producer price index

Inflation reached its peak in June, but it doesn’t mean it will go away. The more persistent it is, the higher the odds of a rosy outcome for gold. The August CPI report makes it clear: inflation has already peaked. As the chart below shows, both the overall and core CPI have reached their fastest pace in June 2021. The former index surged 5.3% four months ago, while the latter soared 4.5%. Since then, we have been observing very gradual deceleration in the annual inflation rates. The noticed slowdown seems to confirm the central bank’s narrative that the inflationary surge is transitory. However, in a few past editions of the Fundamental Gold Report, I argued that the fact that inflation had peaked doesn’t mean that it would go away anytime soon. In particular, I pointed out the rallying Producer Price Index (as the supply-crisis is far from being resolved), the gradually rising index for shelter, and soaring home prices, which should translate into higher consumer prices in the future. As the French adage goes, nothing lasts like the temporary. The policymakers always describe unpleasant developments as “transitory problems” (just think of all the taxes introduced only for a while!), as magical thinking that the troubles will somehow resolve themselves is much more convenient than confronting the harsh reality and taking decisive actions. Of course, there is a grain of truth in the Fed’s line of thinking. After all, compared to the long run, not to mention the cosmological timescale, higher inflation will prove to be temporary. Yes, it was sarcasm, but Powell and his colleagues are, in a sense, right about transitory inflation. You see, as the market saying goes, the cure for high prices is high prices. As you can recall from your economics 101 class, prices are set by supply and demand. And when prices rise, producers are willing to sell more, while consumers are willing to buy less. Hence, a surge in the price of a given commodity will result in reduced demand and/or boosted supply. As a result, the price will decrease. We have recently observed this mechanism in action in the lumber market. As the chart below shows, lumber surged during the post-pandemic recovery, doubling its price from February 2020 by May 2021, but now it’s just about 30% higher than before the pandemic. The chart doesn’t lie, does it? So, inflation is transitory, as high prices are indeed a cure for high prices. Lumber’s fate is what’s waiting for all goods. But not so fast. This mechanism works only under certain conditions. It clearly doesn’t apply to hyperinflation, where surges in prices cause a decline in demand for money (consumers lose faith in a currency and try to spend their money as quickly as possible) and, in turn, even stronger price surges. Even more importantly, it applies only to market-specific supply issues, not to the general, economy-wide inflation. When higher prices are a result of idiosyncratic supply constraints, the market forces will work to bring the equilibrium back, curbing the price. For example, the producers of lumber could have outbid other entrepreneurs to obtain necessary inputs and expand their capacity to eliminate the shortage of lumber. However, when almost all prices go up, the situation is different, as all entrepreneurs cannot expand their capacities at the same time because all the inputs are scarce. Why do we know that the current inflation is broad-based and also demand-related rather than caused merely by supply disruptions? Well, the obvious clue is simply the number of markets that are experiencing shortages and sharp price rallies. The supply-chain crisis is not limited to lumber and semiconductors, it covers practically all commodities and many intermediate goods. In such a situation, the root cause of inflation must be excessive demand compared to supply. As I explained earlier in the Gold Market Overview, the consumer expenditures on goods surged 15% over the pandemic. Such an increase over a relatively short period turned out to be difficult to handle by entrepreneurs, especially under epidemic conditions, thus shortages emerged. But these supply-chain problems are ultimately demand-driven, as the supply-side of the economy simply cannot satisfy the consumers’ demand. To be clear, this extra demand hasn’t emerged out of nothing. It’s happened due to a shift in expenditures from services into goods and also because it’s the child of the Fed’s easy monetary policy and lax fiscal policy. The broad money supply is about 33% greater than it was before the pandemic (see the chart below). The widened fiscal deficits financed checks to Americans, which made inflation less limited only to financial assets and more broad-based. What does it all imply for the gold market? Well, the point is that the current inflation is more demand-driven than the Fed is ready to admit. As a result, my bet is that it will be more persistent than the central bank officially claims. More stubborn inflation may accelerate the Fed’s tightening cycle, which would hit the gold market. On the other hand, persistent inflation could at some point rattle the markets, boosting the demand for gold as a safe-haven asset and an inflation hedge. High inflation also implies subdued real interest rates, which should support gold prices. Last but not least, the more persistent elevated inflation is, the higher the odds of inflationary expectations de-anchoring and stagflation taking place, in which gold should shine. Thank you for reading today’s free analysis. We hope you enjoyed it. If so, we would like to invite you to sign up for our free gold newsletter. Once you sign up, you’ll also get 7-day no-obligation trial of all our premium gold services, including our Gold & Silver Trading Alerts. Sign up today! Arkadiusz Sieron, PhD Sunshine Profits: Effective Investment through Diligence & Care.

S&P 500 gave up premarket gains, and closed on a weak note – driven by tech while value pared the intraday downswing somewhat. Market breadth still deteriorated, though – but credit markets didn‘t crater. Stocks look more cautious than bonds awaiting tomorrow‘s Fed, which is a good sign for the bulls across the paper and real assets. Sure, the ride is increasingly getting bumpy (and will get so even more over the coming weeks), but we haven‘t topped in spite of the negative shifts mentioned yesterday. The signs appear to be in place, pointing to a limited downside in the pre-FOMC positioning, but when the dust settles, more than a few markets are likely to shake off the Fed blues. I continue doubting the Fed would be able to keep delivering on its own hyped inflation fighting projections – be it in faster taper or rate raising. Crude oil is likewise just hanging in there and ready – the Fed must be aware of real economy‘s fragility, which is what Treasuries are in my view signalling with their relative serenity. We‘ve travelled a long journey from the Fed risk of letting inflation run unattented, to the Fed making a policy mistake in tightening the screws too much. For now, there‘s no evidence of the latter, of serious intentions to force that outcome. Lip service (intention to act and keep reassessing along the way) would paid to the inflation threat tomorrow, harsh words delivered, and the question is when would the markets see through that, and through the necessity to bring the punch bowl back a few short months down the road. As stated yesterday: (…) Global economic activity might be peaking here, and liquidity around the world is shrinking already – copper isn‘t too fond of that. The Fed might attempt to double the monthly pace of tapering to $30bn next, but I doubt how far they would be able to get at such a pace. Inflation and contraction in economic growth are going to be midterms‘ hot potatoes, and monetary policy change might be attempted. Tough choices for the Fed missed the boat in tapering by more than a few months. 2022 is going to be tough as we‘ll see more tapering, market-forced rate hikes (perhaps as many as 2-3 – how much closer would yield curve control get then?), higher taxes and higher oil prices. Stocks are still likely to deliver more gains in spite of all the negative divergences to bonds or other indices (hello, Russell 2000). Copper would be my indicator as to how far further we have to go before GDP growth around the world peaks. Oil is ready for strong medium-term gains, and I‘m not looking for precious metals to yield much ground. Silver though is more vulnerable unless inflation returns to the spotlight. Cryptos do likewise have issues extending gains sharply. All in all, volatility is making a return, and it isn‘t a good news for the bulls. Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook S&P 500 ran into headwinds, and fresh ATHs will really take a while to happen, but we‘re likely to get there still. Credit Markets HYG didn‘t have a really bad day – just a cautious one. Interestingly, lower yields didn‘t help tech, and that means a sectoral rebalancing in favor of value is coming, and that the current bond market strength will be sold into. Gold, Silver and Miners Precious metals held up fine yesterday, but some weakness into tomorrow shouldn‘t be surprising. I look for it to turn out only temporary, and not as a start of a serious downswing. Crude Oil Crude oil continues struggling at $72, but the downside looks limited – I‘m not looking for a flush into the low or mid $60s. Copper In spite of the red candle(s), copper looks to be stopping hesitating, and is readying an upswing. I look for broader participation in it, and that includes commodities and silver. The run up to tomorrow‘s announcement would be telling. Bitcoin and Ethereum Bitcoin and Ethereum bottom searching goes on, yesterday‘s downside target was hit, and the bulls are meekly responding today. I don‘t think the bottom is in at $46K BTC or $3700s ETH. Summary Risk-off mood is prevailing in going for tomorrow‘s FOMC – the expectations seem leaning towards making a tapering / tightening mistake. While headwinds are stiffening, we haven‘t topped yet in stocks or commodities, but the road would be getting bumpier as stated yesterday. Select commodities and precious metals are already feeling the pinch late in today‘s premarket trading, but there is no sending them to bear markets. Get ready for the twin scourge of persistent inflation and slowdown in growth to start biting increasingly more – just-in producer price index (9.6% YoY, largest ever) confirms much more inflation is in the pipeline, and the Fed would still remain behind the curve in its actions. Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

S&P 500 declined on poor PPI data, with financials virtually the only sector closing in the black. Rising yields and risk-off credit markets, that‘s the answer – markets are afraid of a more hawkish Fed than what they expect already. While the central bank will strive to project a decisive image, I‘m looking for enough leeway to be left in, and packaged in incoming data flexibility and overall uncertainty. Good for them that the fresh spending initiative hasn‘t yet passed. Still, I‘m looking for the Fed to be forced during 2022 to abruptly reverse course, and bring back the punch bowl. Treasuries look serene, and aren‘t anticipating sharply higher rates in the near term – not even inflation expectations interpreted higher PPI as a sign that inflation probably hasn‘t peaked yet. This isn‘t the first time inflation is being underestimated – and beaten down commodities (with copper bearing the brunt in today‘s premarket) reflect that likewise. Only cryptos are bucking the cautious entry to the Fed policy decision, and decreasing liquidity, in what can still turn out as a lull before another selling attempt. I think that the overly hawkish Fed expectations are misplaced, and that the risk-on assets would reverse the prior weakness – both today and in the days immediately following, which is when the real post-Fed move emerges. Odds are that it would still be up across the board. Yes, I‘m looking for the Fed speak to be interpreted as soothing – as one that would still result in market perceptions that the real bite isn‘t here yet, or doesn‘t look too real yet. Big picture is that public finances need inflation to make the debt load manageable, and that ample room to flex hawkish muscles isn‘t there (as retail data illustrate). As I wrote in yesterday‘s summary: (…) Risk-off mood is prevailing in going for tomorrow‘s FOMC – the expectations seem leaning towards making a tapering / tightening mistake. While headwinds are stiffening, we haven‘t topped yet in stocks or commodities, but the road would be getting bumpier as stated yesterday. Select commodities and precious metals are already feeling the pinch late in today‘s premarket trading, but there is no sending them to bear markets. Get ready for the twin scourge of persistent inflation and slowdown in growth to start biting increasingly more – just-in producer price index (9.6% YoY, largest ever) confirms much more inflation is in the pipeline, and the Fed would still remain behind the curve in its actions. Let‘s move right into the charts (all courtesy of www.stockcharts.com). S&P 500 and Nasdaq Outlook S&P 500 had a weak day, but the dip was being bought – there is fledgling accumulation regardless of deteriorating internals, and tech selloff continuing. Credit Markets HYG even staged a late day rally – bonds are in a less panicky mood, not anticipating overly hawkish Fed message. And that‘s good for the markets that sold off a bit too much. Gold, Silver and Miners Precious metals downside appears limited here, and today‘s premarket downswing has been largely erased already. Much catching up to do on the upside, just waiting for the catalyst. Crude Oil Crude oil is on the defensive now – the weak session yesterday didn‘t convince me. I‘m though still looking for higher prices even as today‘s premarket took black gold below $70. Still not looking for a flush into the low or mid $60s. Copper Copper upswing didn‘t materialize, and worries about the economic outlook keep growing. The sideways trend keeps holding for now though, still. Bitcoin and Ethereum Bitcoin and Ethereum bottom searching goes on, yesterday‘s downside target was hit, but the bottom (at $46K BTC or $3700s ETH) might not be in just yet. Cryptos remain in wait and see mode. Summary Bears aren‘t piling in before today‘s FOMC – the Fed‘s moves will though likely be interpreted as not overly hawkish. Given more incoming signs of slowing economy, the window of opportunity to tighten, is pretty narrow anyway. Why take too serious a chance? Yes, I‘m looking for the weakness in real assets to turn out temporary, and for stocks not to be broken by inflation just yet – as argued for in the opening part of today‘s analysis. Thank you for having read today‘s free analysis, which is available in full at my homesite. There, you can subscribe to the free Monica‘s Insider Club, which features real-time trade calls and intraday updates for all the five publications: Stock Trading Signals, Gold Trading Signals, Oil Trading Signals, Copper Trading Signals and Bitcoin Trading Signals.

Britain's consumer price index fell 0.1% in January, not as sharply as analysts had expected; they were expecting an average fall of 0.2%. Year over year inflation reached 5.5%, a new record since March 1992. There are plenty of signs that peak inflation is near, but the big question is how quickly price growth will return to its 2% target and what effort it will take from the Bank of England. Among signs of a cooling inflation outlook we highlight the second month of slowing producer prices to 13.6% yoy in January against 13.9% and 15.2% in the previous two months. This is an early indicator which allows us to expect less pressure from commodity prices on producers further down the line, which will cool consumer inflation in the coming months. Among the early indicators of inflation around the world is also the Chinese producer price index, which noted a slowdown in January to 9.1% from 10.3% a month earlier and a peak of 13.5% in October. The publication of the UK inflation accelerated the rise in the pound, sending GBPUSD above 1.3570.

Inflation in Germany continues its hike far beyond the charts. The deceleration of the monthly price growth rate in May and June proved deceptive, followed by a surge of 5.3% for July and 7.9% for August. The annual rate of producer price growth soared to 45.8% from 37.2% a month earlier, contrasting with the expected slowdown to 37.1%. However, over the last couple of months, the ECB's stance has drastically changed from trying to "talk up inflation" to unprecedented (for euro-area history) rate hikes of 50 and then 75 points over the last two meetings. From a currency market perspective, high inflation figures are not weighing on the euro but can support it, as the ECB has moved on from contemplation to data-driven moves. Read next: The Global Household Wealth Report, A Hacking Attack And More| FXMAG.COM The euro cannot yet boast of the same reaction to the inflation reports as the dollar did a week earlier. However, the EURUSD closed the previous four sessions with gains, mainly benefiting from the demand during the New York trading session. The pair appears to have decided to stay close to parity, finding support for the third consecutive month of declines. However, breaking the downtrend now requires more than just technique, but a lower rate hike in the US and a simultaneous acceleration in Europe.

The market is full of reports on various macroeconomic indicators and we can hear from experts how they affect the economic situation. But how exactly are they calculated and what do they represent? This article will help you understand ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment and Producer Price Index (PPI) better. In addition, we will find out what central bank's minutes are and why they are important to the markets.     Central bank’s minutes Decisions on monetary policy are taken by central banks. Recently, the decision on interest rates has been largely heard. Such decisions are made at meetings of bank members. The market, if you want to know the details, can use the central bank minutes. By definition, this is summarise the bank's current outlook on the economy and explain the reasoning behind its chosen actions. In the publication, we get acquainted with the course of the meeting. Consequently, with the topics discussed, the discussion and the decisions that were made. The decisions made there affect borrowing, spending, and savings rates. One of the practical advantages is that the publication of minutes helped markets to predict the monetary policy decisions of the bank.   ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment On Tuesday, we were able to see the current data on the ZEW economic sentiment in Germany and in Europe. ZEW stands for Zentrum für Europäische Wirtschaftsforschung, which translates to the Center for European Economic Research. The indicator focuses on exploring the future of Germany. Economic sentiment indicators are a popular way to measure and forecast trends in an economy. This indicator examines the sentiment of 350 economists and analysts. These experts come from the banks, insurance companies and financial departments of selected corporations. They are asked about their expectations for the coming six months regarding the economy in general, inflation rates, interest rates, stock markets, exchange rates and oil prices.   How to calculate it? It is the difference between the percentage share of analysts that are optimistic and the share of analysts that are pessimistic for the German economy in six months. For example: If 45% of participants expect the economic situation in Germany to improve in the next six months, 20%expect no change, and 35% expect the economic situation to worsen, the index will be 10. A positive number means that the share of optimists outweighs involving pessimists and vice versa. The ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment is calculated from the results of the ZEW Financial Market Survey. These two reports were discussed in a practical example in the my previous article: The Economic Outlook In Euroland And Germany Is Getting Worse| FXMAG.COM   What is Producer Price Index (PPI)? The PPI is somewhat similar to the CPI except that it looks at price increases from the producer's rather than the consumer perspective. The PPI determines the change in output prices faced by producers. Sometimes it is omitted when assessing the pace of price changes. As stated in the definition and practice the index can be measured on raw (iron ore, aluminum scrap, soybeans and wheat), intermediate (leather, paper and basic chemicals) and finished products. When calculating the base PPI, variable items such as energy and food prices are excluded from the base calculation. Calculating the PPI is done in the same way as the CPI, but from the producer's basket side i.e. Current price of basket/Base price of basket. Tracking the PPI is just as important as the CPI because it allows you to identify the cause of changes in the CPI. For example, if the CPI is rising much faster than the PPI, this may indicate that factors other than inflation may be causing retailers to increase prices. Read more about US PPI: Great Britain’s CPI Lower Than The Expected, Eyes On US PPI| FXMAG.COM Source: zew.de,investopedia.com

Traders will focus on the upcoming US inflation report. The US will publish key inflation reports that will trigger high volatility among dollar pairs, including the EUR/USD pair. At the end of last week, buyers actively traded as they approached the boundaries of the 10th figure. Traders interpreted June's Non-farms against the US currency, although the report itself was rather contradictory (for example, the wage component came out in the "green").   Inflation reports can restore confidence to the dollar bulls if they reflect an acceleration of the main indicators. But they can also plunge the greenback, enhancing doubts about the interest rate hike within the "post-July" period (the fact of the rate hike at the July meeting is beyond doubt, judging by market expectations). Therefore, traders will focus on the three US inflation reports that will be published during the upcoming week. All other macroeconomic reports will be of secondary importance, although they should not be ignored either.   Consumer Price Index The most important release of the week is the report on the growth of the consumer price index in the US for June (Wednesday, July 12). According to most experts, the indicator will reflect a slowdown in inflation growth. Thus, the general consumer price index in June should decrease quite sharply - to 3.1% y/y (from the previous value of 4.0%). The core index, excluding food and energy prices, should also demonstrate a downward dynamic, slowing down from the May value of 5.3% to 5.0% y/y. Take note that even if the CPI surprises market participants with unexpected growth, this fact is unlikely to fundamentally change the situation in the context of the July FED meeting. According to the CME FedWatch Tool, the likelihood of a rate hike this month is 93%.   That is, traders are practically confident in the hawkish outcome of the July meeting - the "green tint" of the inflation report will maintain (confirm) this confidence, but no more. However, if the consumer price index ends up in the "red", the dollar will be under quite strong pressure.   The fact is that the probability of another rate hike in September is now only 24% (again, according to the CME FedWatch Tool). If inflation indicators decrease at a more active pace, the probability of another increase (after July) by the end of the current year will weaken, and this fact will put pressure on the greenback. Producer Price Index, Import Price Index... and more Interestingly, the other inflation reports to be published in the coming week are also expected to reflect a slowdown in US inflation. For example, on Thursday, July 13, we will learn the value of the producer price index.   Experts believe that the overall PPI in monthly terms will come out at 0.2%, and in annual terms - at 0.4%. In annual terms, the indicator has been consistently decreasing for 11 months in a row, and June will accordingly be the 12th month. If it comes out at the forecast level, it will be the weakest result since August 2020. The core producer price index should show a similar dynamic. In annual terms, it should decrease to 2.7% (from the previous value of 2.8%). In this case, it will be the fifteenth consecutive decrease in the indicator. For comparison, it should be noted that in March of last year the base PPI was at 9.6%. On Friday, July 14, we will learn the dynamics of the import price index.   This indicator can be an early signal of changes in inflation trends, or their confirmation. In this case - more likely a confirmation. According to general forecasts, in monthly terms, the indicator will remain in the negative area, standing at -0.1%. In annual terms, the index has been below zero for three months in a row, and in June it should also remain in the negative area (-6.9%). Certainly, aside from US inflation reports, the economic calendar for the upcoming week is packed with other events: for instance, many Fed representatives (Barr, Bostic, Daly, Mester) will speak on Monday, the ZEW indices will be published on Tuesday, and a speech by Fed Reserve representative Neel Kashkari and ECB governing council member Philip Lane is expected on Wednesday. Also, we have the release of the ECB's June meeting minutes and the initial jobless claims data in the US.   On Friday, the release of the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index and a speech by Fed Reserve governing board member Christopher Waller is expected. But all these events will serve as a kind of information backdrop. The main focus will be on US inflation. Conclusions The aforementioned inflation reports have the potential to greatly influence the dollar, especially if they end up in the "red", i.e., if the pace of inflation decline in the US accelerates. Amid contradictory Nonfarm, this would mean that the Federal Reserve may limit itself to just one additional rate hike, which will obviously occur at the July meeting.   The July rate hike has already been factored into the market, so any doubts about further tightening of monetary policy will be detrimental to the greenback. In this case, buyers will be the beneficiaries of the current situation: their path will be open not only to the boundaries of the 10th figure, but also to the 1.1080 mark (upper line of the Bollinger Bands on the weekly chart).  

Looking ahead to 2024, we expect full-year growth of 1.1%. With this forecast, we differentiate ourselves from other institutions that have a higher growth forecast for the Portuguese economy. Our projection takes into account a more pronounced influence of monetary policy on economic growth. This effect will already be felt in the second half of 2023, which also gives us a smaller spillover effect into 2024. Moreover, the European Central Bank is expected to implement some additional interest rate hikes in July and September this year, the full impact of which will not be fully felt until 2024. More signs that core inflation will fall further Inflation has fallen significantly and is expected to remain on a downward path for the rest of the year. This decline can be attributed to the expected fall in energy and food prices, which gradually impact core inflation. Portugal's Producer Price Index (PPI), which measures the cost of inputs such as raw materials, intermediate goods and energy to businesses, is often considered an early indicator of inflationary pressures in the economy. The PPI in particular has fallen sharply: in May, producer prices fell 3.4% from a year earlier. These factors will contribute to further deflationary pressures on inflation. However, wage growth will be the main driver of inflation, countering the downward pressure from lower energy and input costs. As companies pass on higher wages to consumers through higher prices, inflation will fall more slowly. For the rest of the year, the favourable base effect of energy will also gradually dissipate, which could push up overall inflation again. Our projections assume an average inflation rate of 5% for 2023 and 2.5% for 2024.   Falling producer prices, but wages rise

Turkey's inflation situation continues to be a major concern, with both the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI) readings showing persistently high levels. The recent depreciation of the Turkish currency has exacerbated the pro-inflationary pressures in the country. While the annual CPI growth rate is declining due to the high base effect from the previous year, the monthly pace in June remains concerning, indicating that the inflationary challenges persist. In June, producer prices rose by 6.5% month-on-month and 40.4% year-on-year, leading to price increases that are being passed on to consumers. The significant 25% devaluation of the lira in June could lead to consumer prices rising by over 5% in July, pushing the annual inflation rate to 42.2%.   FXMAG.COM:  What is your assessment of the CPI and PPI readings from Turkey, and do they allow the central bank to continue too loose a monetary policy?  Inflation in Turkey remains among the highest in the world, and the recent weakening of the currency has further fuelled pro-inflationary developments. Although the annual rate of CPI growth is falling, this is the effect of last year's high base. The monthly pace (+3.92% m/m) in June suggests the inflationary drama continues. Producer price growth in June was 6.5% m/m and 40.4% y/y, forcing price increases to be passed on to end consumers. Following the 25% devaluation of the lira in June, consumer prices in Turkey for July could rise by more than 5%, bringing annual inflation to 42.2%.Does Turkey have any chance at all of returning to its inflation target? Monetary policy remains too loose for such monetary conditions, provoking capital outflows from the currency and further weakening its exchange rate, which no longer has the resources to support it. Nevertheless, the president largely dictates this policy, so we have not seen any big changes in recent months, despite initial hopes.

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.    

US This week is all about the US CPI report and retail sales data. If the US demand for goods didn’t weaken that much and if inflation heated up, rate hike expectations for the November meeting might become the consensus.  The inflation report might not be as clear as headline inflation will obviously rise given the surge in gasoline prices, but core might deliver another subdued reading.  Moderation with consumer spending will be the theme as Americans deal with higher energy prices, rising debt levels, and as confidence softens.   Investors will also pay close attention to the University of Michigan’s inflation expectations on Friday. The 1-year outlook for prices may drop from the 3.5% August reading.  Fed speak will be nonexistent as the blackout period begins for the September 20th policy meeting.   Eurozone The European Central Bank meets next week and it’s not clear at this stage what decision they will come to. Refinitiv is pricing in around a 65% chance of a hold, which may signal the end of the tightening cycle – not that the ECB would in any way suggest that at this stage – but expectations do differ. There’s every chance the committee will push through one more, at which point the data is expected to improve regardless making a Fed-style exit all the more difficult. Ultimately, it will likely come down to the projections which will be released alongside the decision. ZEW surveys aside, on Tuesday, the rest of the week is made up of tier-three data. UK  Potentially a big week for the UK ahead of the next monetary policy meeting on 21 September. Andrew Bailey and his colleagues this past week hinted that the decision is in the balance and not the foregone conclusion many expect. Markets are pricing in a more than 70% chance of a hike and more than 50% of another after that by February. If what they said is true, then the labor market report on Tuesday could be hugely significant as further slack could give those on the fence the reassurances they need that past measures, among other things, are working and more may not be needed. Huw Pill also speaks on Monday while Catherine Mann will make an appearance in Canada on Tuesday. GDP on Wednesday could also be interesting, with the rest of the week made up of less influential releases. Russia The CBR is expected to leave the key rate unchanged at 12% on Friday. It hiked very aggressively at the last meeting – from 8.5% – so there is scope for another surprise, with inflation having risen again last month to 5.1%. The rouble has also been in steady decline after rebounding following the last announcement, to trade not far from its recent lows against the dollar.  South Africa A relatively quiet week ahead, with manufacturing figures due on Monday and retail sales on Wednesday. Turkey The CBRT is desperately trying to get inflation under control again with successive large interest rate hikes. In response the currency has stopped making new lows but it has drifted lower again over the last couple of weeks since the surprisingly large last hike. It’s sitting not far from the pre-meeting lows now and inflation data this past week won’t have helped, rising to 58.94% annually. More rate hikes are likely on the way. Next week the focus is on unemployment and industrial production figures on Monday. Switzerland A very quiet week to come, with PPI inflation the only economic release. We’ve been seeing some deflation in recent months in the PPI data which will be giving the SNB some comfort that price pressures are back under control. Another rate hike is no longer viewed as guaranteed, with markets slightly favoring a hold over the coming meetings but it is tight.  China The much sought-after consumer and producers’ price inflation data for August will be released this Saturday where market participants will have a better gauge of the current deflationary conditions in China. After a slight improvement in the two sub-components of August’s NBS Manufacturing PM where new orders and production rose to their highest level since March at 50.2 and 51.9 respectively coupled with an improvement in export growth for August that shrunk to a lesser magnitude of -8.8% y/y from -14.5% y/y in July, there are some signs of optimism that the recent eight months of deflationary pressures may have started to abate. The August CPI is expected to inch back up to 0.2% y/y from -0.3% y/y in July and the PPI is forecast to shrink at a lesser magnitude of -3% y/y in August versus -4.4% in July. If the PPI turns out as expected, it will be the second consecutive month of improvement from a persistent loop of deflationary pressure in factory gate prices since November 2022. Other key data to focus on will be new yuan loans and M2 money supply for August which will be released on Monday. It will provide a sense of whether China’s economy is slipping into a liquidity trap despite the current targeted monetary and fiscal stimulus measures enacted by policymakers. Lastly, the housing price index, industrial production, retail sales, and the unemployment rate for August will be released on Friday with both retail sales and industrial production expected to show slight improvement; 2.8% y/y for retail sales over 2.5% y/y recorded in July, 4% y/y for industrial production versus 3.7% in July. Market participants will be keeping a close eye on youth unemployment for August after July’s figure was temporarily suspended by the National Bureau of Statistics without any clear timeline for the suspension. The youth joblessness data in China is of key concern after the youth unemployment rate skyrocketed to a record high of 21.3% in June, around four times more than the national unemployment rate of 5.3%. Lastly, China’s central bank, the PBoC, will announce its decision on a key benchmark interest rate, the 1-year medium-term lending facility rate on Friday and the expectation is no change at 2.50% after a prior cut of 15 basis points.  India Inflation and balance of trade for August will be the focus for the coming week. Inflation data is released on Tuesday and is expected to dip slightly to 7% y/y from 7.44% in July, the highest since April 2022. Balance of trade will be released on Friday and the expectation is for the deficit to widen slightly to -$21 billion from -$20.67 billion in July.   Australia On Monday, the Westpac consumer confidence change for September is expected to improve to 0.6% m/m from a reading of -0.4% m/m in August, following three consecutive interest rate pauses from RBA. The key employment change data for August will be released on Thursday with 24,300 jobs expected to be created, an improvement on the 14,600 reduction in July. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate is expected to slip to 3.6% from 3.7% in July. New Zealand Electronic retail card spending for August is due on Tuesday and is forecast to dip to 1.4% y/y from 2.2% in July. That would represent a declining trend in growth in the past five months. Next up, food inflation for August will be released on Wednesday; its growth rate is expected to slow to 7.8% y/y from 9.6% in July. That would be the slowest growth in food inflation since June 2022. Japan A couple of key data points to note for the coming week. Firstly, the Reuters Tankan Index on manufacturers’ sentiment on Wednesday; after a big jump to +12 in August – its highest level recorded so far this year – sentiment is expected to taper off slightly to +10 for September. Producers’ price index for August will be released on Wednesday and a slight dip is expected to 3.2% y/y from 3.6% in July. Lastly, on Thursday, we will have data on machinery orders from July with the consensus expecting a further decline of 10.7% y/y from -5.8% in June. Singapore One key data to focus on is the balance of trade for August which will be out on Friday. The trade surplus is being expected to increase slightly to $7 billion from $6.49 billion in July. That would be the fourth consecutive month of expansion in the trade surplus.  

US This week is all about the US CPI report and retail sales data. If the US demand for goods didn’t weaken that much and if inflation heated up, rate hike expectations for the November meeting might become the consensus.  The inflation report might not be as clear as headline inflation will obviously rise given the surge in gasoline prices, but core might deliver another subdued reading.  Moderation with consumer spending will be the theme as Americans deal with higher energy prices, rising debt levels, and as confidence softens.   Investors will also pay close attention to the University of Michigan’s inflation expectations on Friday. The 1-year outlook for prices may drop from the 3.5% August reading.  Fed speak will be nonexistent as the blackout period begins for the September 20th policy meeting.   Eurozone The European Central Bank meets next week and it’s not clear at this stage what decision they will come to. Refinitiv is pricing in around a 65% chance of a hold, which may signal the end of the tightening cycle – not that the ECB would in any way suggest that at this stage – but expectations do differ. There’s every chance the committee will push through one more, at which point the data is expected to improve regardless making a Fed-style exit all the more difficult. Ultimately, it will likely come down to the projections which will be released alongside the decision. ZEW surveys aside, on Tuesday, the rest of the week is made up of tier-three data. UK  Potentially a big week for the UK ahead of the next monetary policy meeting on 21 September. Andrew Bailey and his colleagues this past week hinted that the decision is in the balance and not the foregone conclusion many expect. Markets are pricing in a more than 70% chance of a hike and more than 50% of another after that by February. If what they said is true, then the labor market report on Tuesday could be hugely significant as further slack could give those on the fence the reassurances they need that past measures, among other things, are working and more may not be needed. Huw Pill also speaks on Monday while Catherine Mann will make an appearance in Canada on Tuesday. GDP on Wednesday could also be interesting, with the rest of the week made up of less influential releases. Russia The CBR is expected to leave the key rate unchanged at 12% on Friday. It hiked very aggressively at the last meeting – from 8.5% – so there is scope for another surprise, with inflation having risen again last month to 5.1%. The rouble has also been in steady decline after rebounding following the last announcement, to trade not far from its recent lows against the dollar.  South Africa A relatively quiet week ahead, with manufacturing figures due on Monday and retail sales on Wednesday. Turkey The CBRT is desperately trying to get inflation under control again with successive large interest rate hikes. In response the currency has stopped making new lows but it has drifted lower again over the last couple of weeks since the surprisingly large last hike. It’s sitting not far from the pre-meeting lows now and inflation data this past week won’t have helped, rising to 58.94% annually. More rate hikes are likely on the way. Next week the focus is on unemployment and industrial production figures on Monday. Switzerland A very quiet week to come, with PPI inflation the only economic release. We’ve been seeing some deflation in recent months in the PPI data which will be giving the SNB some comfort that price pressures are back under control. Another rate hike is no longer viewed as guaranteed, with markets slightly favoring a hold over the coming meetings but it is tight.  China The much sought-after consumer and producers’ price inflation data for August will be released this Saturday where market participants will have a better gauge of the current deflationary conditions in China. After a slight improvement in the two sub-components of August’s NBS Manufacturing PM where new orders and production rose to their highest level since March at 50.2 and 51.9 respectively coupled with an improvement in export growth for August that shrunk to a lesser magnitude of -8.8% y/y from -14.5% y/y in July, there are some signs of optimism that the recent eight months of deflationary pressures may have started to abate. The August CPI is expected to inch back up to 0.2% y/y from -0.3% y/y in July and the PPI is forecast to shrink at a lesser magnitude of -3% y/y in August versus -4.4% in July. If the PPI turns out as expected, it will be the second consecutive month of improvement from a persistent loop of deflationary pressure in factory gate prices since November 2022. Other key data to focus on will be new yuan loans and M2 money supply for August which will be released on Monday. It will provide a sense of whether China’s economy is slipping into a liquidity trap despite the current targeted monetary and fiscal stimulus measures enacted by policymakers. Lastly, the housing price index, industrial production, retail sales, and the unemployment rate for August will be released on Friday with both retail sales and industrial production expected to show slight improvement; 2.8% y/y for retail sales over 2.5% y/y recorded in July, 4% y/y for industrial production versus 3.7% in July. Market participants will be keeping a close eye on youth unemployment for August after July’s figure was temporarily suspended by the National Bureau of Statistics without any clear timeline for the suspension. The youth joblessness data in China is of key concern after the youth unemployment rate skyrocketed to a record high of 21.3% in June, around four times more than the national unemployment rate of 5.3%. Lastly, China’s central bank, the PBoC, will announce its decision on a key benchmark interest rate, the 1-year medium-term lending facility rate on Friday and the expectation is no change at 2.50% after a prior cut of 15 basis points.  India Inflation and balance of trade for August will be the focus for the coming week. Inflation data is released on Tuesday and is expected to dip slightly to 7% y/y from 7.44% in July, the highest since April 2022. Balance of trade will be released on Friday and the expectation is for the deficit to widen slightly to -$21 billion from -$20.67 billion in July.   Australia On Monday, the Westpac consumer confidence change for September is expected to improve to 0.6% m/m from a reading of -0.4% m/m in August, following three consecutive interest rate pauses from RBA. The key employment change data for August will be released on Thursday with 24,300 jobs expected to be created, an improvement on the 14,600 reduction in July. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate is expected to slip to 3.6% from 3.7% in July. New Zealand Electronic retail card spending for August is due on Tuesday and is forecast to dip to 1.4% y/y from 2.2% in July. That would represent a declining trend in growth in the past five months. Next up, food inflation for August will be released on Wednesday; its growth rate is expected to slow to 7.8% y/y from 9.6% in July. That would be the slowest growth in food inflation since June 2022. Japan A couple of key data points to note for the coming week. Firstly, the Reuters Tankan Index on manufacturers’ sentiment on Wednesday; after a big jump to +12 in August – its highest level recorded so far this year – sentiment is expected to taper off slightly to +10 for September. Producers’ price index for August will be released on Wednesday and a slight dip is expected to 3.2% y/y from 3.6% in July. Lastly, on Thursday, we will have data on machinery orders from July with the consensus expecting a further decline of 10.7% y/y from -5.8% in June. Singapore One key data to focus on is the balance of trade for August which will be out on Friday. The trade surplus is being expected to increase slightly to $7 billion from $6.49 billion in July. That would be the fourth consecutive month of expansion in the trade surplus.  

According to the latest CFTC report, the past week was relatively calm in the futures market. One notable change was the value of the net short yen by position, which corrected by 1.2 billion, while changes in other currencies were minimal. The US dollar's net positioning, after sharply rising the previous week, saw a 0.3 billion correction, bringing it to 8.5 billion, indicating a firm speculative positioning for the dollar. Other factors that supported the greenback are the drop in the number of long positions in oil and especially gold, with a weekly change of -4.8 billion, implying further declines. This often signifies growing bullish sentiment for the US dollar.   The University of Michigan's Consumer Sentiment Index fell to 63.0 in October, the reading was below the forecast of 67.2, reaching the lowest level since May. This marks the third consecutive decline and can be largely attributed to rising gas prices and a decline in the stock market. However, consumer spending remains at a good level despite weaker sentiment in recent months. China's consumer price index remained flat from a year earlier in September, while the Producer Price Index fell by 2.5% as concerns linger about weak demand. Both figures were slightly below consensus estimates. This week's data on industrial production, retail sales, and third-quarter GDP will provide a clearer picture of the impact of the government's additional stimulus measures. The conflict between Israel and Hamas has quickly escalated into the bloodiest clash in the past 50 years from both sides. As both Israel and Iran are minor natural gas exporters, European natural gas prices rose by about 40% last week. Oil markets remain calmer due to reduced demand and excess production capacity. US consumer price inflation for September shows headline prices rose 0.4% month-on-month (consensus 0.3%), and the core index slowed down from 4.3% year-on-year to 4.1% year-on-year, which is a positive sign for the Federal Reserve. There is growing confidence that the Fed's rate hike cycle is coming to an end.   The British pound corrected slightly above the resistance level at 1.2305 and then resumed its decline. It is assumed that the local peak has been formed, and the sell-off will continue, with the nearest target being 1.2033 (the low from October 4). In case it breaks below this level, selling pressure may intensify, with the long-term target being 1.1740/90.  

It's early December, which means traders have very little time left before the start of the "dead season." The currency market will be active for a few more weeks before entering the Christmas-New Year lethargy. The EUR/USD pair is no exception here. Typically, life in the FX market slows down after the December meetings of the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank (on December 12-13 and 14, respectively). For some time, traders reflect on the outcomes of these meetings, but inevitably, "winter holidays" set in. The main feature of the upcoming week is the "silence" of the Fed officials. The so-called "blackout period" started on Saturday: for 10 days leading up to the Fed meeting, officials of the U.S. central bank generally do not speak publicly or grant interviews. Therefore, EUR/USD traders will be focused on economic reports. Let's take a look at the economic calendar and see what awaits us in the coming days.   Monday The first working day is traditionally quite empty for EUR/USD. During the European session, the Sentix investor confidence indicator will be published. This is a leading indicator as it measures investors' sentiment towards the eurozone economy. Since March 2022, the indicator has been in the negative territory, but in November, it showed positive dynamics, rising from -21.9 to -18.6. In December, experts expect a further improvement to -15.0. Also on Monday, ECB President Christine Lagarde is expected to speak. She will participate in a conference that includes a Q&A session. The head of the ECB may comment on the latest eurozone inflation data, although the theme of the meeting, let's say, does not lend itself to such questions (the conference is organized by the French Academy of Ethics and Political Sciences). During the U.S. session, a report on factory orders in America will be published. The volume of total orders is expected to decrease by 2.7% in October, while core orders are expected to increase by only 0.3%. Tuesday On Tuesday, the final estimates of the PMI data for November will be published. According to forecasts, they will coincide with the initial reports (in this case, the market will likely ignore this data). Traders will focus on the ISM Non-Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), which will be published during the U.S. session. This indicator has declined over the past two months, but according to most experts, it will rise to 52.5 points in November. However, if the index falls into the "red zone," the dollar will come under significant pressure. Let me remind you that the ISM Manufacturing Index published last week did not support the greenback. In November, it reached 46.7 points, against forecasts of an increase to 48.0 (the manufacturing index has been in contraction territory for the 13th consecutive month). In addition, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics will release data on the level of job vacancies and labor turnover. However, considering that the market is anticipating the Non-Farm Payrolls data later in the week, they will likely overlook Tuesday's report.   Wednesday At the start of the European session, we will learn about the October volume of industrial orders in Germany. In annual terms, the indicator has been in the negative territory since July, and judging by forecasts, the situation is not expected to improve in October (forecast -5.6%). The main report of the day will be announced during the U.S. session, which is the non-farm employment in the United States from ADP. This report is considered to play the role of a kind of "harbinger" ahead of the release of official data—although quite often these indicators do not correlate. Nevertheless, the ADP report can trigger increased volatility among dollar pairs, especially if it comes out in the green/red zone. According to experts, 120,000 non-farm jobs were created in November. If the figure falls below the 100,000 mark, the greenback may come under pressure. Also, U.S. data on labor cost will be published (final estimate). This indicator, for the first time since the beginning of 2021, dropped into negative territory in the third quarter. According to forecasts, the final estimate will be revised downwards (from -0.8% to -0.9%). On the same day, ECB Executive Board member Joachim Nagel (head of the Bundesbank) will speak. Before the release of the latest data on eurozone inflation, he voiced rather hawkish theses, allowing for additional interest rate hikes in the foreseeable future. We do not know whether his position will change in light of recent events.   Thursday On this day, we will learn the final estimate of the eurozone Q3 GDP data. According to forecasts, the final result should match the second estimate (-0.1%). During the U.S. session, weekly data on initial jobless claims will be published. Since mid-October, this indicator has fluctuated in the range of 210,000 to 220,000 (except for one week when the count jumped to 233,000). According to forecasts, for the upcoming week, the indicator will come in at 220,000, i.e., at the upper limit of the "established" range. Furthermore, secondary economic reports will be released (wholesale inventories - final estimate, and consumer credit), but they usually do not have any significant impact on the market.   Friday On the last day of the trading week, key U.S. labor market data for the month of November will be published. According to preliminary forecasts, the unemployment rate in November will remain at the October level, i.e., at 3.9%. The number of non-farm payrolls is expected to increase by 185,000 (after a 150,000 increase in October) – meaning the figure will once again fall short of the 200,000 mark. In the private sector, the number of employed is expected to grow by 155,000 (after a 99,000 increase in October). And the average hourly wage level is expected to demonstrate a downtrend again – down to 4.0% YoY (in this case, it will be the lowest value of the indicator since August 2021). Obviously, such a result will not benefit the dollar, especially amid a decrease in CPI, producer price index, and the core PCE index.   On the bullish side, we have the dovish comments from some of the Fed officials (Waller, Goolsby), conflicting signals from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, and a decline in key inflation indicators. On the bearish side, we have the eurozone inflation data. The "red tint" of the latest report put an end to the discussion about the ECB rate hike in the coming months. The euro lost its fundamental trump card, but, as we know, the EUR/USD pair can successfully rise only due to the dollar's weakness. For instance, on Friday, the bears tried to break through to the 1.08 level but eventually failed. In my opinion, in the medium-term perspective (until the release of the NFP data), traders will exercise caution (both sellers and buyers), trading on "neutral territory," i.e., in the range of 1.0850 – 1.0930 (lower and middle Bollinger Bands lines on the 4H timeframe, respectively).