Next 24 hours: Gold Trying to Make a Break for It
Today’s report: Chilled Dollar Bulls Looking for CPI Heat
The economic calendar picks up into Wednesday, with plenty of first tier risk scheduled, including UK industrial production and trade, US CPI and the Fed Minutes. Defused trade tension has been helping to prop risk sentiment, but hasn't done anything to help the US Dollar.
Wake-up call
- Hawkish ECB
- UK data
- global sentiment
- SNB policy
- RBA Lowe
- NAFTA
- Local data
- Policy normalisation
- Metal demand
- Crypto headwinds
- Ethereum exposed
Suggested reading
- Why the ATM Will Survive, O. Walker, Financial Times (April 10, 2018)
- Easy Money Made Life Harder for Some, J. Paul, Bloomberg (April 10, 2018)
Chart talk: Technical & fundamental highlights
Choose pair:
EURUSD – technical overview
The major pair has stalled out after trading up to a +3 year high above 1.2500. Daily studies have been in the process of consolidating, with setbacks exceptionally well supported into dips. A break back above 1.2550 will open a continuation of the uptrend, through the 2018 high and towards the next major level of resistance in the form of falling trendline resistance off the record high from 2018, which comes in just over 1.2600. However, there has been some short term pressure on the downside and a daily close below 1.2155 could warn of a meaningful top, opening a deeper pullback to significant support down towards the December 2017 low at 1.1720.
EURUSD – fundamental overview
On Tuesday, we got some upbeat and more hawkish leaning talk from ECB officials, while the US Dollar continued its across the board slide, unable to gain any traction from downgraded fears of US protectionism and a hotter US PPI print. Today’s calendar will be important, with the market taking in US CPI and the Fed Minutes. The topic of inflation is an important one as any signs of additional pickup in the US will put the Fed in position to signal a fourth rate hike in 2018, which would likely fuel Dollar demand and renewed downside pressure on the Euro.
EURUSD – Technical charts in detail
GBPUSD – technical overview
Setbacks have been very well supported in 2018, with the market confined to a well defined uptrend. A break above the 2018 high at 1.4346 will confirm the next meaningful higher low at 1.3712, opening a measured move upside extension to the 1.5000 area. However, the major pair may not be ready to extend the run just yet in 2018, with a recent bearish reversal ahead of the 2018 high opening the door for another round of setbacks, possibly back down towards some rising bull channel trendline support in the 1.3600s.
GBPUSD – fundamental overview
Tuesday’s hawkish BOE McCafferty comments that the board musn’t dally over the next rate hike, have certainly been helping to fuel this latest run of Sterling demand, while the Pound is also benefiting from broad based US Dollar weakness. The Buck has been sold across the board, despite diminished risk associated with US protectionism and despite a hotter US producer prices reading. Today, we get a batch of UK data featuring industrial production and trade, followed by an important US CPI print and the Fed Minutes.
GBPUSD – Technical charts in detail
USDJPY – technical overview
A multi-month range trade was broken in February after the market sunk below 107.30. This leaves the door open for deeper setbacks, possibly down towards a measured move extension target of 100.00 after the market had consolidated for much of 2017 between 107.00 and 114.00. At this point, rallies are viewed as corrective, with only a daily close back above 107.91 to take the immediate pressure off the downside.
USDJPY – fundamental overview
The major pair has been chopping around quite a bit, but is trying to put in a base as risk sentiment recovers on the back of defused trade tension between China and the US. Since the weekend, there have been conciliatory gestures on both sides and the market has been selling Yen as a direct consequence on the traditional correlation with risk. Still, monetary policy normalisations should continue to invite investor rotation away from risk assets, which could open another downturn in USDJPY. The broad based selling in the US Dollar has been another factor this week, with this flow offsetting some of the risk on demand for the major pair. As far as today goes, all eyes will be on US CPI and the Fed Minutes.
USDJPY – Technical charts in detail
EURCHF – technical overview
The market continues to trend higher, recently extending gains to a fresh multi-month high. The bullish price action has the market thinking about a retest of that major barrier at 1.2000 further up. In the interim, look for the current round setbacks to be very well supported, while only back below 1.1652 would delay the overall constructive tone.
EURCHF – fundamental overview
The SNB will need to be careful right now, as its strategy to weaken the Franc could face headwinds from the US equity market in 2018. The record run in the US stock market has been a big boost to the SNB’s strategy with elevated sentiment encouraging Franc weakness. Of course, the SNB is no stranger to this risk, given a balance sheet with massive exposure to US equities. But any signs of a more intensified liquidation on that front into Q2 2018, will likely invite a very large wave of demand for the Franc, which will put the SNB in a more challenging position to weaken the Franc.  And so, we speculate the SNB continues to be active buying EURCHF in an attempt to build some cushion ahead of what could be a period of intense Franc demand.
AUDUSD – technical overview
The market has been in the process of rolling over after failing to sustain a break above 0.8100 earlier this year. This has set up a sequence of lower tops and lower lows on the daily chart, with deeper setbacks seen towards the 0.7500 barrier over the coming sessions. A break back above 0.7917 would be required to negate the structure and force a shift in the outlook.
AUDUSD – fundamental overview
RBA Lowe was on the wires earlier today, reaffirming the central bank’s view of leaving rates on hold for the time being. Meanwhile, the market has also taken in another discouraging Aussie reading, with Westpac consumer confidence coming off a good deal from the previous print and dropping back into negative territory. Still, Aussie has managed to recover in the face of all of this, with the broad based selling of the US Dollar and renewed risk appetite on diminished US protectionism fear, helping to bolster the commodity currency. Looking ahead, the key focus will be on the US CPI reading and Fed Minutes.
USDCAD – technical overview
There are signs of basing after months of downside pressure, with the market recently pushing back above critical psychological resistance at 1.3000. Look for any setbacks to now be well supported ahead of 1.2500, with a higher low sought out in favour of the next major upside extension through 1.3125 and towards 1.3500 further up.
USDCAD – fundamental overview
The Canadian Dollar has been in rally mode over the past week or so, recovering from a recent yearly low against the Buck. The latest jolt has come from the combination of conciliatory global trade talk, a Bank of Canada Q1 survey which showed the business sales outlook improving, solid Canada housing starts and a rally in the price of OIL. Overall however, more back and forth on trade is expected and this should keep the Loonie from wanting to run too far, with the fate of NAFTA remaining a major overhang that can not be dismissed. As far as today’s calendar goes, absence of first tier data out of Canada will put the focus on US producer prices and a Fed Kaplan speech.
NZDUSD – technical overview
The market looks to be in the process of topping out, with the daily chart slowly rolling over in 2018. Rallies are now expected to be very well capped below 0.7400, with only a break back above the figure to negate. Look for deeper setbacks in the sessions ahead, with a break back below 0.7154 to strengthen the outlook and accelerate declines towards 0.7000.
NZDUSD – fundamental overview
The Kiwi rate has been bid up into the mid-week, getting help from conciliatory trade talk out from the US and China and some broad based US Dollar selling. However, the less than stellar economic data out of New Zealand in recent weeks, including four consecutive negative GDT auction prints, should not encourage Kiwi bulls, while any signs of more pickup on the US inflation front or downturn in risk sentiment, will likely invite renewed downside pressure. Dealers have been talking decent sell orders between 0.7400-0.7500. Looking ahead, we get US CPI and the Fed Minutes.
US SPX 500 – technical overview
A severely overbought market is finally showing signs of rolling over off the January record high, allowing for stretched monthly readings to unwind. Any rallies should now be very well capped ahead of 2800 in favour of continued weakness towards the 2015 high at 2138.
US SPX 500 – fundamental overview
Investor immunity to downside risk is not looking as strong these days and there’s a clear tension out there as the VIX starts to rise from unnervingly depressed levels. The combination of Fed policy normalisation and ramped up US protectionism, have been driving the market lower, with setbacks at risk of intensifying on the prospect for the reemergence of inflationary pressure. Conciliatory talk out from the US and China this week has helped to defuse short term downside risk, though the bigger picture theme of policy normalisation should continue to weigh on investor sentiment into rallies.
GOLD (SPOT) – technical overview
Setbacks have been well supported over the past several months, with the market continuing to put in higher lows and higher highs. Look for some more chop followed by an eventual push above massive resistance in the form of the 2016 high at 1375. This will then open the door for a much larger recovery in the months ahead. In the interim, setbacks are expected to be well supported around 1300.
GOLD (SPOT) – fundamental overview
Solid demand from medium and longer-term players persists, with these players more concerned about exhausted monetary policy, extended global equities, political uncertainty, systemic risk and geopolitical threats. All of this should continue to keep the commodity well supported, with many market participants also fleeing to the hard asset as the grand dichotomy of record high equities and record low yields comes to an unnerving climax. Certainly the US Dollar under pressure has added to the metal’s bid tone as well, but there is a growing sense that even in a scenario where the US Dollar is bid for an extended period, GOLD will hold up on risk off macro implications. The 2016 high at 1375 is a massive level that if broken and closed above, could be something that triggers a widespread panic and rush to accumulate more of the hard asset.
BTCUSD – technical overview
Bitcoin has come under intense pressure since topping out at a record high just shy of 20,000 in December. The market has exceeded a measured move downside objective that had targeted a drop to 7,000, with deeper setbacks now on the cards for a move to retest the September 2017 peak around 5,000. At this point, it will take a daily close back above recent highs at 12,000, which also coincide with the top of the Ichimoku cloud, to take the pressure off the downside.
BTCUSD – fundamental overview
The crypto asset has come under pressure in 2018, with ramped up regulatory oversight and potential government crackdowns forcing many holders to exit positions. The market is also coming back to earth after a euphoric 2017 run that had bubble written all over. Bitcoin has struggled on the transaction side as well, with transactions per second a major drawback, along with a mining community that has been less willing to process transactions due to the lower fees. The Lightning network has been a welcome development and is helping to ramp up transaction speed, which has been behind some of the recovery off the 2018 low, though it seems the combination of a massive bubble, more regulatory oversight, a market that is still trying to convince of its proof of concept, and the threat of a reduction in global risk appetite, could all result in even deeper setbacks ahead.
BTCUSD – Technical charts in detail
ETHUSD – technical overview
Ether continues to extend declines since topping out at a record high back in January, with setbacks extending below 500. Short term resistance comes in at 590 and a break back above this level will be required at a minimum to take the immediate pressure off the downside. Until then, the market will consider another extension, with a daily close below 450 to expose a measured move decline into 300.
ETHUSD – fundamental overview
Setbacks in the price of ETH have been more intense than those of Bitcoin in 2018. Though both markets are going through a period of shakeup following bubble activity in 2017, there has been a bigger exodus from ETH with this cryptocurrency more heavily correlated to risk in global markets. The reduction in global risk appetite has put a strain on the investment in projects on the blockchain and with most of the blockchain projects built on the Ethereum protocol, it makes sense to see this market more negatively impacted than bitcoin, which is considered to be the store of value digital currency.