EURAUD bullish on dovish RBA
Bullish EUR/AUD on Dovish RBA Monetary Policy Reunion
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) held its latest monetary policy meeting on October 3, 2023, and decided to keep the official cash rate (OCR) at 4.10%. This was widely seen as a dovish move, as markets had been expecting a 25 basis point rate hike.
The RBA's decision was likely influenced by a number of factors, including the recent slowdown in the Australian economy, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the risk of a global recession. In its statement, the RBA noted that "inflation is higher than expected in Australia and globally, and is expected to remain high for some time". However, the RBA also said that "growth in the Australian economy is expected to slow in the coming months, and the unemployment rate is expected to rise".
The RBA's dovish stance is likely to be positive for the EUR/AUD currency pair. A lower OCR in Australia is likely to make the Australian dollar less attractive to investors, while a higher OCR in Europe is likely to make the euro more attractive.
In addition to the RBA's monetary policy decision, there are a number of other factors that are currently supporting the EUR/AUD currency pair. These include:
The ongoing war in Ukraine, which is weighing on the global economy and boosting demand for safe-haven currencies such as the euro.
The risk of a global recession, which is also boosting demand for safe-haven currencies.
The European Central Bank (ECB) is expected to start raising interest rates in the near future, which would further support the euro.
Technical Analysis
From a technical perspective, the EUR/AUD currency pair is currently trading above a key trendline. This suggests that the pair is in an uptrend and is likely to continue to move higher in the near future.
The next key target for the EUR/AUD currency pair is the 1.70 level. If the pair can break above this level, it could then move towards the 1.75 level.
Conclusion
The EUR/AUD currency pair is currently in a bullish trend and is likely to continue to move higher in the near future. This is supported by the RBA's dovish monetary policy stance, the ongoing war in Ukraine, the risk of a global recession, and the ECB's hawkish stance.
From a technical perspective, the EUR/AUD currency pair is currently trading above a key trendline. The next key target for the pair is the 1.70 level. If the pair can break above this level, it could then move towards the 1.75 level.
Trade Idea
Buy EUR/AUD above 1.66 with a target of 1.70 and a stop loss below 1.6356.
Risk Warning
Trading foreign exchange (forex) is a risky activity and can result in substantial losses. Please ensure that you understand the risks involved before trading forex.
BOE
GBPAUD: Continuation to the downside expectedI'm expecting a continuation to the downside due to general GBP weakness.
BOA held rates at 4.1%, so did BoE 5.25%, however it looks like the UK is more likely to have a deeper recession. I think the pound is generally over expended so seeing further correction.
We've retraced 38% of the Fib and looking like a doji forming on the 8hr, if it does I'm looking to short.
Final Target yet to be run on CHFJPYThis inverse Head and shoulders has produced fantastic gains already
What suggests that final target will be met
is that Yen vs other crosses is still yet trigger their respective necklines!
I assume more madness to come from the #BOJ in the next Financial Panic.
Like the Bank of England another Island nation probably first to embark on a new wave of #QuantitativeEasing
GBP/USD extends losses on mixed UK dataThe British pound is in negative territory after two days of losses. In the European session, GBP/USD is trading at 1.2245, down 0.40%. The struggling pound is down 1.1% this week and is trading at its lowest levels since late March.
It is a busy day on the data calendar for UK releases. Retail sales rose in August by 0.4% m/m, following a 1.1% decline in July and was just shy of the market consensus of 0.5%. The sharp decline in July was largely due to unusually wet weather. On an annual basis, retail sales fell by 1.4%, compared to -3.1% in July. Consumer spending has been in a nasty rut, as annualized retail sales have now declined for 17 straight months. The silver lining was that the -1.4% drop marked the slowest pace of contraction in the current streak.
The September PMIs were a mixed bag. The Services PMI slowed to 47.2 in September, down from 49.5 in August and missing the consensus estimate of 49.2. This marked a second straight deceleration and the sharpest contraction since January 2021. The Manufacturing PMI increased to 44.2 in September, up from 43.0 in August and above the consensus estimate of 43.0.
The decline in activity in both services and manufacturing points to a UK economy that continues to cool. The Bank of England, which held interest rates on Thursday, will be hoping that the slowdown translates into lower inflation and that it can continue to hold interest rates.
UK consumer confidence remains low, but there was a bit of an improvement in September. The GfK consumer confidence index rose to -21, up from -25 in August and beating the consensus estimate of -27. This was the highest reading since January 2022, but the economy has a long way to go before consumers show optimism about the economic outlook.
GBP/USD is testing support at 1.2267. The next support level is 1.2156
There is resistance at 1.2325 and 1.2436
Understanding Interest-rates & InflationHey Traders
So, I have been asked by many of my clients to explain the relationship between interest-rates and inflation and how to translate that information into their analysis.
For this reason I put this little mini lesson together to explain:
- The core role of the central bank
- Reason and objectives for interest-rates and inflation
- How you can use this information to enhance your analysis
- How to take advantage of this info when taking, managing or closing your trades.
PS. if you would like me to do more of these types of videos be sure to leave a comment in the comment section.
British pound loses ground after mixed jobs reportThe British pound is in negative territory on Tuesday. In the European session, GBP/USD is trading at 1.2470, down 0.31%.
Will the real UK labour market please stand up? The UK labour market is showing signs of weakening, while at the same time wage growth grew at a record pace, according to today's employment release. The economy shed 207,000 jobs in the three months to July, compared to a 66,000 fall a month earlier and weaker than the consensus estimate of -185,000. This was the sharpest loss of jobs since September 2020. The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.3% up from 4.2% and matching the consensus.
The data is a clear sign that the labour market is cooling, but wage growth excluding bonuses rose 7.8%, unchanged from a month earlier and the highest on record. Wages are growing faster than consumer inflation, which rose 6.8% in July. The sharp rise in wage growth will provide support for the hawks who favour pushing rates higher in order to curb inflation.
The Bank of England has been non-committal about next week's meeting, although Governor Bailey said last week that the BoE was "much nearer" to ending the current tightening cycle. That may indeed be the case, but the markets have priced in a rate hike at the September 21st meeting at close to 80%.
Investor focus will now shift to UK GDP which will be released on Wednesday. After a respectable gain in June of 0.5%, the markets are bracing for a decline of -0.2% in July. A contraction in growth could extend the pound's losses.
GBP/USD is testing resistance at 1.2471. Above, there is resistance at 1.2519
There is support at 1.2395 and 1.2322
British Pound supported at $1.25? British Pound supported at $1.25?
The US dollar index is poised to reach a new multi-month peak. Contributing to DXY’s rise the most is the GBP/USD, with the pound losing 0.45% against the USD due to recent comments from the Bank of England’s governor.
On Wednesday, Governor Andrew Bailey spoke in front the Treasury select committee, saying " I think we are much nearer now to the top of the (tightening) cycle. And I'm not therefore saying we're at the top of the cycle because we've got a meeting to come”. In case you forgot, the Bank of England has implemented rate hikes in its previous 14 meetings, and it is expected to increase borrowing costs once more later this month, pushing the rate to 5.5%.
The above remarks were tempered by comments that suggest that rates will be higher for shorter than expected, saying “(we) are signaling that the fall in inflation will continue and - as I've said a number of times - I think will be quite marked.” It is this later comment that might be the cause for the British pound dipping beneath the crucial $1.25 level, marking its lowest value since early June. There might be support at this level though, as the bearish bias becomes potentially overextended.
GBP/USD pares losses after soft PMIsThe British pound has edged lower on Wednesday. In the North American session, GBP/USD is trading at 1.2720, down 0.09%.
The UK economy continues to cool down, and today's PMI readings showed deceleration in both the manufacturing and services sectors. The Manufacturing PMI eased to 42.5 in August, down from 45.3 and below the consensus estimate of 42.5. The Services PMI disappointed and fell into contraction territory, with a reading of 48.7. This was lower than the July reading of 51.5 and missed the estimate of 50.8. GBP/USD fell over 100 basis points earlier but has recovered these losses.
The weak data might not be such bad news as far as the Bank of England is concerned. The battle to curb inflation has not gone all that well, as the UK has the dubious honour of having the highest inflation among G-7 countries. If weakness in the manufacturing and services sectors dampens hiring and weighs on the tight labour markets, inflationary pressures could ease.
The Bank of England meets in September and the markets have fully priced in a rate hike, but it's unclear what will happen after that, with the markets pricing in one more hike before the end of the year. The BoE's rate path after September will depend heavily on upcoming inflation and employment reports.
It has been a light week on the data calendar and investors will be hoping for some interesting comments at the Jackson Hole Symposium which begins on Thursday. The Fed and other major central banks are expected to wind up their rate-tightening cycles and Jackson Hole has often served as a venue for announcing shifts in policy.
Fed Chair Powell has insisted that the fight against inflation is not done, with inflation still above the 2% target. There is talk in the markets of the Fed trimming rates next year, but I would be surprised if Powell mentions rate cuts in his speech on Friday.
GBP/USD pushed below support at 1.2714 and 1.2641 before rebounding higher
There is resistance at 1.2812 and 1.2885
GBP/USD pushes higher as inflation drops to 6.8%The British pound has posted considerable gains on Wednesday. In the North session, GBP/USD is trading at 1.2754, up 0.39%.
The UK released the July inflation report today and the readings were a mixed bag. Headline CPI dropped to 6.8% y/y, a sharp drop from the 7.9% gain in June and matching the consensus estimate. The decline was certainly welcome news but the driver of the downswing was a sharp drop in fuel prices. Core CPI, which excludes energy and food, remained unchanged in July at 6.9% and above the estimate of 6.8%. The core rate rose 0.3% m/m in July, up slightly from the July reading of 0.2%, which was also the estimate.
There was some good news in the inflation report as headline CPI declined by 0.4% m/m in July, compared to +0.1% in June and very close to the consensus estimate of -0.5%. Still, the fact that core CPI remains elevated and sticky provides support for the hawks at the Bank of England who believe that rates must rise further in order to curb inflation.
The inflation report comes on the heels of a soft UK employment report on Tuesday. The data revealed that the tight labour market is finally cooling, which would ordinarily be positive news for the Bank of England. The one glaring exception to the soft numbers was wage growth, which jumped to a record 7.8%, up from 7.5% and above the consensus estimate of 7.3%. The increase in wage growth is indicative of a wage-price spiral which will hamper the BoE's efforts to curb inflation.
The US released a robust retail sales report on Tuesday, giving a boost to the US dollar as speculation rises that the Fed may not be done with the current rate-tightening cycle. Headline retail sales rose 0.7% m/m in July, but core retail sales stole the show with a massive 1% gain up from an upwardly revised 0.4% in June. Consumer spending is picking up, which could complicate the Fed's plan to ease up on rates and guide the economy to a soft landing.
GBP/USD is testing resistance at 1.2726. The next resistance line is 1.2787
1.2634 and 1.2573 are providing support
GBP/USD shrugs off mixed employment reportThe British pound has edged higher on Tuesday. In the European session, GBP/USD is trading at 1.2697, up 0.08%.
Investors were treated to a mixed UK employment report today. The labour market, which has been surprisingly resilient in the face of the Bank of England's tightening, is showing unmistakable signs of cooling.
Employment fell by 66,000 in the three months to June, a huge reversal from the 102,000 gain in the previous period. The consensus estimate stood at 75,000. Notably, this was the first decline in job growth since August 2022. The unemployment rate rose from 4.0% to 4.2%, above the estimate of 4.0%, and unemployment claims rose to 29,000, up from 16,200 and above the estimate of -7,300.
The one exception to the soft jobs report, but a critical one, was wage growth. Average earnings excluding bonuses rose 7.8% y/y in the three months to June, up from 7.5% and above the estimate of 7.3%. This was the highest level since records began in 2001. Average earnings including bonuses jumped 8.2%, compared to an upwardly revised 7.2% previously and above the estimate of 7.3%.
The jump in wage growth will be unwelcome news for the Bank of England, as it indicates that the dreaded wage-price spiral continues to feed inflation. Higher wages are a key driver of inflation, and the BoE has warned that if wage growth doesn't ease, it will be forced to raise rates even higher. This could mean that the weak UK economy will tip into a recession, but the BoE considers that the lesser evil compared to high inflation.
The BoE meets on September 21st and I do not envy Governor Bailey, who may have to cause more financial pain and raise rates. The UK releases the July inflation report on Wednesday, with CPI expected to fall to 6.7%, down from 7.9%. That would be a significant decline but it would still leave inflation more than triple the BoE's target of 2%. The BoE and investors will be glued to the inflation report and I expect the British pound to have a busier day.
GBP/USD is testing resistance at 1.2726. The next resistance line is 1.2787
1.2634 and 1.2573 are providing support
The Bank of England's DilemmaOf the three central banks that I primarily trade, the Bank of England (BOE) has the biggest puzzle. Today's data was the worst possible for Governor Bailey and his team. Specifically, employment fell by 66,000 and the unemployment rate ticked higher by 0.2% for the second month in a row to 4.2% (the Federal Reserve would be delighted with this turn of events).
On the other hand, wages continue to rise in the UK, with the ONS noting that June recorded the highest annual wage growth rate since comparable records began in 2001. In addition, we are now seeing real wages/earnings move back into positive territory for the first time since the end of 2021.
The nightmare of central bankers is coming true.
What does this mean? It just raises further concerns that the squeeze on the economy is starting to translate to the labor market. And in that lieu, it could lead to a sharper downturn in the quarters to come.
This only validates further concerns that the UK could be facing the risks of stagflation, which is certainly not something that the BOE would like to see. Add in higher financing costs and tighter credit conditions alongside the cost of living crisis, and that's not quite the recipe for the pound to be optimistic in the bigger picture.
The data is one side of the coin, but the other, more important side, is the chart, as everything is drawn on it.
The area described in the previous analysis has so far prevented bears from another charge. The key level for supply is currently 1.2819 . It should be maintained if the falls are to pick up pace.
It is also worth paying attention to whether the supply will remain in the downward channel (red lines).
We still have important US data today, namely retail sales, which will tell us how strong the American consumer is - this may have a significant impact on GBP/USD prices.
GBP/USD steady ahead of jobs dataThe British pound is quiet at the start of the week. In the European session, GBP/USD is trading at 1.2701, up 0.05%.
The UK releases key employment numbers on Tuesday and the data is expected to show that the UK labour market remains tight. The economy is expected to have created 50,000 jobs in the three months to June. That number is down from 125,000 previously, but unemployment claims are expected to drop by 7,300, down from a gain of 25,700 previously. Most importantly, wage growth including bonuses is expected to jump to 7.3% in the three months to May, compared to 6.9% in the previous three months.
A jump in wage growth will not be welcome news for the Bank of England, which has had limited success in its battle to rein in inflation. Wage growth has been elevated due to high inflation and the tight labour market and an acceleration in wages will support a rate hike at the September meeting. The BoE has raised rates to 5.25%, but inflation has fallen more slowly than expected and is currently at 7.9%, the worst in the G-7.
Over in the US, the markets are widely expecting the Fed to pause at the September 20th meeting. That will allow the markets to focus on key releases and try to determine if the economy is too strong, which could mean further rate hikes late in the year.
Retail sales, which will be released on Tuesday, will provide a snapshot of whether consumers are still spending despite inflation and rising interest rates. Both the headline and core rates are expected to rise by 0.4% in July after a 0.2% gain in June.
GBP/USD is putting pressure on resistance at 1.2726. The next resistance line is 1.2787
1.2634 and 1.2573 are providing support
GBPCAD: Running out of steam, start of the reversal?In my opinion GBP is building up for a big fall this year, and it has to start with a lower high.
Oil prices are rising, and as much as the FED don't want this, it's happening, and this should be good for CAD.
I can see a rising wedge pattern, we can see spinning tops forming and it looks like we're running out of steam, I believe we'll initially fall back to the 1.7 support / round number.
I'm waiting for my entry, I expected GBP to fall before now, but the BoC unemployment news wasn't supportive last week.
GBPUSD: The beginning of the end?I'm expecting full on GBP weakness over the coming weeks, regardless of what happens with the dollar.
We've broken below the months of ascending trendline and so far failed to break back above, we have a beautiful bearish engulfing candle on the 4hr close from Friday.
I get this pair wrong a lot (because I live in the UK and can see a car crash happening in slow motion...), so will definitely not be jumping in. We have big US CPI data on Thursday at 13.30 GMT, if inflation figures are worse (lower) than forecast then this will be good for the GBP in the short term - however I'm thinking that the best will happen is a failed retest of the trendline and I'm thinking we're starting the move back down - just deserts for how the BoE have performed imho.
GBPJPY: Breakout, Retest, Down...In my recent ideas I’ve noted JPY strength resuming and this is evident in the performance last week, and we can see this when looking at the JPYWCU chart which is like DXY for the Yen. We can see what could be a higher low forming and a fourth retest of the resistance around 0.005350 which could break.
We’ve seen out-performance of the Yen against many crosses in the past week, which has generated good pips, it’s too early to suggest a strong recovery (especially as BoJ clearly want a weaker currency to support exports), however they have an economy that when recessions start to hit, I believe they’ll fair better.
All crosses against yens are at their high points, this doesn’t mean they can’t go higher, but money flows and I believe the shift is starting.
I’m expecting GBP weakness over the coming weeks due to high inflation and massive threat of recession, and definitely this week against the Yen, so looking for shorts around 181.4.
First target will be 167 area.
British pound under pressure ahead of Bank of England decisionThe British pound is slightly lower on Thursday. In the European session, GBP/USD is trading at 1.2685, down 0.19%. The pound has been struggling and is down 1.26% this week.
The Bank of England meets later today and policy makers have a tough decision on their hands. Will they raise rates by 25 basis points or be more aggressive and deliver a 50-bp hike? The BoE has raised rates 13 consecutive times since December 2021 and is widely expected to continue hiking at today's meeting.
The money markets have priced in a 25-bp increase at 62%, with a 38% chance of a 50-bp hike. That means the meeting is live and we could see some volatility from the pound following the rate announcement. The BoE's decision may well depend on whether inflation is moving downwards fast enough. Headline CPI fell to 7.9% in June, down from 8.7%. Core CPI has been stickier and was unchanged in June at 6.9%.
The BoE is well aware that its tightening is causing plenty of pain for consumers, but inflation remains public enemy number one, and there is a great deal of distance before inflation is brought down closer to the 2% target. Can the BoE afford to raise by just 25-bp or is a second consecutive hike of 50-bp needed? The BoE has played its cards close to the chest and that is likely the reason we are seeing the split amongst investors as to how high a raise we'll see later today.
There is resistance at 1.2744 and 1.2870
1.2637 and 1.2511 are providing support
GBP/USD edges lower ahead of UK inflationThe British pound has edged lower on Tuesday. In the North American session, GBP/USD is trading at 1.3038, down 0.27%.
The UK is lagging behind other major economies in the fight to curb inflation. Will Wednesday's inflation report bring some good news? In May, CPI remained stuck at 8.7% y/y but is expected to ease to 8.2% in June. The core rate is expected to remain steady at 7.1%. On a monthly basis, headline CPI is expected to fall from 0.7% to 0.4% and the core rate is projected to slow to 0.4%, down from 0.8%.
The inflation report could be a game-changer with regard to the Bank of England's meeting on August 3rd. The BoE delivered an oversize 50-basis point hike in June and will have to decide between a modest 25-bp hike or another 50-bp increase at the August meeting. Last week's employment report pointed to wage growth picking up, which moved the dial in favour of a 50-bp increase.
US retail sales for June provided a mixed spending picture. Headline retail sales rose just 0.2% m/m, below the 0.5% consensus estimate and the upwardly revised May reading of 0.5%. Core retail sales were much stronger at 0.6%, above the 0.3% consensus and the upwardly revised May release of 0.3%. The data points to resilience in consumer spending although momentum has slowed. The retail sales report did not change expectations with regard to rate policy, with the Fed expected to raise rates in July and take a pause in September.
The Fed has tightened by some 500 basis points in the current rate-hike cycle and this has curbed inflation, which has fallen to 3%. Nevertheless, the Fed remains concerned that the solid US economy and a tight labour market will make it difficult to hit the 2% inflation target, and the Fed hasn't given any hints that it will wrap up its tightening in July, although the money markets appear to think this is the case.
GBP/USD has support at 1.2995 and 1.2906
There is resistance at 1.3077 and 1.3116
GBP/USD eyes UK employment reportThe British pound has drifted lower on Monday. GBP/USD is trading at 1.2827 in the European session, down 0.09%.
The UK labour market remains resilient despite a cooling economy and high interest rates. Tuesday's June jobs report is expected to show strong numbers. The economy is expected to produce 158,000 jobs in June, after a banner reading of 250,000 in May. The unemployment rate is projected to remain at a low 3.8% and unemployment claims are expected to continue declining. Wage growth is expected to rise to 6.8%, up from 6.5%.
That sounds like great news, but not when you're the Bank of England and need the labour market to show some cracks and wage growth to slow down. A tight labor market and strong wage growth have hampered efforts by the central bank to lower inflation and the OECD said last week that the UK was the only major economy where inflation is still rising. The May inflation report was a disappointment, with headline inflation remaining at 8.7% and the core rate rising from 6.8% to 7.1%.
BoE Governor Bailey will likely comment on the job numbers and investors will be looking for clues about the BoE's plans at the August 3rd meeting. The BoE has raised rates to 5.0%, but more tightening will be needed in order to curb inflation and the money markets have fully priced in a peak rate of 6.5% by February.
The US dollar was broadly lower against the major currencies on Friday, after nonfarm payrolls slid to 209,000, below from the downwardly revised reading of 306,000 in May but not far from the 225,000 consensus estimate. The downturn may have surprised many investors who were caught up in the hype of a massive ADP employment release which showed a gain of 497,000.
There was speculation of a blowout nonfarm payroll reading but in the end, the consensus estimate was close and the US dollar was broadly lower on expectations that the Fed could be close to winding up its rate-tightening cycle.
GBP/USD tested support at 1.2782 earlier today. The next support level is 1.2716
There is resistance at 1.2906 and 1.2972
Time To Drop After Tuesday's Nice Pop?Assuming we are early into the long trip downward would put us somewhere in the early stages of Cycle wave C down, Primary wave 1 down, Intermediate wave 2 up. This would have made Intermediate wave 1 down 5 trading days long with a 120.39 point drop. Based on waves ending in C12, Intermediate wave 2 will last 1 day. There are zero other possible lengths. The quartile movements (blue levels on left) are 27.99%, 50.12%, and 56.51%. Based on waves ending in 12, strongest model agreement for length remains at 1 trading day and second strongest by a lot is 2 trading days. Quartile retracement levels (yellow lines) are at 27.99%, 42.03%, and 66.20%.
Tuesday was the first official trading day of Intermediate wave 2. This is quite possibly the only trading day of wave 2. IF wave 2 achieves a new high tomorrow, Thursday would likely not see a new high for a very long time until we drop well below 4328 again. IF a new high is achieved tomorrow it may remain at or under 4400. IF we break above 4400 tomorrow, we may still be BACK in Cycle wave B as was identified in my most recent Devil’s Advocate Analysis. IF back in, well still in B, the market is either in the final Intermediate wave 4 Minor wave B up or the early stages of Intermediate wave 5 which would likely lead to a final market top within 2 weeks.
If no new high is achieved and the market falls (likely based on all the Bank of England/Central Bank/Federal Reserve panels in Portugal) the market is in the early stages of Intermediate wave 3 down. This scenario would have seen Intermediate wave 2 last a single day and retrace 46.8% of Intermediate wave 1’s movement. Based on waves ending in C13, the quartile movement extensions of wave 1’s movement (blue levels farther on right) are 135.64%, 140.60%, and 165.83%. Most model agree on a length of 4-6 days, with secondary agreement at 7, 8, or 10 trading days long. Based on waves ending in 13, the quartile movement extensions (yellow) are 137.30%, 162.265%, and 198.02%. Models have strongest agreement on length at 5 days long, second is 1 or 4 days, third most agreement is 3 days, fourth is 7 days, fifth is 6 days, sixth is 2 or 10 days. Based on these models, the initial forecast is a possible market low late next week after the American holiday possibly below 4279 and probably not below 4240. This would equate to a drop of around 120 points in about 6 trading days. This is pretty much the same thing accomplished by Intermediate wave 1.
Let us see how this plays out beginning with movement tomorrow.
short term buy on crude oilU.S. Oil still stuck in consolidation, making big ranging moves. Monday was a federal holiday, Juneteenth. New York -Traded Texas intermediate, or WTI did not make much movement upon opening. Sunday or Monday, closing with a bearish candle at $90.87. Tuesday dropped 1% or 100 pips to 69.82 area, then regaining by the end of the day closing at 71.63
Wednesday Fed Chair J. Powell had a testimonial that continued into Thursday. This testimony comes a week after a hawkish interest rate “skip” Last week the federal Reserve was careful to word skip, and not a pause so the markets would not react in a negative way. The dollar soared, along with U.S. stock, with oil tumbling. Top investors and analysts stated the Fed wanted to appear to be hawkish in the next FED meeting so the market would not lose everything it has gained; stating they see it very unlikely the FED will continue to raise rates and believe the fed is done raising rates. The two-day testimony Powell was sure to emphasize raising of rates is not over, and he is standing strong on bringing inflation down to 2%.
A hawkish Powell has pushed oil down nearly 4% Wednesday and Thursday. Alongside a hawkish Powell the BOE raised interest rates by half a percentage point. The U.K.’s interest rate is now at 5%; the highest it has been since 2008. The BOE decided to raise rates drastically this time due to U.K. inflation will take longer than anticipated to bring down. The U.K. is right behind the Federal with interest rate at 5% and the U.S. at 5.25% pausing for the first time for 10 straight FED meetings.
The U.S. Crude inventory was released Thursday. The forecast for the week ending on June 16 was 1.873M actual came in as -3.831M. Crude oil inventories is reported on a weekly basis for the pervious week. This report measures the number of barrels of commercial oil held by U.S. firms, reported by the EIA (Energy Information Administration. Last week inventories fell greater than expected implying Oil demand is greater which is bullish for oil. It is typical for oil demand to be greater this time of year with summer travel. Wednesday marked the first day of the summer. The report caused oil to spike just a little, as other economical news overweighed the bullish report. Crude oil moves against the dollar, with hawkish news for the dollar it is bearish for oil.
Powell being adamant about continuing to raise rates and the BOE raising rates could slow economic growth and reduce oil demand.
Crude oil has been ranging (consolidating) in the same zone on the 4hr and daily timeframe since May 03. 2023. Oil has rejected off the demand zone two time and rejected the supply zone twice as well. Only the daily a Double top can be seen forming. Oil would need to break and close below the neckline for the double top to confirm a continued sell down. If neckline is broken and closes below oil can go to pervious rejected low of $65.50 and 63.96. The Fib retracement was used to confirm retracement levels of potential TP areas.
If oil rejects at the neckline, it is possible the range will continue you. If it rejects the neckline a potential buy with retracement/reversal key areas being $72.71 and $74.20. Crude oil would need to break and close above $74.95 for a confirmation for a long term buy.
GB10Y - UK pensions at risk? update. #BOE #recession"The Bank of England has hiked interest rates to 5 per cent in a further blow to homeowners struggling with spiralling mortgage costs.
The rise, up from 4.5 per cent, is the sharpest increase since February – surprising economists who had been expecting a smaller increase of 0.25 percentage points – and sends interest rates to their highest level in 15 years!
The move is set to deepen the mortgage crisis as borrowing costs rose for the 13th time in a row in an effort to curb inflation."
*Fractal taken from 2007 high for the GB10Y - Gilt/Bond, reaching similar level's before reversing back down. I would expect the same to happen going forward. inflation is way above current interest rates, with the BOE stuck between banking crisis or a recession. I believe we'll see both! - Banking crisis, potential bail out's - expanding the currency supply further which will create more inflation! Pension's will continue too loose value, as bank of England will not be able to raise rates high enough to match inflation.
"It comes as the rate of inflation remains unexpectedly stubborn – frozen at 8.7 per cent in May. Analysts had expected the Consumer Prices Index, which peaked at 11.1 per cent in October last year, to fall back to 8.4 per cent."
What does this mean for the value of the pound? I'm actually expecting more strength in the GBP - purely from the weakness of the dollar. I would expect the fed to continue to pause now that inflation is finally dropping. FedNow expected to launch on the 1st of July, this will enable faster payment's and a surplus of dollars entering the markets if needed. again weaken's the purchasing power of the DXY - by adding more supply to the currency.
GBPUSD: My 4 scenarios for this weekThese are just my ideas, what I’m expecting, and why, with this week’s the big fundamentals.
Overview
Big market-moving news this week with Wednesday’s UK CPI, Thursday’s BoE Interest Rate Decision and Forecast, there is also FED Powell’s testimony in between the UK events on Wednesday.
Several things could play out with the UK news, which is what my scenarios are based on. I’m expecting Powell to be hawkish because even though it’s clear that the US is on top of inflation, they are still double their target and thanks to their economic performance they have room to keep tightening and can still avoid recession, imho.
The BoE on the other hand have a massive predicament. Inflation is out of control, far worse than the other G7 economies. Interest rate rises are squeezing the economy, UK mortgage rates are now hitting 6%. In my opinion another 1.25% interest rates will cause recession. The BoE moved too slow and are behind inflation, they have to keep hiking to do anything about it, but there will be a tipping point where the market sees this as a negative for the GBP.
UK Inflation / Interest Rates
BoE have consistently under-estimated inflation through this period. This time their forecast is higher than the previous month forecast (8.5% compared to 8.3% previous, inflation fell to 8.7% last time so I think they’ve been more realistic with their prediction this time). If inflation is coming down (I think it is), then we could see a better than forecast reduction (red), which could be bad for GBPUSD.
If it comes in lower (red) then it’s ‘more’ likely there’ll be a 0.25% rate hike, this is priced in, and I think this will cause GU to fall. If BoE are brave enough to go with the 0.5% outside prediction, then this could cause GU to rise.
If Wednesday’s CPI number shows inflation is above predication (green) (and likely to be rising as it was 8,.7% last time and the predication this time is 8.5%), then this further demonstrates that the BoE have been way off the mark in controlling it compared to the rest of the G7, which is not good. I do think short term this will be positive for GU, but only for banks making money, it’s terrible for the UK economy and the BoE. If it is green and BoE only raise rates by 0.25% then I think this may send GU down as it’s a further demonstration of their ineptitude. If they do go with the 0.5% hike in this scenario, then this could send sterling higher in the short term.
Either way and in each scenario, I think GU will struggle to get beyond 1.29 in this visit based on long term dynamic trendline, overall down-trend, a bubble of a credit based economy, better performing US economy and the US being the global currency (and expecting China performance below expectations), etc etc, and breathe….
Also, in technical news, I’m also seeing some divergence on the RSI, and GU is overbought.
My Scenarios
Here’s my scenarios on the chart, end of today I’m expecting to be around the 1.27 level on the chart based on retracement from Friday’s high and DXY having some room to move up to resistance (around 1.03), but let’s see what happens today and I'll review this again this evening.
1. Red CPI / 0.25% Hike
This is an inflation figure that comes in below the 8.5% prediction and the BoE raising rates by 0.25%.
This is what I think will happen and it will mean reversal.
2. Red CPI / 0.5% Hike
This is an inflation figure that comes in below the 8.5% prediction and the BoE raising rates by 0.5%.
This is what should happen if the BoE are brave enough, but I think it will worry markets about recession.
3. Green CPI / 0.25% Hike
This is an inflation figure that comes in above the 8.5% prediction and the BoE raising rates by 0.25%.
This is a terrible situation, inflation going up and the BoE still not having the balls to make up for lost time and tackle it head on.
4. Green CPI / 0.5% Hike
This is an inflation figure that comes in above the 8.5% prediction and the BoE raising rates by 0.5%.
In this scenario this is what I believe the BoE should do, it will likely cause GU to go up, but as I’ve said I personally think topside is limited by the prevailing downtrend. In this scenario there will be growing fears of a recession, change of government will be pretty much a given, so overall I still think this will be bad for GU in the medium term.
These are just my thoughts as we go into the next few days.
Interested to hear your comments so I can keep learning and adjusting my thinking!