Sterling is eager to go higher

Pound

EURUSD

EURUSD pair yesterday was slowly moving higher though its dynamics was weaker that on such risk sensitive pairs as GBPUSD. Although today the common currency, probably, decided to accelerate adding around 40 points during last 1.5 hours and reaching 1.13 level. In a downtrend channel there is still enough place for a growth and without news from Europe the bulls can increase easily their attack pushing Euro higher the round mark. Important news will be released only by the beginning of trades in the USA. Durable Goods Orders will be released, and a bit later – CB Consumer Confidence. Durable goods more…

USD is growing non-stop

EUR/USD

Euro-bulls were disappointed. Those, who bet that the ECB’s differences wouldn’t let Draghi continue with policy easing, proved to be wrong. Yes, we also were of that opinion, so a sharp drop of the single currency from the current levels proved to be a kind of surprise to us as we had expected some consolidation near 1.2500. Besides, the US employment data, which initially had passed unnoticed, again exceeded the expectations. The number of weekly unemployment claims had shrunk by the beginning of November to 278k. Moreover, the number of continuing claims decreased dramatically and hit a multi-year low yesterday. In more…

Out of control

EUR/USD

The single currency has again fallen under pressure today. On Monday the pair hit a fresh 26-month low at 1.2438. Then the pair was in moderate demand and grew to 1.2575 at some point. Against the global growth of the dollar the single currency got support from messages that Mario Draghi’s colleagues are displeased with his management style and are trying to restrain his intention to continue easing the policy till the end of the year. In the recent weeks speculations have been around the dilemma whether the ECB will launch a programme of quantitative easing or abstain from it. The more…

Cautious optimism to follow the stress tests

EUR/USD

25 EU banks failed the ECB’s stress tests, carried out at the end of the previous year. The regulator, anyway, notes that over that time the banks have improved their financial health. The Italian banks are in the worst position – there 9 banks failed the ECB’s checks and 2 banks need to build up the capital. Altogether the banks have to increase the capital by €25bln, half of which has already been gained by the banks by now. Though the results didn’t show a sudden improvement of the banking system, market observers and participants took the results with cautious optimism more…

Stock exchanges set the trend

EUR/USD

Yesterday the euro-bulls didn’t let the pair cancel out the growth of Wednesday. The pair was picked up on the dip to 1.2700 and was pushed off above 1.2800. It’s absolutely unbelievable volatility in comparison with that mire, we observed last summer, when VIX reached the pre-crisis lows. Now it is at its three-year highs due to the impressive correction in the stock indices. It is that very profit-squeeze, we mentioned so often before. To be honest, we expected it much earlier, so now buyers’ enthusiasm has significantly subsided after hitting 2000 in S&P500. Another, more direct, reason for the beginning more…