EUR/USD trades cautiously near 1.1000 as US NFP takes center stage

• EUR/USD trades with caution above 1.1000 as the focus shifts to the US NFP.
• A sharp expansion in the US ISM Service Prices Paid has renewed fears of price pressures remaining persistent.
• ECB Schnabel remained concerned about the growing economic risks in the Eurozone. 

EUR/USD drops to near 1.1020 in European trading hours. The major currency pair extends its losing streak for the sixth trading session on Friday. The pair faces pressure as dismal market sentiment due to growing Middle East conflict would continue to weigh on risk-perceived assets, such as the Euro (EUR).

Conflicts between Iran and Israel deepened after the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, in retaliation to which Tehran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles on military bases in the Tel Aviv region.

Meanwhile, growing speculation for the European Central Bank (ECB) to cut interest rates again on October 17 has sent the Euro on the backfoot. Market expectations for ECB rate cuts have increased due to deepening Eurozone growth worries and a decline in the continent’s Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) below the bank’s target of 2% in September.

ECB board member Isabel Schnabel, who has remained an outspoken hawk, expressed concerns over growth risks in a speech on Wednesday. "We cannot ignore the headwinds to growth," Schnabel said. She also remained confident about inflation sustainably falling to 2% in a timely manner, with softening labor demand and further progress in disinflation.

Daily digest market movers: EUR/USD weakens as US Dollar clings to gains

• EUR/USD faces selling pressure but holds the psychological support of 1.1000 in Friday’s European session. The major currency pair edges lower to near 1.1030 as the US Dollar (USD) clings to gains ahead of the United States (US) Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report for September, which will published at 12:30 GMT.
• The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback’s value against six major currencies, holds gains near 102.00 after a four-day winning spree.
• Investors will pay close attention to the US NFP report as it will likely influence the pace of the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) policy easing for the remainder of the year. Economists estimate that US employers hired 140K new employees, slightly lower than 142K in August. The Unemployment Rate is expected to remain steady at 4.2%. Average Hourly Earnings are estimated to have grown at a slower pace of 0.3% month-on-month from 0.4% in August, with annual figures growing steadily by 3.8%.
• Looking at the CME FedWatch tool, traders appear to have already adjusted Fed rate cut expectations for November. The 30-day Federal Funds futures pricing data shows that the probability of a further cut in interest rates by 50 basis points (bps) in November has declined to 33% from 53% a week ago. Fed large rate cut prospects for November waned sharply after the upbeat ADP Employment Change data for September and JOLTS Job Openings data for August.
• Meanwhile, growing risks of inflation remaining persistent have also forced traders to pare high Fed jumbo rate cut bets. Thursday’s ISM Services PMI report for September showed that its component Prices Paid – which indicates a change in input cost – surprisingly expanded at a faster pace to 59.4. The Services PMI – which gauges activities in the service sector that accounts for two-thirds of the economy – grew at a robust pace to 54.9 from the estimates of 51.7 and the August reading of 51.5.

Technical Analysis: EUR/USD is at make or a break near 1.1000

EUR/USD remains on the backfoot near the psychological support of 1.1000. The near-term outlook of the major currency pair has weakened as it trades slightly below the 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA), which stands at around 1.1043.

The shared currency pair continues to hold the breakout of the Rising Channel pattern in the daily chart, which occurred in the third week of August. A fresh downside would appear if the pair breaks below the upper line of the pattern. 

The 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) has declined to near 40.00, suggesting a weakening of momentum.

Looking down, a downside move below 1.1000 will result in a further decline toward the 200-day EMA around 1.0900. On the upside, the 20-day EMA at 1.1090 and the September high around 1.1200 will be major resistance zones.