- UK Retail Sales witnesses its strongest increase since May 2021, but economists advise the increase is simply correcting poor data from previous months.
- The Pound gains against most currencies, but the currency market has their eyes fixed on the upcoming US Producer Price Index.
- Applied Materials soars above earnings expectations. Earnings Per Share beat expectations by almost 12% and revenue by 3%. The stock rose 12% after market close.
- Bitcoin again renews its recent highs rising another 2.15% on Thursday. Cryptocurrencies are also likely to witness strong influence this afternoon.
GBPUSD – UK Retail Sales Beat Expectations
The GBPUSD was trading lower throughout the trading session but quickly rose to the day’s open price after the UK’s Retail Sales Release. The Retail Sales read 3.4%, significantly higher than 1.5% which was expected and -3.2% from the previous month. However, economists are advising a strong increase is not as positive as it may seem considering previous months saw a decline of 3.9%. Nonetheless, investors are reacting positively, and the GBP is rising moderately against all currencies.
In terms of technical analysis, the exchange rate is seeing neither bullish nor bearish signals. The price is trading at most trend lines and is neutral on most oscillators. In order for traders to obtain a clear signal, the exchange rate must maintain momentum and show a clear direction. If the price breaks above 1.26056, which is also the resistance level of the day before, buy signals will materialize. If the afternoon’s Producer Price Release is lower than expectations, a bullish breakout is likely to take place.
The US will release the Producer Price Index, Core PPI and the Prelim Consumer Sentiment. The strongest price driver will be the PPI and Core PPI release. Analysts expect both to read 0.1%, which is only slightly higher than the previous month. However, the question is if the rate of increase will be higher than expectations. Another higher inflation reading will again support the Dollar, but pressure Gold and US Stocks.
USA100 – Investors Await PPI Release and Attempt a Full Correction!
The USA100 saw a slight decline as we were approaching the US open due to weak Retail Sales, but again investors only used this to enter at a better entry level. The index ended the day 0.22% higher and is 0.85% lower than the previous high. Technical analysis currently points towards a full correction back up to $18,058, but this will largely depend on the Producer Price Index.
If the PPI reading is higher than 0.1%, the USA100 and the stocks market in general can witness another decline. The decline may simply be a retracement or a full correction back to 1.25341, but this would depend on how much higher the reading is. If the PPI and Core PPI reads 0.1% or lower, the bullish trend potentially can continue as per indications from Crossovers, VWAP, and Oscillators.
The index was supported by Applied Materials which released their quarterly earnings report. The company’s Earnings Per Share beat expectations by almost 12% and revenue by 3%. The stock rose more than 12% after the market close and can support the index if it continues to perform well in the upcoming days. The next major earnings report will be NVIDIA next Wednesday after market close.
Bitcoin – Net Inflows of Over $1 Billion this Past Week
The cryptocurrency market capitalization rose this week, but slightly fell this morning ahead of the PPI release. However, the general rise is positive for Bitcoin as is its higher market share which rose 0.29%. Investors should note the day’s inflation reading is likely to also affect Bitcoin in a similar way to the stock market.
The cryptocurrency market is being supported by the weaker monetary policy in China, one of its largest markets. However, the price action will depend on continued relaxation from across the globe. Another reason is demand for spot-Bitcoin ETFs which remains strong, with net inflows of over $1 billion over the past week. Technical analysts also note the importance of surpassing the $50,000 mark which is a strong psychological price/level.
Michalis Efthymiou
Market Analyst
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