EURUSD, Daily
EURUSD has been moving higher despite Yellen’s comments last week that the Fed is likely to raise rates by the end of the year. This suggests that the potential rate hikes are already priced in the EURUSD or alternatively markets just don’t believe the Fed will follow through and action on their promises. The move higher from the Bollinger Band support has lifted EURUSD near 1.1296 resistance where is has faced some supply and momentum has slowed down. There is support at 1.1210 that roughly coincides with a bullish pin bar high from Friday. The 50 Day SMA is pointing higher and has been supporting price while Stochastics point higher. EURUSD is ranging while many other EUR pairs are also in a range mode and currently at resistance. These include EURCAD, EURNZD, EURGBP and EURAUD. Either EUR has to slowly push through all these resistances or alternatively it needs to react lower and look for lower levels to bounce from and then have another attempt at the resistances. There is weakness in the EURUSD 1h picture at the time of writing. The 60 min chart created a lower high after a shooting star candle at resistance. The nearest support levels are 1.1212 and 1.1115 while the nearest resistance level is at 1.1296.
Fed’s Evans said an “extra-patient” approach to tightening is warranted in his prepared remarks on Thoughts on Leadership and Monetary Policy. Remember, Evans is a dove who sided with the consensus to delay tightening at the September 16, 17 meeting. He added a “later liftoff…and a gradual subsequent approach…best position the economy for the potential challenges ahead” and warned that there are “substantial costs to premature normalization.” He wants to see upward movement in inflation before he pulls the trigger and worries that the slowdown in China and weaker energy prices could damp inflation. He did acknowledge that his view is somewhat more accommodative versus the Fed median estimate. According to Fed dove Evans: the Fed is closer to a rate hike and the Fed needs to communicate that, but China risk did influence the September decision. The Chicago Fed voter noted that more accommodation would be needed “if things were to weaken very much.” This is pretty much in line with earlier remarks arguing in favor of delay, but Evans has been one of the more outspoken doves for some time.
Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow was revised up to 1.8% for Q3 compared to the 1.4% previous estimate last week. As the Atlanta Fed states: “The GDPNow model forecast for real GDP growth (seasonally adjusted annual rate) in the third quarter of 2015 is 1.8 percent on September 28, up from 1.4 percent on September 24. The model’s forecast of the growth rate of real personal consumption expenditures in the third quarter increased from 3.2 percent to 3.5 percent after this morning’s report on personal income and outlays from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.” That puts the model closer to the 2.5% consensus of Blue Chip economists than any time since early August, compared to our own GDP forecast of 3.0% for Q3. See the Atlanta Fed website for more detail.
US Dallas Fed manufacturing index edged up a bit to -9.5 in September, from -15.8 in August. But it’s still a 9th consecutive negative print and reflects the ongoing weakness resulting from the plunge in oil. The employment component fell to -6.1 from -1.4, a 5th consecutive sub-zero number. The workweek was -11.1 from 0.6, and wages slipped to 15.6 versus 18.2. New orders improved to -4.6 from -12.5. Prices paid were -0.3 from -8.0. Production, however, rose to 0.9 versus -0.8. The 6-month activity index rose to 4.8 from 3.4.
Currency Movers Charts
Negative news flow around the mining industry and Chinese economic weakness has once again pressured the AUD. One of the news items this morning was that mining giant Glencor’s shares are down over 70% year to date after the shares dropped 30% without any particular news item. The price of shares has come down together with the price of Copper and Steel. While AUD has lost ground money has flowed into JPY and EUR since yesterday’s close.
Over the last three days we’ve seen money flowing out of NZD, CAD and AUD while JPY, EUR and USD have attracted funds. This has lifted up trending EURNZD to a resistance just below 1.8000. AUDUSD moved to 0.6938 support as suggested in my report yesterday. USDJPY is trading at support and in daily Bollinger Bands at the bottom end of the recent trading range. AUDJPY is also trading at daily Bollinger Band support which suggests that the JPY move is getting overdone. CHFJPY also created a bullish pin bar yesterday and signals therefore a move higher in the pair.
Significant daily support and resistance levels for these pairs are:
Main Macro Events Today
UK BoE Lending: We expect a rise in headline mortgage approvals of 69.8k in September (median 70.0k) after August’s 68.8k tally. The mortgage market is being underpinned by a strong labour market, rising real incomes, and something of a rush to secure a low-rate mortgage deal before the BoE pulls the rate hike trigger. Lending to non-financial businesses will be a focus as this has been a weak spot in the UK’s recovery story to date.
Eurozone ESI: ESI Economic Confidence is expected to fall to 104.0 (median same) from 104.2 in the previous month. Italian and French national data were surprisingly strong and there is room for an upside surprise. Overall, the overall numbers remain at high levels, consistent with ongoing expansion. So far domestic demand remains underpinned by strong consumption, which in turn is boosted by stabilising labour markets and a pick up in wage growth, but downside risks have clearly increased, as external demand is threatened by the slowdown in emerging markets and as the emission scandal is hanging over European automakers.
U.S. Consumer Confidence: September consumer confidence is out Tuesday and is expected to decline to 97.0 (median 97.0) from 101.5 in August. Other measures of confidence have already declined in September with Michigan Sentiment falling to 87.2 from 91.9 in August and the IBD/TIPP poll dropping to 42.0 from 46.9 in August.
