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EUR/USD: Weak Inflation = Weak USD

The American currency suffered two significant blows last week. Although these were not knockdowns, let alone knockouts, these minor shocks pushed the DXY Dollar Index down from 105.26 to 104.20 points, and EUR/USD up from 1.0766 to 1.0895.

The first blow came on Tuesday, 14 May, from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. Surprisingly, after his comments, the dollar should have strengthened, but instead, it faltered. Powell stated that the regulator's monetary policy is currently tight enough to eventually reduce inflation. However, he also mentioned that the Fed is not confident that inflation is rapidly decreasing and that it may take more time to reach the target level of 2.0%. One could conclude from this that the regulator is not planning to either raise or lower the interest rate.

The dollar's weakening at this moment is even more peculiar because Powell's comments were made against the backdrop of strong data on the US Producer Price Index (PPI), indicating industrial inflation growth. In April, this indicator increased by +0.5% on a monthly basis after falling by -0.1% in March (forecast +0.3%). The core index, excluding food and energy, showed growth from 2.1% to 2.4% (y/y).

We can only explain the dollar's decline in this situation with one reason. Market participants were possibly expecting that the Fed Chairman would at least hint that if inflation rises, they need to consider another rate hike. But since he did not say this, disappointment ensued.

What happened the next day seemed 100% logical. The report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Wednesday, 15 May, showed that the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell from 0.4% to 0.3% (m/m) against a forecast of 0.4%. On an annual basis, inflation also dropped from 3.5% to 3.4%. Retail sales showed an even stronger decline, from 0.6% to 0.0% on a monthly basis (forecast 0.4%). These data indicated that although inflation in the country is resisting in some areas, it is generally declining.

As a result, talks about a possible Fed rate cut this year resurfaced. "These are the first weaker CPI data that the central bank [US] needs to lower rates this year," said Jason Pride, Glenmede's Director of Investment Strategy and Analysis. The likelihood that the rate will remain unchanged until the end of 2024 fell from 35% to 25%, according to the CME's FedWatch Tool. As a result, the DXY continued to fall, and the EUR/USD pair rose. Stock markets rallied, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq reaching record levels. There were 43 new 52-week highs and no new lows in the S&P 500, while the Nasdaq had 153 highs and 25 lows.

The dollar's weakening was halted by comments from Fed representatives at the end of the week. Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank (FRB) President Neel Kashkari stated that he is not confident that the current "tight monetary policy is having a dominant effect on inflation, so interest rates need to be maintained." New York FRB President John Williams said that one positive inflation report is not enough to neutralize the negative impact of the previous two, so it's not yet time to expect the Fed to start lowering rates soon.

As for the common European currency, Reuters writes that it is resisting a fall to parity with the dollar (1:1) due to a favourable economic backdrop and the monetary measures of the European Central Bank (ECB). The six-month low for EUR/USD was recorded on 16 April at 1.0600, against the backdrop of the Eurozone's fragile economy and in sharp contrast with the stable US economy. But gradually, business activity in Europe began to recover, and according to the April report, it grew even faster than on the other side of the Atlantic. This contributed to the positive dynamics of the euro. Reuters experts noted that the gap between economic indicators in Europe and the US is narrowing, providing some support to the euro.

● EUR/USD closed the week at 1.0868. As for the analysts' forecast for the near future, as of the evening of 17 May, the majority (65%) expect the dollar to strengthen, 20% foresee further weakening, and the remaining 15% took a neutral stance. All trend indicators and oscillators on D1 are 100% coloured green, with a quarter of them signalling that the pair is overbought. The nearest support for the pair is located in the zones of 1.0815-1.0835, then 1.0710-1.0725, 1.0665-1.0680, 1.0600-1.0620, 1.0560, 1.0495-1.0515, 1.0450, 1.0375, 1.0255, 1.0130, 1.0000. Resistance zones are found at 1.0880-1.0915, 1.0965-1.0980, 1.1015, 1.1050, and 1.1100-1.1140.

The schedule of the most important events for next week is as follows. On Tuesday, 21 May, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is scheduled to speak. On Wednesday, 22 May, the publication of the minutes from the last FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) meeting of the US Fed is of particular interest. The next day, as usual, we will learn about the number of initial jobless claims in the US, as well as receive preliminary data on business activity (PPI) in Germany, the Eurozone, and the United States. At the very end of the workweek, on Friday, 24 May, we will learn the GDP data of Germany for Q1 2024.

CRYPTOCURRENCIES: Weak USD = Strong BTC

"A week of reflection and uncertainty": this is how we described the previous review. On Wednesday, 15 May, this uncertainty was resolved in favour of the crypto market. As often happens, the reason for this was the Fed's monetary policy. The released inflation data in the US influenced market expectations regarding a rate cut. As a result, the American currency weakened, the DXY index went down, and investors' risk appetites increased. Stock indices reached historical highs, with the daily gain for BTC/USD exceeding 8%. ETH/USD also rose by 4.5%. However, this is not yet the long-awaited Bull Rally, and it is quite possible that once the situation with the dollar calms down, the growth of bitcoin and leading altcoins will cease. At least, this is the scenario many crypto market specialists predict.

According to Capriole Investment founder Charles Edwards, bitcoin is in a "deathly boring" stage. He believes that the current consolidation period may last from one to six months, during which the quotes will remain in a low-volatility range. This will continue until traders lose patience.

Sentiment will be most negative just before the end of the flat period, Edwards believes. "When you get tired of the sideways movement, common symptoms will include thoughts that the halving is already priced in and the bull market is over. […] Your symptoms and shorts will peak just before the mega-rally," predicts the head of Capriole Investment.

Galaxy Digital head Mike Novogratz also spoke about the consolidation of the crypto market, whose growth dried up three months after the launch of spot BTC-ETFs. In his opinion, until new circumstances or events lead to growth, the first cryptocurrency will trade in the range of $55,000 to $75,000.

Analyst Rekt Capital expressed a similar point of view. He believes that the threat of a bitcoin price drop after the halving has already passed. Drawing an analogy with the situation six years ago, he suggested that on 01 May, BTC hit a bottom around $56,000, and now calm will likely prevail until autumn, with the asset remaining in the accumulation zone. According to Rekt Capital's forecast, the exponential growth phase will begin in the autumn, during which the coin's value will reach new heights.

Bitfinex crypto exchange experts are somewhat more optimistic. They believe that the current lull may last only until the beginning of summer, and in Q3–Q4, growth will return. But everything depends on the actions of the US Fed. Bitfinex notes that the decline of the US currency from a six-month peak after the May meeting of the regulator and a weak employment report became a turning point in the trend. Now, the reduction in inflationary pressure in the US has been added. As a result, the weakening of the US currency could stimulate a rally in digital assets.

Where will this rally lead in the medium and long term? There are many answers to this question. Some predict the complete collapse and oblivion of bitcoin, while others insist on a price of $1 million per coin. Recently, Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter (now X) and head of Block, joined the "millionaires' club" after CMCC Crest co-founder Willy Woo. He also expects bitcoin to surpass the $1 million mark by 2030, after which it will continue to grow, challenging traditional fiat currencies. The entrepreneur noted that a very interesting aspect of digital gold is the nature of its ecosystem and how it stimulates collective efforts to improve the network. "Aside from the founding story, the most amazing thing about bitcoin is that everyone [...] who makes any effort to improve it makes the whole ecosystem better, which drives the price up. This is an incredible movement. [...] It has taught me a lot," he explained.

Businessman, writer, and founder of Edelman Financial Services Ric Edelman believes that traditional international investors will do everything possible to diversify their portfolios. And if they all invest at least 1% of their funds in the first cryptocurrency, the bitcoin market volume will reach an unprecedented $7.4 trillion, and the asset price will soar to $420,000. The growth of the market capitalization will be facilitated by spot BTC-ETFs. According to Edelman, they cover a much broader investor base than traditional assets. "In addition, crypto ETFs are incredibly cheap. They are 20-25% cheaper than assets on Coinbase or other crypto exchanges. Plus, they are held in brokerage accounts. Bitcoin ETFs allow for traditional investment strategies such as rebalancing and dollar-cost averaging. There are also tax advantages," Edelman lists the advantages of such funds. "I am confident that bitcoin and ethereum ETFs will have a significant impact on the market in the long run," he stated.

However, this last assertion can be disputed. While BTC-ETFs are a reality, the situation with ETH-ETFs is not so simple. Many expected the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) to approve applications for the launch of ethereum funds in May. But this has not happened yet. Moreover, Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas and securities lawyer Scott Johnson believe that the chances of approving spot ETH-ETFs are almost zero. In their opinion, the SEC is now considering the possibility of rejecting these funds' launch based on the fact that the applications were submitted with violations, as the fund shares are securities, not exchange-traded commodities.

The question of choosing between bitcoin and ethereum confronts many investors. The roles of these two cryptocurrencies differ, and this can significantly affect their profitability. Bitcoin is increasingly seen as digital gold, providing stability during times of economic uncertainty. This concept is supported by the observed post-halving volatility decrease, which was even lower than that of many companies in the S&P 500 index (Fidelity data).

Ethereum continues to push the boundaries of what is possible through technological innovations, including the recent Dencun update aimed at reducing fees and increasing scalability. However, these changes have once again made the network inflationary, nullifying the deflationary trend established after The Merge in 2022. As a result, ETH's volatility remains higher than BTC's.

According to ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence from OpenAI, the choice between these assets largely depends on individual investment strategy and risk tolerance. Bitcoin is generally better suited for investors seeking a relatively safe store of value and those new to cryptocurrencies. In contrast, Ethereum is better for those who believe in the future of blockchain technology. The main altcoin potentially offers higher rewards but also higher risks.

Investor and Eight founder Michaël van de Poppe has already made his choice. He admitted to selling all his bitcoins to buy altcoins. Van de Poppe believes that many of them are undervalued. And as soon as ETH prices start to rise, other alternative tokens will also go up. The expert believes that the altcoins he has chosen are likely to start growing earlier and faster than the market leader, allowing for greater profit than from investments in digital gold.

At the time of writing this review, the evening of Friday, 17 May, BTC/USD is trading at $66,835, and ETH/USD at $3,095. The total market capitalization of the crypto market is $2.42 trillion ($2.24 trillion a week ago). The Crypto Fear & Greed Index has risen from 66 to 74 points but remains in the Greed zone.

Risk-on sentiment dominated global financial markets last week, with investors buoyed by US inflation report that alleviated fears of another interest rate hike by Fed. The DOW defied gravity and surged to a new record high above the 40k mark, while S&P 500 and NASDAQ also set new records. Commodities mirrored this strong performance, with Copper hitting an all-time high and Gold poised to follow suit.

In the currency markets, Swiss Franc ended as the worst performer, followed by Dollar and Japanese Yen, reflecting the typical underperformance of safe-haven assets when investors embrace risk. Conversely, high-beta currencies such as New Zealand Dollar, British Pound, and Australian Dollar were the best performers, benefiting from their risk-sensitive nature. Euro and Canadian Dollar positioned themselves in the middle of the performance spectrum.

Dow Breaks 40k, Dollar Struggles

Dow Jones Industrial Average achieved a historic milestone, closing above the 40,000 mark for the first time on Friday. S&P 500 and NASDAQ also ended the week at record highs. This surge is fueled by a series of optimistic economic reports over the past two weeks, which have buoyed investor sentiment. The non-farm payroll report showed that while US labor market is cooling, it is doing so without major disruptions. Additionally, CPI report indicated that disinflation process has resumed, alleviating some inflation concerns.

The question now is whether Fed is back on track to start easing monetary policy later this year. While it seems probable, much will depend on the forthcoming economic data. But at least for now, fear of another rate hike has significantly diminished, as indicated by Fed Chair Jerome Powell and corroborated by recent data. Fed funds futures now show around 65% chance of a 25 bps rate cut in September, up from approximately 61% a week ago.

Technically, near term outlook will stay bullish in DOW as long as 39371.92 support holds. Next target is 61.8% projection of 32327.20 to 39889.05 from 37611.56 at 42284.78. Break of 39371.92 will bring consolidations first, before staging another rally.

Dollar index is now at a critical juncture, pressing channel support at around 104. Decisive break there, which could be triggered by extended risk-on rally, would indicate that whole rise from 100.61 has completed with three waves up to 106.51 already. Fall from 106.51, as another down leg in the sideway pattern from 99.57 ,would target 102.35 and then 100.61. Nevertheless, strong bounce from current level, followed by break of 105.74 resistance, will retain near term bullishness.

High-Beta Currencies Strong But Aussie Lags

The risk-on mood in global markets has buoyed high-beta currencies including Sterling, Aussie, and Kiwi, though with varied performances based on differing domestic economic data.

Australian Dollar underperformed its peers due to mixed job data that dampened the chance for further rate hikes by RBA. While Australia's job growth in April significantly exceeded forecasts, unemployment rate unexpectedly rose from 3.9% to 4.1%. Additionally, Wage Price Index's growth slowed to 0.8% qoq in Q1. Reflecting these mixed signals, money markets now suggest a roughly 50% chance that RBA will cut cash rate to 4.1% by December, marking a significant shift from just a month ago when traders were evenly split on the likelihood of a rate increase.

In contrast, Sterling found support from robust wage growth data in March, which remained steady in March. While BoE Chief Economist Huw Pill noted that a summer rate cut remains "not unreasonable," a June rate cut now appears less likely. New Zealand Dollar emerged as the strongest of the trio, buoyed by optimism towards China's economic recovery and a technical rebound against Australian Dollar.

Technically, AUD/NZD's sharp decline last week argues that rise from 1.0567 might have completed at 1.1027 already, on bearish divergence condition in D MACD. Firm break of 1.0852 cluster support (38.2% retracement of 1.0567 to 1.1027 at 1.0851 will indicate that the range pattern from 1.1085 has already started another falling leg. Deeper decline would be seen to 61.8% retracement at 1.0743 and below. Nevertheless, strong bounce from 1.0852 will retain near term bullishness for another rally at a later stage.

GBP/AUD remains bearish in the near term, as it's capped well below 1.9111 support turned resistance, even more by 55 D EMA (now at 1.9163). Current fall from 1.9567 is seen as the third leg of the corrective pattern from 1.9967. Deeper decline should be seen to 1.8584 first. Firm break there will target 100% projection of 1.9967 to 1.8584 from 1.9567 at 1.8184.

Copper hits new record, Gold to follow?

Metals had a strong run last week with Gold now approaching record high at 2431.27. Decisive break there will confirm long term up trend resumption. However, stiff resistance lies ahead around 2500 psychological level. There lies 161.8% projection of 1614.60 to 2062.95 from 1810.26 at 2535.69, and 100% projection of 1160.17 to 2074.84 at 1614.60 at 2529.27. So, beware of strong resistance around 2500 to limit upside to complete the five-wave sequence from 1810.26.

Copper also accelerated to new record high last week. Near term outlook will stay bullish as long as 4.6545 resistance turned support holds. Next target is 161.8% projection of 3.1314 to 4.3556 from 3.5021 at 5.4829.

EUR/CHF Weekly Outlook

EUR/CHF's rally from 0.9252 resumed by breaking through 0.9847 resistance last week. Initial bias stays on the upside this week for 61.8% projection of 0.9304 to 0.9847 from 0.9563 at 0.9899. Decisive break there could prompt upside acceleration to 100% projection at 1.0106, which is slightly above 1.0095 key structural resistance. On the downside, below 0.9835 resistance turned support will turn intraday bias neutral and bring consolidations first. But near term outlook will remain bullish as long as 0.9728 support holds, in case of retreat.

In the bigger picture, as long as 0.9563 support holds, rise from 0.9252 medium term bottom is still in favor to continue. Next target is 38.2% retracement of 1.2004 (2018 high) to 0.9252 (2023 low) at 1.0303, even as a correction to the down trend from 1.2004.

In the long term picture, fall from 1.2004 (2018 high) is part of the multi-decade down trend. Firm break of 1.0095 resistance is needed to be the first sign of long term bottoming. Otherwise, outlook will remain bearish.

EUR/USD's rally from 1.0601 resumed last week and further to 1.0894 before retreating. Initial bias remains neutral this week for consolidations first. Further rally is expected as long as 1.0810 resistance turned support holds. Break of 1.0894 will resume the rise to 1.0980 resistance. Decisive break there will confirm that whole fall from 1.1138 has completed already.

In the bigger picture, price actions from 1.1274 are viewed as a corrective pattern. Fall from 1.1138 is seen as the third leg and could have completed. Firm break of 1.1138 will argue that larger up trend from 0.9534 (2022 low) is ready to resume through 1.1274 high. On the downside, break of 1.0601 will extend the corrective pattern instead.

In the long term picture, a long term bottom is in place at 0.9534 on bullish convergence condition in M MACD. It's still early to call for bullish trend reversal with the pair staying inside falling channel in the monthly chart. Nevertheless, sustained trading above 55 M EMA (now at 1.1036) and break of 1.1274 resistance will raise the chance of reversal and target 1.2348 resistance for confirmation.

USD/JPY fell sharply after edging higher to 156.78 but recovered again after hitting 153.59. Initial bias remains neutral this week first. Price actions from 160.20 are seen as a corrective pattern. On the upside break of 156.78 will resume the rise from 151.86, as the second leg, to retest 160.20 high. On the downside, below 153.59 will target 151.86 and below as the third leg.

In the bigger picture, a medium term top might be formed at 160.20. But as long as 150.87 resistance turned support holds, fall from there is seen as correcting rise from 150.25 only. However, decisive break of 150.87 will argue that larger correction is possibly underway, and target 146.47 support next.

In the long term picture, as long as 140.25 support holds, up trend from 75.56 (2011 low) is still in progress. Next target is 138.2% projection of 75.56 (2011 low) to 125.85 (2015 high) from 102.58 at 172.08.

GBP/USD's rise from 1.2298 resumed by breaking through 1.2633 last week. Initial bias is now on the upside this week. Firm break of 1.2708 resistance will target 100% projection of 1.2298 to 1.2633 from 1.2445 at 1.2780. On the downside, below 1.2642 minor support will turn intraday bias neutral again. But further rise will now remain in favor as long as 1.2445 support holds, in case of retreat.

In the bigger picture, price actions from 1.3141 medium term top are seen as a corrective pattern. Fall from 1.2892 is seen as the third leg which might have completed already. Break of 1.2892 resistance will argue that larger up trend from 1.0351(2022 low) is ready to resume through 1.3141. Meanwhile, break of 1.2298 support will extend the corrective pattern instead.

In the long term picture, a long term bottom should be in place at 1.0351 on bullish convergence condition in M MACD. But momentum of the rebound from 1.3051 argues GBP/USD is merely in consolidation, rather than trend reversal. Range trading is likely between 1.0351/4248 for some more time.

USD/CHF rebounded strongly after edging lower to 0.8987 last week, but upside is capped below 0.9101 resistance. Initial bias stays neutral this week first. On the upside, firm break of 0.9101 will argue that corrective fall from 0.9223 has completed with three waves down to 0.8987 already. Further rise should then be seen to retest 0.9223. On the downside, though, break of 0.8987 will resume the fall to 38.2% retracement of 0.8332 to 0.9223 at 0.8883.

In the bigger picture, price actions from 0.8332 medium term bottom are tentatively seen as developing into a corrective pattern to the down trend from 1.0146 (2022 high). Rejection by 0.9243 resistance, followed by sustained break of 38.2% retracement of 0.8332 to 0.9223 at 0.8883 will strengthen this case, and maintain medium term bearishness. However, decisive break of 0.9243 will argue that the trend has already reversed and turn medium term outlook bullish for 1.0146.

In the long term picture, price action from 0.7065 (2011 high) are seen as a corrective pattern to the multi-decade down trend from 1.8305 (2000 high). Strong rebound from 61.8% retracement of 0.7065 to 1.0342 (2016 high) will start the third leg as a medium term rally. But there will be no sign of long term reversal until firm break of 38.2% retracement of 1.8305 to 0.7065 at 1.1359.

AUD/USD's rally from 0.6361 resumed last week but retreated after hitting 0.6713. Initial bias remains neutral for some consolidations. Further rally is expected as long as 0.6578 support holds. As noted before, fall from 0.6870 has probably completed with three waves down to 0.6361 already. Above 0.6713 will target 0.6870 resistance next.

In the bigger picture, price actions from 0.6169 (2022 low) are seen as a medium term corrective pattern to the down trend from 0.8006 (2021 high). Fall from 0.7156 (2023 high) is seen as the second leg, which could have completed at 0.6269 already. Rise from there is seen as the third leg which is now trying to resume through 0.6870 resistance.

In the long term picture, the down trend from 1.1079 (2011 high) should have completed at 0.5506 (2020 low) already. It's unsure yet whether price actions from 0.5506 are developing into a corrective pattern, or trend reversal. But in either case, fall from 0.8006 is seen the second leg of the pattern. Hence, in case of deeper decline, strong support should emerge above 0.5506 to bring reversal.

USD/CAD edged lower to 1.3589 last week but recovered. Initial bias remains neutral this week first. Further decline is in favor as long as 1.3689 resistance holds. Break of 1.3589 will resume whole fall from 1.3845 and target 100% projection of 1.3845 to 1.3608 from 1.3761 at 1.3524. Also, sustained trading below 55 D EMA (now at 1.3628) will argue that whole rise from 1.3176 has completed already.

In the bigger picture, price actions from 1.3976 (2022 high) are viewed as a corrective pattern. In case of another fall, strong support should emerge above 1.2947 resistance turned support to bring rebound. Firm break of 1.3976 will confirm up resumption of whole up trend from 1.2005 (2021 low). Next target is 61.8% projection of 1.2401 to 1.3976 from 1.3176 at 1.4149.

In the longer term picture, price actions from 1.4689 (2016 high) are seen as a consolidation pattern, which might have completed at 1.2005. That is, up trend from 0.9506 (2007 low) is expected to resume at a later stage. This will remain the favored case as long as 1.2947 resistance turned support holds.

GBP/JPY's rebound from 191.34 continued last week despite interim retreat. Initial bias stays on the upside this week for 200.53 resistance. On the downside, break of 195.02 support will argue that corrective pattern from 200.53 has started the third leg already, and bring deeper fall to 191.34 support.

In the bigger picture, a medium term top could be in place at 200.53 after breaching 199.80 long term fibonacci level. As long as 55 W EMA (now at 183.92) holds, fall from there is seen as correcting the rise from 178.32 only. However, sustained break of 55 W EMA will argue that larger scale correction is underway and target 178.32 support.

In the longer term picture, rise from 122.75 (2016 low) is seen as the third leg of the pattern from 116.83 (2011 low). Focus is now on 61.8% retracement of 251.09 (2007 high) to 116.83 at 199.80. Decisive break there would pave the way back to 251.09 in the long term.