EURUSD, Daily
Draghi’s suggestion that ECB could extend the QE program dropped EURUSD below the rising trendline and the 1.1154 support. Price found support from a pivotal high at 1.1093 which coincides with 50 day SMA. Indications as a whole are mixed as the nearest support is relatively near at a daily pivot candle (1.1018 – 1.1093). This range sent the market strongly higher on August 19th which suggests that the level now holds some psychological value for the euro bulls but at the same time the sideways move and a new pivotal low at 1.1154 are very near. It has already proven to be a challenge for those with long bias today. The US Non-Farm Payroll figures are released today at 12:30 GMT. In case we see strong deviation from analyst expectations price is likely to fluctuate beyond the nearest resistance levels (1.1018 and 1.1154). Today’s NFP number is the last one before the next FOMC meeting and is seen as an important indicator for the Fed when it considers the timing of their first rate hike. Other support and resistance levels: 1.0932 and 1.1334.
German July manufacturing orders dropped 1.4% m/m, a much weaker than expected number. At the same time, June was revised down to 1.8% m/m from 2.0% m/m reported initially and the annual rate came in at -0.6%, versus 7.0% y/y in June. Annual rates over the summer can be volatile, due to the different timing of school holidays throughout the states, but still, the fall into negative territory highlights that while growth seems to have held up over the summer, downside risks to the economy have increased. The data will further fuel rate cut hopes and backs to the renewed jump in Bund futures at the start of the session.
ECB Increases Room to Maneuver: As expected, the ECB left monetary policy unchanged at the August council meeting. But Draghi was tricky, boosting bond as well as stock markets and bringing the EUR down with a technical tweak to the issue limits of QE purchases. In itself that doesn’t change the policy stance, but rather ensures that the central bank doesn’t run into supply constraints in its attempt to see through the current program.
US Atlanta Fed’s Q3 GDPNow was revised up to 1.5% from 1.3% previously following personal consumption and auto sales updates. According to the regional Fed: “The GDPNow model forecast for real GDP growth (seasonally adjusted annual rate) in the third quarter of 2015 is 1.5 percent on September 3, up from 1.3 percent on September 1. The nowcast for third-quarter real personal consumption expenditures growth ticked up from 2.6 percent to 2.7 percent following yesterday afternoon’s release on August motor vehicle sales from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.”
US ISM non-manufacturing index dipped to 59.0 in August after exploding to 60.3 in July (which was the highest print since August 2005). It’s still the 3rd highest print on record however, though declines were broad-based. The business activity index slipped to 63.9 from 64.9. However, the employment index dropped to 56.0 from 59.6 previously. New orders fell to 63.4 from 63.8. New export orders dropped to 52.0 versus 56.5. Prices paid declined to 50.8 from 53.7.
Currency Movers Charts
JPY has been strong across the board today. It is a logical continuation to the risk aversion move that started when the global stocks followed S&P 500 lower. JPY has been especially strong against AUD over the last three weeks. This has driven AUDJPY to a weekly support at 83.57. EURJPY made a lower high before dropping lower and is now approaching a weekly support at 131.87. CADJPY has also been weak and broken lower. The former pivotal support at 91.74 now limits the moves higher. GBPJPY is getting near to major support levels in the region of 179.30.
Significant daily support and resistance levels for these pairs are:
Main Macro Events Today
US Non-Farm Payrolls: August employment data should reveal a 215k (median 220k) headline that matches July’s 215k gain. The report will be closely scrutinized as the recent market volatility and weakness in China have renewed the debate about whether the Fed will raise rates at its September meeting. The volatile month weighed on producer sentiment measures for the month and consumer confidence was depressed as well lending adding downside risk to the release. Canada Employment numbers are expected to fall 5.0k in August (median -2.5k) after the 6.6k rise in July. Canada has yet to put together back to back gains this year. So far, we have seen an oscillating pattern of gains (Jan, Mar, July) followed by declines (Feb, Apr, June). Will August be different? We are betting not, hence we see a modest decline. An as-expected dip would not alter the key take away from the labour market this year — job growth may be modest but it is enough to keep the unemployment rate at 6.8% (with the help from a falling participation rate).
