WEEKLY ANALYSIS: PRICE ACTION BECOMES CHOPPIER AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE WINTER HOLIDAYS
EUR/USD
Weekly Analysis: Last week the Fed raised the interest rate from <1.25% to <1.50% as expected but Fed Chair Yellen was somewhat dovish during her press conference and this generated a jump higher on the back of US Dollar weakness. Most of the Euro gains were erased during the following days.
Technical Outlook
The pair ended last week very close to the opening price and couldn’t break free from the 50 days Exponential Moving Average, which is almost flat, indicating a lack of momentum on both sides. Currently, price action is capped by two trend lines and the break of one of them will probably decide the next direction but until that happens the pair will probably show ranging price action. Horizontal support sits at 1.1700 and resistance is located at 1.1875; for a breakout to happen price needs to clear these zones as well.
Fundamental Outlook
The first release of the week will be the Eurozone Final version of the Consumer Price Index, scheduled Monday. This is an important gauge of inflation but the Final version tends to have the lowest impact. Tuesday the German IFO Business Climate will show the opinions of about 7,000 businesses about a 6-month outlook for the German economy and on the US Dollar side the only notable release will be the Building Permits, which shows how many construction permits were issued during the previous month.
Thursday the U.S. Final Gross Domestic Product will be released, showing changes in the total value of services and goods generated by the economy and the week ends Friday with the U.S. Durable Goods Orders, an indicator that shows changes in the value of orders placed for goods with a life expectancy of at least 3 years. Overall it’s a rather slow week, mostly due to the approaching of the Winter Holidays.
GBP/USD
Last week the pair bounced between support and resistance, a behavior mostly generated by the fundamentals: first the US Dollar weakened during the Fed meeting and then it was the Pound’s turn to go down after more Brexit concerns emerged.
Technical Outlook
After failing to break 1.3450, the pair dropped into the confluence zone created by the support at 1.3320 and the 50 days Exponential Moving Average. Momentum is on the sellers’ side but as long as the mentioned support zone is intact, the pair’s direction is uncertain. A break will likely trigger a stronger drop but the focus will remain on Brexit negotiations so the Pound will be prone to sudden moves.
Fundamental Outlook
The Pound has a slow week ahead, with only a few notable releases. Wednesday BOE Governor Carney will speak before the Treasury Select Committee about the November Financial Stability Report. De pending on his attitude, the Pound may see increased volatility so caution is advised.
Thursday the Public Sector Net Borrowing comes out, showing the difference between spending and income for the Public Sector. A positive number shows deficit and a negative number shows surplus but the indicator is not a major market mover.
Friday the Current Account will be released, showing the value difference between imported and exported goods and the same day the Final version of the British GDP will come out. This is the main gauge of an economy’s performance but the Final version usually has a low impact on the currency.