Forex News and Events
Following the PBoC rate cut and RBA’s surprise status quo, the Bank of Canada, Brazil (Wed), England and the European Central Bank (Thursday) decisions are on the wire.
The RBA unexpectedly refrained from lowering its cash rate target to 3.0%, while citing that further policy easing may be appropriate in months ahead. The RBA decision is seen as strategically clever given that the expectations for lower rates push investors to postpone their activity and pay lower wages. Indeed, since the last RBA cut, the situation in Australian jobs market has rather deteriorated with unemployment rate reaching 6.4% y/y combined to wages growing at record low pace. The strong growth in housing prices has been, according to Governor Stevens, an important weight in decision to leave rates unchanged, while the below-the-trend growth and sliding commodity prices will likely lead to fresh rate cut over months ahead. AUD/USD rose to 0.7842 (still below yesterday high 0.7845) with slight positive bias in trend and momentum indicators. Offers are presumed strong at 0.7955/0.8000 (50-dma / Oct’14 – Feb’15 downtrend channel top & optionality). We keep our mid-term target unchanged at 75 cents verse USD.
Quick recap on TRY, ZAR and BRL
Turkey’s headline CPI accelerated faster than expected in February, from 7.24% to 7.55% y/y, while the core CPI eased unexpectedly to 7.73% y/y from 8.63% a month ago. The mixed CPI read increases market anxiety, fueling expectations that the improvement in core CPI will most probably revive President Erdogan and government’s call for lower interest rates to curb the economic slowdown. Although the inflation figures may be perceived as favorable for lower interest rates, Turkey’s country risk and the potential rise in risk premium before June general elections should continue thickening the market disapproval regarding further rate action. The dovish skewness in CBT’s monetary policy is not supportive for a core inflation below 7.00/7.50% in the first half of the year.
On Wednesday, the Brazil Central Bank is expected to raise the Selic rate by additional 50 basis points to 12.75% to cool-off, both, the inflationary pressures and the selling interest on the BRL. The expectations of tighter policy should keep the BRL-shorts contained through the first half of the week and even push USD/BRL below the two-week ascending baseline 2.8355. In the second part of the week however, the direction will mostly depend on USD leg walking into Friday’s NFPs. Given the data-dependent stance of the Fed, we expect a strong read to challenge 2.90/92 area effortlessly.
Friday’s US jobs data will also be the focus across the EM, among them the selling pressures in ZAR comes back in focus. Despite last week’s good GDP read in 4Q (4.1% q/q vs. 3.8% exp. and the previous read revised higher to 2.1% from 1.4%) and faster private credit expansion in January, the South African budget printed 29 billion deficit, alongside with 24.2 billion deficit on trade balance. Lower rand, lower commodity prices should continue weighing on trade terms in the first quarter at least and endogenously push ZAR lower verse the strengthening USD. The 12-threshold is in focus in 1-3 month horizon in the continuation of ascending long-term triangle formation.
AUD/USD gains post-RBA
The Risk Today
EUR/USD continues to move within its declining channel. Further weakness towards the support at 1.1098 is favoured. Hourly resistances can be found at 1.1245 (27/02/2015 high) and 1.1279 (20/02/2015 low).In the longer term, the symmetrical triangle favours further weakness towards parity. As a result, any strength is likely to be temporary in nature. Key resistances stand at 1.1679 (21/01/2015 high) and 1.1871 (12/01/2015 high). Key supports can be found at 1.1000 (psychological support) and 1.0765 (03/09/2003 low).
GBP/USD is weakening as can be seen by the break of the short-term rising trendline. Hourly supports can be found at 1.5317 and 1.5197. An hourly resistance now lies at 1.5459 (27/02/2015 high), while a key resistance stands at 1.5620. In the longer term, the recent rise is seen as an oversold rebound, whose upside potential should be capped by the key resistances at 1.5620 (31/12/2014 high) and 1.5826 (27/11/2014 high). A strong support stands at 1.4814.
USD/JPY is getting closer to the key resistances area between 120.48 (11/02/2015 high) and 120.83. Hourly supports can be found at 119.50 (02/03/2015 low) and 119.12 (see also the rising channel). A key support lies at 118.18. A long-term bullish bias is favoured as long as the key support at 110.09 (01/10/2014 high) holds. Even if a medium-term consolidation is likely underway, there is no sign to suggest the end of the long-term bullish trend yet. A gradual rise towards the major resistance at 124.14 (22/06/2007 high) is therefore favoured. A key support can be found at 115.57 (16/12/2014 low).
USD/CHF has broken the key resistance at 0.9554, confirming persistent buying interest. Another key resistance stands at 0.9831. Hourly supports can now be found at 0.9527 (02/03/2015 low) and 0.9450 (26/02/2015 low, see also the rising trendline). In the longer-term, the bullish momentum in USD/CHF has resumed after the removal of the EUR/CHF floor. The break of the key resistance at 0.9554 (16/12/2014 low) opens the way for a further rise towards the other key resistance at 0.9831 (25/12/2014 low). A key support can now be found at 0.9374 (20/02/2015 low, see also the 200-day moving average).
