Next 24 hours: Pound Recovers on Hope for a Deal
Today’s report: China Liquidity Injection Won't Be Enough
China’s latest liquidity injection is trying to stabilise risk markets into Tuesday, after stocks took another hit in Monday trade, with a lot of that weakness sourced to the Huawei fallout and more tension between the US and China. Meanwhile, movement in the FX market has been exceptionally subdued, despite Dollar demand.
Wake-up call
- Draghi, elections
- 4th rejection
- Kuroda speak
- SNB's job
- RBA Minutes
- OIL recovery
- GDT auction
- risk appetite
- Macro players
- Mainstream adoption
- web 3.0
Suggested reading
- China Has A Big Currency Decision to Make, J. Authers, Bloomberg (May 21, 2019)
- Is Capitalism Really Ending Poverty?, F. Cocco, Financial Times (May 21, 2019)
Chart talk: Technical & fundamental highlights
Choose pair:
EURUSD – technical overview
The major pair has extended its run of declines off the 2008 high, trading down to a fresh multi-month low in April. But with the downtrend looking exhausted, the prospect for a meaningful higher low is more compelling, with a higher low sought out above the multi-year low from 2017, ahead of the next major upside extension. Only a weekly close back below the psychological barrier at 1.1000 would compromise this outlook. Back above 1.1450 will strengthen the view.EURUSD – fundamental overview
ECB President Draghi will be speaking tomorrow, and this will be followed up by the EU Parliamentary elections starting on the 23rd of May. The Euro has been trading with a heavier tone in recent sessions, gravitating back down towards the yearly low. Still, there hasn't been much in the way of anything driving the setbacks and dealers continue to report solid demand from medium term players into dips. Looking ahead, Tuesday's calendar features some ECB speak, Eurozone consumer confidence, US existing home sales and Fed speak.EURUSD - Technical charts in detail
GBPUSD – technical overview
The major pair has put in an impressive recovery off the multi-month low in early January, helping to support the case for a longer-term developing uptrend off the 2016 low. Pullbacks are now viewed as corrective on the daily chart, with dips expected to be supported ahead of 1.2700. Look for a weekly close back above 1.3400 to strengthen the outlook.GBPUSD – fundamental overview
The market has clearly been feeling more tense about the outlook for Brexit in recent weeks, with the uncertainty sweeping back in, and carrying the new reality of Theresa May's exit with it. It looks like May's Brexit deal will be voted down for a 4th time, as cross-party talks show no progress, Meanwhile, last week's round of UK data hasn't done anything to help the Pound's cause, with the earnings component in the UK employment report coming in softer. Looking ahead, the focus will be on Brexit updates, BOE speak (including Carney), UK CBI trends, US existing home sales and some Fed speak.USDJPY – technical overview
Another topside failure has led to a sharp pullback, with the market unable to establish above a formidable resistance zone in the 112s. Last week's drop below 109.70 strengthens the bearish case, exposing the next major downside extension towards a retest of the January flash crash low in the 104s. Any rallies should now be well capped below 112.00, with only a break back above the yearly high at 112.40 to delay the bearish outlook.USDJPY – fundamental overview
No reaction to BOJ Governor Kuroda comments that ETF purchases are designed to reduce stock market volatility, and not the stock market, while JGB purchases are there to boost the inflation target and not to finance government debt. The major pair has been well offered into rallies, with a risk off backdrop driving the overall flow, though FX price action continues to be quite subdued. There has been some demand today, on attempts to rally the stock market in reaction to the latest China liquidity injection. Looking ahead, we get US existing home sales and some Fed speak.EURCHF – technical overview
The market continues to do a good job adhering to a medium-term range, with rallies well capped towards 1.1500 and dips well supported into the 1.1200 area. At this stage, there is no clear trend, and it will take a sustained break back above 1.1500 or below 1.1200 for directional insight.EURCHF – fundamental overview
The SNB remains uncomfortable with Franc appreciation and continues to remind the market it will need to be careful about any attempts at trying to force an appreciation in the currency. But the SNB will also need to be careful right now, as its strategy to weaken the Franc is facing headwinds from a less certain global outlook. Any signs of sustained risk liquidation in 2019, will likely invite a very large wave of demand for the Franc that will put the SNB in the more challenging position of needing to back up its talk with action, that ultimately, may not prove to be as effective as it once was, given where we're at in the monetary policy cycle.AUDUSD – technical overview
The market has been very well supported since breaking down in early January to multi-year lows. The price action suggests we could be seeing the formation of a major base, though it would take a clear break back above 0.7400 to strengthen this outlook. In the interim, look for setbacks to continue to be well supported on dips below 0.7000 and ahead of 0.6800.AUDUSD – fundamental overview
Aussie demand from the news of PM Morrison's victory has been short lived, with the currency back under pressure and trading near multi-day lows against the Buck. A China liquidity injection and a proposal from the APRA to ease lending rules have also failed to inspire Aussie demand. The primary driver of the weakness comes from the RBA Minutes, which revealed a rate cut would likely be appropriate if there was no further improvement in the Aussie jobs market. RBA Lowe added that the central bank would be considering the case for a rate cut as soon as the next meeting on June 4. Odds for a rate cut in June have surged post Lowe from 58% to +68%. Looking ahead, we get US existing home sales and some Fed speak.USDCAD – technical overview
Despite breaking to a fresh yearly high in recent days, overall, the market has entered a period of choppy consolidation in 2019. However, the longer-term structure remains constructive, with dips expected to be well supported for fresh upside back above the 2018/multi-month high at 1.3665. Back below the psychological barrier at 1.3000 would be required to delay the outlook.USDCAD – fundamental overview
The Canadian Dollar has held up well on a relative basis, with the Loonie getting a boost this past Friday on the news that the US would be removing steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico. Meanwhile, BoC Governor Poloz did nothing to hurt the Loonie either, after saying that he still expected rates to continue to rise once headwinds to growth dissipated. We should add another source of Canadian Dollar inflow coming from a move back up in the price of OIL after OPEC signaled more production cuts over the weekend. Looking ahead, absence of data out of Canada, leaves the focus on US existing home sales and some Fed speak.NZDUSD – technical overview
Despite recent weakness, there's a case to be made for a meaningful low in place at 0.6425 (2018 low). As such, look for setbacks to be well supported above 0.6500 on a daily close basis, in anticipation of renewed upside, with only a close below 0.6500 to compromise the outlook. At the same time, a push back above 0.6700 will be required strengthen the constructive outlook.NZDUSD – fundamental overview
The New Zealand Dollar has suffered its way down to yearly lows, on the back of softer local data, a recent RBNZ rate cut, and downturn in global sentiment. The latest China liquidity injection has done nothing to bolster the risk correlated commodity currency, which has taken another hit on Tuesday. Kiwi has been sinking in sympathy with its Aussie cousin, reminded once again of the rate cut trajectory after the RBA Minutes moved in a similar direction. Looking ahead, we get the GDT auction results, along with US existing home sales and some Fed speak.US SPX 500 – technical overview
There have been signs of a major longer term top, after an exceptional run over the past decade. Any rallies from here, are expected to be very well capped, in favour of renewed weakness targeting an eventual retest of strong longer-term previous resistance turned support in the form of the 2015 high at 2140. The initial level of major support comes in around 2786, with a break below to strengthen the outlook. A sustained move above 3000 would be required to delay the outlook.US SPX 500 – fundamental overview
Although we've seen the market extend to another record high in recent days, mostly on the back of the Fed's dovish shift in 2019, exhausted monetary policy tools post 2008 crisis suggest the prospect for a meaningful extension of this record run at this point in the cycle is not realistic. Meanwhile, ramped up tension on the global trade front, should continue to be a drag on investor sentiment. We recommend keeping a much closer eye on the equities to ten year yield comparative going forward, as the movement here is something that could be a major stress to the financial markets looking out.GOLD (SPOT) – technical overview
There are signs that we could be seeing the formation of a more significant medium to longer-term structural shift that would be confirmed if a recovery out from sub-1200 levels can extend back through big resistance in the form of the 2016 high at 1375. In the interim, look for setbacks to be well supported, with only a close back below 1250 to compromise the constructive outlook.GOLD (SPOT) – fundamental overview
The yellow metal continues to be well supported on dips with solid demand from medium and longer-term accounts. These players are more concerned about exhausted monetary policy, extended global equities, political uncertainty, systemic risk and trade war threats. All of this should 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.BTCUSD – technical overview
The market has enjoyed a nice run since breaking out above a consolidation between Q4 2018 and Q1 2019. But the rally has now resulted in extended technical readings after overshooting a previous support zone in the 6k area. As such, look for additional upside to be limited, to allow for these technical readings to unwind from stretched readings. Setbacks should ideally be supported ahead of 5,000, in favour of the next push through the July 2018 high at 8,500.BTCUSD – fundamental overview
Bitcoin has enjoyed a stellar rally over the past few weeks, with demand increasing along the way. This month's resiliency in the face of the hack at a major exchange has given the crypto asset a huge credibility boost, while reports of mainstream adoption haven't hurt the cause either. Household names like Starbucks, Microsoft, TD Ameritrade and Whole Foods are all making moves in the space, while governments have been more receptive to working with the crypto asset. The story about an institutional cryptocurrency prime dealer partnering with M.Y. Safra Bank is yet another positive headline keeping the market in bull mode.BTCUSD - Technical charts in detail
ETHUSD – technical overview
The recovery has recently accelerated to a fresh 2019 high, surging through medium-term resistance at 255. The upside break suggests the market is now looking to establish a meaningful base, in favour of continued upside in the weeks and months ahead. Still, shorter-term, the run is looking stretched and a period of consolidation is expected, to allow for extended readings to unwind.ETHUSD – fundamental overview
There has been a lot more buzz around adoption as the price of Bitcoin surges, with many mainstream names coming out in support of blockchain integration. Demand for web 3.0 applications is on the rise, and the blockchain with the biggest front end application potential is Ethereum. We've started to see some catch up as well, with ETH finding relative strength off cycle lows versus its older cousin. At the same time, worry associated with fallout in the global economy, is worry that should weigh more heavily on risk correlated crypto assets like ETH. And considering the possibility an overextended Bitcoin runs into profit taking, there is risk we soon see a healthy adjustment back to the downside.