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Euro Hammered as ECB’s Concerned with Currency Strength, Dollar Outshone by Canadian Dollar
Sharp pull back in Euro and strong rebound in the Dollar are the main themes in the forex markets today. The common currency is weighed down by reports that "unnamed" ECB officials are concerned with its strength. And ECB might opt to "muddle" through the September meeting instead of announcing some solid tapering plan. That's more that offset the supposed positive boost from stronger than expected Eurozone CPI. On the other hand, Dollar continues to regain grounds as supported by positive economic data. Nonetheless, Canadian Dollar is indeed the strongest one today as lifted by stronger than expected GDP growth. New Zealand Dollar stays the weakest but Sterling catching up as another round of Brexit negotiation is concluded without any progress.
Released in US session, personal income rose 0.4% in July versus expectation of 0.3%. Personal spending rose 0.3% versus expectation of 0.4%. Headline PCE deflator was unchanged at 1.4%, in line with consensus. PCE core slowed 0.1% yoy to 1.4% yoy, meeting expectation. Initial jobless claims rose 1k to 236k in the week ended August 26, slightly below expectation of 237k. Continuing claims dropped -12k to 1.94m in the week ended August 19. From Canada, GDP rose 0.3% mom in June,, much higher than expectation of 0.1%.
ECB concerned with Euro strength, may muddle-through September meeting
Euro receives no support from stronger than expected inflation data released today. Instead, the common currency is weighed down by reports that ECB officials are very concerned with the appreciation in exchanged rated. ECB President Mario Draghi promised to discuss QE in Autumn. And markets have been expecting the central bank to announce some sort of tapering of its EUR 60b per month asset purchase program.
However, Reuters quoted an "unnamed" source saying that "the exchange rate has become a bigger issue." And "it is now less favorable for an exit and a stronger argument for a muddle-through option." Another unnamed source was quoted "the huge appreciation in the euro is already causing monetary tightening and is equivalent to an increase in interest rates." However, a third source was quoted saying that "you can't have it both ways - a strong economy and at the same time a weak currency... You should also not call it euro 'strength' but rather 'non-weakness'."
Eurozone CPI rose to 1.5% yoy in August, up from 1.3% yoy, beat expectation of 1.4% yoy. Core CPI was unchanged at 1.2% yoy, in line with consensus. Germany unemployment dropped -5k in August, unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.7%.
No decisive progress in Brexit negotiation
EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier expressed his frustration as the third round of negotiation with UK concludes today. Barnier said there has been "no decisive progress" on key issues even though there had been some "fruitful" discussions. And the negotiations are still "quite far" away from making significant progress to move on to trade agreements. And he complained there are issues of "trust" between the parties. And, he is "impatient... I am not angry... I am impatient and determined."
On the other hand, UK Brexit Secretary David Davis said there were "some concrete progress". And there were "long and detailed discussions across multiple areas". Davis reiterated that "it's only through flexibility and imagination that we will achieve a deal that works truly for both sides.
BoE Saunders: Brexit risks don't justify keeping rate low
BoE MPC member Michael Saunders, a known hawk, said that Brexit risks are not enough to justify keeping interest rate at record low. He acknowledged that "Brexit process might be bumpy, and could undermine business and consumer confidence." But he emphasized that "we should not maintain an overly loose stance as insurance against this scenario. Rather, we should be prepared to respond as needed if it happens." He used an analogy that "we do not need to be putting the brakes on so much that the economy weakens sharply." But, "our foot no longer needs to be quite so firmly on the accelerator in my view." And he urged that "a modest rise in rates would help ensure a sustainable return of inflation to target over time. Saunders have been voting for a 25bps with fellow MPC member Ian McCafferty since June.
Japan PM Abe urged "transparency and predictability" in Brexit negotiation
In Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended a Japan-UK business forum in Tokyo today, alongside UK Prime Minister Theresa May. Abe sounded diplomatic and said he's convinced that UK will remain a "compelling" place for Japanese businesses. But he stressed that Brexit has to be "successful for UK, EU and global economy:" Abe also urged "transparency and predictability" regarding Brexit negotiations to "minimize any damage on businesses." May said that "we will also seek to ensure the freest and most frictionless trade possible between the UK and the EU, and this includes the imperative of a smooth and orderly transition for people and businesses, in the UK and in Japan."
BoJ Masai: "Momentum towards achieving the target is strengthening"
BoJ board member Takako Masai said that there is still "some distance" to achieve the 2% inflation target. And there are "geopolitical risks" that could "trigger market turmoil and hurt sentiment". But she noted that "recent data has shown some encouraging signs" And "momentum towards achieving the target is strengthening." Steady rise in household income and tightening job markets will eventually boost domestic demand and push inflation up to target. BoJ has repeatedly pushed back the timing for hitting the 2% inflation target. And now, the central bank projected it will be achieved by March 2020. Masai said that the delay was "unfortunate" and emphasized that it's important to "pursue policy to lay the groundwork for achieving 2 percent inflation."
ANZ business confidence points to broad based economic expansion
New Zealand ANZ business confidence dropped to 18.3 in August, down from 19.4. That is, a net 18.3% of firms surveyed expect general business condition to improve over the coming year. ANZ bank chief economist Cameron Bagrie said that theses are "healthy readings for confidence, activity expectation, investment and employment across all sectors and regions". And, there is a broad-based economic expansion in operation".
RBNZ governor Graeme Wheeler said yesterday that "a lower New Zealand dollar is needed to increase tradables inflation and help deliver more balanced growth." And, "the appreciation in the exchange rate has been a headwind for the tradables sector and, by reducing already weak tradables inflation, made it more difficult to reach the Bank's inflation goals."
EUR/USD Mid-Day Outlook
Daily Pivots: (S1) 1.1847; (P) 1.1915 (R1) 1.1950; More...
EUR/USD's pull back from 1.2069 extends to as low as 1.1822 so far today but it's staying well above 1.1661 support. That is, near term outlook remains bullish as further rise is still expected. Above 1.1928 minor resistance will turn intraday bias back to the upside for retesting 1.2069 high first. Decisive break there will resume whole up trend from 1.0339. This will remain the preferred case as long as 1.1661 holds. However, firm break of 1.1661 will confirm short term topping and bring deeper pull back.
In the bigger picture, an important bottom was formed at 1.0339 on bullish convergence condition in weekly MACD. Sustained trading above 55 month EMA (now at 1.1768) will pave the way to key fibonacci level at 38.2% retracement of 1.6039 (2008 high) to 1.0339 (2017 low) at 1.2516. While rise from 1.0339 is strong, there is no confirmation that it's developing into a long term up trend yet. Hence, we'll be cautious on strong resistance from 1.2516 to limit upside. For now, medium term outlook will remain bullish as long as 1.1295 support holds, in case of pull back.


Economic Indicators Update
| GMT | Ccy | Events | Actual | Forecast | Previous | Revised |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23:01 | GBP | GfK Consumer Confidence Aug | -10 | -13 | -12 | |
| 23:50 | JPY | Industrial Production M/M Jul P | -0.80% | -0.30% | 2.20% | |
| 01:00 | NZD | ANZ Business Confidence Aug | 18.3 | 19.4 | ||
| 01:00 | AUD | HIA New Home Sales M/M Jul | -3.70% | -6.90% | ||
| 01:00 | CNY | Manufacturing PMI Aug | 51.7 | 51.3 | 51.4 | |
| 01:00 | CNY | Non-manufacturing PMI Aug | 53.4 | 54.5 | ||
| 01:30 | AUD | Private Capital Expenditure Q2 | 0.80% | 0.20% | 0.30% | 0.90% |
| 05:00 | JPY | Housing Starts Y/Y Jul | -2.30% | -0.30% | 1.70% | |
| 06:00 | EUR | German Retail Sales M/M Jul | -1.20% | -0.60% | 1.10% | 1.30% |
| 07:55 | EUR | German Unemployment Change Aug | -5K | -6K | -9K | |
| 07:55 | EUR | German Unemployment Rate Aug | 5.70% | 5.70% | 5.70% | |
| 09:00 | EUR | Eurozone Unemployment Rate Jul | 9.10% | 9.10% | 9.10% | |
| 09:00 | EUR | Eurozone CPI Estimate Y/Y Aug | 1.50% | 1.40% | 1.30% | |
| 09:00 | EUR | Eurozone CPI - Core Y/Y Aug A | 1.20% | 1.20% | 1.20% | |
| 11:30 | USD | Challenger Job Cuts Y/Y Aug | 5.10% | -37.60% | ||
| 12:30 | CAD | GDP M/M Jun | 0.30% | 0.10% | 0.60% | |
| 12:30 | USD | Initial Jobless Claims (AUG 26) | 236K | 237K | 234K | 235K |
| 12:30 | USD | Personal Income Jul | 0.40% | 0.30% | 0.00% | |
| 12:30 | USD | Personal Spending Jul | 0.30% | 0.40% | 0.10% | 0.20% |
| 12:30 | USD | PCE Deflator M/M Jul | 0.10% | 0.10% | 0.00% | |
| 12:30 | USD | PCE Deflator Y/Y Jul | 1.40% | 1.40% | 1.40% | |
| 12:30 | USD | PCE Core M/M Jul | 0.10% | 0.10% | 0.10% | |
| 12:30 | USD | PCE Core Y/Y Jul | 1.40% | 1.40% | 1.50% | |
| 13:45 | USD | Chicago PMI Aug | 59.2 | 58.9 | ||
| 14:00 | USD | Pending Home Sales M/M Jul | 0.50% | 1.50% | ||
| 14:30 | USD | Natural Gas Storage | 43B |
EURGBP Loses Steam But Still Strongly Bullish
EURGBP lost some steam yesterday as the pair retreated from Wednesday’s near 8-year high of 0.9306. The pull-back was expected given that the RSI had risen to extremely overbought territory. Another signal for a downside reversal came from the Bollinger bands. Prices had been trading close to the upper Bollinger band since the beginning of August and spiked above it on Wednesday.
The RSI is slightly up today and approaching the 70 level again, suggesting the near-term bias remains strongly bullish despite the easing of the upside momentum.
Should there be a further deterioration in the short-term bias, support is expected to come from the middle Bollinger band at around 0.9140. Further down, the previous support area around 0.9080 and the key 0.90 level will likely act as support. A breach of these levels would open the way towards the lower Bollinger band, which is currently just above the 50-day moving average, marking the region around 0.8980 as another important support area.
On the upside, the October 2016 peak of 0.9260 has re-emerged as a strong resistance level during the past week, with prices struggling to close above this point. A daily close above 0.9260 should enable the pair to challenge this week’s high of 0.9306. A break above this level would bring into view the psychological 0.94 handle.
Looking at the medium-term outlook, the strong bullish structure remains intact, with price action sharply above the upward sloping 50- and 200-day moving averages.

Technical Outlook: EURUSD Slips After ECB Policymakers Showed Concerns About Currency’s Strength
The Euro dipped against the dollar after report said the ECB policymakers are worried about Euro's strength. This may raise chances of a delay in decision about QE tapering. Sources said that asset purchase program could be phase out only slowly. According to the initial schedule the program is due to expire at the end of 2017, but it looks quite unlikely that the ECB will take any decision in their policy meeting next week, as formal talks about next steps on QE program are only beginning. Likely scenario is for gradual rather than rapid reduction in asset buying, especially in the zone's weaker economies, in rising worries that stronger Euro could further dampen inflation and slow down economic growth. The asset purchase program, also known as Quantitative easing was launched 2 1/2 years ago in order to revive growth and boost inflation and ECB's President Mario Draghi said that the program will continue until the central bank sees inflation consistent with its target of just below 2%. In addition to the latest news, technicals are also favoring further weakness which could extend, as completion of reversal pattern and Wednesday's long bearish candle continue to weigh. The EURUSD pair is focusing next support at 1.1811 (20SMA) and 1.1790 (30SMA) after fresh bears cracked initial support, provided by rising 10SMA.
Res: 1.1900; 1.1910; 1.1941; 1.1984
Sup: 1.1811; 1.1790; 1.1773; 1.1740

Market Update – European Session: Euro Zone Aug CPI Edges Higher But Still Distant From ECB Target
Notes/Observations
No upside surprises in numerous EU data in session; Overall Euro Zone date mixed (Germany retail sales miss; Italy unemployment misses, Euro Zone Unemployment in-line, France CPI in-line, Euro Zone CPI touch higher)
Overnight
Asia:
Bank of Korea (BOK) left its Repo Rate unchanged at 1.25% (as expected) for its 14th straight pause in the current easing cycle. Reiterated to maintain stance of policy accommodation.
China Aug Manufacturing PMI (Govt Official): 51.7 v 51.3e, Non-manufacturing PMI: 53.4 v 54.5 prior
Europe:
PM May: Want to continue as Britain's leader beyond the next parliamentary election, not due until 2022, dismissing expectations she could stand down after Brexit as early as 2019
UK reportedly believes EU negotiators have not been given the freedom to negotiate in Brexit discussions
German Parliament report said to believe that Brexit talks may fail; EU warns members to resist UK Brexit lobbying
France President Macron: Euro Zone should plan to create joint budget that amounts to several points of GDP. Euro Zone body should be able to tap bond market and have sufficient fiscal firepower
France Fin Min Le Maire: Upcoming budget bill includes plans for corporate tax rate cut to 31% from 2019, 28% in 2020, 26.5% in 2021, 25% in 2022; small company taxes to be slashed first ; favorable to entrepreneurs
Americas:
President Trump speech in Missouri called for lower taxes on companies and workers in the US. Renewed call for simplification of US tax code. Ideally corporate tax rate should be at 15% and called for tax relief for middle income Americans
Defense Sec Mattis: the US is not out of diplomatic solutions with North Korea
Mexico Foreign Secretary Luis Videgaray: Mexico will not negotiate "NAFTA or any other issue in the bilateral relationship" in the media or on the social networks
Energy:
US Coast Guard said to partially re-open Houston Ship Channel to vessels. Ports of Houston, Texas City, Galveston and Freeport said to have opened with restrictions.
EPA waived requirements for reformulated gasoline and low volatility gasoline through September 15th
Economic data
(DE) Germany July Retail Sales (miss) M/M: -1.2% v -0.6%e; Y/Y: 2.7% v 2.9%e
(FR) France Aug Preliminary CPI (in-line)M/M: 0.5% v 0.5%e; Y/Y: 0.9% v 0.9%e
(FR) France Aug Preliminary CPI EU Harmonized M/M: 0.6% v 0.6%e; Y/Y: 1.0% v 1.0%e
(DK) Denmark Q2 Preliminary GDP Q/Q: 0.6% v 0.5%e; Y/Y: 2.7% v 2.6% prior
(DE) Germany Aug Net Unemployment Change (slight miss): -5K v -6Ke; Unemployment Rate: 5.7% v 5.7%e
(IT) Italy July Preliminary Unemployment Rate (miss): 11.3% v 11.1%e
(PL) Poland Q2 Final GDP Q/Q: 1.1% v 1.1% prelim; Y/Y: 3.9% v 3.9% prelim
(EU) Euro Zone Aug Advance CPI Estimate (slight beat) Y/Y: 1.5% v 1.4%e; CPI Core Y/Y: 1.2% v 1.2%e
(EU) Euro Zone July Unemployment Rate (in-line): 9.1% v 9.1%e
(IT) Italy Aug Preliminary CPI (NIC including tobacco) M/M:0.3 % v 0.2%e; Y/Y: 1.2% v 1.1%e
(IT) Italy Aug Preliminary CPI EU Harmonized M/M: 0.1% v 0.0%e; Y/Y: 1.4% v 1.3%e
Fixed Income Issuance:
(SE) Sweden sold total SEK750M in 2025 and 2026 I/L Bonds
SPEAKERS/FIXED INCOME/FX/COMMODITIES/ERRATUM
Equities
Indices [Stoxx600 +0.5% at 373, FTSE +0.6% at 7412, DAX +0.5% at 12061, CAC-40 +0.5% at 5081, IBEX-35 +0.7% at 10315, FTSE MIB +0.6% at 21630, SMI +0.5% at 8897, S&P 500 Futures +0.3%]
Market Focal Points/Key Themes: European Indices continues to recover trading modestly higher across the board with grains ranging from 0.4% to 0.7% higher. Minors and construction stocks lead the decliners while the retail sector weighs following Carrefour results and cut outlook with the shares down over 13% and Casino down 5%. Elsewhere Pernod Ricard trades lower following results, whilst Telecom name Bouygues is an outperformer after strong numbers. Looking ahead to the US morning, looking out for earnings from Dollar General, Campbell Soup and TD Bank, as well as a raft of monthly same store sales numbers from retailers.
Equities
Consumer discretionary [Carrefour [CA.FR] -14.4% (Earnings, cuts outlook), Pernod Ricard [RI.FR] -3.5% (Earnings), Ladbrokes Coral [LCL.FR] -0.9% (Earnings), Restaurant Grp [RTN.UK] +6.2% (Earnings), Metro [B4B.DE] -1.8% (Earnings), 888 Holdings [888.UK] +4.3% (Announces conclusion of UKGC licence review), Hays [HAS.DE] +1.8% (Earnings)]
Telecom: [Bouygues [EN.FR] +2.2% (Earnings)]
Speakers
BOE MPC member Saunders (dissenter)noted that his future votes to depend on economic data; July inflation dip was not a turning point. Believed that a modest rise in rate would be helpful and give space to move gradually. CPI likely to rise to around 3% in coming months (*Note: in-line with majority view). BOE not indifferent to GBP currency (Pound) depreciation but no certain level would trigger concern
SNB's Maechler. CHF currency (Franc) continued to evolve in a narrow band. CHF was moving in the right direction but too early to say of depreciation would last. Negative interest rates and readiness for FX intervention are still necessary. Global economy has gained momentum
France Fin Min Le Maire: Stronger Euro currency was a concern for the domestic economy; reiterated view that French econ omy was fragile and vulnerable
UK PM May: Japanese investment in UK after Brexit was a powerful vote of confidence and could engage more actively with Asia markets after Brexit. Agreed ambitious program of working with Japan to improve bilateral relations
EU's Timmermans: Poland reply in rule-of-law probe was inadequate; govt showing no sign of dialogue
Germany's DIHK chamber of industry: UK undermining the Brexit process
Turkey Presidential advisor Ertem: Recent TRY currency (Lira) appreciation is not a risk for exports
Japan PM Abe: UK was a very important base for Japanese manufacturing; had trust in UK economy after Brexit - comments alongside PM May
China Defense Ministry: China will never allow war or chaos near its doorstep. Reiterated view that all sides should show restraint
Currencies
USD continued its recent recovery with dealers attributing that the US need to pass a disaster relief package for Hurricane Harvey might make it easier for Congress to raise the debt ceiling next month. Some improvement in US economic data also aiding the greenback.
EUR/USD was approx. 200 pip off its recent 2 1/2 highs. The recent elevation of the Euro was potential cause of concern as it would hamper the improvement on EU inflation front. Analysts noted that additional strength of the euro could prompt a dovish tapering from the ECB next week. France Fin Min Le Mairea deed some verbal intervention noting that a stronger Euro currency was a concern for the domestic economy.A tick higher in Aug CPI data helped the EUR/USD regain a foothold above the 1.19 level ahead of the NY mornng.
USD/JPY was back at a 2-week high in the mid-110 area as the Korean Peninsula situation eased. The US/South Korean military drills were nearing its scheduled end after 10 days.
SNB official seemed to acknowledge the recent weakness in the CHF but cautioned that it was too early to give the all-clear signal. Negative interest rates and readiness for FX intervention are still necessary
GBP was slightly lower in the session and ignored commentary by BOE hawk Saunders that country could handle raising interest rates and warned of getting "behind the curve"
Fixed Income
Bund futures trades at 165.05 down 12 ticks, oscillating with stocks, initially falling below Wednesday's low of 164.92. Downside targets 164.50 followed by 163.75. To the upside the 165.75 to 166.00 remains key resistance.
Gilt futures trades at 128.27 down 10 ticks, relatively unfazed from BOE's Saunders hawkish comments. A resumption to the upside could eye 129.25 then 130.10. A move back below 128.25 targets 126.51
Thursday's liquidity report showed Wednesday's excess liquidity rose to €1.729T from €1.716T and use of the marginal lending facility fell to €109M from €640M.
Corporateissuance saw $1.5B come to market via Svenska offering. In the sovereign space analysts see supply amounting to ~€96.9B in Sept, which would be the second busiest time all-time.
Looking Ahead
(FI) Finland Government drafts 2018 Budget - (CA) Canada Aug CFIB Business Barometer: No est v 60.7 prior
(BR) Brazil Aug CNI Consumer Confidence: No est v 99.5 prior
05:30 (ZA) South Africa July PPI M/M: +0.2%e v -0.3% prior; Y/Y: 3.5%e v 4.0% prior
05:30 (SL) Sri Lanka Aug CPI Y/Y: 6.0%e v 4.8% prior
05:30 (HU) Hungary Debt Agency (AKK) to sell Bonds (3 tranches)
06:00 (PT) Portugal Q2 Final GDP Q/Q: 0.2%e v 0.2% prelim; Y/Y: 1.8%e v 2.8% prelim
07:00 (ZA) South Africa July Electric Production Y/Y: No est v 1.6% prior; Electricity Consumption Y/Y: No est v 1.6% prior
07:00 (IN) India July Fiscal Deficit
07:30 (US) Aug Challenger Job Cuts: No est v 28.3K prior; Y/Y: No est v -37.6% prior
08:00 (IN) India Q2 GDP Y/Y: 6.5%e v 6.1% prior, GVA Y/Y: 6.2%e v 5.6% prior
08:00 (IN) India July Eight Infrastructure (Key) Industries: No est v 0.4% prior
08:00 (ZA) South Africa July Trade Balance (ZAR): 7.1Be v 10.7B prior
08:00 (PL) Poland Aug Preliminary CPI M/M: -0.1%e v -0.2% prior; Y/Y: 1.8%e v 1.7% prior
08:00 (BR) Brazil July National Unemployment Rate: 13.0%e v 13.0% prior
08:00 (CL) Chile July Unemployment Rate: 7.1%e v 7.0% prior
08:05 (UK) Baltic Dry Bulk Index
08:20 (AT) German Bundesbank's Dombret and Austria's Fin Min Schelling in Alpbach
08:30 (US) Initial Jobless Claims: 238Ke v 234K prior; Continuing Claims: 1.95Me v 1.954M prior
08:30 (US) July Personal Income: 0.3%e v 0.0% prior; Personal Spending: 0.4%e v 0.1% prior, Real Personal Spending (PCE): 0.3%e v 0.0% prior, Personal Saving Rate: No est v 3.8% prior
08:30 (US) July PCE Deflator M/M: 0.1%e v 0.0% prior; Y/Y: 1.4%e v 1.4% prior
08:30 (US) July PCE Core M/M: 0.1%e v 0.1% prior; Y/Y: 1.4%e v 1.5% prior
08:30 (CA) Canada Jun GDP M/M: 0.1%e v 0.6% prior; Y/Y: 4.1%e v 4.6% prior; Q2 Quarterly GDP Annualized: 3.7%e v 3.7% prior
08:30 (US) Weekly USDA Net Export Sales
09:00 (BE) Belgium Q2 Final GDP Q/Q: No est v 0.4% prelim; Y/Y: No est v 1.4 prelim
09:00 (RU) Russia Gold and Forex Reserve w/e Aug 25th: No est v $419.9B prior
09:45 (US) Aug Chicago Purchasing Manager: 58.5e v 58.9 prior
10:00 (US) July Pending Home Sales M/M: 0.4%e v 1.5% prior; Y/Y: 0.5%e v 0.7% prior
10:00 (MX) Mexico July Net Outstanding Loans (MXN): No est v 3.790T prior
10:30 (US) Weekly EIA Natural Gas Inventories
11:00 (CO) Colombia July National Unemployment Rate: No est v 8.7% prior; Urban Unemployment Rate: 10.7%e v 10.8% prior
11:00 (BR) Brazil to sell Fixed Rate 2023 and 2027 Bonds
11:00 (BR) Brazil to sell 2018, 2019 and 2021 LTN Bills
13:00 (NZ) New Zealand Aug QV House Prices Y/Y: No est v 6.4% prior
15:00 (AR) Argentina July Industrial Production Y/Y: 6.0%e v 6.6% prior
15:00 (CO) Colombia Central Bank Interest Rate Decision: Expected to cut Overnight Lending Rate by 25bps to 5.25%
Technical Outlook: USDJPY – Strong Bulls Eye Key Barriers At 111.00 Zone
Strong rally extends into third consecutive day and hits fresh two-week highs on Thursday, approaching key near-term barriers at 111.00 zone, as daily cloud twist continues to attract. Firmly bullish studies on lower timeframes and improving daily technicals are supportive for final push towards a cluster of barriers at 111.00 zone (former tops of 04/16 Aug/converged 100/55SMA's) above which a number of stops is parked that may trigger further acceleration higher on firm break. Meanwhile, bulls may show signs of hesitation at 111.00 barriers as slow stochastic is overbought on daily chart and suggests easing, but without firmer signals so far. Broken 30SMA offers initial support at 110.13, ahead of 20SMA at 109.77.
Res: 110.66, 110.94, 111.18, 111.65
Sup: 110.13, 109.77, 109.53, 109.18

CRUDE OIL Testing Support At 45.40
Crude Oil is trading lower. Hourly support is given at 45.40 (17/08/2017 high). Strong resistance can be found at 50.41 (31/07/2017). Expected to show continued short-term bearish move.
In the long-term, crude oil has recovered after its sharp decline last year. However, we consider that further weakness are very likely. Strong support lies at 35.24 (05/04/2016) while resistance can now be found at 55.24 (03/01/2017 high).

SILVER Short-Term Consolidation
Silver's bullish pressures are strong. Hourly resistance is given at 17.32 (18/08/2017 high) while support can be found at 16.58 (15/08/2017 high). The commodity lies in an uptrend channel. Expected to show another leg higher.
In the long-term, the death cross indicates that further downsides are very likely. Resistance is located at 25.11 (28/08/2013 high). Strong support can be found at 11.75 (20/04/2009).

GOLD Ready To Hit New Highs
Gold is surging. Hourly support is given at a distance 1251 (08/08/2017 low). Stronger support lies at 1204 (10/07/2017 high). Expected to show continued increase.
In the long-term, the technical structure suggests that there is a growing upside momentum. A break of 1392 (17/03/2014) is necessary ton confirm it, A major support can be found at 1045 (05/02/2010 low)

BITCOIN Strong Bullish Momentum
Bitcoin has set a new all-time high. Hourly support lies very far at 3599 (22/08/2017 low). The road is wide open for another bullish move.
In the long-term, the digital currency has had an exponential growth. There are decent likelihood that the asset will consolidate above $1500. Long-term support is given at $1464 (04/05/2017 low).

EUR/CHF Edging Higher
EUR/CHF recovery bounce has stalled below downtrend resistance located at 1.1407. Hourly support is located at 1.1260 (04/08/2017 low). Expected to show further consolidation.
In the longer term, the technical structure has reversed. Strong resistance at 1.1200 (04/02/2015 high) has been broken. Yet,the ECB's QE programme is likely to cause persistent selling pressures on the euro, which should weigh on EUR/CHF. Supports can be found at 1.0184 (28/01/2015 low) and 1.0082 (27/01/2015 low).

