By Lukman Otunuga, Research Analyst, ForexTime
It was a trading week defined by Dollar weakness, US stimulus hopes, tumbling bond yields and soaring Gold prices.
After their astonishing performance in July, global equities kicked off the new trading month in a more mixed fashion as investors adopted a cautious stance ahead of key economic data and renewed US-China tensions.
In the currency space, we discussed the possibility of the EURUSD pulling back towards 1.1700 before potentially pushing higher. Prices are trading around 1.17780 as of writing with new support found at 1.1700 and resistance at 1.1900.
Free Reports:
Download Our Metatrader 4 Indicators – Put Our Free MetaTrader 4 Custom Indicators on your charts when you join our Weekly Newsletter
Get our Weekly Commitment of Traders Reports - See where the biggest traders (Hedge Funds and Commercial Hedgers) are positioned in the futures markets on a weekly basis.
As the week progressed, US Treasury yields tumbled with 10-year yields falling to their lowest level ever seen! The horrible combination of US-China tensions and poor earnings left investors jittery with markets waiting on news on whether Congress will pass a new coronavirus relief package.
Gold made history on Wednesday by smashing through the psychological $2000 level for the first time ever. The precious metal remains heavily bullish and continues to derive support from fundamentals. Given how the Dollar just can’t catch a break and promises of more stimulus suggest persistent economic weakness across the world, Gold which has appreciated almost 35% YTD has the potential to extend gains. However, a technical pullback could be around the corner.
Moving closer to home, the Bank of England snatched the spotlight despite leaving interest rates unchanged at 0.1%. Major takeaway’s from the MPC meeting was the fact that growth expectations were less pessimistic than they had been in May while officials highlighted the drawback of negative interest rates. This was good news for the Pound which jumped to a 5-month high.
This week’s main risk event was the US jobs report on Friday which beat analyst expectations. Although the US economy added another 1.8 million jobs in July, higher than the 1.53 million forecasts – it was still well below the 4.8 million jump in jobs in June essentially signalling that momentum is slowing. Dollar offered a muted response to the report with prices trading around 93.36 as of writing.
As the week slowly comes to an end, the question on the mind of many investors is whether Congress will be able to pass the next coronavirus relief package by today’s self-imposed deadline……
Disclaimer: The content in this article comprises personal opinions and should not be construed as containing personal and/or other investment advice and/or an offer of and/or solicitation for any transactions in financial instruments and/or a guarantee and/or prediction of future performance. ForexTime (FXTM), its affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees do not guarantee the accuracy, validity, timeliness or completeness, of any information or data made available and assume no liability as to any loss arising from any investment based on the same.
Article by ForexTime
ForexTime Ltd (FXTM) is an award winning international online forex broker regulated by CySEC 185/12 www.forextime.com
- Target Thursdays: NAS100, Robusta Coffee, USDCHF Apr 25, 2024
- QCOM wants to create competition in the AI chip market. Hong Kong index hits five-month high Apr 25, 2024
- Japanese yen hits all-time low as BoJ meeting commences Apr 25, 2024
- TSLA shares rose on a weak report. Inflationary pressures are easing in Australia Apr 24, 2024
- USDJPY: On intervention watch Apr 24, 2024
- Euro gains against the dollar amid mixed economic signals Apr 24, 2024
- PMI data is the focus of investors’ attention today. Turkey, Iraq, Qatar, and UAE signed a transportation agreement Apr 23, 2024
- Australian dollar rises on strong economic indicators Apr 23, 2024
- Geopolitical risks in the Middle East are declining. China kept interest rates at lows Apr 22, 2024
- Brent crude dips to four-week low amid easing geopolitical tensions Apr 22, 2024