FOREX TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: OVEREXTENDED PRICES CALL FOR BULLISH RETRACEMENTS
EUR/USD
Forex Technical Analysis: Last week was characterized mainly by indecision and sideways price action and the pair traded inside a horizontal channel for most of the time. A breakout only occurred during the last day of the week, marking the end of the ranging period.
Technical Outlook
Although the pair broke resistance, the main trend is still bearish and we anticipate further downside movement after a bullish retracement is completed. An important area is located around 1.2620 as we have three types of resistance there: diagonal resistance represented by the bearish trend line seen on the chart above, dynamic resistance represented by the 50 day Exponential Moving Average and horizontal resistance represented by the level at 1.2620. If this zone can be broken to the upside, it will be an indication of bull strength and price is likely to travel towards 1.2750; otherwise, 1.2360 will be the week’s target.
Fundamental Outlook
Monday ECB President Mario Draghi will testify on Monetary Policy before the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. This event is likely to generate a strong market response since all Draghi’s public speeches are important but this appearance holds extra importance due to the fact that monetary policy will be discussed. The German ZEW Economic Sentiment survey is released Tuesday, showing the level of optimism among German analysts and professional investors and the same day the American Producer Price Index comes out, tracking changes in prices charged by producers.
Wednesday’s main event is the release of the FOMC Meeting Minutes which will contain insights into the reasons that stood behind the latest Fed decision regarding monetary policy and interest rates. Thursday the focus remains on the United States for the announcement of their Consumer Price Index and the economic week finishes Friday with another Mario Draghi speech at the 24th European Banking Congress, in Frankfurt.
GBP/USD
The Pound weakened throughout the week that just ended as the British economy showed signs of slowing down and inflation expectations dropped. Support was broken and the pair printed another low of the year.
Technical Outlook
The downtrend is strong and further bearish price action is expected but the pair is overextended as shown by the oversold condition of the Relative Strength Index on a Weekly chart. Support sits at 1.5590 but we favor bullish retracements before the downside can prevail. The resistance at 1.5750 is the first bullish target, followed by 1.5900 and the Daily chart shows bullish divergence (price is printing lower lows while the RSI shows higher lows), supporting this upside bias.
Fundamental Outlook
The main gauge of British inflation is released Tuesday: the Consumer Price Index. Inflation is highly correlated with the Pound’s strength and weakness will likely be seen if the CPI value will be lower than anticipated. Another important event is the announcement of the Monetary Policy Committee’s votes on interest rate, scheduled Wednesday. This is a good opportunity to see if some of the members are changing their stance regarding a change of the interest rate and usually volatility is present only if one or more members changed their vote. Thursday the British Retail Sales come out and this is another reason for increased volatility and Pound fluctuation. As always, the US events will have a direct impact on the pair’s movement.
Written by: Bogdan Giulvezan
The article above is based on the writer’s 5-year experience and it does not constitute trading advice or investment recommendations, just a personal opinion and view of the market.
FOREX TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: CONCERNS OF LOW INFLATION WEAKEN THE EURO
EUR/USD
Forex Technical Analysis: Last week the pair had mixed up and down movement until the final trading day when Mario Draghi’s speech triggered substantial Euro weakness and a sharp drop. The ECB President commented that inflation expectations reached “excessively low” levels and the market impact was immediately seen.
Technical Outlook
For this week we expect further downside movement generated by Mario Draghi’s comments and by the overall negative sentiment surrounding the Euro. The first lower barrier is located at 1.2360, followed by 1.2280 but the Relative Strength Index is moving below its 30 level. This suggests that bullish retracements can occur but in strong trends the indicator can remain oversold or overbought for a long time without price reversing. If the pair starts to move north, the first resistance is located at 1.2620.
Fundamental Outlook
The first important event of the day is scheduled Monday: the German IFO Business Climate Survey which is derived from the opinions of about 7,000 businesses and acts as a leading indicator of economic health. The American Preliminary Gross Domestic Product will be released Tuesday and because this is the main gauge of an economy’s performance, better than expected numbers will most likely strengthen the US Dollar.
Wednesday we have the American Durable Goods Orders and Thursday US Banks will be closed, celebrating Thanksgiving Day. This will generate irregular volume and mixed volatility thus caution is highly recommended. Friday’s main event will be the European CPI release which is the main gauge of inflation. Considering how strong the Euro moves whenever inflation is discussed, this event will probably have high market impact.
GBP/USD
Although the British economy showed a higher CPI and better than expected Retail Sales, the pair just finished another bearish week. However, the downside momentum is fading away and the US Dollar didn’t make significant advances.
Technical Outlook
Last week ended lower than it begun but the weekly candle shows long wicks on both its upper and lower parts. This is a sign of indecision which combined with the oversold condition of the Relative Strength Index can trigger upside movement. If this is the case, the first resistance is located at 1.5750; if 1.5590 support can be broken, the door will be open for the next level, located at 1.5420.
Fundamental Outlook
Governor Mark Carney will speak Tuesday in London, at Parliament’s Treasury Select Committee hearing. This is expected to be an event with high market impact so use caution if trading during the speech. The other important event of the week is scheduled Wednesday in the form of the British Second Estimate Gross Domestic Product. Although this version is not as important as the Preliminary, it still has the potential to affect the Pound strongly. As always, the US events will have a direct impact on the pair’s movement.
Written by: Bogdan Giulvezan
The article above is based on the writer’s 5-year experience and it does not constitute trading advice or investment recommendations, just a personal opinion and view of the market.
FOREX TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: PRICE ACTION AFFECTED BY THE APPROACHING OF THE WINTER HOLIDAYS
EUR/USD
Forex Technical Analysis: The ECB Press Conference and the American Non Farm Payrolls were last week’s high impact events and each one of them strengthened their respective currency. Mario Draghi mentioned the ECB is not going to add further stimulus at their latest meeting and the US Dollar benefited from improved employment data.
Technical Outlook
The latest economic data favors the greenback and the pair’s bearish impulse is likely to continue throughout the week that has just begun. The support at 1.2280 rejected price the first time it was touched last week but now the bears are trying to break it again; if this attempt doesn’t result in a clear break, the pair is likely to enter a ranging period, considering the fact that the Winter Holidays are approaching and volume might drop. A break of 1.2280 would open the door for a move into the next major support located at 1.2040.
Fundamental Outlook
We have a light week ahead of us in terms of economic data but here are some of the events with potentially high impact: Monday the Eurogroup meetings take place, followed Tuesday by the ECOFIN meetings (attended by finance ministers from the EU member states). Wednesday no major events are scheduled but Thursday will be the busiest day of the week as the ECB will announce the total value of money they will create and use to provide loans to Eurozone banks. The US Retail Sales are released the same day and this can have a strong market impact as sales made at a retail level represent a hefty part of overall economic activity.
Friday the focus remains on the United States for the release of the American Producer Price Index, an indicator which shows changes in the price charged by producers for their goods and services, This indicator has inflationary implications because a higher price charged by producers will be eventually passed on to the consumer. The same day the University of Michigan will release their Consumer Sentiment survey; this is a leading indicator of consumer spending because a consumer that is confident in economic and financial conditions is likely to spend more.
GBP/USD
The pair ranged for the most part of last week but US employment numbers which came out much better than anticipated, strengthened the US Dollar and helped the bears to finish the week below support.
Technical Outlook
The support at 1.5590 was broken during the last day of last week but before we can consider this a true break and a resumption of the downtrend, we need to see a retest from below of the broken level. If it occurs, this retest will most likely be seen on the lower time frame charts like hourly or four hours. From a daily perspective the Relative Strength Index doesn’t show an extreme condition so bearish movement can continue. Bullish retracements may find support at 1.5750 while next support is located at 1.5420.
Fundamental Outlook
Similar to the Euro and US Dollar, the Pound has a slow news week ahead. Tuesday the British Manufacturing Production comes out, showing the change in the total value of output produced by manufacturers and the same day, the NIESR Gross Domestic Product Estimate is revealed. Although this is just an estimate, the impact can be a big one, considering that GDP is an economy’s main gauge of performance. As always, the US events will have a direct impact on the pair’s movement.
FOREX TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: LAST FULL ECONOMIC WEEK AHEAD OF CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS
EUR/USD
Forex Technical Analysis: Last week was mostly controlled by the bulls after the bears made another attempt to break 1.2280 support. The single bearish day was Thursday when the US Dollar strengthened on the back of a better than anticipated reading of the US Retail Sales.
Technical Outlook
Price is likely to continue on an upward path until the 50 period Exponential Moving Average on a daily chart is touched. We expect some bearish movement to happen there as the moving average will probably offer resistance. A move past this line will make 1.2600 the immediate target for the pair, while a bounce lower will take price back into 1.2360 support. The winter holidays are approaching and volume is likely to drop, making price action irregular and harder to anticipate.
Fundamental Outlook
The French and German Flash Manufacturing PMIs are released Tuesday, showing the opinions of purchasing managers from the manufacturing sector regarding business and economic conditions. The same day the German ZEW Economic Sentiment Survey is released; the indicator is derived from the opinions of German professional investors and analysts regarding economic health and usually has a high impact on the Euro.
Wednesday is the week’s most important day for the US Dollar as the US Consumer Price Index is released, followed later in the day by the Fed Interest Rate which will be accompanied by a FOMC Statement and a FOMC Press Conference. Almost always this cluster of events creates strong moves so caution is recommended.
The German IFO Business Climate, another report focused on economic conditions, is Thursday’s main event while Friday will be a slow day in terms of economic releases.
GBP/USD
Similar to the Euro, the Pound gained against the greenback and the pair had a bullish week following a failed attempt to break support. The week was lackluster in terms of economic releases for the Pound.
Technical Outlook
The support at 1.5590 was tested several times but the bears failed to break it decisively. This shows that we are dealing with a very strong level which may push price higher for a stronger retracement. However, the resistance at 1.5750 is also strong and it can push price lower, especially considering the fact that we are still in a downtrend. If price moves above resistance without any more tests or bounces, it will probably continue upwards for an encounter with the 50 period Exponential Moving Average.
Fundamental Outlook
Bank of England Governor Mark Carney is scheduled to speak Tuesday during a Press Conference focused on the BoE Stability Report released earlier the same day. The conference will be followed by the release of the British Consumer Price Index which is the main gauge of inflation and holds a great importance to short and medium term price action.
Wednesday the result of the Monetary Policy Committee votes is made public, showing if the members’ stance regarding the interest rate has changed. The Claimant Count Change is released the same day, showing how many people applied for social help related to unemployment. The last important event of the week is the British Retail Sales, scheduled Thursday and as always, the US events will have a strong and direct impact on the pair’s movement.
FOREX TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: CHRISTMAS WEEK IS HERE, BRINGING IRREGULAR VOLATILITY
EUR/USD
Forex Technical Analysis: The US Dollar headed for gains last week as Fed Chair Janet Yellen hinted that next year a rate hike is likely to happen. Support levels were broken after a bounce off of the daily 50 period Exponential Moving Average.
Technical Outlook
Price action is likely to become irregular due to the Christmas Holiday, but the important levels to watch this week are 1.2280 and 1.2360. These levels represented support and the recent break could turn them into resistance if price will climb to touch them again. Price is in a clear downtrend, trading below the 50 period Exponential Moving Average and below resistance, with the first major support now sitting at 1.2040 (visible on a weekly chart); however, we don’t believe this level will be touched this week.
Fundamental Outlook
As expected, the week ahead will be governed by the Christmas Holiday and will lack major economic activity. Tuesday is the busiest day of the week, with the focus being on the American Durable Goods Orders (goods with a life expectancy of more than three years) and the New Home Sales. Wednesday no major announcements are made while Thursday and Friday most banks around the world will be closed in celebration of Christmas.
GBP/USD
Last week British CPI disappointed while Retail Sales surged and this created mixed price action, with the pair confined between support and resistance.
Technical Outlook
During this month price moved two times below the support at 1.5590 and both times the bulls quickly stepped in, taking the pair above the level. This shows that we are dealing with strong support which may push the pair higher, into the first resistance which is located at 1.5750. On the other hand, a break of 1.5590 followed by a successful re-test will most likely trigger a move towards 1.5420 which is the next support.
Fundamental Outlook
Tuesday the British Bankers’ Association will announce the Mortgage Approvals which is a leading indicator of demand for the house market and could strengthen the Pound if the value will exceed analysts’ expectations. Other than this, the week is calm and no major indicators are released; Thursday and Friday UK Banks will be closed, celebrating Christmas.
FOREX TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: THE WEEK BETWEEN YEARS COMES WITH LOW VOLUME AND SCARCE ECONOMIC RELEASES
EUR/USD
Forex Technical Analysis: Last week price action was heavily influenced by the Christmas Holiday and the market was paused during the 25th of December. All week price suffered from low volume and irregular movement.
Technical Outlook
The irregular price action seen last week is likely to continue this week as the New Year will be the main concern of most traders around the world. The pair is in a downtrend, trading below the 50 days Exponential Moving Average and below the resistance at 1.2280. The first support is located at 1.2040 but probably we won’t see a break this week as the market will be thin for most of the period. Our bias is neutral considering that this week the year changes and all pairs will be affected.
Fundamental Outlook
As expected we have very few economic releases this week; here are the most important: Tuesday the US Consumer Confidence survey is released, showing the opinion of about 5,000 American households about current economic conditions, but also their expectations for the near future.
Wednesday German Banks will be closed in observance of the New Year’s Eve and the US Unemployment Claims will be the day’s single notable event. Thursday is the first day of 2015 and the market will be closed, price will come to a stop and no economic indicators will be released, while Friday is another slow day with the only important event being the release of the US Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index.
GBP/USD
Last week was mostly controlled by the bears on the back of disappointing British economic data but soon Christmas made its presence known, volume dropped and the pair came to a stop Thursday, while Friday’s trading session lacked strong movement.
Technical Outlook
Some movement is likely to be seen throughout the week but we don’t expect any substantial advances as the New Year will take center stage and volume will probably remain low. The important levels to watch this week are located at 1.5590 (resistance) 1.5485 (support), while price behavior at the current level (1.5540) will probably determine the next direction. Our bias is neutral for this pair as well, and we expect to see irregular movement; keep in mind that Thursday the market will be closed.
Fundamental Outlook
The only noteworthy British release is the Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index, scheduled Friday. The indicator is a survey of purchasing managers focused on the business conditions in the manufacturing sector and higher numbers are beneficial for the Pound.
FOREX TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: U.S. EMPLOYMENT DATA IN THE SPOTLIGHT AS THE DOLLAR REACHES NEW HIGHS
EUR/USD
Forex Technical Analysis: Last week the Euro weakened the most in more than 4 years against the US Dollar; a big role in the drop was played by the fact that the ECB talked about large scale bond purchases and ECB President Mario Draghi mentioned that he cannot rule our deflation.
Technical Outlook
We saw another bearish week as the pair managed to move below the important support at 1.2040. The Relative Strength Index on a Daily chart moved below the 30 level and this shows an overextended condition, signaling that a retracement is likely to occur. The same condition is shown by the Stochastic indicator (11,6,6) which is moving well below the 20 level. First support is located at 1.1875 (better seen on a Weekly chart) but during the week we expect pullbacks above 1.2040.
Fundamental Outlook
The German Preliminary CPI is released Monday, showing the state of German inflation which is an important part of European inflation. This will be followed Wednesday by the European CPI Flash Estimate which offers an early look into European inflation; since the ECB is struggling to raise inflation levels, these releases will have a high impact on the Euro. A privately owned company (Automatic Data Processing) will release the same day the Non Farm Employment Change which is a report that tries to mimic the Government data released 2 days later. Later the same day the FOMC Meeting Minutes are released, showing details about Fed’s latest meeting.
Friday the most important U.S. jobs related data comes out: the Non Farm Employment Change (also known as Non Farm Payrolls). This report shows how many new jobs were created during the previous month and almost always the impact on the Dollar is huge as more jobs are indicative of increased consumer spending in the near future.
GBP/USD
The pair moved substantially lower last week as the British economy showed clear signs of contraction, but also because market participants speculate about a potential U.S. rate increase early in the year.
Technical Outlook
Last week the pair experienced a huge drop and such a move is likely to trigger some sort of bullish reaction in the form of a retracement. This retracement can find resistance at the recently broken level of 1.5420 but the first lower target is located at 1.5260 which acted as strong support in the past (better seen on a Weekly chart).
Fundamental Outlook
The British Construction and Services PMIs are released Monday and Tuesday respectively, followed Thursday by the Official Bank Rate. Lately a lot of speculation is surrounding the British interest rate and although a change is not expected, the event is likely to generate strong movement. The last Pound-affecting event of the week is Friday’s Manufacturing Production release which shows the total value of output produced by the British manufacturing sector.
FOREX TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: BEARS STILL IN CONTROL BUT BULLISH PRESSURE INCREASES
EUR/USD
Forex Technical Analysis: Last week belonged to the bears on the back of lower inflation numbers posted by the European economy and a hawkish Fed that hinted towards a potential rate hike during the first part of the year.
Technical Outlook
The pair moved below 1.1875, creating the fourth consecutive bearish week. Both the Relative Strength Index and the Stochastic are oversold on a Daily chart and are starting to move upwards, while on a Weekly chart there is still no sign of bullish movement of the two indicators. The most important levels for this week’s price action are 1.1875 and 1.2040 to the upside and the low at 1.1750 followed by 1.1640 to the downside; the picture remains bearish, although retracements are still due.
Fundamental Outlook
Monday and Tuesday are calm days for the Euro and US Dollar as no major indicators are released. Wednesday the U.S. Retail Sales numbers come out and the Dollar is likely to be strongly affected as the indicator is the main gauge of consumer spending which in turn is a vital part of the economy.
Thursday the American Producer Price Index is released; this indicator shows changes in the price charged by producers for their goods and has inflationary implications. The same day the Philly Fed Manufacturing Index comes out; this is a leading indicator of economic health derived from the opinions of about 250 manufacturers from the Philadelphia district. Friday’s main event is the release of the American Consumer Price Index which is the main gauge of inflation and usually has a hefty impact on the Dollar. The same day, the University of Michigan will release a Preliminary version of their Consumer Sentiment survey.
GBP/USD
The pair remained in a strong downtrend as price moved below support and the bears maintained their control for the fourth week in a row. The British economy posted worse than expected numbers and this contributed to the drop.
Technical Outlook
During the week ahead we expect a move into the recently broken level at 1.5260. A bounce there would make 1.5035 the immediate target, followed by the psychological and technical support at 1.5000. A break of 1.5260 would open the door for a bullish retracement close to the 50 period Exponential Moving Average.
Fundamental Outlook
This week lacks major British announcements and the only important indicator comes out Tuesday in the form of the Consumer Price Index which is the main gauge of inflation. As always, the pair will be directly influenced by the U.S. data released throughout the week.
FOREX TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: ECB TO DECIDE THE NEXT DIRECTION OF THE SHARED CURRENCY
EUR/USD
Forex Technical Analysis: Last week the markets were shaken by Swiss National Bank’s sudden and unexpected decision to remove the EUR/CHF floor which caped the pair at 1.20. As a result the Swiss Franc appreciated tremendously against its peers and the market showed unprecedented volatility.
Technical Outlook
On Daily and Weekly charts, both the Relative Strength Index and the Stochastic are indicating an oversold condition of the pair, but considering the latest developments, the technical side is less important than the fundamental. The next potential support is located at 1.1380 but the pair last visited this level in 2003 so the importance of this level cannot be assessed. As for resistance, the first level of interest is 1.1640, followed by 1.1875. The environment remains strongly bearish, with retracements expected.
Fundamental Outlook
Monday U.S. Banks will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King Day and no major indicators are scheduled. Tuesday’s main event is the release of the German ZEW Economic Sentiment, a survey derived from the opinions of about 275 German analysts and investors regarding their 6-month economic outlook.
Wednesday is a slow day as far as U.S. and European economic releases are concerned but Thursday will probably be the week’s most volatile day due to the ECB Meeting. The interest rate decision will be announced and more importantly, the ECB will announce whether they will start a government-bond buying program or not. The market already expects the ECB to introduce such a stimulus and if this proves wrong, the reaction will be mixed.
Friday the French and German Manufacturing PMIs are released, offering insights into the state of the manufacturing sectors in these countries.
GBP/USD
The Pound – US Dollar pair wasn’t affected strongly by Swiss National Bank’s decision and for the entire week, price action was mixed, without a lot of directional movement.
Technical Outlook
The pair is caped to the upside by 1.5260 resistance and to the downside by 1.5035 support. This week we expect a breakout which could take price into the next support located at 1.4830 or into the resistance offered by the 50 period Exponential Moving Average. Both the Stochastic and the Relative Strength Index are hovering near their oversold levels, a fact which could help the bulls if they attempt to break resistance.
Fundamental Outlook
Wednesday the British Claimant Count Change is released, showing how many people applied for unemployment related welfare. A higher number indicates increased levels of unemployment and is usually detrimental for the currency. The same day the votes on the latest BoE interest rate decision are made public but this event usually creates strong movement only if one or more MPC members have changed their stances regarding the need for a rate adjustment. The final British event of the week is the release of the Retail Sales scheduled Friday. Since sales made at a retail level represent a big part of overall economic activity, higher numbers are viewed as beneficial for the currency.
FOREX TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: MULTI-YEAR LOWS REACHED. FURTHER DOWNSIDE ACTION EXPECTED
EUR/USD
Forex Technical Analysis: Last week the euro suffered great losses against most of its peers as the ECB decided the economy is in need of more stimulus than originally anticipated. The amount they settled on is 60 billion euro/month until the end of 2016.
Technical Outlook
Without a doubt last week was controlled by the bears and this week we expect to see further downside movement. The low at 1.1114 will offer the first potential support while potential resistance sits at 1.1450; both the Relative Strength Index and the Stochastic show a severe oversold condition on a daily chart and this makes way for some bullish pullbacks.
Fundamental Outlook
A German Business Climate survey is released Monday, showing the level of optimism among business owners, regarding a 6-month economic outlook. Tuesday the U.S. Durable Goods Orders are announced, followed later in the day by a Consumer Confidence survey which acts as a leading indicator of consumer spending.
Wednesday is the week’s most important day for the greenback as the Fed will announce the interest rate and a FOMC Statement is released, outlining the reasons which influenced the rate decision; it also can contain hints about future monetary policy.
German inflation data comes out Thursday as the Preliminary Consumer Price Index is released. In light of recent events, we might see some changes in inflation numbers and this will translate into strong market moves. Friday the Euro Zone CPI comes out, offering a view on inflation in the entire Euro area. The last event of the week comes out the same day in the form of the U.S. Advance Gross Domestic Product which as we know is an economy’s main gauge of performance and can have a hefty impact on the currency.
GBP/USD
The pair finally broke the horizontal channel inside which it was confined lately as the dollar extended its gains against the British Pound. The break was partly generated by MPC members’ change of stance regarding the interest rate – this time all members voted to keep rates unchanged.
Technical Outlook
If the break of 1.5035 can be sustained by the bears, we consider the next destination to be the support at 1.4830; otherwise the bulls will probably take price into the resistance at 1.5260. If this resistance will be touched, the 50 period Exponential Moving Average will contribute to the strength of the level because by the time price climbs, the MA will probably descend in close vicinity of 1.5260, creating a confluence zone.
Fundamental Outlook
The British Bankers’ Association will announce Monday the number of new Mortgage Approvals, offering insights into the British house market. Tuesday the Preliminary Gross Domestic Product is released and Friday the Net Lending to Individuals is announced, showing the change in the value of loans issued to consumers. The indicator offers hints about future consumer spending and consumer confidence.
