* British Pound Traders Should Plot out Bullish and Bearish Scenarios For CPI Data
* Euro Ready for a Surge in Volatility as 4Q GDP Figures Cross the Wires
* Japanese Yen Enjoys a Brief Rally After GDP Numbers Show a Smaller-than-Expected Contraction
* New Zealand Dollar Tumbles after December Retail Sales Miss Forecast by a Wide Margin
* Australian Dollar Unmoved by RBA Minutes as Recent Commentary Proves an Accurate Guide
Dollar Advance Curbed as Heavy Event Risk Threatens Heavy FX Volatility
Thanks to the heavy influence of EURUSD, the dollar itself closed out its third consecutive daily advance through Monday. Yet, this particular pair’s performance doesn’t offer an accurate overall picture of the single currency. For most of the other greenback-based majors, there was a tangible (if measured) move at the benchmark’s expense. On the other hand, this tame intraday volatility didn’t do much to moderate the substantial breakout and trend generation pressure residing behind all of the majors. Running down the list for trade potential, we come first to the most heavily traded dollar-based speculative pairs: EURUSUD and GBPUSD. The former slid for the fourth third consecutive trading day and subsequently plunged lows not seen in over three weeks below 1.35. The so-called ‘cable’ might have recovered some of Friday’s lost ground but it was still oscillating around the closely-watched 1.60 figure. From there, the dual safe-haven pairs USDJPY and USDCHF are notable holding just below easily-read range highs of 83.75 and 0.9775 respectively. Then there are the commodity / carry trade pairs. AUDUSD and NZDUSD hover on the verge of lasting reversals; while USDCAD is attempting to carve out a bottom at a well-worn, 31-month low.
For US-based fundamental encouragement Monday, the docket was exceptionally light. Off-scheduled events were similarly restrained in their support of the unbalanced dollar. New York Fed President William Dudley didn’t take up the hawkish call that began last week with fellow board members Fisher, Lacker and Lockhart. A return to a hawkish regime may be a ways into the future; but speculators start to price in the change well ahead of time. Perhaps a glimmer of early stimulus withdrawal and distant hike expectations have helped boost the 12-month interest rate forecast back to levels last seen since June (approximately 50 bps) and the benchmark three-month Libor rate up to its own six-month high (0.3140 percent). That said, there were a few speed bumps to account for as well. The San Francisco Fed released a working paper that suggested that 6.7 percent may be the new ‘normal’ level of unemployment, up significantly from the 5.0 percent natural level of joblessness before the recession and financial crisis. What’s more, Treasury Secretary is reportedly delivering a forecast to President Obama that predicts a record debt-to-GDP ratio for 2011 just as government’s 2012 budget is projecting a record deficit of $1.6 trillion.
In Tuesday’s session, fundamental traders should take stock of the US-based event risk that will be coming down the wires. The headliner will be the retail sales figures for January as we keep a close eye on personal consumption as a component of overall GDP after its general contribution in the 4Q GDP figures. Import inflation data for December could stir a quiet interest rate scene and capital flows measured in the TIC numbers is a good reading for those tracing money movement. Yet, if we want to see real volatility, we’ll have to look outside the dollar’s docket.
British Pound Traders Should Plot out Bullish and Bearish Scenarios For CPI Data
There are a few countries’ dockets that are stacked for market-movers through Tuesday; but the pound is probably the most primed for dramatic levels of volatility. Last week, the Bank of England left rate watchers little to work with when they announced only that they were keeping the benchmark lending rate at 0.50 percent and the bond purchasing program unchanged at 200 billion sterling. This was not necessarily unexpected; but the speculative seen was so tense that traders were willing to react to any change in tone – no matter how minor. These volatility opportunists may have their chance in the upcoming London session with the January CPI figures. With the headline figure seen accelerating to two-year high 4.0 percent clip and the core reading jumping to 3.1 percent; it is easy to imagine interest rate expectations swelling well-beyond their current one-year high standing. That said, we will need a definitive better-than- or worse-than-expected outcome to generate volatility. Otherwise, the existence of Wednesday’s BoE Quarterly Inflation report – whereby the market will get a better read on their intensions going forward – will encourage traders to hold to the sidelines. Either we get a remarkable move Tuesday or Wednesday.
Euro Ready for a Surge in Volatility as 4Q GDP Figures Cross the Wires
The trade potential for the euro may be one step down from the sterling; but its influence should not be underestimated. On deck for the upcoming European session, we are preparing for the first measures of 4Q GDP for the core European economies German, France and Italy. These EU members will need to keep the furnace stoked if the region is to keep its footing. However, it is the Greek’s own growth reading that can really change the picture. Following Spain’s 0.2 percent expansion and Portugal’s 0.3 percent contraction, we want to see how the weakest link is doing. In the meantime, it should also be noted the weekly EU meeting resulted in a tentative vow to double the ESM lending capacity.
Japanese Yen Enjoys a Brief Rally After GDP Numbers Show a Smaller-than-Expected Contraction
For scheduled event risk over the first 36 hours of this trading week, no other country beats Japan. That said, the data still has little sway over the yen. An annualized 1.1 percent drop in the economy pushed Japan to third behind China and the BoJ rate decision offered no change. Net effect, this currency is the still the ideal funding currency – while its fundamental appeal is fading compared to its US counterpart.
New Zealand Dollar Tumbles after December Retail Sales Miss Forecast by a Wide Margin
There was a quick reaction from the New Zealand dollar to the drop in the December and 4Q retail sales data (and oddly enough, a more remarkable move in fact than the yen’s response to the GDP figures). The 1.1 percent drop in spending isn’t exactly remarkable given the volatility of the data; but the one-month low in interest rate expectations is material enough to worry kiwi traders.
Australian Dollar Unmoved by RBA Minutes as Recent Commentary Proves an Accurate Guide
There wasn’t much to expect from the RBA minutes to the last meeting. Last week, Governor Glenn Stevens made it quite clear that he believed the floods that devastated the country’s Northeast would not materially hurt economic growth nor would it stoke inflation. That said, the recently tempered interest rate expectations were little altered. Though, we should really be keeping our eyes on underling risk trends at this point.
SUPPORT AND RESISTANCE LEVELS
CLASSIC SUPPORT AND RESISTANCE - 18:00 GMT
| Currency | |||||||||
| Resist 2 | 1.4025 | 1.6420 | 89.00 | 1.0000 | 1.0922 | 1.0600 | 0.8230 | 127.60 | 146.05 |
| Resist 1 | 1.3875 | 1.6300 | 86.00 | 0.9775 | 1.0750 | 1.0200 | 0.8000 | 120.00 | 140.00 |
| Spot | 1.3486 | 1.6035 | 83.31 | 0.9699 | 0.9885 | 1.0032 | 0.7572 | 112.35 | 133.57 |
| Support 1 | 1.3425 | 1.5750 | 80.00 | 0.9300 | 0.9800 | 0.9600 | 0.6850 | 103.80 | 125.00 |
| Support 2 | 1.2900 | 1.5315 | 75.00 | 0.9000 | 0.9700 | 0.9375 | 0.6585 | 100.00 | 119.00 |
CLASSIC SUPPORT AND RESISTANCE –EMERGING MARKETS 18:00 GMTSCANDIES CURRENCIES 18:00 GMT
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