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Forex Weekly Trading Forecast - 09.27.10

US Dollar at Risk of Declines as Fed Hints at Fresh Quantitative Easing

Fundamental Outlook for US Dollar: Bullish

- US Federal Reserve hints at further Quantitative Easing, Sinks US Dollar
- Home Sales data remains near record-lows, bodes poorly for economic outlook
- Positioning and signs of reversal nonetheless warn of potential US Dollar recovery

The US Dollar finished sharply lower against all major forex counterparts on a week of mediocre economic data and a noteworthy shift in rhetoric from the US Federal Reserve. The highly-anticipated Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) interest rate announcement and statement forced sharp moves across financial markets. Officials strongly suggested that they stood ready to restart Quantitative Easing (QE) measures if the need presented itself, and an especially dovish tone on inflation implied that such a move could come sooner than later. Given that the US Dollar fell precipitously on the first wave of QE, the prospect of QE Part 2 could spark continued USD weakness against major counterparts.

Market focus on the Fed’s next moves will make US economic data especially market moving, and a relatively busy calendar in the week ahead could bring sharp US Dollar volatility. Second revisions to Q2 Gross Domestic Product data may be the highlight of the coming days of trading, but traders should likewise watch for surprises out of earlier-week Consumer Confidence figures and end-of-week ISM Manufacturing data.

Market reactions will likely be linked to implications for the Fed’s next monetary policy moves. US Dollar moves on Consumer Confidence and GDP results should subsequently be straightforward; disappointments should force USD declines while positive surprises would likely see the Greenback rally. This should also roughly prove true for market reactions to ISM Manufacturing data, but any particularly large shifts in the “Prices Paid” index could blur implications for the Dollar. Consensus forecasts for all of these economic releases point to deterioration in economic conditions. Such bearish expectations leave plenty of room for positive surprises, but continued disappointments in US economic data hardly inspires confidence in prospects for the week ahead.

Short and medium-term momentum favors US Dollar declines, but the threat of sharp upward corrections grows as sentiment hits further USD-bearish extremes. Our most recent FX Options and Futures weekly report underlines the fact that many speculators are betting on further Greenback weakness. Said traders are usually in the right direction of the trend, and we have accordingly called for USD weakness. Yet traders should be careful of chasing US Dollar declines amidst high risk for corrections and monitor position risk accordingly.

Euro Rally Increasingly Suspicious as Fundamentals Remain Anchored

Fundamental Forecast for Euro: Neutral

- European Union members continue to issue debt at exorbitant rates; but investors ignore this concern
- Germany’s IFO Business sentiment survey provides the euro temporary fundamental footing
- How far can EURUSD run? After forging four-month highs, overhead resistance has lightened up

For those that follow the macro trends behind the currency market, it is difficult to reconcile the euro’s remarkable climb to new highs with the lingering financial and economic troubles that this economy continues to face. Nonetheless, the currency managed a week-end rally against its benchmark counterpart (the US dollar) Friday to close at its highest level in five months. Now, with EURUSD standing just below the highly visible 1.3500 psychological level (and 50 percent Fibonacci retracement for you technical traders), there is a distinct bite of speculative momentum to the otherwise remarkable two-week bullish bias the market was already touting. However, traders are a flippant crowd; and considering the euro is leveraging much of its performance on the sentiment of the crowd, forging further ground when the unit is already at such extraordinary highs will carry with it exceptional level risk.

There are a few primary drivers that can sustain or undermine the euro’s performance going forward. One uncertainty that seems to have lost much of its potential influence over future price action is the financial predicament individual EU members and the region as a whole faces going forward. Though there are few scenarios going forward where the euro-region will find itself unscathed in its fight against budget deficits balanced against slowing economic activity, market participants are proving to defer to the here-and-now rather than concern themselves with what lies further down the road. This is fortunate for bulls as it diverts attention away from lingering concerns over Portugal’s lack of progress on cutting its own budget gap (the government recently upgraded its deficit assessment) and Ireland’s liability in preventing Allied Irish from sinking its entire financial system. Helping to remove an otherwise consistent threat, there are few scheduled sovereign debt sales by the most troubled EU member economies. Italy has penciled in three consecutive days of auctions and Spain is on the books for one.

If we want to ascertain the euro’s bearing and pace, the best place to look is the dollar. Or, more specifically, we should be looking at EURUSD. Though the shared currency has shown significant progress against many of its counterparts (positive sentiment arguably helps this particular currency the most because investor concern was the cause of its deterioration), a considerable share of its strength can be ascribed to the outflow of capital from the greenback. Investors are moving out of the dollar (or more precisely Treasuries and other dollar-based assets) for fear that the extraordinarily loose monetary policies the Fed has adopted will devalue the nation’s assets. For bulk investment funds and reserve assets, liquidity is essential. Naturally EURUSD being the most liquid currency pair and considering Europe maintains one of the most open markets in the world, it is a natural destination for capital.

As for scheduled event risk, the docket is loaded with notable market-movers and subtle backdrop performers. If we are looking for short-term volatility, the German GfK consumer confidence survey, CPI and unemployment change figures all have a level of prestige. If we want to follow long-term trends, we will look to the M3 figure as an objective inflation gauge and EZ sentiment readings for growth potential.

Japanese Yen Could Strengthen On Safety Flows Despite Active BoJ

Fundamental Forecast for Japanese Yen: Neutral

- BoJ Intervenes for Second Time?
- All Industry Activity Index Rises 1.0% as Expected
- Technicals Point Toward Continued Yen Strength

Reported BoJ intervention during Friday’s Asian session generated a brief bout of across the board yen weakness, but the move was quickly retraced as cautious markets were favoring safety. The Asian currency would ultimately lose ground against several counterparts, as a positive U.S. durable goods orders report generated broad based risk appetite. A disappointing U.S. new home sales report would add to the prevailing outlook for additional QE from the Fed, the potential for additional stimulus only added to support for equity markets, and succeeding where the central bank failed. However, the dollar continued to be punished by the prospect of FOMC purchases, causing it to remain flat on the day against the Yen.

The Yen’s strength against the dollar has raised concerns amongst policy makers with Governor Masaaki Shirakawa stating in an interview that the central bank needs to monitor risks to Japan’s economy, exports, and corporate profitability. Board member Ryuzo Miyao also expressed concerns in a speech stating that “We’re entering a situation where we need to pay more attention to downside risks.” He would also acknowledge that the buying of Japanese Government bonds is one policy action that the central bank will consider at their next meeting. It could be an interesting meeting considering the recent activity of the central bank, especially since today’s Yen weakness has also been attributed to the possible resignation of Governor Masaaki Shirakawa. The monetary authority head is scheduled to speak on September 25th and 27th which could present event risk for the yen if he sheds light on his status, intervention or QE.

Continued risk appetite could be the best case scenario for policy makers as it will lead to flows out of the safe haven currency as traders look for higher yields. However, the potential for growth concerns to re-emerge is high considering central banks are beginning to lean toward additional stimulus. The fundamental calendar is full of key gauges that will provide insight into the economy, despite their lack of market moving potential. The prospect of action from the central bank may give additional weight especially the CPI report. Signs that deflationary pressure are growing could force the central bank’s hand, especially if the Tankan readings point toward slower activity. Early forecasts are for consumer prices to remain unchanged at -0.9% with manufacturers becoming more optimistic. A lower jobless rate, higher retail trade, plus improvements in industrial production and housing starts are expected. If a rosier growth picture emerges, then the monetary authority could stay on the sidelines, leaving the yen at the mercy of broader trends.

British Pound Rally Could Falter As Economic Outlook Deteriorates

Fundamental Forecast for British Pound: Neutral

- Mortgage Approvals By Major U.K. Banks Expand Less-Than-Expected
- Public Sector Borrowing Rises At Record Pace in August
- BoE Votes 8-1 to Maintain Current Policy, Andrew Sentance Dissents

The British Pound advanced to a fresh monthly high of 1.5815 on Friday and the exchange rate may continue to trend higher going into October as it breaks out of a narrow range. The GBP/USD cleared the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement from the 2009 low to high around 1.5700, and the pound-dollar may work its way back towards 1.6000 as it pares the decline from August. However, as the economic docket is expected to reinforce a weakening outlook for the region, the developments could curtail the recent strength in the sterling as investors weigh the prospects for a sustainable recovery in the U.K.

The final 2Q GDP reading for the U.K. is expected to show the economy expanding at an annualized rate of 1.7%, while total business investments is projected to contract 1.6% from the first three-months of the year. In addition, separate reports by the Bank of England are anticipated to show a GBP 2.9B decline in housing equity withdrawals, while mortgage approvals are forecasted to increase 47.0K in August after expanding 48.7K in the previous month. The data could spark a bearish reaction in the British Pound as growth prospects deteriorate, and an unexpectedly downward revision in the growth report or a smaller-than-anticipated rise in mortgage lending could stoke a reversal in the GBP/USD. If we see a retracement unfold over the following week, we would expect an initial test of the 38.2% Fib at 1.5700, but a sharp decline could lead the exchange rate to fall back towards the lower bound of its recent range around 1.5300.

Nevertheless, members of the BoE may change their tone towards future policy as inflation continues to hold above the government’s 3% limit for inflation, and hawkish comments from U.K. policy makers could stoke a rise in interest rate expectations over the coming months. MPC board member Andrew Sentence argued the central bank should gradually normalize monetary policy “soon” as the recovery takes hold, while his former colleague Kate Barker said the scope to increase quantitative easing looks “less certain” given the stickiness price growth. As the risks for inflation become an increased concern, members of the MPC may heed to Mr. Sentence’s call in order to give the central bank increased flexibility in managing monetary policy over the medium-term.

Canadian Dollar Underperforms and Outlook Remains Bearish

Fundamental Forecast for Canadian Dollar: Bearish

- Canadian Retail Sales disappoint markets
- Technical studies suggest Canadian Dollar may lose further

Pronounced US Dollar weakness meant that the Canadian Dollar finished the week higher against its namesake, but the Canadian currency underperformed all other G10 counterparts and relative weakness suggests risks remain to the downside in the week ahead. Relative disappointments in Canadian Retail Sales and Consumer Price Index data affected market expectations for the future of domestic interest rates. Overnight Index Swaps now price in a 20 percent probability that the Bank of Canada will raise interest rates at their next meeting—down from a 50 percent chance at the end of last week. Bearish US Dollar momentum suggests that the USDCAD could fall further, but the Canadian Dollar’s inability to capitalize on Greenback weakness raises risks of upward correction in the USDCAD.

A relatively empty week of Canadian economic event risk means that the USDCAD will likely trade off of US economic developments and moves in very highly correlated Oil prices. A potential exception comes in the form of monthly Canadian Gross Domestic Product data due the morning of the 30th. Though the month-on-month GDP figures are not known to move currencies, recent focus on Canada’s economic fundamentals may make any surprises market-moving. On the US economic docket, a slew of end-of-month economic data could potentially alter forecasts for US growth and affect financial markets.

The Canadian Dollar previously rallied against the Greenback and other major currencies on evidence that it was decoupling from a slowed US economy and showed solid growth prospects. Yet more recent economic data reminded markets that Canada remains fairly sensitive to economic developments in its southern neighbor. Disappointments in US economic data would likely force the USDCAD lower, but any especially strong surprises would likely mean that the Canadian Dollar could continue underperforming against other major counterparts.

As it stands, it is difficult to call for substantial US Dollar recovery against any major currency. Yet the Canadian Dollar may continue to underperform more broadly as markets digest a relative slowdown in Canadian economic recovery. Such underperformance would likely mean that the USDCAD continues to trade in a wide range through the foreseeable future.

Australian Dollar: Trends Higher But a Reversal May Be On the Horizon

Fundamental Outlook for US Dollar: Neutral

- Australian Dollar 9650 Is Resistance
- Australia Ready to Raise Rates if Growth Trends Hold, RBA Minutes Show

The Australian dollar has rallied against the U.S. dollar this week, climbing some 2.36 percent, and finishing as the sixth best performing G-10 currency through Friday’s close. The economic docket in Australia was relatively light this week but the RBA’s minutes from September suggests that policy makers may hike rates twenty five basis points at its next rate decision meeting on October 4th. At the same time, the single currency is benefiting from a change in sentiment as concerns of another downturn in the global economy fade (for now).

The minutes from the Reserve Bank of Australia this past week showed an aggressive stance towards further tightening by the central bank. The RBA stated that they see slightly stronger domestic conditions versus the previous month, and went onto add that higher rates are likely if growth trends continues its course. The increase in borrowing costs will ensure that inflation remains consistent the bank’s target, RBA said. In turn, the Aussie rallied against the struggling U.S. dollar as traders’ priced in an increased chance that policy makers will raise its key overnight lending rate next month. According to the Credit Suisse overnight index swaps, traders believe that there is a 60 percent chance of a rate hike to 4.75 percent from its current level of 4.50 percent. It is also important to look at the Sino-Australian relations due to the fact that China is Australia’s largest trading partner because of China’s demand for iron ore, natural gas, and coal. Though China is not ready to tighten policy, the economy looks to be heading the right direction as growth continues to be supported by its exports market, which has climbed 34.4 percent in August. However, disappointing Chinese PMI manufacturing and leading index reports may weigh on the Yuan in addition to the Aussie. Strength in the Australian dollar is not solely due its domestic strength, but is also attributed to optimism in the global economy as fears of a double dip recession dissipate.

Taking a look at price action, the AUDUSD has rallied to the highest level since 2008. In turn, the exchange rate continues to trade in overbought territory, which is indicative of a correction to the downside. However, traders should not overlook a period of consolidation followed by another rally as recent developments points to additional gains. For example, my user defined the Parabolic SAR crossover signaled for an advancement in the pair on September 1st, and has yet to reverse course, while our speculative sentiment index now stands at -3.7, pointing to further increases in the pair.

New Zealand Dollar Unable to Join Rally as Rates, Growth Dim

Fundamental Forecast for New Zealand Dollar: Bearish

- New Zealand growth sharply underperforms, drives the kiwi dollar lower
- NZDUSD advance can’t surpass resistance. Is this technical ceiling too much too conquer?

Risk appetite was ramped up this past week; and many assets capitalized on the improved sentiment. However, there was a distinct performance difference between those assets that rallied in the face of fundamental concerns and those that are natural optimism bedfellows due to their investment status. The former crowd marked true breakouts and showed an effort to jump start new trends while the latter struggled to extend their performance. The kiwi dollar has its feet in both pool; but that doesn’t mean the currency comes out with a net benefit. Against the worst performing unit though the period (the US dollar), the commodity currency has found itself walled in by 0.74 resistance. Heading into the new weeks, speculative interests have already passed the breakout phase and are now going to have to stir up momentum. Will the New Zealand unit find enough of a risk current to carry it to its own rally?

First and foremost, the concern for the kiwi is the intensity of risk trends. The remarkable breakout from the S&P 500 and EURUSD was perhaps the best catalyst the broader FX market could have asked for in terms of speculative leverage. Missing the opportunity to produce a critical break on NZDUSD through this momentum is a significant oversight. From here, speculative interest will be responsible for carrying optimism to new heights; and considering there are few legitimate sources for positive sentiment, the conviction that does develop will lack. Furthermore, we see that the relatively high-yield currency is sliding fast against the fundamentally-unstable euro, the pound and even the low-yield Japanese yen. If there isn’t a spark of demand from one of this pairs, there certainly won’t be a wave of kiwi buying across the broader market.

Another interesting assessment of the kiwi can be made in its comparison to the Aussie dollar. Both are investment currencies; but we have seen the RBA maintain a hawkish bias whereas the RBNZ this past week threw the breaks on its hawkish commentary. Furthermore, growth in Australia is still running at a robust pace as the gas station to China while New Zealand has seen its growth pace slashed. Yield isn’t the only concern for the markets at this point. The demand is for those investments that can produce the highest yield or have the greatest potential for appreciating from depressed levels. Why establish a yield position with the kiwi when the Aussie is more stable and maintains a higher yield? And, why go long the New Zealand dollar when it is already at marked highs and currencies like the euro are still significantly depressed. In the absence of overwhelming momentum for yield and risk, the kiwi may flounder.

Gold Likely to Extend Gains Amid Uncertainty, $1300 Looms Ahead

Fundamental Forecast for Gold: Bullish

- Gold Vulnerable as ETF Holdings Lag Price Gains
- Dovish FOMC Pushes Gold to New Record High

Gold prices continued to edge higher last week, touching a new record high of $1300 in Friday’s trade. The yellow metal seems to reflect the shaky climate prevailing across financial markets more than any other trading instrument. Indeed, short-term correlation studies show only tenuous links between gold and most other benchmark assets as investors bank on its store-of-value properties amid continued uncertainty about global growth and inflation trends. In fact, gold ETF holdings rose to a record-high 67.2 million ounces last week.

Looking ahead, next week’s economic calendar promises plenty of scheduled event risk to keep markets engaged in the debate about the depth of the likely slowdown on tap in the second half of the year and its implications for the recovery at large. US releases remain of central concern as the health of the world’s largest consumer market remains a proxy for worldwide performance. The final revision of second-quarter GDP figures is expected to confirm previous estimates of a 1.6 percent annualized increase in the three months through June, but timelier indicators offer a mixed picture. Personal Income is set to tick higher for the second month while Personal Spending matches the largest increase in four months in August. However, it’s tough to feel sanguine about such results considering Consumer Confidence is due to decline in September having advanced in the preceding month, hinting the gains in income and spending may not prove lasting. On balance, September’s ISM outcome may prove to define the trading week, with the report set to show US manufacturing growth has faded to the slowest pace in 10 months.

Beyond the States, the Tankan Survey of sentiment among Japan’s export-sensitive manufacturers will offer a reading on the vitality of global demand, with expectations pointing to relative optimism on the forward-looking Outlook gauge and a continued acceleration in capital expenditures. China’s Manufacturing PMI will serve much the same purpose, with forecasts calling for the pace of industrial-sector growth to rise for the second consecutive month in September. While seemingly encouraging, these outcomes may not prove to meaningfully underpin optimism considering the murky US economic landscape coupled with signs of European slowdown evidenced the last batch of PMI figures and the steady slide in the Baltic Dry Index – a measure of international trade activity – which finished last week at the lowest in over a month.

On balance, it seems the path of least resistance points toward a continuation of gold’s gradual ascent, with conflicting economic data flow seemingly assuring steady investment demand as markets remain wanting of trend-defining clarity on the medium-term path of global growth.



By David Rodriguez, Quantitative Strategist; John Kicklighter, Currency Strategist; John Rivera, Currency Analyst; Ilya Spivak, Currency Strategist; David Song, Currency Analyst and Michael Wright, Currency Analyst

EUR to Benefit from American and Japanese Bank Moves?

With rising fears about additional monetary easing by the Federal Reserve, speculators have begun to exit many of their USD positions in favor of higher yielding assets. Bank intervention in Japan also has many investors weary of entering yen positions in the near future, but poor fundamentals out of Europe have traders just as concerned about their investments in the euro zone, but have the added benefit of less government tinkering. The EUR's best bet for the moment could be to lie low and reap the benefits of a rapidly dropping USD and JPY.



USD - USD Stable despite Monetary Easing Speculations

The US dollar has been holding steady against most of its currency rivals, despite fundamentals showing a shift away from the safety of the greenback. A positive jobs report pushed the USD/CAD towards 1.0380, while conflicting reports out of Europe have the EUR/USD stalling at 1.3340 and the GBP/USD appearing to consolidate just below 1.5700.

With rising fears about further monetary easing by the Federal Reserve, speculators have begun to exit many of their USD positions in favor of higher yielding assets. A narrowing of the yield gap between the US and Japanese bonds also put pressure on the greenback as traders exited their carry trades, adding downward momentum to the dollar.

Today's durable goods orders out of the United States have a chance to add modest support to the USD if the figure is in line, or above, expectations. Rising durable goods orders is representative of increased demand for US manufacturing goods and services, which has a residual effect across the American economy.

EUR - EUR Gaining Amid Global Monetary Changes

The euro's rise continued in today's Asian trading sessions, but some analysts have begun to anticipate a softening of the EUR in the hours ahead. The EUR/USD saw a healthy 60 pip gain since the opening of the Asian session, currently trading at 1.3350. The EUR/GBP also rose modestly, sitting just above 0.8505.

Bank intervention in Japan has many investors weary of entering yen positions in the near future, but poor fundamentals out of Europe have traders just as concerned about their investments in the euro zone. Today's German Ifo Business Climate report could show a minor decline in economic sentiment in the region's largest economy. However, most analysts do not expect the Ifo report to carry much weight given the load of speculation emerging from the US and Japan.

With Japanese bank interventions and potential monetary easing by the US Federal Reserve, the euro's best chances of weathering the storm may be to lie low and do what it can to downplay its negative data releases. No news may be the best news for the euro zone's single currency for the moment.

JPY - JPY on Shaky Ground; Traders Awaiting Second Wave of Bank Intervention

The Japanese yen slumped against the US dollar and the EUR in today's early trading on speculation Japan is selling its currency after intervening in the market last week. The yen slid 1% to 85.22 per dollar from 84.38 in New York yesterday, however, it since stabilized back around $85.

Japan has yet to express satisfaction at the current value of its currency. This has led many speculators to anticipate a second wave of bank intervention sometime in the near future. The speculation alone has helped drop the yen against many of its currency counterparts. But should the Bank of Japan (BOJ) intervene in the market once more, traders are likely to see a very sharp drop in the value of the yen, primarily against the US dollar.

With no news expected out of Japan before the weekend's close, European and American reports will likely control today's movements, setting the pace for early next week. Traders would be wise to follow today's two leading events, the German Ifo Business Climate and the US Core Durable Goods Orders report.

Crude Oil - Crude Oil Fundamentals Could Be Weaker than Many Expected

The price of Crude Oil continues to float between $73.50 and $76.50 as markets digest the impact of Japan's bank interventions and speculation about further monetary easing in the United States. The summer driving season in Europe and America did little to support oil prices this year. Fundamentals remain weak for Crude Oil, and few expect growth levels to return to pre-2007 levels anytime soon.

With the current price of Crude Oil trading just below $75.00 a barrel, there appears to be technical pressures mounting to push the price higher in today's trading. Retreating optimism in Europe and a possible boost to American manufacturing growth both provide fundamental support to oil prices, but the specter of additional quantitative easing in the United States remains overhead.

Traders appear weary of purchasing the dollar, and the expected result should be a rise in oil prices. On the contrary, though, the support currently being experienced seems softer than expected and has many analysts concerned that fundamentals are in fact weaker than most have forecast.

Technical News

EUR/USD

The price of this pair has been floating in the over-bought territory on the daily RSI for some time now, suggesting strong downward pressure. A fresh bearish cross on the daily Stochastic (slow) supports this notion. As the price tests an important psychological barrier near 1.3350, going short may be a wise tactic for fast profits today.

GBP/USD

The recent uptick on this currency pair has just pushed the price into the over-bought territory on the daily RSI, suggesting an increase in downward pressure today. The price has also recently turned downward and exited the over-bought territory on the weekly RSI, suggesting that a cascading downward movement may have already been initiated on a larger time-scale. Going short may turn out to be the preferred strategy before the weekend's close.

USD/JPY

The price on the USD/JPY has recently shifted into an upward direction on the weekly RSI, also just exiting the over-sold territory, suggesting a rise in upward momentum. With impending bullish crosses on the daily and weekly MACDs, it may turn out that bullishness is on the way. Traders may want to take advantage of this movement by entering long positions on this pair throughout the day.

USD/CHF

This pair continues to decline, pushing the price into the over-sold region on the daily RSI, and even deeper into the weekly RSI, indicating that an upward correction is expected. An impending bullish cross on the daily Stochastic (slow) supports this notion. Going long may not be a bad idea.

CHF/JPY

The movements of this pair seem to suggest that the price has reached a recent high which is unsupported. The 4-hour, daily and weekly RSI show the price as over-bought, while the daily Stochastic (slow) and MACD have impending bearish crosses. Forex traders may want to evaluate their positions on this pair, especially since it appears that a bearish correction may be imminent. Going short on this pair could turn out to be an excellent gamble before the weekend's close.

Dollar Declines to 5-Month Low Against the EUR

The US dollar traded near a five-month low versus the EUR before a U.S. report today that may show existing home sales are close to a 10-year low, adding to signs the world's largest economy is struggling to recover.



USD - US Dollar Extends Losses

The US dollar fell against most of the major currencies on Wednesday, a day after the Federal Reserve said it was ready to take further action to boost the U.S. economy and fend off any deflationary threats. As a result, the dollar fell to its lowest level versus the yen since Japan intervened last week and closed around 84.50. The dollar experienced similar behavior against the EUR to trade at session highs above 1.3400.

The U.S. Federal Reserve's policy-making open market committee on Tuesday set the tone after it said it was prepared to take new stimulus measures if necessary. While the Fed left interest rates at record lows, it suggested further credit easing in a statement. Those measures would likely include buying treasury bonds, causing the market to brace for further dollar losses. The Fed comments will likely keep the dollar weak in the near-term, as the bank's stance is expected to keep downward pressure on U.S. interest rates, analysts said.

Today's Unemployment Claims and Existing Home Sales releases are expected to have a strong impact on the US currency. Any result could be a surprise, and the dollar could go either way as a result. In any case, traders are unsure how the market will react to today's data. A weak report could feed risk aversion, boost Treasuries and actually aid the US dollar. Then again, a better than expected result might be seen as a sign of relative US economic strength, and lift the dollar. Or it could also encourage risk-taking and aid commodities and higher-yielding currencies at the dollar's expense.

EUR - EUR/USD Hits 5-Month High

The EUR experienced a bullish trading session yesterday, as it appreciated in most of its major currency pairs. The 16-nation currency extended gains versus the dollar during yesterday's trading session, rising to its highest level in five months to trade above 1.3400 amid a broad sell-off in the USD. The European currency finished around 60 pips higher against the JPY to finish yesterday's trading session at the 113.30 level.

The pound slipped against the EUR on Wednesday to the lowest level since May, after the report showed the British budget deficit widened in August more than expected, increasing the possibility of further budget spending cuts. The EUR/GBP reached today 0.8560, the highest level since May 28th, after it dropped to the intraday low of 0.8462.

The UK public sector net borrowing was £15.9 billion in August, compared to the borrowing of £14.1 billion in a year ago. The current budget posted the deficit of £13.3 billion in August. Analysts say that the pound may fall further versus the EUR.

JPY - Yen Makes Big Gains on Dollar

The Yen rose on Wednesday to its highest level against the dollar since Japan intervened last week, fuelling speculation of more intervention after the Federal Reserve raised expectations it would print more dollars to help the U.S. economy. The USD/JPY fell yesterday as low as 84.26 before correcting itself. Currently the pair is trading around the 84.60 level.

Top Bank of Japan officials flagged rising risks to the nation's growth as the yen climbed in the aftermath of the US Federal Reserve signaled its willingness to consider more monetary stimulus. The remarks came a week after Japan sold yen for the first time in six years in response to a strengthening currency that threatened to derail the economy's recovery. The BOJ may be pressured to consider further liquidity injections after the government's decision to intervene and the Fed's signal it may ease more.

Many traders expect Japan to step in between 83.00 and 85.00 yen. They said the authorities had called banks to ask if they will be staffed on Thursday, a Japanese national holiday, in an apparent attempt to keep traders cautious over intervention.

OIL - Crude Oil Rises Above $75 a barrel

Oil prices rose above $75 a barrel Wednesday, boosted by a weaker dollar. But gains were limited by a report showing an unexpected rise in US supplies last week, a sign demand for crude oil may not be improving.

Oil and other commodities denominated in dollars for global trading tend to rise when the U.S. currency falls as they become cheaper for holders of other currencies. A move away from dollar-based pricing of the world's leading commodity could further weaken the greenback.

As for today, traders should pay attention to the US Crude Oil Inventories report as it tends to have a large impact on Crude Oil prices recently, especially for the short-term.

Technical News

EUR/USD

After a strong rally over the last few days, the pair is finally seeing some downward correction with some room for the trend to continue. Looking at the daily chart, a breach of the upper Bollinger Band is evident with the RSI for the pair floating in the overbought territory. A bearish cross is evident on the 4 hour and 8 hour chart's Slow Stochastic. Going short with tight stops may be preferred for the day.

GBP/USD

The pair is currently range trading between 1.5630 and 1.5690 with most indicators in neutral territory. The RSI for the pair floats near the overbought territory on the 4 hour and daily chart indicating some downward movement may still be expected from the pair. Going short with tight stops for the day may be advised.

USD/JPY

After a strong downward move some correction may be expected for the pair as the RSI is floating in the oversold territory on the 4 hour and 8 hour charts and a bullish cross is evident on the 8 hour chart's Slow Stochastic. Going long for the day may be a good option.

USD/CHF

A breach of the lower Bollinger Band is evident on the daily chart with the RSI for the pair floating in the oversold territory on the 8, 4 and 2 hour charts. Furthermore, a bullish cross is evident on the 8 hour chart's Slow Stochastic. Going long with tight stops may be advised for the day.

AUD/CAD

After a long bullish run, some correction may be in store for the pair. A bearish cross is evident on the daily chart's Slow Stochastic with the RSI for the pair floating in the overbought territory on the 4 hour, 8 hour and daily charts. Moreover, a breach of the upper Bollinger Band can be seen on the daily chart, indicating an imminent downward move. Forex traders are advised to go short for the day.

USD/JPY Declines Below 85 yen

The U.S. dollar continued to decline in early morning trading Wednesday, buying less than 85 Japanese yen after the U.S. Federal Reserve said it was ready to take further action to boost the economy.



USD - Dollar Falls Broadly on Fed's Comments

The U.S. dollar hit its lowest level in seven weeks against a basket of currencies, following the FOMC statement Tuesday night. Furthermore, the USD dropped below 85.00 yen, which in turn generated speculation that Japanese authorities may intervene to curb yen gains after the BoJ resumed intervention for the first time since 2004 last week.

The dollar fell about 1% against the euro on Tuesday, after the Federal Reserve said it would provide additional accommodation if needed to support the economy. The FOMC also said inflation is currently running below its target and sounded gloomier on its growth outlook, laying the groundwork for quantitative easing. Quantitative easing is considered by many economists as akin to printing money and therefore weakens a country's currency.

Against the Japanese yen the dollar fell to its weakest level since Japan intervened last week, fueling speculation further Japanese intervention in the marketplace. Some market players do not rule out another push by Japanese authorities to try and send the greenback above 86 yen. Many doubt they would let the dollar fall below 84.00. That being said, the prospect of quantitative easing from the Fed does not bode well for a bullish USD/JPY pair.

EUR - Euro Near 6 Week High vs. USD

The euro rose against the greenback on Tuesday, largely due to solid demand at sales of peripheral euro zone debt. At the same time, expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve may debate more monetary easing kept investors away from the greenback. Irish, Greek and Spanish government debt auctions attracted decent demand, easing concerns about whether the euro zone's highly indebted countries can obtain the funding they need.

Analysts said that the fact that the auctions were relatively well-received helped the euro develop some bullish momentum and it has broken through resistance at $1.3120.

The euro rose as high as $1.3312 in overnight trading, up 0.4%, after climbing 1.5% on Tuesday. It climbed through its 200-day moving average on Tuesday and chartists have said the next target is its August high of $1.3334.

JPY - Yen Gains After Fed Statement

Japan's Nikkei average slipped 0.5 percent on Wednesday, as the yen edged higher after the Federal Reserve's latest statement on the U.S. economy intensified speculation that it would take more quantitative easing steps later this year. The yen rose above the 85 level vs. the greenback, with market players saying that uncertainty about the likelihood of more intervention was keeping investors sidelined, particularly ahead of a Thursday holiday in Japan.

Despite the gains made against the dollar, the yen continues to fall against the euro. The EUR/JPY pair has shot up some 85 pips since yesterday afternoon. Following the news of euro-zone debt, it appears that investors are willing to bet on the European currency vs. the safe haven yen.

Crude Oil - Oil Weakens before Inventories Report

Crude oil prices fell for the 5th time in six days on Tuesday, amid high oil inventories and the Federal Reserve's continued concern about the sluggish economic recovery. Oil prices failed to garner any support from a weak dollar, which can lift dollar-denominated crude oil prices because it makes the commodity less expensive in countries using currencies other than the greenback.

An analyst survey ahead of the API report had yielded a forecast for crude inventories to be down 1.9 million barrels last week because of lower imports from Canada. This is largely due to the Enbridge pipeline outage and the stormy weather that hindered oil tankers navigation. Oil traders are now waiting for the first glimpse of the prior week's crude inventories. The U.S. Energy Information Administration will release its oil inventory data on Wednesday at 14:30 GMT. An increase in inventories is expected, which if true, would likely pull prices further down.

Technical News

EUR/USD

Virtually all technical indicators are showing this pair in overbought territory. The Williams Percent Range on the 8-hour chart is currently at the -5 level. Typically anything above the -20 level is a sign that the pair could experience downward pressure. The Stochastic Slow on the daily chart has formed a bearish cross, meaning a correction could take place in the near future. Traders are advised to go short with tight stops today.

GBP/USD

Most technical indicators are showing this pair in overbought territory, meaning the possibility of a downward correction is likely. The Williams Percent Range on the 4-hour chart is currently at -10, while the Relative Strength Index is approaching the upper resistance line. Traders may want to go short in their positions today.

USD/JPY

Technical indicators are currently mixed for this pair. While the Stochastic Slow on the daily chart shows that a bearish cross has formed, the Williams Percent Range on the 8-hour chart shows the pair in the oversold region, meaning an upward correction could occur. Traders are advised to take a wait and see approach for this pair today.

USD/CHF

Most technical indicators are showing this pair in the oversold region. The Williams Percent Range on the daily chart is at the -90 level, meaning upward pressure is likely. The Stochastic Slow on the 8-hour chart is showing a bullish cross forming right now. Traders are advised to go long with tight stops today, as an upward correction may occur.

Silver

Technical indicators on the daily chart including the Stochastic Slow and Relative Strength Index show that silver is currently in overbought territory. The Williams Percent Range on the 8-hour chart confirms this theory. Forex traders may want to go short with tight stops today, as a downward correction is likely to occur.

Markets Cautious Ahead of FOMC Meeting Statements

The Dollar is under pressure ahead of the Federal Reserve meeting statements later today, as the possibility of further quantitative easing measures by the Fed weigh on the greenback.



USD - Markets Await the FOMC Meeting Statements

The U.S Dollar fell against most counterparts Monday over concerns ahead of today's Federal Reserve meeting. Speculations regarding another round of economic stimulus put investors in a cautious mood. The FOMC meeting minutes has overshadowed lingering Euro-Zone sovereign-debt issues, allowing the EUR and other counterparts to advance versus the USD as the possibility of additional asset purchasing programs weighed on the Dollar.

The U.S. Dollar did make gains on the U.K Pound, gaining around 0.5%, after Bank of England lending data measuring broad money supply for July was flat and mortgage approvals dropped to the lowest level since April 2009.

Investors were exercising caution ahead of an FOMC announcement and most currencies remained within narrow ranges. While it is not expected that more quantitative easing programs will be announced, there is the possibility the Fed will surprise the markets and be more proactive.

While the FOMC statement is the most highly anticipated news release for today, traders should also follow the release of the Building Permits and Housing Starts, both due at 12:30 GMT. The housing market remains one of the most important and highly followed indicators as a measure of economic recovery.

EUR - Renewed Sovereign Debt Concerns Weigh on EUR

The single currency came under modest pressure at the end of last week as worries about European sovereign debt increased. The EUR's strength will be further tested this week with Irish and Portuguese debt auctions Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

The Pound fell against the EUR and the greenback after a report showed mortgage approvals dropped to the lowest level since April 2009. The GBP declined versus all of its major counterparts as signs the U.K.'s housing market weakened, threatened to undermine the country's recovery from the recession.

Late Monday, the EUR was at $1.3064 from $1.3039 from late Friday and at 111.96 Yen from 112.89 Yen. The U.K. Pound was at $1.5547 from $1.5626.

The EUR/USD pair is currently trading within a tight range and is likely to remain between $1.30 and $1.31 ahead of the FOMC meeting minutes.

JPY - The AUD at a 2 year high

A Japanese holiday Monday kept Yen trading light as investors still keep an eye out for more Japanese intervention.

The Australian Dollar, a growth linked currency, gained more than 1% against the greenback. Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Glenn Stevens's strong assessment of the Australian economy boosted the AUD higher versus the Dollar. The hawkish remarks lifted expectations of an impending interest rate hike boosting the currency.
The Australian Dollar Monday hit a series of two-year highs, topping out at $0.9495 from $0.9372 late Friday.

Crude Oil - Crude Recovers on Rising Equities

Crude Oil futures settled higher Monday as rising U.S. equities boosted optimism about the economic outlook. Light, sweet Crude for October delivery settled $1.20 higher at $74.86 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange after trading as high as $75.45 earlier in the session. Spot crude is currently trading around $76 a barrel. The October crude contract is due to expire at the end of trading today.

Future economic growth and demand remain the main drivers behind oil prices. For today the focus will be on economic data as well as comments from the Federal Reserve. With Oil Inventories remaining high, the strength of the U.S economy is the most valuable tool to gauge future oil demand.

Technical News

EUR/USD

The EUR/USD cross has experienced a bullish trend for the past week. However, it seems that this trend may be coming to an end. For example, the daily chart's Stochastic Slow signals that a bearish reversal is imminent. A downward trend today is also supported by the hourly chart's Slow Stochastic. Going short with tight stops may turn out to pay off today.

GBP/USD

There is a bearish cross forming on the daily chart's Slow Stochastic indicating a bearish correction might take place in the nearest future. The downward direction on the hourly chart's Slow Stochastic also supports this notion. When the downward breach occurs, going short with tight stops appears to be preferable strategy.

USD/JPY

The 4-hour chart is showing mixed signals with its Slow Stochastic fluctuating at the neutral territory. However, a bearish cross forming on the daily chart's Slow Stochastic implies that downwards correction might take place in the nearest time frame. Going short with tight stops might be the right strategy today.

USD/CHF

The typical range trading on the hourly chart continues. The daily chart Slow Stochastic is floating in neutral territory. However, the 4-hour Chart's RSI is already floating in the oversold territory indicating that a bullish correction might take place in the nearest future. Going long with tight stops might be the right strategy today.

Gold

Gold prices rose significantly in the last week and peaked at $1283 an ounce. However, the daily charts' RSI is floating in an overbought territory suggesting that a recent upwards trend is loosing steam and a bearish correction is impending. This might be a good opportunity for forex traders to enter the trend at a very early stage.

Will The Yen's Bearish Momentum Continue?

A very fascinating event took place last week as the Japanese leadership decided to intervene in the national currency's trading. As planned, the Japanese yen fell against all the major currencies. At the moment, Japan is promising to fight the strong yen, and admits that further interventions could take place. Is the yen likely to fall further?



USD - Positive U.S. Economic Data Spurs Demand for Risky Assets and Weakens the Dollar

The U.S. dollar fell against most of the major currencies during last week's trading session. The dollar fell about 400 pips against the euro, and the EUR/USD pair is once again trading above the 1.3000 level. The dollar fell about 200 pips against the British pound as well.

The greenback fell last week as several economic publications signaled that the U.S. economy is recovering. This in turn boosted investor confidence in the global economic recovery. The Unemployment Claims report showed that applications for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week to the lowest level in two months, indicating that the labor market is improving. In addition, the Long-Term Purchases report, released on Thursday, showed that global demand for U.S. stocks, bonds and other long-term financial assets was stronger than forecast in July. Net buying of equities, notes and bonds totaled $61.2 billion in July compared with net buying of $44.4 billion in June. The positive data has boosted optimism for risker assets, and as a result decreased demand for the dollar, which is considered to be a relatively safe investment.

Looking ahead to this week, the most significant release from the U.S. economy looks to be the Federal Funds Rate, which is scheduled for Tuesday at 18:15 GMT. This is in fact the U.S. Interest Rates announcement for the next month. Analysts expect the Fed to leave rates at a record low of less than 0.25%. However, if the Fed will surprise and hike rates, unusual volatility will likely take place as a result.

EUR - Euro Bullish On All Fronts

The euro saw a bullish trend against all the major currencies during last week's trading. The euro gained about 400 pips against the U.S. dollar and about 600 pips against the Japanese yen. Additionally, EUR/GBP went up about 100 pips.

The euro shot up despite several rather disappointing economic releases from the euro-zone. The most significant publication from the euro-zone last week was the German ZEW Economic Sentiment survey. In the survey, about 350 German institutional investors and analysts rate the economic outlook for Germany, which holds the largest economy within the euro-zone. The survey showed that investor confidence fell more than economists had predicted, and in fact, reached a 19-month low in September. The drop in confidence is believed to be the result of budget cuts across the region and slowing global growth.

Despite the negative data, the euro gained against the major currencies. The euro's bullishness however was the direct result of better-than-expected U.S. releases, especially regarding the employment situation. Investors are confident that solid U.S. economic trends will eventually make their way to Europe.

As for this week, a batch of data is expected from the euro-zone, with the most interesting trading day likely to be on Thursday, when several significant economic indicators will be released from Germany and France. Analysts currently have rather gloomy expectations, but if the end results will provide better figures, the euro could strengthen further against the majors.

JPY - Central Bank's Intervention Succeeds In Weakening the Yen

Last week's most significant development in global currencies was without a doubt the Bank of Japan's (BoJ) decision to intervene in the national currency's trading for the first time since 2004. As a result, the yen fell about 150 pips vs. the U.S. dollar, and about 500 pips against both the euro and the British pound.

The Bank of Japan's decision came after the yen reached a 15-year high against the U.S. dollar. The Japanese economy largely depends on its export industry, which is hit hard when the yen is overvalued. Experts say that the BoJ has ordered to sell as much as 1.8 trillion yen ($21 billion). As a result, the yen had its biggest weekly decline against the greenback since April. In addition, Finance Minister Noda said that the government will continue to intervene if necessary, hinting that Japan will take actions to prevent the yen from reaching record highs again.

As for the week ahead, investors are curious as what the long term effects of the BoJ intervention will be. Will the yen continue to weaken, or will investors try to fight off the aggressive sell off? In case the yen will begin to erase last week's losses, traders are advised to ready themselves for additional intervention from the Japanese government.

Crude Oil - Crude Oil Halts Is Fall at $75 a Barrel

Crude oil dropped sharply during last week's trading session. Crude began last week's trading at $77.30 a barrel, and then promptly dropped to as low as $74.05 a barrel. However, the commodity managed to slightly correct its losses, and is currently trading around $75.00 a barrel.

Crude oil prices fell last week after the U.S. announced on Friday the restart of Enbridge's Line 6A pipeline, which carries up to a third of Canada's U.S. bound crude oil shipments. The expected larger amount of supplies has decreased demand for oil, causing prices to fall.

Looking ahead to this week, traders are advised to follow the main publications from the U.S. and the euro-zone, as those tend to have a large impact on oil prices. In addition, traders are advised to follow the U.S. Crude Oil Inventories report, scheduled for Wednesday, as it tends to have an instant impact on the market.

Technical News

EUR/USD

Technical indicators show that this pair, after trading above the 1.3000 level for some time, may be ready for a downward correction. The Stochastic Slow on the daily chart shows a cross has formed above the resistance line, indicating downward movement is likely to occur. The Relative Strength Index on the 8-hour chart is above the 70 level, which means downward pressure is predicted. Traders may want to go short with tight stops today.

GBP/USD

Technical data is showing mixed signals for this pair at the moment. While both the Relative Strength Index and Williams Percent Range on the 8-hour chart show the pair in overbought territory, the Stochastic Slow on the same chart is trading in neutral territory. Indicators on the daily chart are following a similar pattern. Traders may want to take a wait and see approach for this pair today.

USD/JPY

Following the jump this pair made last week, technical indicators are showing it may finally have reached overbought territory. The Relative Strength Index on the 8-hour chart is currently around the 80 level, well above the upper resistance line. Furthermore, the Williams Percent Range on the daily chart is at around -5. Typically, anything above -20 means the pair will face downward pressure. Traders may want to go short in their positions today.

USD/CHF

Technical indicators across the board are showing this pair trading in neutral territory at the moment. Typically, this means that no clear direction for the pair exists at the moment. Traders will want to take a wait and see approach for this pair, as the trend is likely to change later in the day.

Silver

After last week's spike in silver prices, the commodity may have finally reached overbought territory. The Williams Percent Range on the daily chart is around the -5 level, while the Relative Strength Index on the same chart has been trading above the upper resistance line for some time. Forex traders may want to go short in their positions today, as a bearish correction is likely.

Forex Weekly Trading Forecast - 09.20.10

Dollar Turns to FOMC Meeting to Confirm or Counter New Bear Trend

Fundamental Outlook for US Dollar: Bullish

- US Dollar marks a critical break as speculation of a new round of Fed stimulus grows
- Consumer confidence stumbles and retail sales slips as the economy’s primary engine stalls
- IF the dollar can curb its tumble against the euro, the rest of the majors could follow

The benchmark dollar put in for a critical bearish break this past week. Though, the odd thing about this slip is that the complimentary speculative markets weren’t following the risk appetite track that would normally have catalyzed this move. In fact, it seems the greenback’s sudden drop would develop completely outside of the risk arena. Has the dollar broken free of its overbearing (negative) correlation to investor optimism? The answer to this question is the essential first step to reasonably projecting the dollar’s future. If the currency’s appeal as a liquid harbor for capital diminishes, its primary fundamental driver will be open to interpretation and therefore lacking the necessary influence to develop a meaningful trend.

So, our first question heading into next week is whether the dollar has indeed made the break from risk appetite trends. The rationale behind this scenario was the sharp, bearish for the single currency whilst other speculative-sensitive markets held steady. However, if we ignore the technical implications of this move for a second, we can see more clearly that this was a decline after a month-long period of congestion. In the first two weeks of the month, when the dollar was still holding to its range, the S&P 500 was actually putting in for a marked advance. Perhaps the surge by the dollar this past week was merely an overdue reconciliation between currency and market theme? This makes sense in the context that when the fundamental force behind the capital markets eases, well-established correlations weaken. If this is indeed the case, a lack of a clear trend in risk will keep the dollar from developing its own bear trend. At the same time, should optimism or pessimism unify traders, the dollar will tumble or rally correspondingly.

At the same time, there is a chance that the dollar could permanently lose its appeal as a safe haven and turn to a longer-term deterioration in its fundamental health that has to this point been ignored. In the government’s effort to encourage growth, the expansion of stimulus in turn boosts the money supply. This is a natural burden on the value of the domestic currency. However, to this point, the role of safe haven has been more important to traders. Now, in this period of respite for risk, investors can be shaken in their confidence as the Federal Reserve has the ability to abruptly increase stimulus. Last week, speculation that the central bank will increase its lending program ushered the dollar lower. The Fed will actually have this chance this week at the policy meeting. Will they increase stimulus beyond the $2 trillion floor? Unlikely. And, such an outcome would solidify the correlation and perhaps lower speculative confidence.

Aside from this big ticket event risk, it is worthwhile to keep a close eye on the factory and housing related data due through the week. The former has proven a sieve for consumer confidence and the latter is the last hope for a recovery that is quickly deflating.

Euro Failure at 1.3150 Warns Sentiment May Have Hit Extreme

Fundamental Forecast for Euro: Neutral

- Second quarter European economic growth beats expectations, Euro strengthens
- Euro, British Pound advance against the US Dollar as risky assets gain
- Our Technical Strategist believes Euro longs against the Australian Dollar, Swiss Franc attractive

Fresh multi-month highs in the US S&P 500 and other financial asset classes made the risk-sensitive Euro top-performing G10 currency through the past week of trade, but a late-week reversal warns of a potential turnaround after significant gains. The EURUSD finally broke out of its tight month-long range on a surprisingly sharp US Dollar tumble. There was ostensibly little ‘reason’ for US Dollar losses, but we had earlier warned that currencies were poised for breakouts after an extended lull in volatility. The Euro’s next moves may be especially important as it has thus far shown relative inability to challenge multi-month highs against the US Dollar.

A relatively empty European economic calendar suggests that the Euro will need to take its cues from broader financial market sentiment and price swings. Traders should nonetheless watch for any especially large surprises out of upcoming German IFO business confidence results, while Euro Zone Consumer Confidence and other second-tier economic reports could also affect markets. The recent upswing in the US S&P 500 and broader financial market risk sentiment favors Euro gains against the safe-haven US Dollar. Yet examination of FX Options market sentiment suggests that the Euro may have reached an important sentiment extreme through very recent trading.

The speed with which the Euro broke out of its long-standing range warns that markets can and will shift direction at a moment’s notice. As such, EURUSD behavior near important congestion resistance at 1.3150 may prove especially significant. If we do see the single currency trade above said resistance level, there is little in the way of a test of 5-month highs above 1.33. Otherwise, a retest of recent congestion support closer to 1.2800 seems the more likely outcome.

Japanese Yen: Will The Intervention By the Bank of Japan Work?

Fundamental Forecast for Japanese Yen: Bearish

- Japanese Yen Collapses on BoJ Intervention
- Yen Drops as Japan Intervenes, Dollar’s Fate Clouded on Neutral Risk Trends
- Policy Makers Keep Trades Off Balance with Intervention Threat

After maintaining its descending channel for more than three months, the USDJPY finally crossed over the upper bounds of its range, and now looks poised to test 87.50 in the near term. Indeed, the yen was the biggest loser against the U.S. dollar amongst the G-10 currencies as the Bank of Japan intervened in the FX markets for the first time since 2004. Going forward, the Japanese yen may continue to lose ground against the greenback as the recent technical and fundamental developments points to further gains in the exchange rate.

Subsequent to much anticipation, and entering into a period in which markets discounted intervention by policy makers in Japan following the re-election of Prime Minister Naoto Kan, the central bank stepped in to stem the appreciation of the yen. The day prior to the BoJ’s move, Mr. Kan was re-elected the head of the ruling Democratic party in Japan. Preceding his re election, the Prime Minister did not show an aggressive stance toward currency intervention, which lead to the immediate rally in all major currencies against the yen. The weaker yen does more than just support exporters; it can also solve Japan’s deflationary issues. With the BoJ’s action now behind us, the question that now arises is, whether the yen will continue to deteriorate or return back to recent highs? For Japan, next month’s monetary policy meeting will be extremely important in that the intervention will need to be supported by additional quantitative easing. Until October, the yen may display a lackluster performance or weaken further if the FOMC minutes next week is more optimistic than the previous meeting, and in turn fuels risk appetite.

For this upcoming week, the economic docket for the world’s third largest economy is relatively weak as traders face the nationwide department store sales, machine tool orders, and the all industry activity index. However, it is worth noting that the final reading for the leading index is on tap. Movements in these figures usually precede larger developments in the domestic economy. The reading is widely expected to stay above 50, but will likely contract from June’s reading of 99.0, which does not bode well for the region. Away from the docket, traders should not overlook another intervention by the central bank as Japan’s Finance Minster Noda pledged to take bold action in the yen if necessary.

With regards to price action, technical analysis favors a weaker Japanese yen against the U.S. dollar. The USDJPY recently broke above its descending channel which remained intact for over three months. At the same time, our speculative sentiment index now stands at 2.10, which is off of its extreme of 7.0. Going forward, we could possibly see a test towards 87.50.

British Pound Lull to Persist on Flat Rates Outlook, Risk Decoupling

Fundamental Forecast for the British Pound: Neutral

- Pound Fails to Capitalize on CPI as BOE’s Weale Sounds Off
- UK Labor Market Unexpectedly Weakens as Jobless Claims Rise
- RICS: UK House Prices Fell Most in 15 Months in August

The British Pound was little changed last week, adding a meager 0.03 percent against a trade-weighted average of its major counterparts. Prices have been confined to a narrow range since the beginning of the month, with volatility readings lagging the spectrum of major currencies. The relative standstill has owed to a fairly stable monetary policy outlook, with traders seeing virtually no changes on the horizon for the foreseeable future, as well as a rapidly fading correlation with risk sentiment. Indeed, the link between the aforementioned trade-weighted average and the MSCI World Stock Index is now virtually nil while that of equities and typically risk-sensitive pairs like GBPJPY and GBPUSD has dropped below significant levels on 20-day percent change correlation studies.

Turning to scheduled event risk, the release of minutes from the last Bank of England policy meeting takes top billing. While traders will certainly pay close attention to the vote break-down on the rate-setting MPC committee as well as the rhetoric presented in the discussion leading up to the announcement, the likelihood of a material shift in the markets’ established outlook seems unlikely. The central bank has argued for some time that the upswing in prices since the beginning of 2010 owes to temporary factors, with the annualized inflation set to fall back below 2 percent by 2012. Given such a prolonged time frame, Mervyn King and company are surely going nowhere fast despite a promise to shift policy “in either direction” as needed, a comment likely directed at the domestic audience amid jitters about economic headwinds from the government’s austerity program. Indeed, a Credit Suisse gauge of rate hike expectations points to a static monetary policy for the coming year.

The remainder of the economic calendar is filled out with low-level releases, hinting that absent a re-coupling with risk appetite, range-bound conditions are likely to persist for the time being. Indeed, 1-week implied volatility readings suggest sterling price action will remain relatively quiet compared with the remainder of G10 FX space.

Canadian Dollar May Be Weighed By Dimming Yield Expectations

Fundamental Forecast for Canadian Dollar: Bearish

- Inverse Head & Shoulders Points To Upside Potential
- Canadian Consumer Prices Offer Potential Volatility

The Canadian Dollar finished the week on a sour note as it lost ground to the dollar and yen which retraced earlier losses from QE speculation and intervention respectively. The commodity dollar has also been weighed by a more dovish outlook from policy makers. Concerns over the impact from U.S. weakness and a slowing global economy have led to the BoC lowering their growth forecasts. Bullish, momentum from the central bank’s rate hike carried into the start of the week. Comments following the policy meeting, that financial conditions remain “exceptionally stimulative” signaled that prior tightening wasn’t restricting the flow of credit, opening the door for additional tightening. The upcoming retail sales and inflation reports may impact interest rate expectations going forward and could dictate loonie direction for the upcoming week.

Governor Carney speaking in Berlin on Friday stated that he central bank will set policy appropriate for their inflation target of 2-3%. The lead monetary authority also showed concern over the loonie’s strength as it will have a detrimental effect on demand for exports. The comments weighed on yield expectations as additional rate hikes could lead to further appreciation. Meanwhile, deputy governor Lane speaking in St John’s cautioned that the recovery will be more modest than past cycles. The BoC also holds an unusual uncertainty on the outlook for growth, with the economy having “significant” excess supply. An unexpected fall in July factory sales supported the dimming growth outlook, as the 0.9% decline warned of slumping demand from abroad.

Inflation is forecasted to have accelerated to 1.9% in August with core prices holding at 1.6%, adding to the case for the central bank to pause their tightening cycle. Prior rate hikes should help dampen consumer price growth and allowing inflation to remain within target levels. Meanwhile, an expected 0.5% improvement in retail sales could raise yield expectations in the short-term as strong domestic demand will continue to put upward pressure on prices. However, the impact may be limited given the dovish statements from policy makers, especially of inflation remains below target levels. Despite the packed fundamental calendar, price direction could come from broader trends for the USD/CAD as it is currently holding an 83% correlation with U.S. equity markets.

Australian Dollar: Will RBA Rhetoric Pave The Way For Parity?

Fundamental Outlook for US Dollar: Neutral

- Business Confidence Rebounds
- Consumer Confidence Weakens The Most In Three-Months
- Inflation Expectations Gather Pace in September

The Australian dollar extended the rally from earlier this month to reach a fresh yearly high of 0.9467, and the high-yielding currency could face increased volatility over the following week as the Reserve Bank of Australia is scheduled to release its policy meeting minutes on September 21. As the AUD/USD continues to pare the decline from the 2008 high (0.9849), the exchange rate may make another run at parity as policy makers maintain an improved outlook for the $1T economy.

RBA Governor Glenn Stevens expects growth and inflation to trend close to target after holding the benchmark interest rate at 4.50% earlier this month, and sees strong growth in business investment as the region benefits from the marked expansion in China, Australia’s largest trading partner. At the same time, assistant Governor Philip Lowe sees the economy operating close to full-capacity in the following year and expects the labor market to improve going forward as firms increase production and employment. With the economic recovery gathering pace, the central bank may adopt a hawkish tone for future policy and see scope to tighten monetary policy further as the risks for inflation intensify. Increased speculation for a rate hike in October could support the underlying strength behind the Australian dollar and the lead the exchange rate to push higher over the near-term.

The AUD/USD looks posed to test 0.9500 for psychological resistance as price action continues to trade above the 10-Day moving average at 0.9281, but there could be a short-term phase of consolidation over the following week as the daily relative strength index falls back from a high of 70. If a corrective retracement unfolds in the days ahead, we would expect price action to fall back towards the lower bounds of its recent range roughly around 0.9300, but a bigger below the 10-Day SMA would expose the August highs around 0.9200. However, hawkish comments from the RBA could lead the rally to gather pace and drive the exchange rate to make another attempt at parity.

New Zealand Dollar Traders Keep Tabs on RBNZ’s Fundamental Prompts

Fundamental Forecast for New Zealand Dollar: Bearish

- RBNZ surprises bullish kiwi traders with dovish commentary to compliment hold on rates
- NZD/USD rally stalled by resistance, maintains range despite volatility

With the capital markets on a slow but steady advance, it would seem a point of certainty that the high-yield New Zealand dollar would appreciate. However, a taste for risk alone may not be enough to keep the kiwi buoyant. Certainly, if investor sentiment soared and demand for return far outstripped the risks that accompanied such an income, then the currency would most likely fall right back into its paces. However, if confidence merely flounders (or worse yet, if it actually broke down), then the New Zealand dollar will find itself especially exposed.

Where does this bearish tendency come from? If we consider the primary appeal of the kiwi dollar as a major; it is quickly apparent that a high yield is the only appealing feature that this currency possesses to command such liquidity. Therefore, when the capacity of producing return is diminished, it quickly drops off the charts. In this framework, we can understand why the RBNZ’s dovish commentary last week has had such a heavy influence over the outlook. Governor Bollard commented that global uncertainties presented a significant hurdle for the domestic economy, he wrote off immediate inflation pressures as a potential side effect of the quake that struck this month, and he explicitly stated that future rate hikes would come at a slower pace. With the Aussie dollar touting a positive benchmark differential of 1.50 percent, there is an immediate and attractive alternative to the kiwi.

Going forward, fundamental traders will monitor the same indicators and economic symptoms that Bollard will be watching to establish the timing for monetary policy. And, it just so happens that this week we will see a key economic indicator with immediately implications for deciphering the health and stability of New Zealand: the second quarter GDP reading. There is no official consensus to work with yet; so the door is still wide open to speculative interpretation. That being said, Australia’s strong 3.3 percent annual will be likely used as a benchmark – unfortunately for the kiwi. Furthermore, data that covers capital flows across the border, consumer confidence and credit health will all mark significant fundamental benchmarks if not encourage a meaningful price response.

Gold Prices Hit Record Highs, FOMC Decision Could Fuel Further Rallies

Fundamental Forecast for Gold: Neutral

- Gold prices continue to hit record-highs
- Technical forecasts point to further rallies in Gold prices

Gold prices set fresh record-highs amidst broader US Dollar weakness, but the precious metal actually remained relatively unchanged against other major currencies. The US Dollar itself fell against all but two G10 counterparts and remains stuck in a fairly pronounced downtrend against commodity currencies such as the Australian and Canadian Dollars. That gold would set fresh all-time highs in USD terms may subsequently come of little surprise, but that does not take away from the fact that the trend favors further gains in precious metals.

The key question rolling forward is whether we can expect the US currency to continue lower through coming trade. According to the most recent CFTC Commitment of Traders data, Non-Commercial traders are the most net-short the USD since July. Medium-term trends and sentiment suggests risks remain to the downside for the Greenback. Yet increasingly one-sided positioning warns that any subsequent corrections could come quickly as traders cover their USD-short positions. Gold prices may likewise see noteworthy volatility on the upcoming US Federal Open Market Committee interest rate announcement due Tuesday afternoon. All eyes will be on whether the central bank hints at renewed efforts to boost monetary supply via Quantitative Easing. Continued signs of slow economic growth and languishing employment trends have heightened speculation the FOMC will move to “Quantitative Easing Part 2”. Given that any such moves would be inherently inflationary, we could once again see gold prices rally substantially on any such announcement. How the US Dollar trades in the week ahead may ultimately decide the medium-term trajectory for gold prices.



Written by John Kicklighter, Currency Strategist; David Rodriguez, Quantitative Strategist; Ilya Spivak, Currency Strategist; John Rivera, Currency Analyst; David Song, Currency Analyst and Michael Wright, Currency Analyst
Article Source - Forex Weekly Trading Forecast - 09.20.10

US Economic Recovery Not So Bleak, Data Shows

This past week's news has given some investors hope that an economic recovery is indeed underway in America, even if recent news has begun to comment about a pause. The US IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism gauge on Tuesday was 1.2 points higher than expected, while American retail sales also beat forecasts. Wednesday saw a minor slowdown in industrial production, but yesterday's PPI, unemployment claims, and TIC long-term purchases reports all showed forecast-beating growth in the US economy.



USD - USD Declines as Data Shows Growth and Risk Appetite Returning

The USD appears to have declined against the bulk of its currency counterparts, with a few exceptions. The EUR/USD has climbed above 1.3100 as of late-Asian trading, while the GBP/USD is climbing towards 1.5650. It appears as if the stronger currencies of the early months of summer are now seeing an autumn correction. The dollar, Swiss franc, and Japanese yen are all losing ground while riskier assets are on the rise.

This past week's news has given some investors hope that an economic recovery is indeed underway, even if recent news has begun to comment about a pause. The US IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism gauge on Tuesday was 1.2 points higher than expected, while American retail sales also beat forecasts. Wednesday saw a minor slowdown in industrial production, but yesterday's PPI, unemployment claims, and TIC long-term purchases reports all showed forecast-beating growth in the US economic recovery.

If inflationary figures and economic optimism continue into today's reports of the same nature, we should see current USD trends continue. Expected today is the US release of its Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, measuring the growth of consumer inflation. If the CPI data is released in-line with yesterday's Producer Price Index (PPI) growth, then we should see riskier assets continue to rule the market.

The University of Michigan (UoM) is also set to release its Preliminary Consumer Sentiment report which is expected to show confidence on the rise in the United States, fueling the return of risk appetite further.

EUR - Poor European Data Offset by Japanese Currency Intervention

Since the start of the Asian trading session this morning, the EUR has climbed against 15 of its 16 major counterparts. The only currency appearing to outpace the EUR's recent ascent has been the Australian dollar. Against the US dollar, the euro has soared above 1.3100 and looks to have the momentum to carry on higher. Against the Japanese yen, the 16-nation single currency has risen to as high as 112.35 in late-Asian trading.

Europe's light news week has helped other economies take the lead in global currency valuation. The United States has released a heavy stream of economic reports which appeared to have dominated market attention. The trend in America seems to be a modest return to growth, for this week's data at least, while in Europe the few reports published appear to have been far worse than expected.

The shocking drop in the ZEW economic sentiment reports on Tuesday pushed many traders in the direction of safe-haven investments. But the euro was able to rebound sharply following Japan's intervention in the currency market, devaluing one of the primary global safe-havens, and after the US released report after report showing positive growth. The result was an offsetting jump in the value of riskier assets such as the EUR, despite its own economic woes.

JPY - JPY Plummeting; Will There Be Further Intervention from BOJ?

The Japanese yen remains under the pressure of Wednesday's intervention by the Bank of Japan (BOJ). The JPY fell to a 5-week low against the US dollar, hitting just below 86.00 after appreciating 71 pips. Against the euro, the JPY has seen a much sharper drop, falling 181 pips to a recent low of 112.35; the GBP/JPY, likewise, has climbed modestly, with a current price just over 134.10.

Despite the absence of further intervention by the BOJ, many speculate that the yen-selling by the central bank may not have yet come to an end. Analysts have recommended keeping an eye on JPY pairs for the second sell-wave, which many claim could happen as early as next week.

Crude Oil - Crude Oil Price Pares Losses, Trading Over $76 a Barrel

The start of this past week saw a rather sharp boom in the price of Crude Oil as a pipeline delivering oil from Canada to the American mid-west suffered a leak, forcing the pipe to be shut down. The resulting speculation of a dip in supply, both from the pipeline leak and from hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, led to strong support for oil prices. News that the leak would be fixed by the end of this week has resulted in a paring of those gains, however, as concerns of an over-supply are now hitting the market.

Analysts have begun to claim that despite minor setbacks in production, the fundamentals for Crude Oil remain weak. Even with a short-term decline in supply, inventories remain at record highs. This has been the case especially since the world's major energy consumers are experiencing a minor pause in recovery. Without a major shift in fundamentals, few are expecting oil prices to break out of the current range between $72 and $77 a barrel.

Technical News

EUR/USD

The pair has recorded much bullish behavior in the past several days. However, the technical data indicates that this trend may reverse anytime soon. For example, the daily chart's Stochastic Slow signals that a bearish reversal is imminent. A downward trend today is also supported by the 4-hour chart's RSI. Going short with tight stops may turn out to pay off today.

GBP/USD

The price of this pair appears to be floating in the over-bought territory on the 4-hour chart's RSI indicating a downward correction may be imminent. The downward direction on the daily chart's Momentum oscillator also supports this notion. When the downwards breach occurs, going short with tight stops appears to be preferable strategy.

USD/JPY

The USD/JPY cross has experienced a bullish trend for the past 3 days. However, it seems that this trend may be coming to an end. The RSI of the 4-hour chart shows the pair floating in the overbought territory, indicating that a downward correction will happen anytime soon. Going short with tight stops might be a wise choice.

USD/CHF

The daily chart is showing mixed signals with its RSI fluctuating at the neutral territory. However, there is a fresh bearish cross forming on the 4-hour chart's Slow Stochastic indicating a bearish correction might take place in the nearest future. Going short might be a wise choice.

Gold

Gold prices rose significantly in the last week and peaked at $1279 for an ounce. However, the 8-hour chart's RSI is floating in an overbought territory suggesting that a recent upwards trend is loosing steam and a bearish correction is impending. This might be a good opportunity for forex traders to enter the trend at a very early stage.

Article Source - US Economic Recovery Not So Bleak, Data Shows

Rare Japanese Intervention in Yen Trading Manages to Halt Yen's Bullish Trend

The most significant economic event yesterday was beyond any doubt Japan's ‎confirmation of a unilateral intervention in yen trading in order to put a stop to the ‎soaring currency. The consequences were seen immediately and the yen saw its ‎biggest daily loss in 22 months. Unusual trading is expected today as well. ‎



USD - Dollar Sees Mixed Results Vs. The Majors

The U.S. dollar saw mixed results against most of the major currencies during ‎yesterday's session. The dollar fell about 80 pips vs. the British pound, causing the ‎GBP/USD pair to reach the 1.5650 level. The dollar also saw an irregular 250 pips gain ‎against the Japanese yen, following the recent 15-year low the USD/JPY pair hit ‎earlier this week. The dollar did not show a clear trend against the euro.‎

The dollar was boosted against the yen yesterday following Japan's decision to ‎actively intervene in devaluing the national currency. It was only a couple of days ago ‎the yen reached a 15-year high against the dollar. This in turn caused the bank of ‎Japan to unexpectedly buy dollars in order to halt the soaring yen. As a result the JPY ‎sharply fell against all the major currencies, including the greenback. ‎

Against the rest of the major currencies the dollar failed to see similar results ‎following disappointing U.S. economic releases. The Empire State Manufacturing ‎Index showed that manufacturing in the New York region expanded at a slower pace ‎than forecast in September. In addition, the Industrial Production report showed that ‎total value of output produced by manufacturers rose by 0.2% in August. Analysts ‎had originally predicted the figure to come in at 0.3%. As a result, the dollar dropped ‎slightly against the euro and pound.‎

As for today, a batch of data is expected from the U.S. economy. The most significant ‎releases are likely to be the Producer Price Index, the weekly Unemployment Claims ‎and the Philadelphia Manufacturing Index. Each one of these publications is likely to ‎have a large impact on USD trading. ‎

EUR - Euro Slips Against the Pound; Soars Vs. The Yen

The euro saw a volatile session during trading yesterday. The currency mainly saw ups ‎and downs vs. the U.S. dollar, without marking a clear direction. Against the British ‎pound the euro fell about 100 pips. On the other hand, it gained over 350 pips against ‎the Japanese yen.‎

The euro fell against the pound yesterday following the European Consumer Price ‎Index figure for August. The report showed that the euro-zone's annual inflation rate ‎eased to 1.6% from 1.7% in July, indicating that the European Central Bank has ‎enough room to maintain its loose monetary policy, and to keep interest rates at a ‎record low of 1.00%. Investors interpreted this as an opportunity to open short ‎positions against the euro, especially against high yielding assets, such as the pound.‎
Nevertheless, the euro saw an extraordinary bullish move against the yen. The yen fell ‎against all the major currencies due to the Japanese government's intervention in JPY ‎trading. ‎

Looking ahead to today, the most significant economic release from the euro-zone ‎seems to be the European Trade Balance figure. Trade balance measures the difference ‎in value between imported and exported goods and services over the previous month. ‎A positive figure might support the euro.‎

JPY - Yen Free-falls Following BoJ Intervention in Yen Trading

The yen tumbled against all the major currencies yesterday. It slipped about 250 pips ‎against the dollar, causing the USD/JPY pair to rise from a 15-year low to the 85.50 ‎level. The yen also lost about 350 pips against the euro and about 500 pips against the ‎British pound.‎

The JPY saw its largest daily loss in 22 months after Japan's Finance Minister ‎Yoshihiko Noda said the Bank of Japan actively devalued the currency. This was the ‎first time since 2004 that the Japanese leadership decided to intervene in the forex ‎market. The decision came after the yen saw a 15-year high against the dollar. The fear ‎was that the strong yen would damage Japan's export industry. ‎

As for today, the yen is likely to remain the most volatile currency of all the majors. ‎Traders are advised to look for notifications regarding the BoJ's actions in the market, ‎and take under consideration that if the Japanese leadership will continue to intervene, ‎the yen may see another bearish session.‎

OIL - Crude Oil Falls For the 3rd Day to $74.70 a Barrel

Crude oil fell to a session low of $74.70 a barrel yesterday. After starting out at ‎around $76.50 a barrel, oil saw a sharp drop before correcting some of its losses to end ‎the day around $75.50 a barrel.‎

Crude fell yesterday after U.S. regulators agreed to a Friday Restart of Enbridge's ‎biggest pipeline from Canada, restoring crude supplies to Midwest refineries. In ‎addition, reports showed that demand for gasoline in the U.S, the world's largest oil ‎consumer, fell by 2.6% lately. The combination of bigger supplies and lower demand ‎typically lead to a drop in prices.‎

Looking ahead to today, traders are advised to follow the leading economic ‎publications, especially from the U.S. and the euro-zone, as they tend to have a large ‎impact on crude oil trading. Traders should keep in mind that positive results are likely ‎to support crude oil prices.

Technical News

EUR/USD

The bullish trend is losing its steam and the pair seems to be consolidating around the ‎‎1.2990 level. There is a bearish cross forming on the 4-hour Slow Stochastic, ‎indicating a bearish correction might take place in the nearest future. When the ‎downward breach occurs, going short with tight stops appears to be the preferable ‎strategy.

GBP/USD

The daily chart is showing mixed signals with its RSI fluctuating in neutral territory. ‎However, the 4-hour chart's RSI is already floating in the over-sold territory ‎suggesting that the recent downward trend is losing steam and a bullish correction is ‎impending. Going long with tight stops might be the right strategy today.‎

USD/JPY

The volatility this pair has seen recently has created a number of contradictory signals. ‎The hourly chart shows a bullish cross on the Slow Stochastic, indicating an upward ‎movement may be coming. Contrary to this is the bearish cross on the 4-hour chart, ‎signaling an impending upward movement. Waiting for a clear signal might be wise ‎today. ‎

USD/CHF

The pair has been range-trading for a while now, with no specific direction. The Daily ‎chart's Slow Stochastic providing us with mixed signals. The 4 hour charts do not ‎provide a clear direction as well. Waiting for a clearer sign on the hourlies chart might ‎be a good strategy today.‎

CAD/CHF

This pair has been trading very flat these past few weeks, but has now begun to show ‎signs of life. The MACD on the hourly and 4-hour chart shows clear bullish crosses, ‎signaling an impending bullish move. The daily chart also has a bullish cross on the ‎Slow Stochastic, which supports this notion. Forex traders can join this upcoming ‎trend by entering early buy positions and riding the upcoming spike for profits this ‎week. ‎

Article Source - Rare Japanese Intervention in Yen Trading Manages to Halt Yen's Bullish Trend

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