recommend working with the euro with hourly oscillators, but with a mandatory eye to the decision and comments of the ECB.
Also, today it is worth paying attention to data on business activity in Germany and the Eurozone. They may well create the ground for a subsequent reaction to the results of the ECB meeting.
As for other countries and currencies, quite a lot of macroeconomic statistics will be published in the United States, including data on orders for durable goods, business activity indexes, as well as statistics on sales of new homes. We are still negative about the dollar, so we recommend using weak data as a reason for its sales in the foreign exchange market.
The Brexit situation is again plunging into a chaos of uncertainty, but uncertainty without a global threat. This refers to an exit without a deal.
On the one hand, the House of Commons of the British Parliament supported the new Brexit bill, based on an agreement reached by the government with EU representatives last week. On the other hand, Johnson does not abandon attempts to complete Brexit by October 31 and proposed that Parliament finally approve the agreement on Thursday, otherwise he promised to withdraw the agreement and call early elections.
Despite Johnson’s threats, markets generally believe in a happy ending but are not completely sure what final form Brexit will take. In this regard, our recommendations to buy the pound on the rebound remain relevant today.
The oil market experienced some recovery yesterday after the publication of data on oil reserves in the United States. Oil stocks unexpectedly declined (by approximately 1.7 million barrels, while markets were preparing to continue their growth by 3 million barrels). Our position in oil is still unchanged: while the asset is above 51.20 (WTI brand), we give preference to purchases on the intraday basis.
Eurozone
Threats on the horizon, EU summit & hidden intervention of JapanToday we are talking about a possible demarche by the Irish Democratic Party and, accordingly, the text of the treaty that could be not approved. Therefore, the GBP movement stuck. On the one hand, growth needs to be continued, because on brink of Brexit deal, on the other hand, everyone suddenly realized that the deal still has to be approved by the Parliament of Great Britain. This has already happened with Theresa May so the growth of the pound has stopped so far.
Also, a positive sign following the results of today's summit of the European Union may well overshadow the concerns for a while. So today we will continue to buy the pound, but with an eye on the outcome of the summit. Its failure will be a sentence for the pound (at least temporary) and it will be sold out.
Another rather unexpected threat was the announcement by China that the country is ready for countermeasures if the US Congress provides legislative support to protesters in Hong Kong. Given the already difficult and still incomplete trade negotiations between the United States and China, this could become a stumbling block in resolving trade wars.
In the light of such news and market concerns, today we will continue to look for points for safe-haven assets purchase (gold and the Japanese yen).
As for the yen decline this week, Goldman Sachs explains its weaknesses with purchases of foreign assets by the Japanese State Pension Investment Fund (GPIF), which put pressure on its currency. But in general, this is a form of hidden currency interventions. Interventions by the Bank of Japan may provoke the United States to ask the Bank questions, but also it seems like there is no manipulation.
Worth noting the weak data on US retail sales (-0.3% with the forecast + 0.3%). The dollar naturally was under pressure. Recall that we remain bears, so today we continue to look for points for dollar sales in the foreign exchange market.
Johnson's resignation, "Japanese disease" & oil The US dollar value is growing in the foreign exchange market. Although we do not agree with the current dollar state, however that what is happening. We are conscious of the futility of trying to go against the market will, but the sensation of the illogical nature of what is happening and the current dollar value still does not pass. So today we will continue to sell the dollar.
Recall that partly the strength of the dollar is in the weakness of opponents. Yesterday, for example, weak data on the leading Eurozone economy came out. Germany now not only has negative economic growth, but also a decline in inflation. And this is already a completely bad signal. Something similar was observed in Japan in the 90s (“the lost decade”) and was called “Japanese disease”. So it seems like Germany has caught the same virus. This is also supported by the fact that leading economic institutions are going to lower forecast for 2019.
In this light we sell EURUSD.
This week, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson may well get his vote of no confidence, and Britain will finally plunge into the abyss of political chaos. Which, will quickly turn into economic chaos. At least yesterday's data on UK GDP (the indicator fell by 0.2% in the second quarter) shows that, as do polls by British companies that are rapidly losing faith in the country's economic prospects.
In general, the pound also has reasons to decline. But on the other hand, do not forget about the rule that has been developed recently: "Johnson’s weakness is pound’s strength." buying in the area of 1.2290 and selling with 1.2350. In both cases, we set the small stops.
There was an increase in sellers in the oil market yesterday. In this case, everything happened according to our forecasts and expectations. As a reason for oil sales, there were conciliatory statements from the country of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia in which he stated that "A bad peace is better than a good quarrel." That is, he confirmed the information that the Kingdom does not want the conflict to escalate.
As a result, the third quarter was the worst for oil in 2019 (prices fell by almost 9%). Our recommendation for oil is unchanged so far - we sell oil. Sales target - bottoms $ 51 (brand WTI).
Precisely because of the peace-loving crown prince, gold yesterday went below 1485. For us, this is a kind of watershed. While gold is below this mark, in our opinion, bears control the market situation. And this means that today we will sell gold with stops above 1285.
The weakness of Eurozone, the mercy of Iran and demarche of SinoSome cases are still unresolved also news that the Chinese delegation has cancelled a planned visit to American farms only exacerbates. So yesterday's gold growth was more than logical against the backdrop of fears of the failure of negotiations on trade wars. Our position on gold is unchanged - we continue to look for points for asset purchases.
This is happening against the background of a decrease in oil quotes. Moreover, there was an additional reason for bears. The decision of the Iranian authorities to release the British tanker Stena Impero. Formally, this is a signal of the tension decrease in the region. However, you should not rely on peace in the Middle East. The situation continues to be unstable, especially after the United States decided to send the military to help Saudi Arabia.
However, our recommendation to sell oil remains relevant. In our opinion, the factors in favour of asset sales outweigh the arguments in favour of purchases. Among the main arguments the restoration of oil production by Saudi Arabia, fears of a decrease in demand on the oil market amid a deterioration in the global economy and the offshore revolution in the United States.
Euro update. PMI indices in the whole Eurozone, as well as its key economies - Germany and France - came out distressing. Production indices everywhere dropped below 50, falling below the most pessimistic forecasts. For example, the PMI in the manufacturing sector in Germany in September reached 41.4 with a forecast 44.0 (by the way, the rate of decline in Germany's economic indicators is the highest over the past 10 years). That is, economic activity is deteriorating rapidly. Although the PMI in the Eurozone as a whole is still above 50, judging by the current dynamics, it will soon go below this mark. Yes, and the current value of 50.4 is the lowest mark for the last 4 years.
Recall that we recommend selling the euro primarily against the Japanese yen, as well as the British pound. Even against the dollar, for all our disbelief in it, we are more likely to sell euros than buy. Moreover, the data on PMI indices in the USA yesterday came out not only above 50, but also better than forecasts.
Once again, we point on excellent opportunities for Russian ruble sales.
Central Banks Week Ahead: Our Expectations and Trading PlansECB president, Mario Draghi unveiled a package of measures to ease monetary policy: the rate was reduced, and new asset purchases were announced. The euro initially reacted “classically” - with a decline, but then on Thursday evening and Friday was growing steadily. A similar thing was observed last week with the Turkish lira, which sharply strengthened after the Central Bank of Turkey reduced its rate by 375 (!) Basis points.
This reaction can be explained by the fact that now the absence of a recession in the future is more important for markets than a drop in profitability.
So, we cannot wait to watch the dollar reaction to the Fed decision on Wednesday. The rate is likely to be lowered, but how the dollar will react is unclear. Of course, we will sell it, but keep in mind the variant of an illogical reaction. What we recommend to do in the future, we believe the dollar is doomed to decline. Reasons for its sales are understandable. The budget deficit that exceeded $ 1 trillion is enough to build apocalyptic theories and sell the dollar.
This week will be rich in events related to the Central Banks. After Wednesday and the Fed’s decision, the Bank of Japan, the Bank of Switzerland, and the Bank of England will announce their decisions on Thursday. Given the global trend towards easing monetary policy, surprises are likely from all the central banks mentioned above. So you need to be prepared for it.
Therefore gold purchases continue to be a good trading idea. And this week we will continue to buy the asset on the intraday basis.
Although Mario Draghi stated that the risks of a recession in Europe are insignificant, economic data suggest the opposite, as well as what the ECB does. So we will continue to sell euros this week. The general slowdown in the global economy is definitely against developing countries and markets. Russia seems to be particularly vulnerable in this regard, so we recommend selling the ruble.
The pound continues to grow amid confidence in the markets that there will be no “hard” Brexit. Therefore continue to recommend its purchase.
What happens to euro, the price of Brexit and Trump's rebatesYesterday turned out to be busy and volatile.
The ECB has eased monetary policy in the Eurozone. ECB cut the deposit rate by 0.1% to -0.50%, announced new purchases of assets (the ECB will buy government bonds at 20 billion euros per month, starting November 1). There was a signal - weak economic data: industrial production in the Eurozone in July fell by 0.4% (analysts expected a decrease of only 0.1%).
Not surprisingly the euro fall against this background. Actually, in yesterday’s review, we predicted such a development of events and recommended selling the euro. So those of our readers who follow our recommendations should have made good money on euro sales.
The amazing thing started after has gone down by more than 100 basis points. After Mario Draghi said that the probability of a recession is low, the euro went up. Despite this growth, we believe that the euro should be sold. In the end, on one side - facts (lower rates and buyback program expansion, weak economic data), and on the other - the words that everything is not that bad. So today we will sell the euro. First of all, against the yen and the pound.
It was possible to earn on gold purchases yesterday. As we predicted, difficulties gold experienced were temporary and yesterday's growth is evidence of this.
Gold growth took place from the information that Trump has delayed the use of part of the tariffs, and China has expressed its willingness to buy agricultural products from the United States. But even this could not stop the growth of gold. The same with the euro, Draghi's comments have so far turned the situation upside down. We do believe that the decline in gold value last night is a great opportunity to buy it cheaper.
The UK government considered the possible consequences of a no-deal. In general, everything turned out to be not that good: lack of food and fuel, job loss, riots, problems in logistics, the closing of several oil refineries and so on. Once again confirms that the deal is important and needed. So the recommendation to buy the pound remains relevant.
Also, data on consumer inflation in the US were published yesterday. They are very important since next Wednesday the Fed will announce its decision on monetary policy parameters.
According to published statistics, US consumer inflation in August was 1.7% year-on-year, lower than the Fed’s forecasts and target. This means that the Fed’s hands have been untied to lower rates on Wednesday. For the dollar as a whole, this is a negative signal, so we recommend selling it.
And a few words about the oil market. Sales in the past couple of days have been linked to Trump's hints that sanctions on Iran may be partially lifted. Since the oil market is already on the verge of surplus, the appearance of an additional 1-2 million barrels of oil per day will be a sentence for buyers
What to expect from ECB and what to do with the euro, US inflatiAnnouncement of the ECB decision on monetary policy in the Eurozone is what everybody waiting for. Analysts are expecting lowering rates, a new quantitative easing program (an increase in bond buybacks) and all kinds of support signals from the ECB for the European economy.
What are the chances? In our opinion, the chances are high enough. The fact is that the Eurozone economy is sending more and more signals about problems and the upcoming recession. Recall the German GDP growth rate in the second quarter (below zero), negative retail sales in the Eurozone and business activity indices below 50. Everything is decisively in favor of the need for ECB intervention. And although representatives of the Central Bank are supporting fiscal stimulus, it is obvious that the ECB is expected to act.
What does the softening of an already ultra-soft monetary policy mean for the euro? It means that the euro will be under pressure and it needs to be sold. Against the yen, against the pound and even against the dollar. At least that is what we plan to do today and possibly in the foreseeable future (the final position will depend on the actual decisions of the ECB).
Also, today it is worth paying attention to data on consumer inflation in the United States. Recall that next Wednesday the Fed should decide whether to reduce the rate or not. In this light, inflationary data can either sow doubts or remove them completely. Weak data (low inflation) will make it clear to the Fed that you can safely reduce the rate. In the end, the central bank’s main goal is to control inflation, and then help to ensure economic growth.
Accordingly, weak data will be another reason for dollar sales in the foreign exchange market. Trump, meanwhile, continues to escalate, urging the Fed to lower rates to 0%.
As for other trading ideas, we traditionally recommend buying gold and selling the Russian ruble. Pound purchases also remain a priority.
Johnson loses and Pound Victory, Bank of Canada and GoldWe continue to watch the confrontation between the British Parliament and Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Boris Johnson is losing another battle. On Tuesday, Boris Johnson not only lost his working majority, but he also could not initiate early elections.
As we predicted, the pound strengthened. Even the weak data on business activity in the UK could not prevent its strengthening: the PMI index of business activity in the services sector came out below forecasts (50.6 with a forecast of 51.0).
The dollar continued to suffer losses in the foreign exchange market. Even the euro strengthened against it. And this even though retail sales in the Eurozone came in the negative zone (-0.6%). However, despite yesterday's growth of the EURUSD, we are rather sceptical about buying euros.
Gold purchases look much more attractive and prospective under the current conditions. Another Fed rate cut in a couple of weeks (100% of traders believe in) could give an upward impulse to gold for its growth in the region of 1600. Recall that one of the key arguments against buying gold is its inability to generate guaranteed profit. But the Fed's rate-cutting cycles could lead to the dollar losing its ability to generate profit and becoming not interesting to investors.
The Bank of Canada announced that it left the policy rate steady. As a result, the Canadian dollar strengthened by a hundred points against the US dollar. Central Bank is not planning to cut rates in Canada saying that there are no reasons for that yat.
Today, as for macroeconomic statistics, it is interesting primarily for US employment data from ADP. Weak data could trigger dollar sales - traders will not wait for official statistics on Friday and will rush to discount under weak NFPs in advance.
Bears Continue To Drive The Dollar Lower so we recommend selling it since we expect a stronger wave of sales due to statistics on the US labour market.
Besides, today we will buy gold and the Japanese yen. Sales of the Russian ruble and oil are also what we are interested in.
Parliament vs. Johnson, China vs. USA, AUDJPY GBP updated its lowest level since 2016 been in a pair with USD, but after soared at 100+ points for half an hour. The reasons for these movements we announced yesterday - the opposition of the British Parliament and Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
We briefly outline the events of yesterday. A group of deputies is planning to initiate a bill where Boris Johnson will have to ask for another Brexit suspension if he can not conclude a new deal with Europe. Expectedly, Johnson he took it hard, saying that he would rather hold an early election than allow maltreat him. So far, the alignment of forces in the Parliament was not in Johnson's favor (about 20 people from his party went against Johnson), which is good for the pound.
Note that although there is no certainty yet. If events continue to develop similarly, its further decline, for example with the dollar, to the area of 1.10 paired can be put aside for now.
There are no changes in the trade war development. China’s ceasefire proposal (delay the introduction of tariffs) was rejected by the United States. At the same time, there is no concrete start date for the negotiation process. So our recommendations on the sale of safe haven assets remain relevant.
Moreover, global production is slowing down. The PMI indices around the world are showing that. The eurozone as a whole, Germany in particular and the UK - everywhere indices went below 50, which indicates a decrease in business activity in the manufacturing sector. Well, the news on business activity in the manufacturing sector in the USA disappointed the markets. The index of business activity in the US manufacturing sector (ISM Manufacturing) fell below 50 the same as in 2016. The consequences of the trade war are becoming more and more obvious.
Hurricane Dorian is weakening. So the United States may well get off with slap on the wrist. Although, according to UBS Group estimates, even such a good end will cost about $ 25 billion - the result of the massive flights cancellation and other consequences of the hurricane.
And finally, we note that the Reserve Bank of Australia left the rate unchanged yesterday. The fact of not cutting rates can be considered as a positive for the Australian dollar, which triggered its growth yesterday. However, in the light of the ongoing trade war, we would not have rushed to buy it in a hurry.
However if China and the United States close on the agreement in September, then it is the Australian dollar that could be stronger than others. At the same time, we agree with the Bank of America Merrill Lynch, which recommends buying the Australian dollar not paired with the US dollar, but paired with the yen. Their logic is generally understandable - the end of the trade war, on the one hand, will provoke demand for commodity currencies, which include the Australian dollar, and on the other hand will lead to a sharp drop in demand for safe-haven assets, which include the Japanese yen. That is, the AUDJPY pair will receive a double reason for growth. So we recommend our readers to follow the development of events and keep in mind this deal (purchase AUDJPY) - potentially we are talking about 600-800 points of profit.
Fite for Brexit: getting ready for hot SeptemberBe concern working with the pound. Boris Johnson's decision to shut down parliament for five weeks in order ... controversial plan to suspend the UK's parliament for five weeks. The Queen has approved an order to prorogue the UK Parliament. Boris Johnson seriously set his sights on leaving without a deal. Of course, there is a chance that this is just his attempt to strengthen his position in negotiations with the EU, well knowing Johnson’s temperament, we no longer exclude the most radical scenarios.
The first week of September may be decisive for Brexit: time the opposition has to pass a law that does not allow an exit without a deal. Among other options - a vote of no confidence in the government, the dissolution of the Parliament and early elections. So, it will not be boring, pound volatility in September are guaranteed. For intraday trading, this is an opportunity to make money trading with pound pairs. So we will continue to monitor the development of events and will keep our readers informed of what is happening.
Yesterday's US GDP data came out in line with forecasts: + 2.0% y / y. This means that the data has been revised downward. Statistics on the US labor market will be published, in particular, data on the NFP will be published next weak, a serious driver for a powerful dollar movement is not expected.
Extremely weak figures were published on consumer inflation in Germany. In general, the concerns about one of the best Eurozone economy raises. Based on this, yesterday’s comments by the future head of the ECB, Michel Lagarde, that the ECB has tools to deal with the recession and should be prepared to use them if it is necessary.
Against this background, we will continue to recommend avoiding buying euros against anything. But sales of it still seems to be a good trading idea.
As for the trade war. The markets did not understand whether Trump was called from China or not. New tariffs for goods from China come into force on Monday. And this means that the trade war is not over. However, in September, the Chinese delegation should arrive in Washington so the chance to stop still exists. We will continue to look for points for buying gold and the Japanese yen on the intraday basis. Moreover, safe-haven assets today are something that worth to buy.
Balance, G7 and Jackson Hole outcome, problems of GermanyTrump: China is ready to go back to the negotiating table. China, for its part, reiterated its desire to resolve trade problems through negotiations. safe-haven assets against this background have slightly adjusted and provided excellent opportunities. Despite the optimistic comments from Trump’s side as well as Chinese, everything might change. We have recently observed something similar and buying safe-haven assets tactics on the descents over the past few weeks was the right decision. So our recommendation is to buy gold and the Japanese yen. The only thing, given the increased volatility, do not forget to set stops - it is better to re-enter.
The G7 meeting results can be called insignificant. We did not hear any revolutionary statements. So we believe that this event is already “played out” and taken into account.
As for the Jackson Hole symposium outcome, there was a lot of concern, but representatives of the Central Banks have stated that crisis and cyclical issues need to be solved not only by monetary methods but also by fiscal ones.
Returning to Powell’s speech on Friday, he did not say anything fundamentally new and did not clarify the current state of affairs. Nevertheless, our position on the dollar is unchanged - we are looking for points for its sales.
As for the euro. Data on the business climate in the largest economy of the Eurozone (Germany) again frankly disappointed. The IFO business climate index in August came out worse than expected 94.3 with a forecast of 95.1. This is the minimum value for the last 7 years. Therefore, markets expectations as for the monetary policy easing only intensified. So it’s better to wait a while with euro purchases. But its sales against the pound or the Japanese yen look like good trading ideas.
Euro suffers, pound is growing, & dollar waits for PowellPowell speaks in Jackson Hole that is what everybody is waiting for. Fed minutes from the meeting also showed the lack of unity among the Fed members. That might lead to the fact that the rate can be either lowered in September or left unchanged. That is complete uncertainty. That is why Powell's comments are that important.
Markets still believe in the rates cut, and afraid to sell the dollar without any existing facts. So Powell’s “pigeon” comments are capable of setting off dollar selling in the foreign exchange market. Therefore we recommend the short dollar. However - if Powell does not give any clear comments, markets may perceive this as the Fed’s unwillingness to cut the rates in September, which could lead to a wave of dollar purchase
Statistics on business activity in the Eurozone and the United States came out.
As for the data from Europe on the one hand, the Eurozone Composite PMI was better than expected above 50, as was the PMI in the services sector. On the other hand, data from Germany showed a sharp deterioration in the situation, and at the highest pace over the past 6 years: respondents are expecting production to decline in the foreseeable future.
The United States also upset. PMI indices came out much worse than expected, and the manufacturing index generally came out below 50, which indicates a reduction in business activity in the United States.
The publication of the last ECB meeting minutes showed that Central Bank officials at their meeting on July 25 discussed the benefits of combining two measures to lower interest rates and bond purchases. Recall that the ECB left its policy unchanged last month, but made it clear that it was preparing to reduce its already negative rate and resume buying bonds in September.
So, the euro does not look like the best thing to buy. We recall our recommendation to sell the euro against the pound.
Moreover, Johnson is stepping up towards agreeing with the EU. Even though Europe in every possible way welcomes his efforts: in particular, Merkel believes that a new deal with Great Britain is possible before the end of October. In general, the Big Seven Conference may be a kind of breakthrough in the stalemate with Brexit. We have strengthened our desire to buy the pound, especially at extremely attractive current prices.
Waiting for Jackson Hole, riot in Britain and ruble problemsWe have already noted that this week promises to be calm but The Jackson Hole Economic Symposium is an annual symposium, traditionally gathering representatives of all the leading Central banks in the world, might give enough reasons for bursts of volatility.
The most vulnerable are the euro and the dollar. Weak inflation in the Eurozone (yesterday's report showed that consumer inflation in the Eurozone fell by 0.5%), So the euro is definitely in danger.
As for the dollar, Powell's performance is scheduled for Friday expecting from him a hint to the next Fed rate cut in September. It will be a hit to the dollar. We consider the current dollar growth an excellent opportunity for its sales.
Meanwhile, in Britain, a statement by opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn that he promises to take any action just to prevent an exit without a deal is gaining momentum. As a result, the issue of early parliamentary elections is being increasingly discussed in the media. And although in any other situation we would say that this is a negative sign for the pound, in this particular case, early elections are more likely positive, since they reduce the likelihood of a “no-deal” Brexit, therefore this is the reason for the pound to grow. So the descent of the pound paired with the dollar of 1.21 is a good opportunity for the pair to buy: both on the intraday basis and medium-term positions.
Given that there is a chance that the pound value might growth this week, and the euro, on the contrary, a decline, it makes sense to pay attention to the sales of the EURGBP. This can be done simply from current prices.
Another promising deal continues to be sales of the Russian ruble. And although it has already lost quite a lot of its value, the potential for its decline is far from being exhausted. Argentina scared investors around the world and showed how it could be dangerous to invest in risky assets. So the already “toxic” ruble has become even less desirable. In this regard, recall our recommendation to buy USDRUB. We advised buying it when the pair fluctuated around 63, but even now the pair’s purchases do not look hopeless.
Total, today we will sell the dollar primarily against the pound and the Japanese yen. Also, we will sell EURGBP, as well as the Russian ruble. Gold continues to be an extremely interesting asset for short-term speculative trading. In the current uncertainty, we choose the tactics of oscillatory trading without obvious preferences, that is, we buy in the oversold zone and sell in the overbought zone (as a guideline, it is quite possible to use classic RSI oscillators or more advanced versions of oscillators developed by our experts for a deeper analysis of the price dynamics).
Pause in trade war shifts market focus on another dataA temporary truce in the trade war was announced. Well, of course, a “truce” is not the right word we prefer a “pause”. The appreciation of the renminbi, as well as the decline in the VIX Index, are further evidence of tensions easing in the financial markets.
Against this background, we again pay attention to the sale of gold. But we note that sales with the random points may turn out to be unprofitable, so we select the entry points carefully, taking into account at least an hour overbought and along daily maximum.
Recall that the dollar is still very strong, which is bothers Trump. And in itself, it is an opportunity for its sales in the foreign exchange market. But the markets are more interested in the Fed’s further actions - will the Central Bank cut the rate again&? What could spur the Fed on easing monetary policy? First of all, weak macroeconomic data. So today's retail sales data may well give rise to dollar sales.
Retail sales report is a monthly measurement of the retail industry. Monthly retail sales data is a chain indicator. That is, The report shows the total sales for the prior month. This specificity leads to the fact that chain indicators tend to fluctuate around the zero and after a strong growth period a decline period follows, and vice versa. So, over the last two months, US retail sales have been growing. To show better results this time too, the indicator must rise quite significantly concerning the three months periods. The US economy has been weak recently, there is a reason to expect weak data on retail sales. Since markets react not to the essence, but to the gossips, the outcome of the indicator in the negative zone (although this may be an increase relative the period of two months ) can trigger dollar sales. In this regard, today we will sell the dollar. First of all, against the pound.
Eurozone GDP grew by 0.2 %, however, industrial production decreased, and quite significantly (-1.6% m / m), which is the worst result over the last 3 years. China also showed weak industrial production data: plus 4.8% expected plus 5.8% (the minimum growth rate since 2002). Retail sales in Sino are also worse than expected.
FOMC decision and dollar reaction, BoE and other newsThe main event of yesterday was undoubtedly the announcement of the outcome of the meeting of the Federal Open Market Operations Committee. The 0.25% cut has "symbolic importance" as one analyst puts it. data from the Fed funds futures market has suggested that for weeks 100% of investors already expected at least that much.
We still do believe that we have to sell the dollar. The reason is the same. We prefer to make decisions based on facts, rather than rumours and expectations. After the Federal Reserve's announcement that it would lower its basic interest rate that is a bearish signal for the dollar. Plus, the Fed announces a plan to end balance sheet runoff well ahead of schedule. Another fact and another signal in favor of dollar sales.
As well as market sentiment has not changed fundamentally even despite the rapid growth of the dollar. More than 80% of traders expect at least the second reduction in the Fed rate in 2019.
Data on GDP and consumer inflation in the Eurozone, which came out in line with our expectations. Note that Eurozone GDP Growth Confirmed at 0.2% So the Eurozone economy continues its unconvincing series of economic data. In this light, we find a very prospective position on the foreign exchange market - sales of EURGBP.
Also yesterday, data on employment in the US from ADP were published. Private payrolls rose 156,000 in July, better than economist estimates of 150,000. On Friday the NFP outlook will be published, so Friday will be an interesting day.
Bank of England meeting results that is what we are waiting for today. Markets do not expect any surprises, which is generally logical. Despite the fact that today the Bank of England will give support the pound, we continue to recommend its purchasing. The motivation is the same - the markets incorrectly assess Brexit situation and its outcome.
Also, pay attention to the data on business activity in the United States.
We sell Russian ruble and oil and buy the Japanese yen.
The Fed, the Banks of Japan and EnglandAt the last meeting, the Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) decided that the interest rate remain unchanged. Also, Mario Draghi said that officials had not discussed the rate cut. Accordingly, the euro has a good chance this week to rebound from the medium-term range lowest level. In this regard, our position on the euro - we buy primarily against the dollar.
Boris Johnson Became U.K. Prime Minister, Replacing Theresa May. Markets are frankly afraid of Johnson because of his aggressive position on Brexit. As a result, the pound is under strong downward pressure. But again, it is so far underwater right now given that there are no real reasons for this - market expectations are based on fears and rumours, not facts. We believe that common sense will eventually win and bet on the pound growth. Therefore, we recommend its purchase.
The data on the US GDP for the second quarter will be published today. GDP probably expanded 1.8% in the second quarter, down from 3.1%. If the growth is 2.2-2.5%, then the dollar, perhaps, is not in danger until Wednesday. But if 1.8%, it cannot avoid sales.
This will be the main event not only of the week but of the summer. Wednesday may well lay the foundation for a dollar downtrend in upcoming months or even years.
We are still waiting for the Central Banks of Japan and England meetings, as well as the Eurozone GDP outcome and the US labor market data to come out. In general, it will not be boring.
Our trading recommendations for the week are as follows. We will continue to look for opportunities for selling the dollar across the entire spectrum of the foreign exchange market, buying the pound against the dollar as well as against the euro, selling oil and the Russian ruble, and also buying the Japanese yen against the dollar.
As for gold, in the oversold we buy and in the overbought area we sell gold.
ADP, ECB’s new head & July 4thThe publication of data on employment in the US private sector from ADP was the main even. Considering that official statistics from the US Department of Labor will be published tomorrow, traders and other financial market participants are expressing interest in. Analysts had expected growth in May (140K) however, the number is + 102K, only. On the one hand, the data is lower than forecast, on the other hand, it is significantly higher than the previous frankly disastrous numbers (recall that last month the increase was 27K, only). Well, this is a rather alarming signal. Also yesterday, data on the US trade balance was published (- $ 55.5 billion with a forecast $ 54.0).
Our recommendation is “sell the dollar”. Especially, if you remember Trump's attack on the dollar. Traditionally, in Twitter, the President of the United States called for the devaluation of the dollar.
And about the weak UK business activity data (Composite PMI index went below 50, that is 49.7), which increased the downward pressure on the pound. It’s too late to sell the pound and too early to buy. A similar index was published in Eurozone. The situation there is better (52.2 with the forecast 52.1). So, euro purchasing is not a bad idea ( on the intraday basis).
Ms Lagarde was honored to have been nominated for the ECB presidency. According to experts, Lagarde will adhere to a stimulating monetary policy aimed at ensuring economic growth in Europe. So, the euro might be under pressure.
We expect low liquidity in financial markets due to a holiday in the USA (Fourth of July – Independence Day). The “weak” market may well surprise in the form of volatility explosions, so today it is worth trading with caution.
Our trading recommendations for today: we will continue to look for points for dollar sales as well as the Russian ruble. Since AUDUSD has finished the day with a 0.7020 mark, we do not sell it, duo to further growth. Sell oil. As for gold, today we are working without obvious preferences on the oscillator signals.
ECB signals, US threats, Roubini ’s predictions, and ruble limitDespite the extremely weak statistics from the Eurozone published on Monday and rather depressing data on producer prices, published on Tuesday, the euro tone was relatively good in the foreign exchange market yesterday. The reason was the information that the ECB is not ready to resort to additional monetary incentives. Therefore you should not expect to ease monetary policy.
Despite the record series of the US economic growth, a lot of experts continue to fear for the global economy a bright future in general and the United States in particular. So Nouriel Roubini in a recent interview noted that we might be headed for another recession. The world central banks have essentially exhausted their limit of instruments (it is simply impossible to easy monetary policy for many countries), and, at the same time, the debts of countries are increasing, which is a serious threat. The trade war is a trigger for recessionary processes says, Roubini.
The US seems to be interested in Europe, again. The United States, in an ongoing dispute over subsidizing the aviation industry (the European Union illegally subsidized Airbus Corp), is considering imposing tariffs on an additional 89 items with an annual trade volume of $ 4 billion, including cheese, pasta, whiskey, metals, and chemical products.
In this light, a sharp increase in gold is quite understandable.
Meanwhile, the majority of respondents believe that the ruble has reached its ceiling and it’s simply no way to grow to, Bloomberg's latest monthly survey found. In the future, the decline of the Russian currency is inevitable. Moreover, the state itself is interested in a weak ruble. Recall that the existing budget rule is aimed at artificially creating an imbalance in the foreign exchange market in favor of the dollar and against the ruble. For instance, since the fiscal rule has been imposed, the ruble fell against the dollar by almost 5%, but at the same time, oil prices rose by 17%. That is, the ruble becomes cheaper even if oil prices rise. Well, if they start to fall, it will just be cheaper as well but faster. In this light, it is useful to recall our constant recommendation to sell the Russian ruble on its any growth.
In terms of macroeconomic statistics, yesterday was relatively calm in terms of macroeconomic statistics. The index of business activity in the construction sector showed its lowest figures since 2009 (43.1, with forecast of 49.3).
Data on employment in the US from ADP is what we are interested in today. Recall that last time they signaled about future problems in the data from the NFP. So we closely monitor the indicator and prepare to sell the dollar in case of its failure. In addition, we are waiting for data on business activity and the trade balance in the United States.
Our trading recommendations for today: we are looking for points for sales of the dollar and the Russian ruble, as well as AUDUSD. We sell oil. We can not but note that gold current price is extremely attractive for sales, but do not forget to be careful.
US record, OPEC decision, Australian dollar under threatOn Monday, the markets continued to try to incorporate with the prices the G20 summit results. What Trump declared to be the victory in a trade war but is actually not. So, yesterday we observed the appearance of inefficiencies in financial markets that could be used to make money. In particular, we are talking about the gold falls into the bottoms of 1380-s, which can and should be used for asset purchases and earnings, as well as the growth of the Australian dollar above 0.70, which should be used to sell AUDUSD.
About the Australian dollar. Today, the Reserve Bank of Australia cut the rate for the second time in a row (this time from 1.25% to 1%). We believe that this is quite a serious signal to sell AUDUSD. Ideal prices for opening short sales are in the area of 0.7000-0.7020. In this case, stops can be placed above 0.7040, and profits - in the area of 0.6870.
Yesterday could be decisive for the dynamics of oil over the next few months. But the outcome of the OPEC meeting was too obvious. The cartel decided to extend the OPEC + No. 2 contract for 9 months until March 2020. Current progress in a trade war is a positive sign for oil. Well, all points are in favor of asset purchases. However, there might be a trap. Given the current consensus, oil growth will need something more than just an extension. For example, an increase in the volume of reductions or some additional conditions that narrow the supply on the oil market. But these conditions remained unchanged. In addition, a potential uncertainty factor is a participation in deal countries outside the cartel. Today, Russia and other countries must agree on their decision and position. At best, they will agree with the OPEC deal, which is already taken into account in the price, at worst they can announce their particular position, which can be an unpleasant surprise for buyers.
Total, while oil is below $ 60 (WTI brand), we recommend selling it. We put small stops in this case (above $ 60.40), but profits can be set fairly solid, up to the bottom $ 50.
Meanwhile, the United States recorded a new record: 121 months of continuous economic growth. This is a record in the entire history since 1854. Given the potential easing of monetary policy by the Fed, the United States has good chances to extend this series, as evidenced by yesterday's data on US business activity. The ISM index in the non-production sector in June was 51.7 points (forecast: 51.0), which testifies in favor of the growth of economic activity in the country.
What cannot be said about the Eurozone, where the PMI index in the manufacturing sector in June was significantly lower than 50 (47.6, with the forecast of 47.8) and was the lowest since 2013. Unpleasantly surprised China, whose PMI in the manufacturing sector was also below 50 (49.4).
Our trading preferences for today are as follows: we will continue to look for convenient sales opportunities for the dollar and the Russian ruble. In addition, we will continue to sell AUDUSD. We are selling oil today, but we are closely following the outcome of the OPEC meeting. As for gold, we will continue to work without obvious preferences, selling from overbought and buying from oversold.
Failure data from ADP, ECB decision & BoA warnings Primarily the data on the US labor market from ADP was remembered yesterday. The number of jobs in private companies in the US in May increased by 27K (the forecast was + 180K). The figures are frankly failing and extremely alarming, given that official statistics from the US Department of Labor will be published on Friday.
The dollar was one of the first victims of such data. Such a negative reaction is due to two main factors. Firstly, the US economy clearly signals problems, and secondly, such data is a reason for the Fed to establish itself in the expediency of reducing rates. Naturally, both of these factors are extremely negative for the dollar.
Well, at the end of the day, the dollar managed to recover. One of the reasons was the publication of pretty good data on business activity indices. Secondly, there is, of course, a chance that Friday's labor market data will not disappoint. Nevertheless, we continue to recommend looking for points for dollar sales.
The key event will be the announcement of the ECB meeting decision. Monetary policy parameters are likely to remain unchanged, but forecasts for economic growth will be revised downwards. In addition, weak Eurozone inflation data, published this week, led to the fact that the markets no longer expected to tighten monetary policy in the foreseeable future, and now they are waiting for its further softening. In particular, traders assume a 0.1% reduction in the rate by July of next year.
This is definitely a bearish signal for the euro, so today we will refrain from recommending to buy euros. Well, or at least make it from very attractive points.
Meanwhile, analysts are continuing to analyze the of a trade war possible consequence. The Bank of America experts named a number of possible scenarios for the situation development (between the USA and China). In particular, China’s exit from US public debt, delisting of Chinese ADRs, the exodus of American investors from the Chinese market, which is fraught with stock and bond sales on the markets, Chinese IPOs could lose access to the American financial market, and finally, countries could start a full-fledged currency war. So to the question “Could the situation become worse?” The answer is unequivocal “could.”
Our position for today: we will continue to look for points for selling of the US dollar, sales of oil and the Russian ruble, as well as buying of gold and the Japanese yen. In addition, we will sell the Australian dollar against the US dollar.