EUR/USD - Monetary pol divergence favors deeper correction

ECB favors a baby step approach to policy normalization.
Fed could hike rates more aggressively than previously assumed.
EUR/USD risks deeper correction due to monetary policy divergence.

Omkar Godbole FXStreet Contributor

The European Central Bank (ECB) and the Federal Reserve (Fed) minutes released this week showed growing policy divergence between these central banks.

While some officials at the ECB want to drop their easing bias on QE and could do so in the next 2 meetings, still the lift-off (first rate rise) is unlikely to happen before early/ mid-2019. On the other hand, markets fear the Fed could tighten policy aggressively than previously thought.

Clearly, the monetary policy divergence favors the greenback. Hence, the odds of a deeper EUR/USD correction, possibly to 1.20, are high.

As of writing, the spot is trading on the back foot at 1.2310. The EUR may run into offers if the German fourth quarter GDP shows a slowdown in the economy, and the final Eurozone CPI prints below the preliminary estimate.

EUR/USD Technical Levels

Valeria Bednarik, Chief Analyst at FXStreet, writes, "technical indicators in the 4 hours chart have extended their recoveries from oversold levels up to their mid-lines, without surpassing them, somehow indicating that buying interest is still limited. Furthermore, the pair remains below a bearish 20 SMA, a few pips below the mentioned 1.2340 Fibonacci level, while the 100 SMA is closer to the next Fibonacci resistance. Below the daily low, on the other hand, the pair will turn bearish with scope then to test the 1.2205 level, February low."

Support levels: 1.2300 1.2260 1.2225

Resistance levels: 1.2340 1.2380 1.2425

	TREND INDEX	OB/OS INDEX	VOLATILY INDEX
15M	Strongly Bearish	Oversold	High
1H	Bearish	Neutral	Low
4H	Bullish	Neutral	Shrinking
1D	Bullish	Neutral	Low
1W	Bullish	Overbought	High
Updated Feb 23, 03:15 GMT

Author

Omkar Godbole

FXStreet Contributor

Omkar Godbole, editor and analyst, joined FXStreet after four years as a research analyst at several Indian brokerage companies.

EUR/USD trims gains, hovers around 1.1900 post-US data

EUR/USD trades slightly on the back foot around the 1.1900 region in a context dominated by the resurgence of some buying interest around the US Dollar on turnaround Tuesday. Looking at the US docket, Retail Sales disappointed expectations in December, while the ADP 4-Week Average came in at 6.5K.

GBP/USD comes under pressure near 1.3680

The better tone in the Greenback hurts the risk-linked complex on Tuesday, prompting GBP/USD to set aside two consecutive days of gains and trade slightly on the defensive below the 1.3700 mark. Investors, in the meantime, keep their attention on key UK data due later in the week.

Gold loses some traction, still above $5,000

Gold faces some selling pressure on Tuesday, surrendering part of its recent two-day advance although managing to keep the trade above the $5,000 mark per troy ounce. The daily pullback in the precious metal comes in response to the modest rebound in the US Dollar, while declining US Treasury yields across the curve seem to limit the downside.

Bitcoin Cash trades lower, risks dead-cat bounce amid bearish signals

Bitcoin Cash trades in the red below $522 at the time of writing on Tuesday, after multiple rejections at key resistance. BCH’s derivatives and on-chain indicators point to growing bearish sentiment and raise the risk of a dead-cat bounce toward lower support levels.

Dollar drops and stocks rally: The week of reckoning for US economic data

Following a sizeable move lower in US technology Stocks last week, we have witnessed a meaningful recovery unfold. The USD Index is in a concerning position; the monthly price continues to hold the south channel support.

Bitcoin Cash trades lower, risks dead-cat bounce amid bearish signals

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) trades in the red below $522 at the time of writing on Tuesday, after multiple rejections at key resistance. BCH’s derivatives and on-chain indicators point to growing bearish sentiment and raise the risk of a dead-cat bounce toward lower support levels.