Reaction to news events in foreign exchange trading is driven by expectations. A headline result that is above expectations leads to strength in the respective currency, while a headline result that is weaker than estimations results in a weakening of the respective currency.
Unfortunately, life isn’t that easy and there two general exceptions that traders should be aware of.
The Risk Factor
First, the US indicators tended to produce the opposite result for the dollar. The reason was the risk on / risk off mentality, whereas a weaker than expected US indicator leads to a strong US dollar (and a stronger Japanese yen).
The explanation is that a weaker US will lead the world down, and therefore, it is better to fly to safety – the safety of the US dollar. And when indicators exceed expectations, the world is set to improve as a whole, and no safety is needed and the dollar is sold. Risk is sought after.
This kind of behavior was seen for long periods of time in the period after the financial crisis. However, the never ending expectations for QE3 resulted in a return to “normal” behavior. Weak data raised QE3 expectations. Creating more dollars to buy bonds weakens the US dollar. And positive figures lowered the chances, strengthening the dollar.
If QE3 turns into reality (even though the Fed could take a different path), the question of QE3 will not exist anymore. So before QE4 will loom, we could see a swift return to the “abnormal” behavior.
Sell the Fact
The second exception is usually seen on a big event that has fewer possible results: an event such as a rate decision, where there is usually one main scenario. Of course, high expectations that don’t materialize lead to a disappointment. This is a natural fact of life.
There is another scenario, where high expectations do materialize. However, these expectations were priced in or even “over priced in” that any result leads to a sell off. This is often dubbed “buy the rumor, sell the fact”, and is relevant also when the event isn’t a rumor but a well-known scheduled and thoroughly debated event.
For example, a future rate cut in Australia may result in a rally for the Australian dollar if this event would be priced in. This is despite the usual behavior of a rate cut hurting the respective currency and despite reality meeting expectations.
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Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD clings to small gains near 1.1750
Following a short-lasting correction in the early European session, EUR/USD regains its traction and clings to moderate gains at around 1.1750 on Monday. Nevertheless, the pair's volatility remains low, with investors awaiting this weeks key data releases from the US and the ECB policy announcements.
GBP/USD edges higher toward 1.3400 ahead of US data and BoE
GBP/USD reverses its direction and advances toward 1.3400 following a drop to the 1.3350 area earlier in the day. The US Dollar struggles to gather recovery momentum as markets await Tuesday's Nonfarm Payrolls data, while the Pound Sterling holds steady ahead of the BoE policy announcements later in the week.
Japanese Yen adds to strong gains and drags USD/JPY to 155.00 amid hawkish BoJ bets
The Japanese Yen extends its steady intraday ascent through the Asian session on Monday, dragging the USD/JPY pair to the 155.00 psychological mark in the last hour. Against the backdrop of the recent shift in rhetoric from Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda, an improvement in business confidence reaffirms market bets for an imminent rate hike this week.
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD clings to small gains near 1.1750
Following a short-lasting correction in the early European session, EUR/USD regains its traction and clings to moderate gains at around 1.1750 on Monday. Nevertheless, the pair's volatility remains low, with investors awaiting this weeks key data releases from the US and the ECB policy announcements.
GBP/USD edges higher toward 1.3400 ahead of US data and BoE
GBP/USD reverses its direction and advances toward 1.3400 following a drop to the 1.3350 area earlier in the day. The US Dollar struggles to gather recovery momentum as markets await Tuesday's Nonfarm Payrolls data, while the Pound Sterling holds steady ahead of the BoE policy announcements later in the week.
Gold pulls away from session high, holds above $4,300
Gold loses its bullish momentum and retreats below $4,350 after testing this level earlier on Monday. XAU/USD, however, stays in positive territory as the US Dollar remains on the back foot on growing expectations for a dovish Fed policy outlook next year.
Solana consolidates as spot ETF inflows near $1 billion signal institutional dip-buying
Solana price hovers above $131 at the time of writing on Monday, nearing the upper boundary of a falling wedge pattern, awaiting a decisive breakout. On the institutional side, demand for spot Solana Exchange-Traded Funds remained firm, pushing total assets under management to nearly $1 billion since launch.
Big week ends with big doubts
The S&P 500 continued to push higher yesterday as the US 2-year yield wavered around the 3.50% mark following a Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cut earlier this week that was ultimately perceived as not that hawkish after all. The cut is especially boosting the non-tech pockets of the market.
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