Daily Market Analysis by ForexMart

[KostiaFM]

American stock indices rose 0.6-1%

As a result of the entire last week, it increased by 3.8%, the Nasdaq Composite rose by 3.6%, which was the most significant rise since February. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 4%. This is the most significant increase since March.

Fresh inflation data was released on Friday, pointing to the fastest rise in consumer prices in the country since June 1982. However, investors hope that the rate of growth in prices has reached or very close to the peak values. Consumer prices (CPI) in the US in November soared 6.8% compared to the same month last year. Inflation accelerated from 6.2% a month earlier and was in line with analysts' forecasts. Thus, the indicator remained above the Federal Reserve System (FRS) target of 2% for the ninth consecutive month.

Consumer and tech sectors on Friday posted the strongest gains in share prices among the S&P 500 industry sub-indices.

Consumer confidence in the US in December rose to 70.4 points from 67.4 points in November, which was the lowest in 10 years, according to preliminary data from the University of Michigan, which calculates this figure. Analysts on average had expected a decline to 67.1 points, Trading Economics reported. At the same time, inflationary expectations for the medium term (next year) remained at the level of 4.9% in the current month, for the long term (5 years) - at the level of 3%.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average on Friday increased by 216.3 points (0.6%) and reached 35970.99 points.

The value of Standard & Poor's 500 for the day increased by 44.57 (0.95%) - up to 4712.02 points.

The Nasdaq Composite rose by 113.23 points (0.73%), amounting to 15,630.6 points.

Costco Wholesale, the operator of the largest network of club stores in the United States, in the first financial quarter, which ended on November 21, increased its net profit by 13% and revenue by 19%, which was better than experts' expectations. The company's shares rose 6.6% on Friday.

One of the world's largest manufacturers of semiconductor products Broadcom in the fourth financial quarter (August-October) received financial results above the consensus forecast. The company also announced a massive share buyback program and a quarterly dividend hike. The price of its shares soared by 8.3%.

Oracle Corp., one of the world's leading software developers, posted a net loss in its second financial quarter, but adjusted earnings and revenues rose above analysts' expectations. The company's shares jumped 15.6%.

Among the leaders of the rise in value among the components of the Dow Jones were Cisco Systems Inc., which rose 3%, Microsoft Corp., which rose 2.8% and Apple Inc., which also rose 2.8%.

Meanwhile, Chewy Inc.'s share price fell more than 8% despite strong reporting. The online pet store reported 24% revenue growth in the third financial quarter. The company's net loss in the quarter ended October 31 was $ 32.2 million against a loss of $ 32.8 million in the same period a year earlier.

Peloton Interactive fell 5.4% after Credit Suisse downgraded its recommendation to neutral from above the market.

[KostiaFM]

European equities closed lower

Britain's FTSE 100 shed 0.8%, Germany's DAX shed 0.01%, France's CAC 40 shed 0.7%, Spain's IBEX 35 shed 0.5% and Italy's FTSE MIB shed 0.6%.

Air France-KLM shares lost 3.4%. The airline said it had paid the French authorities € 500 million in debt repayment totaling € 4 billion. In addition, Air France-KLM agreed with the country's authorities to change the debt repayment schedule: if earlier it had to pay off the debt in full in May 2023, now it will be able to pay it off until May 2025.

Germany's Daimler Truck Holding AG, a truck maker, rose 10.7% in its second trading session after divesting from Daimler. JPMorgan analysts have set the target price for the company's shares at 48 euros per share, while Bank of America has set a different price, 40 euros. At the same time, Daimler AG's value fell 0.3% yesterday.

The capitalization of the German software developer SAP AG increased by 2.6% after analysts at UBS improved the recommendation on the stock of the company from neutral to buy.

Australian biopharmaceutical company CSL has confirmed that it is in talks to buy the Swiss drug manufacturer Vifor Pharma. Vifor Pharma shares jumped 18.5%.

Credit Suisse Group AG on Monday announced a structural reorganization and appointed new chief executives for its core divisions. The structure of the bank from next year will consist of 4 main business divisions and 4 regional divisions. Credit Suisse lost 1.8%.

Shares in British mining company Rio Tinto fell 0.1%. The company will write off $ 2.3 billion in debt from the Mongolian government to finally move forward with the expansion of the Oyu Tolgoi gold-copper project.

The market is awaiting meetings of the world's largest central banks scheduled for this week.

The Federal Reserve System (FRS) is holding a two-day meeting on December 14-15, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of England will release their decisions on December 16, the Bank of Japan will hold a meeting on December 17.

The ECB is expected to discuss at the upcoming meeting the future prospects for its asset repurchase programs, while the Fed may decide to step up the pace of its quantitative easing (QE) program, which it launched in November.

The Bank of England is likely to keep monetary policy parameters unchanged, as the latest GDP data proved disappointing, and in addition, the country's authorities are introducing new restrictions to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The UK National Statistical Office (ONS) on Friday reported a slowdown in the country's GDP growth in October to 4.6% on an annualized basis from 5.3% a month earlier.

The statistics released on Monday showed an acceleration in the growth of wholesale prices in Germany in November to a record 16.6% in annual terms. As noted by the Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), the growth of wholesale prices accelerated compared to 15.2% in October against the background of higher prices for raw materials and intermediate goods.

[KostiaFM]

EUR/USD: Widening gap between the US dollar and Euro

Analysts said that serious problems in the EUR/USD pair are caused by an imbalance between both currencies. Bank of America experts point to the excessive overvaluation of the US dollar and the lack of attention to the euro.

Before the Fed meeting, the issue of a fair assessment of the euro and the US dollar is extremely relevant. According to Bank of America reports, the US currency turned out to be overvalued by investors this month, while the euro is undervalued. Analysts believe that this upsets the balance in the EUR/USD pair.

The calculations by Bank of America's currency strategists demonstrate that the current greenback estimate is 0.7 points higher than the long-term average, while the euro is 1.1 points lower. These indicators are negatively affected by rising inflation expectations in the United States (up to 6%) and extremely high inflation, which has reached peak values for the last almost 40 years. The current situation increases the degree of tension between the US dollar and the euro. On Wednesday morning, the EUR/USD pair experienced noticeable volatility, trading around the level of 1.1270.

By the middle of this week, the US dollar maintained its growth, unlike the euro amid expectations of the most important Fed meeting. Despite the growing tension, the dynamics of the American currency are almost unchanged in relation to other key currencies. The euro, on the contrary, has to make a lot of efforts to stay afloat. Experts are afraid of increasing dissonance in the EUR/ USD pair, although there are no serious prerequisites for this.

In anticipation of the Fed meeting, many analysts turned to the Fed's updated dot forecast, the so-called dot plot. Experts carefully analyze the data presented in order to predict the rate of increase in the key rate in 2022. According to the previous dot plot published in September 2021, the federal funds rate should be increased once (until December 2022). However, a lot has changed now, so the markets are confident that in the coming year the rate will be raised twice (25 bp at each meeting).

Bank of America experts believe that the regulator is able to surprise the markets and raise rates following the meeting on Wednesday, December 15. The implementation of such a scenario will lead to a shock and force you to radically rebuild. On the contrary, if the completion of the asset purchase program goes twice as fast, that is, it will be completely curtailed in March 2022, then the markets will remain calm. It can be recalled that this option is the most expected.

At the same time, there is a possibility of another scenario: if the regulator does not raise rates at the current meeting, then it will have to be done twice (by 0.50%) in March next year. The reason for this decision is the overheating of the US labor market. Therefore, most market participants expect the regulator to raise rates in the second half of 2022. At the same time, many investors do not rule out a weakening of inflation next year, despite the persistence of price pressure.

A surprise for the market may be the updated December "dot" forecasts of the Fed (dot plot), which allow for the probability of a threefold rate hike in 2022. The implementation of such a scenario will help the US dollar strengthen its position, but stock markets will be under pressure.

[KostiaFM]

US dollar continues its growth

The US dollar celebrates the victory after the meeting of the Fed, which the markets were looking forward to. It managed to rise and continue the upward trend, despite a temporary decline.

The growth of this currency accelerated after the decision of the regulator, which announced the preservation of the interest rate and the completion of incentive programs. It can be recalled that the Fed expected to leave the key rate at 0-0.25% per annum and announced its readiness to double the pace of curtailing the asset repurchase program (from the previous $15 billion to $ 30 billion per month). The implementation of these measures is planned from January next year. According to preliminary calculations, such rates of QE reduction will allow the central bank to fully complete the program by March 2022.

According to Fed chairman Jerome Powell, the early elimination of stimulus programs is necessary because of extremely high inflation. Fed representatives believe that the acceleration of inflation in the United States and the strengthening of inflationary pressure amid a prolonged labor shortage significantly affect economic forecasts and the current monetary policy. It is worth noting that the regulator kept rates near zero until the situation in the US labor market improved.

Representatives of the Open Market Committee (FOMC) presented an updated forecast on the trajectory of rates, which implies their threefold increase in 2022-2023. Along with this, the authorities expect a gradual decrease in inflation.

Experts emphasize that the regulator's forecasts on rates are not a pre-approved plan. This process is determined by the current economic situation, according to which it is adjusted. Against this background, Fed officials came to the conclusion that the most appropriate is a gradual increase in rates.

According to experts, the rapid growth of the USD after the Fed meeting occurred against the backdrop of a pronounced "hawkish" position of the regulator. Representatives of the Federal Reserve predict a sharper increase in rates than the market expected. In view of this, US assets rose significantly: the US dollar continued its upward trend, and the leading S&P 500 index interrupted a two-day decline.

The current situation favourably affected the EUR/USD pair, which was trading at the level of 1.1284 on Thursday morning. Like the American one, the European currency also felt confident, gradually gaining momentum. It tried to consolidate in the current positions, but to no avail. As a result, the single currency fell to low values.

The near-term prospects of the US dollar are quite optimistic. Many experts agree that the Fed helped the US dollar to rise, due to which it received a growth impulse. Analysts said that this trend will continue, since it has enough resources to withstand the difficulties that arise.

[KostiaFM]

Forecast for AUD/USD on December 17, 2021

Yesterday, the Australian dollar traded in a range of 80 points, it closed the day by gaining 15 points, which is not very impressive with the fall of the US dollar index by 0.36%. At the moment, the price is between two levels: 0.7171 and 0.7227. Now the breakthrough above the upper level of the 0.7227 range will open the target along the MACD line at 0.7285, consolidating below 0.7171 can send the price to the 0.7065 level, which was not reached at the beginning of the week.

On the 4-hour chart, the Marlin Oscillator formed a divergence with the price. At the moment, the price is staying above the balance indicator line (red moving one), which retains the bulls' advantage. The situation turns out to be twofold, therefore the technical signal levels 0.7171 and 0.7227 acquire the main attention and the main role. The bears' first target at 0.7130 is the MACD line on H4.

US indices closed lower

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.48% on Friday and ended trading at 35365.44 points.

Standard & Poor's 500 dropped 1.03% to 4620.64 points.

Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite lost less than 0.1% to 15169.68 points.

By the end of the week, the Dow fell 1.7%, the S&P 500 fell 1.9%, and the Nasdaq Composite fell 3%.

Earlier this week, the Federal Reserve System (FRS) decided to accelerate the pace of winding down its asset-buying program and signaled its readiness to raise rates several times next year. In addition, the Bank of England was the first among the world's leading central banks to raise its key rate to 0.25% from 0.1%.

Meanwhile, Andrew Brenner of NatAlliance Securities believes that the sharp decline in the US stock market was caused rather not by fears of tightening monetary policy, but by other reasons. In particular, he points out that Friday was the so-called Quadruple Witching Day, when index and stock futures and options expire. On this day, there is often increased volatility in the market.

A strong decline on Friday was demonstrated by securities of financial companies. Quotes from Goldman Sachs Group Inc. fell 3.9%, while JPMorgan Chase & Co. fell 2.3%, quotations of the payment system American Express Co. fell 1.8%, quotations of Visa Inc. dropped by 1.2%.

General Motors shares tumbled 5.5% on news of the unexpected resignation of Dan Amman, head of the self-driving car business.

American chain restaurant operator Darden Restaurants fell 5%. The company released strong quarterly earnings, but gave a weak annual forecast and said its CEO, Eugene Lee, will step down next May.

Johnson & Johnson's capitalization fell 2.8% after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that citizens get vaccinated with Pfizer or Moderna coronavirus vaccines instead of J&J vaccines because of the risk of blood clots.

Meanwhile, FedEx Corp. jumped 5% in trading after one of the world's largest transportation and logistics companies beat market expectations in adjusted earnings and revenues and improved its full-year forecast.

[KostiaFM]

Forecast for GBP/USD on December 21, 2021

The pound approached the first target level of 1.3160 by 34 points by the end of Monday. The success of the bears, that is, overcoming this support, will open the second target at 1.3012 - the October 2019 high. The Marlin Oscillator is declining in the negative area. The general trend is downward.

On yesterday's four-hour chart, the strength of the resistance of the MACD indicator line was confirmed - the price turned down from it (arrow). The Marlin Oscillator is developing in the negative area. We look forward to further declines.

Forecast for USD/JPY on December 21, 2021

At the end of yesterday, the situation with regard to the yen had practically not changed - the price continued to stay between the support of the trend line of the price channel at 113.22 and the MACD indicator line at 113.96. On December 15, the signal line of the Marlin Oscillator reversed from the zero line, now it moves horizontally below it - this is the market's preparation for a decline. Also, stock indices fell yesterday: S&P 500 -1.14%, Euro Stoxx 50 -1.30%, which helps the pair USD/JPY to develop a downward movement. The target of the decline at 110.80 is the price channel line of the higher timeframe.

On the four-hour scale, the price is strongly supported by the MACD indicator line. Accordingly, consolidating below it becomes the main condition for the formation of a medium-term fall. The direct signal will be the price crossing below the level of 113.22.

The Marlin Oscillator has crossed the border with the growth territory, but this may turn out to be a false signal.470

[KostiaFM]

US shares higher at close of trade; Dow Jones up 1.60%

At the close in New York, the Dow Jones climbed 1.60%, the S&P 500 gained 1.78% and the NASDAQ Composite rose 2.40%.

In the leaders of growth among the components of the Dow Jones at the end of today's trading were shares of Nike Inc, which rose in price by 9.65 points (6.15%), to close at 166.63. Boeing Co rose 5.86% or 11.04 points to end at 199.52. American Express Company added 3.22% or 5.02 points to close at 160.91.

The biggest losers were Merck & Company Inc, which fell 1.14% or 0.87 points to end the session at 75.54. Verizon Communications Inc rose 0.58% or 0.31 points to end at 52.78, while Johnson & Johnson was down 0.32% or 0.54 points to 167. , 21.

The growth leaders among the S&P 500 index components at the end of today's trading were Citrix Systems Inc, which gained 13.63% to 95.05, Micron Technology Inc, which gained 10.54% to close at 90.68, and also Expedia Inc, which was up 9.14% to end at 177.27.

The biggest losers were General Mills Inc, which fell 4.03% to close at 65.06. The Kroger Company shed 3.60% to end the session at 43.87. Pfizer Inc was down 3.39% to 58.95.

The leaders of growth among the components of the NASDAQ Composite index at the end of today's trading were shares of Reliance Global Group Inc, which rose in price by 78.69% to the level of 5.450, Biofrontera Inc, which gained 44.75%, to close at 11.03, as well as shares IsoPlexis Corp rose 40.82% to end at 6.90.

On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of shares that went up (2,671) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (604), while the quotes of 88 shares remained practically unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 2889 companies rose in price, 880 declined, and 215 remained at the level of the previous close.

Aldeyra The shares fell to a 52-week low, shedding 50.91%, 3.63 points to trade at 3.50. Biofrontera Inc rose to an all-time high, gaining 44.75%, 3.41 points, to trade at 11.03. DBV Technologies shares fell to historic lows, down 48.52%, 1.310 points, and ended trading at 1.390. CytomX Therapeutics Inc fell to a 52-week low, down 40.00%, 2.580 points to trade at 3.870.

The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the value of S&P 500 options trading, was down 8.13% to trade at 21.01.

Gold Futures for February delivery was down 0.28% or 5.05 to $ 1,789.55 a troy ounce. Elsewhere, WTI crude for February delivery rose 3.92%, or 2.69, to $ 71.30 a barrel. Futures contract for Brent oil for February delivery was flat 0.00%, or 0.00, to trade at $ 74.03 a barrel.

Meanwhile, on the Forex market, the EUR / USD pair was up 0.02% to hit 1.1286, while the USD / JPY was up 0.01% to hit 114.10.

The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.10% at 96.445.

[KostiaFM]

Forecast for EUR/USD on December 23, 2021

Yesterday, the euro decided to choose an upward direction, intending to complicate and lengthen the horizontal movement, which began on November 29-30. There are about 20 points until the resistance of the MACD line (1.1363), and without breaking the main scenario and its own sideways movement, it is likely that the price will turn down from this resistance. If it overcomes the 1.1363 level, the main scenario will change to a price reversal from the target level of 1.1415. But if the price settles above 1.1415, then an alternative scenario will take effect with the price rising to the target level of 1.1572 (the January 2019 high).

An interesting situation develops on the Marlin Oscillator. Yesterday's exit of the signal line from the rectangular area of consolidation, marked with a gray area, repeats the exit of the signal line from the same consolidation on October 28 - it is marked with a red oval. And, as you can see, after the signal line returned to the range, the price fell.

On the four-hour chart, the price settled above the MACD line, Marlin is confidently rising in the positive area - the situation is upward. Probably, the price will decide to test the strength of the resistance range of 1.1363-1.1415.

Forecast for AUD/USD on December 23, 2021

The Australian dollar approached the resistance of 0.7227 for the second time in the last five days. According to one of the scenarios we are considering, the price may turn down from the resistance today. A modified, but also a scenario for a reversal, assumes a price reversal from the MACD line in the area of 0.7275. Settling above 0.7275 reveals the growth scenario for the aussie to hit the first target at 0.7414. Returning to the area below 0.7171 will open the target at 0.7065.

On the four-hour chart, the price is in an upward position. The planned reversals of the price and the oscillator cannot yet clarify the situation of the higher scale, we are waiting for a signal from the target levels - which one the price could overcome.

[KostiaFM]

Pound sterling reached the high and the small pullback was not critical

The British currency has confidently moved to the next peaks by the end of this week and successfully reached its high. A slight decline did not prevent it from enjoying the victory, which is not the last in the list of this currency.

Yesterday, it managed to rise to a one-month high against the US dollar amid improved risk appetite as concerns about the Omicron coronavirus strain eased. On this wave, the British currency reached the psychologically significant level of 1.3400 and further moved up. Such growth was recorded for the first time since November 23 of this year in view of the US dollar's temporary collapse. According to MUFG Bank analysts, the increased risk appetite negatively affected the American currency and gave a head start to the British one. However, they believe that the prospects for raising interest rates in the United States in 2022 will significantly support the USD.

The pound tried to rise previously, especially before the meeting of the Bank of England. Short bursts of growth did not make significant changes in the dynamics of the pound. However, the situation has now stabilized. On Friday morning, the GBP/USD pair was around the level of 1.3404, but could not hold its gained positions and remained in the range of 1.3392-1.3393.

Analysts said that the pound has risen to the upper border of the wide range, wherein it has been since this month started. Many experts believe that the current dynamics of this currency are caused by technical rather than macroeconomic factors. Analysts pay attention to the overbought GBP, the fact of which is putting pressure on buyers. The current situation forms the so-called "swing" between sellers and buyers. This contributes to the transition of the GBP/USD pair into a downward spiral, where the nearest target is the level of 1.3290.

Meanwhile, the UK's macroeconomic data did not affect the dynamics of the pound very much. Some of them, particularly the rates of economic growth, were revised upward (from the previous 23.6% to the current 24.2%). UK GDP data for the third quarter of 2021 turned out to be slightly worse than forecasted, but quite acceptable – economic growth slowed down by 6.8%. A relatively calm economic environment favorably influenced the dynamics of the pound. According to analysts, the closest prospects for the pound look positive. Based on January 2022 forecast, the British currency may rise.

[KostiaFM]

Gold's price rises again amid the strengthening coronavirus risks

The new COVID-19 strain has left a negative imprint on Christmas this year, helping gold in post-holiday trading in Asia. On Monday morning, the metal started to rise.

Last week, which was shortened due to the celebration of Christmas, the precious metal closed with a rise of 0.4%. The quotes were mainly supported by the growing fears about the spread of the Omicron strain.

On Monday, investors remained concerned that a new variant of the coronavirus could slow the global economic recovery. The degree of panic in the market is raised by disappointing statistics.

It should be noted that the average number of new coronavirus patients in the US last week rose 45%, namely to 179,000 per day. In addition, the UK and France are reporting a new daily high of COVID-19 cases. In these countries, the figure exceeded 122 thousand and 94 thousand, respectively.

The surge in morbidity has led to additional restrictions on Christmas, when travel has traditionally been increasing. To reduce the spread of the virus, commercial airlines around the world canceled more than 4,500 flights over the holiday weekend.

In view of this, the US dollar and the yield on US Treasuries began the new trading week on a minor note. Earlier, the index of the US currency declined by 0.08%, reporting to 96.10 points. At the same time, the yield fell to 1.482%, retreating from the 2-week high reached the day before.

The weakening US dollar and falling yields allowed gold to rise to $1,812.

The tense geopolitical situation also contributed to the upward dynamics of precious metals on Monday morning.

On the other hand, analysts call optimistic data on US retail sales during the holiday shopping season as among the negative factors that are holding back gold's growth. According to the MasterCard report, the indicator increased by 8.5% from November 1 to December 24.

In addition, a current potential danger for the yellow asset is the prospect of adopting the plan of US President Joe Biden. According to experts, any comments on the approval of this bill may put downward pressure on gold quotes in the near future, while on the contrary, the demand for risky assets will grow.

In general, analysts are confident that this week's trading of gold will be weak and limited by a narrow price range because it is currently impossible to single out any particularly powerful trigger among the contradictory factors that are present in the precious metal market.

Experts suggest that a stronger price fluctuation on the current seven-day period is likely to be caused by the publication of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas production index for December. Economists expect an increase to 13.2 from the 11.8 achieved last month.

[KostiaFM]

Trading plan for starters of EUR/USD and GBP/USD on December 28, 2021

Here are the details of the economic calendar for December 27, 2021:

The macroeconomic calendar was empty yesterday, and it was a non-working day in the UK. As a result, market activity was quite low – currencies mostly stood still.

Analysis of trading charts from December 27:

The EUR/USD pair is moving within the upper border of the side channel 1.1225/1.1355, where the wide amplitude has been replaced by a narrow one. This may signal the process of accumulation of trading forces before a new price increase.

The GBP/USD pair locally updated last week's high of 1.3436, but this did not lead to drastic changes. The quote remained in the same place. This confirms the formation of stagnation, which may become a catalyst for trade forces in the long term if new speculative surges are observed.

Despite a fairly strong price growth, there is still a downward trend relative to the daily period. The upward movement may be classified as a correction.

December 28 economic calendar:

Today is not much different from the past. It is still a non-working day in the UK due to the celebration of "Boxing Day". Among the statistical indicators, only the S&P/CaseShiller housing price index in the United States can be noted, which is expected to fall from 19.1% to 18.5%. It is unlikely that the data will affect anything in the market.

Trading plan for EUR/USD on December 28:

The stagnation within the upper border of the flat may be replaced by a decline if the rebound trading method is executed. A signal to sell the euro will appear in the market when the price is kept below the level of 1.1300. This step will lead to the quote's decrease towards the area of 1.1265 - 1.1225.

An alternative scenario of market development considers the tactics of breaking the upper border of the flat. In this case, the euro will receive a short-term signal towards the 1.1400 level. The main signal about the change of trading forces will appear in the market after the price holds above the level of 1.1400 in the daily period.

Trading plan for GBP/USD on December 28:

It is impossible to exclude price surges that will lead to the end of stagnation since there is a high speculative interest in the market. So, traders consider local buy positions above the level of 1.3450 in a four-hour period. This may lead to a prolongation of the correction course in the direction of 1.3510.

The downward trend scenario will become relevant when the price holds below the level of 1.3370. This will lead to a decline towards 1.3290.

A candlestick chart view is graphical rectangles of white and black light, with sticks on top and bottom. When analyzing each candle in detail, you will see its characteristics of a relative period: the opening price, closing price, and maximum and minimum prices.

Horizontal levels are price coordinates, relative to which a stop or a price reversal may occur. These levels are called support and resistance in the market.

Circles and rectangles are highlighted examples where the price of the story unfolded. This color selection indicates horizontal lines that may put pressure on the quote in the future.

The up/down arrows are the reference points of the possible price direction in the future.

[KostiaFM]

Forecast for AUD/USD on December 29, 2021

Yesterday, the Australian dollar attempted to converge with the daily MACD line. The attempt failed and the price quickly returned below the balance indicator line. It ended the day below the balance line, which confirmed our position on the corrective nature of the aussie's entire growth since December 6th. At the moment, the price has gone below the target level 0.7272, closing the day below it will mean settling below the level and its further intention to overcome 0.7171 and head to 0.7065.

On the four-hour chart, the Marlin Oscillator has entered the negative zone - the territory of the downward trend. Confirmation and reinforcement of this signal will be the price drift under the MACD indicator line, below 0.7205.

Forecast for USD/JPY on December 29, 2021

As a result of yesterday, the USD/JPY pair dropped by 4 points, which can be taken as consolidation after the 50-point growth on Monday. This consolidation also suggests that the price is accumulating potential for further growth. The growth target is the 115.80-116.15 range. Returning under the MACD line (114.24) will reverse the downward trend, its nearest target is 113.25.

On the 4-hour chart, the signal line of the Marlin Oscillator is approaching the zero line, the crossing of which will be an early signal for a reversal. Most likely, this will happen when the price settles below yesterday's low of 114.72, that is, the pair should grow from the current levels in order not to give such an embarrassing signal. However, the correction may develop to the level of 114.24 already noted on the daily chart.

[KostiaFM]

Bitcoin's indefinite direction this 2022

Bitcoin begins this year with cautious growth, wobbling on the edge of declining again. Nevertheless, many experts are optimistic about its prospects.

Most analysts are confident that the first cryptocurrency will rise this month. Crypto market experts agree that the first month of the new year will lay the foundation for Bitcoin's growth. According to preliminary calculations, it is likely to grow during the first quarter of 2022. This is facilitated by the activity on the part of institutional investors.

For the last seven years, the years 2020 and 2021 turned out to be the most favorable for the cryptocurrency industry. Bitcoin's price growth during the reporting period was 22%. It can be recalled that from 2015 to 2019, January was characterized by a decline for BTC. According to preliminary estimates, the average decline in digital assets over the years was 17%. At the same time, the average market rate of Bitcoin did not exceed $ 29,000 in early January 2021. The peak price of the leading crypto asset reached $69,000 in November 2021. Later, BTC collapsed by 53%, to $ 28,805. Fortunately, buyers regained their previous losses during the second quarter of the past year, although Bitcoin failed to retain its recovered positions after that. By the end of 2021, the yield of the first cryptocurrency was 72%.

The digital asset ended at around $47,500 during the previous year. On Monday, the BTC/USD pair was around the level of $46,921. It should be noted that at the end of December 2021, Bitcoin was trading at $ 46,300, unsuccessfully trying to rise. Over the past month, it decreased by 19%, which turned out to be one of the worst results since December 2011.

The first cryptocurrency started to fall when the Fed announced its decision to curtail the asset purchase program. The Fed's course of tightening monetary policy hit Bitcoin hard, which plunged noticeably and remained in a downward trend until the end of 2021.

It is usually cautious in the first month of the new year since traditionally, January is not considered a very positive month for this cryptocurrency. Many analysts fear the onset of the crypto winter, during which BTC will lose the major share of its value. In the event of a strong correction of risky assets, experts warn that it will decline to $ 10,000. Three factors can act as a catalyst for the crypto winter: a decrease in the activity of institutional investors, the introduction of national cryptocurrencies (CBDC) by many countries, and the struggle of regulators with the revolutionary blockchain technology sector – GameFi.

However, most experts expect an upward turn in the industry and believe in Bitcoin's prospects. This is facilitated by the high restorative power of Bitcoin and the belief in innovative means of payment as the money of the future. The short and medium-term planning horizon for Bitcoin is also encouraging. Under favorable circumstances, experts summarize that it may be in the range of $72,000 - $75,000 in the first half of 2022.

[KostiaFM]

New year, same dilemma: which to choose between gold or stocks?

The beginning of the new year brought losses to the precious metal. Traders turned away from it, disappointed with how the year 2021 ended in the gold market. As a result, gold declined by 3.6%.

Last week, gold rose by 0.9%, which led to a monthly increase of almost 3% and a quarterly increase of about 4%.

However, the yellow asset ended the year with losses. It showed the sharpest annual drop in 6 years. It plunged by 3.6%, while it fell by more than 10% in 2015.

The results of 2021 disappointed investors. On Monday, the gold market was dominated by a bearish mood. During trading, the precious metal fell 1.6%, or $ 28.50, and fell to a 2-week low of $ 1,800.10.

The fading fears about a new strain of coronavirus were also a strong negative factor for gold. The low mortality rate and hospitalization of patients with Omicron give hope that COVID-19 will not paralyze the world economy in the coming year.

On the wave of optimism about the prospects for global economic growth in 2022, the US stock market was in an optimistic state on Monday. The main US indices rose – Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 0.68%, and the S&P 500 also did so by 0.64%.

A good start to the year for the US dollar also contributed to the rise of indicators. The US currency strengthened by 0.3% due to the significant dynamics of the yield of 10-year US bonds, which reached the highest level yesterday since November.

Most likely, the US dollar and yields will continue their upward movement this week. They will be supported by the monthly report of the US Department of Labor for December.

Economists expect an increase in hourly wages by 0.4% compared to November when the indicator rose by 0.3%. The number of jobs in the non-agricultural sector of the country is also forecasted to rise by 400 thousand. This is almost twice the value recorded in the previous month.

According to strategist Chintan Karnani, it is imperative for gold to trade above the 200-day moving average of $ 1,806.40 right now in order to remain in the short-term bullish zone. Otherwise, we will see a sharper increase in market sales.

Meanwhile, most traders are cautiously optimistic about the future prospects of gold, despite the fact that historically, January is considered a seasonally favorable period for the yellow asset.

At this stage, investors prefer more risky financial instruments to the precious metal, i.e. stocks. However, experts warn that this year will be difficult for the stock market.

It is threatened by rising inflation, continued soft monetary policy by central banks, and a coronavirus that will not go away in the next 12 months. Against this background, gold will feel as comfortable as possible.

At the same time, geopolitical problems will help gold, which will become even more acute in 2022, analyst Jim Wyckoff believes. A bubble in the Chinese real estate market, which may burst, will facilitate this.

[KostiaFM]

Pound sterling achieved new records

As January begins, the British currency decided to keep up with the American one and achieve new records. The pound has now succeeded in its plans, but experts warn about the temporary nature of its growth.

The pound began the new month of the new year by reaching price highs. On Tuesday, it approached two-year highs against the European currency and slightly fell amid the strengthening of the US dollar (by 0.12%, to 1.3464). This was facilitated by a prolonged rise in the cost of government bond yields amid growing expectations about the Bank of England's rate hike. According to preliminary calculations, the interest rate increase will occur next month.

The current situation gave impulse to the pound, which it successfully used. On Wednesday morning, the GBP/USD pair was trading at the level of 1.3527, regaining previous losses and heading towards new levels. However, experts are worried that the pound will not be able to hold on to the reached positions in the mid-term and will plunge again.

Many economists believe that the growth of the pound and the GBP/USD pair will be temporary if inflation in the US and UK accelerates. Currently, the British economy is growing at a slower pace than the American one. The reason for this is the Fed's decisive action on key issues related to stimulus cuts and multiple rate hikes in 2022. As for the Bank of England, it is not planning any radical changes in its monetary policy in the near future. At the moment, the key interest rate of the Fed and the Central Bank of England is at the same level – 0.25%.

If the British regulator refrains from further tightening monetary policy and raising rates, then the pound's growth will be questionable. On the other hand, the Fed's hawkish actions are helping the US dollar's growth, which will continue in 2022. The multi-directional monetary strategies of the Fed and the Bank of England create prerequisites for a decline in the GBP/USD pair in the coming year.

The current superiority of the pound is explained by several factors, including the Bank of England's sudden increase in rates recorded in December 2021, and the refusal of the British authorities from new restrictive measures. According to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the new mutation of the Omicron coronavirus is much milder than other strains. Market participants expect a two-fold increase in rates by the Bank of England. It is possible that the rate will be increased by 15 basis points (bp) by the March meeting of the regulator. By the end of this year, experts do not exclude an additional increase. According to economists, the Bank of England will continue this strategy in 2023.

Economic activity in the UK has remained stable for several months. According to the latest PMI reports, production in the country in December 2021 grew at a faster pace than expected. This inspires the markets with optimism and allows them to make positive forecasts. During the reporting period, the number of jobs fell slightly, but this was offset by an increase in the volume of new orders and an increase in production. Analysts' concern was caused by a significant increase in prices, increasing fears about a new round of inflation.

The current turmoil did not stop the pound's rally, which peaked at the level of 1.4212 in May last year. However, it was brought down by the unexpected decision of the Bank of England in December not to raise interest rates. Against this background, it declined to the lows of 2021 (1.3200), but later recovered. Currency strategists at DBS Bank expect the GBP/USD pair to remain in a low range of 1.2800-1.3300 this year.

The factors slowing down the rate hike by the regulator may be the problems associated with Brexit, as well as difficulties in the trade negotiations between London and Brussels. It is possible that if the negotiations fail, the British government will apply Article 16 and start a trade war with the EU. The implementation of such a scenario would jeopardize the stability of the British economy and national currency. However, analysts hope to reach a compromise in the course of mutually beneficial trade cooperation.

[KostiaFM]

Dollar still dominates other major currencies

Europe's single currency cannot outperform the US dollar. This was stated by Steen Jakobsen, chief investment officer at Saxo Bank. One of the main reasons is that the European regulator is the most static central bank in the world. Thus, the European Union's benchmark interest rate has remained at zero for quite some time, i.e. has not changed since March 2016. Furthermore, ECB head Christine Lagarde sees no reason to raise interest rates in 2022.

According to Eurostat, Euro area annual inflation rose to 4.9% in November, the highest in 25 years. Jakobsen believes that the EU economy can grow faster than the economies of other countries or show a current account surplus. The surplus is falling due to obvious difficulties in the services sector. This also applies to Germany, the eurozone's largest economy.

As for the US dollar, according to the SWIFT, it was still able to hold onto its position as the main currency in the international settlement ranking in November. Thus, the US dollar gained 39.16%. That means it rose by 1.53% in 12 months. It has strengthened due to the widening interest rate gap as well as inflation dynamics in the US compared to other major markets such as Japan and Europe.

The euro was clearly underperforming. It gained 37.66%, with a year-on-year increase of only 0.22%. Among the leaders were the British pound, Japanese yen, and Chinese renminbi.

A monetary tightening by the US Federal Reserve, which is expected by analysts in March, will give the dollar the strongest support, making it extremely difficult for most currencies to rise against the US dollar in the coming months.

It is the interest rate differential, not the coronavirus, that will determine sentiment in the major currency markets in the near future. The vast majority of analysts polled by Reuters are confident that fluctuations in the currency markets will become noticeably greater over the next three months. Notably, this confidence applies not only to the currencies of the major markets but also to emerging market currencies.

After an interest rate hike already in the first month of spring, the US regulator is expected to start reducing its assets. The dollar could then feel superior to the other major currencies. By the way, financial markets expect at least three rate hikes in the US this year.

[KostiaFM]

US shares mixed at close of trade; Dow Jones Industrial Average down 0.45%

At the close in New York, the Dow Jones shed 0.45%, the S&P 500 shed 0.14% and the NASDAQ Composite shed 0.05%.

In the leaders of growth among the components of the Dow Jones at the end of today's trading were shares of Intel Corporation, which rose in price by 1.77 points (3.31%), to close at 55.21. Merck & Company Inc added 2.58% or 2.07 points to end trade at 82.37. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated rose 1.40% or 6.40 points to end at 465.00.

The biggest losers were Nike Inc, which fell 4.16% or 6.53 points to end the session at 150.44. Boeing Co shares were up 2.87% or 6.19 points to end at 209.31, while Visa Inc Class A was down 2.30% or 4.99 points to 211. , 97.

The leaders of growth among the components of the S&P 500 index at the end of today's trading were shares of Moderna Inc, which rose in price by 9.28% to the level of 233.70, Humana Inc, which gained 6.06%, to close at 385.18, as well as shares Hologic Inc, which were up 4.47% to end at 73.45.

The biggest losers were Take-Two Interactive Software Inc, which fell 13.13% to close at 142.99. Cardinal Health Inc shed 5.92% to end the session at 51.03. Estee Lauder Companies Inc was down 5.36% to 335.89.

The top gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite index at the end of today's trading were shares of Bone Biologics Corp, which rose 57.14% to reach 5.39, Zynga Inc, which gained 40.67% to close at 8.44, and Molecular Partners AG ADR shares rose 30.22% to end at 21.50.

The biggest losers were TDH Holdings Inc, which fell 81.86% to close at 0.740. Kidpik Corp shares lost 27.47% and ended the session at 4.75. Rapid Micro Biosystems Inc was down 21.23% to 7.20.

On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2052) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (1186), while the quotes of 158 shares remained practically unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange 2,493 companies fell in price, 1,368 increased, and 206 remained at the level of the previous close.

Take-Two Interactive Software Inc fell to a 52-week low, down 13.13%, 21.61 points to trade at 142.99. TDH Holdings Inc fell to a 52-week low, down 81.86%, 3.340 points to trade at 0.740. Kidpik Corp's shares fell to historic lows, down 27.47%, 1.80 points, to close at 4.75. Molecular Partners AG ADR rose to all-time highs, up 30.22%, 4.99 points, to close at 21.50. Rapid Micro Biosystems Inc fell to historic lows, down 21.23%, 1.94 points to end at 7.20.

The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures the value of S&P 500 options trading, was up 3.41% to trade at 19.40.

Gold Futures for February delivery was up 0.21% or 3.85 to $ 1.801.25 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities, WTI crude for February delivery fell 0.62%, or 0.49, to $ 78.41 a barrel. Futures contracts for Brent oil for delivery in March were unchanged 0.00%, or 0.00, to trade at $ 81.02 a barrel.

Meanwhile, on the Forex market, EUR / USD was up 0.03% to hit 1.1327, while USD / JPY was flat 0.00% to hit 115.20.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.23% at 95.938.

[KostiaFM]

Did the Fed cause the US dollar to collapse?

The US dollar dropped after the Fed's statements about the duration of the normalization of monetary policy. During this process, the indicated currency risks losing its advantages as the main safe-haven currency.

On Wednesday, the US currency collapsed to its lowest level since November 2021. The main reason for this was the statements of Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, who allowed a gradual increase in interest rates amid the continuous high inflation in the United States. The regulator's management believes that it will take several months to make a decision to cut the central bank's balance sheet by $ 9 trillion.

In a similar situation, this currency found itself in a slight stupor state, trying to cope with the current losses. Powell's statements that the US economy "does not need aggressive monetary stimulus measures" exerted additional pressure. The central bank is ready to start normalizing monetary policy, but this process will take time. During the speech of the Fed chairman, the markets expected to find signals about the possible timing of the first rate hike. However, the situation remained unclear, as the head of the regulator stressed that the Fed did not focus on the timing of amendments to the monetary policy and did not make decisions on reducing the balance sheet.

The tension of the general background of the global financial market shocked the US dollar. On Wednesday morning, the EUR/USD pair was in the range of 1.1373-1.1374. At the same time, the Euro currency has slightly risen since the close of the previous session, in which it was trading at the level of 1.1364.

Experts believe that the key factor influencing the US dollar's dynamics is risk appetite, which currently determines its state and the market. According to analysts, the Fed's "hawkish" position affects the US dollar only if risky sentiment weakens. Against the background of risk aversion, the US dollar usually grows, and with an increase in risk appetite, it falls, which happened this week.

The fact that the US currency did not react much to Friday's US employment report surprised market participants According to current records, the US economy has nearly full employment. Experts explain the dollar's "detachment" from macro statistics by the fact that it reacts to an increase in profitability only when risk sentiment sharply decreases. The US currency rises only during a liquidity crisis when the shares of borrowed funds in the stock markets are noticeably reduced.

The main topic for market participants was the Fed's actions related to the upcoming cut of stimulus measures and an increase in interest rates. It can be recalled that the federal funds rate has been increased by 15 basis points (bp) over the past four sessions. According to preliminary forecasts, four or more Fed rate hikes are expected this year. A similar development of events is allowed if inflation accelerates.

The next steps of the regulator will be more aggressive than expected – quantitative easing (QE) or a rate hike of more than 25 bp. After the rate increase, the Fed's balance sheet will begin to shrink, which will take about two years. The regulator is expected to withdraw $ 1.5 trillion of excess liquidity from the system to keep the global financial market afloat. The current situation weakens the US dollar, which resists negativity. The US dollar is supported by the fact that the markets have considered the tightening of the Fed's policy at current prices.

[KostiaFM]

US stock indicators rose on inflation data

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 38.3 points (0.11%) to 36,290.32 points. Standard & Poor's 500 increased by 13.28 points (0.28%) - up to 4726.35 points. The Nasdaq Composite added 34.94 points (0.23%) to 15,188.39 points.

Papers of the pharmaceutical company Biogen Inc. fell by 6.7%. The U.S. government said Medicare will only cover the cost of Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm for early-stage patients enrolled in clinical trials. The share price of Eli Lilly & Co., which is developing a similar drug, fell 2.44%.

The cost of the health insurance company Humana Inc. rose by 0.92%. The company will launch a $1 billion share buyback as part of the $3 billion buyback program announced last February.

Meta Platforms Inc. (formerly Facebook) has appointed Tony Xu, head of food delivery service DoorDash Inc., to the company's board of directors. DoorDash shed 2.1%, while Meta lost 0.3%.

The manufacturer of surgical robots and systems Intuitive Surgical reported that revenue in October-December, according to preliminary data, reached nearly $1.55 billion, which is 17% higher than the same period in 2020. However, the company's share price fell 1.5%.

Bank Jefferies Financial Group Inc. in the 4th quarter of 2021 recorded revenue of $1.81 billion, which is 3% less than in the same period last year. The indicator also turned out to be worse than analysts' forecasts, who estimated it at $1.9 billion. Quotes of the bank's papers fell by 9.3%.

Satellite provider Dish Network Corp. rose by 2.8%. The New York Post, citing informed sources, said the company is in talks to merge with DirectTV.

Cost of Caterpillar Inc. rose by 1.1%. Analysts at UBS Bank increased the target price of the company's shares to $250 from $235 per share.

Consumer prices (CPI) in the United States soared 7% last month compared to the same month in 2020, according to data from the country's Department of Labor. The pace of growth has become the highest in 40 years - since June 1982.

Inflation accelerated from 6.8% in November and was in line with analysts' forecasts.

Capitol Securities Management economist Kent Engelk noted that despite the fact that the indices ended trading below the highs of the session, the market showed signs of relief, as inflation was in line with forecasts.

According to experts from RBC Capital Markets, inflation will continue to accelerate in early 2022, stabilize and begin to slow down in the second quarter, they believe. But the Fed will most likely feel pressure from rising prices and will be forced to make a decision to raise (rates) already at a meeting in March.

[KostiaFM]

US dollar is trying to resist the decline amid statistics and high inflation

The US currency has to fight the collapse again at the end of the week, resisting the negative impact of several factors, including the problem of macro statistics. Nevertheless, experts are confident that it will recover without much loss.

For a long time, this currency remains hostage to high US inflation. It can be recalled that the December macro statistics showed the highest core inflation over the past 40 years. The recent US CPI excluding food and energy in annual terms was 5.5%, which is higher than November's 4.9%. Current macro reports have shown that the expectation of the Fed's decisive action has reached a peak. The current situation practically sharply affected the US dollar, which is trying to resist the impact of negative factors.

It has now suffered significant losses, including a key technical breakthrough in the EUR/USD pair. On Thursday, the classic pair broke the resistance line around 1.1386, which limited the actions of the EUR/USD pair since November 2021. The reason for this is the sharp weakening of the US currency, recorded after the release of the December CPI. On Friday morning, the EUR/USD pair was trading at the level of 1.1477, trying to keep its won positions.

Experts consider the level of 1.1500 to be the next important resistance area for the pair. This is the previous low of the EUR/USD pair recorded before its massive collapse last November. The current situation is much the same. Today, the US dollar hit its biggest weekly drop in eight months. The reason for this is a sharp reduction in long positions on the USD and the markets taking into account several Fed rate hikes in its price.

According to analysts, expectations of decisive action from the Fed do not matter much for the US dollar. Earlier, the US currency collapsed amid a sharp rise in the price of a number of commodities. The only "trump card" it has now will be another search for a safe haven if risk sentiment changes dramatically. The dynamics of this currency are significantly affected by inflation, and most often negatively. The Fed keeps the need to outpace its growth, and this tension has a negative impact on the American currency.

However, many experts are optimistic about the US dollar's medium and long-term prospects. Specialists believe that it will systematically strengthen, alternating ups and downs. Analysts summarize that this is facilitated by the continued growth of commodities and the global asset market.

[KostiaFM]

US dollar is looking for support to rise again

The US dollar started the new week with multi-directional dynamics. It remains between two contradictory actions. In such a state, experts say that it is difficult for the US currency to rise, but there is also no reason for it to decline.

At the end of last week, the above-mentioned currency surprised the markets by making sharp multi-directional movements in an attempt to consolidate with the status of a protective asset. However, these efforts were unsuccessful. Currently, the US dollar has regained some equilibrium, although some unorganized dynamics remain.

The Fed's hawkish intentions regarding multiple rate hikes this year have contributed to the US dollar's multi-directional movements. Against this background, it held to the previous rebound in the EUR/USD pair, as investors included several rate increases in its price. Experts said that the aggressive rhetoric of the regulator contributes to a sharp strengthening of the US dollar, combined with an increase in the yield of US Treasury bonds. The current yield on ten-year Treasuries has risen from the previous 1.772% to 1.793%. Experts believe that this provides additional support to the US currency.

On Monday morning, the EUR/USD pair was trading in the range of 1.1418-1.1419, trying to rise slightly. However, it is hard for it to reach new peaks right now.

Experts note the predominance of the "bearish" mood in the EUR/USD pair, which was facilitated by the breakdown of the mirror level of 1.1465 last Friday. At this point, the bulls are trying to control the situation. Their offensive will be successful if the levels of 1.1478 and 1.1529 are reached. However, the "bullish" scenario is likely to be canceled if the bears consolidate at the support level of 1.1401. In this case, the path towards the levels of 1.1353 and 1.1285 will be open.

According to experts, multiple increases in the Fed's interest rates in 2022 are necessary to avoid overheating the US economy. If overheating occurs, financial crises are possible, which will have a devastating impact.

Markets are still worried about the extremely high level of US inflation (7% in annual terms). According to preliminary estimates, this is three times higher than the pre-pandemic. The reasons for this growth are active monetary stimulus, the disruption of supply chains amid COVID-19, and problems in the US labor market, including higher wages due to a shortage of workers and more frequent job changes.

Experts consider raising the interest rate of the Fed as one of the main ways to curb US inflation. Most market participants expect this in March 2022, although some expected it to rise at the next meeting of the regulator, scheduled for January 26. Analysts admit that the Fed's strategy may be more aggressive than expected. The implementation of such a scenario will direct inflation downwards, but will significantly affect US economic growth.

Currently, the US currency is trying to rise and consolidate in an upward trend. However, these actions are held with varying success. Concerns about its further decline are provoked by the rising bearish mood on the EUR/USD pair. Traders built up positions for three weeks to buy the US dollar, and then changed tactics to the opposite. Throughout the previous week, large investment funds have reduced USD purchases by 5%. Experts conclude that the continuation of the current trend contributes to the US dollar's further decline.

[KostiaFM]

European stock markets closed trading with strong growth

The Chinese economy grew 4% in the last quarter of 2021 compared to the same period of the previous year, the weakest increase since the second quarter of 2020, data from the National Bureau of Statistics of the PRC showed. GDP growth slowed down from 4.9% in the previous quarter, however, exceeded the forecasts of experts who had expected growth of 3.6%.

In 2021 as a whole, Chinese GDP increased by 8.1%, which exceeded the country's target of "above 6%". In 2020, according to revised data, the country's economy grew by 2.2%, and not by 2.3%, as previously reported.

The composite index of the largest companies in the Stoxx Europe 600 region rose by 0.7% by the close of trading and amounted to 484.51 points.

The French CAC 40 added 0.82%, the German DAX - 0.32%, the British FTSE 100 - 0.91%. Spain's IBEX 35 and Italy's FTSE MIB rose 0.36% and 0.52%, respectively.

Unilever Plc, one of the world's leading food and home goods manufacturers, has made its third offer to acquire a joint venture between GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) PLC and Pfizer Inc. for the production of consumer health products for 50 billion pounds ($68.4 billion). Unilever lost 7% and GSK rose 4.1%.

The Spanish bank Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA will return more than 7 billion euros to its shareholders in 2021 and 2022. In particular, the bank plans to complete a €3.5 billion share buyback program launched last year and pay dividends for two years. Banco Bilbao's share price rose 0.3%.

Shares of Air France-KLM added 0.6%. The air carrier has asked the EU authorities to make more flexible rules for the use of slots (the period of time that an airport allocates an aircraft for takeoff or landing - IF) at the region's airports amid restrictions imposed on flights due to COVID-19.

Share prices of Credit Suisse Group AG fell 2.3% on news that the bank's chairman Antonio Horta-Osorio is leaving his post after violating covid restrictions.

The value of British pharmaceuticals Clinigen Group PLC fell 0.8% after it became known that Triton Funds was buying the company for 1.3 billion pounds ($1.78 billion).

Fraport AG lost 0.5%. Frankfurt am Main Airport (Germany), operated by Fraport, served 24.8 million passengers in 2021, which is 32.2% higher than the previous year, when passenger traffic collapsed by 73% and reached its lowest level since 1984. Meanwhile, passenger traffic remains 64.8% below pre-pandemic 2019, according to a Fraport press release.

[KostiaFM]

Trading plan for starters of EUR/USD and GBP/USD on January 19, 2022

Here are the details of the economic calendar on January 19, 2022:

The only news in the macroeconomic calendar yesterday was the indicators on the UK labor market, which came out not bad at all. Here, the unemployment rate declined from 4.2% to 4.1%. At the same time, the number of applications for benefits in the period of December fell by 43.3 thousand, with a forecast of 38.6 thousand.

Only the employment data have a different result. It only rose by 60 thousand against the predicted growth of 125 thousand. Meanwhile, the growth of wages slowed down from 4.9% to 4.2%, which is noticeably worse than the forecast of 4.3%. This served as clear negativity in the report.

As a result, the overbought pound did not react in any way to the report on the labor market and continued to decline.

In terms of the information flow yesterday afternoon, reports began to arrive about a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases in Germany. This was the impetus for speculation in the market, which led to a sharp weakening of the euro.

January 19 economic calendar:

The UK's inflation data was published today at 7:00 Universal time, where it rose from 5.1% to 5.4%, with a forecast of 5.2%. Rising consumer prices once again prove that the Bank of England will continue to raise interest rates.

During the US trading session, the construction sector data of the United States will be published. The number of building permits issued, as well as the volume of construction of new homes, is expected to fall.

This is not the best signal for the US economy, but it is still unknown whether this will be a signal for the US dollar to sell-off.

Trading plan for EUR/USD on January 19:

There is currently a small pullback, which is more like a price stagnation in the range of 1.1310/1.1335. Therefore, it is worth considering an acceleration strategy, where the current stagnation will serve as a lever in the market.

We concretize the above details into trading signals:

Sell positions should be considered after holding the price above 1.1340 with the prospect of moving to 1.1370.

Sell positions should be considered after holding the price below 1.1310 with the prospect of moving to 1.1280.

Trading plan for GBP/USD on January 19:

In this situation, a stagnation-pullback relative to the level of 1.3600 is possible. This move is still considering the possibility of resuming upward inertia, which will lead to a complete change of trading interests.

At the same time, to prolong the correction, it is enough to stay below the level of 1.3570. This step will open up the possibility of a recovery move towards the level of 1.3450.

[KostiaFM]

Most Asia-Pacific indicators show growth

Today most of Asian indicators demonstrate growth. The Shanghai Composite and the Hang Seng indices were up by 0.29% and 2.34% on the Shanghai and Hong Kong exchanges. Meanwhile, another Chinese indicator - the Shenzhen Composite - declined by 0.35%. The Japanese index Nikkei 225 increased by 1.15%, Korean KOSPI climbed by 0.53%, Australian S&P/ASX 200 went up less than others by 0.14%.

China's central bank decided to reduce the interest rate to 3.7% from 3.8%. In December 2021, the reduction of the rates occurred for the first time in almost 2 years. This was done in order to reduce the costs of companies and support the economy of the country.

Chinese companies Country Garden Services Holdings Co. gained 15.76%, Meituan climbed by 8.49% and Haidilao International Holding, Ltd. increased by 7,67%. Xiaomi Corp. and Geely Automobile Holdings, Ltd. also gained 2.3% and 1.5%, respectively.

Investor sentiment was also positively affected by the release of economic data from Japan. The data showed that Japan's exports increased by 17.5% in December 2021. At the same time, analysts had expected an increase in exports by 16%. Economists attribute export growth to increased demand for steel, automobiles and semiconductors, as well as settlement of supplies. Imports increased by 41.1%, but according to expectations, their growth is estimated at 42.8%.

Among Japanese companies, Konami Holdings Corp. increased by 6.02%, Nexon Co. raised by 5.96% and Itochu Corp. gained 5,17%. Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. and Nintendo Co., Ltd. rose by 2.3% and 2.9%, respectively.

At the same time, traders remain concerned about the spread of coronavirus in the world and the tightening of restrictive measures, which many states are forced to take. The closest attention is focused on China's attempts to reduce the number of COVID-19 infections to a minimum on the eve of the Chinese New Year and the Winter Olympics.

Following the growth of the Korean stock exchange, Kia Corp. increased by 0.1% and Hyundai Motor Co. gained 0.3%, as well as LG Corp. climbed by 1.3%, while Samsung Electronics Co. fell by 0.1%.

Australia's unemployment rate fell. According to the latest data released last month, unemployment fell to 4.2% from 4.6%. This was due to the removal of restrictive measures aimed at preventing of the spread of COVID-19. Notably, this figure is the lowest for the last 14 years. According to forecasts, it should have decreased only by 0.1%, to 4.5%.

Amid this positive news, BHP Group securities increased by 3.1% and Rio Tinto - by 3.2%.

[KostiaFM]

Robinhood will launch cryptocurrency wallets

The company's blog posts on Thursday revealed that Robinhood Markets Inc is deploying cryptocurrency wallets for 1,000 users, allowing them to send and receive cryptocurrencies through their brokerage accounts.

Last year, the Menlo Park-based online brokerage laid out plans to start testing cryptocurrency wallets with a goal to wider use in 2022.

Out of the 1.6 million people on the crypto wallet waiting list, the top 1,000 can now exchange their cryptocurrency from Robinhood for external crypto wallets.

The new feature also connects digital asset owners to the blockchain ecosystem.

According to the company's terms, Beta testers will have a daily limit of $2,999 for total withdrawals and 10 transactions. They will also need to enable two-factor authentication.

Robinhood plans to expand the program to 10,000 customers by March 2022.

Robinhood's customers have long been asking for cryptocurrency wallets, which allow them to participate more broadly in blockchain-based ecosystems to be able to buy virtual assets such as non-fungible tokens (NTF) on the Ethereum network.

The company will be required to report fourth-quarter earnings on January 27.

[KostiaFM]

CFTC report: US dollar's massive sell-off before the FOMC meeting. Overview of USD, EUR, and GBP

Monday's focus is on PMI reports from the US, the UK, and the Eurozone, which will answer the question of whether inflationary pressures are weakening or increasing, as well as what impacts the sharply increased speed of the spread of COVID-19 has had on the economy.

According to the CFTC report published on Friday, the US dollar underwent massive sales during the reporting week. The cumulative long position decreased by 7 billion, which is one of the largest weekly dollar drawdowns since the summer of 2020, and fell to 13 billion – the lowest since September.

Almost all currencies, except the Swiss franc, increased their positions against the US currency. The pound and the euro are having the largest surge.

Markets show mixed dynamics. Stock indices ended the past week in the red zone, a number of industrial commodities (oil, copper, iron ore) were also slightly in the red zone, and UST yields declined and dragged the global yield indices with them. So far, it can be said that the markets are noticeably losing enthusiasm as the Fed meeting approaches, which means an increase in demand for defensive assets.

EUR/USD

ECB President, Christine Lagarde, said at the virtual conference in Davos that the Central Bank did not expect GDP growth, labor market recovery, and high inflation at the beginning of 2021. However, she does not see a threat due to rising inflation and assumes that it will decline to 2% by the end of this year.

The CFTC report showed a sharp increase in demand for the euro, whose net long position increased by 2.627 billion to 3.48 billion during the reporting week. The estimated price continues to grow steadily.

If we compare the plans of the Fed and the ECB, they are clearly not in favor of the euro. The Fed is likely to start raising rates in March and raise them 4 times by the end of the year, and then start reducing the balance sheet by the middle of the year. On the contrary, the ECB is expected to complete the PEPP program in March. The APP program will also end within a year, but the ECB rate increase is not expected at all until the end of 2023. Accordingly, the rate differential will increase significantly in favor of the US dollar, which will lead to a decrease in the EUR/USD exchange rate in the middle and long term.

But why aren't investors frantically buying up the US dollar then?

Nordea did a bit of research into the impact of the Fed's rate hike cycle on the euro and came to the surprising conclusion that there was no direct correlation. If there was a direct correlation (the Fed raised rates by a total of 175p and the euro fell from 1.20 to 0.90) in 1999/2000, then in the 2004/06 increase cycle, there was no connection at all between the rate and the euro rate. Moreover, after the end of the Fed cycle, the EUR/USD rate turned out to be higher than before the start of the cycle.

Accordingly, it is too naive to expect that the euro will react strictly according to the rule. The increase in the settlement price so far only indicates that there is no growth in demand for the US dollar, despite the tightening of rhetoric. Technically, the euro did not manage to go above the channel border, which means a signal for an attempt to update the low, but the CFTC report and the dynamics of GKO rates indicate the opposite. Focusing on investors' behavior, it can be assumed that a decline in the EUR/USD after the announcement of the results of the FOMC meeting will not happen. The support level of 1.1186 formed at the end of November will remain. A movement to 1.1484 is more likely.

GBP/USD

The pound is under short-term pressure after the release of weak retail sales data on Friday, lowering inflationary expectations. On the contrary, the CFTC report turned out to be confidently bullish for the pound, the growth of long positions by 2.465 billion allowed to completely liquidate the net short position. The settlement price is directed strictly upwards.

The possibility of Boris Johnson's voluntary resignation did not arouse any interest among traders, since it is such a small event in the current realities. It can be assumed that if the downward correction ends, the pound will try to find support in the 1.3520/30 zone and continue growth with the target of 1.3830. The breakdown of this resistance will technically mean an upturn.

[KostiaFM]

European stock markets posted their worst drop since November 2021

The composite index of the largest enterprises in the region Stoxx Europe 600 fell by 3.81% and amounted to 456.36 points.

The French CAC 40 index lost almost 4%, the German DAX - 3.8%, the British FTSE 100 - 2.6%. Spain's IBEX 35 and Italy's FTSE MIB were down 3.2% and 4%, respectively.

Dutch consumer goods and medical equipment maker Royal Philips NV fell 4.6%. The company in the 4th quarter of 2021 reduced net profit by 75%, revenue - by 6%, which turned out to be worse than expected.

French Kering, which owns several luxury brands, fell 3%. Kering will sell Sowind Group SA, which owns Swedish watchmakers Girard-Perregaux and Ulysse Nardin, to the company's top management.

Meanwhile, Unilever Plc rose 7.3% after The Wall Street Journal reported that hedge fund Trian Fund Management LP, led by billionaire Nelson Peltz, bought a stake in the company.

Bicycle maker Accell soared 25% on the news that the company was bought by a consortium of investors led by KKR fund for 1.6 billion euros.

Vodafone Group's market value rose 4.5% on rumors of a possible merger with carrier Three in the UK and Iliad in Italy.

The main attention of the market is drawn to the meeting of the Committee on operations on the open markets of the US Federal Reserve, which will begin on Tuesday and end on Wednesday. As expected, following the meeting, the Fed may signal its readiness to raise the key interest rate as early as March.

Also a negative factor is the growing tension in Eastern Europe. The US State Department on Sunday recommended that American citizens in Ukraine leave the country immediately, citing an excessive increase in Russia's military presence on the border.

The UK on Sunday also accused Russia of trying to bring a leadership loyal to the Kremlin to power in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, NATO is putting its military on alert and sending more ships and fighter jets to Eastern Europe as Russian forces build up near Ukraine.

Renne Friedman, senior economist at Exante, said the poor start to the week follows a fairly bearish week for risk assets. Investors were unimpressed by US banks' fourth-quarter quarterly reports, and besides, fears about the Fed's tightening policy and high inflation in various regions of the world put significant pressure on risk appetite.

In addition, investors are evaluating the latest batch of statistics on the change in the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) in the euro area in January.

The consolidated PMI of 19 eurozone countries fell to 52.4 points this month from 53.3 points in December, according to preliminary data from Markit Economics. Analysts at Trading Economics on average expected the indicator to drop to 52.6 points.

The PMI in the services sector in the euro area fell to 51.2 from 53.1, while in the manufacturing sector the indicator rose to 59 from 58 last month.

The consolidated PMI of Germany in January rose to 54.3 points from 49.9 points last month. The indicator is again above the 50-point mark, which separates the growth of business activity from the recession.

In the service sector in Germany, PMI rose to 52.2 from 48.7 points, in the manufacturing industry - up to 60.5 points from 57.4.

The January value of the consolidated PMI of France amounted to 52.7 points compared to 55.8 points in December. The index of business activity in the service sector fell to 53.1 from 57 points, in the manufacturing industry - to 55.5 from 55.6 points.

[KostiaFM]

Most Asian stock markets are trading in the red

The Federal Reserve may signal to markets that it is ready to start raising interest rates in March following its January meeting, which ends on Wednesday, analysts say. This will be the first rate hike since 2018.

The easing of monetary policy was caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. But now the Fed may also say that it is considering other options for tightening monetary policy to combat rising inflation, CNBC notes.

A growing number of Fed officials and Wall Street economists see the possibility of more than three hikes in the base interest rate by the US Central Bank this year against the backdrop of a significant rise in consumer prices. They explain these forecasts as signals that inflation in the US, which is at a maximum for almost 40 years, affects all segments of the economy, while the labor market is growing rapidly.

The Japanese Nikkei fell by 0.4% by 8:36 GMT+2.

Among the components of the index, the shares of Idemitsu Kosan Co. are the leaders of decline. Ltd. (-8.8%), Shionogi & Co. Ltd. (-5.9%) and Ricoh Co. Ltd. (-4.9%).

Shares of the metallurgical company Japan Steel Works Ltd. lose 2.5%, shares of IT company Rakuten Group Inc. grow by 0.7%, investment SoftBank Group Corp. add 1.8%.

The Hong Kong Hang Seng fell by 0.1% by 8:45 GMT+2, while the Shanghai Shanghai Composite rose by 0.3%.

Shenzhou International Group Holdings Ltd (-7.4%), Wuxi Biologics (Cayman) Inc. are the decline leaders in Hang Seng. (-6.5%) and Li Ning Co. Ltd.(-3.08%).

Shares of automaker Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. are cheaper by 2.3%, technology company JD.com Inc. - grow by 1.4%.

South Korean Kospi lost 0.15% by 8:45 GMT+2.

Shares of automaker Kia Corp. (KS:000270) up 1.8%, shares of Hyundai Motor Co. decrease by 2.1%.

The cost of chip and electronics manufacturer Samsung Electronics Co. is down 0.8%, its rival LG Corp. grows by 0.1%.

Australian stock exchanges are closed due to the holiday (Australia Day).

[KostiaFM]

Powell pushed the dollar up

The US dollar rose after Jerome Powell's rather harsh statements during a meeting of the US Federal Reserve's Open Market Operations Committee on Wednesday, which cannot be said about the stock market, whose indicators have noticeably declined.

So, the American regulator, as expected by analysts, left the interest rate in the country unchanged. The first and, perhaps, the main thesis of the meeting sounds like this: the right time to raise interest rates is about to come. The completion of the asset purchase program will take place a couple of weeks earlier than expected, namely in early March. The reduction of the balance sheet will occur from the beginning of the rate hike cycle. The situation in the economy and labor market of the United States is already noticeably better. The unemployment rate has finally significantly decreased, so there is no point in delaying the tightening of the PEPP.

It is worth noting that Powell, in an uncharacteristic manner, spoke rather harshly about the economy during the meeting, and did not calm the already noticeably fallen market. He finally admitted that inflation in the US is too high and its growth can no longer be called a temporary phenomenon. Powell stressed that the US economy no longer needs such large support from the Federal Reserve.

Bank of Singapore strategist Moh Siong Sim said that the market expects rates to rise at least four times this year, that is, one increase per quarter. At the same time, J. Powell noted in his speech that he does not exclude more than four stages.

After the meeting of the American regulator and the subsequent press conference, Powell's dollar exchange rate fluctuated for a while, but eventually returned to the levels that preceded the announcement of the results. On Thursday, greenback quotes are trading at the highest level in many weeks. The dollar index against a basket of six major currencies by the time of preparation of the material increased by 0.92% to 96.81.

Paired with the single European currency, the dollar rose to a two-month high of 1.1195. Against the Japanese yen, it was able to maintain growth at the level of 114.81. Paired with the kiwi, the dollar rose to its highest level in more than a year, and against the Australian dollar rose to a seven-week peak.

The pound sterling fell against the dollar by 0.29%. At the time of preparation of the material, it is trading at $ 1.3422, while being in a delicate balance. The movement of the pound is limited by the situation with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is under pressure because he attended parties during the general quarantine in the country. Traders' close attention is also focused on the meeting of the Bank of England, which will be held next week.

Speech by Powell had a strong impact on risky assets. So, Thursday morning was marked by the fact that in Asia, the leading indexes are falling within 3.1%, futures for the main American indexes fell by more than 1%.

The Fed's harsh rhetoric on Wednesday also had an impact on US stock indices, which fell sharply last night. On Thursday morning, futures on them lost more than 1%.

[KostiaFM]

Crypto analysts doubt Bitcoin's bright future

Last week, the leading digital asset declined to $32,900 for the first time since the summer of 2021. However, by the end of last week, BTC increased by 7.3% reaching $37,700.

The recent growth of the US stock market triggered the rebound of Bitcoin. This growth has interrupted the negative dynamics for the first time after three weeks of steady decline. In addition, this once again emphasized the increased correlation of exchange and virtual assets lately.

The leading altcoins followed the growth of the flagship digital asset. Thus, during the week Ethereum jumped by 7%, and Binance Coin increased by 4.6%. At the same time, the total capitalization of the crypto market rose by 1.7% to $1.79 trillion.

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is hovering at $37,000 and its capitalization stands at $706 billion, according to CoinGecko, the world's largest independent cryptocurrency data aggregator.

Despite a temporary stabilization, the situation in the crypto market remains extremely unstable, with BTC risking a third consecutive month of decline. Thus, in January, the first cryptocurrency has already lost about 20%, and the collapse from the November highs exceeded 45%.

The unpredictable trading of the crypto market makes experts give mixed forecasts. The former head of the cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX Arthur Hayes said that in the near future, Bitcoin may collapse to $20,000 once the support of $28,000-$30,000 is broken through.

This level is important for market participants, as it prevented the collapse of BTC in the summer of last year when the value of the coin fell to $28,000. The reason for Bitcoin's large-scale collapse was the largest hash rate drop in the history of crypto-assets amid the mass relocation of miners from China.

By the way, crypto-enthusiasts began to feel more pessimistic about the endless growth of bitcoin. Thus, analysts at JPMorgan, one of the world's largest banks, reduced the fair valuation of BTC to $38,000 from $150,000.

According to JPMorgan, the main reason for such a negative outlook on the future of the main cryptocurrency is high volatility, which limits the use of digital assets by institutional investors.

Experts stressed that the recent sharp pullback by 50% in bitcoin from its November all-time high was a signal to cancel the addition of BTC to the investment portfolios of many institutions, funds, and organizations.

Earlier experts of the bank were betting on the convergence of Bitcoin volatility with gold volatility and the equation of their shares in portfolios of investors. According to the bank's scenario for 2022, the volatility ratio of the main cryptocurrency to gold may reduce by two times.

However, in their latest report, analysts at JPMorgan lowered the price of Bitcoin to 1/4 of $150,000, that is, to $38,000. In addition, the bank's experts did not rule out a further drop in the value of the main cryptocurrency in the absence of market buy signals.

[KostiaFM]

Trading plan for starters of EUR/USD and GBP/USD on February 1, 2022

February 1 economic calendar:

Europe will release its labor market data today, where the unemployment rate may decline from 7.2% to 7.1%. This is a positive factor that can support the euro locally.

The final data on business activity in the manufacturing sector in Europe, the UK, and the US for January is unlikely to put pressure on the market.

JOLTS data on open vacancies in the US will be published during the American trading session. The total number of which may rise from 10,562 thousand to 11,075 thousand. If the data is confirmed, the US dollar may receive support.

Time targeting

The index of business activity in the European manufacturing sector - 9:00 Universal time

The index of business activity in the UK manufacturing sector - 9:30 Universal time

EU unemployment rate - 10:00 Universal time

The index of business activity in the US manufacturing sector - 14:45 Universal time

The number of open vacancies in the US labor market (JOLTS) - 15:00 Universal time

Trading plan for EUR/USD on Feb 1:

According to the correction structure, the price movement is still relevant in the market, but its scale indicates the possibility of early completion. So while working on the euro's growth, it is worth preparing to reduce the volume of long positions, which will lead to the resumption of the downward trend. The area of 1.1270/1.1300 is considered as a variable resistance level.analytics61f8de57430a4.jpg

Trading plan for GBP/USD on Feb 1:

The pullback stage is still relevant in the market. As a result, traders do not rule out the pound's slight strengthening towards 1.3500. At this moment, a gradual reduction in the volume of long positions is possible, which will eventually lead to the end of the pullback stage and the continuation of the downward cycle.

[KostiaFM]

Trading plan for starters of EUR/USD and GBP/USD on February 2, 2022

February 2 economic calendar:

Europe will release its inflation data today, which may slow down from 5.0% to 4.5%. Given the ECB's vague position, the decline in inflation is in no way a bad factor, but in this case, tomorrow's meeting may remain unchanged since the European regulator sees a decline in consumer prices.

ADP's employment report in the US will be published during the US trading session, which may increase by 207 thousand. On the one hand, the figure is not small, but compared to the previous month, where there was an increase of 807 thousand, speculators may be afraid. This will negatively affect the US dollar.

Time targeting:

EU inflation - 10:00 Universal time

US ADP report - 13:15 Universal time

Trading plan for EUR/USD on Feb 2:

The correction is still relevant in the market, despite the resistance area. Therefore, the quote may continue to move within 1.1270 /1.1320, locally leaving the resistance zone.

The signal for the prolongation of the upward cycle will be received if the price holds above the level of 1.1330 in a four-hour period.

The signal about the completion of the correction will be considered by traders if the price holds below the level of 1.1230 in a four-hour period.

Trading plan for GBP/USD on Feb 2:

The corrective course remains in the market, where traders do not exclude a subsequent increase in the value of the pound if the price holds above the level of 1.3530. In this case, it will likely move in the direction of 1.3600.

Traders will consider an alternative scenario of market development in case the price returns below the level of 1.3480. This step may indicate the primary signal to the end of the correction.

[KostiaFM]

Trading plan for starters of EUR/USD and GBP/USD on February 3, 2022

February 3 economic calendar:

Today is the busiest day of the week, as two meetings of the Central Banks are expected at once.

The Bank of England intends to accelerate the pace of tightening monetary policy by raising the refinancing rate from 0.25% to 0.50%. This step will definitely affect the exchange rate of the British currency in terms of its further strengthening. It is worth considering that the pound has already grown by 200 points, after the news appeared on January 28 that the regulator intends to raise the rate once again. Thus, there is an assumption that the market has already considered the decision of the Bank of England in the quotation.

Following the meeting, the European Central Bank (ECB) is highly likely to leave everything as it is. Therefore, market participants will pay attention to subsequent comments, where we expect to hear specifics from the regulator in terms of further actions. In simple words, the ECB intends to adhere to an ultra-soft approach or follow the path of its colleagues and start tightening monetary policy. The first option of development will lead to a weakening of the euro, but the announcement of an early tightening of monetary policy will provide an opportunity to strengthen the euro noticeably.

Time targeting

Bank of England results - 12:00 Universal time

ECB results - 12:45 Universal time

ECB press conference - 13:30 Universal time

Trading plan for EUR/USD on Feb 3:

In this situation, traders are considering a temporary price fluctuation within the resistance area of 1.1270/1.1320, but everything can change if new speculative surges amid informational noise.

Trading recommendations remain the same, where acceleration is considered after the breakdown of one of the control values.

The signal for the prolongation of the upward cycle will be received if the price holds above the level of 1.1330 in an H4 period.

The signal about the end of the correction will be considered by traders if the price holds below the level of 1.1260 in an H4 period.

Trading plan for GBP/USD on Feb 3:

In this case, there is overheating of long positions, where the level of 1.3600 can act as resistance. This will lead to a gradual recovery of downward interest. It is worth considering that traders might ignore the overbought status due to upcoming events. In this case, holding the price above the level of 1.3600 will lead to a subsequent growth.

[KostiaFM]

Pound aims to reach new highs

The pound gathered strength for the next breakthrough, which occurred after the results of the Bank of England's meeting on the rate was announced. Its nearest goals are to consolidate in the reached positions and conquer the next highs.

On Thursday, the Bank of England discussed the current monetary policy. The key issue was to raise the interest rate. The markets expect five rate hikes from the regulator this year, the cumulative increase of which will be 125 bps. Following the announcement of the results of the meeting, the pound noticeably declined against the US dollar. On Thursday evening, it was trading at the level of 1.3577 and then made a short-term breakthrough to 1.3628. However, it lacked the strength to hold on to the gained positions. On Friday morning, the GBP/USD pair was near the round level of 1.3600, trying not to further fall.

Experts consider the Bank of England one of the most "hawkish" among the world's regulators. The actions of the monetary authority confirm this definition. It can be recalled that the British regulator is expected to increase the interest rate from 0.25% per annum to 0.5% while maintaining the volume of asset repurchases for 895 billion pounds. Along with this, the Bank of England revised the forecast of the country's economic growth downward to 3.75% from the previous 5% calculated in November 2021. The Central Bank of England considers a reduction in aggregate demand as the reason for the slow growth rates of the national economy. At the same time, the regulator raised the forecast for UK inflation for this year to 5.75% from the previous 3.5%.

The current situation had a vague effect on the pound's dynamics. On the one hand, the rate increase gave impulse to it, helping it to increase, but on the other hand, it keeps it in a state of uncertainty. This condition prevents the pound from reversing and it has to be content with short-term growth.

In relation to the Euro currency, the British currency also showed growth. Analysts noted that it surged to a 2-year high against the euro amid the interest rate hike by the Bank of England. The regulator expectedly raised the key rate to 0.5%, and this is not the limit. According to Jane Foley, Head of Foreign Exchange at Rabobank, the Bank of England will raise rates again in May 2022.

"Against the backdrop of falling household incomes due to rising energy and food prices, market expectations for a rate hike by the Bank of England are exaggerated. However, another rate hike is expected in May," J. Foley believes.

The British regulator has increased the interest rate to curb rampant price pressure. According to the estimates of the Central Bank of England, the inflation rate in the country will soon exceed 7%. The off-the-scale indicators not only concern inflation. According to BoE's representatives, consumer price growth in April 2022 will reach its peak values over the past 30 years and will amount to 7.25%. Based on the preliminary forecasts, the UK inflation will remain above 5% in a year. However, the ministry believes that inflation will be below 2% in three years and will amount to 1.6%. At the same time, the British regulator believes that investors have put too many rate increases in prices this year.

Because of this, the pound remains at risk but does not give up. It is slightly imbalanced against the US dollar due to a decline in global risk appetite and a drop in the stock market, but it strives to overcome price barriers, despite inflationary pressure and several negative economic factors.

[KostiaFM]

European stock markets closed lower on Friday

The ECB did not change the main parameters of monetary policy. The regulator left the base interest rate on loans at zero, the rate on deposits - at minus 0.5%. The rate on margin loans was kept at 0.25%.

Meanwhile, in a post-meeting press conference, ECB President Christine Lagarde warned that consumer price growth, which reached historic highs in January and December, could remain elevated for a longer period than previously expected. At the same time, she expressed the hope that inflation will begin to gradually slow down during 2022.

When asked if Lagarde was ready to repeat what she said two months ago about the low probability of a rate hike in 2022, the head of the ECB replied that she does not make promises without certain conditions, and that much will depend on the March revision of the central bank's macroeconomic forecasts.

In turn, the Bank of England raised its key rate for the second time in a row, from 0.25% to 0.5%, against the backdrop of record inflation in the UK in 30 years.

The volume of orders of industrial enterprises in Germany in December increased by 2.8% compared to the previous month, the country's Ministry of Economics reported. Analysts on average had expected a rise of 0.5%.

Retail sales in the euro area in December 2021 decreased by 3% compared to the previous month, data from the European Union Statistical Office (Eurostat) showed. Analysts polled by Bloomberg had expected a decline of 0.9% on average. In annual terms, retail sales increased by 2% instead of the expected growth of 5%.

Retail sales fell the most in Ireland (-3.2%), Spain and Finland (-3%). The most significant growth in retail sales was recorded in Slovenia (+44.1%), Lithuania (+16.2%) and Estonia (+12.6%).

Traders continue to follow the reporting season and analyze the results of European and American companies.

The composite index of the largest enterprises in the Stoxx Europe 600 region by the close of trading fell by 1.38% and amounted to 462.15 points. At the end of the week, the indicator lost 0.73%.

The British FTSE 100 fell on Friday by 0.17%, the French CAC 40 index - by 0.77%, the German DAX - by 1.75%. The Spanish IBEX 35 and the Italian FTSE MIB lost 1.15% and 1.79% respectively.

The French pharmaceutical company Sanofi SA increased its net profit in the fourth quarter of 2021, but the rise in revenue was worse than market forecasts. The company's shares fell 1.1%.

Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo SpA turned profitable in the fourth quarter of 2021 and plans to return €22 billion to shareholders by 2025 as part of a new business plan. Bank papers, meanwhile, fell 2.2%.

Enel SpA shares lost 2.1%. The Italian energy company boosted revenue in 2021 on the back of better business segment performance, but profit growth slowed.

Capitalization of the Swedish biopharmaceutical AddLife AB collapsed by 26.3%. The company said its CEO Christina Wilgard plans to retire this year.

The value of Swedish door lock maker Assa Abloy AB jumped 7% after the release of the report. The company posted a net profit of SEK 3.04 billion ($334.2 million) in the fourth quarter, which was higher than the market forecast. Assa Abloy also increased its dividend.

Shares in British tech Oxford Nanopore Technologies PLC rose 1% after analysts at Berenberg released a positive report on the company's outlook following the Festival of Genomics 2022 event.

[KostiaFM]

Cryptocurrency theft funded North Korea's nuclear and missile program

United Nations report says that cryptocurrency theft remained an important source of income for North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs last year.

Cryptocurrency theft was carried out through cyberattacks on cryptocurrency exchanges around the world. North Korean hackers stole millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency.

In general, the report notes that more than $50 million worth of digital assets has been stolen between 2020 and mid-2021.

Moreover, according to the UN report, cyber-attacks represent the main source of income for Pyongyang's nuclear and missile program. The findings were submitted to the UN Security Council committee on sanctions against North Korea.

The UN report describes an analysis of how North Korea's cyberattacks could have raised $400 million worth of cryptocurrency last year. These attacks primarily targeted investment firms and centralized exchanges. Last year was the most fruitful for cybercriminals. According to calculations and analysis of UN data, criminals launched at least seven attacks on cryptocurrency platforms.

The UN Security Council banned North Korea from launching ballistic missiles and conducting nuclear tests.

In addition, it has tightened sanctions against North Korea since 2006 in order to limit funding for Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.

The report noted that North Korea's missile tests have increased over the past year. According to a US statement last week, North Korea carried out nine ballistic missile launches in January despite sanctions.

And one of the last launches of a medium-range ballistic missile took place a week ago. The most popular test site was Alsom Island, located 11 miles off the northeast coast of North Korea. Since 2019, Pyongyang has launched more than 25 missile strikes on it.

According to 2019 UN data, North Korea managed to secure about $2 billion for its nuclear and missile program despite existing sanctions pointing to state-sponsored hacking groups.

[KostiaFM]

European stock market up on strong earnings

Strong quarterly reports on corporate earnings of European companies supported the stock market on Wednesday, but concerns about the aggressive steps of major central banks are limiting growth. Thus, the pan-European STOXX 600 index rose by 1.0%. The UK FTSE 100 advanced by 0.45% to 7,600.4, the French CAC 40 was up by 1.06% to 7,103.08, and the German DAX rose by 0.88% to 15,376.34.

Investors expect the European companies to show strong financial performance. This week, such companies as Metro AG, Societe Generale, and Total Energies will issue their corporate reports.

Shares of some European companies have already posted gains. For example, the securities of the French asset manager Amundi added 2.5%. This rise was facilitated by reports about a significant increase in the company's quarterly profits.

Equinor, the largest oil company in Northern Europe, published strong results for the previous year. Its shares were up by 3.7%.

Shares of Danish jewellery maker Pandora also rose by 5.1% today. The expected growth of sales in 2022 was certainly a driving factor. In addition, Pandora's results came in line with the preliminary forecast released in January.

Shares of the Dutch payment system Adyen were the top gainers in Europe: their price surged unexpectedly by as much as 11.0%.

The worst performers of the day were the stocks of the Swedish online casino developer Evolution Gaming, which lost 6.8%, and the shares of the Norwegian financial corporation Storebrand, which fell by 5.8%. Shares of the Dutch insurance company Aegon NV also slipped into negative territory with a drop of 4.86%.

In general, on February 9, global stock markets were quite optimistic. In addition to strong corporate reports, the macroeconomic data from Germany was also of key importance. Thus, the volume of the country's exports in December in monthly terms rose by 0.9% and imports - by 4.7%.

Investors hope that the geopolitical conflict in Eastern Europe will soon be resolved, especially after French President Emmanuel Macron has visited Moscow and Kyiv. European and American officials are convinced that the only way to handle the conflict on the border with Ukraine is to implement the Minsk agreements.

[KostiaFM]

European stock indices continue to grow steadily due to multiple positive factors

During the trading session on Thursday, European stock exchange indicators are permanently increasing against the background of strong financial statements of major corporations.

So, at the time of writing, the British FTSE 100 indicator increased by 0.03% to 7646.1 points, the French CAC 40 also gained 0.03%, reaching a level of 7133.12 points, and the German DAX jumped 0.2% to 15514.1 points.

The main impetus for the growth of European stock markets was the optimism of investors regarding the published corporate reports of Siemens, ArcelorMittal, and Societe General. The value of the securities of these giants rose on Thursday by 6.07%, 0.72%, and 4.8%, respectively.

The focus of attention of market participants this week is data on the inflation rate in the United States. According to preliminary forecasts of analysts, in January, this indicator will rise to the highest since February 1982 - by 7.3%. Recall that in December 2021, the inflation rate in the United States reached 7%.

Following the results of the trading session on Wednesday, European stock indices reported a spectacular rise against the background of a decline in the yields of government bonds of the eurozone states.

Thus, the key Stoxx Europe 600 indicator closed at 473.33 points, gaining 1.72% over the day. France's main stock index, the CAC 40, added 1.46%, stopping at 7130.88 points, the German DAX gained 1.57% and rose to 15482.01 points, and the British increased by 1.01% to 7643.42 points.

The yield of 10-year German government bonds lost about 5 basis points yesterday, dropping to 0.22%. The declining yield of bonds stimulates the attractiveness of securities for investors as a reliable investment tool.

The most popular stocks among traders on the eve were the securities of technical corporations. As a result, the quotes of the Dutch manufacturer of microelectronic products ASML Holding jumped by 4%, ASM International - by 4.7%, AMS-Osram - by 5.8%.

Another important growth factor for European stock markets was the corporate reporting of the region's leading enterprises. Thus, the shares of the Danish jewelry manufacturer Pandora increased in price by 8% against the background of the company's management statement about the expected sales growth in 2022.

The quotes of the Norwegian oil and gas corporation Equinor ASA jumped 1.4% after the company reported a return to profit in the fourth quarter. In addition, Equinor ASA representatives announced an increase in dividend payments and an increase in the securities repurchase program.

Shares of the Danish transport and logistics company A.P. Moller-Maersk AS on Wednesday closed with an increase of 7.2% on the background of a report on record revenue and net profit in the fourth quarter of last year.

The quotes of the British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline sank by 1.4%, despite the growth in net profit and revenue in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Securities of the leading Dutch bank ABN Amro Bank NV fell by 9.1%. In the fourth quarter of last year, the net profit of ABN Amro Bank NV increased 10 times, however, the size of the new program for repurchasing its securities did not meet market forecasts.

Shares of the German manufacturer Siemens Energy AG gained 1%. The company's stock quotes showed growth, despite reporting a net loss in the last quarter against profit for the same period in 2020.

The securities of the Dutch manufacturer of paints and varnishes Akzo Nobel NV soared by 5% on the back of better than experts predicted quarterly reports of the company.

Experts say that the current optimism in the stock markets of Europe and the world is explained by the absence of meetings of the largest central banks and positive financial reports of manufacturing giants.

[KostiaFM]

Forecast for USD/JPY on February 11, 2022

The dollar's effort to settle above the MACD indicator line on the daily chart of the USD/JPY pair was not in vain - yesterday the price jumped by 86 points, closing the day with a rise of 52 points. Now the way for the dollar to the line of the price channel of the monthly chart in the area of 117.17 is open.

On the four-hour chart, visually stable growth continues in the price channel. The Marlin Oscillator is in no hurry to grow, which allows the price to reach the lower border of the price channel either by a small correction, or by a sideways movement - by consolidation. Next, we are waiting for a new wave of growth.

Forecast for EUR/USD on February 11, 2022

On Thursday, with the release of data on inflation in the US, the euro traded in a range of 120 points, marking the target level of 1.1496 with an upper shadow. To be precise, yesterday's peak was 1.1495, but one point can be neglected as a fluctuation effect. Inflation (CPI) in the US increased from 7.0% y/y to 7.5% y/y in January, and this is the highest rate since 1982. Market participants are now waiting for the March rate increase immediately by 0.50%. We are now waiting for the euro to go into a correction in the area of the MACD indicator line on the daily chart, to the target level of 1.1300 (August 2018 low). At this level, the question will be decided - will the price turn from it into further growth, towards the target 1.1700/22, or will it consolidate below it and continue to decline to 1.1060.

On the four-hour chart, the price went under the balance indicator line, visually getting ready to attack the MACD line (1.1355), overcoming which will make it possible to get ready to take 1.1300. The signal line of the Marlin Oscillator turned down from the zero line (arrow), which is an additional confirmation of the price's intention to develop a downward movement.

[KostiaFM]

Rising tensions in Eastern Europe have brought down US stock indices

At the close of trading on Friday, US stock exchange indicators showed a steady decline against the background of negative dynamics on the part of technology companies, as well as the consumer goods and services sector. An equally important downward factor for the market was a sharp increase in tension in eastern Europe.

As a result, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.43%, closing at 3,4738.06 points. The main favorites among the DJIA components were the securities of Chevron Corp (+2.04%), Verizon Communications Inc (+0.53%), and Dow Inc (+0.23%). Stocks topped the fall list of Salesforce.com Inc (-4.49%), Nike Inc (-3.20%), and Boeing Co (-2.95%).

The high-tech NASDAQ Composite fell by 2.78% to 1,3791.15 points. The growth leaders among the components of the Nasdaq stock index were the securities of Y-mAbs Therapeutics (+25.95%), Kaival Brands Innovations Group Inc (+23.08%), and InterCure Ltd (+21.84%). The shares of ProQR Therapeutics NV (-75.35%), Enveric Biosciences Inc (-49.03%), and Surgalign Holdings Inc (-45.57%) reported minimal results here.

The Standard & Poor's 500 broad market indicator sank by 1.90% to 4,418.64 points. The securities of Newell Brands Inc (+11.07%), Baker Hughes Co (+6.20%), and Occidental Petroleum Corporation (+5.65%) demonstrated the highest results in the S&P 500 stock index. The main outsiders were the shares of Under Armour Inc A (-12.49%), Under Armour Inc C (-11.37%), and Advanced Micro Devices Inc (-10.01%).

On the NYSE stock exchange, the number of securities that lost in price (2,266) exceeded the number of those that increased in value (987), and the indicators of 136 shares remained at the level of the previous close.

The Cboe Volatility Index, which is formed based on options trading indicators on the S&P 500, rose by 14.43% to 27.36 points.

Geopolitical tensions in eastern Europe remained in the focus of market participants' attention on Friday. Thus, the United States authorities called on Americans to leave the territory of Ukraine within 24-48 hours, explaining their concern about "the possibility of Russian troops invading the territory of a neighboring state at any moment."

Another important downward factor for the stock markets of America was the weak statistics on the US economy and the growing concerns of investors about the acceleration of inflation. Thus, according to preliminary data from the University of Michigan, this month the consumer confidence index in the United States fell to 61.7 points from 67.2 in January. The value of the indicator was the lowest since the fall of 2011. At the same time, market experts predicted an increase in the index to 67.5 points.

Meanwhile, the announcement of a higher-than-expected increase in inflation in America brought additional tension to the markets due to the expectation of an imminent tightening of monetary policy by the Federal Reserve.

Amid expectations of decisive steps from the US Federal Reserve, stock market participants began to rotate investments between its sectors. So, traders invest in shares of cyclical companies, getting rid of the securities of the giants of the technology sector.