EUR/USD backslides in broad-market Greenback bounce
|- EUR/USD failed to capture 1.1200 on Monday as markets pare back risk flows.
- Economic calendar remains tepid after blustery showing last week.
- EU inflation, US PCE inflation to dominate the late-week data docket.
EUR/USD pared back recent gains on Monday, slipping back from 1.1200 as traders ease off the gas pedal in broad-market Dollar-negative flows that sent Fiber into its highest bids in 13-months last week. Market risk appetite remains on balance to get the new trading week fired up, but Greenback pressure caught a relief as investors gear up for the long wait to key inflation figures due late this week.
Forex Today: A September rate cut now looks at US data releases
Preliminary EU Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) inflation is slated for release on Friday, with little else of note in the way until then. Pan-EU core HICP inflation is forecast to tick down to 2.8% from 2.9% for the year ended in August.
Most of the trading week will be a quiet affair on the economic calendar. Q2 US Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures are slated for Thursday, but are broadly expected to hold steady at 2.8% on an annualized basis. Friday could be a kicker for markets that are increasingly focused on the timing and pace of rate cuts from the Fed, with July’s US core Personal Consumption Expenditure - Price Index (PCE) inflation print set to hold steady at 0.2% MoM. The YoY PCE inflation figure is actually expected to tick upwards to 2.7% from 2.6%, but investors are confident that inflation has made enough progress towards the Fed’s 2% target that it will count as “close enough” to still keep the way open to a first rate cut on September 18.
What happened on Monday?
US Durable Goods Order in July rallied a surprising 9.9% MoM, well above the forecast 4.0% and entirely reversing the previous month’s revised -6.9% contraction.
Despite the upswing on Durable Goods Orders, some trepidation remains; excluding Transportation spending, Durable Goods Orders actually contracted -0.2% MoM, worse than the forecast 0.0% and the previous month’s tepid 0.1%, which was revised down from 0.5%.
EUR/USD price forecast
EUR/USD is on pace for its best single-month performance since November of 2022, up over 3.1% just in the month of August. Despite Monday’s technical exhaustion pullback, Fiber has gained ground for four consecutive trading weeks, and is bidding well above the 200-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at 1.0832.
Despite a healthy bid deep into bull country, Fiber is running a deep exposure to a bearish pullback, and a lack of topside momentum could see price action tumble all the way back to the 50-day EMA at 1.0925.
EUR/USD daily chart
Euro FAQs
The Euro is the currency for the 20 European Union countries that belong to the Eurozone. It is the second most heavily traded currency in the world behind the US Dollar. In 2022, it accounted for 31% of all foreign exchange transactions, with an average daily turnover of over $2.2 trillion a day. EUR/USD is the most heavily traded currency pair in the world, accounting for an estimated 30% off all transactions, followed by EUR/JPY (4%), EUR/GBP (3%) and EUR/AUD (2%).
The European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt, Germany, is the reserve bank for the Eurozone. The ECB sets interest rates and manages monetary policy. The ECB’s primary mandate is to maintain price stability, which means either controlling inflation or stimulating growth. Its primary tool is the raising or lowering of interest rates. Relatively high interest rates – or the expectation of higher rates – will usually benefit the Euro and vice versa. The ECB Governing Council makes monetary policy decisions at meetings held eight times a year. Decisions are made by heads of the Eurozone national banks and six permanent members, including the President of the ECB, Christine Lagarde.
Eurozone inflation data, measured by the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), is an important econometric for the Euro. If inflation rises more than expected, especially if above the ECB’s 2% target, it obliges the ECB to raise interest rates to bring it back under control. Relatively high interest rates compared to its counterparts will usually benefit the Euro, as it makes the region more attractive as a place for global investors to park their money.
Data releases gauge the health of the economy and can impact on the Euro. Indicators such as GDP, Manufacturing and Services PMIs, employment, and consumer sentiment surveys can all influence the direction of the single currency. A strong economy is good for the Euro. Not only does it attract more foreign investment but it may encourage the ECB to put up interest rates, which will directly strengthen the Euro. Otherwise, if economic data is weak, the Euro is likely to fall. Economic data for the four largest economies in the euro area (Germany, France, Italy and Spain) are especially significant, as they account for 75% of the Eurozone’s economy.
Another significant data release for the Euro is the Trade Balance. This indicator measures the difference between what a country earns from its exports and what it spends on imports over a given period. If a country produces highly sought after exports then its currency will gain in value purely from the extra demand created from foreign buyers seeking to purchase these goods. Therefore, a positive net Trade Balance strengthens a currency and vice versa for a negative balance.
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