Forex Forecast for 31 August - 4 September 2015

The latest significant developments on global markets caused bursts of unexpectedly strong volatility. However, experience shows that everything falls back into place eventually, and forecasts, which initially seemed to be destined for the dustbin of history, actually end up being correct. Last week was just the case:
- almost all indicators predicted that EUR/USD would rise, and the experts forecast a 1.1460 peak. In reality, over the previous week, this peak changed hands between the bulls and the bears several times, thus alternately becoming resistance and support. Defying the analysts’ forecasts at the start of the week, the pair finished the week as they had predicted – around 1.1150, the bottom boundary of the weekly corridor;
- the prediction of GBP/USD’s continuing upward trend towards 1.5800 proved correct. Having tested this level on Monday and Tuesday, GBP/USD rebounded towards the bottom boundary of the said corridor and, after several attempts to break through it on Wednesday, plunged below the key support level. The pair spent just a few hours around 1.5550 and then reached this July’s low;
- the behavior of USD/JPY on Monday, 24 August, was reminiscent of a kamikaze pilot. As expected, the pair descended to 120.20 smoothly but then within just one hour (!) it dropped by almost 400 points, reaching January’s low. As the experts predicted, the fall was short-lived, and the pair regained 550 points upwards very soon;
- the USD/CHF pair once again demonstrated an inverse correlation with EUR/USD. As a result, USD/CHF was short of the predicted level of 0.9700 by a meager 30 points.

Forecast for the upcoming week.
Summarizing the opinions of 35 analysts from the world’s leading banks and broker companies as well as forecasts based on technical and graphical analysis, the following can be put forward:
- most analysts and indicators agree that this week’s Pivot Point for EUR/USD will be at 1.1200. Meanwhile, graphical analysis on H4 suggests that the pair will rise to 1.2550 at the start of the week before falling to 1.1000. After that, its fluctuations should be confined to a 1.1000-1.1150 range. An alternative point of view, supported by graphical analysis on H1 and 25% of the experts, suggests that the initial rise will be much larger, perhaps even to 1.1480;
- at the start of the week, the GBP/USD pair may test the low within a 1.5330-1.5350 range a few times. After that, according to 65% of the experts and graphical analysis, the pair should rise and regain the bulk of its losses sustained last week. The resistance levels are 1.5550 and 1.5640;
- in their forecasts for USD/JPY, 45% of the analysts and 71% of the indicators suggest that the bulls will be very active and push the pair up to 123.30. As a result, the pair should reach at least 122.20-122.50 which will become the resistance level for an ensuing sideways trend. The main support will be at 119.50, with the next level at 118.00;
- all indicators on H1, H4 and D1 show a rise for USD/CHF. The forecasts of the experts and graphical analysis are split about 50/50. For instance, graphical analysis on Н4 suggests that the pair should fall to support around 0.9390 at the start of the week and only then rebound upwards to resistance at 0.9560. Analysis on D1, on the other hand, indicates that during the week, USD/CHF should rise steadily to 0.9900 and further to 1.0000 in September.

Roman Butko, NordFX