Macro Events & News

Andria Pichidi HFM

FX News Today

Treasury yields dipped -1.4 bp overnight, JGB rates are down -0.5 bp as bond markets continue to rally amid the escalating US-Sino trade spat that saw Trump targeting Chinese telecom companies.

Reports that the US President will hold off on auto tariffs for now helped European bourses to stage a late rally Wednesday.

The US President signed an order that is expected to restrict the likes of Huawei and ZTE Corp from selling their equipment to the US. Huawei was also put on a blacklist that could forbid it from doing business with American companies and require US companies to obtain a special licence to sell products to the company, which if enforced strictly could halt even everyday operations at the Chinese company.

The US and European stock futures are under pressure ahead of the official open.

US-Sino trade tensions aside Brexit developments and Italian budget jitters remain in focus amid a pretty quiet local calendar that focuses on Eurozone trade numbers as well as the final reading of Italian HICP inflation.

The unexpected pick up in Australian unemployment fuelled speculation of a rate cut from the RBA.

The front end WTI future is trading at $62.40 per barrel.

Charts of the Day

Technician’s Corner

EURUSD found Resistance at 1.1217 level for 2 consecutive days. The pair has mostly been stuck between its 20-day moving average at 1.1200 and its 50-day moving average at 1.1245 since the start of the week. A close above or below these levels may help determine direction for the remainder of the week.

GBPUSD has extended losses which s now in its 9th consecutive down day, after it broke yesterday April’s lows. Next support for the asset is coming at January’s low Resistance at 1.2772.

Main Macro Events Today

Housing Data (USD, GMT 12:30) – Both Building Permits and Housing Starts should jump in April, to a 1.215 mln pace and to 1.298 mln respectively, after a 0.3% and 0.2% decline seen in March. Overall, a stronger trajectory is expected for starts with a positive but slower pace for permits.

Support and Resistance levels

Author

Andria Pichidi

HFM

Having completed her five-year-long studies in the UK, Andria Pichidi has been awarded a BSc in Mathematics and Physics from the University of Bath and a MSc degree in Mathematics, while she holds a postgraduate diploma (PGdip) in

EUR/USD hits two-day highs near 1.1820

EUR/USD picks up pace and reaches two-day tops around 1.1820 at the end of the week. The pair’s move higher comes on the back of renewed weakness in the US Dollar amid growing talk that the Fed could deliver an interest rate cut as early as March. On the docket, the flash US Consumer Sentiment improves to 57.3 in February.

GBP/USD reclaims 1.3600 and above

GBP/USD reverses two straight days of losses, surpassing the key 1.3600 yardstick on Friday. Cable’s rebound comes as the Greenback slips away from two-week highs in response to some profit-taking mood and speculation of Fed rate cuts. In addition, hawkish comments from the BoE’s Pill are also collaborating with the quid’s improvement.

Gold climbs further, focus is back to 45,000

Gold regains upside traction and surpasses the $4,900 mark per troy ounce at the end of the week, shifting its attention to the critical $5,000 region. The move reflects a shift in risk sentiment, driving flows back towards traditional safe haven assets and supporting the yellow metal.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP rebound amid risk-off, $2.6 billion liquidation wave

Bitcoin edges up above $65,000 at the time of writing on Friday, as dust from the recent macro-triggered sell-off settles. The leading altcoin, Ethereum, hovers above $1,900, but resistance at $2,000 caps the upside. Meanwhile, Ripple has recorded the largest intraday jump among the three assets, up over 10% to $1.35.

Three scenarios for Japanese Yen ahead of snap election

The latest polls point to a dominant win for the ruling bloc at the upcoming Japanese snap election. The larger Sanae Takaichi’s mandate, the more investors fear faster implementation of tax cuts and spending plans.

XRP rally extends as modest ETF inflows support recovery

Ripple is accelerating its recovery, trading above $1.36 at the time of writing on Friday, as investors adjust their positions following a turbulent week in the broader crypto market. The remittance token is up over 21% from its intraday low of $1.12.