Fundamental Currency Overview: EUR/USD, GBP/USD, EUR/GBP, Gold, U.S. Oil

 | Feb 15, 2017 03:56AM ET

FUNDAMENTAL CURRENCY OVERVIEW:h3 Positive and negative factors for the currency:/h3

Dollar
+ words of Trump about significant tax cuts for business that he will announce in 2-3 weeks;
- because of the tax cuts, to support the economy, US can begin quantitative easing (QE), which will lead to a weakening of the dollar;
- Trump's desire to weaken the dollar;
- US % rate increase in March is not expected, and during the year we can expect only 2 increase, the same time we have a risk to decline further raising expectations of rates or postponement to a later date, because of Trump words on the need to weaken the dollar;
- decrease in retail sales and consumer confidence indicators, which have been published in the last week.

Euro
- risk of France exit from EU zone in case of victory in election of Mary Le Pen;
- rumors, that Italy will have to have exit from EU too, followed by France;
- problems with Greece, which is unable to pay the debt on the loan, which was granted in aid to support the economy and reforms;
- no words from ECB about reduction of ECB QE in the near future, even on the contrary, a words about possible extension and increase, if necessary.

Pound
+ words of Kristin Forbes, member of monetary policy committee, who is concerned about inflation acceleration and she prepared to vote for a rate hike at the next meeting. She also noted the stability of the labor market and overall positive macroeconomic background;
+ a large number of positive economic indicators over the past week.

CONCLUSION
Perhaps the market will be very difficult to determine the direction of the trend, if it ever will be. As Trump essentially squeezes the dollar sideways, at the same time strengthening the dollar with decreasing taxes, but weakening it with desire to reduce the overall dollar rate and termination of % rates raising. At the same time, with tax cuts, FRS can begin QE to support the US economy, which would reduce the dollar.

Euro is very negative because politics risks and will also continue its QE. The euro and the dollar markets are becoming too complicated for analyze and trade, so it is best to look at the alternative pairs/markets, such as: eur/gbp (where gbp power is already higherthen in euro), gold and agriculture markets.

If in the next week Yellen does not say anything positive about strengthening of % rate, or her words are neutral, the market will continue to stay sideways awaiting of Trump words about future of US business tax decreasing.

Important news of this week:
MONDAY
no important news

TUESDAY
- German GDP;
- US CPI !!!;
- EU and German ZEW Economic Sentiment;
- EUR GDP !;
- US PPI;
- US Fed Chair Yellen Testifies !!!;

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WEDNESDAY
- GBP Average Earnings Index and Claimant Count Change;
- US Core CPI !!!;
- US Retail Sales;
- US Fed Chair Yellen Testifies !!!;
- Crude Oil Inventories !!!

THURSDAY
- US Building Permits and Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index

FRIDAY
- GBP Retail Sales;

TECHNICAL OVERVIEW

EUR/USD

Main scenario:
The market is trading along a downtrend with target on 1.0540/20, that ay be expected to continue, while market is trading below resistance level 1.0700.

Alternative scenario:
An uptrend will start as soon as the market rises above resistance level 1.0700, which will be followed by a move up to resistance level 1.0750/80.