AUDUSD loses recovery momentum before testing 0.6500

• AUDUSD managed to erase its daily losses but lost its recovery momentum.
• US Dollar holds its ground amid cautious market mood.
• Investors will keep a close eye on Wall Street in the absence of high-impact data releases.

AUDUSD came under bearish pressure and dropped to a fresh daily low below 0.6450 during the Asian trading hours on Tuesday. Although the pair managed to erase its daily losses in the European session, it lost its recovery momentum before reading 0.6500. As of writing, AUDUSD was virtually unchanged on the day at 0.6478.

Eyes on US stocks

Earlier in the day, the data from Australia showed that the National Australia Bank's Business Conditions Index declined to 22 in October from 25 in September. Additionally, the Business Confidence Index fell to 0 from 5. Combined with the disappointing sentiment data, the risk-averse market environment forced AUDUSD to continue to push lower.

In the meantime, the US Dollar Index holds in positive territory near 110.50 after having registered modest losses on Monday. Nevertheless, US stock index futures are up between 0.35% and 0.6% on the day and a positive opening in Wall Street could allow risk flows to dominate the action in financial markets.

The NFIB Business Optimism Index in the US declined to 91.3 in October from 92.1 in September but this data failed to trigger a noticeable market reaction.

Later in the session, the IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism Index for November will be the only data featured in the US economic docket. The US Mid-Term Elections will also take place but the outcome is likely to be finalized toward the end of the week. 

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 EUR/JPY Price Analysis: Room for extra upside near term

• EUR/JPY adds to Thursday’s gains and prints new highs.
• Further upside could target the 149.80 region in the short term.

EUR/JPY extends the optimism seen in the second half of the week and advances to new cycle highs around 147.60 on Friday.

Considering the current price action in the cross, the door still looks open to extra upside. That said, the immediate target now emerges at the December 2014 high at 149.78 (December 8).

In the short term the upside momentum is expected to persist while above the October lows near 141.00.

In the longer run, while above the key 200-day SMA at 136.85, the constructive outlook for the cross should remain unchanged.

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GBP/USD to tick down but unlikely to dive below the 1.05-1.07 support zone – Standard Chartered

How likely is it for GBP/USD to break below parity? Economists at Standard Chartered expect cable to edge lower but remain above the 1.0500-1.0700 area.

GBP/USD could see a retest of 1.14 and even 1.16 in the near-term

“While upward momentum could see a retest of 1.14 and even 1.16 over the next few days, we expect cable to edge lower in the coming weeks, with 1.0700 and 1.0500 as key near-term supports.”

“Disappointment on potential rollback or budget proposals could raise the risk of a test of parity, but we believe GBP/USD may struggle to break below the 1.0500-1.0700 region where it should stabilise.”

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EUR/USD Price Analysis: Rising bets for a drop to 0.9630

EUR/USD fades part of the post-CPI sharp upside on Friday.

Next on the downside now comes the weekly low near 0.9630.

EUR/USD gives aways most of its recent advance to the area just above the 0.9800 mark at the end of the week.

The continuation of the pullback appears on the cards and carries the potential to challenge the recent weekly low at 0.9631 (October 13) in the short-term horizon.

In the longer run, the pair’s bearish view should remain unaltered while below the 200-day SMA at 1.0576.

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EUR/USD could tumble close to the 0.90 level before year-end – MUFG

EUR/USD has dipped under 0.97. Economists at MUFG Bank expect the pair to inch closer to the 0.90 level before the Federal Reserve pauses its hike cycle.

The risks are firmly to the downside

“Over the near-term, the risks are firmly to the downside and we expect a period of further US dollar strength as financial market conditions worsen as asset prices correct further to the downside. This will help push inflation expectations further lower.” 

“The key for any broad turn in US dollar strength must be a pause in the tightening cycle. We suspect the Fed will pause after hiking in December which should allow some EUR/USD correction from levels closer to 0.9000.”

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AUD/USD: Tighter financial conditions to pressure aussie before recovery in 2023 – MUFG

The Australian dollar weakened sharply in September as financial conditions tightened globally. This trend is set to persist for the rest of the year, economists at MUFG Bank report.

Sharp housing market correction is a clear downside risk

“The economy in Australia remains resilient but there are signs of weakness in the housing market. While the still strong labour market is reason for optimism on the outlook for the economy, a sharp housing market correction is a clear downside risk.” 

“With global equities and commodities set for further declines before year-end as major central banks continue to tighten aggressively, we see all currencies weakening further against the US dollar through to year-end. Assuming equities then bottom and central banks are allowed to pause, some reversal for AUD/USD next year seems likely.”

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 Breaking: US annual CPI inflation declines to 8.3% in August vs. 8.1% expected

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this Tuesday that inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), decelerated to 8.3% on a yearly basis in August from 8.5% in the previous month. The reading was slightly above consensus estimates pointing to a decline to 8.1%. 

The Core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, rose by 0.6% in August (0.3% anticipated) and climbed to 6.3% on yearly basis, up from 5.9% in July and 6.1% expected.

Follow our live coverage of the market reaction to US inflation data.

Market reaction

The US dollar catches aggressive bids in reaction to the stronger-than-expected CPI report and for now, seems to have stalled its recent sharp pullback from a two-decade high touched last week.

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GBP/USD could extend its rebound if it manages to clear 1.1600

GBP/USD clings to daily recovery gains above 1.1550. The pair needs to clear 1.1600 to attract buyers.

The near-term technical outlook points to a bullish shift

“Near-term technical outlook points to a bullish tilt following the latest rebound.”

“1.1600 (psychological level, static level) aligns as immediate resistance. In case the pair manages to hold above that level, the 1.1640/50 area (50-period SMA, static level) could be seen as the next hurdle ahead of 1.1700 (static level, psychological level).”

“On the downside, 1.1550 (20-period SMA) forms first support before 1.1500 (psychological level, upper limit of the descending channel) and 1.1440 (September 5 low).”

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GBP/USD needs to clear strong resistance at 1.1870 to gather bullish momentum

GBP/USD has managed to recover above 1.1800 on Friday ahead of FOMC Chairman Jerome Powell’s remarks at the Jackson Hole Symposium. The pair will reveal a buildup of bullish momentum on a break past 1.1870, FXStreet’s Eren Sengezer reports.

Pound struggles to turn bullish ahead of Powell

“In case the chairman's comments suggest that the bank could opt for another 75 basis points in September, GBP/USD could turn south amid a stronger dollar. On the other hand, an optimistic tone inflation outlook should hurt the greenback and help GBP/USD gain traction.”

“On the upside, cable faces key resistance at 1.1870, where the Fibonacci 23.6% retracement level of the latest downtrend is located. Above that level, the 50-period SMA forms interim resistance at 1.1900 ahead of 1.1940 (Fibonacci 38.2% retracement).”

“1.1800 (psychological level, 20-period SMA) aligns as initial support before 1.1750 (static level, end-point of the downtrend) and 1.1720 (Aug. 23 low).”

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EUR/USD Price Analysis: A deeper pullback could see 0.9859 retested

EUR/USD clocks new cycle lows in the sub-0.9900 zone.

Further losses could test the December 2002 low near 0.9860.

EUR/USD accelerates the daily losses and briefly breaks below the 0.9900 level, or new cycle lows.

Further weakness remains in the pipeline for the time being. Against that, the breakdown of the 2022 low at 0.9899 (August 23) should leave the door open to a probable deeper retracement to the December 2002 low at 0.9859.

In the longer run, the pair’s bearish view is expected to prevail as long as it trades below the 200-day SMA at 1.0845.

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US: Chicago Fed National Activity Index improves to 0.27 in July from -0.25

Chicago Fed National Activity Index moved into positive territory in July.

US Dollar Index clings to daily gains above 108.00 after the data.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago's National Activity Index (CFNAI) improved to 0.27 in July from -0.25 (revised from -0.19) in June.

"The CFNAI Diffusion Index, which is also a three-month moving average, edged up to –0.05 in July from –0.08 in June," the publication further read. "Fifty-five of the 85 individual indicators made positive contributions to the CFNAI in July, while 30 made negative contributions. Fifty-five indicators improved from June to July, while 30 indicators deteriorated. Of the indicators that improved, 17 made negative contributions."

Market reaction

This report failed to trigger a noticeable market reaction and the US Dollar Index was last seen rising 0.26% on a daily basis at 108.40.

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EUR/USD Price Analysis: Looks side-lined within 1.0100-1.0300

EUR/USD regains poise and approaches 1.0200 on Thursday.

Price action remains stuck with the 1.0100-1.0300 range.

EUR/USD reverses part of the weekly pullback and manages to retest the vicinity of the 1.0200 region on Thursday.

In light of key releases in the US docket on Friday, the pair is expected to keep the current 1.0100-1.0300 range broadly in place for the time being. The loss of the lower bound of the range could see a potential visit to the parity level return to the radar.

In the longer run, the pair’s bearish view is expected to prevail as long as it trades below the 200-day SMA at 1.0934.

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GBP/USD Price Analysis: Recaptures critical trendline resistance at 1.2275

GBP/USD bulls are fighting the bearish odds, re-attempting the upside.

UK political jitters, mixed Retail Sales data could remain a drag on cable.

Cable bulls struggle to yield a break above the key 1.2275 hurdle.

GBP/USD is moving back and forth in a 40-pips narrow range so far this Friday, now attempting another bounce towards 1.2300.

The renewed upside in the major is fuelled by a bout of weakness seen in the US dollar across its main peers, as risk sentiment receives a fresh boost. Easing rate hike expectations from the ECB and BOE amid increasing recession risks is helping calm the market nerves.

Bulls, however, could face a hard time extending the latest uptick, as the UK political jitters remain in play. A senior Tory party member resigned after the ruling Conservative Party lost two crucial seats in the parliamentary by-elections on Friday. The latest news put PM Johnson’s leadership in jeopardy, which could undermine the sterling’s upswing.

Further, the UK Retail Sales for May came in mixed, earlier on, with the previous figures revised downwards. The discouraging fundamentals point to the BOE’s dilemma of fighting inflation while balancing the economic growth. UK Retail Sales drop 0.5% MoM in May vs. -0.7% expected

Attention now turns towards the two-tier data from the US for fresh trading impetus, as risk sentiment is likely to lead the way into the weekly close.

Looking at cable’s four-hour chart, the latest uptick in the price has taken out the falling trendline resistance at 1.2275. Should bulls manage to hold above the latter on a four-hourly candlestick closing basis, a test of the bearish 100-Simple Moving Average (SMA) at 1.2336 will be inevitable.

Ahead of that, the 1.2300 round figure will offer stiff resistance to GBP buyers. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is pointing higher above the midline, allowing room for more upside.

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GBP/USD struggles to find demand near 1.2350, Powell eyed

GBP/USD stalls its recovery mode just below 1.2350.

US dollar holds the rebound despite the upbeat market mood.

Fed-BOJ policy divergence keeps GBP bulls on the defensive.

GBP/USD is fading its recovery momentum from the daily low of 1.2253, as bulls run into strong resistance just shy of the 1.2350 barrier.

The further upside in the pair remains capped, as investors reassess the BOE’s gradual approach to policy tightening, as it hiked the key rates by 25 bps on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Fed has left doors open for a 75 bps lift-off in July after delivering a 75 bps increase on Wednesday. The BOE remains way behind the curve when compared to the US central bank, which remains a drag on the pound.

“The 10-year UK T-bond yield is down 1.5% and the 10-year US T-bond yield is rising 1%, making it difficult for the pair to preserve its bullish momentum.

Earlier on, the recovery in the major was triggered by the return of risk flows in the European session, reflective of the 1% rally in the S&P 500 futures. Markets ignored the renewed upside in the US dollar, as nerves settle over fears over a potential recession, helping lift the overall risk sentiment.

Looking ahead, the BOE Quarterly Bulletin will be eyed for fresh insights on the economy and monetary policy. Later in the NA session, Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s speech will stand out amid other minority US economic releases.

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GBP/USD: Rebound remains capped below 1.2100 ahead of the Fed

GBP/USD extends the bounce ahead of the critical Fed outcome.

US dollar retreats alongside yields and amid a rally in EUR/USD.

BOE is set to hike rates by 25 bps while the Fed could go for a 75 bps hike.

GBP/USD is consolidating the steep upsurge below 1.2100, as bulls take a breather after extending the recovery by over 150 pips.

The main catalyst behind cable’s impressive rebound could be linked to the broad-based US dollar correction, as investors take profits off the table on their USD longs ahead of the all-important Fed interest rate decision. The Fed pre-committed to a 50 bps rate hike in June and July, although markets have baked in a 75 bps lift-off after Friday’s hot US inflation.

Meanwhile, the pick up in the EUR/USD recovery following news that the ECB has called on an emergency meeting to discuss the recent sell-off in the bond market. The euro capitalized on the ECB news, as it fuelled hopes that the central bank was ready to act on the market turmoil. The renewed uptick in the main currency pair triggered a fresh downswing in the dollar across its main peers, boding well for the beleaguered pound.

On Thursday, the Bank of England (BOE) monetary policy decision will take the center stage after Wednesday’s Fed outcome is out of the way. The BOE Is widely expected to hike the key rates by 0.25 bps to 1.25% this month.

Although a surprise 50 bps rate hike remains on the table amid higher inflation expectations and hopes that the BOE could take a strong action to control inflation.

Ahead of these central bank policy outcomes, the US Retail Sales data will be eyed for near-term trading impetus. The data, however, is unlikely to drive markets.

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GBP/USD needs to clear 1.2660 to extend its bullish rally

GBP/USD has lost its traction but managed to hold above the 1.26 level. The pair needs to clear 1.2660 to remain bullish.

Cable needs to flip 1.2660 into support to attract buyers

“The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index for May and the Housing Price Index data for March will be featured in the US economic docket. In case investors are reminded of the negative impact of inflation on consumer confidence, Wall Street's main indexes could come under bearish pressure and make it difficult for GBP/USD to gather bullish momentum.”

“In case cable breaks below 1.26 (psychological level, static level), the next immediate support aligns at 1.2570 (200-period SMA, 50-period SMA). If that latter support fails, this could be seen as a significant bearish development and open the door for additional losses toward 1.2540 (former resistance, static level).”

“The pair needs to settle above 1.2630 (ascending trend line) and clear 1.2660 (static level) to test 1.27 (static level, psychological level).”

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Dollar near 20-year highs amid global markets rout

The dollar index hovered near 20-year highs against major peers on Friday, as market sell-offs in the face of global recession fears propped up the safe haven currency.

European stocks opened lower and were heading for their worst week in two months, following a rout on Wall Street.

The U.S. currency has stood tall on expectations the Federal Reserve will tighten monetary policy faster than peers to stem runaway inflation.

A closely-watched U.S. jobs report due later on Friday could strengthen the case for aggressive tightening, analysts said.

Economists predict a solid 391,000 U.S. jobs were added last month, according to a Reuters poll.

The dollar index, which tracks its performance against a basket of six major rivals, gained as much as 0.5% in early European trading hours to hit a fresh 20-year high of 104.07.

But it later lost ground in choppy trade, and was last broadly flat at 103.55. It appeared touch and go whether the index would record a fifth straight week of gains, up 0.3% on the week.

The Fed raised rates by half a percentage point on Wednesday - the biggest jump in 22 years - but the dollar temporarily cooled on Fed Chair Jerome Powell comments that policymakers were not actively considering 75 basis point hikes in future.

"Financial market conditions will have to get tighter in order to alter central bank thinking on inflation risks and hence the US dollar is set to remain on a strengthening path for now," currency analysts at MUFG said in a note.

The euro lost as much as 0.5% against the dollar in early European trading hours, before reversing course. It was last up 0.2% at $1.05555.

Sterling was broadly flat after earlier dropping below $1.23 for the first time in nearly two years, a day after the Bank of England sent a stark warning that Britain risks a double-whammy of a recession and inflation above 10%.

The BoE also joined the Fed in raising rates, hiking them by a quarter of a percentage point to 1%.

The yen fell back slightly against the dollar, down 0.2% to 130.46 yen per dollar.

In cryptocurrencies, bitcoin weakened slightly to trade just above $36,000.

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GBP/JPY sticks to strong gains near two-and-half-week high, around 164.00 mark

GBP/JPY regained traction on Wednesday and was supported by a combination of factors.

Dovish remarks by BoJ’s Kuroda and the risk-on impulse weighed on the safe-haven JPY.

Hot UK consumer inflation figures underpinned sterling and provided an additional boost.

The GBP/JPY cross maintained its strong bid tone through the first half of the European session and was last seen trading near a two-and-half-week high, around the 164.00 mark.

Following the previous day's modest pullback, the GBP/JPY cross caught fresh bids on Wednesday and was supported by a combination of factors. The Japanese yen weakened across the board after the Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda reiterated to sustain the current powerful monetary easing to support economic recovery. Apart from this, the risk-on impulse - as depicted by a positive tone around the equity markets - undermined traditional safe-haven assets, including the JPY.

On the other hand, the British pound drew some support from hotter-than-expected UK consumer inflation figures. In fact, the UK Office for National Statistics reported that headline CPI jumped from 6.2% YoY in the previous month to 7% in March - the highest level since 1992. Adding to this, the Core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, rose to 5.7% YoY from the 5.2% reported in February. This was seen as another factor that provided an additional lift to the GBP/JPY cross.

With the latest leg up, spot prices have rallied nearly 150 pips from the weekly low, around the 161.60 region touched on Monday. Expectations that the BoJ will stick to its accommodative monetary policy stance should continue to act as a headwind for the JPY and supports prospects for a further near-term appreciating move for the GBP/JPY cross. Hence, a subsequent move back towards challenging the multi-year high, around the 164.65 region touched in March, remains a distinct possibility.

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Dollar riding high after index hits 100 for first time in nearly two years

The U.S. dollar index strengthened to 100 for the first time in nearly two years on Friday, supported by the prospect of a more aggressive pace of Federal Reserve interest rate hikes.

The greenback has gained ground on a basket of rivals over the past month, particularly against the euro, which has been pressured by investor concerns about the economic costs of war in Ukraine and a potentially nail-biting election in France.

The dollar index rose as high as 100 in early European trading hours, its best level since May 2020. It later lost some momentum and was last broadly flat at 99.844.

The index is up 1.3% this week, which would be its biggest increase in a month, backed by hawkish remarks from several Federal Reserve policy makers who are calling for a faster pace of interest rate increases to curb rapid inflation.

This week's release of the minutes of the Fed's March meeting showed "many" participants were prepared to raise interest rates in 50-basis-point increments in coming months.

On the other side of the dollar's rally, the euro dropped to a new one-month low of $1.0848. It later recovered and was last broadly flat on the day at $1.08770.

Meeting minutes from the European Central Bank published on Thursday suggested its policy makers are keen to act to combat inflation, but the eurozone has so far taken a more cautious tack than other central banks, weakening the euro.

A tightening election race in France between president Emmanuel Macron and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen has added to pressure on the euro, raising investor concerns about the future direction of the euro zone's second-biggest economy, though Macron is still ahead in polls.

"The upcoming French presidential election, with the first round on Sunday, is also adding to current negative EUR sentiment," currency analysts at MUFG said in a note.

The dollar extended its gains against the Japanese yen, hitting 124.23, its highest in over a week and approaching last month's near seven-year high of 125.1.

The yen has steadied this month after tumbling in March, but remains under pressure as the U.S. raises interest rates and the Bank of Japan intervenes in the bond market to keep rates low.

Sterling lost ground versus the dollar, and was last down a quarter of a percent at $1.30400.

In cryptocurrency markets, bitcoin was broadly unchanged at $43,430.

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