EURUSD – Dollar Climbs After FOMC Meeting Minutes
The EURUSD ended the day lower for the first time after climbing for 3 consecutive days. The minutes of the November meeting of the US Federal Reserve supported the Dollar but also had factors which concerned Dollar buyers. Certain members of the Fed’s Committee stated they expect the rate to remain at a high level for “quite a long time”, while others would not give a clear indication of a cut and that rates would remain higher for longer. However, some economists view this as dovish considering inflation has now declined. In addition, the regulator does not exclude the possibility of further tightening of monetary conditions if the rate of decline in inflation continues to slow down. This is where the Dollar can potentially benefit. The question is whether the Fed will consider one last 0.25% hike if inflation refuses to drop below 3%.
Economists’ views have already slightly shifted since the Fed’s Meeting Minutes. According to the Chicago exchange there is now a 5% possibility of a hike in the next 3 months. Previously, the only possibility was a pause for the near-term future.
The US Dollar Index is trading 0.17% higher this morning and is increasing in value against all major currencies. However, the Euro is also increasing in value against all major competitors. Therefore, investors should be cautious about an attempted correction back to 1.09225 and 1.09607. The Euro is being supported by the European Central Bank’s stance on keeping interest rates high for “several more quarters”. The Governor of the Bank of France, François Villeroy de Galhau, said that interest rates in the eurozone had reached a plateau, where they were likely to remain. However, if the possibilities of another hike from the Fed rise, the Euro may struggle to hold onto gains.
If the price declines below 1.08995, sell signals are likely to materialize. Whereas, if the price increases above 1.09225, buy signals will gain momentum again. If the exchange rate had fallen a further 0.25%, the instrument would have broken recent support barriers.
This afternoon investors will be monitoring 3 economic events: The US Unemployment Claims, Durable Goods Orders and Revised Consumer Sentiment. If the Unemployment claims remain stable or lower than expected, while the Goods Orders and UoM Sentiment remain higher, the Dollar could potentially gain momentum.
US100 – NASDAQ Continues Bullish Trend Pattern
The US100 declined 0.75% during yesterday’s trading session but continues to follow the traditional upward trend pattern. Currently the asset is trading above the 60-candlestick trend line and is hovering above neutral on Oscillators. Therefore, a further impulse wave is still possible. However, of the top 5 stocks holding the highest weight within the index, only 1 stock is trading higher during this morning’s pre-market hours (Microsoft +0.12%). Though investors will monitor if this changes when the US open nears.
According to market analysts, there is now a slightly higher possibility of one last interest rate hike, however, the possibility is very slim. According to Bloomberg, if inflation does not rise in December and unemployment remains around the 4% mark, a pause will remain almost a certain outcome. The bond market this morning is significantly declining, dropping 0.022%, which is positive for the US100. Both German and French indices are trading higher in the European market open which is also another positive indication for the US100.
NVIDIA’s Quarterly Earnings Report was significantly higher than expected which is positive “fundamentally”, but so far has not pushed the stock higher. The company’s Earnings Per Share were 19% higher and Revenue rose 25% from the previous quarter. However, the stock has dropped 1.74% in after hours trading. Investors will monitor if demand grows once today’s session opens.
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Michalis Eftymiou
Market Analyst
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