fundamental factors

Analysis of transactions and tips for trading EUR/USD The price test of 1.0719, coinciding with the significant rise of the MACD line from zero, limited the upward potential of the pair. Even so, market players continue to buy in anticipation of further interest rate hikes despite inflation in the eurozone starting to slow down. Clearly, market players do not expect any changes in the European Central Bank's monetary policy.     The empty economic calendar today will push traders to focus on upcoming US labor market data, as growth in unemployment and disappointing non-farm payrolls will convince the Fed to continue its tight approach to monetary policy. Only a pause in the rate hike cycle will weaken dollar demand and lead to a further rise in EUR/USD.     For long positions: Buy when euro hits 1.0780 (green line on the chart) and take profit at the price of 1.0816. Growth could occur. However, when buying, traders should make sure that the MACD line lies above zero or rises from it. Euro can also be bought after two consecutive price tests of 1.0754, but the MACD line should be in the oversold area as only by that will the market reverse to 1.0780 and 1.0816.   For short positions: Sell when euro reaches 1.0754 (red line on the chart) and take profit at the price of 1.0722. Pressure may return amid very good labor market statistics in the US. However, when selling, traders should make sure that the MACD line lies below zero or drops down from it. Euro can also be sold after two consecutive price tests of 1.0780, but the MACD line should be in the overbought area as only by that will the market reverse to 1.0754 and 1.0722.       What's on the chart: Thin green line - entry price at which you can buy EUR/USD Thick green line - estimated price where you can set Take-Profit (TP) or manually fix profits, as further growth above this level is unlikely. Thin red line - entry price at which you can sell EUR/USD Thick red line - estimated price where you can set Take-Profit (TP) or manually fix profits, as further decline below this level is unlikely. MACD line- it is important to be guided by overbought and oversold areas when entering the market   Important: Novice traders need to be very careful when making decisions about entering the market. Before the release of important reports, it is best to stay out of the market to avoid being caught in sharp fluctuations in the rate. If you decide to trade during the release of news, then always place stop orders to minimize losses. Without placing stop orders, you can very quickly lose your entire deposit, especially if you do not use money management and trade large volumes. And remember that for successful trading, you need to have a clear trading plan. Spontaneous trading decision based on the current market situation is an inherently losing strategy for an intraday trader.  

GBP/USD also traded lower on Tuesday, and if you look at the events calendar you would see that the pair had no reason to fall. However, as we have mentioned before, just because the events calendar is empty, it does not mean that the pair will simply stay still. The pound's decline was and remains the most likely scenario, so a 50-60 point decline is not out of the ordinary.   The only report of the day, the UK Construction PMI, turned out to be slightly better than forecasts but, as we can see, had no impact on the pair's movement. On the technical side, however, the pair performed quite well, staying precisely between the Senkou Span B and the Kijun-sen lines. The signals for the pound were almost identical to the signals for the euro, with the only difference being that at the beginning of the European trading session, the pair managed to form a false buy signal by consolidating above a critical line.   This signal resulted in a small loss, but was followed by a good sell signal near the same Kijun-sen line, after which the pair fell to the Senkou Span B line. It was appropriate to close shorts near this line so you could gain around 35 pips of profit. Bouncing off the lower boundary of the Ichimoku cloud was also a good signal, and a long position allowed traders to gain about 20 pips. Thus, despite the initial losing trade, the day ended with a profit. Due to the low volatility, the profit was also relatively small.     COT report: According to the latest report, non-commercial traders opened 1,100 long positions and closed 500 short ones. The net position increased by 600 and remained bullish. Over the past 9-10 months, the net position has been on the rise despite bearish sentiment. The pound is bullish against the greenback in the medium term, but there have been hardly any reasons for that. We assume that a prolonged bear run has begun. COT reports suggest a bullish continuation. However, we can hardly explain why the uptrend should go on.   Both major pairs are in correlation now. At the same time, the positive net position on EUR/USD shows the end of the uptrend. Meanwhile, the net position on GBP/USD is neutral. The pound has gained about 2,300 pips. Therefore, a bearish correction is now needed. Otherwise, a bullish continuation would make no sense even despite the lack of support from fundamental factors. Overall, non-commercial traders hold 57,000 sell positions and 70,300 long ones. We do not see the pair extending growth in the long term. x

GBP/USD accelerates on Friday. Yesterday, there were no significant events lined up in the UK, but the US data turned out to be slightly weaker than expected. Reports on unemployment claims and industrial production were worse than traders' expectations, but there were also reports that exceeded forecasts (retail sales).   Therefore, if the US data were not in favor of the dollar, it was not to the extent that it would fall by 140 pips in a day. On the other hand, the European Central Bank held its meeting, the results of which had no relation to the pound. In addition, the market had already expected its results a couple of weeks ago, if not more. And despite all that the pound still rallied, even more strongly than the euro. Thus, the pound extends its illogical growth. The first sell signal near the 1.2659 level turned out to be false. The price could not move in the right direction even by 20 pips, so the short position closed with a small loss at the beginning of the US trading session when a buy signal appeared. Later, the pair confidently rose to the 1.2762 level and surpassed it. No sell signals were formed for the rest of the day, so traders could close their long positions anywhere.     The profit from this trade amounted to at least 100 pips. COT report: According to the latest report, non-commercial traders closed 5,200 long positions and 4,500 short ones. The net position dropped by 700 but remained bullish. Over the past 9-10 months, the net position has been on the rise despite bearish sentiment. In fact, sentiment is now bullish, but it is a pure formality. The pound is bullish against the greenback in the medium term, but there have been hardly any reasons for that. We assume that a prolonged bear run may soon begin even though COT reports suggest a bullish continuation. However, we can hardly explain why the uptrend should go on.     The pound has gained about 2,300 pips. Therefore, a bearish correction is now needed. Otherwise, a bullish continuation would make no sense even despite the lack of support from fundamental factors. Overall, non-commercial traders hold 52,500 sell positions and 65,000 long ones. We do not see the pair extending growth in the long term. 1H chart of GBP/USD In the 1-hour chart, maintains a bullish bias. The ascending trend line serves as a buy signal but I believe that further growth of the British currency is groundless. The pound sterling has been climbing for too long and downward corrections are short-lived. Judging by the technical indicators, we have an uptrend.   Yet, it is hard to find the reasons which may push it higher. Nevertheless, the market has no logical reason to buy at the moment. On June 16, trading levels are seen at 1.2349, 1.2429-1.2445, 1.2520, 1.2589, 1.2666, 1.2762, 1.2863, 1.2981-1.2987. The Senkou Span B line (1.2472) and the Kijun-sen line (1.2638) may also generate signals when the price either breaks or bounces off them. A Stop Loss should be placed at the breakeven point when the price goes 20 pips in the right direction. Ichimoku indicator lines can move intraday, which should be taken into account when determining trading signals. There are also support and resistance which can be used for locking in profits. On Friday, there are no important events lined up in the UK, while the US will only release the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index. Since there are no significant events today, we might witness a slight bearish correction. However, the pound can still rise since it doesn't need any logical reason behind it.

Analyzing Friday's trades: GBP/USD on 30M chart     On Friday, the GBP/USD pair traded flat with a slight bearish bias. The new, upcoming, ascending trend line has not been broken. At the moment, the price has only tested it. However, since the market has entered a flat phase, breaking this trend line will not be a strong signal for a trend reversal.   Of course, the British currency cannot continue to rise indefinitely, especially considering the lack of reasons and grounds for such a move. A correction should start sooner or later, but it is extremely difficult to predict when it will start because the market is currently hardly reacting to fundamental and macroeconomic factors, as confirmed by the entire week.   There was only one report on Friday, and it was the consumer sentiment from the University of Michigan in the US. This indicator unexpectedly showed a much stronger increase than forecasted and... triggered a 20-25 point rise in the dollar. As before, all reports in favor of the dollar were ignored, while any reason to buy the British pound was used to its fullest extent, resulting in a 200% increase.   GBP/USD on 5M chart A huge number of signals materialized on the 5M chart, while the movement was sideways and volatility was only 55 pips, which is very low for the pound. Therefore, almost any level that the price encountered automatically became a source of false signals. Thus, beginners could attempt to execute one or two signals during the European trading session. It is highly likely that the first one resulted in a small loss, while the second one was closed at breakeven when the stop loss was triggered. It was quite challenging to expect other results in a flat market. Trading tips on Monday: As seen on the 30M chart, the GBP/USD pair continues to show strong growth despite the Friday flat. Even if the price consolidates below the trend line, it does not mean that a downtrend is brewing, as traders remain bullish, and crossing the trend line during a flat phase is not a strong signal. The key levels on the 5M chart are 1.2779-1.2801, 1.2848-1.2860, 1.2913, 1.2981-1.2993, 1.3043, 1.3107, 1.3145, 1.3210, 1.3241, 1.3272. When the price moves 20 pips in the right direction after opening a trade, a stop loss can be set at breakeven.   On Monday, there are no important events lined up in the UK or the US, but it is extremely difficult to predict the price movement in conditions of extreme overbought levels and without any news. It could be a correction, a continuation of the rise, or a flat market.     Basic trading rules: 1) The strength of the signal depends on the time period during which the signal was formed (a rebound or a break). The shorter this period, the stronger the signal. 2) If two or more trades were opened at some level following false signals, i.e. those signals that did not lead the price to Take Profit level or the nearest target levels, then any consequent signals near this level should be ignored. 3) During the flat trend, any currency pair may form a lot of false signals or do not produce any signals at all. In any case, the flat trend is not the best condition for trading. 4) Trades are opened in the time period between the beginning of the European session and until the middle of the American one when all deals should be closed manually. 5) We can pay attention to the MACD signals in the 30M time frame only if there is good volatility and a definite trend confirmed by a trend line or a trend channel. 6) If two key levels are too close to each other (about 5-15 pips), then this is a support or resistance area.   How to read charts: Support and Resistance price levels can serve as targets when buying or selling. You can place Take Profit levels near them. Red lines are channels or trend lines that display the current trend and show which direction is better to trade. MACD indicator (14,22,3) is a histogram and a signal line showing when it is better to enter the market when they cross. This indicator is better to be used in combination with trend channels or trend lines. Important speeches and reports that are always reflected in the economic calendars can greatly influence the movement of a currency pair. Therefore, during such events, it is recommended to trade as carefully as possible or exit the market in order to avoid a sharp price reversal against the previous movement. Beginners should remember that every trade cannot be profitable. The development of a reliable strategy and money management are the key to success in trading over a long period of time.

The downtrend prevails for the EUR/USD pair, falling for the fifth consecutive week. In mid-July, the pair reached a multi-month high at 1.1276, but then sellers took over, as the dollar strengthened and the euro weakened. Last week, bears managed to settle around the 1.08 figure, but they couldn't stay below the support level of 1.0850 (the lower line of the Bollinger Bands indicator on the daily chart), even though they tested this target. The driver of the bearish movement was the USD, which strengthened amid mixed inflation data, hawkish Federal Reserve minutes, decent economic reports, and growing risk-off sentiment. The euro obediently followed the greenback, seemingly content with its role as a "follower" rather than a "leader." This week, the focus will be on the dollar, which, in turn, is anticipating the key event of the month. The event in question is the annual economic symposium held in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The significance of this event cannot be overstated. The Jackson Hole symposium is often referred to as a "barometer" for the sentiment of central banks in leading countries. As is known, the forum is attended by central bank leaders from major countries (usually at the level of chairmen or their deputies), finance ministers, leading economists and analysts, and heads of the world's largest conglomerates and banking giants. For three days, they discuss pressing issues, crystallize certain signals, and define the main points of further steps.   Typically, the financial elite discusses the most urgent issues at the time. For example, in 2015, the main topic was the crash on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, in 2016 the discussions focused on the consequences of Brexit, and in 2017 the expansion of bond spreads and the next steps of the Fed and European Central Bank were discussed. In 2018, the central topic of the meeting was the trade war between the US and China (or rather its consequences), in 2019, the global trade conflict was discussed again, as well as the impending Brexit. In 2020, the sole topic was the coronavirus crisis, in 2021, the aftermath of the crisis. The key issue discussed at Jackson Hole last year was inflation. It is evident that participants at this week's meeting will also focus on this issue, given the grim macroeconomic news from China. During the three-day symposium, which starts on August 24th, many central bank heads and representatives will speak and may outline their future course of actions in the context of monetary policy prospects. In particular, Fed Chair Jerome Powell is expected to speak on Friday – if he adopts a hawkish stance, the US dollar will get another boost across the market, including against the euro. The latest US data maintains the intrigue on the Fed chair's stance, so we can guarantee the volatility for the EUR/USD pair (as well as other dollar pairs). In short, the recent inflation reports have been somewhat contradictory.   The Consumer Price Index in July showed an uptrend – for the first time in the last 12 months. The indicator rose to 3.2% year-on-year after June's result of 3.0%. However, the core CPI decreased to 4.7% (the lowest level since July 2021). The Producer Price Index was in the "green" – both in annual and monthly terms. The PPI rose by 0.8%, compared to a forecast of 0.3%. The indicator had been steadily declining for 12 months, but it accelerated last month (for comparison, in June 2022 the PPI was at 11.3%, in June 2023, it was already at 0.1%). The core PPI also consistently declined over several months but remained at June's level in July, i.e., at 2.4%. The report on the Import Price Index similarly favored the greenback. According to data published last week, the index in monthly terms was above zero for the first time since April 2023. It is also necessary to recall the latest Non-farm Payrolls, specifically the "green hue" of the pro-inflationary indicator. The level of average hourly wage increased by 4.4% YoY in July, while experts expected a decrease to 4.1% (the indicator has been at 4.4% for four consecutive months). The question emerges - will Powell focus on the acceleration of the CPI and the dynamics of the PPI? Or will the core CPI and the basic PCE index, which showed a slowdown in inflationary processes, be the focus of his speech? According to data from the CME FedWatch Tool, the chances of a quarter point rate hike at the September meeting is currently only 11%. The likelihood of a rate hike at the November meeting is 33%. Powell may reinforce hawkish expectations regarding the Fed's future course of actions if he is concerned about the growth of the aforementioned inflation indicators. In this case, the Fed Chair will trigger a dollar rally, as a result of which the EUR/USD pair may not only fall to the base of the 8th figure but also test the support level of 1.0750 (Kijun-sen line on the daily chart).   However, if Powell focuses on the side effects of aggressive monetary policy (especially in light of recent decisions by rating agencies Moody's and Fitch), the dollar will be under pressure: in this case, EUR/USD buyers may be able to return the pair to the range of 1.0950-1.1030. Of course, apart from the economic symposium, EUR/USD traders will react to other fundamental factors in the background during the upcoming week (PMI indices, IFO, orders for durable goods, secondary housing sales in the US). However, Powell's speech is the main event not only of the upcoming week but probably of the whole of August in general.