Euro Rebound Accelerates as China Turned to EU for Imports Overwhelmingly Amid Trade War with US
Euro trades broadly higher in Asian session today, except versus New Zealand Dollar. The common currency is extending this week's powerful rebound. Meanwhile, Canadian Dollar is trading as the weakest one, followed but Dollar as the second weakest. For the week, Euro remains the strongest one on a powerful...
Dollar Selloff Accelerates after Failing Resistance, Australian Dollar Strong on Fading Risk Aversion
Dollar trades broadly lower today and selloff accelerates in early US session. EUR/USD's reversal ahead of 1.1507 key support level is a factor pressing the greenback. The Chinese Yuan is also attempting another rebound after yesterday's brief setback, with USD/CNH back pressing 6.82.
The overall development helps lifted global equities...
RBA Keeps Policy Rate at Record Low for Two Years; Might Downgrade 2018 Inflation Forecast
RBA left the cash rate unchanged at 1.5% for the 22nd meeting today. The accompanying statement continued to deliver a “neutral” tone on the future path of the monetary policy. Since the last meeting, domestic economic growth has stayed, and will stay, “above trend” while the job market has...
Australian Dollar Steady after RBA Stands Pat, Dollar Pare Gains But Stays Firm
The forex markets are rather steady in Asian session today. Dollar is paring some gains and trades slightly lower. But it remains the strongest one for the week together with Canadian Dollar. New Zealand Dollar, however, trades broadly lower as markets expect that RBNZ could be slightly dovish in...
RBNZ Preview – Policy Rate On Hold, Overall Tone Neutral or Slightly Dovish
At the August 9 meeting (this Thursday), we expect RBNZ to leave the OCR unchanged at 1.75% and deliver a neutral to slightly dovish policy statement. Since the June meeting, data showed that economic growth moderated while inflation picked up. In the job market, the unemployment rate climbed higher...
Sterling Sold Off on Worries of No-Deal Brexit, Dollar Strong
Sterling is trading as the weakest major currency today as the talks on no-deal Brexit heat up. UK Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman tried to tone down the risks but the markets simply don't listen. Swiss Franc follows as the second weakest as major European indices rebound. in early...
PBOC Imposes FX Reserve Requirement as Renminbi Selloff Gets Alarming
PBOC announced last Friday to impose 20% reserve requirement ratio (RRR) on onshore (CNY) FX forward transactions. Despite the central bank’s denial, the move is obviously to moderate recent sharp depreciation of renminbi. Such measure was implemented on October 15, 2015, before removal on September 11, 2017, in an...
Dollar Gains Broadly, as the Impact of Chinese Yuan Intervention Fades Quickly
Dollar gains broadly in a rather quiet start to the week. Asian stocks are given a lift by China's move to stabilize the Yuan. But the impact quickly fades. At the time of writing, Nikkei is nearly flat after initial rally to 22635. Hong Kong HSI is up 0.7%...
Traders Trimmed USD Positions ahead of FOMC and Job Data Last Week
As suggested in the CFTC Commitments of Traders report in the week ended July 31, traders trimmed bets on USD index (DXY) futures. Speculative long positions slid -372 contracts while shorts declined -3 557 contracts, resulting in an increase in NET LENGTH to 28 456 contracts for the week....
Bulls Continued to Outweigh Bears Despite Mixed Outlook in Oil Price
According to the CFTC Commitments of Traders report for the week ended July 31, traders were generally bullish towards the energy complex. Net LENGTH for crude oil futures rose +2 929 contracts to 613 400. Net LENGTH for heating oil futures added +305 contracts to 42 017 while that...
Euro as a Casualty as US-China Trade War Turns into Something Bigger
Much volatility was seen in the markets last week with a lot of themes developed. Canadian Dollar ended as the strongest one as strong data boosted chance of August BoC hike. Swiss Franc followed as the second strongest on risk aversion in Europe. Dollar was original set to perform...
Dollar Rally Hits the Wall of Chinese Intervention, Dragged Down by Mixed NFP
In early US session, Dollar is still trading as one of the strongest major currencies for the week, together with Canadian Dollar and Swiss Franc. However, it's clearly losing some steam today and it's in red against all others at the time of writing. One factor that triggered an...
EUR/USD Eyes 1.1574 Minor Support ahead of Non-Farm Payrolls
Sterling stabilizes after yesterday's post BoE selloff. It's trying for a recovery in Asian session today but lacks committed buying so far. Nonetheless, renewed selloff in New Zealand Dollar makes it the worst performing one for the week. The Pound is just the second weakest for the week. Canadian...
Sterling Hammered as BoE Paints a Slower Rate Path ahead, Dollar and Yen Strong on Trade War
Sterling falls sharply today even though BoE delivers the highly anticipated rate hike. Selloff comes in after the dovishness as seen in the inflation report is confirmed by Carney's press conference. Australian Dollar and New Zealand Dollar follow as the second weakest on risk aversion. The stock markets are...
BOE Review: Unanimous Rate Hike Decision Fails to Revive Pound
BOE surprisingly voted unanimously to raise the Bank rate, by +25 bps, to 0.75%. This marks the first increase since last November and the second since global financial crisis. The Committee revised higher forecasts for GDP growth and inflation for this year and in 2019. At the press conference,...
Asian Markets in Deep Red on Trade War, Dollar Surfs Up
The FOMC rate decision overnight was largely ignored by the markets. Instead, Asian equities plunged sharply today as US formally announced to raise the tariffs on USD 200B of Chinese imports from 10% to 25%. Chinese stocks lead the decline with Shanghai SSE down -2.45% at the time of...
FOMC Review – Gradual Rate Hike Path Remains Intact and Economic Assessment Upgraded
The August FOMC statement contained few changes, following quite remarkable amendments in the June one. The only change came from the upgrade in the assessment of the economic developments. Interestingly, Chair Powell’s “for now” qualifier on the rate hike path was not included in the statement, let alone any...
Dollar Pares Gain Despite Strong ADP Employment, FOMC Unlikely to Inspire
Dollar pares back some of today's gain in early US session. The better than expected ADP employment data provides no lift to the greenback. Focus will be turning to ISM manufacturing and FOMC rate decision. Nonetheless, as at the time of writing, Dollar is still the second strongest one...
BOE Expected to Deliver Dovish Rate Hike in August
BOE’s rate hike in August is almost fully priced in. The focus is, thus, on the monetary policy outlook. The upcoming increase of +25 bps is the second one in more than a decade. Although the pickup in growth in the second quarter has reinforced most policymakers’ view that...
Dollar Higher as Trade War Heats Up Again, Manufacturing Data and Fed Watched
Dollar trades broadly higher today as talks of trade war heat up again. It's reported that Trump is considering to impose 25% tariffs on USD 200B in Chinese goods, instead of 10%. The greenback is followed by Canadian Dollar and then Yen. Meanwhile, New Zealand Dollar, Australian Dollar and...