- EUR/USD continues to lose ground as the ECB is widely expected to deliver a 25 basis point rate cut in October.
- The risk-sensitive Euro struggles due to safe-haven flows amid rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
- The US Dollar receives support as recent US data challenge dovish expectations for Fed monetary policy.
EUR/USD continues its losing streak for the sixth successive session, trading around 1.1030 during the Asian hours on Friday. Lower Eurozone inflation reading raised expectations of a rate cut by the European Central Bank (ECB) in October, which would mark the central bank's third reduction this year.
Earlier this week, the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices dropped to 1.8% year-over-year in September, falling below the ECB’s 2% target and lowest since April 2021. Markets reflect a 95% probability of a 25 basis point rate cut this month.
The risk-sensitive Euro may face challenges as escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East impact risk appetite. US President Joe Biden mentioned that the United States is in talks with Israel regarding potential strikes on Iran's Oil infrastructure.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Iran "will pay a heavy price" for Tuesday’s attack, which reportedly involved the launch of at least 180 ballistic missiles at Israel, according to the BBC.
The EUR/USD pair depreciates as the US Dollar (USD) receives support from a better-than-expected US ISM Services PMI and ADP Employment Change reports, which challenged dovish expectations for Federal Reserve (Fed) monetary policy.
US ISM Services PMI rose to 54.9 in September, from 51.5 in August and exceeding the market forecast of 51.7. The ADP US Employment Change report showed an increase of 143,000 jobs in September, surpassing the forecasted 120,000 jobs.
Euro FAQs
The Euro is the currency for the 19 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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EUR/USD treads water just above 1.0400 post-US data
Another sign of the good health of the US economy came in response to firm flash US Manufacturing and Services PMIs, which in turn reinforced further the already strong performance of the US Dollar, relegating EUR/USD to the 1.0400 neighbourhood on Friday.
GBP/USD remains depressed near 1.2520 on stronger Dollar
Poor results from the UK docket kept the British pound on the back foot on Thursday, hovering around the low-1.2500s in a context of generalized weakness in the risk-linked galaxy vs. another outstanding day in the Greenback.
Gold keeps the bid bias unchanged near $2,700
Persistent safe haven demand continues to prop up the march north in Gold prices so far on Friday, hitting new two-week tops past the key $2,700 mark per troy ounce despite extra strength in the Greenback and mixed US yields.
Geopolitics back on the radar
Rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine caused renewed unease in the markets this week. Putin signed an amendment to Russian nuclear doctrine, which allows Russia to use nuclear weapons for retaliating against strikes carried out with conventional weapons.
Eurozone PMI sounds the alarm about growth once more
The composite PMI dropped from 50 to 48.1, once more stressing growth concerns for the eurozone. Hard data has actually come in better than expected recently – so ahead of the December meeting, the ECB has to figure out whether this is the PMI crying wolf or whether it should take this signal seriously. We think it’s the latter.
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